Standing on Longshan Mountain, you can overlook Liaoxi Fort and the entire area, because Xu Jun’s fortress was built on a flat area close to the sea.
Xiao Siwen faced the wind and looked at the scene in front of him. The sea was endless and stretched all the way to the horizon. On the gray coast, Liaoxi Fort lying on the ground seemed like a pattern engraved on the earth.
The sound of the wind was mixed with the noise of the crowd. On the flat ground, groups of people and horses were about a mile away from Liaoxi Fort. They were all Xi soldiers and Jurchen soldiers, clustered with ladders. From a high place, they looked like a group of ants carrying insects. At first glance, the crowd seemed not to move, but after staring for a while, you can find that they are moving closer to Liaoxi Fort.
Suddenly, there was a flash of fire on the fortress, and strings of white smoke came out. After a while, the rumbling of cannons was heard coming from the wind.
The most commotion was at Liaoxi Fort. The Xi and Jurchen soldiers did not make much of a scene. Only one ladder collapsed. Thick smoke from the fort continued to belch out for several rounds. In the distance, ladders continued to break and collapse. The crowd gradually thinned out and spread around, like a frightened dress that had been harassed. Soon, almost all the troops retreated to a place far away from Liaoxi Fort.
Upon seeing this, Xiao Siwen turned and left the hillside, and said to a Khitan: There is no need to attack anymore, withdraw the troops until the afternoon, and then send someone to persuade them to surrender.
Yang Gun stepped forward and said: Lord Xiao, the Xu army will not surrender if you persuade them like this.
Xiao Siwen said: It doesn't hurt to give it a try. Tell them that the Emperor of Xu State, Blacksmith Guo, is dying and can no longer take care of them.
Yang Gun pondered and said: The last time we tried to persuade them to surrender, our troops were killed. The Xu army commander here is very determined. I think as long as there are military supplies, Xu army will definitely not surrender. There is a canal in the southwest of Liaoxi Fort. It has not been completed yet, but it can accommodate small boats. We must first find a way to cut off this canal and prevent Xu army from getting food from the sea, so as to force the Liaoxi Fort commander to surrender.
Xiao Siwen said: Liaoxi Fort is one mile away from the sea, and the entire canal is within the range of artillery shells. How can we cut it off
Yang Gun said: We have to start from here and find a solution.
Xiao Siwen snorted and said nothing. He had been besieging Liaoxi Fort for so long. If he could have come up with a solution, why would he think of it now
Xiao Siwen said: "Look, don't just focus on that earthen fort. You have to look at the big picture. If the Xu people want to occupy my vast Bohai land in the northeast by building a fort like this, it will take ten or eight years and cost a lot of money before it will be effective. Their strategy is not like this, otherwise why did Li Chuyun lead the army to the northwest before
Yang Gun nodded and said: The Xu people still want to rely on cavalry, and expand westward for the sake of war horses.
Xiao Siwen said: That's right. Damn it, there are so many lands in the south of Xu State, but they don't want to occupy them, but they have to stare at our fertile land.
Yang Gun said calmly: If blacksmith Guo can't survive the gates of hell, these threats will be of no use.
The two looked at each other.
They stopped talking, came down the mountain, and returned to Yingzhou with a team of elite cavalry.
When they arrived at the Yingzhou headquarters, someone immediately said to Xiao Siwen: There is important news to report from the Fan Mansion.
Xiao Siwen looked in front of a bronze mirror, adjusted his hat and collar, and said without turning his head: "Let him wait in the lobby, I will be there soon."
After that, he took the hot towel from the attendant, wiped the dust off his face, and used his fingers to smooth the beard on his lips before heading to the hall. When he got there, he saw Yelu Xizhen, Yang Gun, and Fan Zhongyi already arguing there.
Yelu Xizhen said: Why did Yang Ye run away
After hearing this, Xiao Siwen immediately became very interested in this matter. At this time, someone said: Mr. Xiao is here. Everyone bowed with their hands on their chests, and Fan Zhongyi still bowed with his fists, but no one said anything. This is a silent greeting.
Xiao Siwen first sat down steadily in the upper seat. No matter what, he had to pay attention to his manners and status at all times. Even the general Yelu Xizhen had to be shorter than him.
Fan Zhongyi stepped forward and bowed respectfully, saying: I have received news that on the first day of August, Yang Ye, who was ordered to come to the capital, suddenly fled from the capital. This is quite strange.
Xiao Siwen asked: How do you know he was trying to escape
Fan Zhongyi said: "Before he left Beijing, he rented a horse from the carriage and horse shop with only one follower, and was seen by our people. The spy tried to find out from the carriage and horse shop that Yang Ye did not bring enough money when he rented the horse, and left the jade pendant at the carriage and horse shop, which shows that his journey was very hasty. The spies near the city gate also confirmed that Yang Ye left Tokyo in a hurry.
In addition, there were three minor officials in Kaifeng Prefecture and Xuzhou Prefecture who escaped the Xu State court's investigation. The officials of Kaifeng Prefecture reported secretly that on the first day of August, Yang Ye's entourage who stayed in Tokyo were detained, and the Xu State government sent fast horses out of the capital to the north, probably to intercept Yang Ye.
The three clerks told the scouts that they hoped to move their families to the Liao Kingdom.
Yelu Xizhen said calmly: Mr. Xiao values Fan Mansion and he holds an important position. Some Khitan nobles are already dissatisfied with this.
Fan Zhongyi whispered: "Mr. Xiao, as long as you can poison the blacksmith Guo, I will ask the Khan to grant you the surname Xiao and make you a hereditary noble of Khitan."
Xiao Siwen immediately interrupted him and said: "Now that the blacksmith Guo is dead, those people can do great things in Xu State. What's the point of coming to Liao State?"
Fan Zhongyi hurriedly said: "Master Xiao, Marshal Yelu's words make sense. But so many people were killed a while ago, and they are probably scared out of their wits."
Fan Zhongyi paused and said, on the first day of August when Yang Ye escaped, two other things happened. Zhou Duan, the chief officer of Xuzhou, was convicted of treason and escorted back to Tokyo. Guo Shao, the false emperor of Xuzhou, fainted in front of hundreds of people. Shortly afterwards, Luo Yanhuan, the Protector of the Country, committed suicide in the Dali Temple. Guo Shao seemed to have never attended court again, and Da Fu was still the regent.
Xiao Siwen stroked the soft mink earmuffs on his hat and said thoughtfully: This is interesting.
Yang Gun said: Could it be that Yang Ye was also in collusion with Zhou Duan, and fled temporarily after learning that Zhou Duan was convicted of a serious crime
Fan Zhongyi shook his head and said unceremoniously: No. Yang Ye was a surrendered general of the Eastern Han Dynasty and the Northern Han Dynasty. He surrendered to the pseudo-Kingdom of Tokyo for many years. He didn't even have any connections in Tokyo, so what relationship did he have with Zhou Duan of Xuzhou? Moreover, if Guo the blacksmith wanted to do this to Yang Ye, Yang Ye probably wouldn't have a chance to escape.
Yang Gun was still a commoner, and was somewhat dissatisfied with Fan Zhongyi's tone, but he didn't say anything.
Yelu Xizhen, however, agreed very much and said: What Fan Fu said makes sense.
Xiao Siwen pondered for a long time, frowned and said: "After the blacksmith Guo was poisoned, what exactly happened in the court of Xu State?" Then he looked at Fan Zhongyi. Although this guy is from Youzhou, he is also a Han Chinese after all. Maybe he has a deeper understanding of the Han people.
But Fan Zhongyi was also a little embarrassed and said: Let's look at the results. Two dukes and one prime minister were killed, as well as Zheng Wang Guo Zongxun and Chai Zongxun, Shouzhou Defense Envoy Guo Jin, and Xuzhou Changshi Zhou Duan are almost dead, and thousands of people are implicated.
Xuzhou Changshi Zhou Duan and a large group of people were implicated in the poisoning of the fake emperor Guo Shao, and were clearly implicated. It was not surprising that Prime Minister Fan Zhi and his followers wanted to fish in troubled waters and support Guo Zongxun to restore the Great Zhou. The official statement of Xu State claimed that those people colluded to rebel, but Fan Zhi and Zhongli had nothing to do with our Great Liao, and had no connection with the Zhao family, so the Xu State court report was not credible.
The most bizarre thing is how the two confidants of Duke Guo the Blacksmith died.
Xiao Siwen glanced at Fan Zhongyi and nodded continuously: Fan is indeed a man of real talent and knowledge, and what he said makes a lot of sense.
Fan Zhongyi was greatly encouraged, clasped his fists and bowed, and said: Li Chuyun killed the Liao messenger, and it seemed that he did not rebel. But he was killed by his close staff. Why did the staff Zhongli want to kill Li Chuyun
Yelu Xizhen asked: That person is not the one we arranged.
Fan Zhongyi said: I have only been planning for a few years, how could I place such an important chess piece in the Duke's house? This man's origin is very strange, he was once a subordinate of the rebel general Li Yun, but the Xu government interrogated him and found no problems, so they released him. Li Chuyun dared to use him and probably checked him and found no problems.
Xiao Siwen thought thoughtfully: Could it be that he was avenging his former master Li Yun? In Han'er's book, there was a person who destroyed his own face and was the enemy who plotted to assassinate his former master.
Fan Zhongyi said calmly: Yu Rang of the Pre-Qin Dynasty.
Yes, Xiao Siwen said suddenly.
Fan Zhongyi said: "Replying to Lord Xiao, because different dynasties have different customs, there was Yu Rang in the pre-Qin period, but I'm afraid there is no Yu Rang now. Besides, Li Yun's death has nothing to do with Li Chuyun."
Yang Gun and Yelu Xizhen scratched their foreheads at the same time.
Xiao Siwen asked: Could it be that Blacksmith Guo wanted to kill Li Chuyun
Fan Zhongyi pondered and said: There are not many people who are likely to kill the Duke, but it is easy to kill Blacksmith Guo.
Xiao Siwen stood up and paced a few steps, then turned around and said: "My biggest rival, besides the tyrant Yelu Jing, is Guo the Blacksmith. I often think about this man, but I always feel that killing Li Chuyun in this way does not seem like Guo the Blacksmith's style."
Fan Zhongyi said: It’s hard to say. When the people fight among themselves, they will use any means necessary.
Xiao Siwen asked again: What happened to the Protector of the Country, Luo Yanhuan
Fan Zhongyi thought for a while: Luo Yanhuan and Li Chuyun are friends of life and death.
Oh, Xiao Siwen suddenly understood at first, but then after thinking about it carefully, he was confused again.
At this time, Fan Zhongyi said: On the first day of August, Luo Yanhuan admitted to colluding with Xuzhou Changshi Zhou Duan, and the whole court knew about it. Soon, all government offices also heard about it. Then Zhou Duan was convicted of treason.
I think Luo Yanhuan fell into the trap of Guo the Blacksmith, who wanted him dead. Rather than saying that Luo Yanhuan died in collusion with Zhou Duan, it is better to say that he was related to Li Chuyun.
Since Luo Yanhuan and Li Chuyun were good friends, it was unlikely that they had any relationship with Zhou Duan.
After hearing this, Xiao Siwen sighed: The Central Plains court has always been complicated, and it is really hard to understand the way.
Fan Zhongyi said: It is difficult to say, it is not difficult to say, it is not difficult, but we do not have important connections in the Xu Kingdom court, so we can only see flowers in the fog and the moon in the water. Because since ancient times, the Han Dynasty has been hypocritical, legal inside and Confucian outside. Even if the officials in the court are not in the core, they have no way of knowing what they are up to. ..