〖April 15th, when Taizong left Tongguan, all the flags and flags pointed to the wind and fled, like a broken bamboo.
On the same day, King Qing swore an oath in Nanzheng to raise troops, established the widow of the King of Shu, Meng Xu, as the lord of the country, and vowed to restore the kingdom of Shu.
On the 16th day of the fourth month, King Qing broke through the pass and the world shook.
— "Zizhi Tongjian·Yongji III"〗
On the Sanguan City, King Li Kang of Qing looked at the sergeant in the city's bright armor and couldn't help smiling sincerely. After years of management, combined with coercion and inducement, he finally firmly controlled the army of Dayong in his hands. The 50,000-strong army composed of private soldiers assembled by the Sichuan giants. Dongchuan, which has an army of 150,000, is enough to occupy the foundation of Dayong - Guanzhong. In the past, Dayong chose to attack Shu. The big factor was that Shu occupied Hanzhong. According to Yangping Pass, you can enter the pass just by breaking the San Pass. Such a threat made the Dayong court always feel that there was a sharp sword hanging over its head. Although the royal family of Shu was completely at ease, it could not eliminate Dayong's fear. Now he has easily obtained the Sanguan, the West has Sanguan, and the East has Jiameng. Guan, mastering the fertile land of Dongchuan, winning Guanzhong, laying the foundation of the emperor's industry, losing to retreating to Dongchuan, watching the disputes between the princes, compared to a Prince Dayong who is always insulated from the throne, this is what he dreams of. Achievement.
Just as Li Kang was thinking about it, a soft and sweet voice came from behind him: "My lord, the spring is cold, why don't you put on the cape that your concubine gave you."
Li Kang felt warm in his heart, and when he turned around, he saw a plain-clothed young woman walking towards him, although because of the military, this young woman's clothes were very simple and elegant, with a blue-ink black silk tie and a cloud conch bun. , with only a gold ring tied at the bottom, graceful posture, action like a willow, beautiful face, like a lotus in a pond, natural beauty is enough to stun the country. The young woman smiled sweetly and bowed. Li Kang stretched out his hand to pick her up and said with a smile, "You're too careful, this prince is strong, this little Chunhan, where do you need a cloak?" The young woman said angrily, "Your Highness. The military is busy, the eyes are too busy, and the concubine is incapable of helping, so naturally I can only do my best to take care of the prince's body, the prince is the body of a thousand pieces of gold, if he suffers from the cold, it will not hinder the great cause." After saying that, he put on a strong suit from behind. The maid took a cloak of white Shu brocade and tied it for Li Kang herself. The cloak was embroidered with golden Pixiu, which was lifelike. Li Kang smiled and let the woman do what she did. The woman fastened her cape and raised her head inadvertently. Seeing the tenderness in Li Kang's eyes, her face turned red, she lowered her head and said, "My concubine is retiring, please take good care of your body." After speaking, he turned and left, although Li Kang missed her very much He was by his side, but now he was in military affairs, and it was quite inappropriate to go on an expedition with a concubine. If he was more affectionate with his sons and daughters, I was afraid that it would hinder the military's heart, so he just watched his concubine leave.
Just when the young woman was about to step down from the tower, an ordinary-looking young man hurried up. Seeing the young woman, the young man avoided him and bowed. The young woman smiled and nodded, and walked down with the maid. In front of the king, he said: "My lord, the entire Sanguan has been controlled by our army, and all the captured Yong Jun have been imprisoned, but after the final general's interrogation, he learned that the Sanguan guard Li Zongxun had already fled when the closure was broken. , I have not seen any sign of Mingjian Division, may I ask whether the lord needs to send troops to hunt him down, and the deputy generals of the detachment have contributed to the customs, and are still waiting for the lord to summon him."
A look of regret flashed in Li Kang's eyes, and said: "Unfortunately, Li Zongxun is also a good general, and he knows the Sanguan like the back of his hand. If he kills him, it can save a lot of trouble. The Mingjian Division is the best at expelling advantages and avoiding disadvantages. It’s not uncommon for you to escape, but this time you bribed the internal supporters, and the internal and external cooperation broke the loose customs, and the Mingjian Division must be heavily blamed, and that’s enough.” Li Kang was very satisfied with the achievements of the Splendid League, and first cut off the passage between Guanzhong and Dongchuan. , so that he can firmly control Dongchuan's power in his hands, and through coercion and inducement, he bought the deputy general of Sanguan, so that he can get rid of the customs without any effort. This kind of credit finally made Li Kang let go of the Splendid Alliance. Be wary.
At this time, Ye Tianxiu came in a hurry. He was Li Kang's confidant. This time he was appointed by Li Kang as an assassin, and he was in charge of supervising the army lieutenant colonel. Now the army under King Qing is composed of the private soldiers of the old Shu giants and the Dayong army. There are many contradictions, and the military's morale is also quite unstable, so Ye Tianxiu is very busy. Almost all of King Qing's original secret agents are used for this. First, Li Kang trusts the personnel selected by himself more, and secondly, this is also the case. It can make the Splendid League believe in Li Kang's sincerity and be more dedicated. Besides, external intelligence investigation is the strength of the Splendid League. Of course, Li Kang also retains a secret intelligence force against Chang'an. In addition, Li Kang knew that in this troubled world, only by holding military power can he be as stable as Mount Tai, so he controlled the army with all his strength. As long as the military power was stable, he did not worry about the old Shu forces and the Splendid Alliance.
After listening to General Ye Tianxiu's report on the situation, Li Kang said with satisfaction: "Tianxiu, you have worked hard, and now the information about our uprising has already spread to Chang'an, although Li Zhi went to the expedition in person, and although the father and the emperor are no longer in charge, there is still Li Jun. Guo and Shi Yu are in charge, and there are veterans like Qin Yi and Cheng Shu in Chang'an. Our army can only fight steadily. I have decided to lead the army to attack Chencang in person. Now the battle situation in the Northern Han Dynasty is not good for Dayong. I want to see it. How does Yong Ting face the enemy on both sides?"
Ye Tianxiu heard that Li Kang called the Dayong court as Yong Ting, and knew that the prince was completely unfeeling with Dayong. In fact, Ye Tianxiu did not want Li Kang to do so. As Prince Dayong, the power and wealth are rare in the world. Why bother He still wanted to raise an army to rebel, but he was deeply grateful to Li Kang, so he couldn't care about the righteousness. As soon as Li Kang's voice fell, Ye Tianxiu said: "Chen Cang Shou Yin Jiao is Li Zhi's confidant and favorite general, he uses his troops cautiously and is good at To defend the city, Chen Cang is only afraid that it will be difficult to attack."
Li Kang smiled and said: "It's okay, the Jinxiu League assassins have already infiltrated Chencang, as long as Chencang is exhausted by our attack, we can find a way to assassinate Yinjian, and Chencang will be in chaos, and we can break through the fortified city. Besides, now I'm afraid most of Yong Ting's mind is in the Northern Han Dynasty, and I'm afraid that it won't be taken care of here, but after we capture Chencang and enter Weinan, the hundreds of thousands of troops defending Sanqin will probably be overwhelmed."
Ye Tianxiu said: "I am afraid that the old general Qin will come with the army. General Qin has experienced hundreds of battles, and he is very loyal. We are afraid that it will be difficult to win."
Li Kang sneered and said: "Qin Yi is already old, since Qin Qing's death, this person's vigor has completely disappeared, and it is no longer a concern. Besides, Long Tingfei used his troops like a god and took Li Xian lightly, even if Li Zhi has gone, can he still be able to turn the tide? We only need to spend a few more days, and we will be able to achieve something, even if we finally have to return to Chencang, it is enough to console."
After listening to Shangguanyan's secret report, Huo Yi felt a faint mockery in his heart. Li Kang made a wishful thinking, the mantis caught the cicada, and he didn't know that the oriole was behind, how could he know that everything around him had been infiltrated by us. The intelligence of Jinyang and Dongchuan was cut off. Even if some news came over by chance, it was intercepted by himself with the power of the Splendid Alliance around King Qing. The intelligence channels of King Qing in Chang'an had already fallen into the monitoring of Mingjian Division. The constant false information has made King Qing a little overwhelmed, completely forgetting how terrible his opponent is.
Shangguan Yan looked at Huo Yi's slightly mocking smile, and his heart froze. A few days ago, he got a message from his adoptive father that his adopted brother Gu Ying suddenly disappeared. After entering the control of Chen Zhen and others, the so-called disappearance is just to control Gu Ning's power more tightly. He once asked Huo Yi sideways, but only got a meaningful smile. In desperation, he did not dare to Disobeying Huo Yi's order. The adoptive father only has this one biological son. If there is any damage, how can he feel at ease, so even if Huo Yi's order is strange, he and Xiong Bao will not dare to disobey, even if he is asked to monitor King Qing when he is serving as a bodyguard move. Looking at Huo Yi's thoughtful face, Shangguan Yan only felt that his mind gradually sank into sadness, when can he get rid of these terrible characters, when can he return to a peaceful life, why do things like rejuvenation of the country need to be done by themselves? To give everything, now the so-called restoration of the country is just tying the people of Shu to the chariot of infighting in Dayong. He doesn't know what it means.
Huo Yi sent Shangguan Yan away, and his face became gloomy again. Although everything is going well now, but thinking of the news from Chen Zhen, he couldn't help but feel the killing intent in his heart. Why did Xiahou Yuanfeng make this request? There is no Splendid Alliance, Can Mingjian Division be able to go so smoothly in Dongchuan? It's better now. He actually wants to cross the river and demolish the bridge. If he didn't know what the son wanted, he would have long wanted to turn against Xiahou Yuanfeng. Suppressing the anger in his heart, Huo Yi put his mind on King Qing again, his eyes flashed inadvertently, and he saw a plain shadow walking towards the city, presumably that Mrs. Song was going to invite King Qing to go down for dinner.
Thinking of this Mrs. Song, Huo Yi felt restless in her heart. In fact, Mrs. Song is virtuous and gentle, and she has excellent embroidery skills. King Qing loves her very much, although because Mrs. Song has no children and no Jin Dynasty She was a concubine, but King Qing kept this Madam Song by his side at all times, even when he dispatched troops, so he knew that King Qing loved her. Moreover, Mrs. Song had no pretentiousness of ordinary women, and treated them with courtesy and grace to these King Qing's subordinates, but Huo Yi always felt that this woman brought him a lot of pressure. When she looked at her with her bright eyes like autumn water, she always carried trust and pleading, as if she hoped that she would do her best to assist King Qing, but her words and smiles were so touching, but they made Huo Yi feel in vain. Dangerous feeling. If he does, he needs to kill Mrs. Song first. This is Huo Yi's decision. He always feels that Mrs. Song will be his biggest obstacle.
Song Ying looked up at the top of the city, and when she saw Li Kang's high-spirited appearance, she couldn't help but stop. Although she was in her late forties, Li Kang's appearance was still like a man in his thirties because of his martial arts training. After a bit of vicissitudes of life, the handsome appearance makes people admire in the heart. Never thought that he would fall in love with a man, Song Ying showed a faint smile on his lips. When she was fifteen years old and Jiu, she was selected to be a female official in the Shu Palace because of her outstanding embroidery skills. The King of Shu loved Mrs. Jinlian without any intention of him, and he also looked down on the King of Shu, who was sullen. Years pass by. I originally thought that my whole life would be spent like this, but who knew that the kingdom of Shu was destroyed, King Yong ordered the dismissal of the palace maids of the Shu Palace, and he was able to return home. Xing Mei had passed away and did not want to be a wives and concubines for ordinary people, so she chose to be alone, but at the feast of her uncle, she met Li Kang, the king of Qing. I still remember Li Kang's glowing eyes when we first met, and then Li Kang even tried to meet him, just to get his promise to marry. As soon as I saw it, I had already promised each other, and this kind of cherishing finally moved my heart and moved my love. Although Li Kang was inconvenient to make himself a side concubine due to the situation, so as not to fall into the cause of marriage with the Dongchuan family, but countless times Confessing her love in the ear before the pillow made her more and more intoxicated.
Song Ying looked at the tall figure, and secretly thought in his heart, such a person should stand above millions of people. Seeing Li Kang turn his head and smile at himself, Song Ying also showed a sweet smile and walked towards his beloved husband, Li Kang seemed to feel that he looked up, and the two held hands and would never part.
At the moment in Chencang City, the atmosphere is tense and fiery. After hearing the news of King Qing's rebellion, the soldiers here are all furious. Who is King Qing? The iron cavalry, but they rebelled at this time. Now the news of the unfavorable war in the Northern Han has spread to Chen Cang's army. , we must use Chen Cangjian City to prevent the traitor and thief from going further. This is the wish of all soldiers.
Compared with the nervousness and anger of Chen Cang's soldiers, there is a calm scene in the back house of Chen Cang's prefect's mansion.
In a flower hall, Xiahou Yuanfeng was standing in front of the window, smiling at the new Liu Bi Tao outside the window. Behind him, a scribe in gray was writing and processing some official documents. The room was filled with a kind of nervousness. And calmly contradictory atmosphere. After a long while, the grey-robed scribe came over holding the paper and said, "Sir, please take a look." Xiahou Yuanfeng took the paper, browsed it, and returned to the front of the book to sign and seal. The gray-clothed scribe explained the document and returned to the hall. Seeing that Xiahou Yuanfeng was still in a trance, he couldn't help but ask, "Sir, there is something unclear about the low post, can you ask me for help?"
Xiahou Yuanfeng smiled slightly and said, "Ziyue, please speak."
This gray-clothed scribe is his confidant, so naturally he will not have any scruples, and said calmly: "Sir, the Jinxiu Alliance is a force in the hands of Lord Jiang, and from the information we have now, this organization is powerful and controls The territory is also very broad. In any case, Lord Jiang must attach great importance to it. The adults took the opportunity to ask for the control of the Splendid Alliance. Wouldn’t it have offended Lord Jiang greatly. In the Emperor’s mind, Lord Hou’s weight is more important than that of adults. It’s much more important, isn’t your lord worried about Lord Jiang’s troubles for this?”
Xiahou Yuanfeng smiled and said: "Ziyue, there are some things you don't understand, this concubine's method is best at taking advantage of the situation. It can be seen from the Jinxiu Alliance that he made his confidants control the core layer of the Jinxiu Alliance, but Most of the power of the Splendid League is still composed of resentful Shu people. I have to admire his means to be able to use such a Splendid League for its use. But there is also a disadvantage in this way. The alliance will inevitably be out of control. Of course, Lord Jiang can destroy it, but if all the jade and stone are burned, it will not benefit anyone. Therefore, if you want to completely control such an organization, the powerful Mingjian Division is more suitable than Lord Jiang. This point He will know it well. And this time the Splendid League cooperates with us to quell the Dongchuan rebellion, there are only two ways to go in the future. First, the news that the Splendid League is under our control is leaked, either self-destruction or surrender to Dayong. Second, the Splendid Union has succeeded in retreating, but after this time, the Splendid Union has turned its back on the world, and from then on it has to fight against Dayong to the end. I think what Jiang Houye means is to continue to control the Splendid Union and make him a hostile force that attracts All Shu people who are dissatisfied with Dayong can control them and pass the traffic information of Xishu controlled by Jinxiu Alliance and Nanchu. This is also a good idea. In the past, Dongchuan was under the control of King Qing, and the emperor would naturally not mind the existence of the Splendid Alliance. After all, this would allow the emperor to better control the situation in Dongchuan, but once Dongchuan was completely under the control of the emperor, then such a The existence of a powerful rebel organization is not conducive to Dayong's rule in Dongchuan, and it is easy to cause the emperor's suspicion. Moreover, military strategy can use power and tactics, but the management can only follow the right path, so this time the Splendid Alliance must be harmonious with Qingxiu. The king disappeared together. Of course, Jiang Houye’s own power can retreat completely, but the rest of the power can only fall under our control. It is better to spend more time rebuilding the underground forces under our control and invade Xishu. The well-established Jinxiu Alliance has become a hero in the eyes of the Shu people and will continue to exist."
The gray-clothed scribe frowned and said, "What the lord said is very true, but Lord Jiang probably understands the painstaking efforts of the lord, and the humbleness of his duties and his scheming. , if he hates the adults because of this, what should he do?"
Xiahou Yuanfeng smiled and said: "You are overthinking, although this person is ruthless, he doesn't like to be troublesome, and he has a natural nature to know everything, just know my request, you will understand the deep meaning, this person He acted very decisively. Once he realized that the Splendid Union had become a hidden danger for him, his methods would be more intense than mine. If he did it himself, I was afraid that the Splendid Union would become a cloud of yesterday. That’s why I asked to take over. Of course, I am also reluctant to bear the intelligence network and strength controlled by the Splendid Alliance. If there is no benefit, why should I come forward? Look, Liu Hua will come to see me in the next two days and convey the decision of Lord Jiang." After Xiahou Yuanfeng made a request to accept the Splendid Alliance, Liu Hua avoided almost every meeting with Xiahou Yuanfeng, and even sent his subordinates to discuss the matter of giving up and retreating.
The gray-clothed scribe nodded and was about to speak when someone knocked on the door. The gray-clothed scribe pushed open the door and walked in. His eyes were full of admiration, and he said, "Master Liu asks to see you."
Walking into the flower hall, Hua Liu felt a touch of dissatisfaction in his heart, but since the son had already made a decision, he had to come to see the Lord Xiahou, forbear the anger in his heart, and Hua Liu gave a courtesy. Xiahou Yuanfeng didn't show any complacency at all, on the contrary, he was polite and thoughtful, so that Hua Liu couldn't show any more complaints.
After calming down for a while, Hua Liu said lightly, "Lord Xiahou, this is the list of allies of the Jinxiu Alliance and all the industries. Some of them have been specially marked as people who can be recruited. The son ordered me to tell the lord, King Qing. When the matter is over, the Splendid Alliance will be at your disposal by the adults."
Xiahou Yuanfeng's pupils suddenly shrank, and he sensed a chill from the bottom of his heart. Although he had just said that Jiang Zhe would be very decisive if he acted, but he also thought that Jiang Zhe was just handing over the list of allies of the Splendid Alliance. , but the industries controlled by the Splendid Alliance will be included in his pocket. Xiahou Yuanfeng has long decided not to ask about this, not only because this is the reward that Jiang Zhe deserves, but there is another reason. Owning these industries, Xiahou Yuanfeng can be sure that he can get the list of most of the industries of the Jinxiu Alliance through the confessions of the people in the Jinxiu Alliance. Then, by monitoring these industries, he can monitor Jiang Zhe's real strength. This is not It was Xiahou Yuanfeng who deliberately embarrassed Jiang Zhe, but considering the possible needs in the future, Xiahou Yuanfeng did not hope that any power in Dayong could escape his eyes. But he could never have imagined that Jiang Zhe would even give up all his industries, and the bees would go into their arms to solve their own problems. The poisonous snake devoured the arm of the strong man and broke his wrist, and he did not leave any gaps for him to penetrate. Such a decisive decision made Xiahou Yuanfeng even regret his previous decision. Could it be that Jiang Zhe could see through his selfishness, but couldn't see through his good intentions? Wouldn't that mean that he would have forged an unmatched feud.
Inside the secret rudder of the Jinxiu Alliance, Chen Zhen and Dong Que were enjoying their tea in a leisurely manner. Chen Zhen said, "Xiahou Yuanfeng must be very surprised by your son's decision."
Dong Que said: "Young master sent a letter that Xiahou Yuanfeng reminded him that it is indeed inconvenient to keep the Splendid League in his hands. Your son's intention is to let us take all the cash that can be turned over from all industries. As for the manpower of the Splendid League, Let us filter it all and leave it to Xiahou Yuanfeng to dispose of, but I am not willing to give Xiahou Yuanfeng so cheap, and I have to give him some trouble to compensate for our losses."
Chen Zhen said slowly: "Our own people in the Jinxiu Alliance will naturally be withdrawn, and those stubborn allies can also be loyal, but what about Gu Ning and these people, although they also have objections, but after all, they are more Gentle, if they exist, they can better control the rebel forces of Shu, and several of his juniors also have the intention of giving up and restoring the country. If they are killed together, I am afraid it will be self-defeating. You want to give Xiahou Yuanfeng Leave some trouble, but do you have any ideas, can you agree with the young master?"
Dong Que said with a smile: "Why would you disagree? I see that although the tone of your words is very light, but you are dissatisfied, he must want to teach Xiahou Yuanfeng a lesson, but the young master does not like being threatened the most. As for the means of revenge, I have an idea?" Speaking of which, Dong Que lowered his voice and said something, Chen Zhen's eyes lit up after hearing it, and after a while, he said, "It's a good idea, it kills two birds with one stone. It can tie down those forces of restoring the country, so that they do not dare to come forward, and secondly, it can cause some trouble to Xiahou Yuanfeng, and these things will not fall on him in the future."
The two had decided on their plans. Chen Zhen smiled and said, "Chen Cang needs me to take charge of the overall situation. I will do it tonight. As for Nan Zheng, it depends on your means?"
Dong Que said lightly, "Don't worry, I will take care of it myself."
Chen Zhen was about to speak, when a cold voice came from outside the door: "Gu Ning asks to see the leader and deputy leader." Chen Zhen and Dong Que looked at each other and smiled, with the same meaning in their eyes, doesn't this mean that Cao Cao and Cao Cao are here
Dong Que quickly picked up a ghost mask and put it on, revealing only a pair of icy eyes. Seeing that he was ready, Chen Zhen said, "What's wrong with Gu Hufa?"
The stone door opened, Gu Ning strode in, his face was as pale as snow, he didn't salute, looked at the two of them coldly and said, "Gu Mou is here, no matter how you two deal with it, there is no complaint, just please let me go. The child has a way to live."
Dong Que knew in his heart that the news that this was his son Gu Ying's disappearance finally reached Gu Ning's ears. After all, Gu Ning was deeply rooted in the Jinxiu League. Chen Zhen had ordered the news to be concealed, but Gu Ning still got the wind. . He and Chen Zhen looked at each other and felt that this was the best time to intimidate. Chen Zhen pretended to be puzzled and said, "Why did Gu Hufa say this, and made Lang disappear for no reason? I have also ordered a careful search, but there is no news, so that my nephew and Gu Hufa's adopted son are beside the alliance leader Huo Yi, safe and sound. Worry, what does Gu Hufa mean by saying this?"
Gu Ning was already in despair, he bowed down, his tone was lifeless, and said: "Why should the deputy leader say this, Gu knows well, the leader has been dissatisfied with Gu since the beginning, but he only remembers the past. Gu was trying to prevent the alliance leader from taking control of the power. On that day, Gu also had no selfishness at all. He just saw that the alliance leader was too hasty and hurt innocent people, so he stopped the door owner many times. Although the alliance leader detained Gu Ning for execution, Gu Ning There is nothing to say. Later, when the leader of the alliance returned from Dayong, he kindly let Gu Mou go, and Gu Mou’s family was very grateful. Later, he saw that the leader of the alliance planned well and the Splendid Alliance was prospering. To leave Gu idle, Gu is also willing. A few days ago, I did not agree with the alliance leader and King Qing to cooperate, and I was not selfish. The alliance leader ordered my children to be transferred separately. He lost his mother since childhood and was brought up by me alone. This time the leader of the alliance has done something to him, and he will not let Yaner and Baoer go. Gu Ning would rather die on their behalf, and only ask the leader of the alliance to let them die on their own. Bar."
Chen Zhen smiled lightly, thinking, how do you know that Gu Ying heard something that shouldn't be heard, if I hadn't ordered Luo Jianfei to pay attention to Gu Ying, I couldn't let him get out of control, and I couldn't let him die, Luo Jianfei had no choice but to Jian Xia Yuqian spared his life, it is too late for you to intercede now, but you can use this opportunity to force him to do something. He gave Dong Que a wink and motioned him to speak. Dong Que understood and said coldly: "Gu Hufa, you have been embarrassed by this seat many times, and this seat does not blame you. If you can do one thing, I will forgive you. took the lives of your children."
Gu Ning smiled bitterly and said, "Leader, please order."
Dong Que said: "You also know that now King Qing respects King Shu's posthumous son Meng Xu as the main body, and he is the regent himself, but it's just a false story, only those rotten Confucians will believe King Qing's sincerity, King Qing's meaning, and hope that after he returns, Don't see that puppet again, lest you fall into the name of slaying the king, I will arrange for you to approach Meng Xu, and then kill him, I can guarantee that your junior will live well."
Gu Ning was stunned, the expression on his face became gloomy, his blue veins burst, and a struggling look flashed in his eyes, and after a while, he said, "Subordinates obey."
After Gu Ning was sent away, Chen Zhen smiled and said: "You said, a loyal and righteous person who is dedicated to restoring the country, would he do something to kill the king?"
Dong Que said indifferently: "What does this have to do with us? No matter what he does, what does it have to do with us?"
The two looked at each other and smiled, both showing a conspiracy successful look.