The Grandmaster Strategist

I was originally supposed to publish this article tonight, but in order to make up for the two weeks of waiting, I will publish half a chapter this morning. Over the past two weeks, I wanted to concentrate on writing, but unfortunately I am too busy with work and have not saved many manuscripts so far. I don’t think I will let everyone read it. It is very enjoyable. Although it will still be updated five times a week, if there is any shortcomings in quantity, please forgive me. My new book has been published by Xinchen Publishing House in the traditional Chinese version. Please support me.

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In the twenty-seventh year of Dayong Wuwei, on the border of the Northern Han Dynasty, the autumn wind was blowing. On the road from Yanmen Pass to Daizhou City, a red knight galloped on a Pegasus. The smoke was billowing, and one could only vaguely see the horse, whose fur was like blood. A rouge horse with red mane like flames. Although the knight's whole body is blocked by the cloak and the hood on it, and his appearance and body cannot be seen, you can faintly see that the man is wearing a red outfit, wearing a cloak of the same color, and an ebony piece is slung across his back shoulder. Tan bow, a bag of white feather arrows hangs next to the saddle, and the hilt inlaid with gold and jade is faintly exposed at the waist. The blade is covered by the cloak. You can't see the style of the scabbard, but you can tell that it is a golden sword just by looking at the hilt. A treasured sword that is hard to replace.

The red knight was galloping on horseback. Suddenly five knights rushed out from both sides. They were all barbarian knights with blouses. They rushed towards the red knight. When the two sides were about to collide, the red knight He quickly opened his bow and fired arrows. The white-feathered arrows were like lightning. Three arrows in one bow and the sound of bowstrings. Two knights did not expect that the knight in red could actually open his bow and shoot arrows at such a short distance. They turned over and fell from their horses. However, one bow and three arrows were a bit reluctant for the red knight, and the third arrow was weak and was deflected by a knight with a knife. The remaining three knights shouted loudly and attacked fiercely. The knight in red had no time to fire his arrow, so he had to draw his sword to greet him. The four of them were all knights skilled in horse fighting, and the battle was fierce. Although the knight in red had a sharp sword and excellent riding skills, the three barbarian knights were also brave warriors. Gradually, the knight in red began to be unable to resist. Suddenly, the knight in red suddenly shouted, "Look at the poisonous powder." He raised his left hand, and a cloud of pink smoke rushed towards the two barbarian knights. The two knights dodged left and right, revealing a gap. The knight in red took the opportunity to urge his horse, rushed out of the encirclement, and rushed towards the way he came. The barbarian knights turned around and chased after them. Unexpectedly, when they were about to encircle the enemy, the knight in red lifted the reins of the horse. The rouge horse actually raised its front hooves high and turned its head around. Like clouds and flowing water, it moved towards Daizhou without slowing down. Run to the city. Those barbarian knights didn't expect that the red knight's riding skills would be so powerful, so they couldn't help but stagnate for a moment. When they turned around and chased after him, they were already far behind.

The red knight looked back distressedly. The few barbarian knights were still chasing after them. The red knight gritted his silver teeth. She was not worried about her safety. Twenty miles ahead was Daizhou City. These few unknown The barbarian knights who had sneaked in would never dare to pursue him, but if someone knew that he was traveling alone and was ambushed, he would not be able to be so free in the next few months. At this time, her eyes lit up. There was a knight in gray in front of him, who was slowly walking forward. The horse was also one of the best in a hundred, and the knight on the horse also carried a bow and arrow. Both men and women in this generation state are warriors who are familiar with bows and horses. , no matter how bad the knight is, he can still block it. If the two of them join forces, they may be able to kill those barbarians. Thinking of this, the red knight shouted loudly: "Brother, shoot the arrow quickly."

The knight in gray clothes looked back in astonishment, a cold light flashed in his eyes immediately, and he turned around to greet him. The yellow gelding and the knight in red passed by each other. The knight in red heard the sound of a bow string. Just by hearing the sound of the string, the knight in red knew that this bow was not very powerful. In Daizhou, only women could use it. But when he heard the sound of the bow and arrow breaking through the wind, the knight in red couldn't help but be stunned. It was clearly a bow with five arrows. When she turned around on horseback, she happened to see five feather arrows arranged in a formation of three in front and two in back. One of the feather arrows shot into the throat of a barbarian. The other two feather arrows were just blocked by the other two people. The two feather arrows I sent have arrived,

Although the two tried hard to dodge, they only missed the vital point and both were seriously injured by arrows. The two of them looked at each other, then galloped off, taking away their dead companions and the ownerless horses with them.

The knight in red breathed a sigh of relief, stepped forward and cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for saving my life, brother. Lin Tong would like to express my gratitude."

The gray-clothed knight turned around, his eyes lit up. He saw the red-clothed knight wearing a three-part bun with a gold hairpin stuck next to the red silk scarf on his head. He was only sixteen or seventeen years old, and his skin was as snowy, and his eyes were like snow. She has curved eyebrows, a pair of sparkling black eyes, and the corners of her delicate pink lips are slightly upturned, making her appear naughty and charming.

The knight in red was also dumbfounded. The knight in gray was also a young man in his early twenties. He was handsome and handsome, even a little weak, but his eyebrows showed a bit of thoroughness and cynical leisure. . The red-clothed girl usually sees big men with a big body and a thick body. Even the handsome men among them are mostly brave and handsome. She has never seen such a handsome and handsome man. She couldn't help but blush and asked: "Who are you?" , I see that you don’t look like me from the Northern Han Dynasty, are you a spy?”

The knight in gray had calmed down and said with a smile: "Miss, this is not the way to repay a favor. How can anyone regard a benefactor as a spy?"

Lin Tong, the girl in red, blushed again and said: "It's one thing for you to save my life, but it's another thing for you to be a spy. If you don't tell me, I will send you to see the official."

The knight in gray deliberately exaggerated: "Oh, Princess Hongxia is indeed amazing. It seems that I saved the wrong person?"

The girl in red couldn't help but was stunned. She was the second daughter of Lin Yuanting, the Yingyang general who guarded Daizhou and Yanmen. Lin Yuanting was the head of the Daizhou family and an important minister of the Northern Han Dynasty. He was married to the eldest princess of Anqing, who gave birth to four sons. The second daughter and four sons are all famous tiger generals. The eldest daughter Lin Bi was adopted as an adopted daughter by Liu You, the current Lord of the Northern Han Dynasty, and was given the title of Princess Jiaping. She is twenty-three years old this year.

Lin Bi is not only beautiful and intelligent, but also has outstanding martial arts skills. She has resisted barbarian attacks many times and made great military exploits. Marrying Lin Bi has always been the goal of the warriors of the Northern Han Dynasty, and Lin Bi also vowed not to marry unless she was a like-minded hero. But how many people are worthy of such a woman? It was not until the death of Weiyuan General Long Tingfei's wife two years ago that Lin Bi fell into the Long family. Long Tingfei was only in his twenties or thirties at the time. He was handsome and mighty, held a high position, and had great military exploits. Since the Lord of the Northern Han Dynasty reused him, he couldn't help but be a little wary. In order to win over important officials, marriage was naturally the best way. Lin Bi was a talented person. With both good looks and a royal family background, he was naturally the best candidate. Moreover, Long Tingfei was also a hero worthy of Lin Bi, so the marriage became a good talk for a while. However, because Long Tingfei's wife had just passed away and he was busy fighting Dayong, the two parties agreed not to get married for the time being.

This girl in red was born like this. Although she is usually spoiled and pampered, she is not a rich lady who doesn't understand anything. If it is said that she is the princess of Hongxia, all the rouge horses and red clothes who see her in this Daizhou area will not miss her. She recognized him, but this boy was obviously not a local, but he knew his identity at first sight, which made her suspicious.

Suspicious, her tone became a bit colder, and she said: "Who are you? If you don't tell the truth, don't blame me for being ruthless with the knife." As she spoke, she held the handle of the knife.

The young man was startled and quickly held up his hands and said: "Don't be angry, Princess. The common people's surname is Wang and Ji. They are not spies."

Lin Tong's expression softened slightly, she looked the boy up and down for a moment, and asked, "You don't look like a Northern Han person. Please tell me your origins clearly to this princess."

The young man smiled bitterly and said: "My lord, the grass people are from Southern Chu. They later moved to all directions. The year before last, the grass people moved to the north. Because they were good at treating horses and livestock, they mostly walked in the wild lands. I heard about Daizhou a few days ago. This autumn, a rouge horse was set up in Daizhou, so I came to Daizhou specifically to see the prosperity of the market. Unexpectedly, I met the princess. The common people had already heard that the rouge horse of the princess was a famous BMW in Daizhou, so they recognized the princess. , what the common people said is the truth, please let the princess know clearly."

Lin Tong looked at the young man in surprise for a long time and said: "Wang Ji, you are not the 'Bole Miracle Doctor' that is passed down by word of mouth among the barbarians, right? I heard that you are not only good at treating livestock, but also good at looking at horses?"

The young man smiled and said: "I don't dare to be a princess. The grassroots are indeed somewhat famous in the barbarian land. I didn't expect that the princess has heard of it."

Lin Tong said: "Of course, I am close to the barbarian land on behalf of the state, and I dare not ignore the movements of the barbarian land every day. Unfortunately, the barbarian land is vast and sparsely populated, and the tribes live in pursuit of water and grass. All kinds of information are always insufficient. Detailed. I originally thought that the 'Miracle Doctor Bole' people were talking about must be an old gentleman of high moral character, but I didn't expect him to be so young. Wang Ji, I want to ask you, you are from Nanchu. Where did you come from? Why would I end up in a barbaric land after learning the skills of being a veterinarian and a horse teller?"

The young man smiled bitterly again and said: "Princess, you can't just say that, blocking the road is not the solution, right?"

Lin Tong was surprised to realize that there were already people walking on the road, so he said: "This princess is going to Daizhou to visit the market. Please come with me and tell me slowly on the way. You are not allowed to escape. Otherwise, this princess will ask dad to send out an army to hunt you down."

The young man smiled and said: "The common people don't dare, the princess invites you."

The two of them rode towards Daizhouxing. For some inexplicable reason, neither of them let their horses gallop. They just walked slowly and continued talking as they walked.

Lin Tong asked: "Wang Ji, you haven't said who you learned your skills from?" Although it was the same question, his eyes were a little less suspicious and a little more curious.

The young man seemed to be deep in thought. It was not until Lin Tong asked again that he woke up and said with a smile: "Speaking of Cao Min's master, he is a rare and strange person in the world. What he has learned is unfathomable. Cao Min was originally his old man. There was a servant beside him, who was just lucky enough to learn some superficial skills. A few years ago, his old man dismissed many servants, and the common people were one of them. Although the common people also received a lot of gold and silver as gifts, they couldn't sit back and rest on their laurels. After much deliberation, the grassroots people have no other skills but to make a living by being veterinarians. However, if this veterinary profession is in Nanchu and Dayong, it is just a way to make a living, and the grassroots people are unwilling to be left behind. Finally, I thought about it and realized that I can't be mediocre in my life, so I went to the barbaric land, where there are the most livestock and the most difficult and complicated diseases. If I become famous there, I will naturally become famous all over the world. Then there is no need to worry about livelihood. Finally, the common people are lucky and have practiced medicine for several years without making any mistakes. Although the barbarians are brave and bloodthirsty, they respect veterinarians the most, so the common people are at ease in the barbarian land. As for the theory of Bole, It's just that the common people recognized a few rare horses, and the news was spread by false rumors, and when it reached the ears of the princess, it was a bit exaggerated."

Lin Tong rolled his eyes and asked: "It seems that although you are young, you have traveled to many places. Is there something I would like to ask you?"

Wang Ji bowed on his horse and said: "Princess, please inquire. If the common people know about it, they will not dare to hide it."

Lin Tong said: "You even recognize this princess, so you must have heard of my sister, Princess Jiaping Lin Bi?"

Wang Ji nodded and said: "Of course the common people have heard that Princess Jiaping is a hero among women. She led the army to repel the invading barbarians many times. Everyone in the Northern Han Dynasty does not know the princess's famous name. I heard that the princess has been betrothed to General Long, who is exactly the same." There is no one in the world who would not be envious of a peerless couple."

Lin Tong said proudly: "Yes, my brother-in-law is a great hero, and he is the only one in the world who can match my sister. However, I always heard that others put a princess of Changle alongside my sister. Is there anyone else in the world who can A woman compared to my sister? I don’t believe it, but no one is willing to tell me about Princess Changle. You won’t say that you don’t know, right?”

Looking at Lin Tong's wide almond-shaped eyes, Wang Ji couldn't help but burst into laughter. It wasn't until he saw Lin Tong's expression getting more and more annoyed that he stopped smiling and said, "It's no wonder they refused to tell you that Princess Changle's They have experienced ups and downs, and they are from Dayong, so they are not willing to tell you."

Lin Tong said excitedly: "Then you know it, tell me quickly."

Wang Ji thought for a while and said: "The title of Princess Changle is actually Princess Changle of Ningguo. She is the eldest daughter of Emperor Li Yuan of Dayong. Her biological mother was originally a noble concubine. She was promoted to the queen three years ago. Now she is She is the Queen Mother. This princess has a virtuous and chaste temperament. She married me, the Crown Prince of Southern Chu, as my concubine at the age of sixteen. Later, when the Crown Prince ascended the throne, the princess became the mother of the Kingdom of Southern Chu. In terms of status, she is naturally extremely noble."

Lin Tong asked doubtfully: "Is it for this reason that others put her and her sister together?"

Wang Ji shook his head and smiled: "Of course not. Although this princess has a noble status, it is a pity that Dayong and Nanchu are enemies. Although no one in Nanchu dares to treat her badly, this princess is afraid that she will not be happy for a moment and has lived in seclusion all year round. Deep palace, later, in the 22nd year of Xiande in Nanchu, the ruler of the country changed to Yuanzhihua in that year, but this reign name has been abandoned. In the 23rd year of Xiande, which was the 19th year of your country's prosperity, Li Zhi, the King of Yong at that time, led his troops to attack the capital of Southern Chu and took Princess Changle back to Dayong."

Lin Tong looked happy and said: "Is this good? The princess is not happy in Nanchu. Although I hate Dayong people, I still did a good job as the emperor of Dayong."

Wang Ji smiled and said: "Not long after the princess returned to Dayong, the king was returned to Nanchu, but he died on the way, so the emperor of Dayong wanted to find another consort for the princess. At that time, the emperor liked three people To choose, one is Qin Qing, the son of Qin Yi, the Fuyuan general of Dayong, the other is Wei Ying, the son of Wei Guan, the prime minister of Dayong, and the other is Xiahou Yuanfeng, the deputy chief of the former bodyguard of Dayong. One of these three people is a military general. One is a civil servant, Xiahou Yuanfeng is both civil and military, looks like a prince, and is known as the most handsome man in Dayong. It stands to reason that no matter how high-minded Her Royal Highness the Princess is, she should have someone she likes."

Lin Tong asked excitedly: "So which one does the princess like?"

Wang Ji shook his head and said, "The princess doesn't like any of them."

Lin Tong said in surprise: "She doesn't even like it. Could it be that someone like my brother-in-law is what she likes?"

Wang Ji smiled and said: "How many people like General Long can there be in the world? People don't know whether Her Royal Highness the Princess likes heroes like General Long, but in the end Emperor Yong said that as long as the Princess likes someone, , no matter what your status is, you can be a consort?"

Lin Tong asked curiously: "Who did Princess Changle choose in the end?"

Wang Ji sighed and said: "How can you choose this consort at will? No matter which dynasty or generation he is from, the so-called princess, the richest man, this word of happiness is the most rare. It is not just marrying into the family of a hero." The tool to win over courtiers is to be the victim of marriage. Princess Changle and Qin Nanchu were such victims. Although she returned home by luck, Emperor Yong arranged several candidates for her consort, all of whom were from famous families. He said that the princess Your Highness chooses your consort at will. I'm afraid that if Princess Changle really finds someone she likes, she will either be killed by Emperor Yong or assassinated by some of the other princes who were not chosen. Moreover, although the title of Prince Consort is extremely glorious, for a true hero, it may not be possible. But you will feel that the heroes of the gentle village are unwilling to give in. So in the end, Princess Changle remained silent and gritted her teeth and refused to choose a son-in-law. Later, Emperor Yong decreed that the princess betrothed to Wei Ying, but Princess Changle would rather become a monk than choose a son-in-law. In the end, the emperor had no choice but to let her observe the festival and not marry. At that time, there were rumors that Princess Changle might be grateful for the kindness of the Lord of Southern Chu, so she wanted to keep the holiday for the Lord. "

Lin Tong didn't speak this time, but his eyes showed disapproval.

Wang Ji knew that this was because the Northern Han Dynasty was located on the border and young and strong men were easy to die in battle, so in order to maintain the population, widows were not encouraged to observe the law. He did not tell the truth and continued: "Later, people speculated that Her Royal Highness the Princess has a sharp eye and can see through a person's loyalty and future at a glance, so she did not want to choose a consort from those young talents."

Lin Tong couldn't help but ask: "How do you say this?"

Wang Ji smiled and said: "The princess must not remember that in the 21st year of prosperity, which is the 25th year of Dayong's military power, there was civil strife in Dayong. The then prince Li An committed treason and was later forced to commit suicide. .”

Lin Tong said: "I remember that my sister and brother-in-law got engaged that year, but my brother-in-law was busy sending troops to attack Dayong, so the wedding has been delayed until now."

Wang Ji said: "Wei Ying, the prime minister's son, participated in the rebellion and later escaped with Fengyimen. Now he has no idea where he is, but he implicated his father and committed suicide. If the Emperor of Dayong hadn't cared about his father's contribution, , I am afraid that even the nine tribes will suffer. The Qin Qing Qin general married the wrong person. His wife Jingjiang Princess Li Hanyou was rebellious and attempted to assassinate Princess Changle. However, the Qin general was killed by his wife, and it is said that Feng The reason why Yimen succeeded in forcing the palace to rebel was because General Qin was deceived by his wife."

Wang Ji paused for a moment, picked up the water bag next to the saddle and drank some water. Lin Tong took the opportunity to ask: "What about the one named Xiahou Yuanfeng?"

Wang Ji thought for a while and said: "How should I put it? This person has now become the new king's new king. Although he is still the deputy general manager, there are rumors that King Yong has established a 'Mingjian Department' in the inner court in recent years. This Xiahou Yuanfeng is the person in charge of Mingjian Division. The common people don't know what Mingjian Division does, but they just heard that if the civil servants and generals of Dayong heard the name of Mingjian Division, most of them would frown. Thinking about this Xiahou Yuanfeng is not a good candidate for a consort, right?"

Lin Tong heard this and asked: "I see, this Princess Changle is really smart, but if she can compete with my sister based on this, I won't accept it."

Wang Ji was about to answer when his expression suddenly changed and he said: "Princess! There is -" behind you.

Lin Tong was startled and couldn't help but look back, only to see a few feet away, a female knight wearing a green riding costume and a yellow cloak embroidered with a brocade phoenix was looking at him with a slight smile. The female knight was probably in her twenties, and her appearance was 70% similar to Lin Tong's. However, she had long eyebrows, powerful eyes, graceful appearance, and a demeanor that was far superior to Lin Tong's. Twenty feet away behind the female knight, there were eight knights, four men and four women, all standing motionless on their horses.

When the female knight saw that Lin Tong had noticed her, she smiled and said, "Tong'er, you sneaked out again."

Lin Tong screamed: "Sister." Then he jumped up from his horse and threw himself into the arms of the green-clad woman. The female knight stretched out her hand and took Lin Tong's delicate hand. Lin Tong used the force to turn around and landed on the saddle of the woman in green clothes. She sat gently and skillfully in the woman's arms with a bright smile on her face and said : "Sister, Tong'er just wants to see the excitement."

The woman in green clothes smiled slightly, a hint of doting flashed in her eyes, and then her eyes fell on Wang Ji.

Wang Ji was startled, he quickly got off his horse, prostrated himself and said, "King Ji from the common people, please bow to Your Highness the Princess."

The woman in green clothes, Princess Lin Bi of Jiaping, stretched out her hand to help her, and said kindly: "Excuse me, it must be Tong'er asking you about Princess Changle, right? I heard that you speak elegantly and know all the treasures, so I think you must be well aware of the inside story. ”

Lin Tong took her sister's arm and said: "Sister, he is the legendary doctor Bole among the barbarians. I pestered him asking questions, and he saved my life just now. Sister, please don't blame him wrongly."

Hearing Lin Tong's words, the look in Lin Bi's eyes became much gentler, but there was also a bit of doubt. She bowed lightly on the horse and said: "It turns out to be Divine Doctor Wang. I heard that Divine Doctor Wang is good at treating horses. I am The palace has long heard that the two fish that slipped through the net have been captured by me. They originally wanted to take advantage of the crowds of people coming and going in the market to intercept the general's spies. Thank you Mr. Wang for saving my sister."

Wang Ji said respectfully: "I don't dare to express my gratitude to you as Your Highness. It's just a small effort and it's not worth mentioning. If there is nothing else, please allow me to leave."

When Lin Tong heard this, he tugged at his sister's sleeves anxiously. Lin Bi said calmly: "Mr. Wang, I just heard you talk about Princess Changle's deeds. I am also very interested. You might as well continue talking and let me listen."

Wang Ji smiled bitterly. With Lin Bi's identity, she was probably familiar with Princess Changle's anecdotes, but since she said that, what could she do? At that moment, they had no choice but to get on their horses and the group continued to walk slowly towards Daizhou.