In the harem, the queen led a group of people outside Nian Ziyue's bedroom.
"Where is the princess?" the female officer stepped forward and asked.
The maid outside the palace said: "The princess is taking a bath."
"Then just wait!"
Others wait, but the Queen does not.
She entered the hall.
The palace is divided into several parts. The outside is a place for entertaining guests, but most of the guests here are emperors and empresses. As for other concubines, most of them are reluctant to come.
The reason for not wanting to come is simple: after seeing Nian Ziyue, they will feel ashamed and angry.
Why did the queen, who was so mediocre in appearance, give birth to such a stunning daughter?
"I've met your empress!"
The maids of honor saluted.
With a smile on her lips, the queen pushed open a door and entered.
This is the bathroom.
You can feel the heat as soon as you enter.
In the bathtub, Nian Ziyue frowned, "Why is mother here?"
"You are my son, why can't you come?"
The queen smiled and walked behind her, holding a soft cloth and gently wiping her back.
Just a light rub, and red marks appeared on the white and tender skin.
"It's so tender, I don't know who will get the advantage in the end."
The queen untied Nian Ziyue's hair and gently combed it.
"Ziyue."
"Um!"
"It's time to get married."
"But...but I don't like it!"
"What don't you like?"
"Don't like those people."
"Why? I don't believe that none of the young talents in Bianjing can catch your eye."
"I don't even like it."
"Why?"
"too……"
Nian Ziyue thought for a moment and said, "It's less manly!"
"Nonsense!" The Queen patted her shoulder lightly, "I have seen a few of them, they are very impressive."
"Mother, you may look majestic, but your complexion is fair and gentle?"
"You have to be handsome!" the queen said, "Isn't this right?"
Nian Xu himself is such a representative, with fair complexion and gentleness.
"But I don't like it."
"Then what kind do you like?"
"I don't know either."
Nian Ziyue's eyes were blurry, "The man in my eyes should stand upright. Even if he is in adversity, he should stand up and face everything with a smile."
She reached out and patted the water on her chest, "But mother, those so-called young talents in Bianjing spend more time on dressing up and pretending."
"Hey! Ziyue! Where did you learn to be so weird?" The queen had a headache.
After taking a shower later, the mother and daughter walked out of the bathroom.
A man of grace but ordinary appearance.
One that is too beautiful to look directly at.
"It's almost lunch time." The Queen ordered: "Go and tell His Majesty that today's lunch will be at Ziyue's place! Ziyue and I are waiting for him."
"yes!"
A chamberlain has gone.
Not long after, the waiter came back, looking a little nervous.
"Your Majesty, your majesty said... I won't have any lunch."
"Why?" The queen frowned, "If you don't eat this or that, your spleen and stomach will be ruined. I'll go and persuade you."
The chamberlain lowered his head and said, "Your Majesty, your Majesty... you look very unswerving."
"Do you know why?" the queen asked.
"The Northern Xinjiang Army marched south in large numbers."
The queen covered her forehead and said, "God!"
Nian Ziyue was also shocked and glanced at Zhang Jing.
Zhang Jing quietly went out to inquire about the news and came back to report: "Prime Minister Fang went to Qinghe as an envoy, and his frivolous attitude offended the King of Qin. The King of Qin was furious and immediately decided to go south."
"That idiot Fang Chong!" the queen, who had never been involved in politics and was gentle to the prime ministers and ministers, cursed loudly.
Seeing that Nian Ziyue was in a daze, the queen asked: "Ziyue, when King Qin used to protect you and you had contact with him, do you think he wanted to go south this time? To vent his anger, or..."
Nian Ziyue looked at her mother and gently held her hand.
"Destroy the country!"
…
Yezhou.
Zhu County.
Pei Jian watched the siege battle not far from the city.
Zhuxian County is not a big town, but the defenders are extremely tenacious. As soon as the civil servants who persuaded them to surrender opened their mouths, they were almost taken away by a crossbow. They were so frightened that they turned around and ran away. After they came back, they kept mumbling something, "The two armies are fighting, no matter what."
Words like "kill me" and so on.
When Pei Jian saw how tough his opponent was, what were he waiting for?
With a wave of his hand, attack the city!
The death camp felt that the Southern Zhou army was weak and underestimated the enemy. At this moment, it looked like it was in a state of embarrassment...
The sergeants from the two death battalions fled from the city in embarrassment, which was a taboo in the army.
——Anyone who retreats before calling the gold will be killed!
Pei Jian glanced at Suo Yun.
"I'm going to go right now!"
Suo Yun knew that Pei Jian gave him and the death camp face, otherwise Pei Jian would have ordered the killing.
Suoyun limped and led the people to the front. Without any explanation, the people who had retreated without orders were caught and knelt down not far away one by one.
"cut!"
Dozens of heads fell to the ground, and the death camp finally regained its energy.
On the first day, the defenders held on.
They even booed and laughed at the retreating Northern Xinjiang Army.
On the second day, the attack continued.
After returning yesterday, Suo Yun retrained the entire death camp, and there was great improvement today.
The ferocity of the death camp made the defenders suffer a lot. At noon, when the city was about to be breached, thousands of strong men came into the city and actually defended it.
"Ming Jin!"
Pei Jian said.
Clang clang clang!
The death camps were withdrawn like a tide.
It's time to have lunch.
When sieging a city, you can't just attack it with force, you have to have a rhythm.
And letting the defenders tighten and relax is the rhythm.
Having just experienced a morning of high-intensity fighting, the defenders would definitely feel relaxed at this moment.
Once you feel relaxed, it takes a while to become nervous again.
And this process is the best time to break the city.
The above is what Pei Jiu taught Pei Jian back then.
This is a rule discovered in actual combat, not in the so-called military books.
"Let five thousand men prepare."
The five thousand warriors have already eaten and are on standby.
At the top of the city, the defenders were devouring their meals.
No one knows where the next meal will be after this meal.
"Eat! Eat more!"
The farmer who brought the food sighed.
Everyone knew that Zhu County could not defend it, but they could not say anything about surrendering the city.
There were only the sounds of chewing, swallowing, and coughing at the top of the city.
The guard squatted on the side, eating pancakes, and ordered, "I heard that King Qin is quite generous, so I guess he won't stop me from being laid to rest! Go and have my coffin brought out. It's made of fine wood!"
"
"Enemy attack!"
Just when the defender was still thinking that he could be buried in peace, the Northern Xinjiang Army launched an offensive.
The guard stood up and said, "Everyone, get up!"
The tired garrison soldiers stood up slowly while holding on to the city head. The hand holding the weapon looked particularly weak.
During this wave, the defenders held on for more than half an hour, and then the city was broken.
"Wan Sheng!"
At the last moment, the guard committed suicide in despair.
As for the coffin, it is still in the official house.
The city gate opened and Pei Jian ordered: "Ride out to the Hancheng area to shield Yezhou from communicating with the outside world."
"Take orders!"
The Northern Xinjiang Army's rangers immediately attacked.
"The Northern Xinjiang Army is coming."
At the top of the city of Hancheng, where Yezhou was governed, Deng Cheng looked at the thousands of Northern Xinjiang Army cavalry approaching from far away, and asked desperately: "How long can we hold on?"
Chen Mai, the defense commander around him, said: "We can defend it as long as we can."
The Rangers split into two groups and passed quickly from both sides of Hancheng.
"Let's go." Deng Cheng felt relieved.
Chen Mai said expressionlessly: "They are heading towards Bianjing."
"What are you going to do with just a few people?"
"Break off the communication between Bianjing and Yezhou."
…
Deng Cheng was silent for a long time, "Then... maybe we can expel him?"
"Youqi has appeared, which means that Zhu County has fallen." Chen Mai squinted his eyes and looked into the distance, "Unless Bianjing sends reinforcements, from now on, Yezhou will be... alone!"
But both of them knew that it was impossible for Bianjing to send reinforcements to Yezhou in time.
This is a wave of attacks without warning. If Bianjing wants to send out a large army to rescue them, they have to reorganize, they have to mobilize food and grass, they have to...according to the efficiency of the bureaucrats in Bianjing, reinforcements mainly composed of infantry will be launched within half a month. It would be good if we could make it there.
"One month!" Deng Cheng looked at Chen Mai.
"I don't know." Chen Mai could lie to his subordinates, but this was a decision-making level, so he chose to tell the truth.
"Does that mean you're not sure?"
Deng Cheng's tone was unkind.
"Yes!" Chen Mai apologized as military officials were inherently inferior to civil servants.
"But last time you said Hancheng was impregnable! You idiot!"
Deng Cheng cursed.
If not for these words, he would have run away long ago.
"This official is wrong." Chen Mai lowered his head, his cheeks trembled slightly, and a look of humiliation flashed in his eyes.
He also knew humiliation. Many warriors were used to the suppression from civilian officials and did not take it seriously.
When no warrior is ashamed, this great Zhou...
The deputy general next to him had a bleak look in his eyes, and he always felt a little ominous.
The next day, the Northern Xinjiang Army came.
"Defense envoy, Zhizhou's behavior will bring us a lot of trouble in the future." In the morning breeze, the deputy general found Chen Mai, looked around first, and lowered his voice.
"We need to think of a way!"
"Unless someone comes from Bianjing." Chen Mai said calmly.
…
Ta-ta-ta!
The envoy from Bianjing changed horses without changing people, and galloped all the way.
The hundreds of cavalry accompanying them were divided into two teams, one team in front to clear the way, and the other team in the back.
In the morning wind, a scream came from the front.
"Enemy attack!"
Hundreds of black armored cavalry rushed out in the morning breeze.
The completely different mysterious armor stung the messenger's eyes.
"It's the Northern Xinjiang Army!"
The messenger turned his horse around and shouted: "Withdraw! Withdraw!"
"The messenger goes first!"
The general who commanded the army drew his sword and shouted filial piety: "Follow me and intercept the enemy!"
Anyone can be captured, but not the envoy!
At this moment, these proud Imperial Guard cavalry burst out with their own pride.
But this pride seemed a little fragile under the assault of the Northern Xinjiang cavalry.
The messenger looked back while fleeing.
Two groups of black armored cavalry emerged from both sides, giving the Imperial Guard cavalry a fatal blow.
"Yezhou, it's over!" the messenger said desperately.
…
Woohoo!
The army gathered below the city.
"Pei Ziqi!"
Chen Mai said: "The leader of the army is King Qin's confidant general Pei Jian."
"Pei Jian...who?" Deng Cheng asked.
"Pei Jiu's son." Chen Mai's cheeks twitched.
"Who is Pei Jiu?" Deng Cheng asked again.
"Northern Xinjiang...the general of Northern Xinjiang more than ten years ago." Chen Maimuran.
"No wonder I don't know." Deng Cheng said very calmly.
But this is a basic quality!
Yezhou is a frontier, and the main enemy to be wary of is Datang.
As a magistrate, you don't even know the basic information about the enemy. What are you doing on a daily basis?
Deng Cheng liked to go out when he had nothing to do. Local wealthy people also liked to show off their bad feet, and they often brought female prostitutes with him to play around with him, bringing wine and food.
He drinks, plays with women, and when he drinks too much, he composes poems, and then he calls them praising me, saying that I am concerned about the country and the people.
But after careful calculation, this person has not contributed at all to the Great Zhou Dynasty, but has caused a lot of chaos.
Chen Mai took a deep breath and suppressed the anger.
"They're building siege engines!"
He asked the deputy general to introduce the situation while he went to the side to observe.
The second day.
"We will definitely attack the city today."
Chen Mai said in a deep voice.
"Why!"
A horseman came out of the Northern Xinjiang Army formation. He was a civil servant.
"His Highness said that we all have the same culture and race, and we will still be one family after we surrender."
"Give him a crossbow!" Chen Mai ordered.
"When the two armies are fighting, don't kill the envoy!" Deng Cheng said.
The sergeant who received the order looked at the two men and chose not to move.
Chen Mai took a deep breath and said, "Killing this person will boost the morale of our army!"
"That's a senseless act!"
Deng Cheng looked upright.
If he hadn't known that this person was corrupt, Chen Mai would have been prepared to believe what he said.
"No surrender!"
Chengtou just replied like this.
The civil servant went back.
But then the Northern Xinjiang Army did not move.
Half an hour passed and it was still the same.
Deng Chengdan said calmly: "I have said that etiquette and justice should come first. Now the Northern Xinjiang Army has indeed not attacked the city."
Chen Mai looked at him and said, "If the Northern Xinjiang Army does not attack the city, there is only one possibility."
"What?" Deng Cheng felt that he was trying to undermine himself, and his eyes couldn't help but become more gloomy.
It seems that I was too polite to this traitorous soldier.
"The King of Qin is coming!"
Woohoo!
Amidst the sound of the horn, countless black spots appeared in the distance.
The cavalry crossed along both sides of Hancheng and headed straight into the distance.
Then came the infantry.
A detachment of cavalry came with a large banner.
Under the banner, King Qin and his eldest son slowly reined in their horses.
All the soldiers saluted.
"Your Highness, Chitose!"
Amidst the roaring sound like a tsunami, Deng Cheng looked miserable.