At dinner time, Xiaolai finally saw He Ran again. She hurriedly reported several government affairs that Zhuyin had told her, and then talked about Fan Nao's conversion to the Saintess Cult.
He Ran was mumbling ums and ahs in a perfunctory manner, looking a little absent-minded. It was obvious that he was thinking about something.
Soon after Su Xiyao finished eating, Xiaozhu followed him back to the main room. When he was the only two people left in the dining hall, Xiaolai helped him add food to his meal and said with concern: "What are you thinking about? Look at you. I'm really busy. Madam sent me here specifically because she was worried about you. You have to take care of yourself."
He Ran put aside his worries for the time being, smiled and said: "I didn't think about anything, you don't have to worry about me, just eat quickly, don't just take care of me."
Xiao Lai sat down next to him, gave him a chopstick of vegetables, looked at him with a smile in his eyes and said, "You are really different in the military camp than usual." [
"What's the difference?" He Ran asked with a smile.
"Hmm..., the eyes seem to have changed."
He Ran raised his eyebrows and deliberately made his eyes stern, "Really?"
Xiao Lai chuckled and said, "I'm not afraid of this, but I'm really scared of the look you showed inadvertently. I didn't dare to gasp loudly when I saw it just now."
"Nonsense!" He Ran laughed and gave her some chopsticks.
Xiao Lai said seriously: "It's really true. You may not feel it yourself, but I really feel that kind of intimidation and murderous intent. In the past, you never looked like this no matter how angry you were at home."
He Ran said slightly apologetically: "In the army, all the commanders think about is killing and conquering. Maybe they are thinking outside the box. Don't be afraid. Just do what you have to do. I will never blame you no matter what. If you don't get used to it here, just go back and don't have to suffer in the army with me."
Xiao Lai leaned close to him and said, "I'm not going back. Now that I'm here, I should serve you with all my heart even without Madam's instructions. Even if I can't help with anything else, I can take care of the clothes and food for Xiao Zhu." I will repay your kindness by sharing some of your burdens, and your love for us will not be in vain when you need it."
He Ran tapped her nose with the chopsticks in his hand and praised: "I knew you were thoughtful. I really saw you right."
Xiao Lai smiled and said: "Actually, who among us doesn't appreciate your benefits? Some words are meaningless to say. No one will back down if they are really useful. Before coming, even Xiao Lai looked like a You were so heartless that you held me accountable for a long time, asking me to take good care of you."
He Ran was quite moved and warned: "I have long been accustomed to the hard life in the army, but you have to pay more attention to yourself. Don't just think about taking care of me. If you really get sick, I can't help anyone." Explain."
After eating less than half of the rice in the bowl, He Ran stopped eating and his brows gradually wrinkled.
Xiao Lai asked softly: "Are you worried about anything? Let's eat some more."
He Ran shook his head and said: "The battle ahead is about to be decided. I'm waiting for the news. I'm so impatient that I can't bear it anymore."
"Will we lose the battle?" Xiao Lai asked with concern.
He Ran felt a little uneasy at this moment, so talking to her could distract his anxious mind, so he briefly explained the previous situation, and then said: "The worry of defeat in Yancheng's plan is that there is not enough water. , or failed to guard the water outlet. Building a dam to store water is not an easy job. It is said that this kind of menial work is done by civilians, but now it is difficult to recruit enough manpower, so even elite soldiers have been sent. Tired, if this strategy doesn't work, we won't be able to carry out the strategy of heaping rocks to attack the city in a short time."
"Then just wait a little longer." Xiao Lai understood and said easily.
He Ran took the tea she handed him, rinsed his mouth, and said: "It's not that simple. We have two armies now, both of which are thousands of miles away from home. It can be said that we are in danger. As long as there is no accident, if there is Any unforeseen event is very dangerous. The sooner we can gather together, the better. Only by breaking through the Qulan Pass can mutual rescue and assistance be possible, and only then can there be room for maneuver."
Xiao Lai said "Oh" as if he didn't understand, and suggested: "If there is no news ahead, just send a few more people to ask." [
He Ran smiled and said: "How can there be no news? There are at least two reports a day. It's just that if the water is not released for a day, it is difficult to know the result. It should be tonight or tomorrow night."
"No wonder you are absent-minded. Okay, I understand. Do you want to meditate by yourself or do you want me to accompany you? Madam has told me not to disturb your mind."
Before He Ran could speak with a smile, a maid came in and reported: "Commentary, the report will be here soon."
He hurriedly got up and walked out. Before leaving, he did not forget to tell Xiao Lai: "You should go back to the house and rest first. You are tired from the long journey, so don't do anything else."
When he came to the front hall, he saw that it was Sun Zhi, the general's chief secretary, who came to report the incident. Seeing that he was sweating profusely, he was clearly coming at a high speed. He Ran was secretly shocked. This Sun Zhi was very scheming and decisive, but he was Xu Tong's right-hand man. , Yancheng is about to leave him, so it must be something important to send him to report.
Sun Zhi saluted, and without waiting for He Ran to ask questions, he stepped forward and reported: "Commander, the general and Dongfang general agreed to flood the city tonight, and all the fast horses to deliver the message to the Lord were arranged, but suddenly something happened. There has been a big change, so I sent a subordinate to personally report it to the Ming Dynasty's military advisor."
He Ran nodded calmly, pointed to the seats where the next few cases were taking place and said, "What happened? Sit down and talk slowly."
Sun Zhi stepped into the meeting, picked up the tea cups on the table and drank it all in one gulp, and then said without delay: "At noon, a hunter who called himself Bai Jun came to the military camp and said that he had important matters to see the military commander. The commander-in-chief, the general summoned him. This man looks different from ordinary people, his behavior and speech are quite dignified, and he is calm and composed in the military tent."
He Ran, who was listening attentively, held the tea cup and gently turned the bowl, and asked without raising his eyes: "Why is he here?"
Sun Zhidao said: "He said that he discovered that we were building a dam to store water while hunting, and saw through our plan to flood Qulan City."
He Ran put down the tea cup and said: "It's unusual. Now that we've seen the dam, it's not difficult to guess."
Sun Zhidao said: "The next thing was unusual. He said that the water supply was about to be released after the water storage was almost full, so he came to the military camp quickly, and admitted that his brother was a general at Qulanguan, and asked us not to release the water for the time being and give him some water. It took half a day to convince his brother to surrender.
He Ran's brows moved, he looked at Sun Zhi and said, "I suspect this is a delaying strategy."
"The lower official thought so at the time. After hearing this, the general ordered people to take him into custody. It is obvious that he also had this concern in his heart."
"What happened next?"
Sun Zhi frowned and said: "This Bai Jun spoke with tears and asked the general to have mercy on him and show his filial piety. Then he told the whole story. He said that when the commander of Qulan Pass heard that Yi's army was coming, he was afraid that Qulan would When the city was besieged, Qulan Guan's soldiers did not risk their lives to rescue them, so they came up with a dangerous idea. They sent the relatives of the generals in Guan to live in the city. At the same time, they moved the relatives of the generals in the city to Guan. Bai Jun's brother was from Guan. The general is a local, so not only his wife and children were sent to the city, but his parents were also resettled there. So when Bai Jun saw that we were going to flood the city, he was so anxious that he ran directly to us without even bothering to discuss it with his brother. coming."
"Is it true?" He Ran asked.
Sun Zhi understood that what the military advisor was referring to was the resettlement of family members in a different place, and replied: "It is difficult to verify in such a hurry. The general has sent his subordinates to nearby villages to inquire."
He Ran shook his body slightly and looked at the entrance of the hall with vacant eyes.
ps: I won’t be typing during the holidays. I have to go back to my hometown to commemorate the sweeps. During the holidays, everyone should spend less time reading online and spend more time with their families.