Shi Hao did not stay in Yuelian Tower for too long. Sha Lingshan handed the Red Frost Sacred Core to him, and he left the Red Frost Sacred Core in Yuelian Tower together with the Xuanli Wonderful Water, the Nine-Earth Green Peach, and the Double-Realm Wonderful Lotus.
He also asked Yueyaotai to arrange a boat for him, and he immediately took the boat from Dongting Lake along a tributary, entered the Ganjiang River, and arrived in Luling.
When he arrived at the city gate, it was already dark. He stood outside the city gate and said in a loud voice: "My name is Master Chongyun, and I want to see you, General Guan."
The general guarding the city hurriedly sent someone to inform Guan Rong. Soon, Guan Rong and Hu Jingyun, two of the three generals of southern Jiangxi, came in person, opened the city gate, and invited him into the city.
Guan Rong asked, "Why did the military advisor come here suddenly?"
Shi Hao stood inside the city gate and said with a smile, "I won't go in either. I'll just talk to you here. You must have heard about the barbarian army going south to attack the Huangtian Army. I went to Kuaiji yesterday and asked Li Xiu'er, the general manager of the Huangtian Army, for the title of military advisor. Now I am here on behalf of the Huangtian Army to ask for your help."
Guan Rong and Hu Jingyun looked at each other. Guan Rong bowed and said, "If it weren't for the military advisor's help, our Leopard Army would have been defeated long ago. How could we be in this situation today? It stands to reason that the military advisor has come here, and we must repay him, whether out of friendship or morality.
"But now, our Leopard Army has surrendered to the Dongting Army, and will only obey the orders of the Dongting Army Demon Commander. For such a major event, we cannot rashly send troops without receiving an order."
Shi Hao asked in return: "If the Demon Commander does not put the fight against the barbarians first, but instead is selfish and sits back to watch the Yellow Sky Army and the Barbarian Army fight to the death, only caring about his own development and growth, what will you do?"
Guan Rong said: "This..."
Shi Hao smiled and said, "Don't worry. It was me who suggested that you send someone to Dongting Army to take a look. If I wasn't sure, why would I come? In fact, I have secretly tried to contact the Demon General and have a talk with him.
"The military situation is urgent. Just prepare the military supplies and food in advance. At present, only your Leopard Army can actually send troops to support the Huangtian Army. If the Dongting Army has not issued an order, it is not your fault. I can only blame myself for misjudging Hao Xinghua. The dignified Demon Marshal is just a short-sighted and ignorant person, not worth mentioning."
Guan Rong gritted his teeth and said, "Don't worry, Military Advisor, we will start preparing now."
Shi Hao cupped his hands and said, "Thank you very much!"
Hu Jingyun said, "It's getting dark, why don't you rest here for a night before leaving?"
Shi Hao said: "Time is running out, I still need to go to Hengzhou."
Guan Rong was surprised and said, "The military advisor is going to the Dragon and Phoenix Society? I'm afraid that Li Chenglong will never send troops to support Huang Tianjun."
Shi Hao said: "Even if the Dragon and Phoenix Society wants to send troops, the main battlefield is in Taihu Lake, and the barbarian army is heading south directly from the Grand Canal. The Dragon and Phoenix Society wants to send troops from Hengzhou and Tanzhou to support Taihu Lake, but it is too late in this situation where the mountains are covered with ice and snow. Don't worry, I have other plans.
"The military situation is urgent, so I'll take my leave now. I'll come back to drink and chat with the two generals when I have some free time."
Guan Rong and Hu Jingyun saw that he came and went in a hurry and could not keep him, so they sent him out of the city together and watched him float away in the dim night.
Guan Rong sighed: "It's really a mysterious dragon that can only be seen from the head but not the tail. It's really a 'hidden dragon'!"
—
Shi Hao left Ganjiang River and headed westward.
You can take a boat from Lushan Mountain across Poyang Lake to Ganjiang River, but the water route is blocked to Hengzhou.
If he took the official road, it would waste a lot of time, so he simply relied on his profound skills as a fifth-grade master and went directly over the mountains and hills.
During the journey, his magic power and inner elixir kept running, and he actually took the opportunity to practice.
Until he arrived in Hengzhou, entered the city, walked through the streets, and along the way observed the military discipline of the Longfeng Army and the governance of Hengzhou itself.
Until he arrived at the Mansion of Duke Sheng, he gave his name and after a while, he was invited in.
Shi Hao entered the Mansion of Duke Sheng and saw that it was newly built, magnificent and well-built.
On both sides were soldiers holding long spears and wearing heavy armor. Archers in the high arrow towers looked down and were on guard of the surroundings with eyes as sharp as lightning. They were all quite powerful.
Shi Hao quickly made a judgment about the Dragon and Phoenix Army in his mind.
Li Chenglong started his rebellion from the Anlei Society. Once he gained power and expanded his influence in Huguang, he killed his brother Zhao Fengxiao and proclaimed himself Duke of Tang. He was extremely ambitious and had great aspirations, but because he exposed his ambitions too early, he was despised by the heroes of the Anlei Society.
Guan Rong and other "Three Generals of Southern Jiangxi" were also from the Anlei Society. They would rather bypass the Longfeng Society and join the Dongting Army in Dongting Lake than join the Longfeng Society. This was the reason.
But on the other hand, Li Chenglong was able to lead the Longfeng Society to grow in Huguang. The Longfeng Society had strict military discipline and many experts. From this, it can be seen that his own abilities are unquestionable.
However, he was born into a wealthy family and was even a descendant of the royal family of the Sheng Dynasty. Although he joined the Dark Thunder Society due to the situation, he looked down on those people who came from the grassroots. Once he became powerful, he began to distance himself from those people unconsciously.
He left the Anlei Society, but on the other hand, he also gained the support of wealthy families in the Huguang area and began to become the representative of the wealthy families in the south. It can be said that he was completely different from the Dongting Army and the Leopard Army.
In this regard, Shi Hao can only say "everyone has their own aspirations"!
Entering the hall, there was a man standing on the steps. He was wearing a large Kona silk and brocade robe that was only worn by princes and nobles during the prosperous dynasty. He also had a three-beam crown on his head and a jade belt with purple gems around his waist. He looked very imposing.
However, according to the rules established by the Sheng Dynasty, only princes were qualified to wear the three-beam crown, and he only proclaimed himself as "Duke".
From this point of view, although he proclaimed himself Duke, in fact, he regarded himself as the ruler of the country.
There were six more people standing on both sides, some were civil officials, some were military generals, some were wearing formal attire, some were wearing armor, it seemed that although the house was small, it already had all the necessary facilities.
"Young Taoist Master Chongyun greets Duke Sheng!" Shi Hao stood at the bottom of the steps and bowed.
What he performed was the Taoist bow, neither arrogant nor humble, yet not making people feel that he was being disrespectful.
Li Chenglong also had a good attitude. He walked down two steps, raised his wide robe sleeves, and said leisurely, "I have heard of the name of Qianlong for a long time. I am honored to meet you today. I wonder if you have any advice for me?"
Chapter 372 Lobbying Hengzhou, a Gift
Shi Hao said: "I think the Duke has also heard that the Barbarian Court has sent General Bo Shulu and Du Liehuhai to lead 200,000 troops to the south to join the troops of Guangling and Gusu to approach Kuaiji. Once Kuaiji is captured, the anti-barbarian cause that has been so hard to rise will inevitably collapse halfway.
"I am a humble person, but I came to Kuaiji and asked to be the military advisor of the Huang Tian Army. At this moment, it is Miss Li Xiuer who represents the Huang Tian Army and comes to discuss important matters with the Duke."
An old man next to him sneered and said, "I heard that you first served as a military advisor in Bashan, and then served as a military advisor in Gannan and Nanshan. Now you have even gone to Kuaiji to serve as a military advisor. Are you addicted to the position of military advisor?"
Shi Hao looked at the old man and said, "This old gentleman is..."
Li Chenglong said: "This is our prefecture's Sima Bei He Changbei Lao!"
Shi Hao smiled and said, "I have heard of you for a long time! So you are the 'Uncrowned Literary Marquis' Mr. Bei! Everyone in Jiangnan knows that Mr. Bei has no title or fiefdom but is as noble as a feudal lord, no seal or seal but has the power of an official. The Bei Mansion in Songjiang has been a family of many generations, and is so virtuous and respected that even the government dares not disturb them."
In fact, Shi Hao's words were quite sarcastic. Bei Hechang looked pleased and said, "I dare not! I dare not!"
The Barbarian Court has always had insufficient control over the area south of the Yangtze River. Although it has sent officials to govern, all affairs are actually controlled by the wealthy and powerful people in the south.
The government sets the tax rate and entrusts the power of taxation to these powerful people. These powerful people control the tax rate from top to bottom and continue to add more taxes on top of the tax rate. Half of the money extorted from the people ends up in their hands.
The Bei Mansion in Songjiang was such a wealthy family. They owned tens of thousands of acres of lake fields and accumulated millions of grains. They also possessed a unique family tradition, and each generation had produced middle-class people. They were so powerful that even the officials sent by the court had to be careful to curry favor with them.
If it were in Dongting Lake, such a wealthy family would have been immediately defeated. But here, the Bei family went from being a powerful family that actually controlled the government to joining the Dragon and Phoenix Society, which rose to prominence under the banner of resisting barbarians, and became an important official.
But on the other hand, it is undeniable that these powerful families do have money and food.
The Dongting Army's approach of fighting the powerful and dividing the land was certainly popular among the people, but it also made these powerful and wealthy families fearful.
Li Chenglong proclaimed himself Duke and made a big show of upholding etiquette. Although he quickly lost the support of the original heroes of the Anlei Society, he also won over these powerful families, enabling him to gain more support in a very short period of time.
Shi Hao smiled and said, "Military advisor, although the name sounds nice, in essence, it is just a miscellaneous title among the generals! I like to wander around, running around, I am free and easy, but the world is in chaos and people are living in poverty. I couldn't stand it and took charge of some places. The word "military advisor" is just an empty title."
Bei Hechang said: "Now that you are the military advisor of the Huang Tian Army, and you come to us, are you trying to lobby for the Huang Tian Army and ask me, the Dragon and Phoenix Society, to go to Taihu to support it? If so, your title of 'military advisor' seems to be just an empty title."
Shi Hao said, "No!" He bowed to Li Chenglong and said, "I would like to ask the Duke to help me lead an army to attack Jiangzhou."
As soon as these words were spoken, all the civil officials and military officers nearby looked at each other.
Li Chenglong said: "This..."
Shi Hao said: "Duke! Let's not beat around the bush. The Dragon and Phoenix Society wants to expand in two places next. Either attack Yuezhou or attack Jiangzhou! If we attack Yuezhou, we will fight to the death with the Dongting Army. If we win, we will occupy 800 miles of Dongting Lake and then annex Jingxiang. If we lose, we will lose a thousand miles of territory.
"Whether you win or lose, the Barbarian Court will reap the benefits. After the Huangshan meeting, you will disregard the righteousness of resisting the Barbarians and kill each other. This will surely be despised by the world. Whether you attack Yuezhou or Jiangzhou, you must make full preparations. Therefore, I come here to ask you to give up Yuezhou and go straight to Jiangzhou."
Bei Hechang snorted and said, "You don't look like the military advisor of the Huangtian Army, but rather a lobbyist for the Dongting Army."
Shi Hao sneered, "Actually, I'm not here to lobby for the Dongting Army. I'm here for your own good. If the Dragon and Phoenix Society goes to war with the Dongting Army, your army will have no chance of winning. It would be better for you to march into Jiangzhou in the name of fighting against the Barbarian Court as agreed upon at the Huangshan Conference, avoid a direct confrontation with the Dongting Army, and at the same time occupy the right position and expand your territory."
Everyone around was furious! Li Chenglong stepped onto the steps with a gloomy face, turned his head and said coldly: "How do you know that we are no match for the Dongting Army?"
Shi Hao said: "The people of the world have suffered from the Barbarian Court for a long time. The Duke is a descendant of the Li family of the prosperous dynasty. If we fight against the Barbarian Court, even if the heroes of the world are dissatisfied, they will not be willing to be enemies. If we fight against the barbarians, the world will obey us. If we take the initiative to fight the Dongting Army and lose the righteousness of fighting against the barbarians, I am afraid that it will be difficult for you to unite internally, and the heroes of the world will certainly look down on you. The Dragon and Phoenix will lose their morality first, this is one of them.
"The Dongting Army has strict military discipline, and the Dragon and Phoenix Society has the ability to lead people! But to be frank, the people in the areas governed by the Dragon and Phoenix Society are still suffering, and their lives have not improved much. The rich are always rich, and the poor are always poor. If the demon commander of the Dongting Army is attacked by the Dragon and Phoenix Society, and openly puts forward the slogan of equalizing the rich and the poor in Huguang, I wonder how the people under your rule will feel?"
After these words were spoken, Bei Hechang and others also became uneasy.
Shi Hao continued, "The Dongting Army was defeated and then rebuilt. The land of the Dragon and Phoenix Society has remained largely unchanged. The people who govern are still the same people. The only difference is that the taxes paid by the people are given to the government or to the Dragon and Phoenix Society. Once the war starts, the Dongting Army will not be afraid of those wearing boots. The Dongting Army will not be affected much. Can you withstand this fall? This is the second question."
Li Chenglong looked unhappy and snorted.
Shi Hao added: "You did not attack Yuezhou before because you had an internal conflict. Now the Chongming Army is still pacifying Chuyin. Once they have time, they will covet Dongting Lake. If you want to attack Yuezhou, you should do it sooner, but you are still hesitating. It shows that you have no confidence in conquering Yuezhou.
"Why don't you have confidence? First, you must have sent out spies, and after repeated investigations, they felt that the Dongting Army was united and difficult to defeat. Another reason is that there is a Leopard Army in Ganjiang River. The Leopard Army and the Dragon and Phoenix Society are originally from the same source, but they would rather cross Huguang and join the evil commander of the Dongting Army, which makes you feel like a thorn in your throat. This is the third reason."
A general nearby said coldly, "If it weren't for your obstruction, the Leopard Army would have been wiped out by the Yunlang Army. How could they have become so powerful in Ganjiang?"
Shi Hao sneered, "I naturally know that the Yunlang Army was supported by your side, but it is no longer necessary to dwell on what has already happened! After all, if your side had not fallen apart, how could you have missed the opportunity to capture Yuezhou and Ganjiang? It is useless to blame others for the disaster that started with the quarrel!"
This blatant mockery made Li Chenglong's eyes flash with murderous intent.
But he quickly suppressed it.
Shi Hao didn't take it seriously and continued, "It's hard to decide whether you should attack Yuezhou or Jiangzhou. I am not talented enough, so I came here to make a decision for you. If you attack Yuezhou, you will definitely lose. It's better to attack Jiangzhou as soon as possible!"
Bei Hechang sneered and said, "After all, you are here for the Huang Tian Army. You want us to spend our food and manpower to help the Huang Tian Army share the manpower of the Barbarian Army heading north."
Shi Hao said: "Opportunities are rare and will never come back! This time, the Barbarian Court was able to quickly stabilize the situation in Qinhuai, settle the internal hidden dangers, and march south, which was beyond everyone's expectations.
“From this, we can see that Fu Tu, the Prime Minister of the Barbarian Court, really has the ability to turn the tide. If he were born in another era, he would have been a famous prime minister. Even if he was born at this time, he would have the opportunity to continue to keep the Barbarian Court alive.
"If your ambition is just to rule several states in Huguang and become a king, then why not pack up and leave early? Why raise a big banner and call yourself a duke? China has been suppressed by the Barbarian Court for three hundred years. How can you have a home if the Barbarian Court is not destroyed
“But if the Barbarian Court takes Kuaiji, the eighteen prefectures of Jiangsu and Zhejiang will fall into the hands of the Barbarian Army again. The military and material resources of the Barbarian Army will flow southward along the Grand Canal. How long can you hold on
"On the other hand, if you take Jiangzhou, you will control the middle section of the Yangtze River and the intersection of the Grand Canal and the Yangtze River, making it difficult for the Barbarian Army to control the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Then you can join forces with the Dongting Army and the Huangtian Army to advance northward and attack the Huai River. Even if Fu Tu has extraordinary talent, he can only lead the Barbarian Court to a dead end."
Li Chenglong gritted his teeth and said, "As for Jiangzhou, our army will eventually fight, but we are not fully prepared at the moment. It will be disadvantageous for our army to rush in at this time of year. It's not that we don't want to send troops, but we need to wait another month..."
Shi Hao smiled and said, "Wait a minute, Duke! Actually, I came here to lobby for you, even though I came empty-handed, I am not without any gifts!"
Li Chenglong stood on the steps, looking down at Shi Hao and asked, "What gift?"
Shi Hao said: "After I left Hengzhou, I also made an appointment with the Demon Commander of the Dongting Army to talk with him. After meeting the Demon Commander of the Dongting Army, I will ask him and Miss Xiu'er of Kuaiji to write a letter to me."
Li Chenglong asked, "What's in the letter?"
Shi Hao said, "Nothing, just some small talk, some polite words like "I've admired you for a long time". The only thing he wrote on the envelope was 'Personally from Duke Sheng'."
Li Chenglong asked: "That's it?"
Shi Hao said: “That’s it!
Li Chenglong snorted and was about to refuse, but then his mind changed slightly.
The generals around were all dissatisfied. After all, weren't they just trying to get real support from the Dragon and Phoenix Society with empty words
Bei Hechang pondered for a while, then turned to Li Chenglong and bowed, saying, "Duke, conquering Jiangzhou was originally part of our plan, and now we have just moved it forward. Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Huguang and Jiangsu are all part of one body, and we and the Huangtian Army are inseparable. Although we cannot directly send troops to support Taihu Lake, conquering Jiangzhou is beneficial to the cooperation between the two sides. Duke, you may want to consider it."
Li Chenglong slowly relaxed his brows and said, "In this case, the day when the letters from the Dongting Army and the Huangtian Army arrive, it will be the time for our army to dispatch troops."
Shi Hao bowed and said, "Then please make preparations early, Duke. I will take my leave first."
Bei Hechang said: "Since you are here, why don't you stay here for a while and let the Duke's Mansion entertain you?"
Shi Hao smiled and said, "Thank you for your kindness. The situation is urgent, so I won't delay!
After saying goodbye to Li Chenglong, he turned around and left the house. When he got outside, he burst into laughter and walked away.
Chapter 373: The Strange Master Chongyun
After leaving Hengzhou, Shi Hao strolled in the mountains and forests.
Guiguzi says: "Respond to their heart, see their feelings, and follow them."
—Follow the other person's intentions, and then find out what the other person is pursuing. Then, like a shepherd, you can let the other person follow your intentions.
Li Chenglong attached too much importance to his title of "Duke Sheng". The "Demon Marshal" wrote a personal letter to Li Xiu'er, with the five words "Personally Written by Duke Sheng" written on the envelope, which was tantamount to acknowledging his identity as a descendant of the royal family of the Sheng Dynasty and his righteous cause of fighting against the barbarians and restoring his country.
But in the final analysis, both the Dongting Army and the Huangtian Army did not pay any price at all in exchange for the Longfeng Society's dispatch of troops to Jiangzhou.
As for the identity of being a descendant of the royal family of the Sheng Dynasty, when the time comes to overthrow the barbarian court and fight for supremacy, does this nice-sounding reputation really matter
The prosperous dynasty has been gone for three hundred years!
After Li Chenglong severed ties with the Dark Thunder Society, bloodline and etiquette became the banner that he had to hold on to tightly. Similarly, this banner also bound and tempted him.
This kind of "recognition" in name, which sounds nice but is actually of little use, is enough to make him excited.
After leaving Hengzhou, he met Longniu at a branch of the Xielian Sect.
Shi Hao wrote a letter personally, signed it as the Demon Marshal, and asked Long Niu to deliver it to Dongting Lake, which was then delivered to Hengzhou by a messenger sent from Jingzhou.
And let Longniu notify Li Xiuer and ask her to do the same.
At the same time, Long Niu presented a list of all the gangs and martial arts celebrities in the Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Huguang and other areas, as well as their backgrounds and personalities, all in detail.
In the next few days, Shi Hao visited everywhere according to the list.