The days in Jinling are getting colder and colder, the whistling north wind invades the undercurrent of the Yangtze River, and the cold continues to spread to the south bank, and the last stubborn fern on the Egret Island is finally bent over, forced to hang on the clammy cold dew, as if it is a teardrop of submission.

Li Yuanduan sat in the palace office, sipping steaming tea, and was patiently flipping through some old military documents in the Southern Tang Dynasty.

These dense traditional characters are written in very different handwriting, and often after turning two pages, they are replaced by another handwriting, which is very laborious to study. What is the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, it has only been fifteen years since the founding of the Southern Tang Dynasty, and the Central Plains has changed five emperors, and a small official who records military opinion has changed more frequently, is it not normal? Li Yuan thought.

Walking to the window, looking at the tall city towers not far away standing wordlessly in the cold wind, Li Yuan smiled faintly. A prosperous capital city looks as if it can't be moved by the wind and rain, but if it changes its owner overnight, it is a different scene, maybe it is as majestic as ever, or even collapsed and destroyed, and sometimes manpower is more terrible than natural disasters.

At this time, Li Yuan inexplicably thought that he had been wrapped up in the chaos of the world, and if he wanted to stand, it was impossible to rely on the strength of one person alone, with his current identity. Compared with himself in the military camp three months ago, although he has already undergone a metamorphosis, it is not easy to be able to stand at the foot of the imperial city, but what about the palace and the Marquis Yu, the right to transfer troops is not in his hands, and a Chen Jue can force you to wear a mask and dare not breathe, which is obviously far from enough.

Throughout the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, the throne of the emperor will always be the dream of all careerists, but whether or not to sit firmly is another matter.

In Li Yuan's view, it is better to be a powerful feudal town to be stable. But the monarch of the Southern Tang Dynasty was also very smart, after the founding of the country, he learned the lessons of most countries, and firmly controlled the military power in the hands of the central government, and the forbidden army not only guarded Jinling, but also stationed in various state capitals.

Therefore, it is difficult to divide the place in the Southern Tang Dynasty. But there are also special circumstances, which are wartime. The emperor would give privileges to his trusted generals, such as Bian Hao, who was appointed as the assassin of Xinzhou and the envoy of the cantonment camp before he marched into Chu.

That's the goal now! Li Yuan secretly thought that if he wanted to make a difference, this Jinling must not be able to stay for a long time.

When his thoughts were flying, Peng Shigao walked in, and Li Yuan hurriedly greeted politely: "Peng Ducheng!" ”

This is the palace direct military office, after all, it is Peng Shigao who speaks the most, I saw him in a hurry, and sat down by himself after returning the salute. stared at Li Yuan's cup of tea and was stunned for a while, before he ordered the little official to make a new pot of tea soup.

Peng Shigao said with a stern face: "Your Majesty has made an order." ”

Li Yuan's heart moved, Liu Jiangsheng only went to Beiyuan with a battalion of soldiers and horses a few days ago, didn't he just start to reorganize the forbidden army, why was it so fast? Immediately asked, "When will the troops be sent to Chudi?" ”

Quietly watching the little official put down the teapot and then exited the door, Peng Shigao continued: "It's not Chu Di, this time it's Zhou Guo. Li Yuhou has heard of Murong Yanchao? ”

Li Yuan pondered for a while, and replied: "This person is a fierce general, Liu Zhiyuan, the ancestor of the Han Kingdom, and his mother's brother. Guo Wei built Zhou on behalf of the Han Dynasty, although he gave an edict to appease, but Murong Yanchao refused to occupy Yanzhou, and he has always been secretly opposed. ”

"Exactly." Peng Shigao said: "Murong Yanchao has already raised troops against Zhou, not only contacted the Han State in the north, but also sent an envoy to Jinling the day before yesterday to ask for rescue, His Majesty has issued an order to order Haizhou Yan Jingquan to lead 5,000 elite soldiers to the north first. ”

Li Yuan's face couldn't help but sink: "Your Majesty, do you think that you can wield the Central Plains this time?" Years of war, Fujian and Chu are still a bad debt, my Datang is already exhausted, at this time not to pacify Chu as soon as possible, but rashly sent troops to conquer Qiang Zhou, how can I win? ”

Peng Shigao shook his head disapprenously, but said with a smile: "Li Yuhou is wrong to say this!" Today's situation is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for my Datang! Murong Yanchao is based in Yanzhou, with sufficient money and food, and many soldiers and strong cities; The lord of the Northern Han Dynasty also contacted the Liao State and had raised 50,000 troops to attack Jinzhou, and the Khitan cavalry had always been good at fighting; Now that my Datang has sent troops to the north again, attacking the north and the south, I think that Guo Wei has been in the country for less than a year, how can he last for a long time? Taking advantage of the melee in the Central Plains, now is a God-given opportunity to wave Kaifeng and compete in the Central Plains! ”

Seeing Peng Shigao's complacent appearance, Li Yuan sighed and said, "Your Majesty thinks the same?" ”

"Not only Your Majesty, but also Feng Xiang, Chen Envoy Xiang and a number of important ministers have all asked for the Northern Expedition! Only Han Shilang has been dissuading His Majesty. ”

Li Yuan sighed with emotion: "It's worthy of Han Xizai!" Han Shilang did the right thing, this battle can't be won! ”

Peng Shigao seemed to be a little unhappy, and his face was full of doubts: "How can you see it?" ”

Facing the suspicious gaze of Shang Peng Shigao, Li Yuan got up quietly, pointed to a military map hanging on the wall, and said: "If it was five years ago when the Khitan destroyed the Jin Dynasty, there was no owner in the Central Plains, and Your Majesty adopted Han Shilang's advice and sent troops to the Northern Expedition, maybe my Tang Dynasty would have already recovered the two capitals!" That's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Who is Guo Wei? He is not Liu Zhiyuan who took advantage of the fire to rob, let alone the weak child emperor Shi Jingjiao. Although the state of Zhou was established less than a year ago, Guo Wei had many generals under him, and they were all soldiers and wolves who had followed him for a long time.

Although Murong Yanchao is called the envoy of Taining Jiedu, he only has a lonely city in Yanzhou in his hands. Kaifeng Mansion in the west and Qingzhou Mansion in the east are only a stone's throw away from Yanzhou, and the elite of the Zhou forbidden army can reach it in a few days, and it will become a siege in an instant. ”

Peng Shigao stared intently at the three small dots pointed out by Li Yuan on the map, swallowed his saliva and said, "What about the Han Kingdom in the north?" What about the soldiers and horses of the Liao State? These are elite divisions. The Zhou State lost the sixteen states of Yanyun, and it was easy for the Khitan cavalry to go south, how could Guo Wei be distracted? ”

Li Yuan shook his head, and then moved his finger to the north of the map a little: "It is indeed easy for the Khitan cavalry to go south, but Peng Duzhi has ever thought about why the Liao State did not occupy the Central Plains after the Liao State smashed Kaifeng and destroyed the Jin State last time?" The last general had heard that the soldiers and horses of the Liao State rushed south, and they never carried baggage, but plundered along the way every time they went down the city, which was what they called to feed the war with war. As long as you order a general to defend the fortified city, when the Liao army has no food and grass to continue, it will naturally retreat. As for the soldiers and horses of the lord of the Northern Han Dynasty, they were all remnants of the people who had been beaten away by Guo Wei, and they were already frightened in their hearts, not to mention that the lord of the Han Dynasty recognized the emperor of Liao as his uncle and emperor, and he lost the hearts of the people. ”

His eyes were frozen for a moment, and Peng Shigao took a deep breath of cold air and said, "According to what you said, I will go north from the Tang Dynasty?" ”

"The last general guessed that His Majesty would definitely not rescue Yanzhou, but ordered Yan Jingquan to take the opportunity to send troops to Xuzhou, just like in the past to attack the capital of Chu Guotan, right?"

Peng Shigao's eyes widened, this was a secret strategy suggested by Feng Xiang and Chen Xiangxiang to His Majesty, and he only learned about it after listening to Liu Yanzhen's disclosure, and he couldn't help but be secretly shocked: "You, how do you know?" ”

Li Yuan slandered, naturally it was the history books that told me, otherwise? But he still smiled faintly: "It's just a guess." Your Majesty is always thinking about recovering the Central Plains, isn't it? Seeing that the Central Plains War is about to start, His Majesty will definitely believe that the current Zhou State will be like the civil strife in Chu, and Guo Wei will be difficult to care about. Moreover, Xuzhou is connected to my Tang Chuzhou, and Guo Wei just killed Liu Yun, the envoy of Jiedu, last year, and the people's hearts are not peaceful. This is also why His Majesty only gave Yan Jingquan 5,000 elite soldiers, and his intention was to run all the way, thinking that he would take Xuzhou in one fell swoop, and then he would be able to join Murong Yanchao in Kaifeng City. ”

"That's it! Li Yu waits for the gods and men! Peng Shigao couldn't help but stroking his palms and shouted: "Can Xuzhou go down?" ”

Li Yuan waved his hand decisively: "Yan Jingquan will lose this battle!" Guo Wei sent an envoy to make friends with my Tang Dynasty last year, but it was just that the country was not peaceful and he had no time to look south. Xuzhou has been a place of four wars since ancient times, with Murong Yanchao in the east and the Tang Dynasty in the south. The so-called unsettled hearts in Xuzhou are just some sporadic old Han generals who are in turmoil, and it is also an illusion that blinds my Tang Dynasty. I only pity my 5,000 sons and daughters of the Tang Dynasty, I am afraid that I will go into the mouth of the tiger and never return! ”

Peng Shigao opened his mouth for a long time, his eyes kept scanning the map, and finally leaned back on the back of the chair and sighed: "If Xuzhou is really heavily guarded, not only will the five thousand elite soldiers go and there will be no return, but I am afraid that my Datang will be in trouble!" According to what you just said, Guo Wei will definitely be able to win, I am afraid that he will have to turn around and go south, now Chu is not peaceful, the Langzhou soldiers are self-reliant, Wu Yueguo is eyeing the tiger again, my Datang is an enemy on three sides, and an enemy on three sides! ”

"Alas! Peng Du doesn't have to be so pessimistic, and look at the destiny of heaven! ”

Li Yuan sees through it and doesn't say it, isn't he helpless in his heart? God originally gave the Southern Tang Dynasty a good start, but he just had a great emperor, plus a group of ministers who were sloppy and sycophant, constantly digging holes for themselves, how could it be undefeated?

If nothing else, Yan Jingquan annihilated the entire army in Shuyang on the tenth day of the second month, and Guo Wei was still besieging Yanzhou at that time, and only sent an envoy to deal with the Southern Tang Dynasty in March, and Li Jing finally compromised and did not dare to fight again. But Murong Yanchao struggled until May, and then died because of the mutiny of his subordinates.

This may be a godsend.