Fang Youde took more than 10,000 Shence troops, marched all the way to Tianshui City, and after replenishing the baggage in the city, he took the official road directly to a pass in the northwest of Chang'an, and camped in the suburbs of Liquan County.

From here, go southeast, is Chang'an City.

And starting from Liquan County, along Jingshui all the way to the northwest canyon, is Pizhou (Binzhou City, Shaanxi Province), which is occupied by the rebels at the moment!

On both sides of the Jingshui River in Pizhou, the coal mine and Sanshui County where the accident occurred are both east of Jingshui; Xinping County, the capital of Pizhou, is west of Jingshui. Surrounded by mountains and rivers, the terrain is quite complex.

Now in the early summer, the water is soaring, and the water is too deep to wade into the water, which also causes certain difficulties for the siege war.

Attacking Pizhou, how to march, how to defend, how to attack the city, and when to start the attack are all things that test the commander's command ability.

Fang Youdetun Bing Liquan did not leave, let Bian Lingcheng return to Xingqing Palace and tell the Son of Heaven! Then he asked the imperial court to send people from Chang'an City to escort grain and grass supplies to the Shence Army camp outside Liquan County!

Because the enemy situation was unknown, Fang Youde did not rush into the army. This battle is not trivial, if you win, it's good to say, if you lose, the fun will be big, and the situation will become out of control!

Pizhou is not as close as other places, it is really too close to Chang'an!

This time, the Khitan slaves rebelled and seized the city, although they were crazy to slap Brother Ji in the face, but there was still a little luck in the misfortune. It is the only way from Pizhou to Chang'an, or the only way that the army over there can go, can only go south to Chang'an along Jingshui.

To the north, there are mountains, and there is nothing to be known about, which objectively prevents the expansion of the rebels.

Of course, this also means that if Fang Youde wants to take Pizhou, he can only go north along Jingshui, and there is no way to play any sneak attack.

That night, Fang Youde personally received a batch of military rations from Chang'an, and after personally checking them, he returned to the handsome tent, only to find an old man in an inconspicuous white brocade robe, sitting at the table, as if looking at the pile of maps.

"Saint! Why did you come to the camp, in case you ......?"

Fang Youde was shocked and hurriedly knelt down on one knee to salute.

"Quan Zhong, I stayed in Xingqing Palace, and my heart was really unsteady.

Or better in the barracks. ”

Brother Ji sighed, helped Fang Youde up, and said helplessly:

"It's funny and ridiculous, it turned out to be the Tang Dynasty. I had only accepted that Wang Zhongsi had sent people to Chang'an to offer prisoners, and Longyou had also fought well. As a result, Pizhou, which is close at hand, give me such a look!

Outrageous! It just doesn't make sense! I'm going to tear those rebels to pieces! ”

Brother Ji scolded his mother in his mouth, and hated to raise a military stick on the weapon rack. The feeling was too heavy in his hand, and he quietly returned to his original position, but his face could not hide the flush.

"The saint should not be angry with the dragon body, Weichen already has a comprehensive strategy to break the enemy, and it will not be a problem to take Pizhou."

Fang Youde said very conservatively, not daring to run the train with his mouth full.

As a result, his words made Brother Ji feel extremely dissatisfied!

"Strategy? Do you need a strategy to kill these pups?

I order you to lead your troops to storm Pizhou tomorrow! ”

Brother Ji's chest rose and fell, and he said excitedly.

It stands to reason that he should honestly stay in Xingqing Palace and wait for news. However, in fact, Brother Ji was very panicked inside.

He was afraid that Fang Youde would not win, and he was afraid that after the other party would win, he would "follow the trend", so he would support a certain prince to "force the palace" and let him, the old emperor, abdicate.

It can be said that the Khitan slaves made such a wave, so that the magnates in Chang'an City saw through the reality of Brother Ji!

Now he is just an old man who is almost helpless, no one can believe it, no one dares to believe it!

Who dares to guarantee that this time the Khitans will do something, and there will be no prince behind them?

Who dares to guarantee that these Khitans are real slaves, not elite soldiers who were deliberately ambushed and secretly trained in Pizhou?

In Brother Ji's opinion, the safest place in the entire pass now is the camp of the Shence Army! In other places, there is the possibility of harming the people.

It is not the Shence Army camp of Xuanwumen in Chang'an, but the camp where the elite soldiers of the Shence Army led by Fang Youde are located.

In fact, in order to prevent the Shence Army from becoming the next Dragon Martial Army, half of each of its "capitals" is dispersed.

There are even thousands of people deployed in the three cities of Ha Duong! Defend and monitor Luoyang in disguise!

If half of them are dispersed and deployed, there will be no such thing as a certain general being bribed by others, and then coercing his colleagues to stir up the wind and rain and play "Qingjun's side".

"Sage, the Shence army has just arrived in Liquan, and there are hurried marches along the way, and the soldiers have not yet rested.

Wouldn't it be too hasty to attack Pizhou directly like this? ”

Fang Youde asked stubbornly.

"Urgent? Of course I'm in a hurry! But not in a hurry!

That rebel army is like rat poop in a pot of porridge, which makes me feel sick when I look at it!

Like a thorn in the eye, a thorn in the flesh!

If I could, I would like to lead my troops to recapture Pizhou tonight!

Quan Zhong, you prepare, and tomorrow you will send troops to Pizhou.

In three days, I will see the heads of those thieves. There is no room for life in this battle, and all those involved will be killed. ”

Brother Ji flicked his sleeves willfully, turned around directly, and turned his back to Fang Youde.

At this moment, Fang Youde was suddenly able to understand the mood of Gao Xianzhi and Feng Changqing and others in the previous life.

Helpless, panicked, desperate, and even a trace of crying and laughing that I want to cry and can't cry, and I can't laugh if I want to laugh but don't dare to laugh.

The Anshi Rebellion broke out suddenly, the government and the opposition panicked, the military deployment was out of ground, and so on.

The current situation of the Khitan slave rebellion in Pizhou is just similar to the "teacup version" of the Anshi Rebellion.

To deal with such a small scene, Fang Youde certainly has no problem. It's just that this little thing reflects the phenomenon, but it is so real.

It's so real that he can't laugh or cry!

That emperor is really "this emperor".

Even if there is no An Lushan, no Yang Guozhong, and no Yang Yuhuan, it has not changed the habits of this emperor.

At this moment, Fang Youde experienced an unprecedented sense of powerlessness.

It was also the first time for him to feel that Fang Chongyong could see more clearly than himself, see through, see deeply, see far, and see accurately!

Seeing that Brother Ji had an impatient look on his face, Fang Youde hurriedly lowered his head, crossed his hands and saluted: "Then I will go and prepare this." ”

"Well, go ahead, I'll be waiting in your tent."

Brother Ji said expressionlessly, looking obviously not very happy.

……

"Guanzhong Pizhou, the Khitan slaves captured the state capital, and what kind of Great Zhou was built?"

He Changqi touched his round head, and couldn't believe that this secret letter sent from the Hexi Jinju Academy in Chang'an City was true.

Fang Chongyong's cronies looked at each other in the study of Hexi Jiedu, and they couldn't speak for a while.

Nima has a few Khitan captives, can he still turn the sky?

"I can't believe you, it's true."

Fang Chongyong said speechlessly.

Guanzhong has really been singing and dancing for too long, and there is no vigilance at all. can actually make a group of Khitan slaves digging coal successful, and it is really a slap in the face.

"Having said that, the carboniferous mine in Pizhou was explored by a certain person. It can be said that there is a providence in the dark, but I didn't expect that the original intention of this section commander was to benefit the people of Chang'an, so that they could burn more charcoal, burn less charcoal, and cut down trees.

Unexpectedly, these people threw more than 10,000 Khitan slaves, and they neglected to prevent extensive management. ”

Fang Chongyong couldn't help but complain.

The Chang'an authorities, especially in Pizhou, were too sloppy in their management of the coal mines, purely for the sake of squeezing the lives of slaves, and treating these people as consumables without even concealing it.

If Fang Chongyong were to do this, it would definitely be much more detailed.

What labor dispatch should be carried out, performance appraisal should also be carried out, and it should be arranged for Guanzhong household registration or something that can be done for three or five years. If you don't have a way, you have to force the slaves to rebel.

The officials over there in Pizhou are really a bunch of dog brains.

If you dig as much as you want, you will take as much as you want, and if you squeeze like a slave, you will not be able to have any enthusiasm in doing things.

In the end, those Khitans had little to eat and the government didn't get much coal, which is a typical lose-lose! Holding a golden hen and not knowing how to lay eggs, a bunch of idiots!

Fang Chongyong complained about the group of birdmen in Pizhou in his heart, put the letter in his hand aside and said:

"This incident will not affect us much in the short term, but the long-term adverse effects cannot be ignored. The saint may be more suspicious and suspicious in the future, and he will be more ruthless, so you all have to be mentally prepared.

The cunning rabbit dies, and the lackeys cook.

The day when the Western Regions is pacified is the time when we are resettled by the saints, and we ascend and descend in the dark. If you are not careful, you will have to worry about your life.

Are you all prepared? ”

Fang Chongyong looked around at everyone and asked, this was actually quite explicit.

In fact, whether it is the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army or the Hexi Border Army, the main generals in these armies have also considered the issue of Ji Ge's death.

No one is a pure and innocent species.

Because there is a fact that is obvious, everyone knows that the structure of the Tang Border Army has basically been decided, and it is impossible to change it significantly.

Disarmament is not even ruled out!

That is to say, now the positions of the border army are one radish and one pit, and it is impossible to increase them again. You have to go down one before you can come up.

So who goes down and who comes up?

This question needs to be asked of a country and a person.

The so-called country is Tubo, and the person mentioned is Brother Ji, and the two of them can decide the stay, stay and promotion of the border generals of the Tang Dynasty.

Fighting for meritorious service and promotion in Tibet, or taking the holy family of Jige to get promoted, both roads are quite hanging.

This is also the reason why the Silver Spear Filial Piety Army is popular now: the Son of Heaven is pro-army and elite, and being closer to the Son of Heaven means that there are more opportunities for promotion.

In a local border town, what if someone can tear a tiger apart? If there is no knots to recommend or appreciate, then this person can only play wrestling with tigers in the mountains and forests for the rest of his life!

If you want to make military merits, then you must also have military merits!

The reality is so cruel.

And Brother Ji is already in his sixties, which makes all the border generals unconsciously move closer to the town. Because compared to the emperor who may burp at any time, he is more reliable than the festival who meets every day!

Not to mention that Fang Chongyong is now talking to his hardcore cronies, even if he gathers the high-level leaders of the Chishui Army and makes a set of obscure statements with the same meaning, there is nothing wrong with it at all!

"Fang Jieshuai, there must be a road before the car reaches the mountain. The saints have holy decrees, and the border towns also have the response of the border towns.

For example, when the Tibetans attacked, the saints could not easily change the envoys.

If the Tibetans don't move, we can force them to move. ”

Zhang Tongru, who had just taken refuge in the past, quietly persuaded him.

"Is it the kind of self-respecting thing that raises the Kou?"

Fang Chongyong muttered to himself, nodding slightly and noncommittal.

"I think that Fang Jieshuai may be thinking a little far. Now that the chaos among the people of the Tang Dynasty is beginning to appear, it may not be possible to give the saint a chance to be a demon in the future.

As long as Fang Jieshuai catches the silver spear filial piety army, then he will be invincible. ”

Duan Xiushi, who was wearing a mask, spoke.

Fang Chongyong couldn't help but glance at this "masked man" more, and I have to say that this sentence is really accurate!

In fact, he was just giving his cronies a vaccination today, and the matter was not as urgent as he said.

Duan Xiushi thinks that the Tang Dynasty has begun to have chaos, which may have something to do with the fact that he has been a slave and retinue in Shazhou for several years and has tasted all the hardships in the world. People who have not been at the bottom of the society will always think that the country and the people are safe, until one day they face a landslide and a crack!

And people who are struggling at the bottom often have a more keen insight into the good and bad of the world! Duan Xiushi's sense of smell is right, and it can be seen from his words that this person is not a reckless man, and his mind is very meticulous.

"The expedition to the Western Regions was proposed to the sage by this section commander.

In fact, if you don't go to the Western Regions, then you will have to face Tibet.

If there is nothing wrong with Tibet, then the authority will be cut off by the saints.

The main purpose of this move is actually to avoid the political vortex of Chang'an and accumulate strength in the process of going to the Western Regions.

These things, this section commander told you in the front, this is also your chance to be promoted.

This expedition, we must be wholeheartedly and with one heart and one mind. I've got a pledge here, and I'll sign it. ”

Fang Chongyong took out a large piece of paper from his arms and put it on the table shared in front of everyone.

He Changqi picked it up and looked at it, and it read the six-character title of "Brotherhood and Righteousness Oath".

"The people of Hexi Prefecture generally like to form associations to do things. There is a Cao Canal Society for repairing Cao Canal, there is a Weaving Society for weaving cloth, and even there is a Buddhist Society for worshipping Buddha.

Now this section marshal also has an association, which is called the Brotherhood Society.

When you go to the battlefield, you are brothers.

Life and death are shared, never abandoned, benefits are shared, responsibilities are shared, and each other is taken care of.

Even if this section is handsome, he is saying that even if he wants to clear the king's side one day, the brothers will stick knives in the ribs for the other brothers!

You think this oath is fine. ”

Fang Chongyong looked around at everyone, his eyes were like lightning, and he was not angry and arrogant.

"Hey, what do you think it is!

Follow Fang Jieshuai, you can eat nine meals a day!

Come on, come on, let someone sign first! ”

He Changqi didn't think about it, and signed his name directly on that piece of paper, without even reading the details of those covenants.

He was afraid that he would not dare to sign it if he saw it!

"Duan Dapeng, what about you?"

Fang Chongyong looked at Duan Xiushi who was wearing a mask and asked.

"Today, it's all thanks to Li Longji, what can't be signed!"

Duan Xiushi didn't think about it, and signed directly.

With these two men taking the lead, everyone signed their names on the covenant and got on the thief ship safely.

From today on, there will be only one way to go to the black, one is prosperous, and one is lost!

Fang Chongyong put away the big piece of paper and said with a smile:

"This piece of paper is just for us to feel at ease when the world is in chaos in the future. In the prosperous times, you will not feel any difference, but once the troubled times begin, the brothers you can rely on are your help and siblings.

It's late at night, so let's go and rest. ”

After finishing the "serious business", Fang Chongyong also breathed a sigh of relief, and continued to say to everyone: "The army is ready to go to Shazhou to prepare camels, if you still have things to do in Liangzhou, hurry up and do things." ”

When they heard this, they all got up and departed.

I didn't feel it when I was sitting just now, but when I got out of the study door of the Hexi Jiedu Envoy's Yamen, I was blown by the cold wind in the night, and everyone's minds suddenly calmed down, and they felt a burst of fear.

Listening to the tone of this Fang Jieshuai, it seems that "everything is under control". It's easy to get on a thief ship now, but it's even harder to get down in the future.

(End of chapter)