In the Jiedu Mansion in Dongping County, there is a stone tower that is much higher than other buildings, and you can overlook the entire Dongping County by sitting on it. Even the city walls in the distance can be seen at a glance.

"When you came in, you saw that the city wall was wrapped in a stone?" There was a lot of food on the table, but there were only two people seated.

Cao Xuan and Zhu Youzhen.

"It's always going on." Cao Xuan said: "But whenever I have a little money to spare, I have invested it in the construction of city defense in various places. This kind of work is going on in the more important cities. ”

"That's a lot of money!" Zhu Youzhen sighed.

"Of course, I'm not the only one who pays for it, and it's not too difficult for those rich people to ask them to give some blood in such a thing." Cao Xuan said with a smile: "Especially in the past two months, the enthusiasm of the big guys in estrus is high!" ”

"What is the reason for this?" Zhu Youzhen asked with a smile.

"The river was killed by Li Ze and the blood flowed like a river!" Cao Xuan said: "Who of these people is not afraid? If Li Ze's soldiers come over, can they have a good one? ”

"Uncle is ready to fight with his opponent step by step?"

"No way!" Cao Xuan shook his head and said: "If it is only Tian Ping's right Jin Wuwei, I am confident that I can still deal with it, there are defensive and offensive, the operation is good, and I can take advantage of it." But if a big war really breaks out between the two sides, what will I face more than Tian Ping? Wei Bo was Wuyi in the past, and the left and right Qianniuwei were not comparable to Tian Ping. Moreover, once Pinglu is lost, Qin Zhao's Zuo Xiaowei will also pose a threat to me. I can only get things done in front of me. ”

"But this is a sign of weakness after all." Zhu Youzhen said.

Cao Xuan smiled, "Sometimes it's not a bad thing to show weakness. Of course, as long as there is no problem with Gong Hai, it is unlikely that Qin Zhao will threaten me. ”

Zhu Youzhen nodded and drank a glass of wine silently: "Uncle, this time I went to Pinglu, do you have anything else to entrust?" ”

Cao Xuan smiled and took a pair of chopsticks to salad pig ears, put them in his mouth and chewed them slowly, and then said: "Since Li Hao completed the reorganization of the original Dizhou Army in Dizhou two years ago, the threat to Pinglu has not stopped. Hou Xiyi is also a waste, he actually has a chance to beat Dizhou to pieces, but he is afraid because of his previous failures. ”

Zhu Youzhen said: "I know about this, my father has always wanted him to take the initiative, but he turned a deaf ear to his father's order, Li Ze had the best opportunity when he fought with Zhang Zhongwu, and Li Ze didn't care about him at that time." If he comes out of the nest, not to mention occupying Dizhou, but destroying Dizhou, he can still do it. Even this year, when Li Ze fought with Tocharo, he poured out of his nest and fought with Qin Zhao, but he did not necessarily lose. ”

"What's in mind about this?" Cao Xuan was a little funny: "Hou Xiyi was also a character in the past, but when he gets old, he loses his enterprising spirit." At first, he was appeased, but obviously, Li Ze did not give him this opportunity. Later, when Qin Zhao came, he was even more unwilling. He fought with Qin Zhao with all his army, if he lost, he would have nothing, but if he won, his elite would not be much left. He thought to himself that if he didn't have an army, even if he won, he would make us a wedding robe, and he wouldn't get anything, so he wouldn't want to. He was full of hope that Li Ze would lose to Zhang Zhongwu and Tocharo, so that Li Ze would not have the heart to trouble him, but unfortunately, Li Ze had won, and now Li Ze had relieved himself and aimed at him. ”

"Advance and retreat, it's a person like him." Zhu Youzhen shook his head and said: "Either simply surrender, or fight to the death, hang like this, and in the end he will have nothing left." ”

"This person is already arranging the way back." Cao Xuan flattened his mouth, "He has already moved his huge family property to Lingnan, and I heard that the gold and silver treasures alone are enough to load three big ships." ”

"Does he have a good relationship with Xiang Xun?" Zhu Youzhen was a little surprised.

"Many years ago, the two of them were also considered robes, both of them were born in the Weijun Mansion of the Tang Dynasty, and they fought with the Tubo people together, and it is said that Hou Xiyi also saved Xiang Xun's life." Cao Xuan said.

"This is no longer the other day, which means that I prefer Hou Xiyi's money instead of training." Zhu Youzhen sneered.

"Who knows?" Cao Xuan shook his head: "I don't know anything about Xiang Xun, maybe this person is really a person who values love and righteousness?" However, the big war is imminent, but the commander has the intention of running away, so the morale of the Pinglu army at this time can be imagined. ”

"Hou Xiyi is in Pinglu, and he has also gathered 100,000 troops, if he mobilizes young and strong again, 200,000 people can always be gathered, why is there no will to fight?" Zhu Youzhen really couldn't figure it out.

"If it's bad, it's bad in this 100,000 division." Cao Xuan said: "Hou Xiyi desperately expanded the armament war, and arranged a large number of troops on the border, and the number of people was not enough, so he went to arrest the strong men and forcibly enlisted in the army, and the deserters were endless. In Pinglu, bandits are rampant. I suspect that since then, Hou Xiyi has wanted to run away, and all these actions are just trying to accumulate money. Those armies, except for a few troops, were in tatters with weapons and equipment, which people could not bear to witness. ”

Zhu Youzhen was dumbfounded: "What kind of person is this?" Uncle, what is the use of me going, and if I look for their manpower, I am asking for trouble! And it doesn't work yet. ”

"No, no, no, even in the pig's nest, you can find a few strong and vicious ones." Cao Xuan said with a smile: "In the Pinglu Army, there are still a few troops that can fight. It just so happened that these branches were all deployed in the Qingzhou area to take care of the family and nursing home for Hou Xiyi. ”

"Since I am responsible for taking care of the home, I must be Hou Xiyi's cronies, how can I pull it over?"

"Naturally, the leaders can't be pulled, but what about the mid-level and junior officers?" Cao Xuan said with a smile: "Hou Xiyi ran away, these senior generals may run with him, but a large number of troops can't always be taken away." As long as you capture these people, you can easily master these troops. ”

Zhu Youzhen suddenly realized: "If I master these troops, I can drive away Hou Xiyi and let Pinglu change masters." ”

"Pinglu is already rotten, this master is not appropriate, it doesn't mean anything." Cao Xuan said: "What you have to do is to master these troops, and then find the right time to bring this force back safely." ”

"But you can still fight a few battles with the Tang Army!"

"You have to grasp this degree." Cao Xuan advised: "Don't steal chickens and rice." ”

"Of course I know that."

"Once Pinglu can't hold it, you will retreat to the Gunhai." Cao Xuan said.

Zhu Youzhen was stunned: "Uncle, won't I come back to you?" Gon Hai is Dai Chao's territory, Dai Chao is the father-in-law of the eldest brother, how can he tolerate me? ”

Cao Xuan picked up the wine glass, smacked a sip of wine, and looked at Zhu Youzhen with a smile: "The Tianping Army has always supported you, what are you doing when you come back to me, don't you want me to allocate another amount of money from my poor military expenses to support your army?" This money is naturally to let Dai Chao go out. You are the Third Highness, and the soldiers you brought back are all the soldiers of the Great Liang, can Dai Chao expel you? Besides, if you retreat into the Gunhai, you will naturally be able to occupy a piece of territory, and if he wants to catch up, he can catch up? At that time, the Tang army occupied Pinglu, and the next thing was either Gunhai or Jiangsu, maybe Dai Chao still wanted you to guard him! You must know that in order to support your eldest brother to fight Shannan Dongdao, the most elite troops in Gunhai have all followed. ”

"I see what you mean." Zhu Youzhen thought for a moment and nodded.

"If there are no major accidents, there is no problem for your eldest brother and your second brother to win Shannan East Road and Shannan West Road." Cao Xuan said: "But presumably after taking these two places, Li Ze's threat will come, at this time, your father will inevitably transfer these two elite divisions back to defend Luoyang and Chang'an, and officially start a war with Li Ze, even though you already have some strength at this time, but you are still weak, so you will respectfully discuss that you continue to open up the south, this is your chance." ”

Zhu Youzhen nodded.

"At that time, I'm afraid I'll be tired of dealing with the attack of the Tang Army, and I can only help you, but if you really go to explore the south, I will still send an elite army with you."

"Thank you uncle for your support." Zhu Youzhen said gratefully.

"This is support, but at the same time, it is also to leave a way back for myself, when the time comes, if you develop well in the south, once we lose the battle with Li Ze, there is still a way out." Cao Xuan shook his head and said.

"I'll try to do it well." Zhu Youzhen nodded and said, "If my uncle is invincible at that time, he might as well give up and join his nephew." ”

Cao Xuan was silent for a long time and said, "I hope there won't be this day." The best result is that we can withstand Li Ze's attack and form a north-south confrontation with him, when the time comes, your eldest brother and second brother's army will consume a huge amount of money on the front line, and if you can open up the situation in the south, then your father's dependence on you will become greater and greater, and your importance will become more and more prominent, and this will have capital. But you have to remember that when you go to the South, you don't go to destroy everything, we need the wealth and manpower of the South. ”

"Xiangye talked to me about this." Zhu Youzhen nodded.

"Keep a low profile, be patient, and wait for the situation to change." Cao Xuan raised his glass at Zhu Youzhen: "Respect me and the road that can be paved for you, that's all for the time being, if you go to the south and can't open the situation, then it will be difficult later." Only if you rise in the South will we have room to move. ”

"Rest assured! The nephew will not fail in his mission. Zhu Youzhen nodded vigorously.

"Let's go tomorrow! The sooner you arrive, the sooner you can start doing things, and time is of the essence for you. Cao Xuan said: "It takes a lot of money to buy those Pinglu officers, have you brought enough?" ”

"In the past two years, my nephew has saved a lot of private houses." Zhu Youzhen said with a smile.