Chapter 298 Wuming County, Severing Cicadas
I don't know when the heat will pass. The heat wave comes with the breeze, and the cicadas under the trees make people upset.
The officers and soldiers standing on the wall of Wuming County have been sweating one by one, but no one dares to move. Even if they raise their hands to wipe the sweat flowing down their cheeks, it seems that they may end their lives.
A middle-aged man in armor stood on the head of the city with his eyebrows locked. He held his breath and looked at it for a long time. It was not until the sweat from the top of his head almost flowed into his eyes that he turned around and came down from the wall. In such weather, just standing can make people sweat all over. When the man walked quickly, sweat almost flew out of his cheeks. His armor seems to be rusty, and I don't know whether it's because of sweat or because he hasn't taken them out and worn them for a long time.
After walking down the city wall, the middle-aged man turned over his horse and galloped through the streets and alleys.
The sand was raised on the dead street. Fortunately, there were no pedestrians on the road, so the middle-aged man shook the whip in his hand and rushed to the county magistrate's mansion at a very fast speed.
Two posts were added in front of the county magistrate's mansion. Since the body of the Miss He family's body was transported back, the whole county magistrate's mansion has increased its guard posts, which is more heavily guarded than before. Now even the servants in the county magistrate's mansion are not allowed to enter or leave at will, which also makes the people in the county magistrate's mansion panic.
After getting off the horse, the middle-aged man took out a military card from his waist. Although the gatekeeper knew the person in front of him for a long time, he still looked at the military card carefully before letting him in. He came to He Lijing's study in a familiar way. As soon as he stood in front of the door, he heard an old and hoarse voice from the study.
"Is it Deping? Come in."
The middle-aged man's surname is Lu Mingdeping. He was originally engaged in a bodyguard business, but was later dismissed by his employer because of a business mistake. When he was poor, He Lijing became his savior. After a major event happened in Wuming County, He Lijing immediately killed the dissident, and Lv Deping became the new commander of Luqi Camp.
Although he suddenly had an official position and was a powerful official, Lv Deping's life was not easy. He is now worried that he can't sleep every day, and even wakes up in his sleep. He regretted following He Lijing, but now, he has no way out.
Lv Deping pushed the door and entered the study and saw He Lijing lying in a large rocking chair at a glance.
When Lv Deping first met He Lijing, he was a high-ranking county magistrate. At that time, he was heroic and red. Although he is over 40 years old, there is no sign of aging at all. In particular, this person is delicate and steady, and rarely shows a look that can make people take it lightly. But now looking at He Lijing, his originally black hair has turned white, and his uncareed beard makes him look as if he has entered the age of his armor. His strong body had already lost a few laps, and he sat in the rocking chair, which was simply violent.
He Lijing lowered his eyes and didn't mean to open it. After Lu Deping came in for a long time, he quietly asked, "How's it going?"
Lv Deping frowned and said in a low voice, "Those people must have enough food and salary. They camped outside the city and had no intention of retreating at all. All four gates are strictly guarded by them... My lord, I don't think we can wait any longer."
Hearing Lu Deping say this, He Lijing finally opened his eyes. His eyes were turbid and full of blood, and he could not see the shrewd appearance at the beginning. He Lijing slowly stood up, sighed, and asked, "How long can the rest of the grain and salary in the city last?"
Lv Deping calculated silently and replied, "From now on, if all the grain in the city is collected and only supplied to the soldiers, it can last for half a month... If this is the case, I'm afraid it won't even last seven days."
"Seven days..." He Lijing's eyes were a little lax. Lv Deping heard him whispering something, but he really couldn't hear it clearly. Lu Deping actually began to feel whether He Lijing was a little crazy. Now the whole Wuming County is besieged and no one can get in and out, and they don't know when the reinforcements will come. In this case, if He Lijing falls first, they can't control the situation at all. At that time, there will be great chaos in the city, and those people outside will take this opportunity to break through the gate.
In fact, it was incredible that they could hold Wuming County for such a long time. When the county was surrounded, He Lijing was heartbroken for his daughter's death. Everything seemed to happen in an instant, and the soldiers who were mobilized into the county even fought against each other. And those things needed for the march could not be brought to the city. The commanders of Luqi Camp and the patrol camp were originally replaced by King Xiaohan as his confidants, but at the moment they entered the city, they were killed by He Lijing's men. After taking over, Lu Deping had been besieged before he could clean up the dissidents in the camp. After he had to count the number of people, he joined the patrol camp and the city defense battalions originally stationed in the city. The total number of soldiers who could be mobilized in the city was less than 10,000. Lv Deping went to the four walls to observe every day. He saw clearly that the number of people surrounding the county was about 20,000, and what was more terrible was that they were not only 20,000. Lu Deping once saw some of them come and leave with his own eyes, just like changing defense, which shows that the number of the other party far exceeds 20,000.
The place guarded by Wuming County was originally a very dangerous position, and the surrounding areas are under the jurisdiction of Wuming County. It is reasonable that such a situation should not occur. It is incredible that a county town is surrounded by enemies appearing in all directions. They once tried to find a way to break out of the encirclement to deliver letters to the surrounding places for rescue, but everyone who went out eventually turned into bloody heads and were thrown back. Lv Deping asked many people who had served in the army for many years. They almost told Lv Deping that the siege of the county had never happened, but this news could never be concealed from the court. Although they did not know where this sudden army came from, the court must have known the abnormal movement here for a long time. So just insist on waiting for the court to send reinforcements to save them.
Such inference soon became the spiritual pillar of everyone in Wuming County, but after being besieged for more than half a month, Lu Deping gradually found that their county governor seemed to hide something closely related to this matter but no one knew.
He Lijing didn't mean to talk to Lv Deping anymore. He stepped forward, staggered out of the study, and slowly walked towards the backyard. After a moon gate, it was the inner house. Lv Deping followed He Lijing here and dared not go any further. He watched He Lijing's figure gradually fade away, and the uncontrollable irritability in his heart rose and swelled with the sound of cicadas in his ear. The hot weather seemed to make him impatient. He looked at no one left and right, took off his cast iron armor and threw it into the weeds at his feet.
After removing these things, Lu Deping walked much more easily. He quietly followed He Lijing, turned around in the backyard, and finally arrived at the innermost yard of the inner house.
The yard is full of flowers and plants, but compared with those flowers and plants, the weeds in the yard seem to grow more vigorously. It can be seen that no one has taken care of them for a while. Some seasonal flowers bloom from the weeds, but under such a scorching sun, those flowers that originally looked exquisite have become as soft as weeds.
He Lijing staggered through the weeds and flowers and went straight to the house in the courtyard.
When Lv Deping came here for the first time, he hid outside the moon gate of the yard and secretly looked inside, but as soon as he poked out his head, he smelled the smell of the courtyard. It's not the fragrance of flowers, but an indescribable smell.
Lv Deping banned his nose and didn't understand why there was a smell in the courtyard full of flowers. He looked into the yard again. When his eyes fell under the wide dripping eaves of the house, Lu Deping immediately understood the source of the smell. At the same time, his stomach instantly turned upside down. The next moment, the seven-foot man turned his head and spit it out.
The house in the courtyard is small and exquisite, with complex and beautiful patterns carved on the wooden dripping eaves. At this time, there are still several dazzling white cotton cloths and several large flowers made of this white cloth. These white flowers are larger than those brightly colored flowers in the yard, contrasting with dark carved wood, and suddenly showing a gloomy coolness.
Lu Deping finally stopped vomiting, and he hesitated not to enter the yard. But after thinking about it, he still decided to go in, otherwise he might not have such an opportunity in the future.
After trying to convince himself, Lu Deping sneaked into the yard. The closer you get to the house, the stronger the smell that can't be ignored becomes. Lu Deping vomited several times and had to cover his mouth and nose with his sleeves. When he came to the house, he found that the door of the house was closed, and the row of windows next to it was also closed.
Listening, there was a faint sound in the main hall of the room. Lv Deping boldly came to the nearest window and poked through the window lattice paper with a little saliva stained with his index finger. As soon as the window paper broke, a strong smell permeated the small hole. Lu Deping's face was pale, but he still suppressed the vomiting and put his eyes on it.