The old soldiers in the Bianzhou army who knew the way were also surprised.
Suiyang City is almost due west of Pengcheng. If you want to support Suiyang, you only need to walk upstream along the Bian River.
But Zhang Wu led his troops and walked downstream along the Surabaya River. Isn't this the completely opposite direction to rescuing Suiyang?
Fortunately, most of the officers were left in Pengcheng, and there were not many soldiers who knew geography.
Zhang Wu reorganized the army as he went, enforcing strict military discipline and promoting capable soldiers to serve as officers.
The army does not move quickly, but as the army advances, the army moves smoother and smoother.
Xu Shuji followed the army forward. When he saw Daze where the Si River gathered, Xu Shuji was surprised and said:
"Is Linhuai ahead?"
Zhang Wu nodded, and without raising his head, he said to Fan San, who had just been promoted to Colonel: "Colonel Fan, Linhuai City is just ahead."
Fan San was shocked. He raised his head and asked: "Linhuai? General Zhang said we are going to Linhuai? Aren't we going to Suicheng?"
Zhang Wu said: "The siege of Suicheng is not the responsibility of our Bianzhou Army. How can Helan, the governor of Linhuai, enter the Ming Dynasty and stand by and watch?"
"Helan Jinming has the responsibility to defend the country. If Suiyang is besieged, Linhuai should send troops to rescue him!"
Fan San asked: "Here, will the Linhuai army be willing to save him?"
Zhang Wu sneered and said: "It's not up to him. He will save him even if he doesn't want to!"
Xu Shuji felt inexplicably happy when he thought of Zhang Wu's methods.
Helan Jinming, an old rival, also let him try Zhang Wu's methods!
Xu Shuji even began to look forward to seeing how his "senior" would ridicule him if Zhang Wu captured Helan Jinming.
Just when Zhang Wu led the Bianzhou Army and was about to arrive at Linhuai, Nan Jiyun, who broke out from Suiyang, quickly rushed towards Linhuai City after asking for help in Pengcheng but failed.
Although Linhuai was not far from Pengcheng, Nan Jiyun kept advancing day and night and exhausted his horses to death.
He put on a horse and finally arrived at Linhuai City after exhausting both horses.
It was already evening and the city gate of Linhuai was closed.
Nan Jiyun shouted outside the city that the military situation was urgent, and finally opened the city wall.
Helan Jinming, who was in the governor's office of Linhuai, received the news that this scholar, who had passed the imperial examination, was fond of ancient erudition, and was rich in economics, hesitated when he saw the letter for help written by Zhang Xun.
Shi, the governor of the Linhuai Jiedushi Prefecture, was Helan Jing, Helan Jinming's nephew. Because Helan Jinming had no sons, Helan Jing was also regarded as Helan Jinming's heir. He Lanjing also handled the chores in the Linhuai army.
Young people always have a lot of energy. He Lanjing raised his hand and said:
"Jie Shuai! Linhuai is the gateway to Jianghuai, and Suiyang is the gateway to Linhuai. If we don't save Suiyang, and Yin Ziqi captures Suiyang and then advances to Linhuai, our Linhuai army will only have 10,000 people in total. How can we resist it?"
?”
"If Yin Ziqi invades Jianghuai and the imperial court's tax revenue is cut off, we will all become criminals of the imperial court!"
Helan Jinming, a Jiedu envoy who liked to recite poems and compose poems, stood up and walked around and said:
"inappropriate!"
"Uncle Xu, an old man, conquered Pengcheng. Now their Bianzhou army is like a lost dog, and they have been coveting our Linhuai."
"If our army comes out in full force, Xu Shuji will definitely seize Linhuai City!"
"In addition, you just said that our Linhuai is the gateway to Jianghuai. If we win, it will be a great achievement. What if we lose?"
"That will really open up the door to Jianghuai, and then we will be the sinners of the court!"
Helan Jinming said: "No, we can't send troops!"
He Lanjing asked again: "Uncle, have you seen Nan Jiyun yet?"
Helan Jinming said: "I want to see you. I heard that Nan Jiyun is the most powerful general in Suiyang. He is a peerless general who can take the head of a general in the formation of ten thousand armies."
"Suiyang is besieged by Yin Ziqi's army and cannot be saved. It would be a pity if Nan Jiyun died together with Suiyang City."
"I think Zhang Xun sent Nan Jiyun out of the city to ask for help because he wanted him to survive."
"Cook me a good banquet, I want to entertain this great general!"
"If he can join me, then there is no need to be afraid of that old man Xu Shuji!"
He Lanjing let out a long sigh. He also admired famous generals such as Nan Jiyun, but his uncle refused to send troops. It seemed that Suiyang City was about to be destroyed.
I heard that Zhang Xun was a wizard who defended the city, and he could make powerful generals like Nan Jiyun devote themselves wholeheartedly. I didn't know what kind of charisma this kind of person was.
He Lanjing was a little fascinated, but then he became sentimental again.
It is absolutely impossible for a person like Zhang Xun to surrender to the puppet Yan. I am afraid that even if the enemy lets him go after the city is broken, Zhang Xun will be buried with Suiyang City, right?
He Lanjing collected his thoughts and quickly led his men to prepare for the banquet.
After Nan Jiyun came out of Suiyang City, he went all the way east to ask for help.
Xu Shuji encountered a problem there, so he came to Linhuai without stopping.
Compared with Xu Shuji, Linhuai Jiedushi was much more enthusiastic, which also gave Nan Jiyun a little more expectation.
Nan Jiyun was not in the mood for a banquet, so he walked directly into the banquet hall wearing blood-stained armor.
Helan Jinming paid great attention to the demeanor of a Confucian general, and he specially wore a robe.
Unexpectedly, after Nan Jiyun saw Helan Jinming, he immediately knelt on the ground and said:
"Please ask Commander Helan to send troops to rescue Suiyang!"
Helan Jinming did not expect that Nan Jiyun would be so anxious, but seeing that he was a martial artist and did not understand etiquette, Helan Jinming decided not to argue with him.
In order to show his grace, Helan Jinming smiled and said: "Please take the seat, General Nan!"
Nan Jiyun reluctantly sat down at the table. Helan Jinming picked up the wine glass and said:
"It's not that I don't want to save Suiyang, but it's that many days have passed since General Nan broke out of the siege, and I don't know if Suiyang City has been broken yet."
"If the city is destroyed, what's the use of my Linhuai army?"
Nan Jiyun said: "Thirteen days!"
Helan Jinming asked confusedly: "What does General Nan mean?"
Nan Jiyun said: "It has been five days since I broke out of the siege, but Zhang Shuai said before I broke out that Suiyang can still defend Suiyang for another twenty days!"
"Suiyang has been united and united and has been holding on for eight months. I believe that if the Linhuai army sets out now, Suiyang City will definitely not be destroyed!"
Nan Jiyun kowtowed again and said:
"If Suiyang City is destroyed, Nan is willing to die to apologize!"
Seeing the sad look on Helan Jinming's face, Nan Jiyun said again:
"Suiyang and Linhuai are each other's horns. If Suiyang fails, the rebels' next target will be Linhuai!"
"Zhang Shuai once said that the relationship between Linhuai and Suiyang is the relationship between skin and hair. If the skin is not there, how can the hair be attached?"
"Please Commander-in-Chief, please send troops quickly to rescue Suiyang City!"
Helan Jinming had already made up his mind not to save Suiyang, so why would he send troops just because of Nan Jiyun's words?
However, it is rare for him to cherish Nan Jiyun. He picked up his wine glass and said:
"General Nan is tired from traveling all the way, so he is not in a hurry to save Suiyang. Let's talk about it after we invite him to a banquet!"
Nan Jiyun shed tears on the spot and said:
"When Nan broke out from Suiyang, the city had been out of food for a month. Although I wanted to eat alone, it was really hard to swallow!"
"Commander Jie has a strong army, but he sits back and watches Suiyang fall. Is this the behavior of a loyal minister and a righteous man?"
Helan Jinming couldn't hide his embarrassment and said: "How can such a fine banquet be without the accompaniment of elegant music?"
Helan Jinming clapped his hands, and the sound of silk and bamboo sounded from behind the curtain.
Helan Jinming said proudly: "It is said that the silk and bamboo music in Jiangnan is unique in the world. This band was trained by me personally. People who have heard it say it is no worse than those in Jiangnan. I wonder what the general thinks?"
Nan Jiyun felt sick for a while when he saw Helan Jinming's smile.
Nan Jiyun finally understood that it was useless to talk to this kind of insect.
Nan Jiyun took out the knife and cut off a finger with a flash of lightning.
Everyone present was frightened by Nan Jiyun's actions.
Nan Jiyun's expression did not change, and he did not care about the pain of his fingers connecting with his heart. He said to Helan Jinming:
"Nan couldn't complete Zhang Shuai's task, so I can only keep this finger to prove that I have tried my best."
After saying this, Nan Jiyun left the banquet hall without looking back.
Helan Jinming's face was uncertain, and he said bitterly: "A common man!"
When he was about to get angry, his nephew He Lanjing said: "Uncle, please don't get angry. I will go and persuade General Nan."
Helan Jing did not wait for Helan Jinming's order, and rushed out of the banquet hall with others, chasing Nan Jiyun.
Nan Jiyun strode out, with He Lanjing chasing after him.
When Nan Jiyun mounted the horse, He Lanjing stepped up and took the reins.
"Does Marshal He Lan still want to kill me?" Nan Jiyun asked, glaring at He Lan Jing angrily.
He Lanjing said: "General Nan, I want to kill thieves with you!"
Nan Jiyun looked at He Lanjing's firm eyes and suddenly laughed out loud:
"With a gentleman like this, a visit to Linhuai City is not in vain!"
Nan Jiyun got on his horse, looked at the magnificent Jiedushi Palace, and spat hard.
Nan Jiyun rode his horse and rushed out of the city. After rushing out of the city gate, Nan Jiyun looked back at Linhuai City behind him.
I only saw that the city was tall and solid, far beyond what small Suiyang could compare with.
Through the city wall, you can also see a towering pagoda.
The pagoda was shining with glazed light, but Nan Jiyun was getting more and more irritable.
He took the bow and arrow from his back and shot an arrow directly at the pagoda.
I only saw that the arrow accurately hit the pagoda and was deeply embedded in the brick wall of the pagoda.
Nan Jiyun made an oath in public:
"If I defeat the thief and return it, it will be better than destroying Helan! This failure is the reason for my ambition!"
He Lanjing looked dark, lowered his head and followed Nan Jiyun on horseback.
Unexpectedly, before they had run very far, the cavalry in front reported that they had spotted a large number of people.
He Lanjing looked at Nan Jiyun, his expression changed and he said, "Has Suiyang been lost and Yin Ziqi raised his troops to attack Linhuai?"
"impossible!"
Although Nan Jiyun said this, he was not confident in his heart.
At this moment, Zhang Wu, who was wearing Tang Army armor, rode his horse to Nan Jiyun.
I only heard Zhang Wu say:
"General Nan, if you want to destroy Helan, why do you need to wait for the thieves to return?"