When a country is about to perish, there must be evildoers! This sentence is not false at all. In the thirteenth year of Daye, the middle reaches of the Yellow River were hit by heavy rains, but the Jianghuai area was severely drought-affected. As early as the twelfth year of Daye, the grain production was severely reduced due to the drought, and in the spring famine in the thirteenth year of Daye At this time, the counties in Huainan fell into a terrible famine. The hungry people first ate the bark and leaves, then boiled the soil for food, and then - everything was exhausted, and they ate each other!
In desperation, a large number of people rose up and raised their flags to rebel. As a result, this also gave the Jianghuai Uprising Army represented by Du Fuwei and Li Zitong a great opportunity to develop and grow. Du Fuwei, who was beaten to the end by Chen Sangliang twice It even expanded the team to more than 100,000, and ran amok directly under the noses of Emperor Sui Yang, constantly attacking cities and plundering land, even taking Gaoyou, Liuhe and Liyang, etc. Built in Liyang City, which is only two hundred miles away from Jiangdu, it despises Sui Yang Emperor to the extreme.
Of course, Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty could not swallow his anger. In order to destroy Du Fuwei, Emperor Yang of Sui Dynasty sent Gongsun Shangzhe, Chen Leng, and Laizheng and other famous Sui army generals to attack Du Fuwei. Then Chen Ling's entire army was annihilated, and he only escaped with his own body, and then Lai'er's most effective son, Lai Lai, was beaten so badly that he didn't even dare to confront Du Fuwei head-on. Emperor Sui Yang was helpless, so he had no choice but to continue his ostrich tactics, come out of sight, out of mind, and let Du Fuwei mess around around Jiangdu, as long as he doesn't come to harass Jiangdu.
Here I have to say something fair for Chen Leng, Laizheng and others. It's not that they can't fight, nor is it that they are greedy for life and fear of death and fear Du Fuwei. Du Fuwei's army is fighting more and more, but they can't get the support of the people at all. The information is not smooth and the roads are blocked. The famous general Chen Leng, who was looking for teeth all over the place, once had the upper hand, was still tortured to death by Du Fuwei's crowd tactics, and finally drowned completely.
The ostrich tactics are still useless after all. No matter how much Emperor Sui Yang entertained himself with wine and sex, he refused to worry about the bad situation. The bad news and bad news reached his ears one after another, except for the rebellion and uprising that had already counted countless numbers. In addition, what made Emperor Sui Yang furious the most was the loss of Hulaoguan, which caused Luokou Cang and Dongdu to be in emergency together. It was very difficult, now that Hulao Pass was also lost by Pei Renji, it would be even more difficult for Emperor Sui Yang to command the northern counties remotely.
Fortunately, as Yuan Wendu, Duan Da, Yang Tong and others said, seeing the report of Chen Sangliang's three cavalry retreating the enemy and keeping Luokou's warehouse, Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty did not pursue Chen Sangliang for not being able to quickly recapture the tiger. He also praised Chen Sangliang's decisiveness and wisdom and courage, and issued an edict to reward him. However, for Pei Renji, the furious Emperor Yang of Sui issued a strict decree to deprive Pei Renji of all official titles and titles. Punishment, serious questioning!
Facing the unrealistic edict issued by Emperor Sui Yang in fury, Pei Ju, the patriarch of the Pei clan, made the last effort to save him, pointing out that Pei Renji's military strength was limited, and the Wagang army was numerous and powerful, and Pei Renji alone There is not much power to successfully recapture Hulao Pass, and there are too many important cities and warehouses to be guarded by soldiers and horses in the Eastern Capital. There is definitely not much help that can be provided to Pei Renji. I urge Emperor Sui Yang to act calmly and reconsider. However, Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty roared angrily: "He doesn't have enough troops, wouldn't he dispatch troops from other counties? I named him the Henan envoy envoy, and he can dispatch troops and horses from the seven counties south of the Yellow River. Wouldn't he Won't troops be transferred from these places?"
Seeing Emperor Sui Yang's livid face, Pei Ju swallowed a mouthful of saliva and did not dare to say anything. Apart from following the order honestly, Pei Ju could only hastily wrote a letter to Chen Sangliang, asking his distant nephew to help Pei Renji get back as scheduled. Hulao Pass. Fortunately, Pei Ju also knows that Chen Sangliang's current situation is also not good. He has to guard the important places such as Dongdu, Luokoucang and Shangluocang, and also has to take care of the military and political affairs of Dongdu. Pei Ju didn't force Chen Sangliang to do it, he just asked Chen Sangliang to keep Pei Renji as much as possible - if it couldn't be done, Pei Ju couldn't force it, he could only give up Pei Renji, a worthless clansman.
After formally receiving the imperial edict from Emperor Sui Yang, Pei Renji's face was as ugly as it was, and he was anxious as much as he was anxious. Under anxiety and fear, Pei Renji not only hurriedly set out to prepare for the counterattack, but also immediately reported to him. The distant nephew Chen Yingliang asked for help, and explained the situation to Chen Yingliang, please—to be precise, he begged Chen Yingliang to send troops quickly to help him recapture Hulao Pass and complete the task assigned by Emperor Sui Yang.
Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty, Pei Ju and Pei Renji jointly posed a big problem for Chen Sangliang. Although Chen Sangliang's body had recovered when he received Pei Ju's letter and Pei Renji's plea, it was no longer a problem to lead troops to fight, but the flood in Luoyang City The problem is still very serious. At the same time, because of the heavy rain for several days, eight of the 14 counties in Henan County were affected by floods. The disaster was not serious. There were hundreds of thousands of people affected. In addition, the weather was also a big problem. The continuous spring rain had not completely stopped, and the land that was soaked by the rain was still not suitable for military warfare, which added a lot of difficulty to the Sui army's capture of Hulao Pass.
More importantly, Chen Sangliang really doesn't want to have a decisive battle with the main force of the Wagang Army now, because the soldiers and horses in the Eastern Capital are not strong enough at present. There are 100,000 troops in reputation, but in fact there are only a handful of elites who can play the role of the core backbone. In total, apart from Chen Sangliang's old Qiao Peng troops and the Baoguo Army, that is, some Youwuwei veterans who survived the Liaodong battlefield can be used. The number of elites is relatively small, and the rest are all second-line teams and few expansions Recruits of the month. However, the Wagang Army has established a firm foothold in Hulao Pass, and the number of troops stationed is at least 50,000. Among them, there are tens of thousands of veterans. Of course, Chen Sangliang, who is very budget-minded, is unwilling to do such a loss-making business.
Pei Renji was also very good at forcing others into difficulties. Knowing that he and Chen Sangliang had too many conflicts, Chen Sangliang might not agree to his plea, so he asked his wife to come forward to find Pei Hongce's daughter-in-law, and begged Pei Hongce's wife to intercede and plead with Chen Sangliang. Sangliang helped Pei Renji win the battle at all costs. Everyone knows the relationship between Chen Sangliang and Pei Hongce. His wife, in the name of visiting Chen Sangliang's body, brought Pei Hongce's son, Pei Xingfang, to Chen Yingliang to make a request. He scolded Pei Renji for being thicker than himself, and even Pei Hongce's wife could move out.
After finishing what he had to say, Mrs. Pei was quickly invited by the eldest grandson Xiaoluoli and Wang Xueji to talk in the back hall. The nineteen-year-old Pei Xingfang found an excuse to stay. Chen Yingliang said: "Brother, are you really planning to personally raise troops to help Uncle Renji?"
"I haven't made up my mind yet." Chen Sangliang replied, "But since your mother and my aunt have spoken, I will give it a try no matter what."
"Brother, I think you can't agree." Pei Xingfang was startled, and whispered: "In the current situation, brother, even if you win this battle and take back Hulao Pass, you will only benefit others!"
Chen Sangliang looked up at Pei Xingfang in surprise—of course, if Chen Sangliang could know, Pei Xingfang was actually one of the fifty-nine famous generals who emerged from the Wenxi Pei family during the millennium, and his military and political achievements were actually far away. Chen Sangliang would not be so surprised if he surpassed the father and son Pei Renji and Pei Xingyan who had no reputation.
Seeing Chen Sangliang's surprised expression, Pei Xingfang, who is still young at the moment, hesitated a bit, and said, "Young brother speaks nonsense, brother, don't blame me, but I still think, brother, you must not fight the battle of Hulaoguan, Hulaoguan The terrain is dangerous, the city is high and the moats are deep, and the Wagang bandits are in full swing, but now the army in the Eastern Capital has too many recruits and too few veterans. Brother, even if you manage to win this battle, you will definitely lose your vitality. other people."
"Who is cheaper?" Chen Sangliang asked calmly.
"The whole world is spying on the thieves in the eastern capital, especially Li Mi!" Pei Xingfang peeked at Chen Sangliang's expression, and expressed his opinion timidly: "I once heard from you, brother, that among the thieves in Wagang, only The rebel Li Mi is the most cunning, insidious and vicious. Although Li Mi's rebel has broken with Zhai Rang, the foundation of his rebel army is still there, and his strength should not be underestimated. Brother, if you lose both sides in a fight with the Wagang thief, Li Mi will definitely One after another, I challenge you again, brother, when your soldiers are exhausted, elite and wounded, how do you deal with it?"
Chen Sangliang's expression became even more surprised, and it was only then that he realized that he was lacking in talent recognition. He kept staring at the historical celebrities in the late Sui and early Tang dynasties, completely ignoring those talents who were buried by history, such as Luo Zhang Jixun in Koucang, and Pei Xingfang who is right under your nose, are actually talents that can be cultivated for great use, and I didn't realize it before. While secretly regretting, Chen Sangliang asked again: "My dear brother, in your opinion, what should I do?"
"Don't worry about the Hulao Pass, just clean up the interior first." Pei Xingfang suggested: "For the Eastern Capital Army, there is no shortage of anything in the Luoyang area. There is as much food and grass as the military needs, and weapons and armor are piled up like a mountain, which is not unusual. The army dreams of high-quality equipment. The only thing they lack is time. As long as you don’t rush to fight the thieves, you can concentrate on training the army first. No matter how long it takes, we can guarantee that we will be able to train a battle-ready soldier, and when the time comes, we will send troops to a decisive battle, and victory will be as easy as pie."
After looking up and down at his distant cousin Pei Xingfang, Chen Sangliang asked, "Then what about your Uncle Renji?"
"I don't want to care about him." Pei Xingfang's face became gloomy, and he clenched his fists and said, "Mother has a good heart and doesn't know many things, so I beg you on behalf of Uncle Renji. But last time, sister Cuiyun When he came to live with you, my father refused to see Uncle Renji, and told me many things in private. In order to get promoted and get rich, in the case of Li Hun, the so-called Li Hun conspired against his party members. It turned out that they were all arrested from my father's general prison office, and my father was almost involved. I still call him uncle now because of the blood of the Pei family."
Chen Yingliang smiled, patted Pei Xingfang's fist, and said with a smile: "It's good to know the blood and family relationship. To be a man, you have to be big-hearted and broad-minded to do great things. If you don't learn from it, learn from my attitude towards the Chai family. No matter what, He is also your uncle, the cousin whose blood is thicker than water, broken bones and connected tendons, he did a lot of wrong things because of greed, but he has repented, even your father forgave him, we are juniors Yes, don't argue with him."
Pei Xingfang nodded, and then let go of his tightly clenched fists, while Chen Sangliang said again: "Your brother, you are right, in fact, I don't want to fight this battle, but there is no other way, His Majesty has already awarded It is a strict decree that Hulao Pass must be taken back within one month, otherwise, the two crimes will be punished together, and Uncle Renji's head will fall to the ground. I don't look at the monk's face or the Buddha's face, but for the sake of your father and Cuiyun, why? I have to help him. If I just sit and watch his head fall to the ground, how can I explain to your father and sister Cuiyun?"
"Brother, can't you think of a way? You can save Uncle Renji's head without risking a decisive battle with the Wagang bandits?" Pei Xingfang asked.
"Contradictory issues, how to find a solution?" Chen Sangliang smiled bitterly, and said: "Don't look at your brother, I am staying behind in the Eastern Capital, but you want me to make a petition to His Majesty, begging His Majesty to be lenient or allow time. , I don’t have the guts yet.”
Pei Xingfang smiled like a little fox, and said with a smile: "Brother, why don't you ask me if there is any way?"
"Do you have a solution? What solution?" Chen Sangliang asked in shock.
Pei Xingfang smiled again, then whispered into Chen Sangliang's ear, and said in a low voice: "Actually, my brother came up with this move after being inspired by you, brother, you can send someone to secretly point out Uncle Pei, so that you he… ."
Before Pei Xingfang finished speaking, Chen Sangliang opened his mouth wide, and then looked Pei Xingfang up and down again, until Pei Xingfang showed a twisted expression under his gaze, and Chen Sangliang said dumbfounded: "My dear brother, I used to Why didn't you find out that you still have such a move? Your move is more ruthless than mine."
"Inspired by you, brother, I came up with it unintentionally." Pei Xingfang said coyly, "I just don't know if it will work. If my younger brother's plan is absurd, brother, don't blame me."
Chen Sangliang pondered for a moment, then said in a deep voice: "It can be done! If you do this, and with your Uncle Pei Ju's help to intercede, His Majesty probably won't take your Uncle Renji's head! But I can't tell you Uncle Renji the way. , set this precedent, and there will be endless troubles in the future!"
"Brother, how about I go?" Pei Xingfang immediately volunteered: "My little brother's great-grandfather and Uncle Pei's grandfather are blood brothers. They are very close in blood and have frequent contacts. It is most convenient for me to offer advice."
As soon as Chen Yingliang heard it, he said with a smile: "Are you willing to serve in the army? At Luokoucang, Liu Changgong's subordinates are short of civil positions. I have made friends with him. If you go, he will not treat you badly."
"My little brother is willing to go." Without saying a word, Pei Xingfang knelt down on one knee to Chen Sangliang, clasped his hands together, and Chen Sangliang hurriedly picked up his distant cousin, shook hands with Pei Xingfang and laughed. The two brothers who were in a mess were also here For a moment, they officially formed an unscrupulous partner.
The young and energetic Pei Xingfang voluntarily volunteered to serve in the army, tying his head to the waistband of his trousers to take risks, and his wife Pei Hongce, whose husband was accompanying him in Jiangdu, was of course reluctant, but fortunately, Pei Hongce's wife also knew that his son would never grow up under the wings of his elders. The big reason is, for the sake of his son's future, and heard that Chen Sangliang arranged for Pei Xingfang to work in the safer Luokou warehouse, Pei's wife finally nodded and agreed to Pei Xingfang's request, and Chen Sangliang quickly arranged for Pei Xingfang An eight-rank household member joined the army, went through the official procedures, and immediately arranged for Pei Xingfang Dongjin to work under Liu Changgong's account.
Out of various considerations, Chen Sangliang specifically told Pei Xingfang not to act in a hurry, but to come forward to offer advice when Pei Renji's mountain was exhausted, so as not to leak the news and cause accidents, Pei Xingfang agreed to leave, and Chen Sangliang also fought in his heart Wishful thinking, secretly said: "If it goes well, not only can Pei Renji's head be saved this time, but the elites of Qi County left behind by Zhang Xutuo must also be mine. Uncle Pei, don't blame me for not rescuing me, it's you My own mud can't support the wall, and it's inconvenient to occupy the latrine, so I have to do this."
In the early morning of the next day, Chen Sangliang formally delivered Pei Renji's request for help to Yue Wang Yang Yu. The result was similar to Chen Yingliang's estimation. The relationship between Ying Liang and Pei Renji dare not be too firm, but after seeing someone who came forward to oppose Chen Sangliang but didn't say anything, Yuan Wendu, Duan Da and other veteran officials also had a solid understanding in their hearts, and they tried their best to persuade Yang Tong to only give Chen Sangliang. Pei Renji should not directly send troops to reinforce the supply of grain, grass and military equipment, but leave the limited troops behind to defend the more important Luoyang City, Shangluo Cang and Luokou Cang, so as to prevent possible civil uprisings after the flood.
Of course, Yang Tong also asked about Chen Sangliang's opinion. Chen Sangliang did not express his opinion directly, but just reported to Yang Tong the scale of the flood in Henan County and the number of victims, and also begged Yang Tong to give some rations to the victims, so as to prevent these victims from being desperate. Rebellion from thieves. Hearing Chen Sangliang's oblique words, Yang Yu and the officials of the Eastern Capital also had a solid understanding in their hearts. They understood that Chen Sangliang was worried that the internal forces of the Eastern Capital would be unstable after being too evacuated, and he did not want to give the precious Eastern Capital troops to Pei Renji. Attack Hulao Pass as cannon fodder. At that moment, Yang Tong also stepped forward and became a villain, flatly rejecting Pei Renji's pleading, and only agreed to provide Pei Renji with food and grass, and Pei Renji himself was responsible for the attack on Hulao Pass. In addition, after careful consideration, Yang Tong also sent a letter to Emperor Sui Yang, requesting that Emperor Sui Yang allow him to help the victims—even though Yang Tong, the grandson, knew that it was almost impossible for his grandfather, who likes getting water in his head, to agree. such a request.
Using Yang Tong as a shield to push away the drudgery of helping Pei Renji, Chen Sangliang himself was quite relaxed, and immediately concentrated on the training of the new army in the Eastern Capital, but Chen Sangliang's chief think tank, Fang Xuanling, didn't think so , As soon as I got the opportunity to talk alone, I said to Chen Sangliang: "My dear brother, you are not willing to help Ambassador Pei take back Hulao Pass. Of course, it is for the sake of the overall situation of Dongdu, but have you considered that Ambassador Pei counterattacked Hulao Pass?" How do you deal with this situation after the pass fails?"
"Brother, do you mean His Majesty's punishment?" Chen Sangliang asked back, "Don't worry, brother, I have made arrangements for this. Even if Uncle Pei fails, he will be dismissed from office at most, and the possibility of his death is unlikely."
"No, no." Fang Xuanling shook his head, and said with a smile: "Ambassador Pei is your uncle, not mine. Whether or not his head fell to the ground is a matter of your concern, brother. I don't need to worry about it. I'm worried about another layer?"
"Another layer?" Chen Sangliang was stunned for a moment before he came to his senses and said, "Brother, you mean, after Uncle Pei's failure, we are facing a direct threat from the Wagang bandits?"
"That's right." Fang Xuanling nodded, and said, "Ambassador Pei's chances of retaking Hulao Pass are very small. After he fails, no matter if he is killed or dismissed from office, Luoyang will lose the barrier of the Henan arresting army. At that time, Luoyang, the eastern capital You will be directly threatened by the Wagang bandits, and there is no danger to defend, so what should you do then? Brother, if you don’t make arrangements early on this matter, you will definitely be in a hurry and be at a loss when the time comes.”
"Of course I have considered this matter. It can only be guarded by the garrison." Chen Sangliang said helplessly: "I really did not have the confidence to take back Hulao Pass. If I have enough strength in my hand, I would also like to Recapturing Hulao Pass ensured the safety of the Eastern Capital, but now that the Wagang bandits are heavily stationed at Hulao Pass, and relying on the weather to help them gain a foothold, the Eastern Capital’s army is mostly recruits and their combat effectiveness is insufficient. I personally lead the troops there, but I am not sure of success.”
"Then why didn't you think of taking advantage of your strength?" Fang Xuanling asked suddenly: "The current strength of the Dongdu army is not enough to ensure that Hulao Pass can be taken back, but if we use a strong reinforcement to attack Hulao After the pass, before you lead the army to attack Hulao Pass, attack back and forth, wouldn't it be hopeful to retake Hulao Pass?"
"After borrowing a strong reinforcement to attack Hulao Pass?" Chen Sangliang once wanted to ask where to borrow it, but when the words came to his lips, Chen Sangliang suddenly came to his senses and blurted out: "Wang Shichong!"
"That's right, if you join forces with Wang Shichong, my dear brother, you will have a good chance of taking back Hulao Pass." Fang Xuanling pointed out: "Although Wang Shichong is currently serving as the left guard in Pengcheng, which has the same power as you, it is completely a stall for food and grass supplies. There is no way to rely on military supplies, Wang Shichong must be at a loss for this. Hulao Pass is only 30 miles away from Luokou Cang, and the best armor and weapons in the eastern capital are piled up like a mountain. If you can ask His Majesty to issue an edict, let Wang Shichong Leading the army to reinforce you, Wang Shichong will definitely lead the main force to come. At that time, Hulao Pass will be recaptured, not only Dongdu can rest easy, but at critical moments, you can also ask Wang Shichong to guard Dongdu for you, freeing up your hands to do more Important matter."
Although he knew that Wang Shichong was not a good bird, but in order to deal with the more dangerous changes in Taiyuan, Chen Sangliang only thought about it for a moment, and immediately nodded and said: "I will write to Wang Shichong immediately, explain the situation to him, and let him feel at ease." Let’s get to the bottom of it, and make preparations quietly, so that he can come sooner.”
"You might as well ask Wang Shichong to put up a seal and ask for reinforcements at Hulao Pass." Fang Xuanling suggested again: "In this way, even if His Majesty refuses to agree, there will be an impression in your heart, my dear brother, you can ask His Majesty for help again." If your majesty can promise better, with Wang Shichong's help, even if Ambassador Pei can't take back Hulao Pass, he can hold back a considerable number of Wagang thieves and share a lot of positive pressure for us."
"I'll try." Chen Sangliang nodded, and said with a wry smile: "However, the possibility of Wang Shichong taking the initiative to show up is very small. Who is my father-in-law? He would rather die than suffer, and try to take advantage! Give me this rich and rich man!" His son-in-law would help, but he would definitely agree, and immediately come to rip me off. If he promises to help Uncle Pei, who is so poor that he has to rely on the eastern capital for financial support, it will be unless the sun comes out from the west."
As Chen Sangliang expected, when Chen Sangliang's letter was sent to Pengcheng and in front of Wang Shichong, Wang Shichong was secretly delighted to be able to escape from the mess of Pengcheng, and sneered directly: "Take the initiative to ask for help." Pei Renji to help? The old man is crazy to do this? From Pengcheng to Hulaoguan, it is not a mess where the thieves have beaten up. If the old man goes to help, I am afraid that the army food will be borne by the old man! It is fine to help beat the Wagang bandits. Wait for Pei Renji Let's talk when it's over!"
Ever since, under Chen Sangliang's resignation and Wang Shichong's stand-by, Pei Renji, who was persecuted by Emperor Sui Yang's will, became a motherless child in the Coptis chinensis field, suffering so much that he was seriously insufficient in strength , but also to take the initiative to attack the famous city of Xiongguan, Pei Renji had no choice but to cry without tears. However, Chen Sangliang, who wished to take over the elites of Qi County just waiting for Pei Renji to fail, forgot that besides recapturing Hulao Pass as scheduled and waiting for death, Pei Renji actually had a third choice...