In the mountains east of Niangzi Pass, there is a starry fire in the Youzhou military camp. Xiao Siwen looked at the night sky in a daze, and still didn't feel lively at this time, because except for a military camp winding in the mountains, a large area of the mountains was pitch black and almost uninhabited.

He looked to the west, and the mountain wind howled in the middle of the night, but he could see nothing; It's just that yesterday's scouts extended the message, and in front of them was Niangzi Pass, where there was a large Zhou army. At this moment, Xiao Siwen had the intuition that he was trudging through the desert, approaching the oasis town, but could not move any further.

The shaking bonfire illuminated Xiao Abudi's face, the fire was bright but weak, and the light and darkness were obvious from far and near, forming a sense of layering. His face was clear and angular against the firelight, with dirt and black mud between the weather-beaten textures of his skin, and grass on his shaggy light beard; But a little away from the firelight, it was dim and blurry, and it was not clear to see, and further away could only see a dark shadow.

Xiao Abudi shook his head and made a helpless expression: "I remembered an incident, a brother in the tribe said that there was a tiger in the nearby mountain, and they agreed to go hunting together the next morning. But when I got up the next day and was ready to go out, I ran into the brother; But he told me that he had beaten it to death and carried it back......"

Several people sitting around the fire wanted to laugh, but they couldn't, and suddenly looked at each other.

Someone said in a deep voice: "I heard that Blacksmith Guo is a monster. It's terrifying to think of so many headless corpses left behind in the Battle of Zhuozhou......"

After Xiao Siwen heard this, he suddenly felt a gust of cold wind pour into his face, and his body almost shivered. When I listened closely, I couldn't see the sound of the wind in the black shadow of the heavy mountain, as if there was really some monster screaming in the mountain.

He immediately said: "Only fools who don't know believe this nonsense, Guo Blacksmith is just a human being." ”

Sitting next to him were all people with status in Youzhou, and they nodded yes after hearing it.

Xiao Siwen said: "It's just that this person is really not to be underestimated...... he immediately remembered the battle of Zhuozhou, the incredible sudden fall of Jinyang, etc., and continued, "I'm afraid it's a powerful person in the Central Plains Han'er for hundreds of years, as soon as this kind of person comes out, and now he is in power, it will definitely turn the world upside down, and it's time for our Great Khitan clan to be the most vigilant." ”

Xiao Abu said: "Is it really that powerful? ”

Xiao Siwen frowned and said: "Doing things that ordinary people can't think of, just like now, who can capture Jinyang, which is heavily defended in half a month?" We didn't even think about it. ”

"Yes." "That's ......," everyone murmured in Khitan for a while.

Xiao Siwen pondered for a long time, as if he saw a group of wild beasts on the grassland surrounding a leader, and he felt that Guo Shao was the leader of the Han'er. There are many people in Han'er, there are all kinds of people, and every once in a while, there will always be a character who is different from the mortal.

"Order, withdraw tomorrow." Xiao Siwen looked back and said, "Now that Jinyang has been lost, there is no possibility of fighting for the Northern Han Kingdom, we must prepare early and prepare to protect Youzhou!" ”

A general frowned and said, "The king thinks that Blacksmith Guo is going to prepare to attack Youzhou?" ”

Xiao Siwen nodded vigorously: "The Northern Han Kingdom is a small country, but it is not a weak country, Guo Blacksmith takes it like a bag, he will definitely be more confident because of this!" In addition, the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun have always been the scars of the Central Plains, and recovering it is also their greatest wish, and Blacksmith Guo will definitely think about this place! ”

Xiao Siwen frowned, and said with a straight face: "Da Liao must do his best to protect Youzhou, and Youzhou is also very important to Da Liao.

First of all, the climate of the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun is warmer than that of the grassland, and the land is fertile, which provides a large amount of grain and salt, tea, cloth, utensils and other uses for the Great Liao.

Secondly, Hedong has been lost, and the land of clouds is the only outpost of Daliao into the Central Plains. The grasslands will lose their active advantage over the Central Plains and will be very likely to be at a disadvantage.

There are also some reasons, some Khitan nobles are too arrogant to admit it, but people of insight have accepted it; Otherwise, Da Liao would not appoint Han officials to change the official system, and there would be no southern city in Beijing for Han children to live in. The Central Plains surpasses all ethnic groups in many places such as the code system and the skills of craftsmen; We have Youzhou, not only can use Youzhou Han'er, but also open up easier exchanges with the Central Plains, which is convenient for the Great Liao to learn the strengths of the Central Plains. ”

Xiao Siwen looked back left and right, and the faces of the generals were a little dazed. He also didn't think that in this world, people with true insight and wisdom are not everywhere!

But he firmly believed in his own insight, and at the moment he was categorical: "Anyone who has a public heart should be recognized, Youzhou is extremely important!" It's worth keeping with the whole country! ”

Abudi looked at him with reverence, and complained: "The king is worried about the country, and others may not be grateful to you." ”

Xiao Siwen stared at Abudi's face, and said: "We are Khitans and nobles of Daliao, and this matter is related to the fortune of the country!" Under the nest, Ann has finished eggs? ”

Xiao Siwen is not only thinking about the future of Liao, but also about his own future...... How can a man not think of himself? But there are some things that can be brought to the table and said with a clean face, such as worrying about the country; There are some things that you can't say, you can only think about them.

The first thing that came to his mind was the threat that the Liao Emperor Yelu Jing threatened him. Xiao Siwen and Yelujing have objective contradictions, which is why Yelujing often sends people to observe him. The emperor did not dare to touch him casually, and the contradictions had not intensified. However, Xiao Siwen had to think about it: he was the king of the Southern Courtyard and the supreme person in charge of the Youyun region, if he really lost the sixteen states of Youyun; Yelu Jing will definitely take the opportunity to get rid of himself justifiably!

The fundamental contradiction between Xiao Siwen and Yelujing is the camp problem of the older generation, and it is a faction.

Liao Yizong, the eldest son of Liao Taizu Yelu Abaoji (who did not actually ascend the throne and pursued the emperor) and his second son Liao Taizong, the grievances between the two major factions are the root cause of the factions and chaos in the Liao State today.

Xiao Siwen belongs to the Xiao family, and the Xiao family is not a royal family of the Liao State, but it is the most important noble surname of the Liao State. It is the marriage family designated by the Liao royal family, and it is the court of the prime minister of the Liao State; The successive prime ministers of the Beijing North Court were all surnamed Xiao.

The relationship between the Xiao family and the Yelu family is mainly an alliance, and the Xiao family itself has little to do with the factional contradictions of the Yelu family. But when it comes to specific people, it is inevitable that they will be involved, and Xiao Siwen will not be able to get rid of it.

His uncle served as the prime minister of Liao during the Taizu period, and he was on the side of Liao Yizong, the eldest son of Liao Taizu...... Later, the descendants of Taizong and the descendants of Yizong repeatedly competed for power, and Xiao Siwen fell into it; Now, Yelujing, who sits on the throne, is the eldest son of Liao Taizong, and Xiao Siwen's factional position (Yi Sect) is obviously going to be questioned.

In order to make a stand and ease the contradictions, Xiao Siwen married his eldest daughter Xiao Huren to the younger brother of the current emperor, King Taiping; In the posture of not participating in the power struggle of the Yelu family, he married his second daughter to King Zhao, the younger brother of Yeluxian (the grandson of Yizong), as a balance...... But this move has exacerbated the current emperor's reassurance about him.

He also has a daughter in his hand who is not married and is not yet an adult. Her name is Xiao Xuan, the small character Yanyan.

Xiao Siwen knew in his heart that after betting on the two sides, he stabilized his position with marriage, but did not let the conflict intensify...... But once something big happens, Elman's suspicion and violence will be very dangerous.

He pondered for a long time, rubbed his hand on his chin for a while, and sighed "sigh".

……

The good news has spread to Tokyo quickly, and there is not much celebration in the world of Tokyo, because the emperor is still on the front line. However, the congratulatory recitals in the court and the enthusiastic discussions in the government were the changes brought about by the victory. After all, Jinyang is not far from Tokyo, and it is a famous place that has been a huge threat to Tokyo for many years, and the people are also very concerned about it.

Dragon City, whose fame has had the greatest impact on Tokyo; In the past, if the people of Dragon City wanted to enter the Central Plains, they would fight to Tokyo.

"Dragon City under the Half Moon!" On the wooden floor of the tea shop, a round-bellied man said this sentence in a very heavy tone, with all kinds of strong emotions in his tone.

Another man put down the nuts in his hand and said, "In addition to the half-moon under the Dragon City, there are two months to destroy the entire territory of Shu and a few months to destroy the whole country of Southern Tang!" It is said that since Imagami led the troops, he has never been defeated! The ancient god of war is nothing more than that......"

The round-bellied man said: "Today, in the forbidden army, he has long been similar to the god of war." ”

"Odd!" The man just now frowned and shook his head, "Have you ever thought that this may not be an extraordinary person, but the reincarnation of a god?" ”

Several of the people present immediately had expressions of awe and mystery on their faces. Everyone really hasn't seen ghosts and gods with their own eyes, but no one forces them not to believe in ghosts and gods, and even sacrifices on various occasions, Taoist priests on white things summon spirits and ghosts, and they don't deny the existence of gods. Almost all people have the mind of "holding their heads up and having gods" and "preferring to believe in them rather than believe in them".

The round-bellied man seems to have practiced martial arts and is more knowledgeable about military affairs. (The fat people at this time are all people with a solid family, otherwise they can't afford to raise fat; In troubled times, people with well-to-do families love to practice martial arts. He muttered: "I heard that when I was still a general of the forbidden army, I became famous when I killed Zhang Yuanhui, the first fierce general of the Northern Han Dynasty, with an arrow. Today is good at shooting, you can shoot a giant bow of 12 stones, and you can shoot leaves 300 steps away! ”

Everyone stared at him with round eyes, and no one didn't believe him. Everyone doesn't even know what the 12-stone bow looks like, but in the eyes of everyone, such a thing as killing the opponent's famous general with an arrow in the army is very magical and important in the eyes of everyone!

The round-bellied man said in a deep voice: "Ordinary people are not so good at shooting, will it be the reincarnation of Hou Yi today?" ”

"Ahh Everyone was in an uproar. The people in the four seats of the tea shop were attracted to attention, and they all looked sideways, and some simply gathered around curiously to listen.

A person on the seat said: "Hou Yi can shoot the sun down nine." ”

The round-bellied man said disapprenosingly: "Hou Yi was originally the god of war, and of course the true god is even more powerful." Now that the true god has been reincarnated in the mortal world, how can he still have all the mana? ”

When everyone heard this, they felt quite reasonable, and nodded their heads in agreement: "It makes sense." "Reasonable......