In the imperial study of Chu Palace, although Longtai tried his best to restrain his emotions, he still showed excitement between his eyebrows.

"Beitangfeng actually disregarded the interests of the Northern Han Dynasty and wanted to secretly ally with us?" Longtai stared at Qi Ning: "Do you think it's credible?" ”

Qi Ning said: "Your Majesty, whether it is credible or not, we don't care about him, whether Beitangfeng is true or not, we will send troops to the Northern Expedition." He lowered his voice and said: "The ultimate goal of our going north is to take down the Eastern Qi, Beitangfeng hopes that we will use our heavy troops to attack the two counties of Xuzhou, and will also provide us with the detailed defense of the two counties of Xuzhou, which is exactly what we need." ”

Long Tai nodded and said: "Yes, in the strategy of the old marquis of Tangtai, it is to take the two counties of Xuzhou, and then send strange soldiers to attack the ...... of Eastern Qi!" He seemed very calm at this time: "I know that Zhong Liao will definitely deploy heavy troops in Xuzhou, if Beitangfeng really informs us of the deployment of those two counties, we know ourselves and know the enemy, and we will definitely be able to defeat the enemy." ”

"What the emperor said is extremely true." Qi Ning said: "Chai Bozhong claims that once my Great Chu sends troops, Beitangfeng will immediately enter Tongguan and go straight to Luoyang. If everything goes well, we will take Xuzhou, and immediately join forces with the East China Sea Division, both land and water armies will attack Eastern Qi at the same time, and the main force of Eastern Qi is outside, and the Northern Han is also powerless to intervene, and the plan to take Eastern Qi can be realized. ”

Longtai smiled: "Not bad. A finger tapped on the table, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Do you think Beitangfeng will really send troops on time?" ”

"Your Majesty, if we really want to fight, we can only hope for everything on our own army, and we don't really have to hope for Beitang Feng." Qi Ning Zhengse said: "If he sends troops, it will naturally be better, if he does not send troops, we will not cause strategic setbacks because of his breach of contract." After a pause, he said: "But according to my thoughts, Beitang Feng will definitely send troops, and his urgency to send troops is much stronger than ours." ”

Long Tai bowed his head and said: "The northwest army of the Northern Han Dynasty has 30,000 or 40,000 people, since he is ready to enter the customs, he will definitely expand the army in the northwest during this period of time, according to my estimate, the strength in the hands of Beitang Feng should be no less than 50,000 people." Although Qu Yuangu is not a general who can fight well, the Northwest people are very brave, and the combat effectiveness of the Northwest Army is still there. ”

"Right now, Beitang Showa and Beitang Hao are exhausted, and Beitang Feng naturally wants to immediately enter the pass and take Luoyang in one fell swoop, but he is afraid of Zhong Li's arrogance and does not dare to act rashly." Qi Ning sneered: "He sent Chai Bozhong all the way to Jianye Jing, it can also be seen that he really wants to drag Zhong Liao with the power of our Great Chu, as long as we really drag Zhong Liao, Beitang Feng will have time to take Luoyang, and when the time comes to ascend the throne in Luoyang, Zhong Liao will be helpless." ”

Long Tai also sneered: "This Beitang Feng is a good idea, and he actually thought of using our Da Chu to benefit him." ”

"Your Majesty, with all due respect, if it is really Beitang Feng who ascends to the throne, it will not be a bad thing for our Da Chu." Qi Ning said with a smile: "Now the three princes of the Northern Han Dynasty are competing for the throne, Beitang Zhao and Beitang Hao are all talented, but Beitang Feng has no talent, if the other two get the throne, it is not easy to deal with, and Beitang Feng has no talent for the country, compared with the emperor, the difference between heaven and earth, then Beitang Feng tossed for a few years, and the Northern Han Dynasty will inevitably be weakened by him..... national strength!" ”

Longtai laughed and said, "You will find the right time to speak." His eyes flickered slightly, and he lowered his voice and said: "I'm not thinking about the two counties of Xuzhou now, Qi Ning, and Beitangfeng want to use our Da Chu to benefit him, and everyone has sent henchmen to give generous gifts, and the beauty of our adults is also indispensable." ”

"It's just that the minister thinks this gift is really a bit light." Qi Ning lowered his voice and said, "Doesn't the emperor think that there is a great opportunity hidden in this." ”

Longtai seemed to understand something and asked, "What are you talking about..... Northwest? ”

Qi Ning smiled: "Exactly." Your Majesty, Beitangfeng is going to take Luoyang, and the main force of the Northwest Army will definitely be exhausted, even if the defenders are left, the number will definitely not be too large, and it will ..... The combat effectiveness must also be very weak. ”

Long Tai nodded and said: "In the bitter cold land of the northwest, Beitang Feng naturally looks down on it, his eyes are staring at Luoyang, since he wants to enter the pass, of course he must take Luoyang, the soldiers in the northwest can fight, he can bring one more, he will never bring less." ”

Qi Ning said: "Before the old marquis of Tangtai died, he once said to his ministers that the Northern Han Dynasty is not a country that can be taken quickly, and if you want the Northern Expedition to succeed, you can't be in a hurry. Take the Eastern Qi first, and if you have the opportunity, even take the northwest, in this way, my Great Chu will form a siege of the Northern Han Dynasty, encroach on it step by step, and finally achieve a great cause. ”

"Northwest .....!" Long Tai pondered, pondered for a moment, his eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands and said: "Exactly, Qi Ning, the people from Beitangfeng came to the door, this is the opportunity that God gave me Da Chu." ”

"My Great Chu can divide the troops into two routes, one way to cross the Huai River, attack Xuzhou, and the other way is to secretly prepare in Xichuan, mobilize the soldiers and horses of Xichuan, take advantage of the emptiness in the northwest, suddenly attack, seize Xianyang, control Tongguan, as long as these two soldiers and horses successfully achieve their goals, my Great Chu will dominate the world, and it will be just around the corner." Qi Ning's eyebrows were slightly excited.

Longtai obviously felt that this was a great opportunity, but he also understood that opportunities and dangers often go hand in hand, and such plans, once successful, would definitely change the situation in the world.

After a long time, Long Tai seemed to have made up his mind, and said categorically: "Qi Ning, the plan to attack Xianyang must not be known to too many people, even the important ministers in my court, and the fewer people know, the better." Beckoning to Qi Ning, Qi Ning leaned closer, and Long Taicai said in a low voice: "Who do you think can take on this important task for the plan of the surprise attack on Xianyang?" ”

Qi Ning said: "Your Majesty, the ministers are not clear about the ability of the generals in the court, and the attack on Xianyang must not only be kept secret, but also carefully planned. ”

Long Tai nodded slightly, pondered for a moment, and then said: "I think about it, consider the candidate, you go and tell Chai Bozhong that since Beitangfeng wants peace between the two countries, I will reward him for the harmony between the two countries, and if he has the ability to win the throne, I will be the first to congratulate him." ”

Qi Ning said with a smile: "The emperor is so generous, Beitang Feng must be grateful." ”

"But there is no evidence." Long Tai sneered: "You let that Chai Bozhong leave something, since you want to cede the two counties of Xuzhou to me, leave a note, so as not to get entangled when you get it." ”

Qi Ning certainly understood what Longtai meant.

Even if Chai Bozhong brings Beitangfeng's handwritten affidavit, it is just a piece of waste paper, whether it depends on strength, whether it can get the two counties of Xuzhou, the key is naturally not whether Beitangfeng will send it, but whether Chu can take it.

If the state of Chu really took the two counties of Xuzhou, and after Beitangfeng sat on the throne, he sent troops to recover the two counties of Xuzhou, then the so-called oath would certainly not be able to stop Beitangfeng's decision.

But Longtai asked the other party to leave an affidavit, which naturally had a deep meaning.

Qi Ning went out of the palace and found the commander of the army according to the address left by Chai Bozhong.

Chai Bozhong has been waiting for Qi Ning's response, and when he saw Qi Ning coming, he hurriedly invited in, and after Qi Ning sat down, he asked cautiously: "Hou Ye, the contemptible people just learned that Hou Ye has been promoted to the title of Protector of the Kingdom, and he lost his words yesterday, so please don't blame the Duke of Guo." ”

"He who does not know is not guilty." Qi Ning smiled: "Let Chai Junshi wait for a long time." ”

"Guogong, I don't know what the king means.....?"

Qi Ning sighed and said: "Chai Junshi, the emperor learned that the three princes sent people, it was really as I expected, and he was not very happy, but he was suspicious, and summoned several important ministers in the court to discuss, they all felt that this was the strategy of the three princes, and they intended to lead our Chu State to send troops. Chai Junshi, since you know that I am the Duke of Jin, you naturally also know that two major events have just happened in my Chu State. ”

Chai Bozhong bowed his head and said: "Your country's Sima Lan rebellion has been exterminated by your country, and the old marquis of Shantai has also passed away due to illness, which is really embarrassing. ”

"If you know, it's good." Qi Ning said with a wry smile: "Several ministers said that Sima Lan had just been executed, and the situation was not stable, so it was inappropriate to rush to send troops at this time, plus the death of my highly respected old marquis of Lantai, this is the pillar of my Great Chu military, without him, everyone is even less sure about attacking Xuzhou." And I might as well tell you that Sima Lan presided over the planning of the Northern Expedition before, but now that Sima Lan is dead, the Northern Expedition has become very troublesome. ”

Chai Bozhong frowned and said, "Isn't your country ready to send troops?" Leaning forward, he said, "Guogong, with all due respect, the heavens will not take it, and it will not be easy to find opportunities in the future." I'll tell you the truth, even if the three princes can't take Luoyang, they can still dominate one side in the northwest, and if they can't be emperors, it's not bad to be the king of the northwest. And no matter who wins Beitang Zhao and Beitang Hao, who inherits the throne, they will inevitably deal with Chu with all their might, at that time, don't say Xuzhou or even Eastern Qi, even if your country wants to get a city north of the Huai River, it will be difficult to climb to the sky. ”

Qi Ning said: "I also said this to several important ministers, but they said that the three princes would never be so kind to give us the two counties of Xuzhou, which must contain evil intentions." ”

Chai Bozhong sneered: "The vision of those important ministers of your country is really short-sighted, if Ling Zun is alive, how can he let go of such an opportunity?" His face was slightly ugly: "Then the king means that he is not ready to send troops?" ”

"The emperor has big plans, and the three princes bring goodwill, hoping that the two countries will be harmonious, of course the emperor doesn't want to brush the face of the three princes." Qi Ning said: "But for such a military event, the emperor is not easy to be arbitrary, so .....!" ”

"So what?"

"So what the emperor means, Chai Junshi must come up with an oath to ensure that after we take the two counties of Xuzhou, your country will never send troops to take it back." Qi Ning Zhengse said: "In addition, after the third prince ascends the throne, you and I will no longer meet each other, and we must live in harmony." ”

Chai Bozhong was stunned, and said with some surprise: "If you leave an oath, then ..... Then your country is willing to send troops? ”

Qi Ning said: "With the oath, the emperor and I have reason to persuade other important ministers to agree to send troops, I wonder if the Chai military division brought the oath of the three princes?" ”