[R18] Will drink wine – “About Wine” Chapter 44 [English]

Chapter 43 Picture Album

After three drinks in the house, the sense of alienation disappeared a lot. Although we still didn’t become intimate, we were able to talk over wine.

Ji Gang took off the wind collar around his neck and took a sip of wine.Zuo Qianqiu saw that there were burn marks on his exposed neck, and couldn’t help asking: “When the Biansha cavalry invaded Duanzhou, you… how could you become like this?”

Ji Gang twirled his wine glass and laughed: “Shen Wei retreated so fast that Duanzhou didn’t even hold back for a day. The Biansha cavalry’s horses were too fast, and my legs and feet were no longer as good as before. How could I run away? I was already determined to die at that time.”

When he said this, he thought of Hua Pingting, and couldn’t help but choke in his throat. He turned his head and rubbed his face, and did not continue.

Zuo Qianqiu drank a glass of wine and said, “Shen Wei, you should be killed!”

“It’s not just Shen Wei who deserves to be killed.” Ji Gang said bitterly, “Zhongbo’s defeat is so strange, and it’s all blamed on Shen Wei. I’m sure he won’t survive.”

Zuo Qianqiu said: “You have been away from Qudu for a long time, how can you be so sure that Shen Wei is a scapegoat?”

“Five years ago, Chuan’er entered the capital and taught people to secretly plot in the imperial prison.” Ji Gang said, “Shen Wei was already dead at that time, but there were still people who wanted to eradicate it. Why, wasn’t it just to silence him?”

Zuo Qianqiu drank in a muffled voice and said after a moment: “Now that everyone is dead, it will not be easy to thoroughly investigate the case of Zhongbo’s defeat. Your disciple, do you want to avenge Shen Wei?”

Ji Gang was already drunk. He had given up drinking completely in the past five years. He broke the habit tonight for Zuo Qianqiu.At this moment, he held the edge of the table and sneered: “Revenge, why does Chuan’er want to avenge Shen Wei? Zuo Qianqiu, how can you be as pedantic as he and others! Are all the people with the surname Shen in the world guilty? Chuan’er has grown up, and he understands the truth and can distinguish between right and wrong. He and Shen Wei are just a father and son by chance. Apart from their flesh and blood, there is no relationship at all. You force himWhat are you doing? Shen Wei is already dead!Shouldn’t he report the so-called blood feud to the Biansha Cavalry now?”

Ji Gang suddenly smashed the cup, his chest heaving.

“Thoroughly investigating the case of Zhongbo’s defeat is not for anyone, but to find out why he suffered such a crime! You are also a general, can’t you think of it? Five years ago, someone could defeat Zhongbo, and five years later, the other party could also defeat other places. At that time, the Biansha cavalry was chasing so closely, with no internal response and no map, could they do it?!”

Zuo Qianqiu sighed and said: “Brother Gang, please stop being angry. Since you rushed to Zhongbo back then, the first thing you did was to cut off the main road from Zhongbo to Dan City, in order to thoroughly investigate where the news from the Twelve Divisions of Biansha came from. But the situation was critical at that time, and you know how difficult it is. Hundreds of evidences point to Shen Wei, but Shen Wei burned himself, leaving an unfavored bastard. How can this make people not suspicious?”

Ji Gang was silent for a moment and said, “The kick your apprentice gave him almost killed him.”

Zuo Qianqiu drank all his wine again and said, “I won’t defend myself, but please listen to me. Brother Gang, we each have our own knowledge and desires.”

Ji Gang sneered and said, “Okay, just talk about it and let it pass?”

Zuo Qianqiu didn’t say much. He turned over the empty cup and shouted out the door: “Aye!”

The door opened immediately. Zuo Qianqiu poured wine with one hand and threw a glass with the other, saying, “I apologize to your junior uncle and junior brother.”

Ji Gang raised his chopsticks horizontally, tipped the wine glass on its tip, and said, “At that time, our skills were inferior to others, Chuan’er, please come and toast me with this glass of wine!”

As soon as he finished speaking, the wine glass turned towards Shen Zechuan.Xiao Chiye stopped him in the air and said, “Lan Zhou, don’t you want to argue with senior brother now?”

Shen Zechuan raised his foot and tilted Xiao Chiye’s arm, and the wine glass fell down with a sway.He said: “It is hard to disobey a teacher’s order, senior brother, please let me give in.”

The palms of the two people met. Xiao Chiye pushed Shen Zechuan’s arm back with his backhand. The wine glass was about to fall to the ground, but Shen Zechuan stretched out his foot and picked it up again.

There seemed to be a sound of wind between the two people as they exchanged blows. The wine glass rose and fell, but not a drop of wine was spilled.

Ji Gang didn’t loosen his chopsticks, took a few bites of the cold dish, and said, “This body technique is not inherited from the Ji family.”

Zuo Qianqiu looked at the two of them and said: “That is the skill of the Xiao family. It is like a raptor grabbing an object. Once it is caught, it is difficult to break free. Lan Zhou specializes in he’s lower body, making him confused.”

Shen Zechuan immediately withdrew his hand, took a step back, and suddenly kicked out.Xiao Chiye dodged a little and wanted to say something to Shen Zechuan, but he couldn’t say it in front of the masters.When he was blocking, he held Shen Zechuan’s ankle, used the cover of his body to touch along the curve of his calf, and gently brought Shen Zechuan towards him.

“It’s too cruel,” Xiao Chiye said calmly, “he kicked me so hard that I couldn’t resist.”

Shen Zechuan was touched by he and became unstable, and he had to reach out to catch the wine glass.Xiao Chiye was not in a hurry. After he caught the wine glass, he suddenly punched Shen Zechuan in the face.

“Ji Family Boxing!” Ji Gang paused his chopsticks, endured it for a moment, and then said, “…I don’t blame Chuan’er for praising him.”

This body was so suitable that even Ji Gang couldn’t find fault with this punch.

Shen Zechuan held the wine glass in one hand. He couldn’t hold it by force, so he suddenly leaned back.The wind of the fist swept over his temples, and before he could stand up, Xiao Chiye stepped closer, and the punch he punched came down smoothly, hitting Shen Zechuan’s collar, and pinched out a broken plum that had been bitten by Shen Zechuan just now.

“I’ve been tricked.” Xiao Chiye said with mischievous intentions in his eyes as he put the half plum blossom into his mouth.When Shen Zechuan wanted to get up, he stopped him, raised his head and said quickly: “The wine is spilled!”

Shen Zechuan was stunned and looked up – Xiao Chiye grabbed his hand, pushed his thumb up along his inner wrist, and drank the wine in one gulp with his hand.

“Thank you for the wine, junior brother,” Xiao Chiye immediately backed away and said like a gentleman, “It tastes good to the mouth.”

The inside of Shen Zechuan’s wrists still felt hot from being rubbed by he. He stood up, waved his sleeves, bowed, and put the wine glass back on the table.

Ji Gang didn’t know the turmoil between them. When he saw it, he said: “It’s difficult to understand the mixed schools of thought. You taught them well.”

Zuo Qianqiu said: “He is still far away. Lan Zhou specializes in Ji family’s mental method, and his concentration is really amazing.”

he The two of them poured wine again, and Xiao Chiye and Shen Zechuan withdrew again.

As soon as the door closed, Xiao Chiye grabbed Shen Zechuan and said, “I can’t finish the wine tonight. It’s cold outside, so let’s sit in the room.”

To the north of the corridor is the original study room of the Yao family. In order to keep the room dry and the books in good condition, a ground dragon was installed underneath.The books haven’t been removed yet, and the four fully open small bookcases are filled with antique calligraphy and paintings.

Xiao Chiye took off his cloak, sat at the desk with his legs crossed, flipped through a book, and said, “This yard was originally built by the old man of the Yao family, and he hid a lot of good things. Yao Wenyu didn’t like to play, so he kept it here without touching it.”

Shen Zechuan wiped his hands before touching the books on the bookshelf.

The Yao family loves books, and the old man of the Yao family sorts them into categories and arranges them neatly.It’s just that after such a long time, the pages of the book are still clean. It must be that Xiao Chiye asked someone to take care of it after taking over, and there is no trace of dust.

The two of them were on separate sides, and neither of them spoke again.

Shen Zechuan paid attention and saw a Hongyan atlas in the Fengwu Zhi. He opened it and saw the topographic map of Hongyan Mountain.

Hongyan Mountain is divided into two branches: the east and west. The west mountain range leads to Luoxiaguan, connects Quancheng, and separates Huaizhou. It was the frontier defense line of the Great Zhou Dynasty in the past.Later, Xiao Fangxu expanded the territory and pushed the border defense line all the way to the East Mountains, creating the shape of Libeida County today.

Shen Zechuan turned back and saw the detailed description of the Northeast Grain and Horse Road.

Qudu mobilized the world’s granaries, and most of the army grain was transferred from Qinzhou in Juexi. Since there were no waterways to transport it to the north and east, special grain and horse roads could only be dug.Qidong is more complicated, and the Northeast Grain and Horse Road to the north is very clear.The grain is transported from Qinzhou to Guanyigang, and then from Guanyigang to Qudu, and Qudu is transported to Quancheng. Quancheng can drive horses along the Northeast Grain Horse Road and reach Libeida County in a straight line.

The Northeast Grain and Horse Road is an important baggage transportation road in Libei. It is guarded by Libei cavalry at all levels. Even if the emperor himself went there, he would not be able to pass without Xiao Jiming’s passing military symbols.No matter how hard the border line was hit, the defenses of the Northeast Grain and Horse Road were impregnable, and the border cavalry never came close.

In fact, when Zhongbo was defeated five years ago, Xiao Jiming was able to mobilize his troops south so quickly because the Northeast Grain and Horse Road happened to run across the northwest of Cizhou, which gave him the confidence to send troops immediately.

“Northeast Grain and Horse Road,” Xiao Chiye came over at some point, glanced at Shen Zechuan’s hand a few times, and said, “Are you also interested in marching and fighting?”

“No.” Shen Zechuan said without thinking.

“It’s okay, the second young master will teach you.” Xiao Chiye held his wrist and led his fingers to the easternmost Tea Stone River. “You recognize this place. The Tea Stone River in Zhongbo is the easternmost defense line in the middle of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Beyond it is the Biansha Desert. It’s interesting to say that Biansha has only dared to attack Bianjun.”

Shen Zechuan followed his fingers and looked towards the lower southeast corner of Tianfei Palace. There was the border county next to the desert, which was like the only gap in the Great Zhou Dynasty.

HeThe reason why it is called “Beacon Blowing Sand” is because the Lu family guards the Wanli Huangsha Beacon Tower.The Biansha cavalry is cunning and likes to attack at night. In every battle, Lu Guangbai will light the beacon fire.They are the best night attack infantry in the Zhou Dynasty.”

Xiao Chiye was a little happy when he said this. He simply held Shen Zechuan’s finger and nodded at Bianjun.

“Among the four generals in the world, Master is the most adept at defense. That’s because the terrain of Tianfei Que requires no force attack. Don’t look at the inconspicuous border commanders. In fact, the one who is best at fighting a war of attrition is Lu Guangbai. In this regard, the eldest brother and Marshal Qi are not as good as him.”

“There are no cavalry in the border counties.” Shen Zechuan turned his head slightly and glanced at him.

Xiao Chiye smiled, he seemed particularly relaxed at this time, and said: “Lu Guangbai doesn’t need it, his soldiers are the nemesis of all cavalry. The Lu family has been guarding the yellow sand for generations. The climate is bad, and the wasteland cannot be cultivated. They are really poor, so they can’t raise horses. But without horses, the battle will still be fought. This is how the Lu family figured out a formation specifically to resist the cavalry.”

“You said it was interesting,” Shen Zechuan looked back at the picture. “You mean that five years ago, the Biansha Cavalry changed their usual behavior and stormed the Chashi River defense line. It was unusual?”

“That’s right.” Xiao Chiye habitually turned his fingers when he was thinking, but he was holding Shen Zechuan at the moment, so he squeezed it unconsciously, “You have to know one thing first, the Twelve Divisions of Biansha are the unified title. They were in the desert, and there were more than twelve tribes at the beginning. The Huiyan Division of Shangtong in the Libei Mutual Market was named by Biansha.The tribe expelled the small tribes from the fertile land and took refuge in Da Zhou.In short, the twelve tribes of Biansha are also divided into strong and weak ones.They have never been able to reach an agreement with us, so they can only fight each other, which is a heavy blow to Biansha.To the north of us is the strongest Hummer Division, which is dedicated to dealing with the Libei Iron Cavalry, and to the south is the fastest Gou She Division, which is dedicated to dealing with the border county garrison. This is a fixed pattern formed in the long-term confrontation – but five years ago, both the Hummer Division and the Gou Snake Division gathered in the middle, without even saying hello, they directly attacked the Chashi River defense line.”

Xiao Chiye paused.

“There is only one possibility for this scenario.”

“We are confident,” Shen Zechuan said, “We are sure that Zhongbo cannot stop it, and neither Libei nor Bianjun can save it.”

“So there are rumors that Shen Wei is collaborating with the enemy,” Xiao Chiye said, “It is very risky to march straight into the enemy. It is not easy for them to support fighting in a strange environment. They are already used to galloping in the desert, and street fighting is like fighting with their hands and feet tied up, and the closer they get to the capital, the more obvious their marching intention becomes.”

“It is not a good choice to attack Qudu. Qudu is the center of the Great Zhou Dynasty. If we stay here for a long time, we will fall into a triple siege by the Libei Iron Cavalry, the garrison of the five Qidong counties, and the eight major battalions.” Shen Zechuan lowered his eyes, “I never thought that the Biansha Cavalry was going to attack here.”

“You are so smart.” Xiao Chiye praised, sliding Shen Zechuan’s finger across the entire map and clicking on Juexi in the far west, “I think they want to go here. Juexi is close to the sea, has two major ports, and three major grain reserve states. All the military supplies of Libei, Qudu, and Qidong come from here. As long as they enter the scope of Juexi, they don’t even have to capture the town, and they have already grabbed the throats of the three parties.”

“If there is no internal response, this is just whimsical.” Shen Zechuan said thoughtfully.

“Zhongbo and Juexi are a straight line from east to west. Crossing Zhongbo is the shortest way. Shen Wei opened the door for them and gave themWe need the courage and food to continue going deep.If there is no Northeast Grain and Horse Road, it will be at least seven days before the troops can be sent.If the Eighth Battalion does not hold, the Biansha Cavalry will arrive at Guanyigang.” Xiao Chiye said, “This is one of the reasons for Libei’s anger.We can forgive Shen Wei’s defeat, but we will never forgive Shen Wei’s stabbing.”

Shen Zechuan suddenly turned his head and looked at Xiao Chiye very close to him.

“What’s wrong?” Xiao Chiye had no intention of letting go of him.

“Shen Wei is collaborating with the enemy,” Shen Zechuan showed a weird smile, “Shen Wei is collaborating with the enemy… The Twelve Divisions of Biansha want to attack Juexi, where did Shen Wei get the military map of Juexi?”

“The Ministry of War has it,” Xiao Chiye said. “Money can make people go around, and heavy bribes can buy them.”

“In that case,” Shen Zechuan said, “In addition to Shen Wei, anyone else can do it.”