"Your Highness, you also know that the north of the northern defense line is a vast grassland, and the Beidi cavalry comes and goes like the wind, in order to deal with the attack of Beidi at any time, the northern army is scattered in various places, and the troops are clumsy; If we can have a cavalry, even if it is a cavalry army on horseback, it will be much better than the current situation of waiting for others to fight. Zhao She, the general of the expedition to the north, said to Guo Qi.

"It's not that the general won't help you, it's really that the king can't do anything!" Guo Qi said helplessly: "The military horses left by this king are all useful, so be it!" This king has 30,000 horses and more than 3,000 stallions here to be sent to Luodu to hand over to his father. ”

"Thirty thousand horses?" Zhao Shi was shocked: "Your Highness is really generous!" However, these 30,000 horses were presented to His Majesty by His Royal Highness, and it is not appropriate for the old man to ask for them again! So be it! The old man borrowed 10,000 horses from His Royal Highness, and as soon as the war in the north ended, the old man immediately repaid. Zhao Shi said as if pleading; What's more, Gonggong Liu is here, His Royal Highness is still afraid that the old man will not be able to do it? ”

Looking at Zhao She's pleading face, Yongwang Guo Qi's heart softened, so he said to Zhao She: "Five thousand horses, this king lent five thousand horses to the general, and said that it was borrowed; This king should give the general and Liu Gonggong a face, but I still ask the general to write an IOU to this king. ”

"Okay, old man, I'll write it." Zhao Shi laughed heartily.

Zhao Shi walked to the handsome case, and wrote an IOU with a big stroke of the pen: "Today, borrow 5,000 horses from King Yong, and return them after the war in the north of the day - Zhao She." ”

After writing, Zhao Shi also stamped the handsome seal of the general of the expedition to the north; After reading the IOU written by Zhao She, Guo Qi handed it to Li Wudao: "Five sons, let Ma Jiu select five thousand horses and hand them over to the general." ”

"No! Commanded by humility. After Li Wu finished speaking, he left the tent, and Zhao Yun followed him and left.

After the two left, Zhao Shi said to Guo Qi and Liu Gonggong: "Your Highness, Liu Gonggong, the situation in the north is critical, and the old man will not stay long, and we will have a good drink when he returns to Luodu in the future; Your Highness is busy with military affairs, so don't send it away, and take your leave. ”

"The general cherishes all the way." Guo Qi saluted Zhao She: "This king will not be far away; Hu Qiong took the king to send the general. ”

"General Zhao, the handover of the 100,000 Western Army will be handed over to you by this king." Guo Qi then said to Zhao Kui: "After the 100,000 troops go north, the 50,000 troops under your command are responsible for garrisoning the original western military defense area, but these 50,000 must all be arranged to the border of Qing and Yanzhou, and be deployed along the ancient Great Wall; In order to prevent the Hetao Beidi from moving south, or crossing the Yellow River from the east to threaten the rear of the northern army from the flank. ”

"The last general understands, please rest assured; As long as the last general swears to defend the two states of Qingyan to the death. Zhao Kui knelt down on one knee and gave Guo Qi an order.

"With General Zhao Kui guarding Qingyan Erzhou, this king will be relieved." Guo Qi helped Zhao Kui up and said.

"The last general will leave, take care of the prince." Zhao Kui got up and bowed to Guo Qi again, and then withdrew from the Chinese army's tent.

After everyone else withdrew, Guo Qi said to Liu Qian: "Let's go!" Liu Gonggong; Now that this business is done, it's time to wash the dust for my father-in-law. ”

"Then there is His Highness Lao." Liu Qian smiled palely and said, "Your Highness, please." ”

"Father-in-law, please."

Guo Qi invited Liu Qian to the side tent, where he had already prepared a good meal, the meal was very simple, a roasted whole sheep, and it had been roasted to a golden brown; In fact, this roasted whole sheep was not prepared by Guo Qi for Liu Qian, but Guo Qi prepared to feast Zhao Shi and others, but he didn't expect things to be so coincidental, Zhao Shi and others couldn't eat in a hurry, and Liu Qian was cheaper at that time.

"It smells so good!" After Liu Qian entered the partial tent, he sniffed his nose and said, "Such an authentic roasted whole sheep, the old slave is blessed this time!" ”

Guo Qi took the dagger and walked to the roasted golden whole sheep, cut a piece of golden meat from it, handed it to Liu Qian, and said, "Father-in-law, we often have the craftsmanship of Yongjun cooks. ”

"Your Highness, this roasted whole sheep will be eaten for a while, the old slave has three letters here, which are written by His Majesty, Concubine Hui Niangniang and the Twelve Princes to His Royal Highness." After Liu Qian finished speaking, he took out the three letters from his arms and handed them to Guo Qi, the king of Yong; "Your Majesty specially explained when you came, and the content of Your Majesty's letter is only known to His Royal Highness."

"There is a father-in-law, father-in-law, please take care of yourself, this king is coming to accompany his father-in-law after reading his father's imperial instructions." Guo Qi said politely.

Guo Qi walked to a corner of the side tent and opened the secret letter that the emperor had given him, and after reading the letter, Guo Qi's face became solemn; The emperor told Guo Qi in a secret letter that in the past month, the four kings of the south (the king of Chu, the king of Wu, the king of Shu, and the king of Huainan) have frequently sent envoys and have been in close contact, and according to the intelligence of the Inner Court Division, the four kings seem to be intending to unite to attack the Central Plains to challenge the imperial court.

In a secret letter, the emperor told Guo Qi that while dealing with Xirong's eastward advance again, he should also beware of the king of Shu taking advantage of the fire to send the Shu army north to attack Guanzhong from the rear.

The feudal kings in various places have been the heart disease of the imperial court, and the kings were divided into kings when Taizu founded the country, and they were to guard the place and play a role in consolidating the imperial court, but with the growth of time, the power of the feudal kings in the local area became greater and greater, and the Huanzong period had carried out such a large-scale reduction of Tibet, but he did not expect that the reduction of Tibet did not succeed but caused the kings to rebel, resulting in defeat and killing.

At that time, the most powerful prince in the world, Wang Yan Wang Guo Jia, ascended the throne as the emperor with the support of the kings, this is Qi Gaozong; It is precisely because of this rebellion of the kings that the major princes and kings recruited troops and horses in the local area, which further expanded their power, although the imperial court sent troops to jointly suppress the princes and kings many times after Gaozong, but with little effect.

To the generation of the emperor of the current dynasty, there are five major princes and kings in the world, namely the king of Chu, the king of Wu, the king of Shu, the king of Zhao and the king of Huainan.

After Guo Qi read this secret letter, he put it on the oil lamp and burned it, this kind of thing must not be revealed, and now the relationship between the imperial court and the five major feudal kings is very delicate, especially the four major feudal kings in the south; Once this thing is revealed, even if the four major feudal kings of the south are not ready to rebel, I am afraid it will not be possible; Now the Great Qi Imperial Court can be described as internal and external troubles, and if you are not careful, I am afraid that it will be a catastrophe!

Back at the campfire, Guo Qi asked Liu Qian, "Father-in-law, is there anything rare in the imperial court recently?" ”

"There's really one." Liu Qian said to Guo Qi: "When the old slave left Beijing, he met the envoy team of the Xirong Khanate, and it seems that he imagined that I would ask for peace!" ”

"The Sijon Legacy?" Guo Qi frowned and said, "Xirong is far from the point of breaking his muscles and bones, how can he send envoys to sue for peace at this time?" Could there be any fraud in this? ”

"Your Highness is a little worried!" Liu Qian said: "Who doesn't know in this world today that His Royal Highness is a star descending to earth, and the Xirong thief army is full of urine; According to the old slave, it was His Royal Highness who fought too hard and scared Xirong Khan, so he sent envoys to negotiate peace. ”