Fenghou

Chen Qing said with a smile: "If I take Xihe Road, the imperial court may want to break with me, but if I take Shanxi Road, the imperial court will be afraid that I will be independent, and will coax me thousands of times, and even make me king. Do you believe it or not?"

"Humble job believes that everything depends on strength."

Chen Qing nodded, "I know you don't like being the governor, if I let you go back to the army and take charge of training the army, would you be willing?"

Yang Yuanqing was so moved that tears were about to fall, he bowed and said: "The humble job is to serve the power of a dog and a horse!"

……

It took ten days to reorganize the army. The [-] troops met the standard and officially became a member of the Xihe Road Song Army. Chen Qing then appointed Zheng Ping, Yang Yuanqing and Hu Yantong to be responsible for training the army, and asked them to train the army within three months. The [-] troops were trained and qualified.

As for the remaining 2 unqualified soldiers, Chen Qing did not release them back to their hometowns, but sent them to Taohe Valley and Hehuang Valley to farm. At the same time, he promised them that they could choose to return to their hometowns after one year. , or take the family over to settle down, if you choose the latter, each person can get a hundred acres of land, and tax exemption for ten years.

Of course, soldiers who join the Xihe Army will be treated better. Their families can get 150 acres of land, and they will be exempted from tax for life. The reward of honored officials is the same as that of scholars with fame and reputation. You can see the official without paying homage, and you will be exempted from tax and labor for life.

It is these military rewards that formed the foundation of the morale of the Xihe Army and the secret of the undefeated Song Army on Xihe Road.

15 fresh blood were injected into the Xihe Army, bringing the total strength of the Xihe Army to 6000. It is already difficult to support such a large army on Xihe Road alone, and outward expansion has become an inevitable option.

But whether to expand northward or eastward has become a major strategic option for Chen Qing to consider.

5Chapter 17 Standing in line

'boom! 'There was the sound of objects breaking in the room.

The maidservants standing at the door were trembling with fear, not daring to take a breath.

"You bastard, thanks to my high opinion of you, now you look like a stupid pig!"

In the room, Wan Yanchang was furious, pointing at Li Cheng who was kneeling on the ground and yelling, "If you want money, I will give you money, if you want things, I will give you things, if there is not enough troops, I will send you from the Central Plains, but how do you repay me? How could you still have the face to come back to see me when the [-] troops were wiped out?"

Li Cheng bowed his head and said nothing, he couldn't escape directly to Bianliang, he had to pass this level.

"The incompetence of the lowly position is insufficient, and Marshal Du is disappointed."

"The one hundred thousand army is gone, is it over if you say that you are not capable enough?"

Wan Yanchang was trembling with anger, pointing at Li Chengdao: "Forget it! Forget it! You are not a Jurchen general, and I have no right to dispose of you. You can go back to Bianliang today, and I will write to Liu Yu to let him Come deal with it, get out, get out!"

Li Cheng was so frightened that he ran away with his head in his arms.

At this time, Wanyan and Lisa persuaded: "Marshal Du, why is he so angry? They are not Jurchen soldiers, Han people! Even if 20 people die, don't worry about it. Marshal Du still needs to take care of his health."

While Wanyan drinking and Lisa persuading him, he signaled the maid beside him to serve the tea quickly, and then cleared away the broken teacups.

Several maidservants served the tea and cleared away the fragments of the teacup.

Wan Yanchang calmed down a bit, took a sip of tea, and said in a very depressed heart: "I don't feel sorry for the one hundred thousand army, but I'm worried about Chen Qing. With so many prisoners of war, his strength will definitely increase again. What if the wolf lord After death, we all have to go back, I am really worried about whether Shaanxi Road can be defended?"

Wanyan Lisa thought for a while and said: "It's really not possible, I won't go back. With me sitting on Shaanxi Road, I don't believe that Chen Qing can take advantage of me?"

Wan Yanchang was about to explode, but held back. Wanyan and Lisa have this kind of temperament, saying that he will not change ten thousand times, and he looks down on the Han people from the bottom of his heart. He really can't hand over fifty thousand troops to him. The capital to compete for status in the imperial court.

Thinking of this, Wan Yanchang said slowly: "Let's do this! I'll put more pressure on Liu Yu and ask him to send another [-] troops to Shaanxi Road to help you defend Shaanxi."

……

Ever since Wanyan Wushu took charge of the Central Plains, he began to have a sense of territory, and regarded the status of the Central Plains as his territory. Under the persuasion of his counselor Fan Gong, he changed his previous plundering and brutality, and decided to release water to raise fish, and demanded that the puppet Qi The state lowered taxes, encouraged farming and mulberry, and encouraged commerce. He succeeded Wan Yanchang and became the overlord of the puppet state of Qi.

But the problem is that his 40 troops have to be supported by the Puppet Qi State, and the Puppet Qi State itself still has [-] troops to support. Now killing chickens and collecting eggs is not enough for military expenses and food. How can it be possible to lighten the tax and reduce business taxes?

Therefore, although Wanyan Wushu intends to release water to raise fish, it is actually unrealistic and completely impossible.

This morning, counselor Fan Gong came to Wanyan Wushu's official room in a hurry, cupped his fists and said to Wanyan Wushu, "I just got a piece of news that Wanyanchang asked Liu Yu to send another [-] troops to Guanzhong."

Wanyan Wushu had already heard the news that the puppet Qi army was defeated in Chengji County. The 20 army was wiped out, which really made him feel a little gloated. He was defeated several times when he attacked Monk Yuan, and the Jurchen army lost more than [-]. Chang succeeded in attacking Hanzhong, and the entire Jin Kingdom's senior officials generally believed that his Wanyan Wushu was not as good as Wanyan Chang, which brought huge pressure to Wanyan Wushu.

Now that the [-] troops have been wiped out in Qinzhou, although Wan Yanchang is not directly in command, Wan Yanchang is the coach, and he has to bear the responsibility for the failure, which makes Wanyan Wushu heave a sigh of relief.

"Another [-] troops will be dispatched. Does he think it's copper coins? He just spent [-] guan, and now he's asking for another [-] guan."

Wanyan Wushu sneered a few times, and then asked, "What's Liu Yu's attitude?"

"Liu Yu didn't want to transfer troops, but he was afraid of Wan Yanchang, so he sent someone to tell the humble official the news."

"Hmph! He's afraid of Wan Yanchang, isn't he afraid of me?"

Wanyan Wushu snorted dissatisfiedly, and said to Fan Gong: "Go and tell Liu Yu that if he wants to transfer troops, he will transfer his fifty thousand Yun from the army to Guanzhong. The troops in other places are not allowed to send a single soldier. He moves."

Fifty thousand Yun Congjun is Liu Yu's bodyguard. How could Liu Yu be transferred to Wan Yanchang? The implication of Wanyan Wushu is that Liu Yu is not allowed to transfer troops.

"Humble job understands!"

Pausing for a while, Fan Gong asked again: "Is that a little less, such as [-] troops, or a sum of money and food, so that Wan Yanchang can recruit troops in Shaanxi?"

"no!"

Wanyan Wushu rebuffed straight away, "This is an attitude that cannot be negotiated. Either he is loyal to the Communist Party of China or to Wanyan Chang. I hate this kind of person who has both ends."

Wanyan Wushu has a very strong sense of territory. Wanyanchang's territory is Shaanxi and Hedong. If he has the ability to raise money and recruit troops by himself, it is simply wishful thinking to ask the army from the Central Plains to support him.

……

In the Daqing Palace, Liu Yu listened to Prime Minister Zhang Xiaochun's report, and after a while he smiled wryly and said, "I remember that Wanyan Wushu and Wanyanchang are both in the same group? Why are they in the same situation now?"

Zhang Xiaochun clasped his fists together and said, "Wanyanchang is the main peace faction, while Wanyan Wushu is the main combat faction. The two people have conflicting opinions, but I heard that during the struggle for the crown prince of the Lijin Kingdom, Wanyan Wushu and Wanyan Wushu were the main battle faction. Yan Zonghan is a line, and Wanyanchang supports Wanyan Zongpan. It is said that they fought very fiercely. Wanyanchang repeatedly criticized Wanyan Wushu for the defeat in Sichuan and Shaanxi. In his rage, Wanyan Wushu drew his sword and almost killed Wanyan Chang, when it comes to fighting for the crown prince, they completely turned their backs."

Liu Yu said angrily: "They turn their backs as soon as they turn their backs, but what's the point of putting me in the middle?"

Zhang Xiaochun sighed and said: "Wanyan Wushu means to ask His Majesty to stand in line. Do you support him or Wanyan Chang?"

Liu Yu paced back and forth in the imperial study with his hands behind his back, he was really upset, he couldn't afford to offend the two of them, so how should he choose?

Zhang Xiaochun hesitated for a moment and said: "Your Majesty, this day will actually come sooner or later, it is impossible to continue to be ambiguous, and we have just lost one hundred thousand troops, and we have to take fifty thousand troops to go there, we can't afford it ourselves!"

Liu Yu glanced at Li Chengdao who was standing aside: "Li Dutong, don't be silent anymore, you can also talk about it!"

Li Cheng said for a long time: "I think Zhang Xianggong is right and should not send troops to Guanzhong anymore."

"What's the reason?"

Li Cheng said angrily: "Wanyanchang and Wanyan Holisa both regarded our army as pigs and dogs. In order to test the strength of the Song army guarding the pass in Hanzhong, they drove our soldiers to die. Most of our soldiers were burned to death. The remaining soldiers fled back, but they were all hacked to death by the Jurchen French soldiers with sharp axes, but none of the Jurchen soldiers went up, and another 5 people were sent to die."

Liu Yu finally nodded, "Okay! I will listen to your persuasion and reject Wanyan Chang, saying that it was Wanyan Wushu who vetoed our plan to send troops."

……

There is a large official residence covering an area of ​​ten acres on the East Street next to Daxiangguo Temple in Bianliang. This is the residence of Guan Shigu, the governor of Henan Province. Shrouded in a miserable wind and rain.

20 days ago, the court of the State of Qi had passed the news of Guan Shigu's death in Qinzhou to his family. Guan Shigu's family was crying. in great grief.

According to the custom, if there are no bones left like Guan Shigu, eminent monks must be invited to practice for seven to 49 days before the dead can be saved, and finally a tomb of clothes and crowns is built for burial.

But the Guan family never imagined that in just 20 days, officials from Kaifeng government came to inform them to move.

The official of Kaifeng Mansion, surnamed Liang, was a pushing official. He laughed dryly, pretending to be innocent, and said, "In this court system, official houses cannot be inherited. If there is no place to live, you can rent a house! With a pension of [-] yuan, the problem of renting a house should not be a big problem."

Guan Shigu's eldest son, Guan Xiaolin, reprimanded angrily: "My father died for the country, and even there is no bones left. You keep saying that we are mourning, but when you turn around, you want to drive us out of the house. This is the end of working for you? You have no conscience. Was it eaten by a dog?"

Liang Tuiguan's face sank, and he said coldly: "Young Master Guan, be careful what you say, slandering the imperial court is a felony!"

"I would like to see how the court will explain to the soldiers of the three armies?"

Another official next to him who was in charge of singing bad faces quickly pulled Guan Xiaolin aside, and said helplessly, "Don't be angry in the yamen, there are people who are interested in this house and put pressure on the higher-ups, there is nothing we can do about it."

Chapter 548 The Truth

Guan Xiaolin said angrily: "Is it Zhao Guozhang? I know it must be him, a dog."

The location of Guan Shigu's official residence is very good. Zhao Guifei's father Zhao Guozhang also wanted this house, but Liu Yu wanted to win over Guan Shigu, so he gave this house to Guan Shigu. A few days ago, Zhao Guozhang He also asked the onmyoji to come and look at the house, but was scolded by the Guan family.

At this time, someone in the middle hall shouted: "Don't pull me, let me kill that dog officer!"

I saw a burly young man in hemp and filial piety, holding a sword and about to rush out. He is Guan Shigu's third son, Guan Xiaowu, who is talented but very skilled in martial arts.

"Third, calm down, don't mess around!"

The three brothers of the Guan family, two civil and one military, are all excellent. Although Guan Shigu has two places in the family, he does not allow his son to become an official.

The face of the official surnamed Liang changed drastically, and he said, "I'll give you three days, if you don't move after three days, someone will come to help you move!"

After speaking, he turned and ran away.

Guan Xiaolin was really helpless, this is how people take tea to cool off. Although Qi State respected generals more than Song Dynasty, it was also colder than Song Dynasty. When it was useful, it was more important than the prime minister.

He said to the two brothers: "Don't tell mother about this beforehand. I'll go and think of a way, ask for favors, and see if I can delay it for another month, and then move after the burial."

"Brother, who are you looking for?"

"Let's go to Li Dutong! After all, my father is his lieutenant general. Didn't he say he had trouble finding him when he worshiped him? Now we are in trouble."

"Brother, I'm afraid it's useless to find him! He is a defeated general, and the emperor must hate him so much."

"Go and try it first! If it doesn't work, then think of another way."

Guan Xiaolin hurriedly walked outside the gate of the mansion. As soon as he reached the gate, he heard the housekeeper yelling, "Go! We have invited eminent monks, we don't need Taoist priests."

Seeing that it was a Taoist priest, Guan Xiaolin didn't bother to ask questions, so he got on his horse, and just as he urged the horse to leave, he heard someone calling him from behind, "Wuliang Tianzun, Mr. Guan, please stay!"

Guan Xiaolin was startled, only to see the Taoist walking forward with a smile, "The poor Taoist is actually looking for the young master to do business, not to do something."

Guan Xiaolin was a little displeased, and said coldly: "A monk, what business is he doing?"

The Taoist took out something, clasped it in the palm of his hand, flashed it in front of Guan Xiaolin's eyes, and said with a smile: "Forget about this business, Mr. Guan."

Guan Xiaolin's eyes suddenly widened, and his expression changed drastically.

Guan Xiaolin could see clearly that what the Taoist priest was holding was his father's personal jade pei.

The Taoist priest turned and left, Guan Xiaolin hurriedly got off his horse and chased after him, "Taoist priest, please stay!"

The Taoist still smiled and said, "So, are you willing to do this business?"

"I am willing! I am willing! But first tell me, the Taoist priest, where did you get the jade pei?"

The Taoist chuckled, "This is a street, not a place to discuss business."

"Daoist, please in the mansion!"

Guan Xiaolin respectfully invited the Taoist priest into the mansion, went all the way to the inner hall, and sent people to find the two brothers. The matter was very important, and it might be related to the whereabouts of his father's bones. How could he not care?

The Taoist priest put the jade pei on the table, and said calmly: "You guys check to see if it's true, and then we'll talk about it."

The three brothers picked up the jade pei and looked at it carefully. It was absolutely true that it was their father's jade pei.

Guan Xiaolin asked with a trembling voice: "Please Taoist tell us, where did you get the jade pei?"

The Taoist glanced outside, Guan Xiaowen quickly said: "Don't worry, Taoist, the gate of the courtyard is closed, no one will come in!"

"Are you sure Liu Yu didn't arrange someone to watch you?"

Guan Xiaolin nodded, "Someone is watching us. It is someone from Fenglai Yilou who is the second housekeeper in our mansion. We have known for a long time, but after the death of my father, he is not here every day, not today."

The Taoist priest took out another letter from his bosom, and said solemnly: "This is a letter written by your father, you should read it for yourself!"

The three brothers were all stunned.

……

The three brothers cried and laughed. They thought their father was killed in battle, but they didn't expect that their father was still alive in Chengji County, Qinzhou.

The Taoist said calmly: "Your father was worried that the puppet Qi court would embarrass you, so he deliberately spread the news of his death. I hope you will strictly keep the secret and don't leak the news, otherwise you will not be able to leave."

Guan Xiaolin bowed deeply, "Thank you Taoist priest for sending the news, I wonder if the priests will evacuate with us?"

Guan Xiaolin asked very veiled, meaning that you will help us evacuate, or evacuate together?

The Taoist smiled slightly and said: "Poverty Daoist is indeed a Taoist priest. He became a monk in Tianlongguan, Chengji County, and his Taoist name is Qingsong, but my other identity is the intelligence scout of the Second Scout Battalion of the Song Army. The task we received is to remove you Chengji County."

"Then what should we do?"

The Taoist pondered for a while and said, "I heard that the government is already driving you away?"

Guan Xiaowu said angrily: "My father worked his life for them, if he is treated like this, how can people not be chilled!"

The Taoist said with a smile: "Actually, this is also an opportunity. I suggest that you rent a house outside the city, continue to do things for your father, and hide your eyes. After a month, no one should pay attention to you. At that time, you will return to your hometown with an excuse, and then It will be easy to go to Qinzhou."

Guan Shigu is from Yanzhou, Shaanxi Province, and currently belongs to the territory of the puppet Qi State, so it is not a big problem for them to return home.

"Then can we tell mother?"

"You decide for yourself, but it must be kept secret. We all suspect that there are also monitors of the pseudo-Qi state among the maids. This is not alarmist. According to the information we have, many high-ranking officials have maids who are monitors."

The three brothers discussed for a while, Guan Xiaolin said: "We decided not to tell mother for now, she will reveal the secret emotionally."