"General Wei and the leading generals were ambushed by Xiang Tong when they were fighting on the front line, and unfortunately they all sacrificed their lives for the country. I decided to send troops to attack Chu and avenge the two generals, I wonder what the generals think? Xiao Daocheng saw that Deng Yuanjue didn't go around the bend, and went directly to the topic.

Deng Yuanjue looked sad: "The minister also wants to ask His Majesty to send troops to avenge the two generals, Yu Gong, the two generals are the pillars of the country, and they died on the battlefield like this, we can't act as if nothing happened, we must give them an explanation." Yu Private, Luosheng is the minister's righteous son, and Zixuan is also the minister's disciple, so he is willing to ask His Majesty to let the minister lead the army to attack Chu and avenge the two of them. ”

Xiao Daocheng was slightly surprised, he thought that Deng Yuanjue would oppose his own troops like Prime Minister Chen Guoqing, just now he had prepared a bunch of rhetoric, ready to persuade Deng Yuanjue to agree.

"Okay, I'll grant you what you want, now there are 50,000 troops in Xiakou City, and 20,000 in Jizhou City, and I will allocate 30,000 forbidden troops to you from Jianye, I don't know if these 100,000 troops are enough for the general to fight Chu?" Xiao Daocheng immediately agreed to Deng Yuanjue's request.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, 100,000 people are enough. The treasury of the Great Song Dynasty is not full, and if we send more troops, it will be a big burden on the national finances. However, the minister dared to ask His Majesty to allow the minister to have the right to act cheaply during the war against Chu, and the materials for the newly occupied city were also arranged and used by the minister himself. ”

This power is not small, if Deng Yuanjue has different intentions, he can completely establish himself as the king of the Chu State.

Xiao Daocheng stared at Deng Yuanjue for a while, and finally made up his mind: "Okay, I promise you the right to act cheaply." However, the deployment of 100,000 troops at a time will also make the defense of many places empty, especially Jianye, which suddenly has a shortage of 30,000 forbidden troops, and the security of the national capital is a problem. Since General Shi was promoted to General Wei, the position of Wei Wei is still empty, I want to appoint Deng Wenjie as the new Wei Wei, responsible for guarding the safety of Jianye, I don't know what the general thinks? ”

It is also obvious that Xiao Daocheng wants to keep Deng Wenjie by his side as a hostage, if Deng Yuanjue dares to have different intentions, then I'm sorry, kill your son first.

Deng Yuanjue pretended to be happy: "The minister thanked His Majesty Long En for Wen Jie, and tomorrow the minister will let Wen Jie come to the palace to serve." ”

Back in the house, Deng Yuanjue called his two sons to the study to discuss overnight, and then wrote a letter to his eldest son Deng Wenying, who was stationed in Yulin, and then took his second son Deng Wenhao and 30,000 forbidden troops to Xiakou.

"Your Majesty, the general cannot be allowed to dispose of the materials of the newly occupied city on his own, if he has any rebellion, or takes the opportunity to stand on his own, who else can stop him?" Just when Deng Yuanjue was talking secretly with his two sons in the mansion, Xiao Daocheng in the palace also summoned the prince Yuan Chengce and the prince Xiao Yan together.

After listening to Yuan Chengce's words, Xiao Yan also echoed and said: "What Taiwei said makes sense, Shi Luosheng and Liu Zixuan are gone, and other generals above the third grade in China are all hand-picked up by the general, if the general has different intentions, not only can he divide the Chu State, but we also have no way to counterattack Jianye." ”

These Xiao Dao had also thought about it, but at that time, he was bent on annexing the Chu State, and he didn't think about it so clearly. Leaving Deng Wenjie as a hostage actually doesn't mean much, politicians like them, in order to achieve their goals, let alone the death of a son, even if the whole clan dies, they will not blink an eye.

Xiao Daocheng regretted a little: "But I have already promised him, and I can't take it back now." Captain, do you think about any other way to remedy it? ”

Yuan Chengce paced back and forth for a few steps, and suddenly slapped his forehead with his hand, and his face was happy: "Yes, there is still one person in our Great Song Dynasty who can balance the general, but it depends on whether His Majesty can invite him out of the mountain." ”

"Yan Chixing?" Xiao Yan reacted first: "No, no, this person has a deep prejudice against our royal family, and it is difficult to ask him to come out of the mountain again." ”

Yuan Chengce said again: "Yan Chixing is the master of the three princes, why don't you ask the three princes to help, see if you can move him?" ”

"That's even worse." Xiao Yan was a little anxious: "The third brother is also supported by the family, how can he come out to help us deal with the family." ”

After speaking, Xiao Yan secretly glared at Yuan Chengce, and secretly complained in his heart: "Xiao Che has long had the heart to compete for the reserve, Taiwei, don't you know, if Xiao Che can persuade Yan Chixing to go out of the mountain at this time, whether Deng Yuanjue wins or Yan Chixing wins in the future, his storage position will not be guaranteed." Deng Yuanjue's victory will either be self-reliant, or he will support Xiao Yin, whom he supports, to ascend to the throne, while Yan Chixing's victory will support his apprentice Xiao Che to ascend to the throne. At that time, even my father may not be able to stop it. ”

Xiao Daocheng, who was listening to the argument between the two, had time to guess Xiao Yan's thoughts: "What Taiwei said makes sense, tomorrow after Deng Yuanjue leaves, let Che'er accompany me to the Eagle Castle, and I must invite Yan Chixing out of the mountain." ”

In Xiakou City, Wu Teng and Xun Yuqing were reporting to Deng Yuanjue on the movements of the Chu army. When Deng Yuanjue heard that Xiang Chu had 50,000 soldiers guarding Suizhou City, he smiled slightly: "Xiang Chu is still too far behind his father Xiang Tong. ”

Wu Teng asked puzzledly: "Suizhou is also a military fortress, and it is not wrong for Xiang Chuxuan to guard there, I don't know why the general said that?" ”

Deng Yuanjue sighed lightly: "You, like Xiang Chu, only see a part, if it falls up, he will know where Xiang Chu's problem is." ”

At the mention of Shi Luosheng, Wu Teng's expression was a little gloomy, and Deng Yuanjue realized that Wu Teng didn't know that Shi Luosheng was cheating on death, so he coughed lightly and explained: "The town guard Suizhou does look right on the surface, but from the perspective of the overall situation, it is very wrong. If you think about it, Suizhou is Xiangyang again, and after Xiangyang is Nanyang, and now Nanyang City is back in the hands of Qi State. I only have 100,000 troops, if I defeat Suizhou City, once Xiangyang of Chu State is taken by Qi State, won't I have to divide my troops to defend the Qi army? ”

Wu Teng suddenly realized: "I understand, the Qi State and us were not geographically bordered, so there has always been no threat to our Great Song Dynasty. And Tian Wuji has always wanted to change this situation, so once they send troops, Xiangyang will be their first target, as long as Xiangyang is lost, Suizhou will be in danger. ”

Deng Yuanjue nodded with satisfaction: "Let's not rush to send troops first, wait for Qi to make the first move, if Tian Wuji really chooses Xiangyang as a breakthrough, Chu Emperor Xiong Huan will definitely transfer Xiang Chu from Suizhou to defend nearby." As for us, he had to send another general. ”

Xun Yuqing's face was overjoyed: "Xiang Tong is dead, and Xiang Chu is not here, who else in Chu can fight with the general?" ”

Deng Yuanjue smiled slightly: "No matter who comes, we can't take it lightly, there is no trivial matter on the battlefield, everything is careful." ”

Wu Teng and Xun Yuqing nodded heavily.

In the capital city, Emperor Qi Jiang Wushuang was also talking to the general Tian Wuji about Xiang Tong's death in battle. Tian Wuji said: "Your Majesty, last time we failed to attack Chu and lost more than 100,000 troops, not to mention, the two generals Gan Zining and Xu Zhendong were also killed in battle. Now that Xiang Tong of Chu State is dead, it is a good opportunity for us to take revenge. ”

Jiang Wushuang also had a fire in his heart about the last defeat to the Chu State: "What the general said is exactly what I want, the Chu State is no longer what it used to be, the tiger of the past has also become a sick cat, Xiang Tong is not there, and the only claw of this sick cat has been cut off." Who does the general plan to send this time? Or do you want to go into battle yourself? ”

Tian Wuji didn't answer directly: "This time the Chu State was hit hard, I think Xiao Daocheng of the Song State will also come over and step on it." If our two countries send troops together, Chu may be the first country to be destroyed. ”

Jiang Wushuang's eyes lit up: "The general means that this time he sent troops to directly destroy the Chu State?" ”

Tian Wuji nodded: "Originally, according to our plan, the Yan State was destroyed first, then the Song State and the Qin State, and finally it was the turn of the Chu State." But now, if we don't change our strategy, we are afraid that the Chu State will be eaten by the Song State as a whole, in that case, after we destroy the Yan State, we will have to face a Song State that is even stronger than the Chu State before. ”

Jiang Wushuang's expression was solemn, there was indeed the possibility that Tian Wuji said. If six years ago, if anyone said that the Chu State would be destroyed by the Song State in six years, it is estimated that everyone in the world would think that he was a madman. But in the past six years, except for the Yan State, which was allied with the Song State, including his own Great Qi, he lost to him.

Especially in the last Four Kingdoms War, the strongest Qi and Chu countries suffered the greatest losses, and the weakest Song State gained the most.

If you only win once, it can be said to be a fluke, but if you win one after another, it is a bit self-defeating to say that it is luck.

Jiang Wushuang said domineeringly: "It seems that the general is planning to personally lead the troops to the battle, so it's okay, I will give you another 150,000 troops to attack Chu." ”

Tian Wuji was not satisfied, and shook his head: "Your Majesty, this time, in addition to destroying the Chu State, we must also compete with the Song State in speed, occupy more cities than them, and consume them as much as possible, otherwise the Song State will be our fierce opponent in the future." ”

Jiang Wushuang was a little surprised: "Does the general value the Song Kingdom so much?" Xiao Daocheng may be a generation of heroes, but he is so happy, and now he is also dying, so there is no need to worry. The crown prince Xiao Yan has not dried up, and there is no need to be afraid, and the other three princes have not seen anything extraordinary, does the general need to worry so much? ”

Tian Wuji explained: "What the minister is worried about is not the Song State under the rule of the Xiao family, but the Song State under the rule of the Deng family. ”

"You mean Deng Yuanjue will rebel?" Jiang Wushuang's eyes widened, revealing an expression of disbelief.

Tian Wuji took out a note from his sleeve and handed it to Jiang Wushuang: "The minister just got the secret report, Xiao Daocheng has already given Deng Yuanjue the right to act cheaply, and Deng Yuanjue, who has all the strategic materials of the Chu State, can also call on his own, such a big right, if Deng Yuanjue takes the opportunity to stand on his own, all the troops of the Song State will fall to him overnight." ”

Jiang Wushuang took the secret report and read it, and sneered: "This Xiao Daocheng is really ridiculous, since he gave Deng Yuanjue so much power, why bother to leave his son as a hostage, can a mere child threaten him?" In the past few years, Deng Yuanjue has not been less angry with Xiao Daocheng, and if he supports the army and stands on his own, I will not be surprised. How many people are you going to take with you, general? ”

Tian Wuji already had an idea: "The battlefield of Yan Kingdom can be stopped first, and 50,000 troops can be transferred from Sun Zhongmou to the four princes of Changli City, so that Changli also has 100,000 troops." The minister and the four princes divided into two routes, and the minister led an army of 150,000 troops to take Xiangyang directly, and then attacked Suizhou and threatened the Xiakou of the Song army. The four princes led an army of 100,000 to attack Pingliang City, and then went all the way to Shouchun, the capital of Chu. ”