"Your Highness, General Zeng has already arrived ten miles outside the city." In Kaifeng City, the spies reported to Jiang Huan Chu excitedly.

"Quick, come with me out to meet General Zeng." Jiang Huan Chu beckoned Tian Kangyou and Taishou Lei Ming out of the city to greet him.

Since Hou Ying escorted Gonggong Hong back to Kaifeng, he has been busy with all kinds of preparations in advance, and the only thing missing now is Zeng Dong's arrival.

As soon as the three of them walked to the city gate, they saw Zeng Dong galloping from a distance.

"General Zeng has worked hard all the way." Jiang Huan Chu greeted him and held the reins for him.

Zeng Dong was startled, and hurriedly dismounted and bowed, you must know that if the incident is successful this time, then Jiang Huan Chu will be the emperor of Daqi in the future, let him pull the reins for himself, and he will also sit on the back of the horse with a big grin, this is not looking for death.

"Your Highness, you must not do this, and you will be tormented. The last general came to Kaifeng this time, not only on the order of the eldest princess, but also to avenge the third highness. ”

Jiang Huan Chu helped him up and said with a smile: "General Tian and I are ready, and Xiang Chu of Xuchang also promised to block Deng Wenjie in the rear for me. ”

Xiang Chu had also heard about Jiang Wushuang's edict. He sent someone to Kaifeng as soon as possible, saying that he was willing to guard the rear for him.

Xiang Chu had no choice but to do this, if he didn't take advantage of Jiang Huan Chu's weakness to show goodwill, once he ascended the throne and became emperor, he would not need his weak ally as a weak ally with the entire Qi country, and then Xuchang's supply would be a problem.

Back then, he was able to resist Song and Qi in Suizhou, not only because Tian Wuji and Deng Yuanjue wanted to leave a buffer zone between each other, but more importantly, he had Chen Shaodong's father and son to provide him with assistance.

"After the Nujiao Gang knew about the edict of the first emperor, they were all prepared. As long as Your Highness sends troops, the helper will raise troops in Jiaozhou to respond. Zeng Dong said on behalf of the Nujiao Gang.

"Great, with the help of Gang Master Lu, this matter will be done. Tomorrow, we will raise 100,000 troops to Changli, and the first stop will be Nanyang. Nanyang is not far from the general's Xiangyang, where he will meet us. Jiang Huan Chu said the battle plan.

Zeng Dong nodded and said: "Although Nanyang has the 200,000 army of the Great Sima, most of them are the subordinates of the former Third Highness, and the last general is confident that he can persuade them to obey the edict of the first emperor and join His Highness." ”

On the second day, Jiang Huan Chu raised Kaifeng's 100,000 troops and went to Nanyang with his lieutenant generals Tian Kangyou, Zeng Dong, and Hong Gonggong.

Although Jiang Huanchu is leading troops to uphold his own righteousness, after all, it is a civil war in Qi, so he doesn't want to cause too much turmoil. With his father's most trusted father-in-law, Hong Gonggong, as a witness, and the physical evidence of the edict, he was confident that he could convince the local guards that even if they refused to surrender to him, as long as they could not help each other, they were willing to let him go to Beijing.

More than 20 days later, the army drove to the city of Nanyang. Da Sima Xin Shoujian was originally ordered by Jiang Huan Song to send 200,000 troops to attack Jiang Huan Chu, but when he was halfway through, he heard the matter of the edict, and he was also hesitant, and after thinking twice, he decided to temporarily lead the army to be stationed in Nanyang to wait and see.

"Da Sima, why did you lead your troops to block my way? Don't you believe in your father's edict? In front of the two armies, Jiang Huan Chu shouted with Jiang Wushuang's edict in his hand.

"Da Sima, the old slave can testify for the four princes, the first emperor did call me into the palace to draft an edict before his death, but in the next half a year, the old slave was sent by the second prince to be placed under house arrest." Gonggong Hong also shouted.

"And how did you escape?" This question is also something that Xin Shouji has been thinking about these days, it stands to reason that Jiang Huan Song should have directly destroyed the edict and killed him to extinguish his eloquence, how could he keep his mouth alive?

Gonggong Hong immediately told him how he was under house arrest by Jiang Huan Qin and then let him go, but he didn't mention Linglong Pavilion halfway.

Xin Shouji frowned after hearing this: "This matter is very important, can Your Highness give me a few days to think about it?" ”

Jiang Huan Chu thought for a while and said: "Of course you can, but Da Sima, you also know that this civil war is related to the national fortune of my Great Qi, the longer the time drags on, the more people's hearts will fluctuate, and now the world is in chaos, after Deng Yuanjue swallows the Song Kingdom, he will be our number one enemy, so please make a quick choice." ”

Xin Shouji nodded, and after leading the troops back to the city, he asked his lieutenant general: "Is there no news from the prime minister's side?" ”

It turned out that after Jiang Huan Chu raised troops, he sent someone back to Shangjing to ask Song Chong about his countermeasures. In fact, from the bottom of his heart, he and Song Chong both supported Jiang Huanchu, especially himself, when he heard that Jiang Huanyan was killed by the current saint, he was even more furious, and he couldn't wait to lead the army back to Beijing to ask for an explanation.

But for the sake of the country as a whole, he must restrain his private feelings, even if he is wrong. If killing Jiang Huan Chu now could stop the civil war, he and Song Chong would not hesitate to do so.

"There is still no news, could it be that the prime minister has also suffered an accident?" The adjutant asked cautiously.

It can be seen from the questions raised by the deputy general that he is also biased towards Jiang Huanchu. He was worried that after the prime minister knew about the edict, he went into the palace to confront His Majesty, but was killed by His Majesty.

Xin Shouji sighed: "Are the soldiers in the army all thinking the same as you?" Do you all want to support the Four Princes as emperors? ”

The adjutant general did not hide it, nodded, and said boldly: "Our soldiers of Daqi, who doesn't admire the Third Highness?" Now that he has been killed, it is normal for the soldiers to want to avenge him, I believe that Da Sima also feels the same way, right? ”

Xin Shouji smiled bitterly, did not answer, lay on the chair, closed his eyes, and thought about how to reply to Jiang Huanchu.

"Great Sima, General Tian is asking to see you outside the city." Suddenly, the sound of a spy interrupted his thoughts.

"General Tian? How many people did he bring with him? As soon as he heard that Tian Wuji was also coming, Xin Shou opened his eyes suddenly.

"The general is alone."

"Alone? It seems that he is also here to be a lobbyist, so please invite him in. Xin Shouji had already guessed his intention, stood up, and straightened his clothes.

"Da Sima, I didn't expect you to leave the barracks for many years, and you still have the same demeanor." Tian Wuji's hearty laughter came from outside the door, and he and Xin Shouji were also the same as Yan Chixing and Deng Yuanjue of the Song Kingdom, known as the Shuangbi of the Qi Kingdom.

It was only later that because Xin Shouji was seriously injured on the battlefield, in the two years of recuperation, a large number of young generals like Sun Zhongmou and Gan Zining poured out of Qi State, so Jiang Wushuang simply left him in Shangjing to be in charge of domestic military affairs, and slowly faded out of the stage of famous generals from various countries.

"Your Majesty has always wanted to summon you back to Shangjing, but you have always resisted and disobeyed. Now that you have come to Nanyang alone, aren't you afraid that I will escort you back to report your life to Your Majesty? "Although Tian Wuji is the general of Qi State, he is five years younger than Xin Shouji. When he first joined the army, he was still under Xin Shouji's account, so Xin Shouji wanted to give him a dismount.

"Hahaha, Da Sima said and laughed, I am still the general of Daqi, and the soldiers and horses of the whole country are under my control, who dares to take me?" Tian Wuji was not to be outdone, and said back, the implication is that you Xin Shoujian is just a big Sima, and you have to listen to me when it comes to official positions.

Xin Shouji snorted coldly: "Say, are you planning to be a lobbyist for His Royal Highness today?" ”

Deng Yuanjue shook his head: "No, I'm not here for the fourth prince, but for you." ”

"Coming for me? What do you mean by that?" Xin Shouji was surprised.

"Let me ask you, do you believe or don't you believe in the edict of the first emperor?"

"How's the letter? What if you don't believe it? ”

"Since you believe it, then you still led the army to block the way of the four princes, and he ascended the throne as the emperor in the future, then your actions today are undoubtedly rebellious, and then your Xin family will be in a catastrophe. If you don't believe it, then we can only meet each other in arms, but most of the 200,000 troops under your command are all the old departments of the Third Highness, and Zeng Dong is in the army of the Fourth Highness, as long as he raises his arms and shouts, I believe that even if the generals and soldiers in your army do not turn against each other, they will lay down their weapons and not help each other. ”

From the conversation with the deputy general just now, Xin Shouji could deduce what the officers and soldiers in the army were thinking, and naturally knew that what Tian Wuji said was true, but he was a little unwilling to let him surrender like this.

Tian Wuji seemed to see through his thoughts, and persuaded again: "Brother Xin, I know that you don't want to see the civil war in Daqi either, so it's better to get out of the way and let the army of the Fourth Highness pass, as for the final result, why don't you let the two brothers solve it by themselves?" ”

Xin Shouji secretly calculated in his heart, as Tian Wuji said, if the two sides really go to war, he has no chance of winning at all, not only increasing internal friction, but also laying the root of his family's destruction in the future.

"Okay, I'll listen to the general, and let the army of the Fourth Highness go over." Xin Shouji sighed helplessly.

In the palace of King Zhao in the capital, Emperor Qi Jiang Huan Song personally broke in with Lei Moyang and other masters of the Heavenly Qi Sect.

"Your Majesty, I searched the whole mansion, but I didn't find any trace of King Zhao." Zheng Lun reported cautiously.

Jiang Huan Song was furious, grabbed a servant who was kneeling on the ground next to him and asked, "Say, where is Jiang Huan Qin?" ”

The servant trembled, and it took a long time for him to spit out a sentence: "The villain... I don't know, the villain has been... I haven't seen the prince for half a month. ”

"Your Majesty, a secret passage has been found in the mansion." When Jiang Huan Song was about to have a seizure, Chen Qi came over to report.

"Then what are you doing here, hurry up and follow the secret passage to find it."

"The secret passage leads to the outside of the mansion, I asked the servants in the mansion, they haven't seen the prince for half a month, I guess King Zhao should have escaped half a month ago." When Chen Qi spoke, he was five meters away from Jiang Huan Song, for fear that he would hurt himself when he was angry.

"Okay, you Jiang Huan Qin, it turns out that you have been prepared, I have already guessed that Gonggong Hong is in your hands, but I miss the brotherhood and didn't attack you early, I didn't expect you to really dare to betray me, Lei Moyang, you quickly arrange for someone to investigate, no matter where he escaped, I have to arrest him back." After speaking, Jiang Huan Song went back to the palace angrily.