The night is vast.

The lights in Jiming Village were brightly lit, and the central square was very lively. Although it was not suitable to drink alcohol during wartime, considering that today was an extremely rare victory, Qin Xian made an exception and allowed everyone a drink, and then took out the beef and mutton stored in the village to reward them.

Soldiers.

On the west wall, five hundred reinforcements who acted as bystanders during the day were responsible for guarding the city. These people were obviously not direct relatives of Ning Zhong, so they did not dare to cause trouble, especially after Pei Yue arrived and revealed his identity, they immediately obeyed orders.

The reputation of imperial envoy cannot suppress big men like Xue Tao and Ning Zhong, so it is not difficult to scare a group of soldiers who are not valued.

The corpses on the city wall have been disposed of, but the strong smell of blood cannot be dissipated for a long time.

Pei Yue sat on the city wall, looking up at the bright starry sky, feeling slightly absent-minded for a moment.

There was such a beautiful starry sky in the world in my previous life, but the difference is that the Milky Way where the stars converge is not visible here.

He picked up the flask and took a sip. The strong liquor diluted the smell of blood around him, and sighed softly: "Brother, let me withdraw. You don't have to worry about the consequences. I will bear the responsibility no matter what happens."

Qin Xian took the wine bottle from him and said after a moment of silence: "You can't throw it away from Jiming Village."

Pei Yue said decisively: "We can't hold on."

Qin Xian said in a complex tone: "You have to defend even if you can't."

Pei Yue did not give up and continued to persuade: "What if you take your subordinates and follow me and leave Jiming Village to Xiwu? Now the situation is gradually becoming clearer. Before the Hucheng garrison determines Xiwu's strategy, it will not be easy.

Leaving the city, Ning Zhong took five

Wan Dajun is defending Nanshan Village. He just wants to use you to weaken Xiwu's troops and morale. He won't care even if all of you die. As long as he can defeat the tired Xiwu people in a decisive battle, he will turn the tide.

's hero."

Chen Xianda has often scolded Ning Zhong recently. Although Pei Yue did not stop him, he did not agree with his views.

Ning Zhong is not afraid of death, but is cruel.

No matter what the ultimate goal of the Xiwu people is, the nine military strongholds to the west of Dongqing Mansion are obstacles that they cannot bypass. If they want to overwhelm Dongqing Mansion with their troops, they must defeat them one by one. The price paid for attacking the city

Needless to say, once they capture the nine military strongholds, their strength will definitely be severely weakened. By then, Ning Zhong will have a great chance of winning by waiting for work.

It's just that he never considered these military camp defenders who were treated as abandoned sons.

Qin Xian took a sip of wine and said slowly: "Brother Yue, do you know why Your Majesty hates my father?"

Pei Yue has never inquired into the family affairs of Qin Xian and Xue Meng. This is the respect he must show.

He only knew that Qin Xian's father's name was Qin Huai. He inherited the title of third-class Pingyang Bo when he was young. Later, he was deprived of his title by the emperor. Fortunately, he was not punished. From that time on, the Pingyang Marquis Mansion fell into unspeakable embarrassment.

Qin Xian was an expert in martial arts, and he was very good at scouting due to his family background, and his ability to lead troops was not weak. However, after serving in the army for several years, he was still just an outpost. From this, we can see that his family background had greatly hindered him.

Qin Xian looked complicated and continued: "You and I both know that Duke Pei led his army to the west in the first year of Renxuan and then captured Hucheng with outstanding achievements. In fact, it was because the Western Wu people invaded the country in large numbers, so Your Majesty had to let him go.

Rescue. Before Duke Pei arrived at the border, Liang Jun was retreating steadily. At that time, my father was the commander of Guping Camp and was responsible for guarding Nanshan Village."

"And what happened?"

"My father said that it would be futile to defend alone and lead to death, so he led the defenders back to Lingzhou. The gate to the west was wide open, and the Wu army's cavalry marched straight in. They burned, killed and looted wantonly in Dongqing and Guangping mansions. The devastation of life was like a hell on earth."

Pei Yue was slightly startled, then fell silent.

Qin Xian laughed at himself: "My father is not a person who is greedy for life and afraid of death. He has always been famous for his bravery in the army. But at that time, the border defense system was not complete, and the left and right defense lines had been broken. Nanshan Village could not defend it at all. Those soldiers were his

The ones he brought out personally are no different from me. He couldn't bear to see them die in vain, so he made that choice."

His tone became deeper and deeper, and he shook his head and said: "Perhaps many people can understand his thoughts, but no one is willing to accept his approach. A real man is shrouded in horse leather. This is the honor of a soldier. Even if he knows that there is a place of death ahead, he cannot retreat. At that time, the emperor

Not long after he ascended the throne, the situation was not yet stable, and Pei Guogong said a few good words to his father, so he only seized the title but did not punish him."

Pei Yue thought for a moment and said seriously: "Brother, what's wrong with uncle's decision? You and I both know that determination and willpower are often not enough to solve all problems on the battlefield. When the difference in strength between the two sides reaches a certain level,

No matter what, heroic is just heroic after all. In that case, even if my uncle defended Nanshan Village, it would only delay the Xiwu people a little, but it would not have any impact on the final outcome."

Qin Xian nodded and whispered: "I understand, and I have never blamed my father. It's just that Brother Yue, the old Qin family cannot afford to lose face again."

Pei Yue could hear the desolation and the will to die in his voice, but he, who had always been eloquent, felt speechless at this moment.

Qin Xian turned to look at him, his eyes calm and firm, and said slowly: "The most important thing is that the situation is different now. It is not that I want to drag my brothers to death and use their lives to cleanse the Qin family's reputation. I

Although Qin Xian is eager to make contributions, he is not that shameless person. You just said that now that the situation is gradually becoming clearer, it is obvious that the Xiwu people are planning to capture Hucheng, so the place for the decisive battle cannot be placed at the Guping camp! "

Pei Yue knew in his heart that what he said was right, but he couldn't say anything in agreement.

Qin Xian said calmly: "Who is not afraid of death? But if death is worthwhile, I think this is the meaning of our military existence. If all nine military strongholds fall and the Lingzhou defense line is no longer covered, it means that the defense of Hucheng

The army must make a decision. If we stop the enemy here, it will buy Daliang more time."

"Therefore, Jiming Village cannot be lost and must be defended."

He said decisively.

The night breeze is cool and the moonlight is misty.

Pei Yue already knew the situation of the defenders of Jiming Village. Counting minor injuries, only 2,000 people could move. How could they hold on with such a small force?

Today, the Wu army returned with a great defeat and will surely make a comeback. Moreover, his cavalry has been exposed. With Zhang Qingbai's skill in using troops, how can he be given a second chance to attack?

"Brother, have you decided?"

"Brother Yue, it's a pity that I couldn't wait for the wedding ceremony when you got married. Do you have a woman you like now? Have you ever met the daughter of Marquis Gu's family?"

"We met. Later I met a girl named Ye Qi. We liked each other."

"What about Miss Gu?"

"I like it too."

"This is a bit troublesome."

"No trouble, there will always be a solution."

"When you get married, I will prepare a big gift for you."

"Brother, I won't refuse."

"As it should be."

The moon was at the top of the sky and the wine pot had reached its bottom, but Pei Yue was still very sober, as if his alcohol content had increased a lot without him realizing it.

The banquet in the village has been removed, and there is silence between heaven and earth.

Pei Yue suddenly asked: "Brother, do you know Dong Da?"

Qin Xian nodded and said: "He should be the person I know. My father said that in Nanshan Village, the only person who opposed his withdrawal of troops was his deputy general named Dong Daqian, a well-known man. Later, my father was

The imperial edict recalled him to Kyoto, but he was worried that something would happen to him and sent him all the way to Kyoto. After confirming that his father had only seized the title, he returned to the border. What he did after that is not clear."

Dong Da's resolute and vicissitudes of face appeared in Pei Yue's mind, and he sighed: "It should be him."

He jumped off the city wall and said seriously to Qin Xian: "There are too few troops in the village. I will keep Dong Da and the defeated soldiers of Sanzhai to assist my brother in defending the city. I will take away the cavalry from the Tibetan Front Guard and Xishui Village. I can help them at the critical moment."

Comes in handy.”

Qin Xian asked with concern: "Where do you plan to go?"

"Go to Nanshan Village to find Ning Zhong. I have to talk to him."
Chapter completed!