Chen Hongfan and Zhao Yuanheng, who were full of suspicions, hurried day and night, and arrived at Yongping Fucheng on March 28, where they finally caught up with the Liaodong army. However, what was unfolding in front of them was a tightly guarded formation around the city of Yongping Mansion. Wang Yongji, the governor of Jiliao, and Li Yutian, the governor of Liaodong, personally sat in Fucheng, and the Gaodi Department of the Guanmen General Army was stationed along the Luanhe River in the west of Fucheng, and the Wu Sangui Department of the Liaodong General Army was scattered in the area east of Fucheng.

The soldiers and horses of Gaodi at the Luanhe River were very well guarded, and the soldiers were cruising back and forth endlessly, and if they made a detour, it was bound to take at least two more days. The situation was urgent, Chen Hongfan took Zhao Yuanheng straight into the Luan River, and was taken by Luo Bing unexpectedly, but Chen Hongfan's connections came in handy at this moment.

Chen Hongfan spent a period of time on Phi Island during the period when Chongzhen was hanging the general seal and leading troops to aid North Korea, and he was very close to Shen Shikui, the chief soldier of Dongjiang Town at that time, and had a very close relationship. Shen Shikui has a daughter who is stunning and charming, and has served Mao Wenlong, Chen Jisheng, Liu Xingzhi, and Huanglong as the Dongjiang General Soldier as a concubine. Chen Hongfan would observe words and looks, and found an opportunity to recognize Shen Shikui's daughter as his goddaughter, and he was also stained, and his popularity in Dongjiang Town instantly came up. When the Qing army attacked Phi Island, Shen Shikui was killed and martyred, and Chen Hongfan fled to Shicheng Island with Shen Shikui's nephew Shen Zhixiang. Later, Shen Zhixiang failed to rebel and surrender to the Qing Dynasty due to his succession as the commander of the Dongjiang Army, and Chen Hongfan fled to Guangludao and was dismissed, so Dongjiang Town was abolished under the suggestion of Yang Sichang, the secretary of the military department at that time, and most of the generals were arranged to go to Guanliao and other places, and there were many old subordinates or old acquaintances of Chen Hongfan. Seven or eight years have passed, and many of the junior officers and even the vanguard soldiers at the beginning have become characters with heads and faces, just like now, when the soldiers of the river defense escorted Chen Hongfan and Zhao Yuanheng to an officer to listen to the fate, the officer recognized Chen Hongfan at a glance.

Chen ...... Chen Ye? The officer's legs were weak, and when he saw a familiar face, he almost knelt down on one knee habitually, "Why are you old ......?"

"I haven't been home for years, and I want to go home and see." Chen Hongfan brought out the rhetoric that had been prepared a long time ago.

"Bastard thing, don't let go yet!" The officer angrily kicked away the soldiers who were twisting Chen Hongfan and Zhao Yuanheng one by one, and personally helped Chen Hongfan to the top of the tent and sat down, "Chen Ye is going to get out of the customs?" ”

Chen Hongfan nodded, but the officer shook his head and said, "Guancheng is in chaos now, and I can't go." ”

"How?" Chen Hongfan was calm on the surface, but he felt faintly uneasy in his heart.

The officer hesitated for a while, as if he was reluctant to speak, but looking at Chen Hongfan's forced gaze, he finally approached and said in a voice: "Wu Ye has already led troops to fight Shanhaiguan today. ”

Chen Hongfan's heart shook violently, and he forced himself to calm down: "I heard on the way here that Wu Ye is not going to Beijing?" What does it mean to go back to Shanhaiguan, is it to turn against Li Chuang? A few days ago, when Wu Sangui expressed his willingness to return to Shun to Li Zicheng, Li Zicheng sent the general Tang Tong to lead 8,000 soldiers and horses from his headquarters to Shanhaiguan to take over the garrison of the Liaodong army.

"I don't know, Master Gao listens to Master Wu, and we are also acting on orders." The officer shrugged.

Chen Hongfan glanced at Zhao Yuanheng, and Zhao Yuanheng's seriousness was also full of surprise. But I think that two days ago, Wu Sangui was still leading troops to Beijing to meet Li Zicheng as originally planned, how can I say that if I change my hexagram, I will change my hexagram?

"How long has Wu Ye been gone?"

The officer replied: "I led the troops away early in the morning, and I am afraid that we have almost arrived at the west side of the city by now." He also left some soldiers and horses around the city and recruited people on a large scale, and it seemed that he was determined to fight Li Chuang. ”

"I have to go." Chen Hongfan put down the hot tea that the soldiers had just served, and got up suddenly.

The officer exclaimed: "Chen Ye can't go to Shanhaiguan, it's really dangerous there!" ”

Chen Hongfan said with a calm face: "It's my business whether I can go or not, I haven't seen my wings harden for a few years, and I've started to point fingers at me?" ”

The officer hurriedly said: "Where does the villain dare to ......?"

Chen Hongfan didn't wait for him to finish, and immediately said: "Give me two fast horses and a pass token, hurry!" ”

"Alas......" The officer sighed, he couldn't resist Chen Hongfan, so he had to stand up and give his hand, "Chen Ye's kindness in the past, the villain remembers it in his heart, but this time I went to Shanhaiguan to sword the mountain and the sea of fire, the villain's humble status can't protect Chen Ye, Chen Ye is so self-conscious!" As he spoke, he turned around and flew up and kicked the soldier's buttocks, "What are you doing!" Go get the token and lead two more good horses! ”

Even though he has not had a good rest for a few days, Chen Hongfan, who is over 50 years old, still does not feel tired at all. With Zhao Yuanheng came out of the Luanhe camp of the Gaodi Department, there was a pass token in hand, and he traveled unimpeded all the way, passing through Yongping Mansion City, going straight to the east, and arrived at Funing County, which was only a hundred miles away from Shanhaiguan in the early morning of the next day.

There were many soldiers and horses shuttling in Funing County, and when they didn't travel much, the two were intercepted. The soldier looked at Chen Hongfan's token form, threw it aside with disdain, and said, "It doesn't matter if Master Gao speaks here, you have to speak to Master Wu." ”

"Who is your minister?" Chen Hongfan asked.

"General Guo."

Chen Hongfan nodded secretly, knowing that this "General Guo" was Guo Yunlong, a guerrilla general in Qincha, Guangning, Qiantun and other places, and was one of the capable generals under Wu Sangui. He didn't have much friendship with Guo Yunlong, but he still said: "Tell you General Guo, just say that Chen Hongfan of Liaodong wants to see him." "They are all from Liaodong, and their connections are intertwined, and most of them have heard of each other.

The soldier saw that although Chen Hongfan was old, he was strong and extraordinary, unlike ordinary people, so he went to report according to his words. After a while, he turned around and came back, and said with a much more polite attitude: "General Guo is invited." ”

Guo Yunlong is in his Chinese New Year's Eve, with a goatee and a slender body, and Chen Hongfan and Zhao Yuanheng heard him loudly reprimanding someone as soon as they entered his tent.

"Your Excellency must be Chen Gong." When Guo Yunlong saw Chen Hongfan and the others entering the account, he immediately reined in, first waved his hand to send away a few scolded bloody soldiers, and then walked over to greet them with a smile.

Chen Hongfan looked at the soldiers and walked out with a frown, and replied with a little embarrassment: "I've seen General Guo." ”

"What General Guo is not General Guo, compared with Chen Gong's prestige in Liaodong, he is just a pawn of a peddler." Guo Yunlong warmly invited the two to sit down, and personally brought two plates of dried fruit preserves, "Why does Gong Chen have free time to come to me today?" I heard that Chen Gong was in the ..... before In Fujian? ”

"Huguang."

"Oh, that's a thousand miles away." Guo Yunlong's eyes were very wide, and his eyes narrowed into a slit when he smiled, "Huguang is a good place, and a person like Gong Chen must have exerted a lot of punches." ”

Chen Hongfan smiled faintly and said: "I can't say it, after a few years of mixing, I still stand still and hang up the false post of the chief soldier of Changping." Saying that, he looked around and said, "Wu Ye is not here?" ”

Guo Yunlong said: "Wu Ye is a busy person like Chen Gong, and even I haven't been able to meet a few times recently. ”

Chen Hongfan remained silent, and Guo Yunlong said again: "What is Gong Chen looking for Wu Ye to do?" ”

Now Chen Hongfan is no longer secretive, and said straightforwardly: "On the orders of Emperor Daming, I will say a few words to Wu Ye." ”

"Emperor Ming?" Guo Yunlong's smile suddenly disappeared, and he couldn't help but be shocked when he was holding the teapot that was adding tea to Chen Hongfan, and the tea was spilled a lot, "Isn't the saint already ......"

"General Guo knows a lot."

"This ......" Guo Yunlong's square inch was messed up, he poured tea indiscriminately, put the teapot down, and sat down next to Chen Hongfan, "What is Gong Chen here for?" Something to say. ”

"I have already said that, I am ordered by Emperor Ming to say a few words to Wu Ye. What, can you listen to it first on behalf of Wu Ye? ”

"No, I just got the news that the bodies of the emperor and the empress of Daxing were exposed in Donghuamen three days later, Liu Yangzhen, the director of the Military Election Department of the Ministry of War, paid 8,000 private money to buy a willow coffin for funeral, and two days ago the thief used a red lacquer coffin and a black lacquer coffin to change the burial, ready to be buried, all of which were said by Wu Ye's family in Beijing, and there will be no mistake. Where did Chen Gong say that the Ming Emperor came from? ”

"It turns out that General Guo was training the people who came back from Beijing just now?"

Guo Yunlong knew that he couldn't hide it from Chen Hongfan, so he simply said bluntly: "Yes, it was the person who was sent to Beijing earlier to inquire about the news. ”

"What's the news?"

"Gong Chen, it's not appropriate for you to ask that, right?" Guo Yunlong frowned.

"Okay." Chen Hongfan nodded, and said coldly, "Wu Ye wants to take refuge in the thief, right?" ”

Guo Yunlong's color changed, and he immediately vetoed: "There is no such intention, Wu Ye is a loyal son of the Ming Dynasty, how can he succumb to the thief!" ”

"But on the way here, I heard that Wu Ye was going to lead troops to Beijing, and he had already arrived near Yutian and Fengrun."

"Wu Ye was ordered to be the king of Qin, so naturally he wanted to go to Beijing to suppress the thieves!"

"And now?"

"The military is changing rapidly, and Wu Ye temporarily decided to be cautious and slow down his progress."

Chen Hongfan said coldly: "It's a good slow plan to forge ahead." Tang Tong had already surrendered to the thief, how could he go to Shanhaiguan? Wu Ye is like a god with soldiers, can he be secretly Chen Cang by his 8,000 people? ”

Guo Yunlong's cover-up was broken by Chen Hongfan, and his face was red and speechless. At this moment, the sound of horses' hooves suddenly sounded outside the tent, and then a man opened the tent and came in, and said with a smile: "I heard that a rare guest has arrived." ”

The man who came was tall and strong, with a magnificent posture, carrying a sash in one hand and a horsewhip in the other, and his head was covered with sweat, and then he saw that his silver armor was covered with dust, and occasionally there were a few drops of blood stains on it, and it could be seen that he should have just retreated from the battle formation.

"Old Wu!" Guo Yunlong called out happily, Zhao Yuanheng heard it, thinking that Wu Sangui had arrived, but saw Chen Hongfan secretly shaking his head at him.

"If you are not mistaken, this is Wu Guogui, General Wu." Chen Hongfan got up to greet him, and Guo Yunlong introduced each other again at the moment. Wu Sangui is like a cloud, but the only one who can be his heart is Wu Guogui in front of him. This person is both wise and brave, and he has become one of the best generals in the Liaodong Army when he is only in his twenties, and Chen Hongfan has heard of his name in Huguang.

"Shanhaiguan is finished?" Guo Yunlong glanced at Chen Hongfan and asked Wu Guogui.

Wu Guogui put the pocket on the table, picked up the teapot and drank several large sips of tea directly to the spout, before he was happy, and exhaled: "Tang Tong is a wreck, Wu Ye led people to work hard for two quarters of an hour, and he couldn't hold it anymore, and he retreated a stone to the north after leaving the customs." Wu Ye asked me to spread the word and ask your people to move another twenty miles in the direction of Guancheng and set up camp, so that they can be relied on. ”

Guo Yunlong said to Chen Hongfan: "Gong Chen, I heard it, Wu Ye is fighting Tang Tong, the thief's dogleg, if Wu Ye wants to join the thief, how can he act like this." ”

"So, Tang Tong really transferred from Beijing to hundreds of miles under your army's nose to take the Shanhaiguan?"

Wu Guogui heard the irony in Chen Hongfan's words, so he said, "What is Gong Chen doing?" ”

Guo Yunlong replied for him: "I said that I would bring a few words to Wu Ye for Emperor Ming......"

"The emperors are all dead, how can the word be spoken? Edict? "Wu Guogui is obviously more difficult to deal with than Guo Yunlong.

"The two of you will be mistaken, Emperor Daxing has indeed become an immortal, but the thieves have only conquered Beijing at present, and the vast world is still the land of the Ming Dynasty, and the country cannot be without a king for a day, you two understand what I mean."

Wu Guogui raised his eyebrows and said: "Not only the emperor, but also the prince and prince have all fallen into the hands of thieves." ”

Chen Hongfan pretended to be indifferent and said: "What is the Fu King? ”

Wu Guogui and Guo Yunlong looked at each other in shock, and Chen Hongfan said: "Beijing is unfortunate, according to legal principles, King Fu should succeed to the throne." But now the life and death of the crown prince and the two princes are uncertain, and the southern ministers such as the governor of Huguang Zhao are ready to support King Fu as the prison of the country and temporarily take charge of the world's affairs. ”

As soon as these words came out, Wu and Guo understood the real power behind Chen Hongfan. To be honest, if it weren't for the fact that Chen Hongfan was an old man in Liaodong and had some fame, an upstart in Liaodong like Wu Guogui wouldn't want to pay attention to him at all. But Chen Hongfan first threw out a Fu King, and then threw out a Huguang Zhao Admiral, and his face was instantly gone, and he couldn't help but change his mind.

Wu Guogui put away the somewhat frivolous attitude he had before, and said with his eyebrows: "Didn't Fu Fan serve it to the thief earlier?" ”

"King Dechang, the son of King Fu, is still alive and was rescued by Admiral Zhao, and now Xiangyang is safe and sound." Chen Hongfan said, "How is it?" Chen said this, can he be qualified to meet Wu Ye? ”

Wu Guogui pondered for a moment, and said with a smile: "Of course Chen can speak openly. It's just that Master Wu is in Shanhaiguan, and it is not early at this time, so I will be tired of Chen Gong and this son going to Shanhaiguan with me tomorrow. ”

Chen Hongfan nodded in agreement, and saw Guo Yunlong whispering a few words to Wu Guogui, Wu Guogui's face was not good-looking, and he knew in his heart that when he went to Shanhaiguan to meet Wu Sangui tomorrow, things might not be as simple as he thought earlier.