Chapter 1488 The fake head and the real head


    In the city of Hanchang, Xu Shu looked at the head placed in the wooden box, smiled slightly and said to Qin Mi: "Your envoy has come all the way, and it is also hard work. I know what you have said, please take a rest for a while. It won’t be too late to discuss it tomorrow…”


    ??Qin Mi arched his hands and retreated with a cold sweat on his back. As he left, he seemed to feel Xu Shu''s scrutinizing eyes looking at him.


    "Uncle Ye, what do you think of this matter?" Xu Shu pondered for a moment, then turned to ask Huang Chengdao. A few days ago, Huang Cheng took the mountain camp that had been trained for a long time and entered Hanchang City, preparing to launch an attack on Sichuan and Shu. However, he did not expect that Qin Mi came first and also brought Zhang, the general of Langzhong. Ren''s head.


    ?In Long Aotian mode, you basically don’t need to think too much. Anyway, whether it is our friendly troops or enemy troops, they are all consistent. When you can BB, you will never make a move, and if you do, you will kneel down immediately. Although it was said that he could capture Langzhong without any bloodshed, Xu Shu also thought that this deal was good, but he always had some doubts in his heart. Is such a good thing really possible?


    Huang Cheng smiled naively, squinted his eyes, and said, "Well, I''m just a rough guy, so I can''t tell, so I''d better ask you to make up your mind..."


    ?Xu Shu glanced at Huang Cheng and curled his lips slightly. Although Huang Cheng looks loyal and honest, he is actually an experienced driver. He has been training in mountain camps in Hanzhong. Does he have any ideas about entering Sichuan and Sichuan this time? Don''t be kidding, it''s just that Huang Cheng has always been like this, and it''s not against Xu Shu alone. Except for being a little more relaxed in front of General Zhengxi, most of the time he said "I don''t understand, I don''t understand, you don''t understand." He seems to be a big boss with his words "It''s up to you", but in fact, he is more sophisticated than anyone else in his heart.


    "Come here!" Xu Shu summoned the guards in front of the hall, "Go and ask if anyone recognizes Zhang Ren, Zhang Gonghuai, the general of Langzhong in Sichuan, and bring him to the front of the hall!"


    “Wei!” The guard accepted the order and surrendered.


    ?Huang Cheng smiled, and his smile seemed to be more honest.


    "Zhang Ren, Zhang Gongzheng, um..." Xu Shu took out two or three bamboo slips from the leather bag beside the table, and then did not open it directly, but looked at the dental plaque inserted on the bamboo slips, "Well, I found it. Already…”


    Xu Shu put the rest of the bamboo slips back into the leather bag, and then opened the one with Zhang Ren''s tooth plaque hanging on it, "Zhang Ren, Zhang Gongzhen, a native of Shu. His father, Zhang Yan, was named Yan. Because of the taboo, he was appointed to work in Shu. He died in the battle during the Zhenglong period, and he was appointed as an official by Yin Gong. His face was slightly yellow, he had three strands of beard, and he had no scars. He was tall..."


    ? Huang Cheng listened on the sidelines, and the muscles on one side of his cheeks couldn''t help but jump.


    "Well, the face..." Xu Shu held the bamboo slip and approached the wooden box containing the human head to look at it carefully. Perhaps for ordinary nobles, no matter how brave they are on weekdays, not many people can do it if they want to stand in front of a dead head at close range, face to face, and stare.


    Although a layer of lime was laid in the wooden box to prevent the human head from rotting, the strong smell of blood and decay could still not be completely concealed. It became even stronger when you got closer, just like in the raw meat section of a supermarket. , I also encountered a few mice that died in the central air-conditioning ducts in the summer, and then I couldn’t find them. I couldn’t find the mixed smell that couldn’t be cleaned out...


    "It seems to be somewhat similar..." Xu Shu frowned and stared at the human head in the wooden box, looking at the head with eyes that were as white as dead fish staring with a dead look, "It''s just that the beard doesn''t match..." Intelligence There are three strands of beard mentioned in it, but the head in the box has a goatee on the chin. Although there is a beard on the upper lip, it is not very long. Of course, it is not considered three strands of beard at all, nor is it very long. appropriate.


    After all, ancient facial descriptions, even in the Qing Dynasty, before the advent of cameras, were mostly vague and without strict standards.


    The guards came with several people who said they had seen Zhang Ren. After looking at the head, they all said it looked a bit like...


    After all, no one is stupid, and no one is willing to insist on it and take unnecessary responsibilities, but this makes Xu Shu unable to settle down.


    ??Xu Shu came from a poor family, so he understood very well that the greatest wish of most gentry children from poor families was to gain fame and revitalize the family...


    Even Xu Shu is not exempt from this.


    So Xu Shu would rather change his name and surname and leave his hometown to avoid being arrested by the government, instead of pretending to be a good man and doing things like a good man. He will have a scar as big as a bowl on his head. Eighteen years later, he will have a spectrum of a good man again...


    When a person dies, there is no hope at all.


    Judging from the information, Zhang Ren did not come from a wealthy family. Zhang Ren received the title of Yin Feng because of his father''s military exploits, instead of entering the official career through the traditional filial piety and incorruptibility model of a noble family. Is such a person like this? To give up hope of revitalizing the family so easily, and even commit suicide to end everything?


    ??If you really gave up everything in Sichuan and Shu, why not surrender directly in exchange for the hope of a comeback?


    ??If you can''t completely abandon the Sichuan and Shu family members, then why not choose to fight to the death to preserve your reputation for loyalty?


    To commit suicide and seek death is nothing more than a coward''s act. It is simply an escape from everything. There is no hope of a comeback, nor is it possible to preserve one''s original reputation. Apart from one''s own liberation, there is no benefit...


    In the end, Zhang Ren just chose to commit suicide?


    Xu Shu couldn''t understand, so he couldn''t make a decision immediately. Even when he was having dinner, he was absent-minded. After eating some casually, he also dealt with official duties for a while. He felt very sleepy, so he lay down with his clothes on...


    In the middle of the night, Xu Shu suddenly woke up from his sleep, turned over and sat up, pondered for a moment, and said in a deep voice outside: "Get Zhang Ren''s head!" If you want to look at the head in the middle of the night, only the bravest one can do it. Xu Shu, who looked more like a military commander than a civil servant, could do this...


    ??The guards brought the head to him, and Xu Shu asked someone to light the lamp. Then he did not dislike the smell and filthiness of the head, so he straightened the head upright, staring at each other face to face, and then a smile appeared on Xu Shu''s face...


    "Haha, that''s it, that''s it!" Xu Shu threw the head back into the wooden box with relief, then waved his hand for the guard to take the head back, then smiled and muttered, "I see, that''s how it is," and then lay back on the bed. On top of it, he fell into a deep sleep and snored loudly.


    ……………


    Langzhong City.


    Qin Mi seemed to finally feel more relaxed. He pointed to Langzhong City with the city gate wide open and said: "Shijun Xu, the elders in the city are already eating pots of food, waiting for the king to enter the city..."


    "Shan..." Xu Shu smiled meaningfully at Qin Mi, then turned his head slightly to look at the terrain on both sides of Langzhong City, and then said to Huang Cheng, "Get ready..."


    ??Huang Cheng clasped his hands together and nodded to Xu Shu. The iron pieces of his armor struck each other, making a sonorous and powerful sound. Then Huang Cheng faced Langzhong City and raised his arms. The flag bearer behind Huang Cheng immediately raised the flag representing Huang Cheng high! Suddenly the orders from the soldiers and generals were like firecrackers, a series of explosions, and groups of soldiers began to gather and set up a formation!


    "This..." Qin Mi on the side noticed something was wrong. He turned to look at Xu Shu, but saw Xu Shu''s half-smiling look. His heart skipped a beat and his face turned pale.


    "Qin Zichi! Are you still unwilling to tell the truth until now?" Xu Shu laughed, "It''s okay if you don''t tell the truth! Just watch our methods from the sidelines!"


    "This...I..." Beads of sweat rolled down Qin Mi''s forehead. The verbal ability he was usually proud of seemed to have disappeared at this moment, "This..."


    Xu Shu had no intention of explaining anything to Qin Mi. He signaled to the soldiers on the side to take a good look at him, then turned to look at Langzhong City and shouted: "Bang the drum! March!"


    The rumbling drums shook the sky, and a group of Sichuan and Sichuan soldiers who were pretending to be outside Langzhong City suddenly became confused. Some wanted to run away, some were at a loss, and some stood still. Even those who were originally lying on the battlements of the city wall Zhang Ren couldn''t help but feel confused. He felt like a robber with a melon knife. He was feeling extremely happy when he broke into the house and made a big profit. He actually saw a man inside the house. Like a strong man cleaning a gun...


    ??The key is which bite this strong man likes...


    How could this be?


    According to the original plan, it would be best if Xu Shu was eager to enter the city first. If Xu Shu was not the first batch of troops to enter the city, Zhang Ren could also attack and drive away this part of the soldiers, and then follow behind. In addition, Yuan Yueyue, who was ambushing on the side of the mountain outside the city, climbed over the mountain ridge and directly charged Xu Shu''s flank. In this way, even though Xu Shu had more troops, the formation was long and unprepared. There were no strongholds on the other side to resist. The sudden incident would cause the soldiers to panic. By then, as long as Zhang Ren and Yuan Yue pursued them all the way, they would surely win a great victory.


    However, the soldiers of Zhengxi who were originally supposed to be scattered and long-formed are now in a strict formation, with the shield soldiers with strong protection walking on the outside, and the spearmen and crossbowmen in the internal test, which should have been the easiest to be confused and the most defensive. The weak baggage convoy stopped at that place at some unknown time, and did not follow Xu Shu, Huang Cheng and others to the foot of Langzhong City at all!


    Without the burden of the baggage troops, the overall army of General Zhengxi seems to be very light, and there are not so many burdens and weaknesses when the military formation changes...


    “General! What should we do?” the soldiers around Zhang Ren asked eagerly.


    Yeah, what should I do?


    Zhang Ren is also asking himself this question.


    "Raise the fire! Let the smoke rise! Let King Jin attack from the side and disrupt the Zhengxi formation. We will rush out later! Go straight to the center of the formation!" Zhang Ren issued a series of orders. At this moment, there is only this After one move, can we still close the city gate, abandon Qin Mi and Yuan Yue outside, and use soldiers with low morale to defend?


    In a valley not far from Langzhong, Yuan Yue and more than a thousand soldiers were carefully ambush. He had to be careful, because if he was discovered by the Zhengxi troops, he could only rely on more than a thousand soldiers. , I''m afraid it''s not enough to fill the gap between teeth...


    ?However, fortunately, the people are accustomed to walking and climbing in the mountains, so areas that are generally considered difficult by soldiers are not too difficult for Yuan Yue and others.


    Zhang Ren said that when the Zhengxi troops arrived in Langzhong, they would be in chaos after the vanguard troops entered the city and were defeated. At that time, he only needed to lead the Xi people over the mountain ridge, and then rush to the flank of the Zhengxi troops, and Zhang Ren could fight with Zhang Ren. Let''s welcome a hearty victory together. Even if we retreat from Langzhong, no one will say anything idle, and even reward us if we can''t. Moreover, if we evacuate, only Yuan Yue can take away the materials in Langzhong. , Zhang Ren didn’t ask any questions!


    Under such conditions, Yuan Yue was finally convinced. However, there is nothing wrong with being cautious. Of course, Yuan Yue said that this was also to prevent his followers from committing suicide prematurely. Exposed, discovered by Zhengxi''s troops, and then ruined Zhang Ren''s plan...


    With an extremely contradictory mentality, Yuan Yue did not ambush in the valley very close to Langzhong. Instead, he continued to walk a certain distance into the mountains. However, he also sent out his scouts to keep an eye on the mountain high up. At the top of Langzhong City, if Zhang Ren had given out the agreed code, he would not have missed the opportunity to fight.


    It is autumn, and although the weather is no longer as hot as midsummer, wearing thick leather armor in dense woods and shrubs is not necessarily a pleasant thing even for people who are accustomed to mountain roads. He didn''t know whether it was because of nervousness, the heavy armor on his body, or the humidity in the woods. Yuan Yue unknowingly found that his body was covered with sweat, and his clothes and leather armor stuck to his body, which made him very uncomfortable.


    Yuan Yue wiped the sweat from his face, looked at the mountain ridge in the distance, remained silent for a while, and sighed. He always felt that it was too risky for Zhang Ren to do this. Even if he won this time, what would happen? It’s not like Zhengxi’s troops only have a few people. Didn’t they win the battle last time? Didn’t Zhengxi’s troops come again? Should we just keep fighting like this and fight until we run out of troops and food?


    Yuan Yue couldn''t help but shudder. No, no matter what the outcome was this time, he would take his people back to the mountain village! If you can’t get the money, you will still have a chance in the future, and your old life is gone, then what’s the use of having more money?


    ??While Yuan Yue was in a state of confusion, a man crawled over from the mountain ridge on his hands and feet, and said in a low voice: "Headman! The men and horses of the expedition to the west are coming, and they are almost at the bottom of the city!"


    Yuan Yue''s heart skipped a beat.


    If praying to the gods is useful, Yuan Yue must be in despair now. No matter what, he prays for a round first, but now, he can only pray that Zhang Ren''s plan will work. Yuan Yue wants to swallow a mouthful of water to moisten it. Throat, but found that the inside of his mouth was extremely dry, so he could only say in a hoarse voice: "Ahem... let''s go, go forward... wait for General Zhang''s signal..."


    The people gathered from their respective hiding places and prepared to browse the mountain ridge. However, before Yuan Yue and the others had finished gathering, they heard the sound of war drums and horn horns unique to the Zhengxi people coming from across the mountain ridge from under Langzhong City. , this sound resounded throughout the world, covering the entire mountain forest, and seemed to make every plant and tree around it exude boundless murderous aura!


    What''s going on?


    Yuan Yue was in shock. Didn''t he agree to let a wave of Zhengxi troops enter the city first, and then defeat this wave of vanguard troops? Why did it seem that Zhengxi had just arrived at the city and started fighting?


    Before Yuan Yue could react, someone suddenly exclaimed loudly, and then a three-color recognition flag appeared on the ridge. Then he saw that the vegetation and branches seemed to be swaying everywhere on the ridge, and there seemed to be endless waves. The beast is about to rush out from behind the grass and trees, biting and killing!


    Several able-bodied soldiers from the Zhengxi Mountains rushed out of the forest. They looked unsurprised when they saw a group of people gathering under the valley. They immediately whistled, apparently to greet their companions...


    Yuan Yue looked at the Zhengxi soldiers, all of whom were wearing leather and iron armor. They also wore what seemed to be special small round iron shields on their arms. They were not held by hand, but tied directly to their wrist guards, with a cold light shining on the edges. , seems to be very sharp, and the swords are always inserted diagonally behind the back, making them look very capable and sturdy!


    Then a grassroots sergeant who looked like a soldier from the Conquest of the West or a camp commander shouted and organized the formation, and then more and more soldiers from the Conquest of the West appeared from the mountain ridges and forests, forming formations of three to five. They formed small arrays that seemed scattered but organized, and they were about to pounce down...


    Yuan Yue was stunned for a while, then he finally realized what he was doing, screamed strangely, and immediately turned around and ran away with his men and horses!


    What a joke, let Yuan Yue fight with these elite Zhengxi troops who are obviously well prepared, Yuan Yue would not choose this choice even if he wanted to die!


    The Jin people originally belonged to the army that chased ten miles with the wind and dispersed against the wind. Moreover, in the past few years in Sichuan and Shu, they had never fought any serious hard battles, let alone won with less. He has performed many heroic feats, and most of the time he followed the official county soldiers to take advantage of them. Now that he saw such capable Zhengxi soldiers, he was already panicking before they even engaged in battle. So what else is there to say? In Yuan When the order to retreat was given, there was an immediate roar, and people with professional skills fled in all directions...


    Yuan Yue''s performance made Huang Cheng''s mountain soldiers, who had held back their strength and were about to fight, become dazed. What does it mean? You haven''t even started yet, why are you running away?


    The soldiers who had already begun to load the crossbow bolts onto the crossbow quickly unloaded the crossbow bolts again and loosened the crossbow string to avoid accidentally injuring others. The Zhengxi soldiers who had rushed out some distance in front also stopped one after another. They walked and looked at each other with confused expressions on their faces.


    “This...is this considered a win?”


    “Uh…I don’t know…probably…”


    (End of this chapter)