Standing on Longshan, you can overlook Liaoxi Fort and the whole place, because the fortress of the Xu army was built on a flat place near the sea.

Xiao Siwen looked at the scene in front of him in the wind, the sea was endless to the horizon, and on the gray coast, Liaoxi Fort lying on the ground seemed to be engraved on the earth.

In the wind, there is a faint noise mixed with the noise of the crowd. On the flat ground, there were groups of people and horses nearly a mile away from Liaoxi Fort, and they were all Xi soldiers and Jurchen soldiers, surrounded by ladders, looking from a high place, as if they were clumps of ants carrying insects. At first glance, the crowd didn't seem to be moving, but after staring for a while, you could see that they were moving closer to Liaoxi Fort.

Suddenly, I saw the fire on the fortress flashing, and strings of white smoke came out! After a while, I heard the sound of "booming ......" cannon coming from the wind.

The movement on Liaoxi Fort was the largest, and there was no battle between the Xi soldiers and the Jurchen soldiers, only to see a cloud ladder collapse. The thick smoke on the fortress continued to blow several rounds, and in the distance, ladders continued to break and collapse, and the crowd gradually spread out to the surroundings, like a dress that had been harassed and frightened. It didn't take long for almost all of the men and horses to retreat away from Liaoxi Fort.

Seeing this, Xiao Siwen turned around and left the side of the mountain, and said to a Khitan person: "Don't attack again, collect the troops!" Wait until the afternoon, and then send someone to persuade you to surrender. ”

Yang Gon stepped forward and said, "Gong Xiao, if you persuade you to surrender like this, Xu Jun will not surrender." ”

Xiao Siwen said: "It's okay to try, tell them that the emperor of Xuguo, Guo Blacksmith, is dying, and he can't take care of them." ”

Yang Gon groaned: "The last time we went to persuade the surrender was killed, the general of the Xu army here is very resolute. The last general felt that as long as there were military supplies and food supplies, the Xu army would definitely not surrender...... There is a canal to the southwest of Liaoxi Fort, which has not yet been completed, but it is enough for small boats to pass through. We must first find a way to cut off this canal and block the grain route of the Xu army from the sea, before we can force the defenders of Liaoxi Fort to surrender. ”

Xiao Siwen said: "Liaoxi Fort is one mile away from the sea, and the entire section of the canal is within the shell bombardment, how to cut it off?" ”

Yang Gon said: "You have to start from this place to find a way. ”

Xiao Siwen snorted, noncommittal, he had surrounded Liaoxi Fort for so long, if he could think of a way, why should he think about it now?

Xiao Siwen said: "Old man, look, don't just stare at that earthen fort. Looking at the big picture, if Xu Guoren wants to rely on building forts like this to occupy my vast Bohai Sea (Northeast), it will not be effective if it is not spent for ten or eight years! Their strategy is not like this, otherwise what did Li Chuyun do before leading the army to the northwest? ”

Yang Gon nodded and said, "The people of Xu still want to rely on cavalry, and expand westward for war horses. ”

Xiao Siwen said: "Exactly. He|mother|, he doesn't occupy so much land in the south of Xu Guo, he has to stare at our anointed land. ”

Yang Gon said quietly: "If Blacksmith Guo can't survive the ghost gate, these threats are not a problem. ”

The two looked at each other.

They stopped talking, came down from the mountain, and returned to Yingzhou with a group of elite horsemen.

…… When he arrived in Yingzhou, someone immediately said to Xiao Siwen: "Fan Mansion has something important to report." ”

Xiao Siwen looked at a pair of bronze mirrors, first straightened his hat and collar, and said without replying: "Let him wait in the lobby, and my father will arrive later." ”

He said that he took the hot towel from the squire's hand, wiped the dust off his face, and twisted his fingers around the beard on his lips before heading to the lobby. When he went to the hall, he saw that Yelu Xianzhen, Yang Gon, and Fan Zhongyi were already arguing and shouting there.

Yelu slanted and said, "Why did Yang Ye run?!" ”

Xiao Siwen immediately felt that he was very interested in this matter. At this time, someone said, "Xiao Gong is here." Everyone bowed with their hands to their chests, and Fan Zhongyi still clenched his fists, but he didn't speak, this was a dumb salute.

Xiao Siwen sat down firmly in the upper position first, no matter what, his demeanor and status should be paid attention to at any time, even the general Yelu was a head shorter in front of him.

Fan Zhongyi stepped forward and bowed respectfully: "The lower officials got the news that on the first day of the eighth month, Yang Ye, who was ordered to enter Beijing, suddenly left Beijing and fled, which is quite strange. ”

Xiao Siwen asked, "How do you know that he is trying to escape?" ”

Fan Zhongyi said: "Before he left Beijing, he rented a horse from a carriage and horse dealership and only brought an entourage, which happened to be seen by our people. That fine work tried to go to the carriage and horse shop to investigate, Yang Ye didn't even bring enough money when he rented the horse, and pressed the jade pendant in the carriage and horse shop, which shows that the trip was very hasty. The eyeliner near the city gate also confirmed that Yang Ye left Tokyo in a panic.

In addition, a total of three officials in Kaifeng Mansion and Xuzhou Prefecture were spared in the investigation of the Xu State Imperial Court, and the officials of Kaifeng Prefecture secretly reported that Yang Ye's entourage in Tokyo was detained on the first day of the first month of August, and the Xu State Government sent a fast horse out of Beijing to the north, presumably in order to intercept Yang Ye.

The three officials told the scout outpost that they hoped to move their families to live in Liao. ”

Yelu said quietly: "The Fan Mansion is reused by Xiao Gong, and he is in an important position, and there are already Khitan nobles who are dissatisfied. ”

Fan Zhongyi said softly: "Xiao Gongyan, as long as he can poison and kill Guo Blacksmith, he will ask the Great Khan to give him the surname Xiao, a hereditary nobleman of Ju Khitan......"

Xiao Siwen immediately interrupted him and said, "Let's talk about it when Blacksmith Guo is dead...... Those few people have a lot to do in Xu Guo, what is the use of coming to Liao? ”

Fan Zhongyi hurriedly said: "Gong Xiao and Marshal Yelu are reasonable. However, so many people were killed a while ago, and they estimated that they were frightened. ”

Fan Zhongyi paused and said, "On the day Yang Ye escaped on the first day of the first month of August, two other things happened, Xu Governor Shi Zhouduan was convicted of the crime of rebellion and escorted back to Tokyo, and Guo Shao, the puppet emperor of Xu State, fainted in front of hundreds of people. Soon after, Luo Yanhuan, the protector of the country, was judged in Dali Temple, and Guo Shao seemed to have never looked at the court again, and was still supervised by Dafu. ”

Xiao Siwen stroked the soft mink ear protector on the hat, and muttered, "It's interesting......"

Yang Gon opened his mouth and said: "Could it be that Yang Ye also colluded with Zhou Duan, and learned that Zhou Duan was guilty of a major crime and temporarily escaped?" ”

Fan Zhongyi shook his head and said unceremoniously: "Definitely." Yang Ye was a general of the Eastern Han Dynasty (Northern Han Dynasty), how many years did he surrender to the Tokyo puppet dynasty? He doesn't even have any connections in Tokyo, what does he have to do with Xuzhou Zhouduan? Moreover, if Blacksmith Guo wanted to do this to Yang Ye, Yang Ye probably wouldn't have a chance to run. ”

Yang Gon was still white, and he was a little dissatisfied with Fan Zhongyi's tone, but he didn't say anything.

Yelu Xian agreed very much: "Fan's affairs are reasonable. ”

Xiao Siwen pondered for a long time, frowned, and said, "After Blacksmith Guo was poisoned, what happened to the Xu Imperial Court?" "Let's look at Fan Zhongyi, although this guy is from Youzhou, he is also Han in the end, maybe he has a deeper understanding of the Han people.

But Fan Zhongyi was also a little embarrassed, and said: "Let's look at the results, two princes and a prime minister died before and after, as well as Zheng Wang Guo Zongxun (Chai Zongxun), Shouzhou Defense Envoy Guo Jin, Xu Governor Shi Zhouduan is not dead, and thousands of people have been implicated.

Governor Xu Shi Zhouduan, as well as a large group of people, because they were implicated in the poisoning case of the puppet emperor Guo Shao, planted very clearly. Prime Minister Fan Zhen and other henchmen want to fish in troubled waters and support Guo Zongxun to restore the Great Zhou, which is not surprising...... Xu Guo's official statement said that those people colluded together to rebel, but Fan Zhen and Zhong Li had nothing to do with our Daliao, and they had no connection with the Zhao family, so Xu Guo's court report was not credible.

The most strange thing is how did the two henchmen of Guogong and Guo Blacksmith die? ”

Xiao Siwen glanced at Fan Zhongyi and couldn't help nodding: "Fan Fushi does have real talent and learning, and he is very reasonable. ”

Fan Zhongyi was greatly encouraged, hugged his fists and bowed again: "Li Chuyun killed the messenger of Da Liao, and it seems that he did not rebel. But he was actually killed by his close staff, why did the staff Zhongli want to kill Li Chuyun? ”

Yelu asked, "Isn't that person the one we arranged?" ”

Fan Zhongyi said: "It's only been a few years since the official layout, how can you arrange such an important chess piece in the Guogong house?" This person's origin is very strange, he was a subordinate of the rebel general Li Yun, but after the interrogation of the Xu Guoguan Mansion, there was no problem, so he was released, and Li Chuyun dared to use him to estimate that there was no problem. ”

Xiao Siwen said thoughtfully: "Is it to avenge the old lord Li Yun?" Isn't there a person in Han'er's book...... It's the one who ruined his face and plotted to assassinate the old master. ”

Fan Zhongyi said quietly: "First Qin Yurang." ”

"Yes, yes!" Xiao Siwen said suddenly.

Fan Zhongyi said: "Back to Xiao Gong, due to different dynasties and different folk customs, there were concessions in the pre-Qin period, and I am afraid that there will be no concessions at this time." Besides, Li Yun's death has nothing to do with Li Chuyun. ”

Yang Gon and Yelu scratched their heads in unison.

Xiao Siwen said: "Could it be that Blacksmith Guo wants to kill Li Chuyun?" ”

Fan Zhongyi muttered, "Very likely...... There are not many people who can kill Guogong, but it is easy for Guo Blacksmith. ”

Xiao Siwen stood up and paced a few steps, then turned around and said, "The biggest opponent of this duke, except for the tyrant Jun Yelujing, is Blacksmith Guo. Ben Gong often pondered about this person, but he always felt that killing Li Chuyun like this didn't seem like Guo Blacksmith's style. ”

Fan Zhongyi said: "It's hard to say, Han'er infighting is unscrupulous. ”

Xiao Siwen asked again: "What's the matter with Luo Yanhuan, the protector of the country?" ”

Fan Zhongyi thought for a while: "Luo Yanhuan and Li Chuyun are friends of life and death......"

"Oh!" Xiao Siwen was stunned at first, and then thought carefully, but he was confused again.

At this time, Fan Zhongyi said auspiciously: "On the first day of August, Luo Yanhuan admitted to colluding with Governor Xu Shi Zhouduan, which was known to the Manchu Dynasty, and soon the yamen also heard about it. Then Zhou Duan was convicted of a major crime.

Xia Guan thought that Luo Yanhuan had fallen into the trap of Guo Blacksmith, and it was Guo Blacksmith who wanted him to die. It is not so much that Luo Yanhuan colluded with Zhou Duan and died, but that he was related to Li Chuyun.

Because Luo Yanhuan and Li Chuyun were originally friends, it was not easy to have anything to do with Zhou Duan. ”

Xiao Siwen sighed after hearing this: "The Central Plains Imperial Court has always been complicated, and it is really difficult to understand the way......

Fan Zhongyi said: "It's hard to say, it's not difficult to say, it's not difficult, it's just that we don't have important connections in the Xu Imperial Court, so we can only look at the moon in the fog." Because since ancient times, the Han Dynasty has been inconsistent in the outside and outside, even if the officials in the court, if they are not in the center, they will not know what medicine they are selling in the gourd. ”..