The night is hazy. The Gaudi City Tower is pitch black, and only the burning beacon at the entrance of the city illuminates the entire Gaudi City Pond

At the top of the city tower, two Han soldiers patrolled the city with two red tassel guns. Seeing that the patrolling young generals had gone, the two soldiers sat down against the black city wall with air conditioning. A round-faced soldier trembled and put his wrists into his arms, and groped in his arms with his trembling hands. After a long time, he took out a trace of tobacco. After opening the package, the smell of smoke spread. The soldier leaned over his nose and took a deep breath, and then divided the tobacco into two halves. The other half was handed to a long-faced soldier.

"Hey... I've been patrolling for a long time. It's so cold. Smoke a cigarette and rest for a while?" The fat-faced soldier said to the long-faced soldier with a trembling body.

The long-faced soldier nodded, sniffed his nose suddenly, and also put a big hand covered with calluses into his arms. He groped in his arms and found a fire note and came with a big cigarette butt. The two of them lit the tobacco with the firestone and started smoking with the long-faced pipe.

The round-faced soldier took a breath and spitted a cigarette. A comfortable expression appeared on his fat face. After a while, he suddenly vomited all the smoke in his mouth and delivered the pipe. He took the cigarette butt with his long face and squinted his eyes and took it hard. A smoke slowly spit out. The long-faced face immediately felt like a god. He exhaled a long sigh and said, "Hey, have you heard of it?"

"How could I not hear about such a big thing? I heard that the Tartar court blamed King Cheng for despising the Tartar Emperor this time. In Gaudi, he called himself an isolated army and gathered a million troops to attack us. Moreover, this time the attack was a prime minister of the Tartar court, a big official?" Fat face dodged his pipe and took a breath again.

"Yes, I heard that the Tartar official in the court was very powerful in wars. A few years ago, this Tartar official personally led troops to conquer all the rebels in the world. I heard that this Tartar official was a weak scholar and was very good to the Han people. When the Yellow River was flooding, many unconscientious officials in the Tartar court made the river water flood. It was this high official who was strongly responsible for building river embankments and also issued military orders to suppress the bad opinions of the Tartar court. In this way, the court started to build the flooded river embankments!"

"Hey..." The round-faced sniffed the cigarette, threw the pipe to the long-faced, and continued, "It's a pity that the good intention of this high-ranking official was not rewarded. When he was building the Yellow River, the leader of the White Lotus Sect, Han Shantong, chiseled a one-eyed stone man at this time, and buried it in Huanglinggang in advance, spreading folk songs: "One eye of the stone man stirred up the Yellow River in the world." After several months, the White Lotus Sect and all the people began to launch riots, killing many Tartars and occupying many places. Seeing this, other rebels also pulled up big banners. The rebels in the world resisted the Tartars, and killed the Tartars for a moment, and killed the Tartars in a bad way. In this way, this made the great official suffer. When the Tartars' dog emperor heard the riots in the world, he was furious and punished the Tartars for a burst of punishment. In anger, he personally led the army to wipe out the rebels."

"If you want to say, the weak scholar has no power to tie a chicken, but this is not the case with this Tartar official. Although this Tartar official was born a scholar, he has a good attitude towards war. Over the years, the war in the south and north have been very powerful. He hated us Han people when he built the Yellow River, and killed the Tartar soldiers, occupying a lot of places, and made him look so kind in the court that he hated the Han people to the core, so he was ruthless in the war. Last time he personally led a large army to attack Xuzhou. He was a very good warlike person. The army was unworthy in one day. All the Han people in Xuzhou were killed by this Tartar official... Even the leader of the sect was killed... not left a living... It was really heartbreaking to think that he would encounter this murderous devil. I wonder if he would have his life to go back...?"

When the long face heard it, he said with displeasure: "Hmph, you are growing ambitions and destroying your own might. No matter how powerful the Tartar officials are, they are still vulnerable to our King Cheng. Look at the past year, wherever King Cheng went, I have beaten the Tartars so hard that they were so scattered. Not to mention anything else, just talk about the two feet a few days ago. The court did not order Pingzhang Zhengshi Gouer from Huguang Province to lead troops to attack our King Cheng for Pingzhang Zhengshi in Huainan Province. King Cheng just used a little trick and beat the Tartars army to the fare and rolled back to Dadu. He was not convinced. After only half a year, he sent a large army to attack. He was still a prime minister, and he led a lot of troops.

Didn’t he be defeated by King Cheng in one fell swoop? In the end, the Tartars rushed to seek medical treatment, gathered all the remaining troops together, trying to defeat King Cheng. Now, these Tartar soldiers are so powerful that they will be a big battle. Are they not the opponent of King Cheng at all? In these two battles, King Cheng has not lost his troops and lost his generals, and has conquered Xuyi County (now Xuyi, Jiangsu) and Sizhou (now Sixian, Jiangsu). Now, Face Gaodi is also King Cheng. Even if the Tartar officials are the ones who lead the troops, what can they do? According to my opinion, King Cheng is the real dragon in the sky and descends to earth, and is destined to save our Han people from the sea of ​​suffering. How could the Tartar soldiers be his enemy?"

The fat face nodded and said, "You said that. Since King Cheng occupied the status of Han people in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, he has been really good to us Han people. Over the years, he has vigorously reduced taxes and allowed us, who have suffered from war and harsh governments, to live a good life. I really hope that King Cheng can one day expel the Tartars, restore our Han people's country, and let us wait for the Han people to live a real good life!"

He said with a long face: "Hey, yes, there are few people who love the people like King Cheng like him. If he really becomes the emperor, it will definitely be a blessing for the people?"

The fat face sighed and said, "Who said it was not? It's a pity that the dog Tartars would not let him go so easily. This time the court asked the Tartar officials to generalize the kings and the military and horses of various provinces to be transferred to the Western Regions. The troops of various ethnic groups in Xifan assisted in the war, claiming to be a million troops. "The flags are thriving thousands of miles, and the golden drums are shaking the field. The army of the army has never been there. I am afraid that this time the people who come are not kind will not come? Suzhou City is afraid that life will be ruined again?"

The long face darkened his face and said, "Who said it was not? But our old king Cheng is not an ordinary person, and we must have a way to win this fierce battle. I heard that the day before yesterday, all the troops, all the yamen and local officials of our Gaodi City were called to discuss this fierce battle. He also said that the Jiangsu and Zhejiang area was his territory. From the day he was conquered, he would not let the Tartars take it back. He also mobilized the brigades of troops to be responsible for guarding the various military strategists in Gaodi City, and swear to fight to the death with the Tartars. If these are good, if King Cheng is serious, we can also go to the battlefield and kill a few damn Tartar soldiers. Over the years, we Han people have been bullied by these dogs and Tartars. Finally, we finally have a person like King Cheng, and we swear to be loyal to the death!"

"That's right!"

Just as he was talking about this, someone suddenly shouted down the city tower: "On the top of the city, please open the city gate?"

The two of them were talking about the shouting of the city tower, and they ignored the silence of smoke. The gusts of cigarettes were blown high by the storm of the night wind.

But people still shouted from the city tower. The fat man cursed inwardly, stood up from the dark wall, patted the dust on his butt, crawled on the wall and looked at it, facing the miraculous night wind, he said angrily: "What are you shouting? Close the city gate at night, don't you know the rules? If you want to leave the city, please get early tomorrow!"

The man downstairs snorted coldly and said sternly: "Hurry open the city gate. We are from the Prince Cheng's Mansion. We have important matters left the city upon the order of King Cheng, which has delayed major events. Can you afford to be offended? Why don't you open the city gate quickly and let me go out?"

"People from Prince Cheng's Mansion?" The fat face looked at the long-faced person, showing a suspicious look, and his expression was clearly saying, "Isn't it true?"

"Look at it?" He hesitated with a long face.

"Yeah, that's fine!"

The fat face stood up again, and this time he looked down seriously. But under the dark night, he could vaguely see that there was an extra carriage under the city tower, with gold handlebars, white tents, and guards on both sides. There were at least three or four people. They were all big men with large figures, and you could tell at a glance that the people in the carriage were of extraordinary identity.

"Is it because King Zhen Zhen is here?" The fat face was filled with joy and was about to turn around and open the door.

"Let's wait!"

The fat face was pulled by the long face and said in surprise: "What's wrong?"

He said with a long face: "One carriage alone can't prove that he is King Cheng. If he is a spy from the Tartars, if we open the city gate, wouldn't it harm King Cheng and the people of the whole city?"

The fat face slapped his thigh and said, "Look at me, why am I so confused? You are talking very much. Now the Tartars are attacking my city of Godi, and it is possible that they are spies. If the city gate is opened, they will be a flock of wolves? But...?"

"But what?"

The fat face glanced at the city tower. In the dark night, the golden copper head of the carriage handles shone brightly, which further highlighted the extraordinary identity of the owner in the carriage.

"If it is really King Cheng, what should we do? If we don't open the city gate, wouldn't it be that King Cheng's major event? That's a serious crime for beheading. You and I can't afford to betray you?"

The long-faced person thought about it, nodded, and said, "Since he is the King of Cheng, he has the certificate of King of Cheng, so we might as well ask!"

"That's right!" Fat face was overjoyed, returned to the wall, and said sternly: "You say you are from Prince Cheng's Mansion, do you have any certificate?"

A man on the left side of the carriage under the city stepped forward, and he was the one who called out to the city gate. It was just dark and he couldn't see his appearance clearly. At this moment, he walked up and said, "I'll wait for me to have the waist card from Prince Cheng's Mansion as evidence?"

The fat faced and the long faced one on the city tower looked at each other, and the fat face said, "Since there is a waist card, why not present it? I can only open the door and let it go after I have confirmed my identity?"

The man nodded and said, "Okay! I threw it up." After saying that, I didn't see how he took action. I heard a sound, as if an object flew towards the city tower. The fat face was shocked. His body took two steps slightly out of instinct. It was not surprising that the thrown up happened to land at the foot of the fat face, making a crisp "when" sound.

Under the light, I saw the object thrown up looked like silver but not silver, and it looked like gold but not gold. Under the light, it emitted a bronze light. The fat man's eyes were sharp, and he saw the direction of the object at a glance. He bent down to pick it up. He just saw that it was just a three-inch silver waist card. There was a small "Sheng" in the middle of the waist card. The brushwork was powerful and it felt like it was three-thirds of the wood. When you touch it with your hands, it felt quite smooth, and it was extremely precipitated when you started.

"It's indeed the waist card of the Prince Cheng's Mansion?" Fat face muttered, returned to the city wall, and threw the waist card gently. The waist card seemed to have been used by someone to use magic and fell into the hand of the man on the left side of the carriage. It was not surprising that it happened to fall into the palm of the hand. Since it was a member of the Prince Cheng's Mansion, Fat face's attitude suddenly became respectful and said with a smile: "My masters, please understand. Now that the Tartar soldiers are coming, the city gate dare not open at will. The general's chess and card orders needed to open the city gate are just because Prince Cheng personally arrived, so there is no need for this city gate?"

As he said that, he quickly shouted at the long-faced person: "Hurry up, hurry up, go to open the city gate, delaying King Cheng's major event, it is not fun!"

Suzhou is the economic, political, cultural and military important place that Zhang Shicheng has passed by the Great Zhou Dynasty, and Gaodi is the top priority of Suzhou. Therefore, in order to resist this battle, Zhang Shicheng ordered the people of the whole city to strengthen Gaodi's city tower overnight. Now the entire Gaodi city tower is tall and strong, easy to defend and difficult to attack. It is as if a man is at the gate of ten thousand men cannot open. The city wall is more than five or six meters high, and all the bluestone and blue bricks are built, so it is quite difficult to climb. The fat face is about to climb down, and he is exhausted and panting. Then he is on the city gate outside the city. After a while, he is not searching, starting, and unlocking. The two ancient city gates that have been old for a long time made a sound of "Ah...", and the city gates were slowly pushed open by the two.

As soon as the city gate was opened, the two men completely opened the city gate. A carriage had already rushed through the city gate surrounded by dozens of knights, leaving only two disordered car marks on the bluestone road.

Looking at the rushing carriage, the two looked at each other, and an ominous premonition arose in their hearts.

The two of them closed the city gate again, sat down against the black corner of the wall, continued to flint, lit the tobacco, spit out cigarettes in the dark night, and talked about their words that had not yet been thorough. What they just now were not something that ordinary people could see, think, and know?

It was indeed Zhang Shicheng who sat in the carriage. Since he learned that he had received the news of his defeat in Zhao Huanyu, who was plotting to compete in the sword in front of Dadu, Zhang Shicheng felt bad. He also learned from the Kyoto spies that the Tartar court had really sent Tuotuo to force more than one million troops, gathered various previous weapons, and rushed to Gao Di, and wiped him out in one fell swoop. After learning that this bad news was so bad that he thought hard that he had no idea about his enemy, but after some helpless thought, he had no idea. At this time, he urgently needed someone to give him advice and overcome the crisis in front of him.

The carriage ran wildly along the bluestone road and headed towards Hanshan Temple, not far southwest of Fengqiao, ten miles outside the west of Changmen in Suzhou City.

"Brother, Hanshan Temple has arrived." Zhang Shixin's voice floated into the outside of the car door. Zhang Shicheng was stunned. He felt that the carriage had been waiting for a long time. Zhang Shicheng got up and bent down, pulled the curtain and lowered his head and came out. The guards of the Prince Cheng's mansion who were waiting outside the door hurried forward to support him. Zhang Shicheng looked up and saw that he had arrived outside the Hanshan Temple. The night breeze was blowing, and Hanshan Temple outside Gusu City...

The quiet river channel and slightly ancient houses, small bridges, attics, flowers and trees are only seen each other, like a long scroll. Occasionally, a willow tree leans obliquely on the river surface, which is quite like a wave. The narrow river channel seems to be able to hold on both sides, and the wide one can accommodate a boat with a wide turn, but it can be heard from the water.

Zhang Shicheng looked at it without saying a word, walked out to Hanshan Temple. Before he could enter the door, he could hear a sound of reading at night.

"The moon sets, crows cry, frost is everywhere in the sky, the river maple fishing fire is facing the sorrow, Hanshan Temple outside Gusu City, the bell rings at the passenger ship in the middle of the night..." The sound of reading is extremely loud, and although it is the sound of the flowing water outside Hanshan Temple, it still cannot be covered.

"Brother Guanzhong, is my elder brother here to see you?" Zhang Shixin shouted at a Zen room in the temple. The originally clear sound of studying stopped in an instant, and then a man put down an ancient book in his hand and turned around and stood up. Under the light, the man was only about thirty years old, with bright eyes and eyebrows, nose as if he was hanging on his head. His face was like jade, and he was in a Confucian uniform. He could definitely be called a handsome man.

The man walked out slightly and bowed and bowed: "Brother Shicheng, Brother Shixin, what wind has blown you here, come, come... please come in..."

The man said while leaving the door open. Zhang Shixin led Zhang Shicheng into the room. The Zen room was not big, but it was alone. There were many rockery, flowers, plants, and trees around him. The three of them entered the room again and sat down. A guard came in and carefully served three cups of hot tea, and then quit. Zhang Shicheng's personal guards pushed out of the Zen room one after another, pulled up the door, and waited outside the room.

The room calmed down for a moment. Zhang Shicheng took a sip of tea and was thinking about the problem in his mind. He didn't know where to start. The man sat in the door, squinted his eyes and looked at Zhang Shicheng, but was waiting aside.

After a while, Zhang Shicheng put down the teacup in his hand, glanced at the man and said aloud: "Brother Guanzhong, have you heard of what happened recently?"

The man nodded and said, "Although I don't leave the house, I have heard of it. This time the Tartars launched a large-scale attack, will it force Brother Shicheng to submit in one fell swoop?"

Zhang Shicheng was stunned and said, "The scholar knows everything about the world if he doesn't go out? The old saying is right. I am confused. I don't know what Brother Guanzhong has to say about this matter?"

Luo Guanzhong's original name is Guanzhong, and his pseudonym was Huhai Sanren. He loved reading since he was a child and had a lot of knowledge about classics and history. In addition, he was talented and quick-witted. When he was very young, he showed that he was more strategic and ambitious than other children. At the age of twenty, he had already traveled around famous mountains and rivers nearby and made many friends from all over the world. Once, he went to Dongping Lake to visit the ancient canal road, and the 800-mile Liangshan Shuibo ruins and famous sites, and met Zhang Shicheng and Zhang Shixin. The two had similar interests. They fell in love with each other and soon

He formed brothers, and he was close to each other, and often traveled together to explore knowledge. Zhang Shicheng was a hero of his life. After some contact, he knew that Luo Guanzhong had learned a lot, so he did not regard him as an ordinary wandering scholar. He let him live in Hanshan Temple in Jiangsu. Zhang Shicheng was extremely respectful to Luo Guanzhong and had a great support as a confidant minister. If he had any difficulties on weekdays, he would send people to consult. Now that he encountered such a big thing, how could Zhang Shicheng not ask him for advice? "

Luo Guanzhong seemed to be ready, put down the book in his hand, clasped his fists and asked, "I don't know if King Cheng is ready!"

"Hey, can the Tartars not be prepared for such troops? Nowadays, all kinds of work preparations have been dug outside Gaoyou Mansion? Three hundred meters outside the city tower, the elder brother has already covered three trenches in total, connected by the marching and formation method. When the Tartars arrive, our infantry will come forward to block them first. If it doesn't work, they can retreat to the second trenches and destroy the Tartars' cavalry while retreating. That's nothing?" Zhang Zhang Shixin looked proud and continued: "We have buried various explosives in advance, a thousand meters outside the city gate. Once the Tartars launch a large-scale attack, we can shoot rockets thousands of meters away from the city tower, ignite gunpowder, and not blow the Tartars up to no return!"

Luo Guanzhong did not move at all, and then smiled for a while and said, "What about the people in the city?"

Zhang Shixin was stunned, and even Zhang Shicheng was slightly stunned. He looked up at Luo Guanzhong. Zhang Shixin was stunned for a moment before he realized: "Oh, people, I learned that the Tartars were attacking a large-scale attack. Now the people in Gaoyou Mansion and the people in the city have moved to remote areas, so it should be safe!"

Luo Guanzhong nodded and said, "This time the Tartars came, the millions of troops and the commander of the army was the prime minister Tutuo of the current dynasty. This man was well aware of the key points of military tactics. He was not inferior to famous generals in wars in ancient times. Please forgive Luo for saying frankly, can tens of thousands of soldiers and horses in the Gaudi mansion resist the imperial army?"

"This...?" Zhang Shixin's face darkened and he asked: "I don't know if Brother Guanzhong has a good idea?"

Luo Guanzhong nodded confidently and said, "Is Luo a little talented, has a simple plan?"

"I wish to hear it carefully!" Zhang Shicheng was immediately excited, and hurriedly sat upright, and gently pressed his ears on his ears.
Chapter completed!