Mangdang Mountain
Admiral Duan Zheng and Fang Jie walked side by side, looked at the surrounding scenery and said with a smile: "I take a boat tour along the river, and I can see the scenery of Mangdang Mountain for hundreds of miles every day. After a long time, I feel that the mountain is more and more majestic. When I walk into the mountain, I really know that the charm of the mountain is not always in the distance, but in the middle of it.”
Fang Jie said with a smile: "Some people say that they don't know the face of the mountain because they are in the mountain. General Duan is just the opposite. If you don't enter this mountain, you won't know the true face of the mountain."
Duan Zhengruo said meaningfully: "How can you see clearly if you don't get close? Mountains are like this, so are people."
Fang Jie smiled and shook his head, noncommittal.
"When I met General Fang last time, I admired you for your youthfulness. This time, I come here with guilt in my heart, but I am also full of respect."
Duan Zheng said as he walked: "With a mere 5,000 troops, we can mobilize the nearly 700,000 troops of the rebels and the left avant-garde. It is impossible to do it without a good calculation or a big courage. Even now, I Every time I think about it, I still find it inconceivable. As an ordinary person, I would not even dare to think about it. Now I finally understand why you can stand out from the many young talents in the Academy of Martial Arts, and even His Majesty looks at you with admiration."
"There are no worthless men under a great reputation, and this statement does not deceive me."
Fang Jie waved his hands and said, "It's just that there is a bit of recklessness in his temper, which is probably the case for ignorant people who are fearless."
"If you are ignorant, there are not many people in this world who dare to say that they know. Your small-character method and pinyin notation method for arithmetic have been implemented in various places in the Sui Dynasty. Do you know how many rural students respect you as a teacher? Or do you know that How many well-educated people are full of praise for you?"
Duan Zheng said: "I travel around all the year round, so I see a little more than others. The professors of the rural schools and county schools respect you every time you mention your name. What you dedicate to His Majesty is not a flowery article. , is not a magnificent national policy, but the most practical thing, and I don’t know how many students have benefited from it.”
"Stop praising me, I'm easy to be proud."
Fang Jie said with a smile: "I haven't thanked General Duan for sending so many winter clothes, and I don't know how to express my gratitude."
"There's only so much I can do."
Duan Zheng sighed: "His Majesty personally marched, and more than a million troops gathered on Hexi Road. A few days ago, His Majesty's order to mobilize the Yangtze River Navy to go north to cooperate with each other has arrived. When the preparations are ready, I will lead the troops to go north."
"All go?"
Fang Jie couldn't help asking.
"Of course not."
Duan Zheng pouted in the direction of the Huangniu River: "It's not safe here, how can I transfer all the navy away. I want to take away 30% of the warships, and most of them will stay in the Yangtze River. After all, there is still a fire here. Who knows what?" It's time to burn. If all the navy goes north, relying on the natural moat alone will not be able to stop some people's ambitions."
Ambition is in mind, it is for ambition.
"Does Your Majesty have a will to mention this matter?"
"Not only is there, but there is also a purpose to mention you."
Duan Zheng said: "This is why I sent someone to contact you, and then I had to go there myself... Counting the days, His Majesty is already in Hexi Road. When the decree was issued, it should be in Chang'an. Your Majesty The decree ordered that if I could see you, I asked you not to return to Chang'an City or go to Hexi Road to pick you up for the time being, but did not say why. According to reason, His Majesty should call you back to wait for orders, why did you specifically explain not to let you go?"
Fang Jie shook his head: "No one can guess His Majesty's thoughts."
"Do you have anything to say to your Majesty?"
Fang Jie took out a memorial from his arms: "This paper has been written for many days, but I can't send it out. Since the general wants to go to the north, please help me take it there. Your Majesty asked me to stay, or think I can If I can do something here, if that’s the case, I’ll settle down and make a home in Mount Mangdang.”
"You can't stay in the mountains all the time..."
Duan Zheng glanced at Fang Jie and said, "If you need anything else, feel free to mention it to me. This trip to the north, I don't know why I always feel that my life is going to end here. I am also used to being arrogant. , although there are not many people who can be valued by themselves. You count as one, so I thought about what I can do to help you and do more while I still have this ability. I guess you have heard that the richest team, Nothing is better than sailors. There is no shortage of these winter clothes in the navy, but I know you lack them. If I guessed correctly, you rushed into the mountains with your troops just because you didn’t want to go back to the left front…”
"Did you find something?"
he asks.
Fang Jie was silent for a while and said, "Your Majesty sees it far more clearly than anyone else. Even if I don't find anything, he should have made arrangements."
Duan Zheng looked around, and suddenly lowered his voice and said, "It means that you are smart, and you guessed it... These days, I heard that at least the six guards in the south of the Yangtze River pressed down on the south, and their actions were extremely secretive. If not I have a good relationship with the Admiral of the Navy in private, and I don’t know about it. In addition, there is another news... It is said that the 300,000 soldiers brought by His Majesty are also deployed in the southernmost... "
"That's why I have to admire you."
Duan Zheng said sincerely: "You have no news in Huangyang Road, and you can decide to withdraw from the left front guard based on your own speculation. It is not easy. If it were an ordinary person, who would dare to sneak into the rebel territory with thousands of people? I can’t come out, and these thousands of people don’t necessarily have much loyalty to me, anyway, I wouldn’t dare.”
Fang Jie sighed, "I'm forced to come here, I just have to do it as a last resort."
"If nothing else happens, His Majesty should seek a quick solution to the Northwest mobilization."
Duan Zheng lowered his voice and said: "Now everyone knows that Luo Yao is unreliable. Your Majesty will not give the rebels a chance or give Luo Yao time. At first, His Majesty did not plan to transfer the Yangtze River Navy to go north. Now the order came suddenly, I guess. It means that His Majesty intends to cross the river in a big way, and then seek opportunities to fight the rebels. If it goes well, His Majesty may not go directly south... "
"General..."
Fang Jie was stunned for a moment, hesitated for a while and asked: "Some people say that the foundation of Da Sui has been touched, and the world will be in chaos. What do you think?"
Duan Zheng's face changed, he didn't expect Fang Jie to ask such outrageous words directly. How could he understand, Fang Jie guessed from his saying that His Majesty was going to cross the river in a big way... The emperor's body, I'm afraid it really couldn't hold on anymore, otherwise why would he be in such a hurry
…
…
"Chaos does not mean touching the root."
Duan Zheng was silent for a long time, and he sorted out his words: "The Sui Dynasty was in chaos, and we as officials are not at ease. But you have to know, the foundation of the Sui Dynasty is very stable for a hundred years. Don't say that Li Yuanshan occupies the northwest, even if Luo Yao really occupies it Southwest, you can fight for the whole country in one corner, so there is no chance of winning. Your Majesty is in the prime of life, and is a once-in-a-lifetime sage monarch, even if some clowns come out, how can they be His Majesty's opponent?"
Fang Jie held back and did not continue to ask.
Duan Zheng obviously didn't know about His Majesty's terminal illness. If he knew, he probably wouldn't have the confidence. Fang Jie didn't want to destroy this self-confidence. If everyone in the soldiers of Da Sui thought and believed like Duan Zheng, then Da Sui wouldn't collapse so quickly.
"Is there nothing else for me to talk about?"
Duan Zheng looked at the memorial in his hand: "If you can trust me, bringing a few messages is far more effective than what is on the memorial."
Fang Jie paused for a while and then asked: "Pei Yan, servant of the Huangmen, has he joined the army?"
"It seems not. Your Majesty ordered Pei Yan, Minister of the Huangmen, Zong Lianghu, Shangshu of the Ministry of War, and Niu Huilun, a senior scholar, as assistant ministers. These three people should not leave Chang'an. The prince is young, and most of the court affairs are decided by these three people. "
"Then there's no need to bring any message."
Fang Jie smiled.
"you mean?"
Duan Zheng asked puzzledly.
"It's nothing... The reason why I didn't send the memorial out is firstly because I couldn't send it out, and secondly because I was afraid of sending it out, and His Majesty might not see it in time. Since you brought it there, I have nothing to worry about."
"you mean… "
Duan Zheng's face changed suddenly.
"I don't mean anything?"
Fang Jie pretended not to know what it meant.
Some things, it is better to let the other party guess. If Fang Jie said straightforwardly that he suspected that Pei Yan had colluded with some people, Duan Zheng might not believe it. Besides, Fang Jie didn't understand the intricate human relations in the court. Duan Zheng got closer only because he admired his courage. Who knew who in the court he was closer to
Duan Zheng glanced at Fang Jie thoughtfully.
"Let me take my leave."
Duan Zheng clasped his hands together: "I have already mentioned you to Wang Yiqu, the general of the Yangtze River Navy. If you need the assistance of the navy for anything, you can directly send someone to see the general. Anyway, you still have a bit of trouble."
"Thank you!"
Fang Jie clasped his fists and sent them off.
Duan Zheng walked a few steps, turned his head and smiled and said, "I hope that one day, I can fight side by side with you."
Fang Jie nodded and bowed deeply.
Duan Zheng strode away, and neither of them thought that after this farewell, they would never see each other again. This person who briefly appeared in Fang Jie's life, the person who gave him help, just came and went in such a hurry, like a shooting star. When Fang Jie thinks of this person again, there are only memories left.
…
…
Wolf Rushan
Cui Lueshang rushed into the cottage with a tired face, before he even had time to take a sip of water, he went directly to find Xu County King Yang Kai. When I arrived at the big tent of the Chinese army, I found that the guards were not guarding outside. He pulled a sentry who was patrolling past and asked, and only then did he know that King Xu and Li Xiaozong took people to survey the terrain in person.
The rebel Xida Battalion has a huge force, led by General Meng Niuer under Li Yuanshan's command. This person is one of the seven tiger generals under Li Yuanshan's command, and he has won the way of leading the army. Its weight is still above Yin Po Mountain.
The Sui Army in Langru Mountain has been looking for opportunities to raid the rebel Xi Camp these days. Because of the news that Cui Lueshang sent someone back, Xu Jun Wang Yang Kai was also more vigilant against Li Xiaozong, so he did not mobilize troops. Two days ago, news spread that the imperial army's counter-insurgency army had arrived at Hexi Road. Li Xiaozong mentioned this matter again, intending to echo the imperial army from a distance. King Xujun also felt that the time had come, so he went out to investigate in person. He had been gone for three days.
Cui Lueshang was planning to go back to rest, but suddenly a thought changed in his mind. After asking where King Xu Jun was going, he took his own soldiers and left the camp again.
The west camp of the rebel army is not far from Langru Mountain, and it only takes three days to ride on horseback. Counting, Prince Xu and the others only arrived at the place. Cui Lueshang was not at ease, he always felt that he should go to see Yang Kai as soon as possible.
Walking day and night all the way out of the camp, on the morning of the third day, the tall watchtower in the rebel west camp could already be seen from a distance.
"Get out, be careful."
Cui Lueshang ordered: "Look for a high place. If you want to observe the movement of the West Camp, the higher the place, the clearer it is. After you find the prince, come and tell me immediately."
His soldiers immediately dispersed, and soon disappeared.
Cui Lueshang looked at the rebel camp in the distance, and suddenly felt uneasy. I don't know where this uneasiness comes from, but I just feel that I am holding my breath, and I can't spit it out.
He didn't know that in fact, in a dilapidated village less than thirty miles away from where he was, Yang Kai, King of Xujun, was waiting for the scouts to report back.
Yang Kai stood behind a low wall, looking in the direction of the rebel camp.
"My lord."
Li Xiaozong walked over from behind and called softly: "We should retreat a little further, here... it's too dangerous!"