The Grandmaster Strategist

At the beginning of the chaos, Su Dingluan was assassinated from the air. Fortunately, Zen Master Cizhen was hiding beside him, and Taizong was safe. Su Dingluan was a third-rank general of the Northern Han Dynasty. He was violent in nature, beheaded generals and captured flags, and was invincible in every attack. He often led the army in advance. It is also called "Pioneer General".

——"Yong Shi·The Chronicles of Taizong"

At this time, I heard the sound of bowstrings, the sound was like beads falling on a jade plate, Changsun Jishi launched a series of sharp shots, and several unarmored men who rushed in were the first to bear the brunt, and were shot through the flesh and blood with sharp arrows. However, it turned out that Changsun Jishi was as careful as Suddenly, he noticed that the pace of the Imperial Guards was a bit chaotic. This was a phenomenon that should not occur among well-trained Imperial Guards, so he fired arrows in time to stop the assassins. During this delay, Li Zhi's guards had blocked the assassins.

Just when Li Zhi was smiling and looking at the guards who had the advantage, suddenly someone burst out of a shop on the roadside. His body was like lightning and his power was like thunder, and he stabbed Li Zhi with the gun in his hand.

At this time, Sima Xiong was supervising the battle in front. Before he could rush back, Changsun Ji opened his bow and nocked an arrow, and fired three arrows to stop him. Unexpectedly, the man waved his dagger in his hand, and Changsun Ji's long arrow that could break gold and crack stone was rebounded hard. Changsun Ji was so shocked that he couldn't get out of the way, so he had to use his bow to draw the arrows. The arrow that bounced back was so powerful that Changsun Ji and his horse took three steps back, and the string of the golden bow broke. Suddenly, Changsun Ji was unable to save King Yong.

At this time, there were only four guards around King Yong. They blocked the man's attack with their bodies at the same time, but the man's body actually made a mysterious arc and stabbed towards King Yong. Although Li Zhi was also a capable general on the battlefield, that man The sharp point made Li Zhi feel unable to dodge. He sighed in his heart, must I die here before my ambition is fulfilled? He couldn't help but close his eyes.

At the critical moment, a Buddha's call sounded like the sound of nature.

"Amitabha." The sound was like thunder from the sky, and then Li Zhi felt his body loosen up. The threatening sword energy had disappeared. He quickly opened his eyes and saw Master Cizhen standing in front of his horse with his hands clasped together. While reciting the name of the Buddha, two feet away, a nine-foot-tall man looked at Master Cizhen with an angry look on his face. He was holding a fine steel walking stick in his hand. Li Zhi took one look and gasped. This walking stick was It turned out to be purple-black. Li Zhi had been on the battlefield for a long time and knew that only human blood could dye weapons this color. With such a figure, such martial arts, and such murderousness, Li Zhi immediately knew the identity of this man. He said loudly: "It turns out that Su Dingluan, the pioneer general of the Northern Han Dynasty, arrived. I don't know how lucky I am to have the general come to assassinate me."

King Yong's personal guards were fine. Many of the imperial guards had fought against the Northern Han Dynasty. They had heard of this pioneer general but had never seen him before. They couldn't help but look at him with curiosity and ferocity.

The Northern Han army was famous for its bravery and ferocity. Perhaps it was not as well-trained as the Dayong army, but in terms of personal combat power, it was superior to Dayong's display. All Dayong soldiers were familiar with the famous generals and soldiers of the Northern Han Dynasty. The military leader of the Northern Han Dynasty was Weiyuan General Long Tingfei. This man was from a famous family and was proficient in military strategy. Although he was only thirty years old, he defeated Dayong's army many times. The only one who could not defeat him was Yong. Wang Li Zhi alone, even Qi Wang Li Xian, was defeated miserably at his hands. If Dayong had not had many soldiers and generals, not only would he not be able to attack the Northern Han Dynasty, but Long Tingfei would also be able to break the pass. In addition to Long Tingfei, there were four other generals in the Northern Han Dynasty who were famous all over the world.

Flying Tiger General Shi Ying is good at running long distances and defeating the enemy in one fell swoop. Rock General Duan Wudi is good at defending cities and iron walls. Ghost-faced General Tan Ji is good at marching and setting up formations. Pioneer General Su Dingluan is good at beheading generals in front of formations. He is the Demon Sect. The second disciple of the sect master Zong Wuji, although his martial arts was not at the peak, he was a rare general on the battlefield. It was unbelievable that he would appear in Chang'an to assassinate King Yong.

They were surprised, but they didn't know that Su Dingluan was also complaining in his heart. The assassination of King Yong was not a trivial matter. Even if it was accomplished, they would all be destroyed. How could Zong Wuji let him, a fierce general who beheaded generals and captured flags, do such a thing? He came here because he had nothing to do with the border in the past two years.

I was bored and dressed up as a businessman to visit Dayong. I also wanted to explore the military situation. I have been in Chang'an for more than a month.

Who knew that the Northern Han Dynasty's secret espionage system would start the Dongshi Incident at this time, intending to disrupt the Emperor Yong's capital and prepare for a large-scale invasion in half a month. Su Dingluan also received an order from Zong Wuji to act accordingly. , assassinated the commander of the Yong army Li Zhi. Su Dingluan had been in Chang'an for many days. He knew very well that if this incident happened, King Yong Li Zhi would definitely go to Dongshi to suppress it. As expected, he waited until King Yong. With his peerless martial arts, it turned out that With a 70% chance of winning, he just wanted to kill Li Zhi in one fell swoop and then take advantage of the chaos to escape. The secret spies of the Northern Han Dynasty had already prepared a retreat for him. Unexpectedly, it backfired and he was blocked by Master Cizhen. The more Su Dingluan thought about it, The angrier he became, the more he ignored the fact that Master Cizhen had the same status as the sect leader. He pointed at Cizhen with his hand and shouted angrily: "You bald donkey, you don't practice in the temple and you have repeatedly ruined the important affairs of our demon sect. It's really hateful and abominable."

Although he scolded him harshly, Master Cizhen was not angry. He just said calmly: "I am a citizen of Yong Dynasty. His Royal Highness King Yong has outstanding military achievements. He is the God of Yong Army and the pillar holding up the sky in the court. How can I sit back and watch you wait?" To assassinate His Highness, if Donor Su puts down the butcher's knife, I would like to intercede for the Donor and ask Your Highness to spare your life."

Su Dingluan looked around and saw that King Yong's personal guards and the imperial army had surrounded the place. There was another master-level expert in front of him. He knew that it would be impossible to escape this time, but he was strong-minded and said coldly: "Okay , let you see how powerful I am."

After saying that, the Bushan flashed and rushed straight towards Master Cizhen. Master Cizhen's expression remained unchanged, but a glimmer of approval flashed in his eyes. He shook his left hand, made a fist with his right hand and punched out, but it was the most basic move in Shaolin boxing, "Sky Cannon". ". However, Master Cizhen's envoy is extremely powerful, making people feel irresistible at first sight.

Su Dingluan's heart tightened, but he was ferocious. He thrust out without fear, and the fists met. Master Cizhen did not move at all. Su Dingluan was forced to take a step back, but a fierce light flashed in his eyes, and he stepped forward. Li Jiao was like a swimming dragon and pounced on him again.

The two exchanged blows before they could count, and saw Master Cizhen hit Su Dingluan's chest with his palm. Su Dingluan was knocked several feet away. Blood was bleeding from the corner of his mouth, Bu Shan lost his hand, and his chest was even more dented. I can't survive. Master Cizhen shook his sleeves, proclaimed the Buddha's name, retreated behind King Yong's horse, and said nothing.

A guard of King Yong stepped forward cautiously and touched Su Dingluan's body with a steel knife. Seeing that he was motionless, he leaned down to feel his breath. Unexpectedly, Su Dingluan opened his eyes at this moment, grabbed the steel knife with his hands, and chopped it with all his strength. The guard remained calm in the face of danger, and fell backwards from an iron plate bridge, and the steel knife narrowly cut across his body. , Su Dingluan slashed with his sword, and the guard rolled out of the way. At the same time, Master Cizhen flicked his finger in the distance, and with a crisp sound, the hundred steel-making sword was broken from it.

The guard jumped up and stepped aside in fear. At this time, Changsun Ji took a strong bow he had just asked for, opened the bow and nocked an arrow, pointed at Su Dingluan, and shouted: "General Su, if you do anything without permission again, don't blame me." The eldest grandson Ji's arrow is ruthless."

A desolate look flashed in Su Dingluan's eyes, and he laughed and said: "Who is Su, the pioneer general of the Northern Han Dynasty? Over the years, countless generals and warriors from your Dayong have died at the hands of this general. Today Su is assassinated." It failed, but there is absolutely no reason to be captured without mercy. Master Cizhen, you and the master are of the same status, and you will never embarrass this junior. You must let Su be captured, right?"

After saying that, Su Dingluan looked at Master Cizhen. He knew in his heart that he wanted to commit suicide. If Master Cizhen stopped him, he would really not want to die. Master Cizhen sighed slightly and said: "I am helping His Highness King Yong for the sake of Yong Sheji. If Almsgiver Su had not harmed people's lives in front of me, I would not want to interfere with worldly affairs."

Seeing that Master Cizhen had expressed that he would not embarrass himself, Su Dingluan smiled proudly and said: "Li Zhi, you escaped from the disaster today. If Master Cizhen hadn't been here, you would have died long ago. It's a pity that I didn't know about Master Cizhen in advance." When we get to Chang'an, otherwise I would be willing to kill a few more of your generals on the battlefield."

Although Su Dingluan's words were cruel, Sergeant Dayong admired the warrior the most. Seeing that he was still so heroic even though he was dying, they all showed admiration. Although they were asked to kill Su Dingluan with their own hands now, they She won't be soft-hearted at all, but she is absolutely unwilling to humiliate him. So everyone looked at King Yong, fearing that he would be angry.

But King Yong gave a long laugh and said: "General Su's failure is my luck. General, don't worry, I promise you that not only will I not force you to surrender, but I will also send your body back to the Northern Han Dynasty so that your king can You should be buried well as a hero."

When he spoke, he showed his true qualities as a hero, and his expression looked forward to Xiong Fei, which impressed everyone.

Su Dingluan smiled miserably, stood up unsteadily, and opened his mouth, but blood gushed out. He didn't care, he just walked a few steps and leaned over to get the gun. Everyone thought he was going to commit suicide, but who knew he was going to commit suicide? Before he could stand up, he swung his body with all his strength, and the step shot towards Li Zhi as fast as a shooting star. Everyone couldn't help but exclaimed, but Li Zhi seemed to have expected it, and turned aside on his horse to avoid the step. All the guards were furious. They unsheathed their swords and cocked their arrows one by one. Just waiting for King Yong's order, they were about to cut Su Dingluan into pieces with thousands of swords.

Su Dingluan, however, was not afraid. He straightened up and said calmly: "A good man named Su can only die under the sword of a warrior. How can he commit suicide? If His Highness is willing to kill Su with his own hands, it will be an honor for Su." I gave the bouquet to His Highness before, why did you avoid it?"

King Yong was slightly stunned and said with a smile: "Disciple of the Demon Sect, you are indeed powerful. I also like your temper very much. But your assassination of me is a small matter, but killing the innocent people of my Dayong is a big matter. General Su's hands are full of stains." I have shed the blood of my people in Dayong. Please forgive me for not being merciful. Among the officers and soldiers, who will see off General Su?"

Sima Xiongti immediately stepped forward and said: "Your Highness, this animal intends to assassinate Your Highness. It is a heinous crime. The general is not protecting His Highness well. It is hard to escape the crime of dereliction of duty. Please allow me to kill him."

King Yong nodded slightly, and Sima Xiong rode forward, looking down at Su Dingluan. When Su Dingluan looked up, there was no trace of fear in his eyes. Sima Xiong was also impressed in his heart. The moment Su Dingluan raised his head, Sima Xiong slashed with his sword. Everyone saw a flash of light in front of their eyes. Su Dingluan's head fell to the ground, blood was everywhere, and his head flew up. He was still shouting. Said: "What a pleasure!"

However, Sima Xiong's expression remained unchanged and he returned to his horse to pay the order. Li Zhi said loudly: "Although this man is cruel by nature, he is very heroic. I have promised him to return to his hometown. Do you have any objections?"

All the troops said in unison: "I respectfully respect your Majesty's decree."

Seeing that the matter had calmed down, King Yong returned to the palace with his bodyguard and Master Cizhen.

Along the way, King Yong asked strangely: "Master, aren't you practicing in the cold garden? Why did you come to save me?"

Cizhen's riding skills were only mediocre. Although there was no danger due to his skill, he still had to control the horse carefully. He replied: "Your Highness, I was entrusted by Mr. Jiang. Just now Jiang Tanyue hurried forward. Come, tell me that His Highness went to Dongshi to deal with the matter. After much deliberation, he said that if he just wanted to disrupt Chang'an to attack Dayong, there would be some problems. So he was worried that someone wanted to lure His Highness out and assassinate him, so Lao Na also arrived. Dongshi, secretly protecting His Highness, I didn’t expect Mr. Jiang to be so clever and hit the mark, it’s His Highness who is so benevolent that he has such a wonderful person to help him.”

Li Zhi was also amazed, and then he thought: "In this case, Sui Yun will have no one to protect him. What if someone takes the opportunity to assassinate him?"

Master Cizhen smiled and said: "Don't worry, Your Highness, Pei Yun is by Mr. Jiang's side, and there are fifty personal guards. Even if Lao Na takes action personally, it will be difficult to successfully assassinate him for a while. The evil shadow Li Shun is in the mansion. If an accident occurs, he will be killed." Come here in time, Your Highness, don’t worry.”

Li Zhi breathed a sigh of relief, but his eyebrows were a little furrowed. Before he and the prince had a falling out, Fengyi Sect also recommended guards to him, but he didn't like women in the army, so the ones he retained were all men. , but the safety of the princess and her family is still protected by Fengyi Gate. Today, if something happens, it will be difficult for the princess not to have effective bodyguards around her.

At this time, Master Cizhen suddenly said: "Your Highness, Lao Na's family has a pair of distant nieces and nephews. They are only nineteen years old this year. They studied swordsmanship under Emei's disciples. They have completed their skills this year. Although the two girls are good at swordsmanship and character, But she is very naughty. I heard that the princess is extremely virtuous and virtuous. If they can be taught by empress through words and deeds for several years, these two children will be really lucky."

Li Zhi was overjoyed and said quickly: "Thank you so much, Master. Li Zhi has thanked you."

Master Cizhen smiled and said: "Your Highness is serious. This is my request for help from Your Highness. How dare I accept His Highness's thanks?"

Li Zhi said a few polite words, and the two of them understood each other tacitly. No one said that these two women came to protect King Yong's family, and that the two girls were from Emei, which was Emei's intention to show goodwill to King Yong.

Returning to Hanyuan and seeing that Jiang Zhe was safe and sound, Li Zhi finally breathed a sigh of relief and sent Master Cizhen and Pei Yun away. Li Zhi then said to Jiang Zhe: "Fortunately, you asked Master Cizhen to save you, otherwise I might really want to kill him." Lost his life."

I said nervously: "It's true that I didn't think carefully. Fortunately, it's not too late to make amends."

Li Zhi smiled bitterly and said: "Actually, this time is not bad. Although I was almost killed this time, killing the 'vanguard general' of the Northern Han Dynasty is enough to compensate."

I sighed and said, "Although I say so, this matter has caused such a big fuss. King Qing will definitely be angry because his subordinates were killed. If he sends someone to track down the murderer, I'm afraid this chaotic situation will become even more chaotic. Zheng Shizhong was assassinated , the Dongshi Incident, although His Highness has made great contributions in suppressing the rebellion, but I am afraid that someone will take the opportunity to say that Your Highness replaced the Crown Prince as a companion, and God will bring disaster, and this incident will also cover up the Crown Prince's crimes of filthy harem and disrespecting the gods of heaven and earth."

Li Zhi felt a chill in his heart and said, "Can anyone believe such a thing that confuses right and wrong?"

I glanced at King Yong and said, "It's not about whether people believe it, but whether there are people who are willing to believe it. Your Majesty will probably give the prince a chance. His Majesty is powerful in the imperial capital, but after hearing this, your Majesty can't help but feel that his reputation is too high. For If I suppress His Highness, I will forgive the Crown Prince once."

Li Zhi smiled bitterly and said: "I didn't expect that I, the king, have worked so hard for the country, but I have been jealous because of it. Alas, how can I stand by and watch what is happening today?"

I smiled slightly and saluted: "Your Highness, you did the right thing this time. The Emperor is suspicious of you, but no one in the world respects His Highness's virtue. If this matter spreads, it will only be good for Your Highness. What's more, if the Emperor takes the opportunity to spare the prince, , he would also have lost confidence in the prince, and the prince would be even more uneasy because of this incident. In this way, there will be deep suspicion between father, son, monarch and ministers. The prince will lose the emperor's favor and the throne in a matter of days. As long as he sends all Qi away King, your Highness can just let it go. Now that everything is ready, your Highness only needs the east wind. Please send an order to Lord Shi to prepare for his return to the court."

Li Zhi's face showed joy and disappeared in an instant, saying: "It's okay to write a letter, but I still want to see how my father will handle this matter this time. Alas. I hope my father will make a just decision, otherwise I, a son-in-law, will also It’s too chilling.”

I didn't answer, so King Yong was probably destined to be disappointed. Looking at the already bright sky, I felt a little tired, so I asked King Yong to go back and rest. When I returned to the room, Xiao Shunzi had come back with a displeased look on his face. I asked, "What's wrong? You have such an ugly face."

Xiao Shunzi complained: "Master, it's okay if you ask me to protect the princess, but how could you ask Master Cizhen to save His Highness? Why didn't you tell me?"

I smiled bitterly and said, "I can't call you back. Don't worry. Master Cizhen has already made arrangements with King Yong. You don't have to leave my side next time. But you have to do something today. There must be bad news in Chang'an. You should ask Xia Jinyi to hide out of the city first to avoid being discovered. After all, he is not an unknown person in Chang'an."

Xiao Shunzi looked a little weird and said: "I have thought of this a long time ago, but Chi Ji sent word that an uninvited guest came to their place."

I said in surprise: "Uninvited guests, there is a secret cave they have carefully arranged, how can outsiders come?"

Xiao Shunzi's expression became even weirder and he said, "That person is Ye Tianxiu, the bodyguard of His Highness Prince Qing. You have also seen him."

Now I was really stunned. How could such a coincidence happen?