Huan Meng asked Xi Shantu to ask Xin Er in person, although it was straightforward, revealing a strong flavor of "Don't use the recovery of Luoyang as an excuse, use Lao Tzu as a gunman, Lao Tzu actually knows what your kid is trying to do", but in the final analysis, Xin Er's invitation to join forces to attack Guanzhong and Luoyang is indeed in line with his political interests.

Huan Meng is indeed unwilling to watch Yin Dang's Northern Expedition, and he can only sit in Jingzhou, although he looks down on Yin Dang's military ability, has conclusively predicted that Yin Dang will definitely return in vain, but "blind cat meets a dead mouse" This kind of thing, since ancient times, is also common, in case Yin Dang is really lucky, luckily set up a military exploit, thus giving the Jiangzuo court a justifiable excuse to further reward and increase its power, then in the "Jing, Yang" confrontation in this political battle, he will inevitably be passive.

Therefore, even without Xin Er's invitation again, since Yin Dang led the Yangzhou troops to cross the Huaishui north and attack Xuzhou, in these days, Huan Mengshi has also discussed with his cronies in the military palace, such as Xi Mai, etc., whether he should follow the story of "going to the table and doing it" when he was cutting down Shu, regardless of whether the Jiangzuo court allowed him to lead troops to attack Luo, he only took care of the matter of Jingbei and discussed it many times.

However, Yuan Ziqiao is now deceased, and without Yuan Ziqiao's great help, the opinions within the Huanmeng Military Mansion on this cannot be unified.

Xi Mai and others were supportive, but some officials of the Huanmeng Military Government, including Xi Shantu and Xie Zhi, did not agree.

Xie Zhi and others disagree with the statement: The heavy troops of the puppet Qin are now gathered in Ye County, and when the two tigers are fighting, at this time, Pu Mao will spin the division to save Luo, so that not only will it be difficult to attack Luo, but also give the puppet Wei a chance to breathe, therefore, instead of "indirectly" helping the puppet Wei, it is better to wait for the puppet Qin and puppet Wei to decide the victory, and then make a plan to recover Luoyang, "When the time comes?" Hurt both? Ming Gong sent Jingzhou's strong brigade and marched north? Why don't you take Luo Yizai? Ji, you can also sweep down"!

Does this seem plausible? However, the fundamental reason why Xie Zhi and others opposed it was clear to Huan Meng.

Plainly? This argument is just a prevarication, the root cause of Xie Zhi, Xi Shantu and others' opposition? Is it in the interests of their respective families? Although their families are not first-class gate valves at present, they are all Jiangzuo scholars, and today's Jiangzuo court is controlled by gate valves and scholars, so they don't want Huanmeng's power to overpower the court? Other words? Even if they are Huanmeng's subordinate officials, this "subordinate official" is only their personal identity, and compared to their family's overall and long-term interests in Jiangzuo, of course, the latter is more important.

But did you say it? Xi Mai and others support Huan Meng to come back again, "the above table is on the line", the Northern Expedition to Luoyang? In order to strive for greater military merit, so as to suppress Yangzhou? These subordinates of the Huanmeng military government who further strengthened the authority of Huanmeng, aren't their families scholars?

Their family is also a nobleman.

But this "scholar" of Xi Mai and the others? It is different from the "scholar family" of Xie Zhi and others.

Take Xi Maijia as an example? First of all? The Xi family was not one of the first Beidi scholars to move south to Jiangzuo, his family only moved south to Jiangzuo when his grandfather did; Secondly, his family is a scholar family, but his grandfather was appointed by Jiang Zuozhi because of his status as a "homeless handsome", which means that the Xi family is not quite the same as the pure "elegant and noble family" of the Xie family at the root.

Another is that the ambition and character of Xi Mai and others are also different from Xie Zhi and others.

Such as Xi Mai, although his grandfather was because of the identity of the "wandering people" was used by Jiang Zuo, but his grandfather regarded himself as a scholar, and he was still very loyal to the Jiangzuo court, and his father and brother were also loyal to the court, but Xi Mai was not like his grandfather, father, and brother because of his great talent and ambition, and he saw the deep disadvantages of the Jiangzuo court, and thought that the Jiangzuo court was not capable of the Northern Expedition to the Central Plains and the recovery of Shenzhou, so he was more inclined to Huan Meng, who was regarded by him as "the capital of the hero, enough to help the world" and could create a new era.

Opinions among the subordinate officials of the Jingzhou military government were inconsistent.

Externally in Jingzhou, the voices that supported Huanmeng's northern attack on Nanyang and Luoyang were also smaller than those who supported him last time he attacked Shu.

For example, Fang was transferred from Jiangzhou to the general of the right army, Wang Yizhi, a close friend of Huan Mengzhi, when Huan Meng attacked Shu the last time, he was quite supportive, and wrote a letter home, asking his family to prepare a uniform for him, and planned to fight Li Shu with Huan Meng, but this time, he was out of "focusing on the overall situation", and did not want Jing to fight for merit, which led to ,——the deterioration of the situation of Jiangzuo's internal fighting.

All in all, there are many internal and external objections.

At this time, Xin Er's envoy Gao Chong went and invited Huan Meng to attack Guanzhong and Luoyang for the second time, in fact, it gave Huan Meng a great support, so, looking back, Xin Er's second invitation was indeed in line with Huan Meng's political interests, and therefore, although Huan Meng's words to ask Xi Shantu to question Xin Er face to face were not polite, what Xi Shantu said below was very good for Xin Er's ears.

Xi Shantu presented Huan Meng's reply and said: "After Duke Huan read the letter of Duke Ming, he summoned the military government and the bureaucrats to discuss freely, and finally decided that he was willing to send troops with Duke Ming. ”

An important reason for Xie Zhi and others to oppose Huanmeng's attack on Luo is that if Luo is attacked at this time, Pu Mao will definitely save him, then it will be difficult to attack Luo, but now that there is Dingxi to attack Guanzhong, compared to the heart of Guanzhong, Pu Mao will only save Guanzhong first, or at least part of the troops and horses will be sent to aid Guanzhong, so that the pressure on Jingzhou to "recover Luoyang" is not so great,—— Huan Meng is on this ground, "persuad" those opponents.

Of course, these internal discussions in Jingzhou do not need to be detailed to Xin Er, and they cannot be elaborated, if they are detailed, then Xin Er is very likely to reply to Huan Meng: Do I profit from it, or do you profit from it? Therefore, Xi Shantu ignores this verse and only talks about the results of discussions and arguments between Huan Meng, Xi Mai and other opponents among the subordinates.

Xin Er was also not interested in getting to the bottom of it, and asked Xi Shantu about the process of Huan Meng and his subordinates "discussing", knowing that Huan Meng agreed to join forces to join forces to enter the army, it was enough, he was overjoyed and asked: "Can Huan Gong have any objections to the time of sending troops?" ”

"Duke Huan has no objections, so as proposed in the letter of Gong Ming, at the end of August and the beginning of September, we will send troops together!"

"Yes, yes!" Xin Er unfolded Huan Meng's reply, watched carefully, the reply was not long, mainly what Xi Shantu said, after reading, Xin Er raised his head and asked Xi Shantu, and said, "Who wrote this letter?" ”

"Dictated by Duke Huan, handwritten by Xi Mai who joined the army."

Different from the regular letters and lines, Huanmeng's reply is written in cursive, which is like a dragon flying and a phoenix dancing, but it is compact and beautiful, and it can really be called a top grade. Xin Er praised: "I have heard for a long time that Gaoping Xi's good books are shoulder to shoulder with the famous families of Wang, Xie and Yu, and are known as Jiangzuo, as expected!" Xi joins the army, and this grass body is almost comparable to Wang Jiangzhou! ”

"Ming Gong still doesn't know? Wang Jiangzhou, now the general of the Right Army. ”

"Oh, is it? Fu Gong, last year I was at your house, and I was fortunate to see a cursive script by Wang Youjun, do you remember? I sighed for a long time, and I was ashamed that I couldn't compare with one or two. ”

In front of the foreign envoy, Xin Er changed the customary title of "Old Fu" and changed the honorific title of "Fu Gong" to Fu Qiao.

Fu Qiao responded: "Xia Guan remembers." ”

Xin Er said: "Xi Jun, I'm bothering you, I heard that Wang Youjun and Huan Jingzhou are friends and have close contacts, after you go back to Jingzhou, help me ask Huan Jingzhou for some Wang Youjun's handwriting, okay?" ”

Xi Shantu replied: "The handwriting of the right army is also hard to find in Jiangzuo, and Huan Jingzhou treasures it, and it is easy not to show people, and he will do his best." ”

Xin Er folded the letter from Xi Mai's handwriting, and in front of Xi Shantu, he ordered the servant to take it to Fu Qiao, and said with a smile: "Old Fu, you like calligraphy and painting, Xi joins the army's handwriting, this is the first time I have seen it in our Dingxi, you take it, make a rubbing, collector!" After rubbing, return the original letter to me. ”

Fu Qiao looked at the font on the letter, and was also full of praise and agreed.

Xin Er glanced at Xi Shantu's eyes, and saw that although he was not proud, he also looked quite proud of it, and said in his heart: "I saw Huanmeng in Chengdu before, and the officials under Huanmeng's account, between the words, there is no lack of contempt for my Dingxi cultural education, thinking that I am a remote place, rude and unliterate, and regard Lao Tzu as a hillbilly!"

"Today, I take the opportunity of Xi Shantu to come to my Dingxi, but I have to open his eyes, first let him see the three thousand disciples of my Dingxi Pan Palace and the erudition of the Yin Master, Jiangzuo believes in Buddhism, and the famous monk travels to Shilin, which has a great influence, and then asks him to meet Kumarosh, through his mouth, the name of Kumarosh is called Jiangzuo! Although the Buddhist precepts formulated by Daozhi have not yet been completed, they are generally completed, and I can also show them to others. ”

Although the military use of troops in Nan'an is important, it is also a major matter to elevate the status of Dingxi in the minds of the Jiangzuo scholars and the people.

Thinking about it, Xin Er said to Fu Qiao: "Fu Gong, Xi Jun came from afar, and the road was hard, you arrange a good living for him, ask him to rest for two days, and then meet the Queen Mother and the King." Xi Jun is too high, and when Jin has seen the queen mother and the king, if there is nothing else, you can ask Xi Jun to go to Pan Palace, and call those lonely and unheard students in Pan Palace, and they also know what Jiangzuo's demeanor is! Ten days later, there will be a lecture on Kumarosh, and if you are interested, you can also take him there and ask him to give him some advice. ”

Fu Qiao is honest and honest, he is smart, and he immediately understood Xin Er's intentions, understood in his heart, and responded: "No." ”

As the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, it is Fu Qiao's duty to receive foreign envoys, after handing over Xi Shantu to him, except for the activities of Xi Shantu Jin to see Zuo and Ling Hule two days later, Xin Er has not seen Xi Shantu again, and devoted himself to the military affairs of preparing for Nan'an.

- But it needs to be inserted, Xi Shantu came to Dingxi, in fact, there is another task in itself, that is, Huan Meng explained to him, "In recent years, Xin You's books have repeatedly come out with new policies, you go to Dingxi, you can observe its policies, observe its effects, and report back to me", so Xi Shantu is also very happy to accept Xin Er's instructions and Fu Qiao's various schedules for him, and stay in Guyin for more time.

Needless to say, none of this is needed.

Gao Yancao, Zhao Xing, Cao Hui, Lan Baozhang and other generals returned to Guyin from Shuofang County in mid-August.

Koji Shuang accepted Xin Er's exchange of "giving Longxi Taishou to the people of the Koji family", and agreed to give Tang Ai 3,000 soldiers and horses, and at about the same time as Gao Yancao and others returned, the eight southeastern counties also mobilized these 3,000 soldiers and horses.

The transfer of troops from Qinzhou and Hanzhong was also completed successively, with Beigong Yue as the main general, Yan Xi, Wang Shuwang and other generals as the generals, first quietly gathered in Longxi County, and then sneaked to the northwest, and the three thousand soldiers and horses in the eight southeastern counties met in Wushi County, which bordered Nan'an County.

At this point, the 10,000 foot cavalry used to attack Nan'an County has been completed.

The people's husbands, grain and straw, etc., have also been prepared one after another.

At the end of August, after an autumn rain, Tang Ai, who was temporarily awarded the title of "Fake Festival, General Jianwei" by the Dingxi Imperial Court, led Gao Yancao and other camps in Guyin to ride on foot, and was personally escorted by Xin Er, Lu Shuang and other important ministers of the court, and went out of Guyin to the southeast.

……

The weather is high and cool, the summer grain is harvested, the grass grows and the horses are fat, and this is the best season to use the army to fight.

Out of the boundary of Guyin County, through Cangsong County, 200 miles, around Hongchiling, and then through Guangwu County, 200 miles back, across Huangshui, into the hinterland of the eight southeastern counties of Longzhou. Before arriving in the eight southeastern counties, among the people seen along the way, the Hu people were mostly from the Xianbei tribes in the northern mountains, and when they arrived in the eight southeastern counties, the Qiang people increased significantly. After resting for a day in Jincheng County on the south bank of Huangshui, he continued to travel southeast, still for 200 miles, and on the third day of the ninth month, he arrived at the end of the march, in the territory of Wushi County on the east bank of Taoshui.

Beigong Yue, Yan Xi, Wang Shuwang and the Taishou of Wushi County, and the military and political officials in the county have already greeted each other at the county boundary.

Seeing the blue sky from afar, the foot cavalry led by Tang Ai arrived in a roundabout way.

Because Gao Yancao and Zhao Xing were either armored cavalry or light cavalry, both of which were cavalry, so this army led by Tang Ai rode more and less foot. At the front were the foot soldiers, and at the back were all cavalry. The army marched everywhere, the yellow dust covered the sun, more than 3,000 Tang and Hu knights riding war horses galloped in the wilderness, and there were one or two thousand auxiliary horses with the team, the scene was really huge, the momentum was amazing, and the ground was shaken.

The cavalry team did not stop because of the greeting of Beigong Yue and others, and under the leadership of the generals of various departments, the civil and military officials who passed through Beigong Yue and other roadsides and waited for each other, entered Wushi County, and their own officials from their own county caught them, led the way in front, and took them to the predetermined camp site. Thousands of steps to ride, after most of the time, Beigong Yue waited for half an hour, and then from the thousands of troops and horses with flags like forests and dazzling armor, and the guards of more than 100 armored horses, he saw a black ox cart with a cyan cover.

The charioteer, a Tang man who was no more than thirty years old, approached in an ox-cart, and stopped the cart with a shout in his mouth.

Beigong Yue and the others recognized that this young driver was none other than Wei Xian, the captain of Xin'er's personal guard.

- Tang Ai This is the first time to lead the troops alone, Beigong Yue, Gao Yancao, and Zhang Daochong, who cooperated with Tang Ai in the battle, etc., are either Dingxi warriors, or children of famous clans, with high power, in order to enhance Tang Ai's prestige and avoid Beigong Yue and others from disobeying his command, Xin Er not only invited the Zuo clan to give Tang Ai the power of "fake festival", but also lent Wei Xian to Tang Ai and gave him a car.

Wei Xian got out of the car and opened the door of the ox cart. Beigong Yue and the others looked at the car door with their eyes, there was that county official, who had heard the name of Tang Ai for a long time, and knew that he was Xin Er's love, and couldn't help but be nervous, and they were ready to visit, but after waiting for a long time, no one came down. Everyone listened attentively, and they heard a slight snoring coming from inside the car. The more Beigong waits for you to look at me, I look at you, and look at each other.

Qin is a strong enemy, Tang Ai's department is at the beginning of the martial arts, and the war is about to start, but Tang Ai, as the main general, is sleeping in the car?

Should I say that he has a big heart, or should I say that he has a chance to win?

Beigong Yue said: "Captain Wei, this ......"

Wei Xian probed into the car and called softly twice. Beigong Yue and the others heard someone in the car in a daze "ah".

Wei Xian said: "General, it's time to Wushi County, and General Beigong is here to greet you." ”

After a while, Beigong Yue and others saw that a foot wearing clogs stretched out from the door and stepped on the wooden steps to get off the car, and then, with both hands propped up on the door frames on both sides, and a feather fan in his right hand, finally, Tang Ai, who had been waiting for a long time, finally showed his face in front of everyone. In front of everyone's eyes, Tang Ai stepped down the wooden steps, went to the ground, slightly straightened the white crane, stretched a comfortable waist without anyone, and then, his eyes fell on Beigong Yue and others, shook the feather fan, and said with a smile: "This sleep is comfortable!" ”

Beigong Yue and the other civil and military who greeted him saluted one after another, and said in unison: "Xiaguan and others meet General Jianwei!" ”