Although Yao Haogu said that his official work had been completed, he became a "lowly post", and the topic naturally turned to the civil handover of the Twin Cities Governor's Mansion.

Deng She's acquisition of the five cities of Dingzhou was a later thing. Before Yao Haogu set off, he hadn't gotten any news, so he didn't have enough civil officials to bring him. First, Dingzhou and other places are not like twin cities, deep in the front line, and the military is more important than everything. Second, in the final analysis, he didn't care about the outer cities. Before coming, Guan Duo had a secret conversation with him for a night, and his intention was very clear, focusing on the twin cities.

Therefore, he simply did not mention those cities. Only one official named Fang Buzhen was sent to Jiashan to "assist General Zhao in managing civil affairs"; Thinking that Qian Shide "can't come to be a little white face and eat dry rice", he divided 200 cavalry and went to garrison Jiashan with Fang Buzhen.

As for the twin cities, Wu Henian's results are not too bad, the original position of the chief manager has been changed to one level, and he is the same knowledge; Luo Lilang's acquaintance changed to one level and did the middle of governance. The following officials at all levels, Hong Jixun resolutely refused, and in Luo Guoqi's usual round, they finally took a step back: the original post did not move for the time being, added a deputy, and used the people brought by Yao Haogu. Familiarize yourself with the situation first, and talk about it later.

In this way, on the surface, the two lines each account for half of the country. The remaining few hundred people of Qian Shide stayed and did not leave, and asked Deng She to plan a camp for them in the city and "station them to assist in defense".

Deng She happily agreed. Everyone was happy at the table. In the middle of the night, before leaving, Deng She forgot to mention it, Yao Haogu was shy, and took the initiative to remind: "My lord, where are those fans of Shicai?" But when discussing local government affairs, Deng Sheqiu ordered them to retreat first. Deng She smiled and instructed Wu Henian: "Send it to Governor Yao's mansion immediately." ”

He thanked him again and again, and went happily. Deng Sheqin sent him to the chosen mansion, chatted for a while, and saw that he was satisfied, before turning back. There is also a mansion for Qian Shide, he doesn't live in it, he doesn't live in the barracks, Deng She doesn't have to worry about it, and he is accompanied by Wenhuaguo and others.

Back in the house, Hong Jixun didn't leave, waiting for him in the pavilion. At the banquet, he had no good face, which made Deng She worried, always afraid that he would suddenly become difficult; At this time, I saw him half-leaning on the bed, picking up the books on this case, reading it from one end, and sipping tea and shaking the fan with the other, but he was very comfortable.

Deng She smiled: "The wine is angry and the tea is happy, why is the change in Mr. so big?" Hong Jixun occupied the bed. He took matters into his own hands, brought a chair, and sat on the opposite side. With a wave of his hand, he ordered the maids and soldiers to retreat. Hong Jixun didn't leave in the middle of the night, so he naturally had something to talk about.

Hong Jixun dropped the book and said, "Joy and anger vary from person to person. Xiao Ke's wine anger is like the smile at the general's banquet. Otherwise, Yao Haogu can't be despised by Yao Haogu. He sneered, "Pretending to be crazy and stupid, pretending to be a fool is a fool, and it is rare to be able to play his part!" ”

Deng She felt the same way, and asked himself, he couldn't do it; With some admiration, he said: "A wise man is always different from ordinary people." Chief Yao has always had a reputation for wisdom and stars in the Liaoyang Army. Guan Pingzhang is willing to send him to Shuangcheng, and I am really happy. ”

"Rejoice?" Hong Jixun sat up straight, "In the land of the twin cities, a small temple can't afford a big Buddha. As Guan Pingzhang's right and left hand, the general never thought about where Shuangcheng attracted him, and why did he come? ”

Of course Dunsher thought about it. He thought about it for a long day and a night. The reason he thought of was a mixed blessing. But he was reluctant to tell his thoughts, and said, "Sir, please speak." ”

"It's a small and considerable Yao Haogu. The wine is self-filthy, slippery on the outside and traitorous on the inside. Where is anyone willing to take the initiative to pour dirty water on themselves? Anyone who does this either has ulterior motives or is extremely confident in himself. It seems to be insulting to oneself, but it is actually insulting. Do you think other people are fools? "But whoever is haughty in heart looks down on those who are arrogant more than ordinary people; Although Hong Jixun's words are not polite, the essence is very clear.

Deng She said: "It also makes sense. Seeing that Hong Jixun's tea was in the air, he lifted the teapot, poured it for him, and asked, "What does Mr. Yao think is coming?" ”

"The ancients said: On the pre-emptive discussion of people. Man is a traitor, and nothing good is good. Hong Jixun said, "When you come to the banquet at night, you have five doubts." Make these five questions clear, and why Yao Haogu came will be revealed. ”

He took a sip of tea, folded the fan, tapped his palm, and said, "This is suspicious if you don't live in Jiashan at night; Lowering the yellow deputy ten thousand households is to pacify, these two are suspicious; Guan Pingzhang rescued Bianliang, transferred the military horses of various cities in Liaodong, did not move the general, and the villain came, these three are suspicious; Turning around, he repeatedly used words to provoke the general to express his loyalty to Guan Pingzhang, and these four are suspicious; Qian Shide is a fierce general, Guan Pingzhang transferred him, the intention is obvious, but why the five cities of Dingzhou, he only chose Jiashan to station, these five are suspicious. ”

The five doubts he said, Deng She saw it, and he didn't see it. After all, all night, Deng She kept chatting with Yao Haogu, making wine, and persuading food, and didn't have time to think deeply. Hong Jixun watched coldly, very different.

Deng She frowned, and the more he listened, the more he felt that the problem was serious; It seems that my original assumption was wrong. said: "I don't live after crossing Jiashan, it should be so that I don't have time to come up with a countermeasure; The demote of General Huang is to pacify, probably to give him real power; If you want me to show my loyalty to Guan Pingzhang, it is reasonable; Save Bianliang without transferring our army,...... "Shen groan, Shuangcheng is not close to Liaoyang, or it may be a reason; However, the military horses of the cities in Liaoyang Province are not without long distances. Contacting the fifth suspicion again, Deng She was shocked and looked up, "Could it be?" ”

Hong Jixun saw Deng She thinking of it, and the folding fan was heavily clasped in the palm of his hand: "Guan Duo wants to be self-reliant." ”

Deng She Huoran got up, came to the door, and ordered his soldiers to retreat five feet and strictly guard the door ladder. turned around, closed the door, looked solemn, and said: "Sir, don't talk nonsense, whether it is true or not, speculation cannot be gossiped." ”

"Bianliang, the national capital. The Beijing division was in a hurry, and issued edicts repeatedly; Dousheng Xiaomin also knows that saving an emergency is like fighting a fire, let alone saving the monarch's father? Why did Guan Pingzhang stay moving? ”

Deng Shewu couldn't believe it, if this matter was true, Song would change, Song would change, and the world would change. He said: "Chief Manager Yao said that the Mongolian tribes gathered in Liaoxi to aid Daning; Liaoxi can't go down, and the belly can't get in. Guan Pingzhang may have wanted to wait for the military horses of the various cities to gather before making plans. ”

Hong Jixun didn't argue first, and then asked: "More than a month ago, there was a battle in Fengzhou. The general personally attended, may I ask, how many men were in the city at that time? ”

"30,000 in Fengzhou, more than 20,000 in Yunnei and Dongsheng."

"How many military horses are there in Shangdu and Liaoyang?"

"More than 100,000."

"In this way, the Liaoyang army is 200,000. The Savior's danger was only sent out of more than 50,000, less than half. Is it because it can't be drawn? Or is it for another reason? The general should be clearer than the smaller. ”

Deng She was silent, when he fought Fengzhou, Liaoyang and Shangdu were facing pressure, of course. However, the pressure was far less than the need for more than 100,000 men to garrison it. The cool breeze entered the room, and the candles burst on the desk. He muttered, "For another reason? ”

Hong Jixun asked again: "Liaoxi Zhang Jujing and Shijiabao, the general fought with them. How many Daning military horses are there? How many military horses are there in Xingzhou? That's 10,000 people in total! Even if they support, how many people can they support? Of course, there are heavy troops in the belly of Zhulutun west of Yongping. However, he didn't really want to attack Dadu, he was just feint to lure the enemy!

"The 200,000 army did not advance a single step and was stationed in Liaoyang! What does that mean? ”

Deng She hesitated and said: "There are heavy troops in the abdomen in the front, and there are the remnants of the kings of the Mongolian East Road and the Tartars in Shenyang and other places. It is understandable that Guan Pingzhang did not dare to enter lightly. If you are not careful, it will be a situation of total annihilation. ”

Hong Jixun sneered: "Not bad! Precisely. It is precisely because there is a possibility that the whole army will be wiped out, so he has different ambitions! Guan Duo, Confucianism. From Yao Haogu, it can be guessed that most of the people close to him are Confucians. Does the general really think that he will die for the imperial court based on the white lotus? "Dunsher was born as a thief, not a cultist. Hong Jixun had no scruples and spoke out.

He specifically analyzed: "A few years ago, Guan Duo fought a bloody battle in Taihang Mountain, and Chakhan Timur held the pass, but he repeatedly failed to advance, and retreated into the counties outside the Saiwai in a heavy defeat. After this battle, he knew that although Meng Yuan was about to die, he had not yet reached the end of his life. The tiger is dying, and the aftermath is there. The generals of Guan Shaanxi Chahan, Polo, Li Siqi, and Zhang Liangbi are fierce and fierce, and they are not easy enemies.

"The edict was repeated several times, and the army was reluctantly sent to Fengzhou. It's only 50,000, and you will return if you lose. Bianliang is already in danger. He claimed to have gone to Liaoxi into his belly, and he has been delaying it so far. What the hell was he thinking? It's just that he knows that he can't do it, and he doesn't want to cut off his own life. If you have a soldier, you are the king of grass, just save your strength. ”

The provinces under the Song Dynasty nominally belonged to the central government, but in fact they went their own way. For example, Zhao Junyong, he has been the Pingzhang of Huainan Province, in addition to the name of the dragon and phoenix, etc., the civil and military generals are appointed by themselves, and the real power is in hand, which is like a separation. Once defeated, instead of going to the Bianliang court, he fled to Shandong. Mao Gui was Pingzhang of Shandong Province, a big member of one party, he killed him, and King Xiaoming could not deal with the Yuan army such as Chahan Timur and was unable to punish him. This is still the case in Shandong and Huainan, which are close to Bianliang, not to mention Liaodong, which is beyond the reach of the whip.

Perhaps Kwan Duo didn't have the same ambition at first. He used to do Liu Futong with strategy, and he had to be reused and take on great responsibilities. It is normal for people to be grateful to Dade at the beginning and swear to repay each other with death. What's more, a few years ago, the Three Northern Expeditions and the march into Dadu, Meng Yuan was shocked, the situation was very good, and how sharp it was to enterprising.

To this day, he has been defeated all the way to Shu and far to Ningxia; all the way back to Shandong, even Mao Gui could not protect himself; He was left alone, and he fought thousands of miles outside the country with great difficulty, and finally laid a ground. King Xiaoming of Bianliang has long since lost his momentum back then, will he still think about revenge?

Outside the window, the night was dark. Deng She paced back and forth in the room, listening to Hong Jixun say again: "Or the general thinks that this is still just a conjecture." At this time, why did Yao Hao come to the Twin Cities in ancient times? ”

Dunsher stopped and looked up.

Hong Jixun followed up and asked: "Do you still remember, Guan Duo passed in February?" ”

"February?" In February, he sent his left and right hand Yao Haogu to Shuangcheng, and transferred Qian Shide to Jiashan. These things flashed in Deng She's mind, pulling cause and effect, and connecting them into a thread. He slowly sat back in his chair, Yao Haogu did not come to accept Shuangcheng into the jurisdiction of Liaoyang Province, but for: "Guan Pingzhang wants to enter Goryeo." ”

He told many people that the million-strong army of Liaodong would soon enter Goryeo. He also knew that Guan Duo would enter Goryeo sooner or later, but he didn't expect Guan Duo to come so early.

"In terms of strategic position, Dingzhou and Ningyuan are more important than Jiashan. There is no Jiashan, but there is a short way to retreat to Liaodong, and in terms of the current situation of our army, retreat is only a reserve, and it is impossible to prevent accidents; And attacking is the first thing. Yao Hao was in Dingzhou and Ningyuan, but he wanted Jiashan. Is he trying to protect our army's retreat? Definitely! He's leaving the way for Guan Duo to enter the Twin Cities! ”

Hong Jixun found Deng She's map, spread it out, took the folding fan upside down, and drew two lines imaginarily: "The road for Guan Duo to enter the army must be two." One goes to Yiju, one enters the twin cities.

"The Liaoyang army is 200,000, no more than 10,000 generals. If you go through the two cities, the mountains along Jiashan are continuous, and the supply is difficult, so it is impossible. But Jiashan and Shuangcheng are now in the hands of the general, and it would be a pity to give up such a good shortcut to beauty. Therefore, if he does not send an army, he will not be able to send an army, but if he goes out of the army, he will inevitably go to Yiju and enter Shuangcheng with a partial division. One is positive and one is strange, hum, good calculation!

It was precisely because of this that he was willing to send Yao Haogu and Qian Shide thousands of iron horsemen to give him a front station. The general's messenger has only gone, and his messenger has arrived, how anxious! General, Guan Duo entered Goryeo, close at hand. ”

Dunshe was speechless for a while. With a wry smile, he worked hard for more than a month to make wedding clothes for others. Do you want to go back to the days of being a pawn for others, working for others, and letting others control their own life and death? His heart was bitter. For half a year, as long as Guan Duo can enter Goryeo half a year late, he is confident that the situation will be very different from now.

As for sending a messenger to report Liaoyang, he did not regret it. Mixed between the remnants of Liaoyang, Goryeo, Mengyuan, and even the Jurchens, he has only 10,000 people, and he must rely on one side. If you don't say anything far away, take what is near. If it weren't for Hong Jixun pulling the million-strong army of Liaoyang as a pretense, Tong Doulan would come?

Hong Jixun didn't know what Deng She was thinking, and along his own line of thought, he said: "On the one hand, Chen Bing Liaoyang, pretending to be in the belly; Secretly prepare to enter Goryeo. What does Guan Duo mean? The general still thinks it's small, but he's making assumptions?

"Of course, the general may think that in addition to Guan Pingzhang in Liaoyang, there are also Pan Pingzhang and Sha Liu Er. Pan Pingzhang didn't mention it, Sha Liu Er believed in Maitreya and was Liu Futong Township Party, would he sit idly by and not save him? Hong Jixun asked and answered himself, "When the disaster comes, they fly separately." As long as Guan and Pan are consistent, Sha Liu Er will not stop it, if he really wants to block it, his head will fall to the ground. ”

Dunshe's heart was surging. Whether Guan Duo is against it or not is no longer the point. The 200,000 troops in Liaodong are going south, how should I deal with it? Give it up? Turning away? Or is it?

In order to hide his thoughts, he said: "If Guan Pingzhang doesn't go to save Bianliang; Shandong has just changed its new owner, the situation is definitely unstable, and if you want to save it, it is estimated that you are powerless. These two places did not move, and Marshal Li of Ningxia ,......。 Deng She shook his head, worried, "Without reinforcements, Bianliang is difficult to protect." Thinking of Zhu Yuanzhang, he immediately put it down. He is in the top two of Xu Shouhui and Zhang Shicheng, and he is afraid that he will not be able to protect himself.

"Can Bianliang be guaranteed? The general doesn't know, and Xiao Ke doesn't know either. However, Guan Duo, as a provincial leveler, was in contact with secrets, and repeatedly fought with Guan Shaanxi Tartars; Knowing one's own situation and that of the enemy. From the fact that he pushed back and refused to save him, it can be seen that he must know what he knows.

"Bianliang's proximity to Dadu is a problem for Meng Yuan's heart. Once there is a loss, it will affect the world. The Tartars can free their hands and enter Shandong and go down to the south of the Yangtze River. Guan Duo will not be unaware of this.

Therefore, in order to protect himself, he had to find a way back. Where is the back road? Korea! One got Goryeo, echoing Liaodong. Entering Outer Mongolia can resist Outer Mongolia, fake luck, since it can cover Liaodong and compete for the world; In case of setbacks, you can also retreat to Goryeo, relying on the Yalu natural danger, without losing one of the princes. When he passed the report in February, he was afraid that this strategy had already been decided. ”

Guan Duo has been preparing for a long time, how should I deal with it? Give it to each other, think about Deng San's fate; Turning away, there is nowhere to go. Go? Deng She's mind was decided. He asked, "What do you think, sir?" ”

Hong Jixun was in good spirits. Since he saw at the banquet that Guan Duo had different ambitions and would go to Goryeo, he had been thinking about relevant countermeasures repeatedly, and he was confident, and asked: "What does the general want?" ”

Deng She said: "My lord, it is my father; Guan Pingzhang, be an official for me. Since Guan Pingzhang is coming, as a subordinate, I should be warmly welcomed and do my best. ”

Hong Jixun was displeased: "The general is still telling lies to me?" ”

Deng She laughed, but his skin was not thick enough, and he was slightly embarrassed. Said: "In order to win the twin cities, thousands of soldiers were killed and wounded. I am a subordinate of Guan Pingzhang on the one hand, and a superior of the generals on the other, and I am indeed a little embarrassed if I don't hide it from Mr. "After all, I won't say it directly.

King Xiao Ming is the lord of a country, and Guan Duo is the lord of an army. He was under Guan Duo's subordinates for several years, although he was only a small hundred, he disobeyed orders, disrespected, and even rebelled, and could not escape the notoriety of betraying the master. If morality is not right, it is difficult to convince the public. Although most of the soldiers were recruited by Yongping, the backbone of the army and the 800 veterans who served as officers at all levels were all veteran red scarves, and they came from a variety of sources. When there is no external force, they have no problem; As soon as there is interference, it is difficult to say. Dunsher had to be cautious.

Hong Jixun stared at him for a moment and couldn't help but burst out laughing. Deng She's embarrassment, he knew it well and didn't ask anymore. said: "Good people and generals do it themselves, and they can bear their own notoriety." ”

If he bears notoriety, the trouble of betraying the Lord is greatly reduced. Active and passive, the difference between one word and one world apart. Deng She bowed deeply: "Those who know me, sir!" ”

Getting back to the point, Hong Jixun said: "In the current situation, there should be two ways to deal with it. One is in the present, and the other is in the future. ”

Deng She stopped acting, sat down in a precarious position, and asked, "What is in front of you?" What is the future? ”

"Yao Haogu is for the present, and Guan Duo is for the future."

"Sir, let's talk about the present."

"One word in front of me: slow. How slow? Procrastinate. Yao Haogu came with a heavy responsibility, and he must be anxious. His various rhetoric at night is in the heart of General An. lest the general change and cut off the road to the two cities. The general responded with such a tone that he could not peep into my eyes. The performance is very good, but there is a little shortcoming. ”

"Oh?"

"The general is too calm. Yao Haogu is a person like Yao Haogu, who is thick on the outside and traitorous in the middle, just like a bamboo shoot, who can drill and dig. The more calm he is, the more he kicks his nose and face, snorts and falls, and messes around. ”

Reasonable. "So what to do?"

"In addition to calmness, you might as well use it to fight poison with poison. When faced with a request that he could not refuse directly, he pretended to be stupid, and the general could be stupid. "It's a bit hard to do, and Dunsher isn't that kind of person. He frowned, Hong Jixun understood his character and made suggestions, "It's not difficult to sell stupid." In short, give back to the other in the way of the other. Whatever Yao Haogu said, the general said. ”

Deng Sheluan was embarrassed and nodded.

"As soon as the general delays, Yao Haogu will not be able to stop me in the short term. It bought time for our army to deal with Guan Duo. Deal with Guan Duo, in an emergency. ”

"What's the hurry?"

"Hurry to conquer the city."

coincided with what Deng She thought. I don't want to let go, I can't retreat, I can only strike first, and do my best to occupy the territory. With territory, there is food, money, and people, and you can expand the army and sharp weapons. Even so, it still can't withstand Guan Duo, at least, having 20,000 people under his hands is much stronger than 10,000.

Deng She asked, "How to conquer the city?" "It's not a simple sentence. I don't have that much appetite, I can't eat that big things. You have to consider your own strength first, whether you can eat it. After eating, you have to consider whether you can digest it. Rather than being big and improper, it's better not to. The purpose of the strategy is to become stronger, not to become bloated.

"First, gather grain and grass; second, to speed up conscription; Third, win over the Jurchens. The three can be used to siege the city.

"The siege is not in the city, but in the city. What are the three things? Grain, livestock, artisans, and strength. Therefore, if you attack a city, you will conquer a city; If you conquer one city, you must take three things. If you take three things, you will be the precursor to me to join the army with strength; I will let a craftsman enter the camp to make sharp weapons for me; and shall bring grain and cattle into the twin cities for my future. Forward-driven, sharp-edged, and future-proof.

"The precursor can die, the sharp weapon is dispensable, and the future will be indispensable. Twin Cities is the root of my roots. Guan Duo is powerful, and I can't compare with it in a hurry. The five cities of Dingzhou, when he wants it, he will give it to him. Only the Twin Cities must not let it. Keep this place, I still have the time to make a comeback, there is no such place, go with the waves, the general has seen the duckweed with the waves do not die, but become a big tree?

"And Guan Duo really wants to fight, can the twin cities be defended? I have taken three things, and I have obtained the essence of each city, ten thousand soldiers, and enough food and weapons to guard the fortified city. Guan Duo didn't want Goryeo, so he tried it. ”

Hong Jixun's understanding is very sober. Deng She didn't have to worry, attacking the city and taking three things, which was easier said than done. From implementation to results, at least one month. Will Guan Duo wait a month?

"Bianliang is in danger, Guan Duo will not come to Goryeo immediately. Betraying the name of the Lord is feared by all. Hong Jixun looked at Deng She, smiled, and continued, "He won't go out into the army until his play is done." How will he act? Feint. Jin covered the states, he had taken them, and this was the first step in a feint. But it's not enough, Xiao Ke estimates that he will make a move to Liaoxi next, engage in a little battle, and then find an opportunity to pretend to be defeated. With an excuse, he was able to turn down Goryeo. This can be as little as 20 years and as much as 1 month. ”

Deng She stroked his palm, and the weight was slightly lightened. Hong Jixun was very thoughtful. He can find problems, and he can solve them. Such a talent is really rare. Pour herbal tea for him, pour hot one, and serve it with your own hands. It's all in plain sight. Hong Jixun took it with a smile: "I'm planning to come here." The rest is up to the general. ”

"Sir thinks he is wholeheartedly for me, how can I not return to Sir with all my strength?" It's a pity.

Deng She turned around, called his own soldiers, acted resolutely, and immediately sent messengers to the five cities of Dingzhou to urge the collection of grain and soldiers. Without further ado, the three must be equipped first. He was in high spirits: "When the morning dawns, please Tong Qianhu." ”

The roosters in the city crow, and I don't realize that the night will pass.