Plan to cut off the nine states

The Siguo Valley is deserted, with lush weeds occupying the roads and reaching the walls and roofs of the houses. They are about to break into the houses. Almost all the efforts of the residents back then were in vain.

Mawei's youngest son had woken up and could not find a familiar face. He was crying in the arms of his maid. The maid comforted the child while looking at the valley. She did not dare to speak, but her heart was cold.

Xu Chu divided the grass into the valley, came out quickly, and said with a smile: "Fortunately, the house is usable, but it needs to be tidied up."

Everyone was stunned.

Ma Jin and his guards met Xu Chu outside the city and followed them together. At this time, they looked at each other and felt that something was strange.

Xu Chu understood everyone's thoughts, "Help me clear a road and organize three rooms. You can go back to your own places and find your own future - except for the child. I am entrusted by others to keep him by my side."

Ma Jin said: "I'll stay too."

The others were silent. Although Ma Wei's youngest son didn't understand, he cried louder.

Ma Jin led the guards and two male servants to cut the grass with knives, opened a narrow road, and organized three relatively complete houses. After everything was done, it was almost dark, and no one wanted to leave. Eating is no different than setting up camp.

While eating, Xu Chu called the child to him and asked, "What's your name?"

The tears on the child's face were not dry, but he was tired and hungry. He was nibbling a piece of pastry brought from home. He looked up at Xu Chu without saying a word.

The servant woman said for him: "The prince's single name is Shi, and his nickname is Ju'er."

"Ju'er." Xu Chu smiled, "What's your name?"

The servant girl couldn't say anything, so the child raised his hand and wrote it one stroke at a time in the air, while the other hand still held the pastry and put it into his mouth.

"Who taught you to write?" Xu Chu asked.

Ma Shi said nothing.

"Mother?"

Ma Shi nodded.

Xu Chu asked a few more questions, but Ma Shi either didn't answer or just nodded without any meaning.

Xu Chu said to the ten guards: "Tomorrow morning, please return to Yuyang and tell me that I will stay in Siguo Valley for a while."

The guard leader nodded immediately, unwilling to be careless and polite.

Xu Chu asked the two male servants again: "What are your plans?"

The male servants looked at each other, and one of them said: "The princess sent me and I to follow Mr. Xu and protect the prince. We want to stay."

The servant woman also said: "Xiaoju can't live without me, and I won't leave. How long will we stay here?"

Everyone was eating outside the house. Xu Chu looked up at the starry sky and replied, "It's hard to say, let's see what happens in the future."

No one spoke anymore. After dinner, everyone went to rest, and the guards set up tents outside for the night.

Early the next morning, the ten guards left most of the dry food and said goodbye. Just after noon, Ma Jin walked into Xu Chu's room with Ma Shi in his arms and said, "Everyone is gone."

Even the maid refused to stay and quietly left with the two male servants, embarrassed to come and say goodbye.

Xu Chu asked Ma Shi, "Do you like it here?"

The only familiar servant girl was not there either. Ma Shi became even more timid, but did not cry. He shook his head and answered Xu Chu directly for the first time: "I don't like it."

"I didn't like it when I first came here, but I gradually got used to it."

"I want to go home."

Xu Chu signaled Ma Jin to put the child down, leaned over and said to him, "We are all homeless."

Ma Shi didn't know whether he understood or not. He was stunned for a while and suddenly burst into tears.

Xu Chu had a hundred reasons to prove that children should not cry, but none of them could be used now, so he had to step forward and ask Ma Jin for help: "Can you coax children?"

Ma Jin shook his head, but picked up Ma Shi, shook him gently, and gradually stopped his crying, and then said to Xu Chu, "I'll try."

"Thank you." Xu Chu let out a long breath. He really didn't know how to face such a young child.

Ma Jin hesitated for a while and then asked: "Is it safe here?"

Xu Chu thought for a while, "The Jizhou Army should arrive earlier than Bao Dun and Ning Army to seize Yecheng. They only need to concentrate on resisting Ning Army and let Bao Dun go. They will win this battle, so - it is safe here."

Ma Jin was slightly surprised, "So simple?"

"Bao Dun and Ning Jun are not old friends. They must have doubts and be wary of each other at the beginning of the alliance. They can directly separate without too many tricks and tricks."

Ma Jin nodded, hugged Ma Shi and turned away.

Ma Jin had always been taciturn and rarely asked questions, but Xu Chu still had some unfinished ideas and continued: "The King of Liang has few soldiers and is depressed. There is no way to save it. There is no way to save it... Alas."

In the next few days, the three of them lived in the valley with nothing to do. Ma Shi cried for three days. On the fourth day, he finally recovered and showed his playful nature. He always wanted to crawl into the grass nest. Ma Jin had to follow him all the time. Later, I dragged him back, quite anxious. He was so silent, but he could actually chat with a child, chattering. I spent many days with Xu Chu, and we didn't talk more than in a day.

The three of them didn't eat much, but the food was still dwindling, and no one came outside the valley.

Siguo Valley is some distance away from the main road. The grass is high and deep, and the path is winding. From the outside, it is almost impossible to tell that anyone lives here.

One evening, there was the sound of fighting in the distance. Ma Jin went out to check the situation. He didn't return for a long time. Ma Shi couldn't see him and started crying again. Xu Chu tried his best and was almost speechless, but Ma Shi still cried. , shouted: "I want Uncle Jin, I want Uncle Jin..."

The cakes he brought from home had long been eaten, and Xu Chu could only take out a piece of hard bun. Ma Shi took one look at it and cried louder, "I want jujube cake, I want jujube cake..."

Xu Chu had no choice but to take out his book and read aloud.

Many things in Siguo Valley are still there. Xu Chu tidies them up every day and has dried all the books, just in time for them.

"Uncle Jin!" Ma Shi cheered and rushed over.

Ma Jin leaned over and picked up the child, looking at Xu Chu with some confusion on his face.

Xu Chu stopped reading and said awkwardly: "At three years old, you can read and recognize words. At least listen to it first."

"Yeah. A group of defeated soldiers didn't come this way." Ma Jin hugged the child and walked out, and Ma Shi's laughter soon came from outside.

Xu Chu sighed, feeling deeply powerless. Thinking that he had allowed Ma Jin to leave, he couldn't help but feel scared. He was extremely glad that Ma Jin chose to stay at that time.

A few days later, someone called "Young Master" outside the valley, and Xu Chu went out to greet him personally.

The ones who came were the old servant and five Wu people. They all lived in the valley. After returning, they couldn't find the way, so they had no choice but to call out.

These six people were originally in Yuyang City. Xu Chu's stay was short and he could not meet, so they came over at this time.

The old servant looked even older. He was very excited after seeing Xu Chu. He burst into tears and said "unexpectedly".

They arrived in an oxcart carrying much-needed food and supplies in the valley.

"It's time to start mowing the grass again." The old servant sighed. He accidentally glanced at the child and was surprised, "This is..."

"My friend's son is entrusted to my care. His name is Xiao Ju'er."

The old servant smiled and said: "I thought...it was nothing." The old servant first took out two pieces of soft cake from the car and waved to the child.

Everyone carefully avoided mentioning Chang Yan.

After roughly cleaning up, everyone sat outside the house and had a full meal. At the dinner table, Xu Chu and Ma Jin finally learned what had happened in Yecheng these days.

The king of Liang set fire to himself. After discussion with a small number of soldiers, they decided to go and join the Jizhou army. They met one shortly after leaving the city.

What happened next was as Xu Chu expected. The Jizhou Army occupied Yecheng only two or three hours ahead of Bao Dun's army, with less than 5,000 troops. This was the limit that Yuyang could provide. Yin Fu's Jizhou Army was still on the march. .

Ning's army arrived one day late, and its commander was Luo Hanqi, who came from Dongdu.

Facing the two armies attacking the city, the defenders of Yecheng adopted different strategies. They were relatively gentle towards Bao Dun's army and just repelled it, but they were merciless towards Ning's army and used whatever ruthlessness they had.

Although the two armies had more troops, they arrived in a hurry and lacked equipment preparation. They were unable to capture the city for a while, and the suspicion between them became deeper and deeper.

On the seventh day of the siege, the conflict between the two armies became public. Bao Dun retreated tens of miles in anger. Luo Hanqi could not attack the city alone. He became more suspicious of Bao Dun and led his troops to attack Bao Dun.

The two armies fought peacefully, Yecheng took a breather, and Yin Fu finally arrived with his army.

Yin Fu and Bao Dun once formed an alliance, but they soon fell out. They fought in Bingzhou without a winner, and then came to compete for Yecheng again.

Bao Dun was unable to make peace with Luo Hanqi for a long time, and saw that the Jizhou army was approaching. One night, he led his troops to flee to Bingzhou, where he still occupied many cities.

Luohan waited for an extra day, probably because he wanted to fight the Jizhou army alone. Finally, he listened to someone's advice and led his troops back to the eastern capital.

When the war was going on, the old servant and others came with Yin Fu's army. After asking around Yecheng, they learned that Xu Chu was in Siguo Valley.

"Young Master is smart enough to hide safely in the valley, away from the dangers of war." The old servant said with a smile.

Ma Shi sat on Ma Jin's lap and ate with the adults. When he heard about the death of King Liang, he had no reaction at all. He did not remember that he was the son of King Liang at all.

Weeds need to be eradicated, houses need to be repaired... there is still a lot of work to be done in the valley, and everyone has been busy in the next few days.

The old servant saw that Xu Churuo had expectations and advised: "Yecheng has just been recaptured, and the princess... is busy. Don't worry about it, sir. Let's live our lives and open up wasteland in the valley to grow food. I will go buy more some other day." Salt, vinegar, rice and noodles can last for a year and a half without any problem.”

Xu Chu smiled and said: "I'm afraid one and a half years is not enough."

"Then prepare more. Three to five years will be enough, right? Let's grow our own food." The old servant was very excited. In his heart, stocking up on food was more important than anything else.

At noon that day, Yecheng finally sent someone over, and the long queue stretched all the way to the official road, full of momentum.

The leader was Sun Yalu. He entered the valley alone. After chatting for a few words, he asked directly: "Mr. Xu plans to stay in the valley for a long time and never come out of the mountain again?"

"I won't leave the mountain again." Xu Chu replied.

"You won't come out if anyone invites you?"

"As long as I live, I will never leave the mountain."

Sun Yalu smiled, obviously not too surprised by this answer, and said with a cupped hand: "The troubled times are not over, but Mr. Xu wants to hide in the valley... Others cannot enjoy this blessing."

Sun Yalu said goodbye and ordered people to bring many supplies into the valley, and finally brought in a person.

Zhang Shiqing has changed again. There is no Li Hei in the Incarnation Army, and no Feiyangjue of the past. The old servant and others dare not recognize her when they see her.

Entering the house, Xu Chu smiled and said, "I'm a little anxious waiting."

Zhang Shiqing said: "I didn't mean to be late, something happened at home..." Zhang Shiqing said with tears in his eyes, "The emperor was killed by the King of Jin outside the Great Wall and has... passed away."