A gentleman can be deceived with methods, but a villain can't reason.
Chen Sangliang asked Sun Fujia to write a letter to Wang Shichong for himself, congratulating his father-in-law for defeating Li Mi as his son-in-law, and hoping to maintain a friendly relationship with his father-in-law Wang Shichong. Father-in-law, in order to avoid any accidents on the Eastern Front when the main force of our own army goes north, we have no other intentions. However, what Chen Sangliang probably never imagined in his dreams was that his formal letter would lead to some unbelievable consequences.
"Seniority is orderly, there is a difference between honor and inferiority, the son-in-law only wishes to be able to serve Yuezhang's knees and be respectful and filial? He only hates being entrusted by the former emperor, and cannot respect Yuezhang as the main one, but he is willing to separate from Yuezhang Land, make an alliance forever?"
The main thing that Wang Shichong misunderstood was these two polite words. Although Wang Shichong has long been used to these sweet words, Chen Sangliang's current status is placed there after all. Seeing these words in his son-in-law's letter, after defeating Li Mi Wang Shichong, who was already complacent, was inevitably even more complacent, and immediately handed over Chen Sangliang's letter to his confidants, and ordered them to pass it on, so that his accomplices and lackeys would know how much his son-in-law respected him.
Needless to say, after reading this almost flattering letter, the members of the Wang family who had looked down on Chen Sangliang were naturally even more elated, and they all thought it was a sign that Chen Sangliang wanted to break ground with the old Wang family. Officials with foreign surnames such as Dai Zhou and Li Shiying saw at a glance that this was not a formality of Chen Sangliang, so they all remonstrated with Wang Shichong: "Duke Zheng, Chen Yingliang has always been known for his treachery, and his letters are humble, but it is because of his main force. The soldiers are on the northern front, and the eastern front is relatively empty, so they are so low-key for the safety of the eastern front, their intentions may not necessarily be good intentions, I hope Zheng Gong will investigate clearly, we must not take it lightly, and Chen Yingliang has an opportunity to take advantage of."
"What is the truth about that son-in-law? How can you not know the truth? How can you take him lightly?" Wang Shichong was indeed quite wary of his unworthy son-in-law. He nodded and admitted that Dai Zhou and Li Shiying were right to remind him, and then smiled and said: " However, this is also an opportunity. Since the truth is that the unfilial son-in-law intends to divide the territory and form an alliance forever, then you might as well send someone to talk to him about this matter. Of course it would be best if you can divide the territory and stop fighting forever, even if you can’t , we can also temporarily stabilize him, free up our hands to retake Hulao Pass, completely eradicate the traitor Li Mi, and cut off Yu Wenhua and the traitors in the north."
"What Zheng Gong said is more correct. We should give priority to eradicating Li Mi, Yu Wenhua and these two traitors, and then we can free up our hands to deal with other changes." Dai Zhou echoed Wang Shichong's correct decision, and then suggested: "Zheng Gong, We have to take advantage of the heat to strike the iron, take advantage of the fact that Chen Yingliang's main force is currently on the northern front and dare not turn against our army, send people north as soon as possible to contact and negotiate with Chen Yingliang, and sign a non-aggression peace treaty with the existing territory as the boundary. Chen Yingliang is quite a trustworthy person , With the peace treaty in hand, our western front will be much easier immediately."
Before Wang Shichong considered Dai Zhou's proposal, Wang Shiyun and Wang Renze's father and son had already yelled, "No way! Can the existing territory be used as the boundary? Both Xin'an and Yiyang were looted by Chen's army. There is only less than seventy li, and there is no danger between the two places to defend. Didn't we suffer a big loss by dividing the territory like this? To divide the boundary, Chen's army must at least retreat to Hangu Pass in Shan County, and take Xin'an, Yi Return Yang and Mianchi to us!"
Dai Zhou rolled his eyes a little, almost doubting whether Wang Shichong and Wang Shiyun are blood brothers. Why is one cunning and cunning, and the other is stupider than a pig? To actually want Chen Sangliang to spit out the fat in his mouth, isn't this daydreaming
However, Dai Zhou soon discovered that Wang Shichong and Wang Shiyun were indeed brothers of the same mother and compatriots. After hearing the whimsical proposal of Wang Shiyun and his son, Wang Shichong not only did not scold, but even nodded, saying: "Xin'an and Wang Shiyun Yiyang guards Xiaohandao Road and Xiongershan Road respectively. It has been a battleground for military strategists since ancient times. It poses a huge threat to Luoyang, the eastern capital. If these two cities are not brought back, the truth is that they dare not close their eyes when they sleep. Opportunity, strive to bring back these two important cities."
After all, Wang Shichong thought about it for a while, and then said: "Let's do this, send the eldest grandson Anshi to go north to Taiyuan instead of me, and ask Chen Yingliang to return the three counties of Xin'an, Yiyang and Mianchi under the pretext of thanking him for taking the opportunity to negotiate the territory. Of course it would be best for Mianchi to come back, or it doesn’t matter much if you don’t come back, but Xin’an and Yiyang counties must be brought back, only with these two cities in our hands can our army rest easy.”
Dai Zhou smiled wryly, knowing that opposition was useless and did not persist, and allowed Wang Shichong to dream in broad daylight. Wang Shiyun and his son were still very dissatisfied, and still felt that Wang Shichong's concession was too great. Fortunately, Wang Shichong ignored them and insisted on doing so. However, it was reasonable to stop Wang Shiyun and his son from going further. Kou is still just a little duke, but the real son-in-law has already been made a prince at a young age, and the title is still higher than the real one, isn't this...?"
Although Wang Shichong didn't finish his sentence completely, but such explicit words have already been uttered, how can the gang of wolves, tigers and leopards under Wang Shichong's command not understand his true intentions? At that moment, Wei Jie, Yang Xu and other sycophants did not even blink their eyelids, and immediately saluted and said: "What Zheng Gong said is very true. Zheng Gong's merit is better than that of Yao and Shun, and his virtue spreads all over the world. He should be granted the title of king and minister of state."
When Wang Shichong was pretending to be modest, Li Shiying, who was fairly upright under his command, immediately objected: "No! Although Zheng Gong has made great contributions to the court, Li Mi is not destroyed, Yu Wenhua is not broken, and the land of Henan is still shared by the three families. , it is not only too early for Zheng Gong to become king at this time, but it will inevitably make the soldiers renounced and be ridiculed by the whole world."
Looking at Li Shiying very dissatisfied, Wang Shichong snorted coldly and said, "I am just complaining about being inferior to the younger generation, why should Zuo Lang be so nervous? Besides, it is up to His Majesty whether I am qualified to be a king or not." , how can others be the master of His Majesty?"
Li Shiying had no choice but to shut up, but Wei Jie, Yang Xu and other sycophants understood it. As a result, just in the afternoon, under the direct instruction of Wang Shichong, more than a dozen civil and military officials headed by Duan Da went to the palace to meet Yang Tong and honor Wang Shichong's meritorious service. In the name of Zhuo Zhuo, he asked Yang Tong to confer Wang Shichong as Zheng Wangjia Xiangguo, and asked Yang Tong to grant Wang Shichong nine tins even more than Chen Sangliang. The strong-willed Yang Tong flatly refused, but what Yang Tong said now was no different from farting to Wang Shichong, so the next day, an imperial edict that Yang Tong had never seen before was promulgated at the court, and Wang Shichong was canonized as King Zheng, Xiangguo and Jiajiuxi granted the land of Henan to the land of Zheng Guo, and Zheng Guo set up a prime minister and hundreds of civil and military officials.
The matter was not over yet, and Wang Shichong was still unwilling to be satisfied with proclaiming himself a queen like his son-in-law as he wished. He immediately set his sights on Yang Tong's emperor's throne, which existed in name only, and hinted to his subordinates to persuade Yang Tong to abdicate the throne to himself. However, this time, even Duan Da, who had betrayed Yuan Wen and waited for others, couldn't bear it anymore. He urged Wang Shichong to wait, at least take Hulao Pass back and regain control of the Eastern Capital battlefield. After finalizing the peace agreement with Chen Sangliang, and then thinking about it, Wang Shichong could barely listen to Duan Da's words. At the same time, he couldn't wait to start arranging various auspicious signs, paving the way for usurping the throne.
Wang Shichong was still able to use people and seize the opportunity, so he sent his eldest grandson Anshi north to discuss a peace treaty with Chen Sangliang. There were two reasons. First, the main force of the Sui army was currently on the northern front. It's the eldest grandson Anshi, who is the first cousin of Chen Sangliang's first wife, the eldest grandson Xiao Luoli, and has a close relationship with Chen Sangliang, so it's easier to talk. But what Wang Shichong never expected was that when his emissary, the eldest grandson Anshi, arrived in Taiyuan, Chen Sangliang had already accepted Li Jiancheng's surrender and took the two cities of Taiyuan. Lead the main force back to Guanzhong.
For the sake of the eldest grandson Xiao Luoli, Chen Sangliang received the eldest grandson Anshi very politely and gave a banquet. After drinking for three rounds, the eldest grandson Anshi who shouldered the heavy responsibility carefully put forward Wang Shichong's request, but Chen Sangliang was shocked when he heard it. Laughed, and said with a smile: "My father-in-law really knows how to imagine, the three places Xin'an, Yiyang and Mianchi were all taken back from Li Mi's rebels with blood and sweat by the soldiers under the king's command. The reason why I handed it over to others for no reason? Also, Yiyang is still my ancestral home, and my ancestors' tombs are all in Yiyang. As descendants, how can I hand over my ancestors' tombs to others?"
"What Your Highness said is very true, but after all, Your Highness, you are our King Zheng's son-in-law..."
The eldest grandson Anshi still wanted to persuade him, but he was interrupted by Chen Sangliang waving his hand at the beginning of his words. Chen Sangliang waved his hand and said: "No, Wang Shichong is my father-in-law, but the land of the Sui Dynasty is owned by the imperial court. You can’t give up a foot or an inch to others. Go back and tell my father-in-law that if you want to conclude a peace treaty, you can discuss it, but it must be bounded by the existing control area! You can also want Xin’an and Yiyang, let’s see if he has the ability to take it by force! Let's see if he can win Xin'an Yiyang, or I can win his eastern capital Luoyang!"
The eldest grandson, Anshi, was taken aback. He never expected that Chen Sangliang would speak so utterly, and even directly said that he was going to fight. Chen Sangliang's new favorite, Feng Deyi, who was accompanying him, was also speechless. He also did not expect Chen Sangliang Liang will directly threaten with force. So after Chen Sangliang sent his eldest grandson Anshi away, Feng Deyi immediately asked Chen Sangliang in surprise: "Your Highness, although Wang Shichong's request for land in the three counties is too much, we can temporarily stabilize him as long as we pretend to bargain. Why did His Highness refuse so resolutely? He even said about capturing Luoyang? Not long after the main force of our army took Taiyuan, the army horses were exhausted and the military supplies were exhausted, so we should only save money. How can we attack the Eastern Capital immediately?"
"Our soldiers and horses are very tired, and the military supplies are very expensive." Chen Sangliang replied with a smile: "But Wang Shichong's situation is a hundred times more serious than ours. His soldiers and horses are more exhausted, and the military supplies and supplies are even more expensive. He turned his face and went to war, which is more beneficial to us than harmful, but it is more harmful than beneficial to Wang Shichong."
After all, Feng Deyi is a smart person. After listening to Chen Sangliang's answer, he calculated it carefully, and soon came to his senses, and quickly asked, "Your Highness, are you deliberately luring Wang Shichong to attack our army's eastern front? The army on the eastern front has been accumulating energy for a long time. Even if it is not strong enough to advance, the eastern capital can protect itself. Wang Shichong sent troops to attack our army on the eastern front. The main force of our army stood still and recuperated. The strength is exhausted to the point where there is nothing to consume, and if the main force of our army suddenly sends troops eastward, we will be able to break through the Eastern Capital in one fell swoop and wipe out Wang Shichong's bandit army."
"Feng Nei Shi is really a smart man, he knows everything." Chen Sangliang praised Feng Deyi with a smile, and said with a smile: "Wang Shichong defeated Li Mi and regained Luokou warehouse. There is no need to worry about food and grass, and he annexed a large number of Li Mi's troops. The strength of the crowd has greatly increased. If he is given too much time to integrate and digest the results of the battle, then it will become a serious problem for our army in the long run. The best way is to immediately pull him into the quagmire of attrition and let him continue to fight one after another. Combat, keep fighting around, can't spare a hand to integrate the interior, rest and recuperate, after the main force of our army has recovered from this breath, it will be easy to break him again!"
After suddenly realizing it, Feng Deyi quickly flattered Chen Sangliang, and then asked cautiously: "Your Highness, what if Wang Shichong can't be fooled? Excuse me, Your Highness, your father-in-law is an old traitor." A slippery old fox can't fail to see such danger."
"He has no choice but to be fooled." Chen Sangliang waved his hand, put up two fingers and said with a smile: "There are two reasons. First, the strategic location of Xin'an and Yiyang is important. If you can't get it back in a day, Wang Shichong will sleep all day. If he wants to protect himself, he must at least take Xin'an back, so as not to be in danger when the main force of our army leaves the customs."
"Second." Speaking of this, Chen Sangliang smiled ferociously and evilly, and said with a wicked smile: "Since it is beneficial to our army to start a war with Wang Shichong at this time, then we have the final say whether to start a war or not—Old General Yun Ding Xingyun In this respect, he is very good at it.”
Feng Deyi laughed, and hastily volunteered to write a letter to Yun Dingxing for Chen Sangliang, asking our old general Yun to try to provoke a war between the two armies, and lure Wang Shichong to take the initiative to attack Xin'an Yiyang. As a result, Sun Fujia, who was next to him, told Feng Deyi with a smile, and said, "Feng Neishi, don't bother you to start writing. On the third day after our army took Taiyuan, after the situation stabilized, His Highness has already secretly ordered General Yun to find a solution. Started a war and lured Wang Shichong to send troops to Xin'an and Yiyang. If all goes well, maybe within a few days, General Yun will be able to forge a deep hatred with Wang Shichong."
Feng Deyi was tongue-tied, and after a while he bowed his hands to Chen Sangliang, praising Chen Sangliang for taking precautions and foresight. But after the flattery was finished, Feng Deyi added in his stomach, "Wang Shichong, you found such a son-in-law, it is really bad luck for your mother's eighteen lifetimes!"
Our old general Yun really reassured Chen Sangliang in this regard. On the same day that Chen Sangliang directly threatened his father-in-law's envoy, grandson Anshi, with force, a major event happened in our old general Yun's defense area—not Knowing that those goddamn army soldiers disguised themselves as robbers and robbed a caravan from Luoyang, the eastern capital, to the east of the river to sell salt. Killed a lot of caravan guys! At the same time, unfortunately, a few caravan guys who escaped by chance saw with their own eyes that these robbers changed into Sui army uniforms after they succeeded, and transported the stolen goods into Xin'an City!
What is even more unfortunate is that although this Dongdu caravan appears to be a caravan of Luoyang Zhiji Company, in fact the real big bosses of this Zhiji Company are Wang Shiyun and Wang Renze and his son! ——Before Wang Shichong's old lady remarried, the whole family was surnamed Zhi.
As a result, of course, it was tantamount to stabbing a hornet's nest. The furious Wang Shiyun and his son didn't even ask Wang Shichong for instructions, and immediately brought a team of cavalry to Xin'an Xingshi to interrogate him, demanding that General Yun hand over the perpetrator and return the stolen goods! Our old general Yun insisted that he was strict in running the army, and that such a thing would never happen under his command. Not only did he refuse to hand him over, but he even pulled out the fact that Wang Shizheng had sent people pretending to be the Xiaoguo army to assassinate his precious nephew Yunfu, and bit back. It is said that the soldiers of Wang Shichong did it themselves!
Then, when Wang Renze, whose brain was squeezed by his muscles and had little space, was in a rage, and when he pointed at Old General Yun with Ma Li and shouted and threatened, our Old General Yun also took the opportunity to fire the first shot and gave an order. Arrows were fired in the city, and Wang Shiyun and his son were almost shot to death. After Wang Shiyun and his son fled, Chen Yuzhi led the army to chase and kill them without hesitation. Many Wang Shichong's cavalry continued to chase and kill When they arrived at Cijian, they didn't flee back to Xin'an until they saw a large group of Wang Shichong's troops coming to meet them.
Things just got so big, Wang Shichong was quite patient at first, he scolded Wang Shiyun and his son who led the army to cross the border without permission, and at the same time sent envoys to contact General Yun, asking General Yun to explain the matter - no matter how much you old man Yun Take some reason, you don't have to be so hard to start, right? In the end, our old general Yun rolled his eyeballs up and replied: "No explanation! Wang Shiyun and Wang Ren slandered our soldiers for pretending to be thieves and robbers first, then led the army to cross the border, and finally insulted and threatened the old man. The old man wants him, Wang Shichong, to give an explanation!"
The envoy brought Old General Yun back to Luoyang. Wang Shichong was so angry that he almost wanted to send troops to attack Xin'an immediately. After being held back by Duan Da, Dai Zhou and others, Wang Shichong managed to suppress his anger and sent people north again to meet his son-in-law. Contact him, ask his son-in-law to come forward to deal with the brazen old general Yun, and prepare to wait for his son-in-law's reaction. Of course, if Wang Shichong can know that this matter is entirely at the behest of his precious son-in-law, he will definitely not have any hope.
Before Chen Sangliang reacted, and before the eldest grandson Anshi brought his unfeeling answer, there was another sinister thing that added fuel to the flames—Li Mijun's spy reported the news of the conflict between Chen and Wang to Li Mi, who was recuperating on a white horse. Li Mi only thought about it for less than five minutes, and immediately issued an order: "Send someone to Yang Jishan to order him to give up the Hulao and withdraw from the Guandong, and withdraw to Guancheng for food."
"Teacher, student heard me right, are you going to give up Hulao Pass?" Wang Bodang next to him exclaimed and asked, "Why do you want to give up Hulao Pass? It is our last hope to counterattack Luokoucang?"
"Do we still have the strength to counterattack Luokou Cang?" Li Mi said weakly: "Including the guards at Hulao Pass, our army has only about 20,000 troops left, and there is a shortage of food, grass and military equipment. , where can it still be Wang Shichong's opponent? Unless a miracle happens, we will never get back the Luokou warehouse."
"But we don't need to rush to give up Hulao Pass?" Wang Bodang insisted: "As long as Hulao Pass is in our hands, we still have a glimmer of hope to regain Luokou Cang. Hulao Pass is high and deep. , can stick to it for a long time, there is no need to give up in vain?"
"Don't you understand?" Li Mi smiled and said lightly: "Actually, only if we give up the Hulao pass, the hope of retaking the Luokou warehouse will be greater, because after we hand over the Hulao pass to Wang Shichong, Wang Shichong will never use it again." Worried that Luokou warehouse, his lifeblood, will be attacked by us, he can rest assured that he will concentrate his main forces on the eastern front to capture Xin'an and Yiyang, two strategically important places. Chen Yingliang's traitor will definitely not give up Xin'an and Yiyang easily in order to facilitate the advance of the Central Plains. Yang, the two bridgeheads that marched into the Central Plains, if they fought together, wouldn't our chances be great? Too many?"
Wang Bodang suddenly realized that he no longer opposed Li Mi's decision to abandon the pass. Li Mi, who has not recovered from his injuries so far, sighed softly, looked at the beams on the top and murmured, "Chen thief, don't get too complacent, don't think that I can't threaten you anymore, it won't be long, I will definitely reappear in front of you and fight to the death with you!"