Early the next morning, Emperor Zheng Wang Shichong met with the Tang envoy Wu Shi Tong in the Huiyou Palace, and the Wu Shi Tong presented Li Yuan's letter of state, officially recognizing Zheng Guo on behalf of the Tang Dynasty. Pen % fun % Pavilion www.biquge.info

Wang Shichong did not agree or object, but ordered someone to send Wu Shitong back to your hotel to rest, he needed to think about this matter.

In the imperial study, Wang Shichong paced back and forth with his hands in his hands, he was really a little embarrassed in his heart, the land west of Kunguan has always been his heart disease, Kunguan is too close to Luoyang, although most of the Tang army is deployed in Tongguan, there are not many Tang troops in Kunguan, only thousands of people, but it still makes him feel a huge pressure.

If the Tang army is willing to exchange the land for him on other terms, of course he can't ask for it, but the Tang army also wants Xiangyang County, although Xiangyang County has recently made him anxious, but he also has a plan for the southern expedition, if Xiangyang County is exchanged for the Tang army, his own southern expedition plan will be in vain.

Especially when he changed Xiangyang County, how could he explain to Zhang Xuan, I am afraid that his alliance with Zhang Xuan will be broken.

Wang Shichong was very entangled and hesitant, and he didn't know whether to exchange with Tang Jun or not.

At this time, a eunuch reported at the door, "Your Majesty, His Royal Highness the King of Chu asks to see you!" ”

Wang Shichong looked at the eunuch for a while before slowly coming back to his senses, "Oh! Let him in! ”

After a while, Wang Shiyun hurriedly walked into the imperial study, he was also present when Wang Shichong officially received Wu Shitong in the morning, he remained silent during the negotiation, he knew in his heart that this kind of thing must be persuaded to his brother alone.

"Weichen see Your Majesty!"

"Fourth brother, you're welcome, your own people, it sounds weird."

"Even if they are brothers, the relationship between the monarch and the minister is inevitable, otherwise it will affect the authority of His Majesty's emperor."

"What's the matter?" Wang Shichong asked with a smile.

"Wechen is here for the Tang envoy to negotiate, and Wechen has been thinking about this matter."

"And what is your attitude?"

After all, Wang Shiyun is Shang Shuling Xiangguo, although he is average in learning, but he still has a little vision and resourcefulness, Wang Shichong relies on him very much, he wants to hear Shang Shuling's opinion.

"Actually, Wechen thinks it's a good deal."

"Why?"

"If Your Majesty doesn't solve the matter of Zhu Ji for a day, then you won't be able to solve the contradiction with Xiangyang for a day, but Weichen knows that Your Majesty has to consider the stability of the army, so it is impossible to move Zhu Ji, so that Xiangyang County will become chicken ribs, tasteless food, and it is a pity to abandon it, and the west of Kuiguan is related to the safety of Luoyang, if the Tang Dynasty sends troops, we can at least resist in the west of Kunguan and Hongnong County, and give Luoyang a gap to obstruct, otherwise the Tang army will directly come to the city, and it will catch us off guard, and the pressure on us is very great."

"I've also considered this issue, but I'm thinking about expanding southward, and if I lose Xiangyang County, it will block the way for Zheng Jun to go south, so I really can't make up my mind."

Wang Shiyun smiled and said, "Your Majesty thinks Li Yuan wants Xiangyang County?" ”

Wang Shichong was stunned, he really didn't think about this question, he had been thinking about himself, but he didn't consider Li Yuan's purpose of exchanging land, Wang Shichong pondered for a moment, and suddenly woke up, "Do they also want to attack Jingxiang?" ”

"In addition to this reason, Weichen really can't think of any other reason, the Tang army is afraid of our alliance with the Northern Sui, so they don't dare to attack Luoyang for the time being, but Zhang Xuan is ready to launch the Jiangnan Campaign, Li Yuanyan can not be in a hurry, he is eager to destroy Xiao Mill, so that the territory of the Tang Dynasty expands to the south, if Your Majesty also wants to march south, it will collide with the strategy of the Tang Army, at that time the Tang Army will press Luoyang, and Your Majesty will not return to the army? If you give up the southern expedition and return to the army, then what is the point of Xiangyang? ”

Wang Shichong was finally moved, yes! If the Tang army expands to Jingxiang and the south, it will be difficult for him to compete with the Tang army for the south, after all, the Tang army has too much constraint on him, and Xiangyang will really be a chicken rib for him.

Wang Shichong was silent for a long time and said, "I am worried that after exchanging land with the Tang Army, it will annoy Zhang Xuan. ”

"This is the main reason why Weichen wants to persuade His Majesty, when Zhu'a County was in the first battle, His Majesty and Zhang Xuan had already broken off their relationship, so Zhang Xuan and we formed an alliance not because of love, but because we have use value, the two sides join forces to deal with the Tang Army, even if Your Majesty and the Tang Army exchange land, as long as Your Majesty's use value is still there, Zhang Xuan will not turn his face with His Majesty, but more importantly, if Zhang Xuan wants to destroy us one day, who do we ask for help?"

Wang Shichong's brows gradually furrowed, he finally understood what the fourth brother meant, maybe one day they would really form an alliance with the Tang army to deal with the Northern Sui.

Wang Shiyun said lightly: "We are sandwiched between the Sui and Tang dynasties, the most important thing is to master the way of balance, Tang Qiang will join forces with Sui to fight against Tang, and Sui Qiang will join forces with Tang to resist Sui, Your Majesty, we have to leave a little leeway for ourselves, we can't really offend the Tang Dynasty, judging from the current situation, it is likely that one day we will join forces with the Tang Army to deal with the Sui Army." ”

Wang Shiyun's persuasion made Wang Shichong realize that his brother was right when he said that Luoyang was sandwiched between the Sui and Tang dynasties, and the most important thing was to balance the way of exchanging Xiangyang County for the land west of Kunguan, thereby easing the tension between him and the Tang Dynasty.

.......

Wang Shichong finally agreed to Li Yuan's proposal to exchange land, and exchanged Xiangyang County for the Tang Dynasty's control of land hundreds of miles west of Kunguan, and agreed that the Tang Dynasty would borrow Hanshui at a price of 10,000 guan a year, and the Tang army immediately retreated to Tongguan, and Wang Shichong sent Zhu Wei to lead 10,000 troops to take over the land west of Kunguan.

In the south, Li Yuan appointed Wu Shi Tong as the governor of Xiangzhou, took over Xiangyang County and was responsible for integrating the rebel army of Xiangyang County, Wu Shi Tong was warmly welcomed by the military and people of Xiangyang, which made Li Yuan very happy, considering the lack of manpower under Wu Shi Tong, and appointed Zuo Wuwei general Sang County as the deputy governor, with more than 20 capable officials and led 3,000 elite troops to take a boat through the Han River to Xiangyang County, to assist Wu Shi Tong to integrate the Xiangyang Rebel Army and control Xiangyang County.

Due to Wang Shichong's betrayal, the Tang Dynasty forces squeezed into Jingxiang, and the situation in Jingxiang suddenly became serious, and the Tang army began to transport food and ordnance to Xiangyang County on a large scale.

Ten days later, under the persuasion of Wang Shiyun, Wang Shichong once again agreed to the Tang army's request for land borrowing, and the Tang army veteran Qu Tutong led 20,000 elite Tang troops through Xiyang County and directly entered Xiangyang County, plus the 20,000 Xiangyang rebels that Wushitong and Sang Xian had integrated, and the Tang army had 40,000 troops in Xiangyang County.

Qu Tutong built warships in Xiangyang County, drilled the army, stored food and materials, actively prepared for war, and patiently waited for the arrival of the spring season.

......

Meng Haigong's army has been withdrawn to Wu County, Meng Haigong officially proclaimed the emperor in Wu County, established the state of Wu, the year name Ming Zheng, canonized his son Meng Yi as the prince, brother Meng Qi ghost as the general, the territory he controlled west to Xuancheng County, south to Wuling, north to the Yangtze River, thousands of miles long from east to west.

Meng Haigong appointed Han Dan, the chief historian of the former Shen Faxing, and Mao Wenshen, the strategist, as the left and right servants, appointed Li Baiyao, the former Taishou of Huiji County, as the Zhongshu Order, and Cheng Yinqian of the former county as the secretary of the ministry, and recruited a group of Jiangnan scholars from poor backgrounds to be hundreds of officials.

Meng Haigong adopted the practice of cracking down on the scholars and encircling the people at the bottom, announcing the exemption of all taxes, starting to rectify military discipline, and not allowing the army to disturb the people anymore, but despite this, because he was too poisonous to the people in Jiangnan before, this series of actions did not eliminate the doubts of the people at the bottom, and the support of the people in Jiangnan for him has always been at a low level.

But for Meng Haigong, the most urgent thing is not to win back the support of the people at the bottom, but the Sui army is about to start the Jiangnan campaign, the huge war pressure makes Meng Haigong sleep, at this moment, Lin Shihong sent an envoy to negotiate with Meng Haigong to form an alliance to jointly deal with the Sui army's southern invasion, this move made Meng Haigong overjoyed, he immediately agreed to Lin Shihong's request for an alliance, and at the same time sent his son Meng Yi to Jinhua County, Dongyang County at the request of Lin Shihong, and Lin Shihong's son Lin Zhengtai made a blood alliance, and the two became brothers.

In early February, there is already a hint of warmth in the south of the Yangtze River, and in early spring, flocks of ducks swim in the river, quacking from time to time, weeping willows begin to sprout, shepherd boys play the flute on the back of oxen, and flocks of small birds hover happily overhead.

On this morning, beside the Jiangnan Canal near Wu County, a young merchant walked along the official road, he wore a soft hat, a gray cloth short placket, coarse cloth short shoes on his feet, and a cloth belt around his waist.

He beat the rattle as he walked, followed by a few bouncing children and two dogs with their tongues out, and the young merchant was not angry at all, but smiling all over his face, not giving the child a little maltose.

At this time, a tea shed appeared in front of him, and the merchant may have been a little thirsty, so he carried his burden and walked into the tea shed at a faster pace.

(To be continued.) )