Danzhou City, Thorn History Mansion.

At this time, Wang Houde put a few large boxes in front of the Central Plains can rarely see the curiosities, these from the grassland of the best fur, from the Western Regions of the best jewelry, in the Tang Dynasty when the strong, once full of the Tang Dynasty in the streets and alleys, the so-called city column Zhuji, Hu Ying Luo Qi is nothing more than that, but in recent decades, the Central Plains chaos, frequent wars, the road has frozen bones, thousands of miles without rooster crowing, in this case, the commercial goods are naturally a lot less. Before Wang Houde was transferred to Danzhou, he had lived in the Central Plains for most of his life, and he had been in power for many years, but there were very few opportunities to see so many treasures at one time, not to mention that the money in front of him that was enough to pay taxes in a small county for a year was now owned by him.

Wang Houde should have been extremely happy, but at the moment there was no discoloration on his face, as if the thing in front of him did not exist, or was insignificant.

His henchmen and staff were full of smiles, arched their hands and flattered: "The adults do not leave the house, the hands are effortless, the brain does not think twice, and there are nobles from thousands of miles away to offer rare treasures for the adults to enjoy, it can be seen that the name of the adults has spread far and wide, and the power of the adults has moved the Yi people, the villain here to congratulate the adults in advance, and I wish the adults a hundred feet ahead, go further!" ”

Wang Houde sat on the low couch high, motionless as a mountain, he glanced at the staff, snorted coldly, and said, "Do you think these things are very valuable?" ”

"Of course!" The staff said as a matter of course, seeing that Wang Houde's face was wrong, he asked cautiously: "My lord, isn't it?" ”

Wang Houde's expression was arrogant, like the wolf king who was proud of the top of the peaks, and he said coldly: "These things are valuable, but they are not so easy to take!" The more valuable something is, the greater the price you have to pay for getting it! The transaction in this world is about fairness and reciprocity, especially the exchange at the upper level. Today, Jerod has given so many valuable things to his ruler, and what he wants his official to give him will not be worth less than these things? The Khitan barbarians are all wolves, have you ever heard of wolves who are willing to suffer? ”

The staff's expression changed, and he exclaimed: "My lord, this ......"

Wang Houde's eyes were deep, and he looked out of the house over the threshold, his voice was still cold, "Yelu Deguang wants to deal with Li Congjing, but Li Congjing is so easy to deal with?" Not to mention that he can fight well, as well as the age of the crown to pull out Huaimeng, defeat Wang Yanzhang, destroy the pseudo-Liang, and defeat the Khitan army after going north, recover Pingzhou, and make great achievements, I look at his style of acting, it is not brave and decisive, ruthless! In the past, when Li Congjing Qimen established the army, there were local surnames who did not know the current affairs and conspired to frame him, but what was the result? It was ruined by Li Congjing! Even Wu Jingzhong, who was domineering for a while, and even His Majesty was helpless, wasn't he still suppressed when he said that he would suppress it, and the power of a family was uprooted? Such a guy is like a fire, and if he gets it, he can burn you to ashes! ”

The staff said in horror: "Since Li Congjing is so difficult to deal with, why do you still agree to join forces with Yelu Deguang?" ”

Wang Houde touched the beard at the corner of his mouth, his eyes were ruthless, "Although Li Congjing is difficult, he is too arrogant, there is no one in his eyes, and after a few victories, he gets carried away and acts excessively, thinking that he is invincible in the world!" Last year, Li Congjing and Yelu were assassinated, Yelu Bei fought in Yingzhou and Pingzhou, and the two sides fought back and forth, and Li Congjing wanted to earn military merits, to win the position, to seek fame and profit, and the official had nothing to do, he really had the ability to win the Khitan people, and the official was also happy to see it! ”

"But the problem is that he shouldn't have sent a large army north from my Gubeikou in Danzhou and provoked a war with the Khitan on the border of Danzhou! He Li Congjing is quite capable of fighting, but after he finished the battle, he had enough military merits, gained fame and fortune, patted his ass and left, hid in Youzhou to enjoy Qingfu, and was his Youzhou Festival envoy in peace and stability, put my Danzhou on the cusp, let the official clean up the mess for him, and face the revenge of the Khitans, this is no conscience! ”

"In the past six months after Huang Fulin evacuated from Gubeikou, the Khitan cavalry galloped outside Gubeikou day and night, and there was no place in the hundred miles bordering Danzhou and the Khitan that had not been harassed and attacked by the Khitan cavalry, and the losses were not heavy. Danzhou had few soldiers and could not cope with it, so that it was repeatedly defeated. Okay, the responsibility for the instability of the place lies with me, the responsibility for the defeat of the army lies with me, I am the one who was scolded by the people as not being able to beat the Khitan soft egg, and the court has repeatedly blamed me, who does the official say to if he is wronged? ”

Speaking of this, Wang Houde's eyes sharpened, he stared at the staff, gritted his teeth and said, "You say, in this situation, how can this official survive?" ”

The staff opened their mouths and was momentarily speechless.

Wang Houde sighed, "If that's the case, that's it, this official is the assassin of Danzhou, and he has the inherent responsibility of defending the land and defending the enemy." However, recently, the Khitan cavalry has been gathering outside the Gubeikou in a large way, plotting against it, and the Danzhou soldiers are already few, and because they have tried to lay off a lot of personnel, at this time, how can they resist the Khitan elite cavalry? This time I joined forces with Yelu Deguang, not because I wanted to, but because I had to! Yelu Deguang has made it clear that if I don't agree, he will wave his army to the south, no matter how powerful Li Congjing is, he can also ask for the official's head before Li Congjing's reinforcements arrive! ”

The staff thought about it for a while, and his heart moved, and he hurriedly asked: "My lord, if this matter is successful, after I enter the Khitan, can I still have the status I have now in Datang?" ”

"It doesn't stop there!" Speaking of this, Wang Houde's eyes flashed, and his emotions finally showed fluctuations, he pointed to the treasure in front of him, "Whether this matter is successful or not, when I wait for the Khitan in the future, not only can I get several times the amount of wealth, but the official position will not be lower than a thorn history!" If this matter is completed, His Highness Yelu has promised this official that he will worship me as a Khitan general! ”

"Ah......" The staff was stunned for a while, and after coming back to his senses, he hurriedly bowed, "Your Excellency is wise!" ”

Wang Houde sighed, and said to his staff with sincere eyes: "Today's rebellion against the Tang Dynasty is not my original intention, it is really a last resort, forced by the situation. You have been with me for so long, and when you come to Khitan in the future, you can also enjoy the glory and wealth, which is thousands of times stronger than giving Li Congjing the black pot here! ”

"Yes, listen to your arrangement!" The staff said very sincerely.

Seeing that Wang Houde showed a tired look, the staff said goodbye with interest.

Exiting the door, after making sure that Wang Houde couldn't see himself, the staff flicked his sleeves, snorted coldly, showed disdain, and mocked: "To be bought is to be bought, to sell the country is to sell the country, in the final analysis, it's just to see profit and forget righteousness, why bother with so many excuses?" Sure enough, the more high-ranking people are, the more high-sounding reasons they can find for everything! ”

After the staff withdrew, Wang Houde muttered viciously in his eyes, "Li Congjing, Li Congjing, you have made so many military exploits, you don't give us a part, and you also cut Lao Tzu's soldiers, and now you want to Tuntian, 'turn into the sky of clouds', you have a big heart, but what have we gained?" You are so black-hearted and selfish, what future do you have if you follow you? It's better to take refuge in the Khitan! ”

After leaving Danzhou City, Yelu Deguang did not immediately part ways with Zhao Tianhe.

After riding their horses for thirty miles, they slowed down their horses, and at dusk, when they were faced with a small city, they crossed the city and did not enter, but set up a makeshift camp in the wilderness.

In the tent, Yelu Deguang and the sturdy man who was competing with Zhao Wu before were discussing secretly.

"Your Royal Highness, today we have obtained Wang Houde's allegiance, this time our plan to get Li Congjing is already in sight, as long as there is no accident, Li Congjing's delusion of a powerful Youzhou will definitely be shattered! At that time, His Royal Highness will lead the army again, and the land of Youzhou will not be able to stop His Highness's troops! The sturdy man said, looking excited.

Yelu Deguang shook the beloved wine glass from the Western Regions, and said without saltiness: "Duolun, make up your mind now, it's still early." ”

"Oh?" Duolun was puzzled, thought about it, nodded and said: "Your Highness is right, although Wang Houde promised His Highness today, his loyalty to the Great Khitan really remains to be verified!" ”

"Loyalty?" Yelu Deguang smiled disdainfully, "This king doesn't need Wang Houde to be loyal to the Great Khitan, he only needs to be loyal to interests!" Loyalty to the master, loyalty to the country, this is not so reliable, people are always fickle, but the only thing that remains unchanged is loyalty to interests! ”

Doron was silent.

Jerod stood up, lifted the curtains, and stood outside the tent, looking into the depths of the night. After a long time, he said: "Since Li Congjing went north to Youzhou, whether it is this king, or Yelu enemy assassin and Yelu Bei, there is no big defeat in anyone who fights with him. He was just an ordinary Tang general, rampant in Youzhou, killing my people, and taking my land, which made several famous generals of the Great Khitan helpless, which is really humiliating! Father Emperor Shengming, with a lofty heart, did not take Li Congjing in his eyes, nor looked down on his petty fights, and did not want to entangle with him, but made every effort to prepare for the battle to destroy the Bohai Kingdom in the coming year, which is understandable. However, Li Congjing first insulted me at the mouth of the gourd, and then plundered the dignified Khitan princess in the grassland, and even caused me to be hit by a counterattack when I chased and killed him......"

Yelu Deguang took a deep breath and said in a stern tone, "How can I, Yelu Deguang, have I ever suffered such a shame since I was born? Over the years, this king has fought in the grassland with his father, and there are countless famous generals and chieftains who died under the sword of this king, but how can this king have suffered two losses at the hands of the same person? What kind of thing is he, Li Congjing, and what qualifications does he have, so that the generalissimo of the soldiers and horses of the Great Khitan State can avoid his edge and be afraid without fighting? ! ”

"Your Highness......" Duolun stopped talking.

Yelude's eyes burned with a strong fighting spirit, "This king and Li Congjing are in the same year and crown, there is absolutely no reason that this king is inferior to him, this king has been fighting immediately in the past 20 years, ruling the country under the horse, how many storms and waves have he experienced, how can a Li Congjing be able to stop my pace and hinder my great cause?" The father can ignore Li Congjing, but this king can't ignore it, this king not only has to ignore it, but also defeats him with his own hands and sends him to hell! If not, what is the face of this king? If even one Li Congjing can't be defeated, how will this king compete for dominance in the world, dominate the Central Plains, and establish immortal deeds in the future? ! ”

Duolun quietly looked at the light of Yerod, who was in a fluctuating mood.

"In the past half a year, this king has been preparing for this all the time, and this king finally persuaded my father to allow me to temporarily put aside the military affairs in the Khitan and deal with Li Congjing in person. The only purpose of this trip is to pull out the thorn of Li Congjing once and for all and get rid of his demon! Yerod's chest rose and fell violently, he turned around, looked at Duolun, and said resolutely: "Duolun, therefore, this trip must not allow failure, in order not to fail, there must be no mistakes!" ”

"Duolun will not hesitate to die, but also help His Highness realize his long-cherished wish!" Duolun said proudly, and after speaking, he suddenly remembered something, "Speaking of mistakes, Your Highness, I look at that Zhao Wu, these days, it seems that he has been advising Zhao Tianhe not to be with us." ”

Yelu Deguang turned around, looked into the distance with his hands, and said lightly: "Since this is the case, then let's kill him." ”

"Yes!" Doron commanded.

"Let Zhao Tianhe do it himself."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

An hour later, somewhere outside the camp.

Zhao Wu looked at Zhao Tianhe in disbelief, his eyes widened, as if he didn't know each other.

Just now, Zhao Tianhe asked Zhao Wu to accompany him out of the camp to disperse, and while he was unprepared, he suddenly made a move, and the short knife stabbed into the opponent's waist ribs. If it weren't for Zhao Wu's quick reaction, he would have been able to avoid the key point at the last moment, and he would already be a corpse at this time.

Zhao Wu covered the wound that was constantly bleeding out, his eyes were full of incomprehension, it seemed that at this time, he didn't believe that the general in front of him, who had fought back to back on the battlefield, would actually attack him, "General, for...... Why? ”

Zhao Tianhe's eyes were indifferent, and his voice was even more emotionless, "Ben Jiang has already said that if you persuade Ben Jiang again, Ben will kill you to keep your mouth shut." ”

Zhao Wu stepped back, staggered, shook his head, and said, "General, why did you betray the Tang Dynasty, why, why?" You are a soldier of the Tang Dynasty, a border army of the Tang Dynasty, you have fought with the Khitan for decades, have you forgotten those brothers who died in battle, and forgot what they had to hold in the palm of their hands at the cost of dying in battle? How can you take refuge in the Khitan and be that disloyal and unrighteous person? General, turn back, it's still too late to turn back, as long as you capture and kill Yerod Guang......"

"Enough!" Zhao Tianhe shouted angrily, and with a wave of the horizontal knife in his hand, the blade tore a terrifying wound on Zhao Wu's upper body. Zhao Wu fell to the ground, blood stained the black soil, he couldn't stand up anymore, and he could only kneel on the ground and cough up blood when he struggled desperately.

"General......

Zhao Tianhe interrupted him, and said with a hideous face: "Zhao Wu, I knew that you were so stupid and so unfathomable, I shouldn't have reused you so much before!" Let me tell you, Ben Jiang has indeed fought with the Khitan for decades, but it is not for the Tang Dynasty, but for myself! In order to get ahead one day, in order to be able to hold great power, in order to live insignificant like ants! Zhao Wu, do you understand? I don't want to live like an ant, be a pawn of others all my life, and even control my own fate, life and death in the hands of others! ”

Zhao Wu shook his head desperately, blood kept pouring out of his mouth, he could feel the quiet passage of life, and before his consciousness disappeared, he vomited blood and said with difficulty: "General...... Big brother, it's not a pity for me to die, you ...... Don't be treasonous, defend your family and country, guard the territory of your ancestors, and be loyal...... Big Brother ......"

Before he finished speaking, Zhao Wu fainted and died.

The muscles on Zhao Tianhe's face twitched, and the hand holding the knife trembled. In the end, he failed to kill Zhao Wu with his own hands, and left with his feet, he ordered his own personal soldiers, "Kill him, and throw the body into the wilderness!" ”