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Chapter 339: The army's plan is broken and the war begins (asking for monthly tickets)
The sudden news froze the expression on Li Zhaowen's face. She just swung her body and flew away. She raised her hand to stop the cavalryman's injury and helped him up. She said, "What's going on?!"

The cavalry general had broken out of the encirclement, with many wounds on his body. He held a scroll of silk in his hands, with blood-colored words on it, saying: "The Duke and many soldiers were touring our Daying border, and were besieged by the coalition forces of [Dayuan], [Da Shi] and other tribes outside Yemen Pass."

"Of the forty-two cities that originally surrendered to my Daying, some rebelled or were destroyed. Now only two cities remain. The Duke led his army in one city, and I and more than ten other riders fought my way out. I am the only one who got out alive."

"Before leaving, there were only a few hundred thousand soldiers and civilians left in the city after the fighting."

"And the enemy coalition already has a hundred thousand elite soldiers."

As the cavalry commander spoke, blood spurted out of his mouth, his face was as pale as gold paper, and he said, "Second Master, please go and help the Duke as soon as possible. I don't know what happened to the tribes in the Western Regions. These Dayuan and Yuezhi countries are like crazy."

As he was talking, he stopped talking. Li Zhaowen sniffed his breath and found that he was just seriously injured. He had been running all the way here with a tense mind. Now that he had finally delivered the message, he relaxed and fainted completely.

Li Zhaowen called someone and took the brave general away to rest.

Being able to use the realm of the third heaven to force his way out is a sign of bravery and luck. It is the result of risking one's life and property. He is a brave man. Li Zhaowen looked calm and turned to look at Li Guanyi:

"Brother Li, I'm afraid that what we talked about earlier, playing the zither and talking about the world, will have to be postponed."

"Please take a rest first. I'm afraid my brother is also very anxious."

Li Zhaowen was still able to appear calm at this moment, but he immediately walked out quickly, his steps much faster than usual. He accidentally knocked over a mahogany ornament placed on the roadside, and the porcelain vase on it fell to the ground and shattered.

Li Zhaowen stared at the object with a slightly stern look, pursed his lips, and left quickly.

Li Guanyi was left behind. He raised his hand and used the [Emperor's Book of Scriptures] to heal the brave cavalryman's wounds. Then he leaned over and picked up a piece of fine porcelain. The wind in the Western Regions was surging and unfolding before his eyes.

He held the piece of porcelain in his hand and said to himself:
"…Among the thirty-six tribes in the Western Regions, there are also smart and brave people."

"They should have also seen that Ying State would never allow Wolf King to destroy Dangxiang. For Ying State, the best scenario is that Dangxiang still exists and the Western Regions will always be in chaos."

"For Jiang Su and Jiang Wanxiang, the ownership of the Western Region determines the future trend of the world."

"But for the thirty-six tribes in the Western Regions, it is also the same..."

"They want to trap or even kill the Duke of the Western Regions, suppress the power of the Ying Kingdom in the Western Regions, and then make the situation in the Western Regions relatively simpler. In that case, their coalition forces will compete with the Wolf King and destroy the Dangxiang."

"Decisive enough."

Li Guan paused, threw down the broken porcelain pieces, and said:

"People all over the world are fighting for their own positions."

“This thing should be very expensive.”

"Pity."

Li Guanyi's mind was filled with random thoughts unconsciously, and he put the fragment aside. Today, the entire Duke's Mansion, and even the Xiyi City were on edge. Li Guanyi returned to the Luoxia Courtyard where the guests were staying, and pondered over how he should deal with it.

Each tribe in the Western Regions and the Duke of Ying State all have their own reasons and purposes for their actions.

In terms of pure purpose, there is no question of who is higher.

But Li Guanyi and Li Zhaowen are allies, and they have a three-year agreement with Jiang Wanxiang. For him, he naturally stands on Li Zhaowen's side. However, the coalition forces of various departments, 100,000 elite troops, would be fine if it was just a second-line corps, but it would be at the level of 100,000 Qiexue troops.

The weight is completely different.

This time, the heroes in the Western Regions were determined to cut off the power of Ying State.

Otherwise, there will be no impact on the turbulent situation in the world.

The 100,000 brave men from the coalition forces were not enough to fill Li Guanyi's Anxi City. He could only take them by wits, not by force. Li Guanyi thought about it and thought of one method after another, but each of them lacked something.

Suddenly he thought of the three tips that Pojun gave him before he left.

Li Guanyi took out the magic bag and chose the one with "One" written on it.

When I opened it, there was a letter inside.

The handwriting on it was familiar to Po Jun. When Li Guan read the letter, he felt as if the strategist was beside him, discussing the general situation in the Western Regions in person. He said:

"If you open this letter, you will probably get into trouble. What I have seen in Anxi City is only a small part of the Western Regions, but it can give us a glimpse of the whole picture."

"Xiyi City has suddenly restricted us. I think Xiyi City may have encountered something. The current situation in the Western Region depends on the Wolf King. If the Wolf King moves, it will definitely damage the overall situation of Ying State. If Jiang Su is a divine general, he cannot fail to see this."

"If my guess is correct, the Duke should have received the military order and led most of the troops in Xiyi City to go out for inspection, and the heroes in the Western Region will not miss this opportunity."

"As for the Western Regions, they are also unwilling to become pawns of the Central Plains heroes."

"With this mentality, it is only natural to do everything in our power to cut off Yingguo's hand."

"Although Xiyi City is a border town, there is a death order. A considerable number of garrison troops must be left in the city. The Duke should be leading tens of thousands of people on a patrol. Most of those left in the city are garrisons. The rest of the generals are probably unwilling to go out and die at this time."

"The situation in Ying State has taken a sharp turn for the worse, but this is also an opportunity for us to profit."

The text is plain, without any doubt at all.

In this plain narrative, Li Guanyi's familiar self-confidence and publicity are clearly displayed.

It seems that we can still see the counselor calmly saying: "My strategies are all the best strategies!"

An old friend said that the best strategists in the world can predict changes in the world without leaving their homes.

This is what Po Jun is like.

Although the other strategies are better than Po Jun in their strengths.

But I don’t have that ability.

Although Wen Lingjun is good at the general situation, he is not as good as Wen He in understanding the people's hearts; although Wen He understands the people's hearts, he cannot master the art of war like Yuan Zhi.

Po Jun possesses abilities in all aspects that are slightly inferior to Zhu Mou. When these abilities are combined in one person, he can actually exert stronger abilities when facing major changes in the world.

"My lord, I have a plan."

"It can preserve the friendship between the Lord and Li Zhaowen, and also take care of the alliance. We can get back the supplies, weapons, and arrows. Li Jianwen will also thank us. I will write down the general direction, and the Lord can naturally act according to circumstances when the time comes..."

Po Jun discussed the strategy in detail.

Li Guan lowered his eyes slightly.

………………

Li Jianwen couldn't control his emotions.

His father was trapped, and even he and many brave generals from Zhenbei City were surrounded in the city by a large army. The other side directly dispatched 100,000 soldiers and horses. As the eldest son, he was extremely anxious, but there were not many soldiers and horses that could be dispatched in the city. Although there were generals, they were all defenders.

The remaining few people will fight against 100,000 brave men from the Western Regions.

That's almost like going to die.

However, the situation in the Central Plains was at a stalemate at the moment and the distance was far. If he asked for help from the country, by the time the reinforcements were dispatched, his father's body would probably have been cold. All kinds of pressure weighed on him, making his eyes bloodshot.

His third brother beside him also looked a little nervous and said, "I'm afraid something bad is going to happen to father this time..."

"But, brother, you can't act rashly."

"This time, only my father died. If the remaining troops are transferred out, the defense of Xiyi City will be empty. If some barbarians from the Western Regions come with troops and kill us and lose the city, our entire family will be executed."

"In this situation, all nine clans are in danger."

Li Jianwen said: "Then let's just watch our father trapped in the city?!"

"I have sent a letter for help, but it will take at least two months for the reinforcements to arrive!"

His third brother Li Yuanchang said, "That's better than the destruction of the city and the whole clan. If father knew you did such a thing, he would want to kill you with his own hands even if he died. Father never wants such a thing to happen."

He added: "At worst, my father will die for his country, and you, my brother, will become the Duke!"

Li Jianwen was stunned for a moment, then became furious. Unable to control his anger, he slapped Li Yuanchang in the face.

"presumptuous!"

This time he used great force, even using the back of his hand and finger bones to hit Li Yuanchang. Li Yuanchang's face quickly became red and swollen. Li Jianwen's eyes widened with anger. For the first time, he was so angry that even Li Yuanchang felt scared. Li Jianwen said:
"It's unclear whether my father is alive or dead, and you dare say such a treasonous thing."

"If there is a next time, I will personally punish you according to the family rules!"

Li Yuanchang's lips trembled, and he whispered, "Brother, I don't dare."

A voice shouted: "The Second Young Master is here!!"

Li Jianwen used to think that this heroic second sister was an eyesore, but at this moment he felt eager to meet her, so he left Li Yuanchang and ran towards her.

There was some resentment in Li Yuanchang's eyes.

Li Jianwen saw Li Zhaowen walking towards him in military uniform, and said, "Erlang, you already know the news. I have asked for help from Master Jiang, but the security of the city cannot be easily changed. What should I do?!"

Li Zhaowen said: "I came here for this matter."

"Brother, how many people can be mobilized in the city?"

Li Jianwen said: "Father took most of them away. Apart from the troops necessary for the city defense, there are only more than 3,000 soldiers who can fight."

Li Zhaowen said: "The enemy is powerful. If we only send 3,000 soldiers forward, it will be like hitting a rock with an egg. Instead, it will make the enemy feel that we really do not have the strength to attack, and let the enemy see clearly our general situation."

Li Yuanchang sneered: "You still don't have any skills, you're just talking nonsense..."

But suddenly, he felt his body become cold. His sister, who in the past would ignore him and just smile at him no matter how unruly he was, was now looking at him with her sword in hand, and her flying eyes seemed to be shrouded in a layer of dark clouds.

The golden vertical mark between the eyebrows makes the pupils appear indifferent and golden.

Suddenly, a crisp sound was heard.

The sword in Li Zhaowen's hand was directly against Li Yuanchang's eyebrows.

"The city is now as if on the verge of war."

"If you continue to speak nonsense and make sarcastic remarks, you will disturb the morale of the army."

"...Be careful."

Li Yuanchang's face turned pale. Li Zhaowen looked at Li Jianwen and said:

"Brother, there is still a chance. They surrounded father and his men because they were afraid of Daying. They dared to do this because they thought Daying was restrained by the Turks and the State of Chen and could not send troops."

"They thought we were in such a hurry that we couldn't help them quickly. That's why they dared to use the forces of the various tribes in the Western Regions to attack my father."

"The enemy is afraid of this, so we should send troops there!"

The girl placed the sword in her hand on the table, her eyebrows raised, her eyes calm:

“I don’t need soldiers and horses. The fear in the hearts of the enemy is my soldiers and horses. My great reputation is my soldiers and horses. The doubt in the hearts of the enemy generals is my soldiers and horses.”

"Give me the reserve people. During the day, we can raise flags and banners for dozens of miles. At night, we can beat drums and gongs. The enemy will surely mistakenly think that reinforcements are coming and flee. This siege can be lifted. Otherwise, they are many and we are few. Our city is in danger. If the enemy attacks our city, we will have difficulty resisting."

"If this city is besieged, the situation in the world will change accordingly."

"Our country was defeated by us!"

With a dignified demeanor, he saw the majestic trend of the world, and the only possibility of defeating the enemy with a small number and saving his father. Li Jianwen opened his mouth, and at this moment he once again clearly felt the gap between himself and his sister.

The gap is so huge.

Not even resentment or unwillingness could arise in his heart. All that was left was the decadence and powerlessness of an ordinary mediocre person facing a genius. He opened his mouth, and at this moment, there was a deliberately loud sound of footsteps outside.

Li Jianwen looked over.

It was the Tianger who was dressed in brown felt clothes, with black hair tied into a ponytail, not as ceremonial as the Central Plains, a traveling merchant with a pair of dark eyes but a smile, cunning, crafty, poor, and almost obsessed with money.

Li Jianwen was exhausted and didn't have the energy to say anything to the peddler who was complaining about being poor. He just said, "You came here today and you still say you have no money?" Li Guanyi said, "Yes."

He strode over and said, "I have heard that the Duke was ambushed and trapped. Since we are allies, I will certainly help you."

Li Guanyi raised his eyes slightly and said, "Although the strategy of creating confusion can deter one side, if the heroes of the Western Region are unwilling to leave, there will always be danger."

"It's better to combine strategies, at least it's safer."

Li Yuanchang was a spoiled and willful person. He was previously taught a lesson by his elder brother and second sister. Now that he saw a peddler who was only known as a poor fellow in the city, he had such a temper that when he got angry, he would only vent his anger on others, so he said:
"You are just a traveling merchant, what do you know about military affairs?!"

"The Duke's Mansion is discussing something. Who the hell do you think you are to come here and spy on it?"

After saying this, he started yelling and cursing, wanting to call someone to push him out.

Li Guan glanced at him sideways.

Li Yuanchang only felt his heart beating violently.

An indescribable breath was pressing down on him. He raised his head and felt his heart beating faster. It seemed that under the pressure of this invisible momentum, the edge of his vision gradually became dark.

The second sister in brocade robes and the traveling merchant in ordinary Western clothing were looking at him side by side. The expressions on their faces were unclear. All he could see was that their eyes were like dragons and phoenixes, with a faint golden color, looking at him quietly, with layers of oppression piling up.

Li Yuanchang was speechless and was sweating profusely.

Li Guanyi looked away, and the natural pressure from his experience in battle dissipated, and he smiled:
"I am indeed just a traveling merchant, but I am also an ally who has signed an alliance with the Duke. These days, I have also handled some matters for the Duke's Mansion. If the Duke has any problems, I will help him."

"Xiyi City is a great fortress in the world. The city has its own arrows, weapons, armor, and food. But now the military order is above us, so we can't send troops rashly. And we also have soldiers in Anxi City who are wearing armor and holding bows, but we only need money, food, and armor."

"It's better to do as the Second Young Master said."

"Here they send people to transport military equipment. During the day, they raise flags and banners for dozens of miles. At night, they sound drums and gongs. And we [Anxi City] send a large army, with the same formation, and finally gather together."

"You can send out an army."

This strategy would be safer than Li Zhaowen's.

It was Li Guanyi who proposed this plan based on Pojun's secret tip after he learned of Li Zhaowen's plan.

Li Jianwen asked: "How many people can you send?"

Li Guanyi replied: "More than 10,000 people."

Li Jianwen struggled with his expression and said, "Okay!"

Under such circumstances, Li Guanyi's willingness to send troops was already a timely help, which made Li Jianwen feel a little favorable towards this cunning traveling merchant. He planned to start with his second sister Li Zhaowen's strategy of confusing the enemy with an enemy.

With ten thousand brave soldiers plus his father's troops gathered together, it is not impossible for them to fight. The reluctance in Li Jianwen's heart gradually disappeared.

Li Zhaowen and Li Yuanchang both left.

Li Jianwen and Li Guanyi negotiated for a long time, and finally the young master was exhausted, so exhausted that he didn't even have the energy to be angry, and just said:
"He is really a profiteer."

"But 500,000 arrows, and we need wolf-toothed arrows that can break air and armor. Where can we get so many? 100,000, 100,000 wolf-toothed arrows, and 3,000 men and horses, equipment, food, and weapons. I'll give you more. We don't have any more."

Li Guanyi looked at Li Jianwen and said, "The noble families in the city are very extravagant."

Li Jianwen was silent.

Li Guanyi put his hands on the table and leaned forward slightly, giving Li Jianwen a strong sense of oppression. He said, "At this critical moment for the survival of the world, do you still want to maintain the superficial harmony among different families and nobles?"

"Are you going to enter the world in such a gentle and slow way?"

"The Western Regions, the world, the northern frontier, the south of the Yangtze River, the Central Plains, the world's affairs, it's not about inviting guests to dinner, dancing and playing the piano."

Li Jianwen felt as if the last cover in his heart had been uncovered. He remained silent for a long time and said:
"How sure are you?"

Li Guanyi replied: "Ten thousand sets of excellent battle armor, of which three thousand must be for the soldiers and horses, ten thousand sharp weapons, strong bows, strong arrows, heavy shields, and food and military pay to support an army of ten thousand people on their journey to battle."

"I will bring your father back intact."

The compelling momentum and the general trend of the world seemed to be concentrated in the words.

Li Jianwen looked at Li Guanyi: "Is this a deal?"

Li Guanyi said: "No, the eldest son."

He smiled and looked at Li Jianwen:
"This is what a covenant is."

Li Jianwen remained silent for a long time. Finally, he said, "...Okay."

Li Guanyi looked at him, but Li Jianwen felt that the merchant was not looking at him. Li Guanyi looked away, as if he was looking at the great and wise Emperor Ying. He turned around, strode forward, raised his right hand, clenched his five fingers into a fist, and said calmly:

"I will keep my promise."

"Save you the world."

Li Jianwen was speechless, and suddenly felt dazed.

Li Jianwen was the only one left in the room. He looked at the geomancy map, which represented the light gold handwriting of Li Zhaowen and the scarlet trajectory of Anxi City. These two magnificent strokes were left in the already turbulent world of the Western Regions.

The situation is getting even more turbulent.

Li Jianwen, who was considered to be a good person among his peers, suddenly felt extremely tired.

Li Zhaowen, and this so-called Central Plains itinerant merchant.

Son of the Wolf King.

Jiang Gao, the Crown Prince of Ying State, and Jiang Yuan, who rose to prominence for unknown reasons.

And the unicorn in troubled times who dominates the Jiangnan area.

Li Jianwen suddenly felt that the world was vast and magnificent. With his talent, he felt exhausted in this world. It seemed that even if he tried his best, he would still find it difficult to catch up with them.

"The waves are magnificent, the heroes rise, how magnificent it is."

"For people like me."

"But how desperate..."

Li Jianwen worked hard to defend the city and prevent it from becoming chaotic. He dealt ruthlessly with the young man from aristocratic family who stirred up public opinion. He supported Li Zhaowen's strategy, prepared logistics, and comforted the soldiers' morale. Li Zhaowen used heavy rewards to recruit brave men throughout the city.

He climbed up the high platform and said, "Fight the enemy with all your strength. If you can defeat the enemy, those who are in the army should not worry about wealth and honor!"

"I will personally supervise and ensure that no official is allowed to wield the sword or pen to embezzle your meritorious service."

He also issued an order, saying: "Those who have made meritorious contributions in killing the enemy, those without official rank will be promoted to the seventh rank and given a hundred pieces of silk; those with official rank will receive an increase in the corresponding amount."

Compared with Li Jianwen, even the Duke was more generous. Therefore, the soldiers in the city took an active part in it. They recruited brave men above the second level from the entire Xiyi City, and after several rounds of selection, only 800 people were selected.

The Duke personally took out armor from the armory, a heavy black armor called Black Armor.

He wore heavy armor, held a hard bow and a heavy spear, and rode a dark warhorse.

Even if it is a strategy of confusing the enemy with the real forces of Li Guanyi's army, it still requires someone who can break the formation and the momentum. Li Zhaowen attaches great importance to family ties and plans to lead the army to rescue them personally.

After everything was done and ready, Li Zhaowen had put on his armor and robes, and was holding a spear, ready to lead 800 people, but he heard a voice saying, "Erlang, you are really heroic."

Li Zhaowen glanced sideways.

Li Guanyi, who was wearing a felt robe, folded his arms and leaned against the pavilion. Li Zhaowen's eyes were calm, and he smiled and nodded, saying, "Brother Li, thank you very much."

Li Guanyi replied: "Thank you for what?"

"It's just a requirement of the covenant."

“I also gained a lot of benefits.”

Li Zhaowen answered sincerely: "Even if it's just an alliance, at this critical moment, you are willing to bring people here to cooperate with me and fight at Yemen Pass. This is not something that ordinary people can do."

"In this chaotic world, there are many traitors."

"In a situation like this, those who don't add insult to injury are already gentlemen. Moreover, if you are really willing to send troops to help, Xiyi City does not lack these things, so Brother Li's troops will not charge into the battle in vain."

"After this incident, my eldest brother finally lost his former kindness and realized that in troubled times, we cannot follow the rules of this 800-year-old family."

“Only great deeds can make a man successful.”

Li Zhaowen looked at Li Guanyi, his only good friend among his peers, and said, "What a pity. We had said before that we would see each other in our true colors when we meet again, but this happened."

Li Guanyi replied: "True face?"

He pointed at Li Zhaowen and laughed: "Isn't it Li Erlang who has a broad mind, is ambitious, and values ​​friendship and loyalty?"

"I have seen you, I know you."

"What's your true identity?"

"People like you and me, saying things like this, only makes people laugh."

Li Zhaowen was slightly startled, then laughed freely and said, "As expected, among all the heroes in the world, the one who knows me best is you, brother Li. You are the only one who can always hit my heart. This time I am leading 800 brave warriors in black armor to the battlefield. I don't know whether I will live or die."

"But I feel very happy in my heart."

"If I can come back alive this time..."

"I'll definitely get drunk with you."

Li Zhaowen walked up to Li Guanyi, clenched his fist and tapped his chest, smiling and teasing:

"I'll also let you see the most beautiful woman in the world playing the zither."

Li Guanyi replied, "No need to thank me. My Anxi City has also obtained what it needs. This is exactly what the covenant requires. However, Erlang, you have always liked weapons, martial arts, and horses. I wonder how many divine horses you have?"

Li Zhaowen said: "There are six divine horses in total."

"If you want, Brother Li, you can choose one. If you want more, I won't give you any."

Li Guanyi said: "Okay, give me one."

Li Zhaowen was stunned: "You really want it."

It was rare for Li Guanyi to see such an expression on the face of his friend Li Zhaowen, who had such a free and easy personality. It could be seen that this guy really liked the six divine horses he had collected, and he couldn't help laughing out loud.

"Yes, I want it. In addition--"

Li Guanyi stretched out his hand, grabbed the halberd on the martial arts stand next to him, shook his wrist, and swept the halberd across. The roar of steel was like the roar of a tiger. He said, "Besides, I will go with you."

Li Zhaowen was stunned: "What?"

Li Guanyi said calmly: "Before, we sent troops only because of the alliance agreement, but now it is out of friendship between you and me. It has nothing to do with your identity and the foundation of your Duke's Mansion."

"Just because of you."

"Since my brother is in trouble, how can I sit back and do nothing?"

Li Guanyi thrust the weapon in his hand upside down on the ground, looked at Li Zhaowen, smiled, and said, "I only wish that we can be loyal to each other and live and die together."

"Please give me a set of armor."

"Use eight hundred men to charge a hundred thousand."

"If you and I go together, even if there are 100,000 people, what do we have to fear?!"

(End of this chapter)