The Northwest Army kept its promise, until it was dark, did not launch an attack on Tongzhou City, but the whole army stood by, only a few miles away from the city, in the middle of the military formation, set up a few tents, less than ten miles north of the station, there is a natural lake, the soldiers in the army all carry dry food but send people to the lake to get water to drink.

Chu Huan was in the tent at this time, with a topographical map of the Qin State in front of him, holding his chin and thinking thoughtfully.

When Xu Shao came in, Chu Huan was still frowning and pondering, until Xu Shao brought a glass of water, Chu Huan came back to his senses, took the water cup, and asked, "How are the soldiers?" ”

"It's all dinner." Xu Shao said: "Chu Du, it's already dark, and there is no movement in Tongzhou City, what are we going to do next?" Do you want to send someone to attack the city? ”

Chu Huan shook his head and said: "Although they are surrendering to be the vanguard, since they have surrendered, they don't have to let them die in vain unless they have to." We don't even have a ladder in our hands, and we are just going to die in vain when we attack the city at this time. ”

"What if Xu Qing and the others ignore it?" Xu Shao said: "Do you just keep waiting?" ”

Chu Huan said with a smile: "Don't be anxious, even if they really calm down, we should be more calm than them, the initiative is in our hands at the moment, not in their hands Xu Shao, do you say Xu Qing has sent someone to send a letter for help?" ”

Xu Shao said: "We deliberately came half a day late, just to give them time to send the letter for help out to Chudu, Xu Qing must know that with the existing forces in Tongzhou, as long as we really attack, they will definitely not be able to hold it, and send people for help, that is their only choice." ”

Chu Huan bowed slightly, and at this moment, he suddenly heard someone outside the tent say: "Lord Governor, someone asks to see!" ”

The corner of Chu Huan's eyes jumped, and Xu Shao had already asked, "Who is it?" ”

"I didn't say it, I just said that it was a matter of confidentiality, and I couldn't say it until I saw the Governor."

Chu Huan had already said, "Let him come in!" ”

After a while, the tent door opened, and a person wearing a black coat and a cloak entered the tent, Xu Shao stared at the person, and Chu Huan also looked up and down before asking, "Do you want to see Bendu?" ”

"Exactly." The person who came bowed and said, "Xu Hai has seen Chu Du. ”

Chu Huan smiled faintly: "Xu Hai? I have never heard of this name, but you are from the city. ”

The man was stunned for a moment, and then smiled and said: "Governor Chu is wise, Xu Hai is on the order of his brother, and he has come to meet the governor in secret." ”

"Brother?" Chu Huan touched his chin and said, "Brother Ling?" ”

"My brother is Xu Qing, the governor of Tongzhou." The man stepped forward and said with a smile: "It's not good for my brother to come in person, so I specially ordered him to come to see Chu Du." ”

Chu Huan sneered: "You are Xu Qing's brother? It's very good, Xu Qing is stubborn, since he wants Tongzhou City to flow into a river of blood, the governor will fulfill him. The Governor had said that he had given him half a day, but he had not replied to him so far. ”

"Chu Du is angry." Xu Hai hurriedly said: "Before coming down, it was on the orders of my brother to reply to Chu Du. ”

Xu Shao said coldly: "Lord Xu is really majestic above the city today, looking at him, he wants to resist to the end, Chu Du likes such people, but my northwest army is in the city, so I can only hunt here." ”

Xu Hai waved his hand and said, "Misunderstanding, misunderstanding." He arched his hand and said, "Chu Du, in fact, when your army arrived in the city, my brother already had a plan in his heart, but the situation was inconvenient at that time, so it was not good to answer positively." ”

"Oh?"

Xu Hai sighed: "Chu Du knows better than us that the Qin State has fallen apart, half of the country has fallen, and even the capital has fallen, so there is no need for such a Qin State to survive." What's more, the Qin State is brutal, the people are hungry and poor, my brother told me in private that he became an official just to let the people live a good life, and seeing the miserable situation of the people now, it is really like a knife. ”

Chu Huan said lightly: "In that case, why does he still want to help the abuse and obey the orders of the Qin State?" ”

"This is also helpless." Xu Hai smiled bitterly: "My brother has no soldiers and no power in his hands, what can he do?" After a pause, his eyes showed a look of hope, and he said: "Chu Governor, my brother sent me down, that is, to tell Chu Governor, Chu Governor implements benevolent government in the northwest, and is a good official who is the master of the people, and my brother admires Chu Governor very much, and is willing to open the city and surrender, abandon the darkness and turn to the light." ”

Xu Shao smiled: "Is that really the case? ”

"Absolutely." Xu Haizheng said: "In fact, today, your army is coming to the city, and my brother is eager to open the city gate and welcome Chu Du into the city, but!" He frowned, and his face became solemn.

"Just what?"

Xu Hai hesitated for a moment before he said: "It's just Hu Xin, a thousand households in Tongzhou, this person is stubborn and doesn't know the overall situation, although Tongzhou's troops are weak, but the military power is in his hands, my brother and brother naturally don't want the two armies to fight, and the blood is flowing like a river, but Hu Xin insists on going his own way, and he has to defend Tongzhou, and his brother and sister are also very anxious." ”

Chu Huan and Xu Shao glanced at each other before they said slowly: "You mean to say that Lord Xu wants to submit to the governor, but he is afraid of Hu Xin and does not dare to act rashly?" ”

"Exactly." Xu Hai nodded and said, "That's why my brother is in a hurry." ”

Xu Shao sneered on the side: "You say this, isn't it nonsense, Xu Qing wants to surrender, but he can't open the city gate, doesn't he want our army to attack the city?" He turned to Chu Huan and said, "Chu Du, the last general is willing to personally command the army and attack the city immediately!" ”

Without waiting for Chu Huan to speak, Xu Hai had already shouted: "Wait, Chu Du, please listen to the next words." ”

"Oh?" Chu Huan said lightly: "Xu Hai, in the eyes of the governor, Xu Qing wants to submit to the governor, if he doesn't take practical action, it's just empty words and white teeth, the governor naturally can't believe it." ”

Xu Hai hurriedly said: "Chu Du misunderstood, my brother already had a plan, so he sent Zai Xia to come secretly." ”

"Plan?"

Xu Hai looked left and right, and Chu Huan had already said: "If you have something to say, if it is really a confidential matter, it will not be passed on." ”

Xu Hai then said: "Chu Du, the biggest trouble in Kaicheng is just Hu Xin, as long as Hu Xin is eliminated, Tongzhou City will be completely ruled by my brother, and my brother will naturally open the city gate to welcome Chu Du." ”

"Get rid of Hu Xin?" Chu Huan leaned forward slightly, "What do you mean by that?" ”

Xu Hai took two steps forward before he said softly: "Hu Xin knows that Zhou is abusive, and my brother has secretly contacted several officials to prepare to get rid of Hu Xin, but it will take some time, so I sent him to beg Chu Du to be accommodating for two days." ”

Chu Huan frowned and said, "You want to get rid of Hu Xin, and then open the city and surrender?" What are you going to do? ”

Xu Hai said softly: "My brother is going to set up a Hongmen banquet, let Hu Xin go to the banquet, and take the opportunity to get rid of it when the time comes!" ”

"If that is the case, why delay?" Chu Huan said lightly: "Why don't you do it immediately, and delay the time?" ”

Xu Hai hurriedly said: "Chu Du doesn't know, now your army is coming to the city, the whole city is on alert, Hu Xin personally sits at the head of the city, such a tense moment, if the brother is at this time to set up a banquet, it is really abnormal, Hu Xin is suspicious, not only can not get rid of Hu Xin at that time, but I am afraid that my brother will also suffer, so that Tongzhou City will be even more stubborn to the end." ”

Chu Huan said "oh", and Xu Haicai continued: "But three days later, it is my mother's birthday, according to the previous rules, it is all about holding a big wine banquet, this time is different from usual, but coarse tea and thin wine, it is still necessary to prepare a table, in the name of this, let Hu Xin go to the banquet, Hu Xin will definitely not doubt, when the time comes, he can get rid of it, so that Tongzhou City can immediately open the city gate and wait for Chu Governor to enter the city." ”

Chu Huan laughed, Xu Hai was a little hairy by Chu Huan's laughter, so he saw that Chu Huan's laughter suddenly stopped, and said coldly: "Xu Hai, you have such small skills as carving insects, and you have to show off in front of the governor?" You're going to delay for three days, but you're deliberately delaying time and waiting for reinforcements? ”

Xu Hai's face changed slightly, he had already knelt on the ground, and said with a straight face: "When I came down, my brother had already guessed that with such a plan, Chu Du might suspect that we were deliberately delaying time!" He raised his neck and said loudly: "Our brother sincerely wants to return to Chu Du, assist Chu Du to stabilize the world, and save the people of Li, if Chu Huan doesn't trust it, he can cut his neck with a knife now." He sighed and said: "My brother said that Chu Du governs the northwest and is well organized, he is an extraordinary person, he must be aware of everything, our brother really takes refuge, if Chu Du does not believe it, he will not blame Chu Du in the next, only blame himself for having no eyes!" ”

Chu Huan snorted coldly, but Xu Hai had already closed his eyes and said, "Chu Du, since you are suspicious, say more doubts, let's do it immediately." ”

After a period of silence, Chu Huan finally asked, "Are you really really taking refuge?" ”

Xu Hai opened his eyes and arched his hand: "Chu Du, the Qin State is already a river and the sun is falling, in my heart, such an empire is already powerless, even if it is not for the people of the world, just for the future of my Xu family, my Xu family cannot be tied up by the Qin State and buried for it." This plan, once successful, Chu Du can take Tongzhou lightly without spending a single soldier, and the soldiers of the two armies do not have to shed blood in vain. After a pause, he said: "Chu Du, my brother is indeed under the persecution of Hu Xin, sending people to ask for help, and there are fast horses sent to Yunshan and Liangzhou, but even if they travel day and night, no matter how fast the speed is, whether it is Yunshan or Liangzhou, it will take at least a whole day to deliver the news, and it is impossible for the reinforcements to arrive within three days anyway, and when they arrived, Chu Du's soldiers and horses had already entered the city, and they had no choice but to withdraw with wolves!" ”

Xu Shao said on the side: "Chu Du, three days is too long, in case there is fraud, it will be delayed for three days in vain!" ”

Chu Huan groaned slightly, and finally said: "Since Lord Xu is sincere, this governor will believe him once, I just hope that he will not live up to the governor's prayers, if the city cannot be opened at that time, this governor will not only capture Tongzhou City, but also behead your Xu family, Xu Hai, can you hear clearly?" ”

Xu Hai said solemnly: "I understand that the Xu family will never let down Chu Du." ”

Chu Huan got up and said, "If that's the case, the governor will give you three days, and after three days, you will either open the city and surrender, or meet each other, there is no other way!" ”R1058