Harue Kagetsu - Chapter 109

In the south of Nanyang, on a flat and broad field called Jiyang, Yang Xuan has been stationed here for many days.

The Beixia chasers in the direction of Nanyang knew that behind Yang Xuan was Xiangyang, and the Xu family had been operating the base camp for decades.

Yang Xuan had already received a secret order from Xu Mi, ordering him to stay in the same place as a confrontation, not allowed to withdraw to Xiangyang immediately, and let alone give any help to the Lu army.

Yang Xuan was extremely depressed. During the day, I came back from a high ground in front of me to observe the situation of the enemy. After passing through the barracks, I saw that all the soldiers in the battalion were sluggish.

Alcohol is banned in the military. As a local Fang Bo, he has led troops for many years. He originally set an example by example, but tonight he made an exception and asked his trusted lieutenant Cui Zhen to get some wine for him, sit in the tent, and drink alone.

Originally I wanted to use wine to drown my sorrows, but wine entered my stomach, but it made me more troubled.

I think that I have experienced countless battles in my life. Although I can’t say that I have won a hundred battles, but I have suffered such a fiasco, lost soldiers, lost soldiers, and suffered heavy casualties, but this is the first time. Not to mention, the army led by Lu Jianzhi, although he doesn’t know the details now, must have encountered an accident. If he wanted to go deep into the hinterland and be surrounded by a heavy siege, it must be far more tragic than himself.

Self-blame, helplessness, depression, plus the dissatisfaction and resentment that have been accumulated in my heart for many years because of being slighted, tonight, with the glasses of wine, it seems that they all poured out together.

Yang Xuan drank non-stop, until the end, he became very dry, he simply took off his shirt, discarded it on the ground at will, picked up the wine jar, raised his neck and was about to drink happily, when he saw Cui Zhen entering, he laughed and said: “Come! Come! On weekdays I hold you all and don’t tell you to drink. Tonight, I’ll just let you go! Brothers are not easy, just do whatever you want! Come and drink! Let’s have a good drink!”

The lieutenant walked quickly to his side, put his ear to his ear, and said a word in a low voice.

Yang Xuan was stunned for a moment, barely daring to hear his own ears, and suddenly looked at the lieutenant: “Is Li Mu here?”

“Exactly. At this moment, people are outside the camp!”

Yang Xuan threw away the wine jar and hurried to the Yuanmen. In the distance, not far from the Yuanmen, there was a figure standing.

He recognized it at a glance, that person was Li Mu.

Li Mu also saw him, with a smile on his face, he walked towards him quickly.

Yang Xuan looked at the former subordinate who was walking towards him in front of him, thinking of his capture of Chang’an, the first battle, and making the people of the Southern Dynasties proud, but he was in such a situation, and suddenly felt extremely ashamed in his heart. It stopped abruptly.

Li Mu walked up to him quickly and said with a smile, “General, I haven’t seen you for a long time, are you okay?”

Yang Xuan let out a long sigh, suppressed the shame in his heart, and smiled bitterly: “Jingchen, why are you making fun of me? How can I be better now?”

Li Mu squeezed his arm.

“Over the years, General, others don’t know about your situation. How could I not know? Everything has happened, and the General doesn’t have to blame himself too much. Justice is in the hearts of the people.”

When he was so depressed, Yang Xuan felt relieved when he suddenly saw his old friend coming. After chatting a few more words, Li Mu’s face was frosty and the corners of his clothes were stained with dust. Obviously, he came here on the starry night. Knowing this kind of moment, he came here to see his own face, and he would definitely not lead him into the tent just for the sake of reminiscing the old days, ordering people to guard outside, not allowing idle people to approach.

The candles in the tent are bright. When Yang Xuan saw him come in, his eyes fell on the wine jar on the ground, he hurriedly put it away, invited him to take a seat, and laughed at himself: “I used to strictly forbid my subordinates to drink, but now I drink it myself. Just in time you came, I’m afraid I’m going to be laughed at by you.”

Li Mu’s eyes fell on Yang Xuan’s face, his smile faded, and he asked, “Does the general know how the other wing of the coalition is now?”

The squeezed smile on Yang Xuan’s face also disappeared, and his expression turned heavy.

“I have been ordered to stop here these days. I can’t retreat, and I’m not allowed to enter. Lu Jianzhi’s side… But the whole army was wiped out?”

He clenched his fists tightly, almost gritted his teeth, before saying these words.

Li Mu said: “It’s slightly better than the entire army being wiped out, but it’s not much better. Encountered with heavy siege, the army was scattered, and there was no way to retreat. Lu Jianzhi could only go forward with all his strength, although it was as planned before. After capturing Yancheng, we were able to breathe temporarily, but there were heavy casualties, less than tens of thousands of people left, and the city was besieged by the Northern Xia army.

Yang Xuan’s head and neck drooped down, and the person seemed to be frozen, motionless for a long time, and said in a low voice: “It’s all my Yang Xuan’s sin… I’m dead, and I can’t be blamed…”

“Generals don’t have to do this. You are under the control of others, and it’s not your fault. Besides, it’s useless to blame yourself. The top priority is to find a way to help Lu Jianzhi and the tens of thousands of soldiers get out of the siege and return.”

Yang Xuan raised his head: “How can I help?”

“Attack from all sides, besiege Wei and save Zhao. Force the Xia people from the besieged city to return their troops and give Lu Jianzhi a chance to break out of the siege. Let’s respond again and rescue them.”

“How many rescues are there?”

“Guangling army all the way. After I see you, I will rush to the chief to arrange troops. It is for the second route. There is also a third route…”

Li Mu’s eyes were bright as he looked at Yang Xuan: “This third way is the reason why I came here to see you tonight.”

“General Yang, do you dare to accompany Gao Xianggong with me and be the third way to save the soldiers?”

Yang Xuan was startled.

Li Mu continued: “The reason why I asked the general if he dared, not whether he was willing or not, was that I was certain that if you can be independent, general, you must be willing.”

An unspeakable sadness flashed across Yang Xuan’s expression, and he fell silent.

“I don’t know if the general can remember. I persuaded the general before, and Xu Bi was not someone who could be loyal. With the wisdom of the general, why should I remind me of this? However, because the poor family was not obvious, he joined the Xu family. When the general’s father and grandfather defected to the Xu family, he also brought soldiers with him. Over the years, if there was no general support, how would the Xu family’s military mansion come to today’s stable position? Mo said If you don’t owe Xu, General, you really owe someone else’s favor, and you have already paid it off. Besides, this time, Xu Mi acted like this, don’t you really feel chilled, General?”

Li Mu increased his tone: “General Yang! You and I are both members of the army, and people will die in battle. The soldiers died in the battle against the enemy, and there is nothing to say! But now, the thousands of wronged souls, Not at the hands of the enemy, but at the hands of the people of the Southern Dynasty because of the strife of the gentry! General, don’t you feel touched at all?”

“Jingchen! You don’t have to say it! The mistake has been made, and I regret it too much. How can I bear to watch the soldiers lose their lives in vain because of my mistakes!”

Yang Xuan’s face was flushed, and he was ashamed, but he stopped talking.

Li Mu glanced at him and handed him a letter: “General, before I leave, Gao Xianggong instructed me to give you this letter. He also asked me to transfer you a message. He will send someone to protect your parents and wife in Jiankang. In the future, as long as you are willing, Gao Xianggong will also be in a high position, and he will never break his promise.”

Yang Xuan was stunned for a moment, then he regained his senses. He hurriedly took it with both hands, and began to win the letter. Before reading it, he bowed in the direction of Jiankang with a pair of tiger eyes and faint tears. If I dare not fight and let others take the lead, how can I fail so badly! I have more than enough to die for! Not only is Gao Xianggong not blamed, but he treats him so generously. If I only think about my life and my own life, God will not allow it!”

He stood up from the ground and turned to Li Mu.

“Tell me! How do you want me to cooperate? I have no choice!”

Li Mu stepped forward and clasped his arms tightly with both hands.

“There is a general who speaks like this, what can’t be done! The situation is urgent, and I will tell you the battle plan in detail.”

Yang Xuan nodded, and when he was about to secretly summon a group of cronies, he explained his decision again.

Those of his cronies had long been dissatisfied with Xu Mi, and even more resentful towards Xu Chuo. Even after retreating here these days, Xu Chuo’s name was recuperating, but there was still a beautiful woman singing and dancing every night in the tent, which long ago attracted many soldiers to grit their teeth in secret, and the group was excited when they heard the words. So the overnight plan was completed, and at midnight, a group of people rushed into Xu Chuo’s tent and tied Xu Chuo, who was still sleeping, together with some of his confidants, under control. Yang Xuan then ordered someone to blow the horn, summoned all the soldiers, and announced that he would accompany the Guangling Army and Li Mu’s army to rescue the Northern Expedition troops who were still trapped in Yancheng.

The middle and lower-level officers and soldiers in Xu Mi’s military mansion had always obeyed Yang Xuanben. Those upper-level generals who looked down on him and accompanied Xu Chuo’s commander were all under control. In addition, when he was trapped in the previous defeat, if Yang Xuan hadn’t led his own soldiers out and everyone followed him to retreat, I’m afraid it would have been long ago. Already dead, seeing him dignified and giving orders, and Li Mu standing next to him, he was all obedient.

After a busy night, it was dawn, and everything was over. Li Mu and Yang Xuan made an appointment to send troops, and they would continue to go north to Chang’an.

Yang Xuan sent him out for more than ten miles, then stopped and watched him and the entourage galloping away. The figure was blurred in the yellow dust brought out by the flying horses’ hooves. .

Once upon a time, Li Mu was just a Sima under his own account.

When he asked to marry the daughter of the Gao family, he learned that he thought it was a delusion, and the scene where he tried to persuade him to give up his thoughts was still vivid in his mind.

Before he knew it, he was now officially a hussar, took down Chang’an, and took power. His name has become the incarnation of the **** of war in the minds of the Southern Dynasties.

It was himself, his former boss, and now in front of him, he also felt a sense of majesty inadvertently revealed by his gestures, and he did not dare to take it seriously.

After the defeat this time, he has taken the initiative to write to Xu Mi, asking for the punishment. Ben was ready to commit the crime, but he didn’t expect that Li Mu would come here in person to persuade him to send troops together.

When Yang Xuan knew that the matter was over, Xu Mi would definitely not let him go.

He has always been indecisive and worried, but at this moment, he suddenly felt relieved, and even a little grateful to Li Mu for giving himself such an opportunity to finally defy Xu Mi and do what he really wanted to do, It’s what he has to do.

The worst outcome is just sin upon sin.

Gao Xianggong promised to protect his family, so he would have no worries, even if his head was separated, what would he be afraid of?

Yang Xuan turned his back to the sky and let out a long whistle. In the whistling sound, it seemed that all the dissatisfaction and depression that had been deeply accumulated in the chest over the years were finally released, and the whole person only felt that the burden was gone. Together, they vowed to rescue the trapped army from the besieged city to atone for their sins.

…

These days, Gao Qiao has become very busy again, and it is inevitable that he will not be able to take care of Xiao Yongjia. Seeing that her belly was getting bigger and bigger, and even walking was a little difficult, Gao Qiao sometimes blamed herself.

Xiao Yongjia is very considerate to her husband now, not only telling him not to be distracted by himself, but feeling sorry for his troubles. But it was useless to persuade him. It’s not that he was deliberately busy himself, but that things came up on their own.

Xu Mi Lu Guang, now both of them are invisible. Xu Mituo was ill, and few people saw his face. The details are unknown, but Lu Guang has been bedridden since the last incident, and his condition is really in danger. Gao Qiao personally visited him several times, every time When they came back, they all frowned.

The imperial court troika went for two at a time, leaving Gao Qiao alone, one can imagine how many things happen every day. In addition, the emperor was very respectful to him, and he had to ask him about everything in the court. The husband is like a spinning top, and now he can’t stop even if he wants to. Seeing that he can’t eat well, sleep erratically, open his eyes and close his eyes, it’s all a matter of the court. In addition to supplementing his husband’s daily diet, Xiao Yongjia only hopes that this rescue war will end soon and smoothly. .

Mother is so hopeful, Luoshen is even more so. Accompanied by the mother whose pregnant belly is getting bigger and bigger, she waited for more than a month. In July, a piece of good news finally came back to Jiankang.

Li Mu, Gao Yin, and Yang Xuan’s three-way coalition agreed to attack Beixia at the same time, and they achieved their expected goal.

Especially on Li Mu’s road, there was no warning because of the war. At first, it was like a broken bamboo, but it quickly broke through Tongguan and went straight to Hulao City.

During that time, the sky above Luoyang City was full of news that Li Mu’s army would be calling soon, and people were talking about it everywhere in the streets.

Since Beixia lost the Jiangbei War, which was originally intended to invade the south, its national strength has been greatly reduced. In the past two years, there have been challenges everywhere. The army was transferred back and faced the battle with all its strength. In addition, Xu, Qingzhou and Nanyang were simultaneously attacked by the southern army, and the troops were further forced to disperse.

Half a month ago, when the army was short of food and grass, and the residents of the city had no surplus food, when Lu Jianzhi had to order to start slaughtering the horses, the spies suddenly reported that the enemy troops besieging the city had begun to move away in waves.

However, in a few days, the mountains and plains outside the city, those originally densely packed with no end in sight, have been reduced in large areas. Then I learned the news that it was the court that rescued and led the enemy away, giving them a chance to break out.

It is indescribable how Lu Jianzhi felt when he heard the news.

Just late last night, when he quietly climbed to the top of the city and looked out to the south, he could hear the homesick weeping from an unknown soldier guarding the city in the distance.

Afterwards, as if infected, on the top of the city, soldiers could be seen everywhere holding weapons, squatting on the ground, crying opposite each other.

As a coach, you can imagine how he was feeling at that time.

He did not punish the soldiers and left silently alone.

At this moment, when he heard the news, he felt as if a man who was about to drown was suddenly pulled out of the water by a helping hand from the sky.

He conveyed the news immediately.

His soldiers who survived the **** battle, encountered the siege, defeated the enemy who tried to siege the city countless times, and finally faced the situation of lack of food, had completely fallen into despair. The same comrades who have died in battle are just dead here.

They never imagined that the court would not give up on them.

The drums of war were stirred up again, and the spirit of the army was unprecedentedly condensed. The gates of the city were wide open. Lu Jianzhi took the soldiers and killed them from the city that had been besieging them for more than half a month. At that time, Yang Xuan finally arrived with the army.

The two coalition forces that were originally allied and intended for the Northern Expedition, after betrayal and deception, united once again, annihilated the nearby Beixia army, and then quickly evacuated and embarked on the road to return to the south.

In mid-August, Lu Jianzhi returned to Jiankang.

Lu Guang finally failed to make it to the day when his eldest son came back. On the way back to Beijing, Lu Jianzhi died with hatred.

It is said that when he was dying, his mind was already somewhat unclear, and he just kept cursing Xu Mi with evil voices. He died, and his head was chopped off.” He dared to close his eyes again, and he finally succeeded in closing his eyes.

After Lu Jianzhi came back, he was busy organizing the funeral.

As a noble family, Lu Guang has also lived in the imperial court all his life. Although the two years have not been smooth, everyone has died, and the imperial court will not be held accountable for the failure of the northern expedition of the Lu family. Many comforts, and funerals are carried out according to the people of the time. It is an extravagant custom, and funerals should be done in a big way.

But the funeral of the Lu family was very Shen Pu. It was so simple that many of Lu Guang’s former friends who were also aristocrats could not see it, and secretly accused Lu Jianzhi of being unfilial. Lu Jianzhi also had no excuses and said nothing. Only after the funeral was over, he made a note to the court that made people look at him.

Lu Jianzhi resigned from all official positions and sent the coffin of his deceased father to his ancestral Wu County.

The tens of thousands of horses that Lu brought back to him were incorporated into the Guangling Army by voluntary recruitment.

From then on, there was no Lu’s military mansion in the Southern Dynasty.

The first thing to do is to keep the filial piety, but the decision to disband the Lu family’s military mansion in the back caused an uproar in the whole court, and the ministers talked a lot.

It is said that this decision he made attracted strong opposition from the Lu clan at the time.

Lu Jianyi is known for his gentle and courteous temperament. But this time, he seems to have changed his personality, his attitude is extremely firm, and he will not tolerate any opposition at all.

As soon as Lu Guang died, he was the rightful owner of the Lu family. When he spoke like this, the Lu clan quarreled and had no choice. Some people were unwilling, and secretly pulled some people away. Lu Jianzhi did not stop him, and finally went to see most of the remaining soldiers in person and made his decision clear.

The soldiers escaped from death this time, except for a few who wanted to be discharged, the rest were willing to join the Guangling Army.

That evening, Luo Shen saw that his father had rarely returned home early.

She knew that tomorrow Lu Jianzhi was going to help his spirit to return home.

Today he sent a greeting card, and he will come to his home in the evening to say goodbye to his father.