At this time, the night was blank, and the sky was full of clouds and stars.

Under the vast sky, Wang Zhenjun's camp in the distance was particularly conspicuous.

The camp of 30,000 people, stretching for miles, was full of bonfires, and when it looked at night, it was red.

Du Gongzhen stood at the head of the city, looking at the city, and fell into deep thought for a while.

Du Ran, who was beside him, opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but in the end, because the other party was very powerful, his courage gradually faded, and he only stood aside, not daring to say a word.

Du Ran is both respectful and afraid of this uncle, even if he has some ambitions, as long as his uncle is alive, he will never dare to make a mistake.

Following his uncle's gaze, Du Ran set his eyes on the camp that stretched for several miles, under the starlight, the campfires were connected into a piece, one after another, as vast as the sea.

"The morale is high, the strength is strong!" Du Ran looked at the army under the city with some greed, if this army belonged to him, then everything he wanted would be at his fingertips.

It's a pity that such an army belongs to Wang Hongyi, a young man of the same age as himself, who has taken away the glory of all his peers.

At this time, Du Gongzhen, who was in silence, came back to his senses.

"Ran'er, how many soldiers are there in Hongze City?" staring at the large camp that stretched for several miles, Du Gongzhen asked in a hoarse voice.

The voice was very low, and no third person heard it except for Du Ran beside him.

Du Ran's heart moved, and when he looked up, he saw a dark flame suddenly burning in his uncle's eyes, but he could only answer unwillingly: "Uncle, there are still more than 3,000 people in the city. ”

"Three thousand...... Hey!" This amount made the dark fire in Du Gongzhen's eyes extinguished in a blink of an eye, and when he closed his eyes, he sighed in his heart, his huge foundation had been wiped out in this battle.

“...... How is the morale now? How many people are there to fight?" Du Gongzhen continued to ask.

"Uncle, a sergeant in the city, take a few days to recuperate, or you may be able to restore your morale and combat strength. Du Ran thought for a while and said, "As for the people who can fight now, I'm afraid that three hundred won't be able to make it up." ”

Du Gongzhen listened, his eyes dimmed, and he sighed, as if he had exhausted his strength, and said dejectedly: "The law of impermanence in war, the impermanence of war, alas, three points of personnel, seven points of destiny." ”

Saying that, Du Gongzhen was actually in tears, but at this time, it was dark, and he was looking into the distance, and he didn't say anything for a long time.

Even if you don't ask, Du Gong is really a general, don't you know, after the siege of the Chengdu army, there were heavy casualties, if there were no reinforcements coming, maybe these soldiers could burst out some residual fighting spirit in the desperate struggle with the enemy.

But now, with the arrival of reinforcements, Wei Cundong was defeated in one fell swoop, and the soldiers below were already deflated and relieved, and it would be difficult to fight again.

Du Gongzhen looked at the continuous camp below, if he still had a thousand soldiers to fight, he would dare to fight and attack the camp at night, but now he ......, "Uncle, are you ...... Determined to welcome Wang Zhenjun into the city?" In this case, Du Ran wanted to know what decision his uncle would make, which was related to his future survival or not, as well as the fate of the Du family, so Du Ran said in a hurry: "According to the prior agreement, after the rescue, ......"

"Let me think again. If Wang Hongyi sends an envoy into the city, you will say that I am ill and collapsed, and I will delay for a while, alas, let me think about it again......" Sighing, Du Gongzhen turned around and went down the city tower. Du Ran followed.

On the city tower passing by, the wounded soldiers with severed limbs and low moans kept entering their ears and bloody noses, which did not make this famous general frown in the slightest.

"It is good to settle these wounded, and those who can be treated should not give up. Before going downstairs, Du Gongzhen turned around and said to Du Ran, who followed him to the stone steps of the city tower.

"Please rest assured, my little nephew has summoned the city physician and asked them to bring the gold sore medicine from the stock to treat these soldiers. Du Ran could still guarantee this, so he replied.

Du Gongzhen nodded, he urgently needed to go back now, take a rest, and think about what decision to make next.

The battlefield outside the city has been cleaned up, and next, Wang Hongyi will definitely look at it, what is it good now?

After getting off the city tower and getting into the carriage, Du Gongzhen fell asleep for a while, and when the carriage stopped suddenly, he woke up from his sleep.

"Have you come back?" Looking out of the car window, it was obvious that he had arrived at the Grand Marshal's Mansion, and at this time, it was late at night, and the sound of drums came faintly from a distance, which added to the tranquility of the surroundings.

The scene in front of him made him frown violently.

Five or six servants of the mansion, extremely embarrassed, were being tied up by the soldiers and dragged into the house, and the butler who lived at the door was standing still, his face was gloomy and very ugly.

Du Gongzhen glanced at it, didn't squeak at first, got out of the carriage, stomped his feet under the porch, walked into the hall, sat on the chair, and slowly drank a cup of tea before he said: "Let the housekeeper come in." ”

"Yes!" his own soldiers followed, and when he heard the order, he immediately went to convey the order.

"Dashuai, you're back. A moment later, the butler came in, put on a smiling face, and saluted.

"What's going on with them?" Du Gongzhen's eyes locked on the butler's face, and asked in a deep voice: "Let's say, they have all used the personal soldiers in the house, what is the matter with these people? At this time, could it be ...... Is there still a rebellion in the family?"

Swept away by Du Gongzhen's gaze, the housekeeper's back was cold, and he almost trembled: "Dashuai, these minions are not rebellious, they are just ...... Just ......"

"Just what?" Du Gongzhen sat on the chair and asked coldly, no wonder Du Gongzhen thought of this, the situation was chaotic at this time, and he was naturally suspicious.

"They are worried and afraid of things, and they want to take advantage of the chaos to escape!" the butler stood in front of Du Gongzhen with his head bowed and said cautiously.

"Escape?" Du Gong was really a smart person, and when he understood the cause and effect, he couldn't help but sneer.

"Hehe, what is this kind of behavior, not even rebellion? The head of the family is in danger, and the domestic servant not only does not want to live and die with the Du family, but wants to slip away, but he is really a loyal servant. Why, the Chengdu army outside the city was defeated, and the Wenyang army won but did not retreat, and they, the minions, sensed that it was not good? Hehe, such a keenness, it is really a talent, a talent!"

He sneered and muttered to himself, and the butler standing opposite him lowered his head, not even daring to look at him.

"Dashuai, what should you do with these minions...... Whether, whether to kill ......" Until Du Gongzhen was silent for a long time, the housekeeper asked cautiously.

As the housekeeper of the Du family, he still has some understanding of this generation of Du family heads, knowing that Du Gongzhen seems to be calm at this time, in fact, he is already on the verge of anger, and he is not able to handle it well, but he is afraid that it will affect his own safety as if he can't see the cautious appearance of the person in front of him at all, Du Gongzhen turned around and waved his hand casually: "Leave it to you to deal with, there are rules in the house, as a housekeeper, you naturally know how to handle it, you go down, tell them to guard outside, if I don't call, I can't enter." ”

"Yes!" the butler ignored the cold sweat on his head, and after receiving the order, he cautiously exited the study and closed the door.

When he went out, the housekeeper walked to the corridor, and someone greeted him: "Sixth master." ”

"Beat these minions to death!" said the butler with a gloomy face.

At this time, it was already the middle of the night, there was only one candle in the room, and Du Gongzhen was silent for a long time.

In the past, Du Gongzhen didn't even ask about these fugitive slaves, and naturally the following people dealt with it, but when he came back at this time, he encountered this incident, which made his heart tumble, and at this time, in his heart, he just couldn't say that he was sad.

"Wang Hongyi, Wang Hongyi, I really can't imagine that in the end, the old man will lose to you......"

Sitting behind the table, the heat in his heart gradually extinguished, and he felt distant fear in his heart, now that people's hearts are so fluctuating, if Wang Hongyi attacks the city, can the soldiers who have already poured out their courage still resist?

Even if you resist, how long can you last?

He is already old, if he insists on disobeying at this time, what will happen to the Du family?

and his three sons, thinking of this, the flame in his eyes was completely extinguished, and he sighed: "Come on!"

Outside the study, the soldiers and attendants were standing in place all the time.

Seeing that the night was getting deeper and deeper, some people wanted to persuade the housekeeper to rest, but at this time, suddenly they heard a summons, and the people below hurriedly came in with the lamp.

Du Gongzhen saw someone coming in, and said calmly: "You go and summon Hong Li to see me immediately." ”

Hong Li is the messenger, as for how the housekeeper handles the matter of Fang Cai, Du Gongzhen has no intention of paying attention.

Hearing this, he immediately responded and went out, although it was late at night, this Hongli must have fallen asleep, but the handsome man called people, even if he slept, he had to wake up.

Sure enough, it didn't take much time for Hong Li to come: "Dashuai, you called me?"

Du Gongzhen said in a heavy tone: "The others go out, Hongli, you come over a little." ”

Hong Li hurriedly walked a few more steps, approached Du Gongzhen, and listened to Du Gongzhen say: "You have made a meritorious mission this time, but unfortunately I can't give you anything." ”

Hong Li saw that Du Gongzhen's expression was sincere, but he had the demeanor of a hero, his heart trembled, tears burst out of his eyes, and he choked up and said: "Dashuai, you have been promoted to me, there is a clear precept in ancient times, I am a courtier, what reward do you want?"

"Alas, the danger sees the loyal minister...... There is no need to mention this matter again, I want to ask you, you are familiar with Wang Hongyi, how is this town going to be good?"

"Yes, does the lord have the ambition to seize the land of Shu and even the world?"

“...... Heavenly, I really haven't thought about it, what do you want to say? ”

"Yes, the minister said bluntly, the lord divides a county, which is naturally the foundation, but now this situation is already difficult to read, the lord, think about it, since you don't want to seize the world, then for the sake of your descendants, as long as you keep the wealth of the Du family, isn't it?"

"Oh?" Du Gongzhen immediately understood the meaning, and when he heard this, he couldn't help but sigh deeply.

"Yes, the minister is thinking, there is always a lord in the world, and secession is not a common thing, since the feudal town is not guaranteed now, then take refuge in the lord of Ming, the lord, Hongze Town is only a county, and the one who is early in the dragon is not only the official of a county?" Hong Li was about to continue, but saw Du Gongzhen stand up, waved his hand, and stopped.

Du Gongzhen sighed: "That's a good point, but Wang Hongyi is the master?"

"Even if it may not be the world, it is also the land of Shu, Wei Cundong is defeated, he is old, he is afraid that the death period is not far away, once he dies, how to fight against Wang Hongyi? ”

When Du Gongzhen heard this, he couldn't help but be shocked and felt that it made sense.

I only heard Hong Li and said: "As for the Lord of the World, I don't know, but there is no great trouble, to say a word of heart, if there is Allah in the future, Wang Hongyi will be the king of Shu in the future, and he cannot be lowered, so why should the lord not be an official?"

After listening to this, Du Gongzhen's eyes lit up, and he said: "Great goodness, early tomorrow, I will go out to the city to dedicate myself, see how this Wang Hongyi treats me!"

(To be continued)