The Beiping County of the Sui Dynasty is located east of today's Tangshan, that is, the Lulong Jiedu Mansion of the Tang Dynasty, and the north is Linyu Pass, which is the throat road connecting Hebei and Liaodong, and Beiping County also belongs to the boundary of Youzhou, but today it is occupied by Gao Kaidao.

Gao Kaidao had an army of more than 100,000 people, and he called himself the King of Yan, and like Wei Dao'er, he also fished with all his might, and men over the age of 14 in Liaodong and Beiping counties had to join the army, agriculture was deserted, and the hungry people were everywhere.

When the news of the annihilation of his 20,000 army came, Gao Kaidao felt extremely heartbroken, and it also made him feel a little afraid of the Sui army, and his mind to join forces with Luo Yi was somewhat shaken.

What made Gao Kaidao feel even more sad was the death of his brother Gao Wentong, Gao Wentong was his younger brother, and he was also his only relative in the world, now the brother is not alive, and he is not dead, Luo Yi sent someone to tell him that his Yun brother died in the chaos of being ambushed by the Sui army, this result made Gao Kaidao difficult to accept, but the brother has not had any news so far, Gao Kaidao understands, in fact, the brother has died.

In the military office in Lulong City, Gao Kaidao is pacing back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back, Gao Kaidao is over forty years old this year, he is burly, his head is as big as a fight, his appearance is fierce, his martial arts are strong, and he looks very similar to his brother Gao Wentong, but unlike Gao Wentong, Gao Kaidao is very cunning, and his heart is as careful as a hair, not as stupid as his brother at all.

― Beside him, his mastermind Sun Jiayan was trying to persuade him, "Lord Wang, if Luo Yi is finished, it will inevitably be the turn of the Liaodong Army, for the sake of our own life and death, my subordinates believe that the general should indeed join forces with the Youzhou Army to deal with the Sui Army." ”

Sun Jiayan is Bohai County, the first to be Ge Qian's secretary to join the army, after Ge Qian's defeat, he followed Gao Kaidao to retreat north, and gradually gained Gao Kaidao's trust and became his mastermind, Gao Kaidao annexed another Liaodong anti-thief Gao Tansheng's army last year, which was Sun Jiayan's Hongmen banquet plan, since then, Gao Kaidao almost obeyed Sun Jiayan's advice.

This alliance between Gao Kaidao and Luo Yi was also facilitated by Sun Jiayan, but the annihilation of the 20,000 army gave Gao Kaidao an extremely heavy blow, and his heart of unity began to waver.

Gao Kaidao sighed and said: "But he Luo Yi knew that my brother was going to die, but he didn't stop it, and he didn't send reinforcements, and he saw that the 20,000 troops were wiped out, but he didn't apologize to me, and now he wants me to continue to send troops, which makes me embarrassed."

"The subordinates think that Luo Yi must have dissuaded the second general, but the second general can't listen to his advice, the prince should understand the character of the second general, and it's ...... at night"

Sun Jiayan saw Gao Kaidao's thoughts, and kept saying that it was because Luo Yi was unkind, but in fact he was afraid of the Sui army, and he was afraid that all the troops in his hands would be wiped out.

Sun Jiayan hurriedly persuaded him again: "The defeat of the 20,000 army is not because our combat effectiveness is not strong, on the one hand, it is a night battle, and it is ambushed in a narrow valley, and it is impossible for any army to turn defeat into victory in such adversity, but it is only a matter of more defeats and fewer defeats; on the other hand, the 20,000 troops are only the native army of Liaodong, with insufficient training and low morale. ”

Gao Kaidao had two armies in his hands, one was the 30,000 veterans he brought from Douzigang, all of whom had been fighting for many years and were extremely brave and good at fighting, and were called the Yan Army, and the other 70,000 troops were taken over from the Liaodong bandit Gao Tansheng, known as the Liaodong Army, whose morale and combat effectiveness were very weak, and the 20,000 people who were wiped out this time were the Liaodong Army.

Gao Kaidao sighed again, "Maybe Mr. has some sense." ”

Sun Jiayan saw that Gao Kaidao had been moved, so he used the killer copper, "The death of the second general made the whole army mourn, doesn't the prince want to avenge the second general and let him die in the hands of the Sui army in vain?" ”

Gao Kaidao's eyes flashed suddenly, a trace of anger, Gao Wentong was his brother, his only relative, and he died in the hands of the Sui army like this, how could he give up.

At this moment, a personal soldier at the door said, "Lord Qiqi, the envoy of the Sui army is here, just outside the city." ”

This sudden news made Gao Kaidao stunned, what did the envoy of the Sui army do? Other...... Jia Yan stood up and said hurriedly: "The prince can't see the Sui envoys, they must be here to sow discord, and they must be killed!" ”

The pro-soldier stepped forward and whispered a few words in Gao Kaidao's ear, Gao Kaidao's eyes gradually narrowed, he stood up and said, "I'd better go and have a look!" ”

He ignored Sun Jiayan and walked quickly outside the house, Sun Jiayan didn't know what was going on, and hurriedly followed out.

Outside the gate of the West City, a delegation composed of more than a dozen Sui soldiers waited quietly on the official road, followed by a horse-drawn carriage not far behind them, surrounded by more than 1,000 soldiers from the high open road, as if facing a great enemy.

"The prince has arrived!"

The head of the city shouted loudly, Gao Kaidao rode out of the city surrounded by hundreds of guards, and the soldiers dodged away one after another, Gao Kaidao turned over and dismounted, and he did not greet the Sui envoy, but shouted and asked: "Where is my brother's body?" ”

When he saw the carriage behind him, he walked up quickly, pulled down the curtain, and on the carriage lay the corpse of his brother Gao Wentong, and he slowly lifted the veil, and stared at his brother's naked body, his eyes gradually reddening.

After a long time, he got out of the carriage and asked in a hoarse voice! "Who is the messenger?"

-- A civilian officer stepped forward and handed over his hand, "Below is Shi Rong, deputy staff member of the Sui army Cangcao, who sent a letter to General Gao on the order of the commander-in-chief. ”

He took out a letter from his bosom and handed it to Gao Kaidao: "This is a personal letter from the head of my family!" ”

Gao Kaidao took the letter, and the envelope read: 'The Great Sui Shangshu ordered the King of Chu to annex Yang Yuanqing, the governor of the state, to General Gao Kaidao...... Gao Kaidao opened the letter, and there was only one sentence in it, 'Although the Liaodong Army was annihilated by the Sui army, Ling Di was not killed by the Sui army......

At this time, Sun Jiayan also arrived, he stepped forward to look at the letter, and immediately shook his head and said, "Impossible, it must have been killed by the Sui army!" ”

Gao Kaidao sighed, "I have seen Wentong's corpse, it was not killed on the battlefield, but was killed by a sneak attack, and Yang Yuanqing also said that it was not killed by him. ”

Sun Jiayan hurriedly said: "Of course Yang Yuanqing won't admit it, he said that he wasn't killed by the Sui army, does the prince believe it?" ”

Gao Kaidao turned around and glared at him fiercely, and said angrily: "Who is Yang Yuanqing, he is the emperor of the Great Sui, do you think he will lower his status?" Since he said that it was not killed by the Sui army, then it must not be done by the Sui army, what can't be believed! ”

Gao Kaidao snorted heavily, a fierce light shot out of his eyes, and gritted his teeth and said: "I understand, this-Wentong must have escaped from the battlefield, but was intercepted and killed by Luo Yi halfway, and wanted to blame the Sui army and force me to send troops again, otherwise why didn't he go to the rescue?" ”

Sun Jiayan sighed secretly, and finally persuaded Gao Kaidao, but was ruined by Yang Yuanqing's letter, he was really unwilling, and persuaded: "Lord Wang, the Sui army is a tiger, they are destroyed, the state, the next one is us, we should focus on the overall situation, deal with the Sui army first, and then settle accounts with Luo Yi." ”

Gao Kaidao shook his head, "Sui Jun is a tiger, Luo Yi is a wolf, I don't want to be devoured by a tiger, let alone eaten by a wolf, I have decided that no one will help." ”

He turned around and shouted: "Pass my order, the army will withdraw from Beiping County and retreat to Liaodong!" ”

……

Gao Kaidao's 50,000 troops retreated to Linyu Pass on the same day, abandoning Beiping County, Gao Kaidao's henchman Zhang Jinshu led the 10,000 elite Yan army to guard Linyu Pass, cutting off the Sui army's passage north to Liaodong, and he himself led the army back to Yan County.

With the withdrawal of Gao Kaidao, the Sui army also began to launch an offensive to the east, Yang Yuanqing left 5,000 troops to strictly defend Yi County, and he personally led 50,000 troops to Laishui County step by step.

At this time, Luo Yi had temporarily returned, and Laishui County was garrisoned by 20,000 troops led by the general Xue Wanche, and under the strong pressure of the Sui army, Xue Wanche was forced to abandon Laishui County and withdraw to Zhuo County.

In the afternoon, 50,000 Sui troops arrived in Laishui County and set up a large camp outside the county seat.

The place where the Sui army camped was still the original Beida camp, and the camp was extremely busy, with tents erected, flagpoles standing in the open space, and the Red Eagle flag of the Great Sui fluttering in the wind.

Yang Yuanqing, escorted by 1,000 personal soldiers, entered Laishui County, and as soon as he entered the county seat, he saw that the county lieutenant and the chief bookkeeper were tied with ropes behind their backs, naked, kneeling by the city gate to plead guilty.

"Crime collection Laishui County Cheng Zhou Zhiping pleads guilty to His Royal Highness the King of Chu!"

Yang Yuanqing looked at them and asked coldly, "Where is the county order?" ”

Zhou Zhiping, the county magistrate, wept and said: "Zhang County Decree said that he surrendered to Luo Yi, betrayed the Great Sui, and had no shame to see His Royal Highness again, and he hanged himself this morning, leaving only the three of us to live in secret, and the criminal wanted to say a word for Zhang County's Order, although he died without regrets!" ”

"Say it!"

"His Royal Highness, when Xue Wanche was leaving, he asked Zhang Xianling to accompany him to Zhuo County, but Zhang Xianling refused, he said that surrendering was only to protect the people, not to rebel against Sui, and now the people have been saved, but his reputation has been tarnished, he is willing to die to clear his shame, and only implore His Highness not to regard him as a traitorous minister."

Yang Yuanqing nodded silently, turned around and ordered his own soldiers, "Untie them and put them on!" ”

Yang Yuanqing waited for them to put on their clothes, and said slowly: "Where is Zhang County's family?" Take me to see it. ”

The county Cheng took Yang Yuanqing to the county yahou's house, which is the residence of the county order, heard crying from the yard from a distance, Yang Yuanqing turned over and dismounted, and walked into the gate quickly, only to see a thin-skin coffin in the yard, a woman with three or four children dressed in linen and filial piety, kneeling in front of the coffin and crying bitterly.

Yang Yuanqing walked to the coffin, the coffin was not covered, and there was a dead official, about 30 years old, with shabby court clothes and boots worn off, he looked at the woman and several children, all of whom were dressed in cloth and thorn skirts, Yang Yuanqing couldn't help but sigh secretly, and asked her: "Are you the county lady?" ”

The county man hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Sister-in-law, this is His Royal Highness the King of Chu!" ”

The woman, the lower son, knelt in front of Yang Yuanqing and cried: "Your Highness, my lord is a loyal minister of the Qing Dynasty, he has no way to surrender, he is determined to die, and beg His Highness to leave him a name after his death!" ”

Yang Yuanqing nodded, turned back to the county and said: "From now on, you are the Moshui County Order, give Zhang County Commander a generous burial, his wife and children will be raised by the county, and then build a Patriotic Shrine for Zhang County Order, so that the people of Laishui can remember his kindness." ”

……