Liaoyang is an important town in the eastern part of the country, as early as the Warring States Period, the Yan people built a city here. After more than 1,000 years of wind and rain, how many Jin Ge iron horses have been seen, how many joys and sorrows have been staged in this land, how many times the wind and rain have been staged, and the city is still strong.

During the Liao Dynasty, it operated several times, and was upgraded to accompany the capital, with an area of 30 miles. Jin and Yuan are both because of the old city. Meng Yuan has no way, and the world is turbulent. King Xiaoming got into trouble, the Northern Expedition Middle Route Army went out of the Saiwai, just a few years ago, hundreds of thousands of red scarves were transferred to Liaodong, and fought under the city of Liaoyang, surrounded by dozens of miles, bloody battles for more than ten days, once broken, the banner of the city changed, and the city was surnamed Song since then.

One afternoon in early September, the sun was shining, the breeze was gentle, and it was warm but not hot.

Although there is a vigilance for battle, it is the autumn harvest envoy, and there are still many people who enter and exit the east gate of Liaoyang. In troubled times, food is more expensive than human gold, and it cannot be wasted at all. The ragged peasants lined up and were supervised by soldiers, leaving the city empty-handed, while returning to the city either carried bundles of wheat or pulled wild vegetables and horse fodder.

Occasionally, soldiers on fast horses joined them, and they went on a rampage, squeezing a passage out of the way with whips and scabbards. They either went out to patrol the city, or they had military intelligence in return. The people who have been beaten think they are unlucky, who calls them unsightly? Why didn't you see it earlier and honestly give way?

The guards who guarded the gate were familiar with the scouts, checked the vouchers of the people entering and leaving the city, and did not forget to say a few words of greeting loudly, and asking if there was any news to say. The rumors that the Yuan army is coming have been rumored for several months, and there has been no movement so far, so it is inevitable that some people are panicking.

Ask and ask, the scouts who returned to the city would not say a word without exception, Guan Pingzhang was strict in military discipline, and his old man's guillotine was not vegetarian. Today, however, there is an exception. The scouts who had returned to the city shouted from afar: "The people have been driven out,...... Dog's day, make way for Lao Tzu! Get out of the way! ”

This kind of scene of fire is used to the doorman, and every scout returns to the city like this, and he doesn't take it seriously. Two or three who knew him scolded with a smile: "You * raised him to go back to the city,......。 Before they could finish speaking, the scout cried out, "Hurry up and drive out the people, and get into the city." Close the gates, close the gates! ”

He looked anxious, startled the doorman, and subconsciously reacted, asking, "The Tartars are here?" The scout said: "It's not a Tartar, it's our Great Song banner, I don't know if it's true or not." I have to hurry up and go to the customs clearance. Picking up the horsewhip and whipping the crowd a few times, the doorman realized the importance, raised his gun, and shoved him to clear the way.

The people at the city gate were suddenly fried, no matter whether they were friends or foes, they were the first to save their lives, and they all entered the city in a hurry. You stepped on his shoes, he stepped on your feet, the timid cried out, and the weak were thrown to the ground. Thanks to the suppression of the overseer guards, a violent beating forced the queue to be restored.

The guards did not have time to examine and enter the city in full, but the two centurions drew their sabers and slashed three or four in succession, forcing them to divert their ways, and they were escorted by the guards into the city through the gates. It took a long time before the city gate was quiet.

The drawbridge was pulled up, the iron gates were slowly closed, and the gatekeepers hurried to set up defenses. Guarding the gate of Qianhu climbed the city tower and watched from a distance, and soon a military horse appeared in sight. The distance was too far, almost ten miles away, and the flag could not be seen clearly, so the military horse did not go far and stopped. After a while, they split up and rode over.

When you get closer, you can see clearly. The two horsemen, one scholar and one martial arts, the one on the left was wrapped in a red scarf, pressed the knife, and raised his head and shouted: "The general of the city listened, I am under the command of General Deng of the Wanhu Mansion of the Shuangcheng Chengjun." By the will of the Lord, in order to kill the Tartars, he came to the aid from Goryeo. In order not to disturb the city, the army is now stationed ten miles away. ”

The name of Deng Wanhu in the twin cities, the thousand households guarding the city have heard of it, and they know that he has opened up a big scene in Goryeo in a few months. Qianhu asked, "Who are you?" Where is General Deng? ”

The knight replied, "I am Yang Qianhu in the army, and this is Lord Fang Buzhen Fang." The general of my family said: You must not close the peace order, do not dare to act rashly, and now the army is waiting. I was sent to pass it on. "Fang Buzhen was originally the Guan Duo shogunate, and went to Goryeo with Yao Haogu, and was later sent to Jiashan to assist Zhao Guo in handling civil affairs. This time Deng She came to Liaoyang, he couldn't do without an acquaintance, Yao Haogu asked him to follow.

"Someone has gone to report it, so go back. The general is responsible for defending the city, and he can't let you into the city without a military order. ”

Qianhu, surnamed Yang, said a few words to the knight next to him, and did not leave, but turned his horse to the side. The thousands of households guarding the gate knew its origin, but they didn't pay attention to it, and only looked back, and Guan Duo's military order arrived soon. Deng She is a small household, and he doesn't need to be greeted by Guan Duo in person, probably to show his attention, but the official position of the person who came is not low.

His name is Mao Jujing, the marshal of the Liaoyang Wing Marshal Mansion of Liaoyang Province, the nominal supreme commander of Liaoyang City, two levels higher than Deng She.

Mao Jujing and Fang Buzhen have always known each other, and the two met, one in the city and the other in the city, and chatted for a few words, but in front of Yang Wanhu, it was inconvenient to talk deeply. Mao Jujing immediately ordered to open the city gate, put down the drawbridge, and lead more than a dozen civil and military officials out of the city to greet them.

Mao Jujing is Guan Duo's confidant, why Deng She came by order, he knew very well in his heart.

chatted with Yang Wanhu and Fang Buzhen, and came to Deng Shejun.

I saw thousands of military horses and baggage listed for several miles, and the soldiers were all in bright armor, sharp guns, strict ranks, and solemn military appearance. In front of Rulin's banner, there were more than a dozen officers on horseback.

The one in the middle was not very old, wearing an iron jacket of gold and silver, wearing chain mail, and a red cloak behind him, which flew in the wind, revealing the saber hanging from his waist. The scabbard of the saber is stained with the blood of many people.

The part of his iron eyebrows and forehead that was very long obscured from his face and could not be seen clearly. Looking at his outfit, it is expected to be Dunshe. Sure enough, twenty or thirty meters away, I saw him jump off his horse, shake his cloak, and strode up to meet him.

As he walked, he took off his iron jacket and showed his face, not very old, at best eighteen or nineteen years old. Mao Jujing knew that Deng She was young, and when he saw it in his eyes at this time, he couldn't help but be slightly surprised, thinking: "The milk smell has not dried up." He also dismounted, greeted him with a smile, and said, "Dare to be Deng Wanhu?" ”

It's not Dunshe. Deng She was humble, looking at Mao Jujing's dress, he was at the level of a marshal, and took the initiative to bow down, and said: "The last general, Deng She, ten thousand households in Shuangcheng and ten thousand households, meet the general." Marshal Lao came to greet him, and he was ashamed. "He doesn't have a big name, and people close to him call him a brother, and after a long time, he simply thinks he is calling himself.

Mao Jujing waited for him to bow down, then helped him up and said, "Why be polite." Mao Jujing, the marshal of the Liaoyang Army, was ordered by Guan Pingzhang to welcome Deng Wanhu into the city. He smiled, "Ten thousand households have worked hard from afar, and they haven't encountered any trouble on the road, right?" ”

"Obey Guan Ping's order." Deng She respectfully arched his hand in the direction of Liaoyang City, and then replied to Mao Jujing, saying, "The last general will come here and have a safe journey." Guan Pingzhang's prestige was far away, and the Tartars of Shenyang and Gaizhou did not dare to come forward. ”

Mao Jujing nodded, and said: "Since Deng Wanhu sent a letter, Guan Pingzhang originally intended to send some military horses to meet him, but he didn't expect Wanhu to come so quickly,...... "looked at the military horses brought by Deng She, and asked, "How many people did Deng Wanhu bring?" ”

"Six thousand." Before Deng She left, Chen Hu and Wen Huaguo were not at ease, and resolutely added another thousand people to him. Not all of them came from the beautiful pawns, and half of the Han pawns were replaced.

Mao Jujing frowned, what is the use of six thousand people? Guan Duo explained, not to be rude to Deng She, suppressed dissatisfaction, he said: "Wanhu probably doesn't know, Liaoyang City has gathered 100,000 soldiers and horses, and the city can't live there." Fortunately, there is still vacant space in the camp outside the city, and Guan Pingzhang asked the general to ask you, are you willing to stay in the city? Or would you like to be stationed outside the city? ”

When Deng She heard this, he knew that he had no choice, and said: "Since there is no place in the city, it can be outside the city, and in the end, it will be to kill the Tartars, and it doesn't matter where they are stationed." After a pause, he glanced at Mao Jujing and asked, "I don't know what arrangements Guan Pingzhang has for the last general?" ”

"Deng Wanhu is both wise and brave, you can rest assured, Guan Pingzhang will be of great use, and he is not in a hurry. The adults have set up a banquet for you to wash the dust. Deng Wanhu, please go into the city first, and then it's not too late. ”

Regardless of whether it is of great use or not, Deng She has already made sufficient preparations, and he vaguely feels that this Marshal Mao does not seem to be very kind to him, and it is expected to be Guan Duo's descendant, and it is not a problem. He said: "The marshal is falsely praised, which really makes the last general sincerely afraid. ”

The two of them got on their horses and returned to the city before and after. Deng She only brought 100 personal soldiers with him, but the military horses he attracted did not follow, and some people led them to the camp outside the city, and Yang Wanhu and He Guangxiu all went with the army.

Deng She received the holy decree, Yao Haogu urged day and night, he used the excuse of selecting the elite and delayed it for a few days. In order to show his sincerity,—— Deng She returned the dozens of newly captured Goryeo officials and some famous local wealthy families, all of whom were unwilling to surrender, and those who surrendered early such as Li Chunfu and those who beheaded early such as Kim Depei were not among them.

The Koreans have always called themselves Little China, regarded themselves as a gentleman's country, and understood the truth of courtesy. There was also a big gift, but the gift was unexpected by Deng She, and thousands of women were sent over. It turned out that he had learned the only rule of surviving under the iron hooves of Meng Yuan, and wanted to marry Deng She. The envoy Zhu Sizhong said: "I am willing to match the soldiers of the country, and from now on I can communicate with the country like a marriage."

With soldiers, Deng She couldn't miss it, but unfortunately the king of Goryeo didn't have a daughter, so he chose three or four daughters of the clan to offer it, and talked about doubling the compensation. Deng She smiled honestly and unceremoniously, except for the daughter of his clan, the others happened to be handed over to Hong Jixun, who trained him to sing and dance, and sold them secretly.

This great gift of the Goryeo people, at first Deng She thought it was a fraud, but later learned that Pyongyang was broken, the news reached Wang Jing, and King Liwang almost fled to Tamna Island, so bold, no wonder so.

Then the daughters of the Goryeo clan, rewarded the maids in the palace to the generals, and arranged the autumn harvest, the formation of the water army, the expansion of the new army, the trade route, the promotion of sinicization, the pacification of the local and other military and political affairs, and then set off. The situation in Liaodong was only heard to be getting tighter and tighter, and he didn't know the specific situation, so he took advantage of the time to ask Mao Jujing, and said: "May I ask the marshal, listen to Chief Manager Yao, the Tartars are coming to attack urgently, but there is no movement on the road of the last general, what is the situation?" Where is the lord of Bianliang and has there been any changes? ”

"The Tartars are in a hurry to attack Japan, and the reason why Shenyang and Gaizhou have not moved is because the Tanma Red Army of the Inspector is still stationed a hundred miles away and is hesitant to advance. They are alone, so they don't dare to act rashly. The major wars in the near future are all in western Liaoning. Mao Jujing sighed and said, "As for Bianliang ,......" He shook his head, no longer said, and said, "Fortunately, Deng Wanhu is here to add a new force to my Liaoyang, hoping to help change the situation." ”

It is completely consistent with the judgment of Deng She and Hong Jixun. The strategy of the Yuan army is to defend on one side and build momentum on three sides, and their overall military strength is stronger than that of Liaoyang.

Guan Duo is in such an environment, and he is in a dilemma. If he enters, in whatever direction he goes, he will be surrounded on all sides. If he abandons Liaoyang and retreats to Goryeo, there will be the armies and horses of the roads of Weisijian, Shenyang, Gaizhou, and Liaoxi chasing after him, and the city of Goryeo will block it in front of him, and there will be a dead end.

It's like a pool of stagnant water, and now all that's missing is a pebble. But how to cast this stone is particular. If you cast it right, the waves hit the waves, and the whirlpools and whirlpools can digest the Yuan army all the way one by one; If you make a mistake, Liaoyang will become the center of the whirlpool, and no matter how strong the city is, it will have to be shattered.

It was precisely because of this situation that Deng She boldly came. Shuangcheng is outside Liaodong, and it faintly echoes Liaoyang, and if it is used properly, why not make a retreat? He could see it, and he believed that Guan Duo would see it too.

It's just that why is Mao Jujing so hesitant about the situation in Bianliang? Deng She was suspicious, didn't ask questions, first followed his words, and said: "The Tartar army and horses gathered, they didn't dare to take a step forward, and they fought timidly to such a point, even if the momentum was large, it was expected that it would be difficult to deal a blow to Guan Pingzhang." Then he said tentatively, "Now that Bianliang is in danger, the lord is waiting for it, and we should be brave." But there is an order, and although the last general is not talented, he will die and follow himself. ”

Mao Jujing glanced at him, still didn't say a word to Bianliang, and said perfunctorily: "Deng Wanhu is loyal, the lord must be pleased, and Guan Pingzhang will be happy when he hears it." I couldn't help but ask, "I heard that Wanhu has tens of thousands of troops in Goryeo, why only 6,000 came?" ”

Deng She said: "Pyongyang has been initially decided, and it cannot be defended without a large army. The last general will bring 6,000 men, and he will not hide it, but he has already given everything he has. ”

"In the areas north of Pyongyang, has Deng Wanhu been pacified?"

Deng She didn't care if he really didn't know it, and said realistically: "The south of the Qingchuan River is all pacified; Seven or eight out of ten were pacified north of the Qingchuan River, and there were two or three stubborn ones, and it was not easy to pick them up for a while. "The peace treaty between him and the Koreans clearly states that the two sides are bounded by the Daedong River and the Dingju line. In fact, most of the cities in the north have already entered its pocket, but there are still two or three stubborn ones, put it down for the time being, Hong Jixun and Qing Qianxing will take care of it slowly.

"Deng Wanhu is strong and strong, there are only a few small cities, what is difficult to pick up? Too modest. Mao Jujing laughed, quickly whipped up, and left Deng She behind.

His hurried appearance made the suspicion in Deng She's heart thicker and thicker, and after looking at Mao Jujing's distant figure for a while, he turned his head and arched his hand at Fang Buzhen on the side, and said, "You can't tell Guan Pingzhang to wait for a long time, Lord Fang, speed up, right?" He was not familiar with Fang Buzhen, and after a few days of contact, he knew that he had a strange temper, and he did not dare to slack off, and he was polite with respect.

Fang Buzhen is a pure civil official, his riding skills are not very good, he sways around on a horse, and he can't raise his speed, and said: "The general is in charge of himself, and the lowly position is to follow." ”

His eyes are more white and less black, and when he looks at a person, it is like rolling his eyes. Deng She paid attention not to look at it more, and the province caused misunderstanding. Bi Qianniu, the captain of the pro-soldiers, raised his horsewhip, pointed ahead, and said, "General, it's almost there." ”

Deng She raised his head, Liaoyang was in sight. Under the blue sky, on the plains, the city is majestic.

——

1. The Yan people built a city here.

"Yan Youxian will open Qin,...... Attacked Donghu, but (Donghu) was thousands of miles. Yan also built the Great Wall, made Yang only Xiangping, placed Shanggu, Yuyang, right Beiping, Liaoxi, Liaodong County to distance Hu. "Liaodong County Zhixiangping, that is, the old city of Liaoyang.

2, the territory is thirty miles.

"In the fourth year of the Khitan Divine Book, the ancient city of Liaoyang, called the Iron Phoenix City, was built in Dongping County with Bohai Han Hu. In the third year of Tianxian, he moved to the residence of the people of Dongdan, and was promoted to Nanjing, which was named Tianfu City. Thirty miles in width, there are eight gates, its palace city is in the northeast corner, the south is three gates, the strong view is the building, there are corner towers in the four corners, and they are two miles apart. The outer city is called Seoul. In the thirteenth year of Tianxian, it was changed to Liaoyang Mansion in Tokyo, and Jin and Yuan were all because of the old city. ”