The three generals of the right Xiaowei, the first master and the second deputy, successively received gifts from the prince from the Beijing Division.

Of course, gifts are not expensive, and they belong to normal human exchanges.

Gift-giving is a very complicated thing, and it has evolved over thousands of years.

As we all know, if you ask someone to do something, you have to give a heavy gift, and if the gift is light, then the thing will not be done, so the weight of the gift is basically proportional to the value of the thing you ask someone to do.

You want to be a Taishou and give a gift from a county order, but I'm sorry, the county order is gone, because you look down on me.

There are also gifts for daily maintenance, that is, during the New Year's holidays, more or less to give some, to maintain this incense, and when you ask others to do things in the future, you will not be unable to open your mouth.

And Yang Ming's three gifts are more special, they belong to the ordinary ceremony, which means that a few of us have entanglements of interests now, give me a face, this matter has passed, don't mention it again, which has a layer of warning, or rather, it is called appeasement.

Often, such a gift is either not accepted, and if you accept it, don't look for trouble, otherwise it will be a breach of trust.

Xin Shixiong looked at the people from the East Palace, looked at the two carts of gifts, sighed in his heart, and said to the guards of the East Palace:

"Please tell the prince that the minister will return to Beijing in a few days, and he will go to the East Palace to ask for a meeting."

The guard nodded, saluted, and walked away.

Xin Shixiong didn't dare not accept it, or that sentence, His Holiness gave it, and he didn't dare to resign.

While Yang Ming sent someone to give gifts, he also wrote a letter to Li Jing, informing him of the situation and asking him to improvise.

So that night, Li Jing came to Xin Mansion to ask for a meeting.

After Xin Shixiong invited Li Jing to sit down, he instructed his subordinates to pour tea and said:

"When I'm old, except for some occasions, I don't want to drink, so the pharmacist will have a few cups of tea with me."

Li Jing said with a smile: "It should be like this, drinking tea makes people calm, and when the heart is calm, it is most beneficial to talk to Xin Lao tonight." ”

"I probably guessed why you came," Xin Shixiong was frustrated again and again, and said in frustration: "The prince's love for you is enviable. ”

Li Jing said: "Because of this, Li Jing is sincerely afraid, trembling, and does not dare to live up to the prince's kindness in the slightest. ”

Although the doors and windows of the house were closed, the sound of rain outside was like the beating of drumsticks.

Xin Shixiong nodded: "I have been in office for three years, the military government, you don't need people close to you, it can be said that it is difficult to move an inch, the pharmacist is working in the right military guard, you should understand this truth, the prince is easier this time, it makes people frightened." ”

In terms of positions, the two of them are at the same level, and in terms of lords, they are all similar, they have no titles, and their titles are all pillars.

"The prince's arrangement is meaningful," Li Jing said: "The younger generation has heartfelt words, and the old general is no wonder that Li Jingjiao is shallow and deep." ”

Xin Shixiong was stunned for a moment and said, "Please speak." ”

Li Jing sighed and said in a deep voice: "This northern expedition, in my opinion, there is a huge drawback, the main force of Xu Guogong and Yanshou Gong advances, I am afraid it will be difficult and dangerous, I am flanked by the east and west, the responsibility is heavy, if there is a slight loss, it will be a place of no return." ”

The Western Route Army, controlled by Li Jing, had Xin Shixiong and an iron rod under his command, with a total of 67,000 men.

The main force in the middle lane, Yuwen Shu and Yu Zhongwen, has a total of 72,000 elite people.

The Eastern Route Army, with Jing Yuanheng, Xue Shixiong, Cui Hongsheng, and Wei Xuan, was controlled by Wei Xuan, with a total of 136,000 people.

In the north, Duan Wenzhen and Zhang Jin beat Fuyu City and Xincheng, with 63,000 people.

A total of 11 roads, 338,000 people, the original nine roads, added Mai Tiecane and Duan Wenzhen.

Throwing away Duan Wenzhen's troops in the north, from Liaodong to Pyongyang, hoarding 275,000 people of the Great Sui, Li Jing's Western Route Army is relatively flat, and Wei Xuan's Eastern Route Army wants to go south along the Wolf Forest Mountain, which is full of mountain fortresses, which can be described as difficult and dangerous step by step.

Wolf Forest Mountain, is the birthplace of the Daedong River and the Cheongcheon River in North Korea, with an average altitude of 2,000 meters, and Changjin Lake is in the Wolf Forest Mountain.

This place is icy and snowy, the roads are rugged, it is extremely difficult to march, once Wei Xuan and they are blocked, they can't move forward, Yuwen Shu is a lone army in depth, and the defense on the east side will be completely exposed, and it is easy to be surrounded by the wolf forest mountain and the pyongyang department, and then completely annihilated.

After listening to Li Jing's analysis, Xin Shixiong frowned and said: "The mountain city of Goguryeo, with a few thousand people at most and hundreds at the least, can pose a threat to Wei Xuan's east road?" ”

"The use of troops throughout the ages, pay attention to the right time, place and people, and the right place is not in me today," Li Jing said: "Wei Xuanbu and I have the same responsibility, both are to block the enemy, in order to form the main force east barrier, but if its southward road can not be timely, Princess Xu will be harassed by the enemy, and the surprise attack on Pyongyang will become a paper talk." ”

Li Jing sighed: "It's not Wei Gong's fault, it's really a strategic mistake." ”

Historically, the Tang Dynasty's attack on Goguryeo was a gradual encroachment, and the risk was very high.

Of course, the Tang Dynasty also had the experience of Yang Guang, so he knew that he couldn't fight like this.

"This strategy is planned by Xu Guogong, Your Majesty has already nodded, this point cannot be changed," Xin Shixiong said: "I have the advantage of refining steel today, the enemy cannot stop it, I can understand the pharmacist's worries, but I think that the battle situation will be smoother because of the huge advantage of weapons and armor." ”

Li Jing nodded and said: "If it weren't for the prince's improvement of the process, so that my soldiers have such a treasure armor artifact, with this strategy, I would definitely lose." ”

"Be careful!" Xin Shixiong said: "Your Majesty is full of praise for this policy, let's stop arguing." ”

Li Jing's heartfelt words made Xin Shixiong's favor increase sharply, it is not easy for people to dare to tell you this, but what does this have to do with the person who removed me from the prince?

You've got to give me a reasonable explanation, huh?

Li Jing continued: "So from the very beginning, I planned that the old general would fight the humble luxury, and General Mai would fight the black bones, while I would follow the main force to the south and respond to the east. ”

Xin Shixiong was dumbfounded: "Except for me and Mai Tiecane, how many people do you have?" Can you give cover to the flanks of the main force? ”

"Four thousand light cavalry guerrillas, two thousand heavy cavalry to break the formation, it is enough," Li Jing said: "The soldiers are not expensive, most of the mountain cities in the eastern part of Goguryeo are small groups of enemy troops, and six thousand cavalry is actually enough." ”

Xin Shixiong's old face twitched, the young man is bold, the work of more than 100,000 people in the Wei Xuan Department, you want to do it with 6,000 people?

"The pharmacist is too risky, it must be done," Xin Shixiong hurriedly waved his hand.

Li Jing said with a smile: "Goguryeo's more than 100,000 main iron cavalry, all hoarded in the capital Pyongyang, is the most elite of the country, if Xu Guogong is blocked halfway, when he arrives in Pyongyang, I am afraid of an embarrassing battle, since the overall situation cannot be changed, then we should desperately protect the main force to the south, to put it mildly, if the main force is defeated, I have no choice but to withdraw troops from the east and west." ”

Li Jing has long seen that one of my two subordinates, you and Mai Tiezhu, can't manage it, so who can he manage on Wei Xuan's side? Jing Yuanheng, Xue Shixiong, Cui Hongsheng, which one is easy to manage?

The terrain in the east is complicated, and in most cases it is necessary to fight separately, so that the troops will be scattered, and in the event of a major situation, it is difficult to join forces, Li Jing calculated that there will be problems on the east road, so he planned to risk going south.

But if he goes south, he has to solve Xin Shixiong's problem, if this old guy can't completely seal the Liaodong Peninsula and cause Li Jing's ass to have pursuers to follow, then it's all over.

Don't think that your own people on the battlefield will not yin your own people, this kind of thing has been more and more since ancient times.

Li Jing and Yang Ming also thought about killing the comfort envoy.

Xin Shixiong's hair stood on end, and above the court, there was never a remark about defeat, because everyone felt that it was impossible to lose, although this strategy was risky, but there was a gap between my Great Sui soldiers and the soldiers of the small state.

But now that he heard Li Jing say this, he was also a little afraid, indeed, the main forces of Yuwenshu and Yu Zhongwen could not be defeated, as soon as they were defeated, the strategy would be ineffective, and there was really no second choice for the east and west except for withdrawing troops.

You don't withdraw? The cantonment army on the east and west sides of Goguryeo, plus the main force of Pyongyang can trap you, and besides, once the main force is defeated, the morale will be finished first.

And the army of the Wang Division stationed in Liaodong also had to be withdrawn, because behind them was the Liao River, and if they did not withdraw in time, they would be besieged.

"So, the prince's change is because I am not at ease, afraid that I will not be able to protect the rear of the pharmacist?" Xin Shixiong said.

Li Jing nodded: "That's it, the generals I lead are the lone army of the attack, if there is a loss behind it, I am afraid that the whole army will be wiped out." ”

"I understand," Xin Shixiong pondered for a long time, and said with a straight face: "Since the pharmacist is open and honest, I also know what to do, you can rest assured, there will never be a fish that slips through the net on the Liaodong Peninsula." ”

Li Jing got up and waved his hand solemnly at the other party and said:

"Whether Li Jing can come back alive or not depends on the old general."

Xin Shixiong also hurriedly got up, held Li Jing's two arms and said: "What the pharmacist did this time has a huge stake, I will ask to see the prince when I return to Beijing this time, and I will talk about this matter in detail at that time." ”

Then, the two sat back down and began to chat.

Casual chatting is helpful to get closer to the relationship, for example, if someone likes a woman, you can talk to him about this, this way of doing what he likes, will make the other party feel that you are in the same way as him.

And Xin Shixiong's hobby, there must be women among them, and the two chatted and felt that something was wrong.

Why doesn't it rain?

Xin Shixiong opened the door of the house, looked at the ankle-deep water in the courtyard, and hurriedly called a servant and asked:

"How long has it been raining?"

"It's been two hours, and the flower beds in the backyard are flooded, and the slaves and maids are blocking the water," said the servant.

Li Jing frowned instantly: "It has rained so heavily for two hours, I am afraid that there will be floods, and now it is the time when the crops are in full bloom, and this year's harvest is worrying." ”

Xin Shixiong's face was also solemn.

What the ancients feared most was natural disasters, and this thing couldn't be stopped, and it would be fatal.

"Thunderstorms have always been poured on one place, and I hope that other places are not such a way to fall," Xin Shixiong frowned and said: "The grain of the Eastern Capital is now being transferred to the north, and if there is a disaster in the Yellow River, the matter will be serious." ”

It was at this time that the gong outside the house was loud, because the rain was too loud, so what the other party was shouting could not be heard clearly.

But Xin Shixiong and Li Jing understand that this is called flood reporting, and the Luohe River, which runs through Luoyang, has risen.

(End of chapter)