If the first two are just in a difficult situation, then Lai Qinggui's side is in a desperate situation. In the past, Luan Bin was here, and Lai Qinggui didn't have to worry about the trivial things of those people eating horses. But now that Luan Bin has been strangled to death, he has to worry about it himself. Only then did he find that the consumption of 10,000 people was amazing, which was definitely beyond his imagination.

Most of the grain prepared for wintering has been burned by the officers and soldiers, and the rations they carry with them have long been eaten, and even the grain exchanged from the villagers will not last a few days, and it will run out.

In war, grain is the human heart. Lai Qinggui must have a profound understanding of this sentence, because these days, many desperate subordinates have sneaked away. Fearing that they would tell the officials and soldiers, Lai Qinggui could only take people to hide in Tibet and not be discovered.

When Lai Qingchuan worriedly told his brother that more than 100 brothers were missing today and had taken away the little food left, Lai Qinggui knew that he could no longer sit idly by. "Big brother, you have to- get food quickly." Lai Qingchuan said with a disgraced expression: "Otherwise, all the people will run away." ”

Lai Qinggui ignored him, but walked out of the cave where he was hiding and came to the top of the mountain. He took out a delicate clairvoyant mirror from his bosom, and with this thing, he could have an unobstructed view of the county seat on the eastern side of the mountain, and see the chaos in the city, and the ant-like people carried bags of grain from the warehouse to the cart; And the former bustling barracks seem empty......

Ever since he received the report that the officers and soldiers had begun to secretly transfer, he had ventured into the wilderness, and after suffering the great losses of the officers and soldiers, he no longer believed anyone's words, only his own eyes. In the past three days, he has seen with his own eyes that a large number of troops are moving in the dark every day, and there are no torches on such a dangerous mountain road, which shows how much secrecy it has reached.

After dawn the next day, he found that the number of smoking stoves in the official barracks would be reduced by a part, and if it was repeated for three days, it would be less than one-fifth of the original number...... Lai Qingyuan was already convinced that the official army was indeed withdrawing troops in a planned manner.

This is not surprising, because this year is so cold that it has snowed twice in winter, and now you can still see snow everywhere...... For the pampered officers and men, it is better to go back to Longnan for the winter first, and then talk about it next year, rather than suffering in vain here and suffering from the cold here, which leads to low morale.

However, Lai Qinggui carefully found that the retreat speed of the officers and soldiers was a big step behind the progress of the withdrawal, which also confirmed from the side that the officers and soldiers really had no intention of fighting and were like arrows.

Now a multiple-choice question is in front of him, which is to take advantage of the empty defense of the official army and the chaotic situation to take the opportunity to capture Dingnan City; Or wait for the number of officers and soldiers to be withdrawn, and then find a way to solve the problem of wintering? The latter seems to be safer, but in fact it is not, because they can't solve the embargo of the official army, and if they want to get food, they can only get it from the villagers in Xiali, but those walled houses and watchtowers are not vegetarians, not to mention that he still wants to keep this last base area, how can he tear his face at will?

Thinking about it, he felt that Dingnan County was worth a dozen, in fact, he thought like this from the beginning, otherwise he would not have been here for a few days. It's just that he was really deceived and afraid, and he had to be sure of it before he could make up his mind.

It was dark, and it was snowing in the sky again, Lai Qinggui continued to observe, and the clairvoyant mirror moved slightly, helping him to have a full view of the situation of the officers and soldiers...... He saw another group of officers and soldiers going out of the city in the dark, and at the same time, there was a long convoy, which was all his food. Lai Qinggui's heart was dripping blood, so he had to turn his gaze (8), and finally fixed it in the county office, and he found that just like yesterday, there was no light here, and it was still pitch black. "It seems that the center of the official army has indeed left." Back in the cave, there was no fire for fear of exposure.

Lai Qingchuan was wrapped in a thick sheepskin jacket, and he still couldn't help but shiver. Seeing him come in, he hurriedly handed over a wine bag. Lai Qinggui took it, drank a drink of spirits to keep out the cold, and muttered: "Then in Dingnan City, there should only be the broken rear troops left." ”

"Yes, big brother, I definitely can't do it this time" Lai Qingchuan said: "These days, there are 40,000 officers and soldiers who have left, how many soldiers can there be in the city now?" We can't hesitate any longer, or by tomorrow, how much food will be left? ”

Hmmm...... "Lai Qinggui sat on his white tiger skin, which was spread on his chair in the past, the symbol of the identity of the big dragon, and his most beloved thing. Even when he was escaping from the chaos of the cottage, he didn't forget to bring it.

This large and rare white tiger skin can help him block the invasion of the cold, but it cannot warm his heart and discouragement. Curled up in this wet and cold cave, listening to the whistling north wind outside, Lai Qinggui remembered his successes and failures over the years. It has been more than 10 years since Jiajing 33 years and in response to Li Wenbiao's army, and in the past ten years, he has experienced the heroic spirit of Taoyuan's righteousness, swallowed more than ten counties, and successively frustrated the spring breeze of becoming a famous general, and has also experienced many betrayals, rebellions and failures...... His wife, as well as his three sons, all died in the encirclement and suppression of the official army, and the government hung their bodies on the flagpole of Yuanmen and let the sun and rain shine......

Scenes from the past appeared in front of his eyes like a marquee, Lai Qinggui sometimes smiled, sometimes gritted his teeth, sometimes excited, and sometimes his eyes were in tears...... I haven't shed a tear in half a year, haven't I? Lai Qinggui didn't know what was wrong with him.

Seeing that he was silent for a long time, Lai Qingchuan couldn't help but whisper, "Big brother, the brothers are ready, what are we going to do?" ”

Hmm......" Lai Qinggui collected his mind, and in an instant, the pride of his youth seemed to return to his body, and he shook off the tiger skin, he stood up and said: "Pass the order, I will attack with everyone, this battle has no advance or retreat, either win or die!" As he spoke, he lifted the sixty-pound Glaive Knife beside him and strode out

At the same time, in Longnan City, a hundred miles away, Shen was dressed in a big hat, standing in the courtyard with his hands behind his back, the night was as cold as ice, and the north wind was like a knife, but he didn't realize it, he just put his worried eyes on the heavy mountain, since Liu Xian and they started to take official action, he has been suffering from insomnia and his whole heart is twisted together. He had never been so nervous in his life, and even when he met the Japanese outside Hangzhou back then, he was only afraid, not so stressed.

Because this was the first time he had served as the commander of a party, the lives of tens of thousands of people under his command were tied to this military adventure, and once it was self-defeating, the consequences would be so serious that he could not afford it. So even if he couldn't see anything at all, he still stood in the courtyard and looked down, as if only in this way could his mood be a little better.

When the footsteps sounded, Shen looked back and saw that it was Shen Mingchen, who was also not asleep, and said softly: "Didn't you tell you to go to sleep?" "The owner has no sleep, how dare we sleep first?" Shen Mingchen said wittily: "The night is long, I have no intention of sleeping, my lord, let's play chess." "Playing chess?" Shen nodded and said, "Good idea." So the two sat in the study, and the guards Xiaowang Zhenhuo fought against each other in the black and white world.

But Shen was obviously absent-minded today, and Shen Mingchen saw that he was about to capture and kill his big dragon, so he couldn't help but remind: "My lord, the big dragon is going to be captured, and the next step is to go seriously." But he was very happy in his heart, because he usually couldn't win against Shen in chess, and now he could finally take the opportunity to rewrite his record.

Shen nodded, pinching the chess pieces, as if he had taken the test for a long time, Shen Mingchen waited patiently, who knew that his mind was not on the chessboard at all, and he didn't say anything about it, and he was still talking to himself: "Yes, the next step must be cautious" said and threw away the chess pieces, and asked him: "Juzhang, what do you think?" ”

Shen Mingchen was so depressed that he had to put down the chess pieces as well, thought for a moment and said: "If this battle is won, the strongest traitors will be destroyed, and the overall situation of the bandits in southern Gannan can be said to be decided" He stretched out two fierce fingers and said: "At this time, we have two choices, one is to take advantage of the victory to attack, move the division and then take Takasand; The other is to take advantage of the power of the big victory to send people to persuade Xie Yunzhang, Jiang Yueyao and others to surrender. "In your opinion, which option is better?" Shen asked with interest.

"The commander-in-chief must like the first one, if you succeed in a general, how can they make meritorious contributions if they don't fight?" Shen Mingchen analyzed clearly: "But I don't agree with moving the division to fight again, because with Lai Qinggui's experience, Xie Yunzhang and Jiang Yueyao are unlikely to be tricked again, and they must have stocked up on the grain and grass for wintering, we must beware of them being trapped and fighting and jumping over the wall in a hurry...... If they take advantage of the favorable terrain, it will not be good for us. After a pause, he continued: "Now that the calendar is set, Yu Dong is cold, and there is a possibility of succumbing without a fight. In order to persevere, we should not kill more for the sake of success, but we still have to focus on deterrence and persuasion. ”

Shen nodded, and said with a smile: "What Brother Juzhang said, every sentence is in line with my heart, if the next few rebels can be resolved peacefully, my pressure will be much less......" Liu Xian and they are blockading in the next calendar, but they can't hide Ouyang Yijing, and they don't know how to sue him. So Shen hoped in his heart that the end of the back could be beautiful and bright, so as to block some people's mouths.

"I can go and persuade Xie Yunzhang to surrender......" The two were talking, and He Xinyin, who had been sitting in the corner and pretending to sleep, suddenly said: "He used to be my apprentice, and now that the situation is different, I believe he will make a choice." "It's been a few months since I came here, and I haven't helped Shen yet, He Daxia feels really embarrassed to eat." That's great! Shen Mingchen stroked his palms and smiled: "He Daxia is out of the horse, and we will be half of the success!" "What about the other half?" Shen asked with a smile.

"I have to think about it, please ask Panshi Gong to come out." Shen Mingchen said: "If you can talk about this stubborn old man, Xie Yunzhang will naturally understand that there is no one on his side anymore, where to go, and he will know that he has no choice." "Hmm." Shen bowed his head and said: "The day after tomorrow is the signing meeting between them and the Hui merchants, and Panshi Gong sent an invitation, it seems that it is necessary for me to take this trip." ”

Although Panshi Gong has an arrogant temperament, strong and upright, and never succumbs to any power, he is very righteous and trustworthy, and is more considerate of the She people. In order to expand his influence, he discussed with those Hui merchants to hold a signing meeting, and invited court officials to attend for the first time, in order to use the official authority to show the legitimacy and officialness of the matter.

Shen was very happy to be the first court official to be invited to the walled house, even if it wasn't to convince the other party, he had already planned to go on this trip. It snowed that night, and it was a long day, and it rained all day the next day, and there was no intention of stopping in the afternoon of the third day.

Seeing that the snow on the ground was no longer knee-high, Shen Mingchen and the others persuaded him not to go. Because the village of Panshi Gong, in the very (8 secluded ravines, you usually have to be cautious when walking, but now it is covered by heavy snow, which is particularly dangerous.

Hao Jie repeatedly persuaded Shen to say: "It's not peaceful outside now, there are rogue soldiers everywhere, and the terrain to Panshi Gongpi is steep, ice and snow are treacherous, and you can't go." ”

Without the persuasion of these people, Shen also knew the danger, but he knew better that this was a good opportunity to convince Pan Shigong, so he smiled and said: "Don't get in the way, you go find a few She people who are familiar with the path, let's go carefully and leave." "My lord" Hao Jie still wants to persuade) Shen Jie can't argue = "If you don't dare to go, forget it, but the official will still go on the road on time." ”

Hao Jie had no choice but to go out to find a guide for him. As a result, when he brought someone over, Shen saw that it was the old acquaintance Lan Xiaoming. Hao Jie said helplessly: "In this kind of ghost weather, no one wants to go out of the city, only a few of them are young people who are willing to take this trip." ”

Seeing that the county magistrate had the intention of looking down on himself, Lan Xiaoming protested: "We are the best hunters here, and we can walk through the ditches and ditches of ten miles and eight towns with our eyes closed." Besides, if you have to walk in the field, there is no one better than us. Shen nodded and smiled: "Okay, I'll use you." Lan Xiaoming and his companions couldn't help cheering. My lord, don't you think about it anymore? Hao Jieyou said without giving up.

"If you tremble again, just come with me." Shen scolded with a smile, then stretched his waist and said; "Take them to rest first, and leave early tomorrow morning."

In the early morning of the next day, the snow had not stopped, but Shen still insisted on risking the snow and set off. Fortunately, He Xinyin followed him closely, so nothing major happened.

While he was braving the wind and snow and hurrying to walk, Pan Shigong and Ruan Bi, as well as the leaders who had been in the village for several days, were lying soundly, because the night before, when they saw the bad weather with heavy snow, they all felt that Lord Jinglu would not come.

Pan Shi Gong and Ruan Bi discussed, since the supreme governor was invited, he didn't come, of course he couldn't start, so he announced to everyone that the ceremony was postponed, and everyone didn't have to get up early, they could sleep well. Panshi Gong also deliberately got up early in the morning, went out to have a look, and saw that the snow was still falling, so he went back to the hot quilt nest with confidence and slept in his cage.

When Shen Wei and his entourage, dressed in snowflakes, came to his village, the people were unprepared, and they were all stunned when they heard that it was Master Jinglu who came to the meeting. It wasn't until Shen took off his leather hat and leather gloves, took off his big hat, revealing his crimson official robe, took off his leather boots and replaced them with official boots with a foundation and a dale face, and finally put on his black gauze hat, which made everyone wake up from a dream and believe that it was Lord Jinglu. "Where's Panshi Gong?" Shen looked around and saw the old man. "He's still sleeping," the people said embarrassedly, "just go and wake him up."

"I'd better go." Shen waved his hand and said with a smile: "Where is his bedroom?" The people hurriedly led him to the residence of Panshi Gong, and heard the sound of snoring outside the door, it turned out that the old gentleman had been overworked these days, and it was easy to rest today, and he had not gotten up yet.

Shen raised his hand to signal that everyone didn't have to follow, took off his boots, and walked into the fur-covered bedroom. Shen jokingly said beside him; "Hurry up, the sun is getting to the buttocks......" "Nonsense" Pan Shigong muttered, "The snow hasn't stopped yet." After saying that, he turned over and went back to sleep. Shen Jingluo came. Shen smiled again.

"He's flying over with wings?" Pan Shigong finally couldn't stand it, rubbing his eyes to see who was making trouble here, but when he opened his eyes, he saw a guy in a red official robe standing there, and couldn't help but pour, turned over and sat up and said, "Oh, why are you here?" "Why do you ask that?" Shen spread his hands and said with a smile: "Didn't you invite me here?" ”

Pan Shigong saw his face clearly, it was indeed Shen Zheng, and he hurriedly jumped out of bed barefoot, a little overwhelmed and said: "I really didn't expect it, I really didn't expect it, I thought that in this kind of weather, you wouldn't come." Shen smiled and said: "Since I agreed, I have to do it, otherwise what prestige do I have as a parent official?" Panshi regained his mood and said with admiration: "I am convinced, completely convinced, you are indeed true to your word!" ”

Accidents are everywhere, and they are as busy as donkeys during the day......