"Which boat is blocked downstream?! Let them get out of the way!"
"General, their commander is nowhere to be found. There are only soldiers on the ship."
By now, Xia Gui's argument that "the Song Dynasty has enjoyed 310 years of power" has made Liu Shiyong lose his confidence in victory.
Today's battle was already lost before it even started.
All we can do now is evacuate as soon as possible.
However, the Song armies were defeated and fled too quickly, and in a blink of an eye, those who fled slowly were at the end.
The commander's command was chaotic, which led to even more confusion among the soldiers. The ships on the river were congested and packed to the brim.
Liu Shiyong turned around and saw that the soldiers, boatmen, and civilians were running around in panic like ants without receiving orders.
If you are good at water, just jump into the Yangtze River and swim to the shore.
There were even laborers on the pier who started looting the baggage.
He had just returned from a banquet at Chunyuexuan and was immediately placed on such a battlefield. He felt that it was much harder than before.
Not long ago, I was listening to the soft whispers of those pretty little maids, but now I was running back and forth wearing heavy armor, shouting at the top of my voice with a group of rough and evil men.
Although it only lasts half a day, it is enough for one to realize that Wenrou Township is a Tomb of Heroes.
For a moment, because he really didn't want to fight anymore, Liu Shiyong thought about simply surrendering.
Later, Su Liuyi's warship sailed past, giving him some encouragement.
After all, there are still people who can maintain their ambition amidst the prosperity of singing and dancing in the Song Dynasty... But if everyone is drunk, the sober person will seem out of place.
"General Liu!"
There were soldiers on a small boat ahead, waving flags and shouting at Liu Shiyong.
"General Liu, we can't leave. General Su is here to stop the rebels. Please ask General Liu to evacuate the downstream ships as soon as possible."
"I can't stop it..."
Liu Shiyong still wanted to speak, but he heard a "bang" and the warship under his feet shook violently.
But the cannon stone fell on the ship next to it, and for a while the river was filled with screams and screams.
Liu Shiyong couldn't help being shocked, secretly saying that the rebels actually had a large ship carrying an artillery truck.
Looking up, I saw the flag of the Song Army visible to the naked eye on the river upstream.
Where did the cannon stone come from?
"Bang!"
Another cannon stone crashed down, hitting a ship in front. There was a sound of wood breaking and water splashing high, hitting Liu Shiyong all over.
This time he saw it clearly, and was extremely surprised to find that the cannon stone was actually thrown from Jiangling City.
On the top of Jiangling City, the Song flag that was originally flying high has fallen. There is only a long pole with a white cloth tied to it, fluttering in the river wind.
The surrender of the general at the top of the city was not enough, so he immediately turned against the enemy and used the blood of his comrades to please the rebels.
"It's surrendered! Jiangling has surrendered!"
The soldiers on the river also noticed the situation in Jiangling City, and more and more people began to stop running in panic and found the real way to survive.
"We surrender too, we surrender too!"
"surrender."
"surrender……"
Jiangling City no longer throws cannon stones.
Only then did Liu Shiyong realize that the surrender was not to kill the Song army to please the rebels, but to remind the Song army to surrender.
Also include reminding him.
Therefore, the question of whether to surrender or not was formally put before him.
Liu Shiyong was a little hesitant. Others might not believe it, but what he found hard to let go of at this time... was indeed his loyalty.
He is a martial artist and has never read a book. His loyalty is not the scholar's kind of loyalty that "the king wants his ministers to die, but they have to die". Instead, he feels that he has been promoted from a soldier to the governor and has received a salary to support his family all his life. It shouldn't be lowered like this.
But the situation was no longer under his control. There were shouts of "surrender" all over the river, and all the surrounding generals ordered the Song flags to be chopped down and surrendered.
"General, surrender."
Even the soldiers under his command were persuading him.
Liu Shiyong closed his eyes and thought for a while, but still couldn't make a decision.
"Damn it, I won't harm the lives and future of my brothers. If you want to surrender, do it yourself!"
After that, he turned around and walked into the cabin.
Once the cabin door is closed, he doesn't care about the chaos and chaos outside, even if the ship is about to sink.
After taking off his helmet, he took out the sword from his waist, looked at it, and tried to put it on his neck... Out of the corner of his eye, he happened to catch a glimpse of several jars of wine placed beside the bed.
That was given to him by Jia Sidao a few days ago, a fine wine.
After swallowing two mouthfuls of saliva, Liu Shiyong threw away the knife, sat down next to the wine jar, picked up the wine jar, patted the seal and poured it into his mouth.
He has always been a good drinker, but what he thought at this time was that even if he died for his country, he should not waste this good wine, and he would drink it before he went on the road.
After drinking a glass of wine, it felt like it was burning in my stomach. There was heat in my body, and all the anger and depression in my heart came out.
"I've opened my eyes today."
Liu Shiyong murmured, thinking about today's banquet at Chunyue Tower, the sudden defeat, and Xia Gui's words... getting more and more drunk.
When the wine was almost gone, he picked up the knife on the ground and wiped it on his neck again.
A person appeared in front of me.
Liu Shiyong's drunken eyes widened and he asked: "Are you a rebel?"
The other party held his hand and said, "Why bother?"
Liu Shiyong laughed loudly, slashed the knife on his neck, and his eyesight turned dark.
…
When he opened his eyes again, he saw a wooden beam with a gray tile roof in front of him.
"The underworld is somewhat similar to my old house."
"General Liu is awake."
Someone next to me said something, and soon I heard footsteps. Someone came over and took a look.
But it was Zhu Xusun.
"Mr. Zhu Anping?" Liu Shiyong couldn't help being surprised. He sat up, looked around, and said, "Did we escape?"
"General Liu is also a man who died for his country once." Zhu Susun sighed.
"What do you mean?" Liu Shiyong looked at Zhu Husun's face and said, "You surrendered?"
"There is a certain destiny for rise and fall, and destiny cannot be resisted by human beings..."
Liu Shiyong did not listen to this and asked: "You are the one who surrendered Jiangling City? Yes, it is you!"
He had already remembered that when he was at Chunyue Tower, he learned that the rebels were coming, but Zhu Xusun was the only one who did not leave the city.
Now when I think about what happened yesterday, I just feel ridiculous.
Zhu Xusun righteously accused others of colluding with the rebels at the banquet, and then a hot dish was served before it cooled down?
"Did you collude with Li Ni very early on?" Liu Shiyong asked again.
Zhu Xusun shook his head and said: "That's not the case. I made the decision just now after seeing that Jia Sidao and Xia Gui were defeated and the situation was irreversible."
Liu Shiyong opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.
"It's not just me." Zhu Susun continued: "Yang Zhen has also surrendered. Xia Guizhi also wants to surrender, but his official position is too high and not only Jiang can surrender."
"I don't understand." Liu Shiyong said: "What's the difference...? My brothers died fighting for the imperial court, but in the end you are still the same officials?"
"It's different." Zhu Xusun said: "The emperor is different, and the country's system is also different. How to put it, let's say that Yang Zhen was rich and powerful during the Song Dynasty. Let's see how much of his fertile land and beautiful houses are left?"
"He is Li Ni's best friend."
"The emperor of the Holy Ming Dynasty will reward you for his merits, but will he care about personal friendships? In the future, the atmosphere will be changed, and the world will become more and more peaceful."
Liu Shiyong was stunned when he heard this and said, "I thought you were a man of integrity."
"Compared with personal integrity, the birth of Li Sheji is more important." Zhu Xusun sighed and said: "I am not making excuses. In the third year of Duanping, I was in Chengdu and saw with my own eyes the Mongolian army slaughtering the city. There were hundreds of thousands of people in the city. There are only a few people alive, and I am one of them..."
Liu Shiyong listened silently as he talked about the tragic situation in Chengdu.
At the end, Zhu Xusun said: "I am not a person who is afraid of death, but I prefer to live and watch the world get better. As for the name of the country and the emperor's surname... after seeing the hell on earth, it is no longer that important."
"Are you trying to persuade me to surrender?"
"I regret that General Liu is a hero, and I want to save General Liu's life."
Because Zhu Xusun told Liu Shiyong a story sincerely, Liu Shiyong opened his mouth sincerely after being silent for a while.
"I am from Luzhou. When I was very young, the Mongols came and killed my parents. It was the officers and soldiers who saved me. We Huai soldiers are all good..."
"It is not the Meng Yuan who is attacking today." Zhu Sun said: "The emperor is the successor of Li Tang, and he is the orthodoxy of the world."
"I know." Liu Shiyong said: "If it weren't for this, I wouldn't have let the brothers surrender, but I have received the country's favor..."
"A general is promoted based on his military exploits. How can he be indebted to the Zhao family?!"
Zhu Xusun suddenly raised his voice, getting to the root of Liu Shiyong's unwillingness to surrender.
"On the contrary, the Zhao family is incompetent, has been bullied by foreign enemies many times, and has been exhausted. This Zhao family owes everyone in the world. The general has tried his best and killed himself once for the Zhao family, so why should he suffer from the country's favor?"
After all, civil servants were more eloquent, and Liu Shiyong was speechless after what he said.
"Having said this, Jiang Cai will come to see you later. He is half a fellow countryman with you, so just listen to his advice." Zhu Xusun finally said: "If you are left useful, you should think of serving the world instead of serving the world. I only serve the king named Zhao."
…
After Zhu Xusun left, Jiang Cai hurried over after a while.
The two of them were both Huaixi generals and had already had a friendship. Now that they met again, they immediately became familiar with each other after a few words.
Jiang Cai unceremoniously punched Liu Shiyong on the shoulder and said: "I saw that some incompetent officials in Jiangling City had surrendered, but you actually wanted to die for the Zhao family. Are you confused?"
"When you and I fought against the Mongolian army together, when did we ever think of surrendering?"
"Can it be the same?!" Jiang Cai shouted: "Can it be the same?!"
Liu Shiyong couldn't answer, so he had to say: "Let's put it this way, no matter who comes to fight, the one who surrenders first will definitely be the weak one. I don't want to be the weak one."
Jiang Cai immediately got angry, raised his finger and pointed at Liu Shiyong, saying: "I was the first to surrender to Your Majesty, am I weak in the bones? But we, the weak in the bones, are now driving the barbarians to Yanshan and restoring the Central Plains. Do you accept it or not?" !”
"That's not what I meant... Although it is not the Meng Yuan attack, I don't want to be mixed up with some weaklings. I can't tell the difference when I look back."
"Why do we have to distinguish?" Jiang Cai said: "As long as you surrender, just be good or bad. In the future, those who dare to be corrupt as officials will be killed, and those who dare to run away from war will be killed. As long as the world can be brought to a peaceful and prosperous age, I don't care about him. Will you surrender if the Meng Yuan attacks come?"
Having said this, Jiang Cai slapped his chest, looking a little arrogant and domineering.
Liu Shiyong was a little stunned.
The reason why he asked this just now was because he couldn't figure out why Zhu Xusun surrendered and even threw stones at him.
One moment he despised Zhu Susun, and the next moment he thought the other party was right.
But all doubts were dispelled by Jiang Cai's proud expression.
"By the way, has Su Liuyi surrendered?"
Liu Shiyong then thought of the situation of the person he admired most in the army.
"Can you convince me, can you convince him? He is a Jinshi."
"I don't know yet." Jiang Cai said, "I was trying to persuade him just now. I hope I can persuade him..."