Youzhou's state administration (capital) Jicheng, in the living room of the governor's mansion, a bright light, Youzhou governor Dou Kang, has already set up a banquet in the living room of the Thorn Shi Mansion, to entertain the former Youzhou deputy governor Shi who came from afar, the current military department driver Wang Shichong, and the current Youzhou governor Shi Yuanhongsi and the current Youzhou hussar general Xue Shixiong, also attended.

The guests and hosts sat down, staggered, and the maids in light gauze and thin skirts came and went like flowing water, changing dishes for the host and guests, while a few stunning beauties in the hall were singing and dancing lightly to help the wine.

Wang Shichong changed into a good satin casual dress today, wearing a gauze hat, although he did not wear formal court clothes, but he also had the bearing of a court official, the chairman position, sitting behind the small table, Dou Kang was a middle-aged man about forty years old, medium height, wearing a purple satin casual clothes, thick eyebrows and deep eyes, high nose and wide mouth, long hair and chest, hair neatly combed, with a jade hosta inserted on it, although there was a smile on his face, but there was a flying arrogance between his eyebrows.

Dou Kang put down the wine in his hand and said with a smile: "Wang Yuanwai, thanks to your help last time, not only saved Yuan Changshi, but also overthrew Yan Rong, who has been the king and hegemonic here for many years, for the imperial court, it can be said that he has made great contributions to the country and the people of Youzhou, so today you come here to visit friends, Dou specially set up this thin banquet to entertain Wang Yuan, today we will not talk about political affairs, only talk about friendship." ”

Wang Shichong knew in his heart that from the very beginning today, this Dou Kang was afraid that he would regard himself as the imperial history sent by the imperial court to visit Weifu, and last time he helped kill Yan Rong, and this Dou chief was finally transferred directly from Zhongzhou Assassin Shi to be the governor of Dazhou. Presumably, self-interest will not be less. Come on your own at this time. It must have made him nervous, so he would be treated with the dignity of the chief steward, and he would be treated with an exception.

And Yuan Hongji on the other side was also full of smiles, he changed into a yellow silk dress today, and today he was the most active, and he kept toasting Wang Shichong from the beginning, after what happened last time. He has a full understanding of Wang Shichong's energy, on the one hand, he is really grateful to Wang Shichong for saving his life last time, on the other hand, before Dou Kang came, Yuan Hongsi has been taking over the power of Youzhou as a long history for the past three or four years, and his cruelty and tyranny of the people are more than Yan Rong, and the whole of Youzhou is miserable. I am afraid that Wang Shichong will investigate and secretly visit here and report his misdeeds to the court. Yang Jian was ruthless when he killed Yan Ronglai, and it was impossible for him to open up to himself.

But what Wang Shichong really paid attention to today was the Youzhou hussar general and Youzhou Sima Xue Shixiong sitting next to Yuan Hongsi, this person was about fifty, looking calm and capable, his eyebrows were like ink, the lines on his face were like a knife and an axe, his eye sockets were deep-set, his eyes were introverted, and he occasionally showed his grandeur from time to time, his broad forehead and hard chin reflected his strong personality.

And the two young people standing behind Xue Shixiong look even more brave and majestic, mighty, except for the appearance of six or seven points similar to his father, between the eyebrows are full of young people's spirits, the one on the left looks slightly older, wearing a blue silk suit, while the one on the right looks taller and more majestic, with a wide waistline, but judging from the well-defined muscles under his purple silk clothes, his tiger waist is by no means fat and fat. It is caused by the strong waist strength that must be possessed by long-term practice of horse lance marksmanship, and the abdominal muscles can be trained to a level similar to the chest muscles, Wang Shichong has only seen Yang Xuangan, Qin Qiong, Zhang Xutuo and a few other super fierce generals have such ability.

When Wang Shixiong was in the Sui Shi Long Live Dajin Mountain begging for the Great Blue Khan, he had a relationship with Xue Shixiong on the battlefield, when Xue Shixiong followed Gao Xi's reinforcements to kill, and then went non-stop to pursue Dulan Khan, so he didn't say anything, and then Xue Shixiong led the troops out of the town for many years, and the people were not in Daxing, so Wang Shichong has never had the opportunity to make friends with this famous general, and today he came to Youzhou, mainly to establish a similar relationship with this general and Zhang Xutuo, Such a good personal relationship between Laihu'er and others can be regarded as a foreshadowing for the chaos that may be encountered in the future.

As for the two strong men standing behind Xue Shixiong, it looks like it should be his son, the generals of the Great Sui are no longer like in the Northern Wei Dynasty and the Northern Zhou Dynasty can legally have a large number of private soldiers in this era, so as to train their own sons and nephews, like the sons who came to protect the children are all mighty and heroic, especially the six sons to rectify, brave and martial arts are rare to have a calm and steady demeanor, quite a general's demeanor, over time, when you can become a generation of famous generals. And the two sons behind Xue Shixiong are completely the kind of fierce generals who are 10,000 enemies, charging into battle, and it is not difficult to take the head of the enemy general among the 10,000 troops.

Wang Shichong first smiled at Dou Kang and said: "Manager Dou is really too polite, Wang came to visit Brother Yuan in Youzhou, and Manager Dou actually set up such a high-scale banquet, which really flattered Wang, and Wang gave Dou a cup." As he spoke, he drank all the wine in front of him.

Today's wine, with Jixian County here the famous wine Yuyang wine, Youzhou here the ancient name Yuyang, because the river here is rich in a kind of golden thread carp, so get this name, later Qin Shi Huang because Yuyang carp has the meaning of jumping the dragon gate, then named this place Ji again, that is, the grass carp that was cut off the tail, can no longer become a dragon. After the Qin Dynasty unified the world, there was Yuyang County among the 36 counties in the world, and the governance office has always been in Jicheng.

The wine here has been there since ancient times, called the ancient Yuyang wine, and most of the wine in the land of Yan and Zhao, the entrance is full of strength, strong and mighty, and the abdomen is like a fire, which is extremely suitable for the strong man style of the generous and sad song of the land of Yan Zhao, fortunately, Wang Shichong has been in the army for many years, and has drunk too much liquor such as burning knives, and drinking Yuyang wine here, but his face does not change, and the five or six lords go down, but his face is slightly red.

Wang Shichong drank this wine and turned to Xue Shixiong, he didn't talk much today, except for making a toast, it was basically the rhythm of drinking with his head bored, and it could be seen that he was not very interested in participating in today's banquet.

Wang Shichong smiled slightly: "General Xue, after begging for a farewell back then. I haven't had the chance to say goodbye to the general. This time I came to Youzhou. It can be regarded as a fate between you and me, and it is gratifying to meet here again. Come, Wang did it first as a respect. After that, Wang Shichong took a sip of the wine that the maid in front of him had just filled.

Xue Shixiong's face was still silent: "Wang Yitong is a famous general in the Southern and Northern Wars, Xue admires it very much, and it is Xue's honor to meet here." After finishing speaking, it was also a drunken stomach. The color of his face did not change at all, and it was obvious that he was also used to drinking spirits, such as drinking white water.

Yuan Hongji followed with a smile and said: "The two generals are massive, massive." Xingman, this time you come to our Youzhou, do you have anything else to do besides visiting my old friend? It's been more than four years since I left Daxing, and I miss the emperor very much, and I don't know how his old man's dragon body is? ”

Wang Shichong's heart was bright, and this Yuan Hongsi was still worried that he would come to check on him. He smiled and shook his head: "Brother Yuan doesn't have to mind, the emperor is in good health." At present, the four seas are stable, the people are abundant, and his old man should also enjoy a few years of blessings, the prince is in charge of the country, and everything is arranged one by one. I won't hide it from you, this time Wang came to Youzhou, and there was no mission of the imperial court, but first, he came to visit Brother Yuan, and secondly, he wanted to see the current armament situation in Youzhou. ”

Dou Kang's face changed slightly, and he waved his hand: "You all stand down!" The waiters and singers in the hall all left, and there were only three people left in the entire hall, and Xue Shixiong's two sons and Zhang Jincheng behind Wang Shichong also left the hall, and the living room that was overcrowded just now suddenly became empty.

Dou Kang Zhengse said: "Wang Yuanwai, what did you mean by what you just said?" The garrison of Youzhou has always been slackened because this is a border area, but you also said that now the four seas are stable, the Turks have subdued, and the Khitan is not to worry, and Goguryeo in the northeast has been a lot more responsible after the last expedition of our dynasty, and does not dare to cross the Liao River one step, in this case, why is there any need to strengthen armaments? ”

Wang Shichong laughed: "Chief Dou, isn't it the best signal to send an important minister like you and a general like General Xue to Youzhou at this time, and there is no need for Wang to say more about his intentions." ”

Dou Kang's face sank: "Outside the king, I don't know what you mean, please make it clear." ”

Wang Shichong said with a straight face: "Chief Dou, as the commander of the Ministry of War, I take state affairs as the most important thing in my heart, and the situation in Kanto is now surging under the surface, you and I both know that when the emperor is there, there should be nothing to do here, but once the emperor is long lived, no one can guarantee that the story of Wei Chi Yuan will not be repeated, which is also the reason why His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Yang Shangshu sent you here at this time, why do you bother to go around in circles with Wang." ”

The muscles on Dou Kang's face twitched: "Dou has received the grace of the country in his life, and he is the governor of this Youzhou, so he should be loyal to the imperial court, protect the territory and the people, and repay the king's kindness." What does the king's words mean? ”

Wang Shichong smiled slightly: "Wang simply said it, in case the emperor is long lived, is Dou loyal to the crown prince of Daxing, or to your nominal boss, His Royal Highness the King of Han?" ”

Dou Kang's voice became stern: "Outside the king, your words are a bit excessive. How can His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and His Royal Highness the King of Han be opposed? Or do you want to say that His Royal Highness the King of Han wants to be a lieutenant? ”

Wang Shichong's face did not change, and he said calmly: "Chief Dou, I came here alone to discuss state affairs with you, what kind of person is King Han and what he will do in the future, you and I both know it, if he really only wants to be a prince with peace of mind, will he now reorganize his army and fight in Bingzhou, with 300,000 people?" A small place to merge states, the military strength is actually stronger than Daxing's right guard battalion, his Taiyuan City, the city defense can also be close to Daxing, don't you know these things? ”

Dou Kang raised his eyebrows: "But this is the power given by the emperor to the King of Han, he gave the King of Han the right to control the four major states of Kanto and act cheaply, even if I am the governor of Youzhou, I must follow his orders, that is to say, he does not need the tiger talisman of the imperial court, he can mobilize my Youzhou troops, and I can only obey orders." ”

Wang Shichong laughed: "In this way, if King Han really wants to be a lieutenant, Chief Dou can only do it, right?" ”

Dou Kang's pupils contracted suddenly: "Dou is not a person who doesn't know right and wrong, if the King of Han really has this idea and commits chaos, then Dou will never be able to accompany him." ”

Wang Shichong said "oh": "But just now Manager Dou said that this land of Youzhou is under the control of the King of Han. He has the right to act cheaply. Mobilizing Youzhou soldiers and horses does not need to go through the Tiger Talisman. So how could Chief Dou not follow King Han? ”

Dou Kang stared at Wang Shichong for a long time, and said in a deep voice: "Wang Yuanwai, before answering this question, Dou asked you for the last time, did you come here in a private capacity this time, or did you serve the mission of the imperial court?" Or are you from the King of Han? ”

Wang Shichong said with a straight face: "The words have been said to this point, and Wang doesn't have to hide it anymore." This time, Wang was indeed ordered by the Duke of Yue Guo to come to Youzhou, just to find out the attitude of Chief Dou. ”

Dou Kang then asked, "The envoy of the Duke of Yue?" So you're here to represent the imperial court? Is there an edict mission? ”

Wang Shichong shook his head: "Chief Dou, the last time I came to Youzhou with Yuan Changshi, I also had a secret order from the high servant at that time, asking me to secretly investigate the dictatorship of Yan Rong in Youzhou, how can this kind of secret mission have a formal mission, and now the Duke of Yue Guo is the chief assistant and is worried about state affairs." It is impossible to make a proposal to the emperor to reduce the authority of the Han king and divide the relationship between their father and son. Therefore, I only recommended General Manager Dou and General Xue to come to Youzhou to take charge of the army, and at the same time sent me to come after and ask the two of them about their plans. ”

Dou Kang's expression changed: "Is this really what Yue Guogong meant?" ”

Wang Shichong smiled slightly: "If Chief Dou doesn't believe it, you can ask Yuan Changshi if we were on a mission to spy on Yan Rong when we came to Youzhou." And the reason why Yan Rong beat and abused Elder Brother Yuan was that he must be put to death and then quickly, he also saw this clearly. ”

Yuan Hongsi hurriedly nodded and said: "Yes, that's right, before I came to Youzhou, the emperor personally met me and asked me to investigate the situation in Youzhou and report to him." ”

Xue Shixiong suddenly spoke: "Outside the prince, the imperial court visits the states and counties in various places, there are special inspectors of the imperial history, and there are also prison guards in the army, these legitimate and legal means are not used, why did you send you to come secretly, and you don't have any proof of your mission on this trip, please forgive Xue for believing it." ”

Wang Shichong sighed: "Since it is a secret mission, naturally it can't be fanfare, the King of Han now has more than 200,000 standing elites in Bingzhou alone, plus the government military system in Bingzhou has always been there, in the event of a war, the army can be quickly expanded to about 400,000." Out of consideration for the king of Han, the emperor allowed him the right to act cheaply in the eastern part of the country, in fact, you and I both know in our hearts, now that the Turks have surrendered, do you still need to retain such a large number of troops in the land of the state? Why do I need to tell the truth? ”

Xue Shixiong nodded: "Outside of the prince, the Duke of Yue Guo is still a scholar, shouldn't he speak to the emperor in the face of this situation, this is the right way." ”

Wang Shichong touched his goatee, shook his head and said: "The former prince Yang Yong personally presided over the investigation by the Duke of Yueguo, and the evidence of the crime was abolished, and the king of Shu, Yang Xiu, was also sent by the Duke of Yue to send Zhao Zhongqing and Dugu Kai to investigate the case, and at that time he secretly followed the action, that is to say, the Duke of Yue Guo has led the abolition of the emperor's two sons, and now in addition to the prince, only Yang Liang, the king of Han, is left, and he is intimate, and now he dares to speak directly to the emperor about the king of Han?" ”

Xue Shixiong was silent, and it seemed that he accepted Wang Shichong's statement.

Dou Kang also sighed: "Before I came to Youzhou, the Duke of Yue did tell me that he wanted me to guard the land of Youzhou well, be loyal to the imperial court, and not have two hearts, it seems that there is something to be pointed out." ”

Wang Shichong said with a straight face: "Chief Dou, Yuan Changshi, General Xue, if my expectations are correct, the young sons of the three families are still in Daxing." ”

The muscles on Dou Kang's face jumped: "That's right." Wang Yuanwai wants to remind me that I must be loyal to the court, otherwise my family will not be protected? ”

Wang Shichong smiled: "I don't need to explain this kind of thing thoroughly." ”

Dou Kang gritted his teeth: "Dou Mou should be loyal to the prince and the court, even if the king of Han is my top boss, he can obey his orders for other things, that is, to raise an army and rebel, it is difficult to follow." ”

Wang Shichong smiled slightly: "Do Elder Brother Yuan and General Xue also have the same idea?" ”

Yuan Hongsi hurriedly spoke: "This is natural, loyalty to the court is loyalty to the crown prince, there is nothing to say." ”

Xue Shixiong's brows furrowed: "Outside the king, I am a soldier, only talking about the military, whether it is the imperial court or the king of Han, if there is no edict and tiger talisman from the imperial court, you can't recruit government soldiers in this Youzhou, Youzhou now has a standing army of 20,000 people, mainly scattered on the border fortress defense, but if it is really as you said, the king of Han rebelled, then Youzhou can only recruit new soldiers, it is possible to resist the king of Han, which will take time." ”

Wang Shichong nodded: "When the Han King arrives, he will only send envoys to transfer troops with his orders, and it may be in the name of conquering Goguryeo, you can't disobey, you can only obey your orders, as for the transfer of troops, he won't let you go to Goguryeo, but wants you to go to Bingzhou to assemble, so where will General Xue go?" ”

Xue Shixiong stood up suddenly, and said angrily: "If you are going to conquer the enemy country abroad, you should obey your fate, if you have requisitioned the army, but you want to go to merge with the state, it is obvious that you want to seize the throne in a civil war, and Xue will be difficult to obey!"

Dou Kang also said: "In this case, Dou can only restrain the army, protect the territory and the people, and wait for the order of the court to be issued, and then enter the army to fight the thief. (To be continued......)