On the wharf, Du Pre, accompanied by the two brothers He Batsheng and He Batyue, greeted the Wei Yan people who had returned from Jiangbei.

Seeing Wei Yan get down from the boat, Du Yu stepped forward, held Wei Yan's hand, and said:

"Wen Chang has done such a big thing in Jiangbei!"

Wei Yan was a little flattered when he saw Du Pre personally go out of the village to greet him, and hurriedly said:

"The last general has only made a small contribution, how can he join the army to welcome him? It's really a frustration. ”

After the two sides finished saluting, Du pre-Fang said:

"Wen Chang's battle has inspired the hearts of the people in Jiangbei and greatly boosted the morale of our army, so don't be modest. You and I said as we walked, and the big marshal was waiting for Wen Chang to come back in the village to discuss the matter of going north. ”

Among the generals, only Wei Yan has experience in the territory of Qi State, so whether to cross the river to the north and pursue while the victory is won, whether Guan Haocang or Du Pre must listen to Wei Yan's opinion.

"Join the army, please!"

"Wen Chang, please!"

Du Wei and Wei Yan walked in the front, and the Heba brothers and Gao Ran, who were a little behind the two of them, took the opportunity to chat.

He Bayue punched Gao Ran in the chest, and said with some envy:

"You kid is lucky, he went north with Wei Wenchang, and he actually stirred up the chickens and dogs of Qi and made such a contribution."

In this battle, the two brothers led the cavalry and inflicted heavy losses on the Qi army, which can be regarded as a lot of contributions, but compared with Wei Yan and Gao Lan, they are still so far behind.

"Hehe, who let me befriend Wen Chang!"

Gao Ran replied with a smile, his face full of undisguised pride.

Although he is a deputy general, he can only share a small half of the credit, but this small half is enough to envy many colleagues in the army like the Heba brothers.

"Lao Gao, how many war horses did you get back this time?"

He Batsheng asked in a low voice.

As early as the dock, he looked at the war horses that were brought to the shore from the cabin, not to mention how itchy his heart was.

As a horseman, he has a good horse, which is equivalent to an extra life on the battlefield.

Although Jiangnan's war horses are docile and easy to train, they are generally not tall, and their explosive power and endurance are not strong, so He Batsheng is quite disdainful in his heart, but because there is no substitute, he can only make do with it for the time being.

Now that he saw the war horses produced in Jiangbei, especially when he learned that these war horses were from the Dongchang Mansion Military Horse Farm, he immediately understood that a substitute was coming.

The war horses produced in Dongchang Mansion, in addition to their personalities, can surpass the Jiangnan war horses in other qualities.

Therefore, he thought about asking Gao Ran to see if he could keep one for himself.

"Brother Pohu, most of these war horses are stallions that have not been castrated." Gao Ran frowned and said, "Moreover, Wen Chang and I have already reported the number of war horses to Guan Shuai on the return trip......"

Majority?

Doesn't that mean that a few of them are eunuchs?

Hearing the song of the strings, He Batsheng stretched out a finger and said:

"As long as Lao Gao Ling promises to leave one horse for each of our brothers, and when we return to Shenjing in the future, our brothers will be one of us once, please go to Zuiyue Tower with Wen Chang to have a dash."

Gao Ran's eyes lit up when he heard the conditions offered by He Batsheng.

The Heba brothers are not like themselves, they also have a brother who is the head of the mansion, and his net worth is much stronger than himself.

Although he is a member of Gao Zhan, the left attendant of the former military department, his family background is not good since he was a child, and he has just joined the army for less than half a year, and the sum of his money is not enough to go to Zuiyue Tower once.

Now that someone wants to invite him to the gold cave, naturally he is 10,000 willing, and he nodded his head and accepted the matter.

Soon, the group came to the renovated Lu Zhai Shuai Camp.

"Wei Yan/Gao Ran, see Dashuai!"

"It's good to come back," Seeing the two of them, Guan Haocang, who was sitting in the handsome seat, rarely showed a little smile on his face, which had always been majestic, "Sit, by the way, tell Ben Shuai and the generals about the experience of the two of you going north." ”

After Wei Yan and Gao Ran sat down, Fang told everyone about the experience of the group in Dongchang Mansion.

Whether it was Guan Haocang or Du Yu, after listening to the two of them, their faces showed a look of admiration and admiration.

"The two generals are really wise and brave!"

This time, the partial division commanded by Wei Yan and Gao Ran can be said to have perfectly completed the set goal.

In addition to improving the confidence of the people of the three prefectures in Jiangbei in Dachu and hitting the morale of the Qi army, more importantly, these two people gave them a surprise.

Nearly 1,000 excellent Jiangbei war horses, and they are also stallions!

After breeding and breeding, these stallions can greatly improve the level of war horses in the army after a few years, laying a good foundation for the future Northern Expedition and recovering lost territory.

Jiangnan is dominated by boats, but if you want to go on the Northern Expedition, you need to focus on fine horsemanship.

It can be said that the significance of these thousand war horses is extraordinary for the entire Chu State!

After sighing, Guan Haocang asked Wei Yan and Gao Lan:

"The two generals have been in Dongchang Mansion for more than ten days, how do you think of the current combat strength of the Qi army?"

Wei Yan clenched his fists and stood up and said:

"Marshal, the last general and General Gao met the Qi army in Dongchang Mansion, both of them were defending the city, and the last general also asked Yuezhou and Xiao Chengji, the two generals of the Qi army, and they both said that not long ago, most of the Qi soldiers in the three prefectures of Jiangbei were transferred to the front line under the order of Zhang Zhaoxing, the commander of the Qi Army's water division, so in addition to the city, many townships and villages and counties are only left with the soldiers who can defend the city."

"The last general thought that the commander would break the enemy in one battle. After the Qi army suffered heavy losses, most of the main army was lost, coupled with the emptiness of the rear, it was a good opportunity to cross the Canglong River north and recover the lost territory. I hope the handsome man will see clearly! ”

Hearing Wei Yan say this, Guan Haocang only bowed slightly, but did not express his position.

However, the generals in the tent were all gearing up, and when he gave an order, they waved their troops north.

Some of them even volunteered to ask Guan Haocang for the position of pioneer, opening the way for the army to meet the mountains and build bridges in the water.

Regarding the expressions of the generals, Guan Haocang looked at it in his eyes, sighed slightly in his heart, and looked at Du Yu who was looking down.

"Yuan Kai, do you think this is a good opportunity to send troops?"

Du pre-said: "If according to common sense, the Qi army is defeated, and our army is victorious, we should take advantage of the victory to pursue." It's just that the humble position feels that crossing the river at this time is not the best time. ”

Those who know me, Du Yuankai also!

Hearing Du Yu say this, Guan Haocang sighed in his heart.

Originally, he was afraid of being coerced by the generals' desire for war, so he had to raise troops to the north, but now that he, His Majesty's henchman, is standing with him, he can say something to these generals who are anxious to make meritorious contributions.

"Yuan Kai coincides with the old man, and the old man also has this intention in his heart."

"Dashuai, why is that?"

One of the generals couldn't help but ask.

"Why? The biggest reason is grain and grass! ”

Guan Haocang said in a deep voice:

"In the summer of last year, the Lingchuan Prefectures were seriously flooded, the grain harvest was poor, and the surplus grain of the households was not abundant. We naturally don't need to consume too much grain and grass in the south of the Canglong River, but if we cross the river to the north, the cost of transporting grain and grass will increase significantly. The monarchs and ministers of the State of Qi knew that we were going north, and they would mobilize a large army to fight against us. Also, don't forget that Your Majesty is still at war with Burma in southern Xinjiang! ”

"Fighting on two fronts, the supply of grain and grass is already tight. If our army rushes north and holds out with the Qi army in Jiangbei for a long time, the amount of grain and grass consumed will increase sharply, and if the supply of grain and grass cannot be maintained, then it will be us who will lose! When the time comes, what will you and I have to see Your Majesty? ”

As soon as these words came out, the generals were shocked and thought silently.

Du Yu looked at the generals who were frowning and thinking, and added:

"Ladies and gentlemen, what Guan Shuai said is naturally the most important reason, but Du has to add, have you forgotten the Jin Kingdom? If the State of Qi asks for help from the State of Jin, and the Son of Heaven of the State of Jin is not in the right position, in order to improve his prestige, he will definitely send troops to support the State of Qi, and at that time, there will be one more enemy for us, so will we be able to rely on these 350,000 horses to resist the advance of the combined forces of the two countries? ”

Jin?!

Hearing these two words, the faces of the generals suddenly changed, and Guan Haocang couldn't help but look at himself in surprise, who had always been modest and cautious in joining the army.

He only thought of grain and grass, and Du Yuankai was already looking at this war from the perspective of countries and countries.

It's really a talented person!

Guan Haocang couldn't help but sigh like this in his heart.

The Jin State is located in the Central Plains, and its own strength far exceeds that of the Chu State, if Sima Deguang is invited to send troops, it will undoubtedly be bad news for the Chu State.

Du Yu's words instantly dispelled most of the generals' desire to fight.

In the end, Guan Haocang issued an order, and while the troops did not move, and at the same time collected and surrendered the soldiers, they sent scouts to pay close attention to the movements of the Qi State and the Jin State, and sent a letter to the court to inform the hundred officials of the imperial court, the Son of Heaven in the southern Xinjiang, and the Fan Zhenbu in the upper reaches of the Canglong River.

…………

Qi State, Eastern Capital, Hanyuan Palace.

"I hurt Zhang Qing!"

On the dragon chair, Wang Kuang, the son of heaven of Qi State, looked at Xie Wenyuan's recital, faced the hundred officials, and said bitterly.

"If it weren't for this plan, I would have lost more than 30,000 elite soldiers!"

Both the population and the land area of Qi are much smaller than those of Jin and Chu, and the loss of 30,000 soldiers in this battle can be said to be a heavy blow to Qi State.

In the Golden Palace, the hundred officials of the Qi State hurriedly knelt on the ground and spoke to comfort the Son of Heaven.

"Please also ask Your Majesty to mourn, this defeat is the responsibility of the ministers, please punish Your Majesty."

Wang Kuang waved his hand and sighed:

"This plan was decided by me and Zhu Qing, now that I have been defeated, how can I blame Qing and others, if I were not too confident in this plan, I would not have come to this point today. I'm sorry for Zhang Qing, I'm sorry for the soldiers! From tomorrow, I will be closed in the Jingde Hall for ten days, coarse tea and light meals, reflecting on my own mistakes, and the government affairs of the DPRK and China will be temporarily handled by the prime minister. Ordering Si Tianjian to find an auspicious day for the zodiac, I personally went to the Great Bodhi Temple to chant sutras and pray for the soldiers who died in battle. ”

"Your Majesty is benevolent!"

Hundreds of officials said one after another.

"All the secretaries have discussed it, how to deal with this situation now?"

Captain Gu Qinggang came out and said: "Your Majesty, according to the opinion of the old minister, you should order a good general to lead the army, go to Dongchang Mansion, and hold the key places in the pass to prevent the Chu army from crossing the river and going north." ”

"Just according to the words of the captain." Wang Kuang nodded, "It's just that this leader should be the general?" ”

Taishi Nangong Zhao said: "Your Majesty, the minister recommends Xiao Tang, the general of Zhengnan. ”

"No," Prime Minister Cai Xuangan said loudly, "That traitor Xiao Chengji is a distant relative of Xiao Tang, and General Xiao even funded the traitor to study and practice martial arts in the early years, who knows if the two are now colluded." Just in case, the minister implored His Majesty to find another good general to lead the troops. ”

Hearing the words "Xiao Chengji", Wang Kuang's brows couldn't help frowning.

If it weren't for this thief, the Chu army's partial division would have been blocked on the front line of the Fengshou River and could not advance an inch, how could it be possible to cross the river and burn down the military horse farm.

Thinking of what Yin Zuoshu of Dongchang Mansion said, because of the looting and arson of the Chu army, most of the military horses in the military horse farm were killed and injured, and all the stallions used for breeding were missing, so he felt that his heart was pumping.

"What the prime minister said is very true, and you must not guard against it." Wang Kuang said in a deep voice, "Apart from General Xiao, who else can Zhongqing recommend?" ”

"The minister recommends the cavalry general Li Tianxi."

Prime Minister Cai Xuangan spoke again.

"General Li I know, the brave champion of the three armies, the belly of the strategy, is worthy of trust, just him."

Wang Kuang pondered for a moment, nodded and settled the matter.

"As for General Xie, he plans to recruit him, demote him to one rank and fine him for two years, so that he can still lead the water division and make meritorious service for his crimes. Tell him not to live up to my expectations, I am waiting for the day when he will avenge Zhang Qing for himself and for Zhang Qing. ”

"We're honored."

Su Da, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, hurriedly said.

"Regarding the matter of the Chu army going north, do you have anything else to add?"

Wang Kuang's voice sounded again.

Yang Riying, the secretary of the military department, came out and said: "Your Majesty, now that the Chu army is in full swing, Weichen thinks that in order to plan properly, it is better to ask the Jin State to send troops to fight against the Chu army with our dynasty." ”

When Wang Kuang heard this, his heart suddenly woke up.

yes, why didn't he think it could be like this?

On the one hand, the relationship between the Jin State and the Qi State has always been relatively good, and on the other hand, the Jin State does not want to see the Chu State establish a bridgehead north of the Canglong River.

In addition, the emperor of the Jin Kingdom has just ascended the throne now, and he is worried that he will not be able to establish his prestige in the court, if he is invited to send troops, there is a chance that the other party will agree.

"Su Qing's words are very good, I don't know who is willing to go to the Jin Kingdom for me?"

Seeing the Son of Heaven asking, there was silence in the Golden Palace for a moment, and then one person spoke.

"Your Majesty, Wechen is willing to go."

But it was Zhao Wenbin, an official of the Ministry of Rites who had been an envoy to the State of Chu.

"The minister's previous envoy to the Chu State has damaged the face of our country, and today I am willing to send an envoy to the Jin State to share the worries of Your Majesty."

"Good!"

Knowing Zhao Wenbin's shameful and courageous thoughts, Wang Kuang's eyes showed appreciation.

"Then Zhao Qing will be the envoy and be responsible for the affairs of the Jin Kingdom."

After the next dynasty, Prime Minister Cai Xuangan called Tian Bo, the black-clothed envoy in charge of the black-clothed platform, to the prime minister's mansion.

"The lower official has seen the prime minister."

After giving a salute, the two sat down, and Cai Xuan said solemnly:

"The prime minister came to you to ask, how did the state of Chu know that our court would send troops after this defeat? This time, except for the important ministers of the DPRK, no one else knew about it. And this prime minister can also ensure the loyalty of your colleagues to Daqi and His Majesty, so these Japanese prime ministers are becoming more and more unable to figure it out. ”

"Don't dare to hide the prime minister," Tian Bo smiled bitterly at Cai Xuangan's question, "Xia Guan thought that there was a traitor in the black-clothed Taizhong, but after repeated temptations, he didn't find the slightest clue. ”

"That's a bit weird."

Cai Xuangan felt more and more the trickiness of the matter, and told Tian Bo:

"It is said that the little emperor of Chu has established an intelligence agency called Jishifu, you must find out the details of the other party as soon as possible."

Tian Bo nodded solemnly.

He had a hunch that the Chu State's Jishifu would be one of the biggest and most difficult opponents of the black-clothed platform he commanded in the future.

(End of chapter)