Chapter 947: A Pyrrhic Victory

It seems to have been like this all along.

When an ordinary person dies, most of the neighbors are affected. When a big man dies, it affects many people and even the world. However, Yang Jian died so quietly that for a long time, people would say in a very strange tone when they mentioned him: That liar who pretended to be a god and said that he was Emperor Taizu of the Great Sui? Death is death, what does it matter to me?

As for the men and horses under Yang Jian's command, they collapsed almost overnight.

Fang Xie was not in the camp, but if his men would only wait nervously, they would not be reused by Fang Jie. After the news of Fang Xie and Xiang Qingniu chasing Yang Jian was transmitted back to the camp, Dugu Wenxiu immediately contacted Wu Yiyi, who was sent by Fang Xie to the disciples of the ** sect in northern Jiangsu, and then discussed it with Cui Zhongzhen, and then sent an envoy to the Sui army camp to contact some generals in the Sui army.

Yang Jian disappeared, and the camp was divided into three factions almost instantly.

First, some people think that it is better for everyone to break up and either go home to farm or occupy the mountains to become kings. Second, some people think that they should wait a little longer, after all, Yang Jian may not necessarily be defeated. Third, quickly and secretly contact other forces to see if they can hold a thick leg.

Of course, there is a faction of people out there, but they won't be exposed so quickly because they need time to sort everything out and see how they can get the most out of it. These people are trying to swallow this team. Even if you don't have the ability to swallow it all in one gulp, you have to tear off a large piece of meat.

The people who lead the troops know very well in their hearts that having soldiers in their hands in troubled times is a guarantee.

However, as soon as the Black Flag Army's Sui generals came into contact, these people who tried to swallow the Sui army's ranks gradually became irritable. More and more people began to associate with the Black Flag Army openly and secretly, and later, the envoys of the Black Flag Army could even enter the Sui Army camp in a bright and bright manner and become the guests of the generals.

In fact, the biggest gap between the Black Flag Army and the Sui Army is that when Yang Jian disappeared, their hearts were in turmoil. After Fang Xie disappeared, there were still a group of loyal generals in the Black Flag Army to maintain order in the team.

When the news of Fang Jie's return reached the camp, Dugu Wenxiu and the others couldn't help but breathe a long sigh of relief.

"It's finally back."

Cui Zhongzhen subconsciously rubbed his chest, obviously feeling very uncomfortable these days.

"Chen Xiaoru has already brought the brigade of Xiao Riding School over to greet the lord, let's all be more down-to-earth......

Dugu Wenxiu has become more and more of a person in the middle of the dispatch, and his gestures are becoming more and more confident. Speaking of which, when he first joined the Black Flag Army, he was still a somewhat timid and cautious young man, and after a few years, although he had a lot of wrinkles at the corners of his eyebrows and was obviously a little different in age, the feeling of maturity was convincing.

"When the lord comes back, we can't give the lord an explanation that he didn't do anything."

Dugu Wenxiu smiled, and the faint worry between his eyebrows had disappeared: "The Sui army camp is very chaotic now, but it is the best opportunity for us. If the people below us don't do something, how can we be worthy of the trust of the lord? ”

"Dugu, just say it directly."

Wu Yiyi, who had just rushed back, said: "Everything in the army, the lord has already handed it over to you, and now you make a decision, no one will object." ”

Wu Yiyi took the lead in changing his mind, so he naturally did it for others to see.

"In my opinion, there are hundreds of thousands of Sui troops, good and bad, not only soldiers, but also generals have their own thoughts. This is indeed a large piece of fatty meat, and you can eat it to a full stomach if you swallow it. However, if you want to eat it and feel delicious and satisfying without eating it, you need to get rid of the rotten parts. ”

Dugu Wenxiu said: "Among the Sui army, loyal to Yang Jian is naturally the ironclad army with more than 10,000 people, but the so-called loyalty to Yang Jian in this ironclad army is only those who control the ironclad army are loyal to Yang Jian. These people are all people who Yang Jian used secret methods to prolong his life until now, so it is difficult to win them over...... However, if the Sui army is a big piece of fat, then the ironclad army is a piece of lean meat, and if you can accept this ironclad army, it is not impossible to abandon the whole piece of fat. ”

"We know it, and so do others."

Wu Yi glanced at Dugu Wenxiu: "Those generals in the Sui army, it is impossible to say that many people are trying to win over those manipulators of the ironclad army. To deal with Yang Jian's subordinates, there are only two attitudes. Woo or kill. Now many people know the secret of the Iron Army, and if those who know the secret can't win over those people, they will naturally kill them. ”

"However, these people live in the camp of the Iron Armor Army, and there are many masters around them to protect them, so it is not easy to kill them."

Dugu Wenxiu said: "It's not easy to say, because although there are many cultivators around those generals in the Sui army, there are no great cultivators. It's easy to kill, but it's hard to win people's hearts...... If you want those controllers to really submit, you have to think of some way...... Master Hou, now that all the people from the Xiao Riding School have gone north to greet the lord, I don't know if the master can be called in the firm? ”

"Yes"

Wu Yi nodded.

"That's good"

Dugu Wenxiu smiled and said, "If you want to swallow the Sui army, you must first rip off those rotten meats. They are all cautiously guarding each other now, and no one dares to make the first move. If we could pull that hair, it would be easy to say. ”

"Wonderful"

Wu Yiyi couldn't help but praise: "I'll arrange someone to pull out a few hairs when I go back." ”

……

……

Jiangbei

The people of the Xiao Riding School welcomed Fang Xie and his party in Qingfeng Town, and by this time, Fang Xie and Xiang Qingniu had recovered a lot. This recuperation is equivalent to returning from a tour of the mountains and rivers, but it is a rare leisure.

"Lord Dugu is already arranged, and before his subordinates left, Lord Dugu said that before the lord goes back, he must pull a team for the lord."

Chen Xiaoru accompanied Fang Xie and said as he walked.

"I've sent a message back, can I send someone to pursue the white lion?"

Fang asked.

"Liao Sheng's injuries are not healed yet, and he has already set off with Chen Zhenyu and the two regiments of Xiao Cavalry School after receiving the military order from the lord. However, the speed of the white lion is too fast, and most of the places are uninhabited, so it is difficult to check. ”

Chen Xiaoru replied.

"I know."

Fang Xie nodded, and subconsciously glanced to the west: "In addition, send people to the Wolf Milk Mountain to inquire about the news and see if there are any major events on the western grassland." Send someone to send a message to Liao Sheng, don't look for it along the way, the chaos should be back to the prairie, the wolf milk mountain can stop people can't stop it, it doesn't need to run to the northwest to walk the canyon, and I don't know how much faster than people. Let Liao Sheng go directly to the northwest through the canyon into the grassland, and then sneak into Mengyuan and run to the Snow Mountain. ”

"Snowy Mountain?"

Chen Xiaoru was stunned for a moment, and didn't understand why Fang Xie was so sure that the white lion would go to the Great Snow Mountain.

"What about the East Frontier?"

Chen Xiaoru couldn't figure it out, but Fang Xie had already changed the topic.

"Back to my lord, the war in the eastern part of Xinjiang has advanced from the coastline to the inland...... Although the men and horses of Mufu are brave and good at fighting, the power of the foreigners' firearms should not be underestimated. The people on the other side of the world have been in the battle situation in Eastern Xinjiang, and the news came back as quickly as possible. ”

Chen Xiaoru sorted it out in his mind and said: "After the foreigners besieged Penglai Island for more than a month, and all the defenders on the island were killed, the foreigners immediately used Penglai Island as a place to rest and recuperate in the coastal waters, and continued to attack the coast of eastern Xinjiang. The men and horses of Mufu fought to the death and did not retreat, but the gunboats of the foreigners and sailors were too powerful, and the men and horses of Mufu were bombarded by artillery in the coastal array, and they fought bloodily for more than ten days, and finally had to retreat. ”

"It is said that this time it was the Emperor of the Opru Empire, Lyman, who was personally recruited, and the vanguard was an old man named Xiurens, who was the most ruthless and cunning. However, although the foreigners have powerful firearms, Mu Guangling has been operating in Dongjiang for many years, and the people's hearts are solid, not only the Mu soldiers are fighting against the foreigners, but the people are also fighting against the foreigners. In addition, according to the Zhao family, who guarded the Jiangdu, there were no less than 100,000 horses, which was great news for Mu Guangling. ”

"But, there's still big bad news."

Chen Xiaoru's tone sank: "Yang Shun, who is guarding Muping City, will not move, and another team of foreigners has landed in Muping and has already circled behind the people of Mufu. Mu Guangling had to divide his troops, if it weren't for Jiangdu Zhao Tianzheng who happened to lead the men and horses to kill, maybe Mu Guangling's back road would be copied by foreigners. ”

"When the country is in turmoil, there will always be such people who come out to disgust people."

Fang Xie sighed, thinking that he had a relationship with Yang Shunhui when he was in Chang'an City, at that time, Yang Shunhui's strong martial temperament made Fang Xie quite impressed, only a person who is truly resolute and decisive and has led the troops for many years can have that kind of temperament. At that time, Fang Xie once said to people that the general's anger is nothing more than this.

However, just a few years have passed.

The man he praised as a true general has become a dog for foreigners.

"The foreigners have already attracted Yang Shunhui early, just like domesticating a wild wolf...... Foreigners know that it is difficult to raise a wild wolf as a domestic dog, but they know how to eliminate the hostility of this wild wolf. They kept throwing meat and bones at this wild wolf, not at all in a hurry, day by day, year by year, the wild wolf finally became gradually out of guard in front of them. What the foreigners want is not that Yang Shun will surrender and turn against him, they just need Yang Shun to stand still. ”

Chen Xiaoru made an analogy, which is inappropriate but seems to make sense.

"An old general who has been through a hundred battles, just like this, he has no temperament."

"After I go back, I will sort out the ranks of the Sui army and select one person to lead the troops to help the eastern Xinjiang."

Fang Xie took a deep breath, and then asked, "Is there any news of casualties in Eastern Xinjiang?" ”

"Rumors...... The Mufu soldiers suffered heavy losses, and what was even more heavy was the already small Jianghu sect in Eastern Xinjiang. At the beginning, because of the grievances of the rivers and lakes, the number of sects in Eastern Xinjiang dropped sharply. Although it has been recuperating for 200 years, it still cannot be compared with the Central Plains. In this war, because the foreigners' firearms are really powerful, it is precisely those sect disciples who affect the situation of the war. They fought side by side with the Mufu soldiers but suffered heavier losses, and the ordinary soldiers could not resist the firearms, so they rushed forward......"

Chen Xiaoru sighed: "Mu Guangling organized a counterattack in Laolongkou, and in one fell swoop drove all the foreign troops that invaded the shore back to the sea, that battle killed more than 6,000 foreigners, but the loss of Mu Fu soldiers exceeded 20,000, if it wasn't for the later cultivators of various sects rushed to help, that battle might not be won." However, the cultivators suffered too much in that battle. It was the hundreds of cultivators who rushed into the foreigner's gun array and disrupted the foreigner's attack queue, and that battle finally forced the foreigner back. ”

"Winning ......"

The emotions in Fang Jie's eyes were so complicated, there was sadness, anger, and distress.

"It's too bad."