Outside the city of Mayi, a wooden platform is being built, with a beam frame on top and blankets on the bottom. Du Xiao is busy asking his personal guards in helmets and armor to act as ceremonial guards and stand in awe everywhere with long swords in hand. Cui Xin is also busy giving directions everywhere. Although the accommodation is simple, it should not be too shabby.
After taking a few sips of the water bag, Cui Xin touched his throat. After working for a long time, his throat was a little hoarse. He handed the water bag back, glanced at it and asked, "Are you from the Zhujiagou tribe?"
Zhu Ba replied respectfully: "Yes, the villain is your personal guard."
"How long have you been following him?"
"When Lang Jun settled in Zhujiagou, the villain will be Lang Jun's entourage, and he will go to Shandong later." Zhu Ba said softly: "Lang Jun is benevolent and righteous, and all his disciples will die."
Cui Xin was silent for a moment and suddenly asked: "Have you heard that Huairen's mother's surname is Zhu?"
"Yes." Although Zhu Ba didn't know the inside story, he knew that there must be a connection between the Zhu family and the Zhujiagou people.
Liu Shirang came in a hurry, sometimes looking up at the sky, "I'm afraid there will be snow in the afternoon."
Cui Xin also looked up. The sky was gloomy, the sun was gone, and the atmosphere was quite depressing.
The recruitment was scheduled to take place at noon today. The two parties had started detailed negotiations early in the morning. Liu Shirang was not qualified to get involved, but Cui Xin was too lazy to get involved... Yuan Junzhang was even more certain that the person in charge was Li Shan.
Just as he was hesitating whether to ask someone to urge him, Zhu Ba pointed to the city gate and said, "Here we come."
Cui Xin saw the young man in a green shirt at a glance. He was tall and straight, with a calm demeanor, and he looked like he stood out from the crowd as he walked.
Liu Shirang's eyes also fell on Li Shan, and suddenly he glanced sideways at Cui Xin, his mouth opened, but in the end he said nothing.
Cui Xin knew what Liu Shirang wanted to ask. He also asked Li Shan this question yesterday... What is the general trend?
For Liu Shirang, Li Shan had no scruples, but for Cui Xin... well, he was quite worried. Which son-in-law would not feel guilty when he meets the father-in-law who loves his daughter and is a maniac?
Of course Li Shan knew that if the Turks attacked next year, Yuan Junzhang might make a 180-degree turn and surrender the city... This would indeed affect Li Shan.
But what is more important to note is that once Yuan Junzhang offers to lower his watch, it means that the political faction of this force has undergone fundamental changes.
You must know that Yuan Junzhang was once Liu Wuzhou's general and Liu Wuzhou's brother-in-law. Li Yuan tried to recruit him several times before, but Yuan Junzhang refused several times and repeatedly attacked Daizhou... He defected to Tang this time, even if he rebels again next year, Can the Turks still trust Yuan Junzhang without any scruples?
Even if Yuan Junzhang joins the Turks again next year, he should know that relying on the Turks is unreliable. When he is in a difficult situation, Li and Tang may come to his aid, but the Turks will not.
This is a strategy of differentiation, and it is also a conspiracy placed under the sun. As long as Yuan Junzhang surrenders to the Tang Dynasty, there will be a gap between him and the Turks... It is worth paying some food, grass, ordnance for this.
Moreover, Yuan Junzhang's subordinates are all Han. They had no choice before, or did not need to choose, but now they have to choose, and some choose... After all this, are they willing to be dogs for the Turks?
How many soldiers fled to the pass? This is the will of the people, this is the general trend, and this is the general trend that Yuan Junzhang alone cannot stop.
Thinking of Li Shan's calmness and confidence when he described the general trend last night, Cui Xinxin had a strange feeling. This person really didn't look like a young man who had not yet been crowned, but rather like an old man who had seen through the world and had seen all the world.
Liu Shirang endured it again and again, but still couldn't hold it in any longer. He took a few steps forward and asked, "Is the deal settled?"
You can't blame Liu Shirang, the success or failure of recruitment is too important to him... The court's handling of him will largely depend on the acting magistrate's statement.
Cui Xin was able to hold on better, and the old god stood there, waiting for Li Shan to pass.
As expected, Li Shan walked up to Cui Xin before speaking, "Present a good horse, surrender to the capital, raise grain and grass to send to Mayi on behalf of the state, and mobilize a batch of ordnance...but it can only be the ordnance to defend the city."
"What about lowering the meter?"
Li Shan took out the drop watch from his sleeve and handed it over, thinking that this negotiation sounds simple, but in fact it is very tedious... Yuan Junzhang guessed that he really couldn't hold it anymore, at least not in Shuozhou, words Yunzhou was mentioned several times, but it was a pity that the Turks needed Yuan Junzhang to defend Mayi, an important military stronghold.
Lowering the ranking is inevitable, and the donation of good horses was an additional suggestion made by Li Shan, and he also vaguely mentioned... Daizhou is also short of horses!
Yuan Junzhang gritted his teeth and agreed, donating 500 good horses and an additional hundred good horses to Li Shan. Li Shan promised that after the recruitment was completed, he would immediately mobilize a batch of grain and grass from Daizhou. emergency.
"It's almost time." Li Shan said with a smile: "I would like to ask Cui Sheren to take charge of all etiquette matters."
For this kind of ceremony, Li Shan had no interest in this kind of ceremony in his previous life. He couldn't help but yawn while standing sideways. He had a very uneasy sleep last night, always thinking about... Li Shan turned his head and glanced at Liu Shirang, what are you going to do? What are you doing? Last night was your last chance and you didn’t escape yet?
Could it be that he had guessed wrong? This person would rather be questioned by the court and face possible imprisonment or death than surrender to the Turks... Li Shan knew that the so-called national consciousness did not actually sprout until the end of the Ming Dynasty, and the Republic of China was not officially formed until the end of the Qing Dynasty.
The desolate horn sounded. Cui Xin straightened his clothes and stepped onto the stage solemnly. He held the ducal uniform and the death-free iron coupon in his hand. Opposite him, Yuan Junzhang was bowing and saluting, holding a surrender form in both hands.
Li Shan yawned again, and the horn sound in his ears continued, which was really a big lung capacity.
At this moment, Yuan Junzhang, who was bowing, was shocked. He looked sideways and straightened up suddenly, his face full of panic.
Li Shan also noticed that something was wrong, so he ran up to the wooden platform in two steps, climbed up and looked out. In the distance, it was dark. Hundreds of cavalry were galloping towards them. The cavalry at the front was holding a horn and the sound of the horn was continuous.
"It's a Turk!" Wang Junhao roared.
All the soldiers watching the ceremony dispersed, and the Turkic soldiers marched towards the wooden platform openly and openly. Du Xiao and Kan Leng, who were the quickest to react, summoned their personal guards to guard the surroundings of the wooden platform.
Du Xiao jumped down from the ladder he built and whispered: "About five hundred riders, not seen in the distance."
As if a big stone in his heart had finally fallen to the ground, Li Shan calmed down, thinking that he had thought that this trip would not be so smooth...well, the bug finally appeared!
It can't be such a coincidence that I arrived in Mayi yesterday and the Turks arrived today... In the cold winter, the Turks did not survive the winter honestly and suddenly sent troops to Mayi. They must have gotten the exact news of Yuan Junzhang's defection to the Tang Dynasty and later disrupted the situation!
Who did it?
The most suspicious person is Liu Shirang... Li Shan and Cui Xin both focused their attention on this old man.
The dull sound of horse hooves did not stop, and the Turkic cavalry did not go straight to the wooden platform. Instead, they drew an arc and stopped horizontally a hundred steps away from the wooden platform. Only one cavalry accelerated his horse and rushed towards the wooden platform.
"No arrows allowed," Li Shan shouted.
Shooting arrows at this time is tantamount to declaring war... The other party is riding alone, so naturally it will not be a declaration of war.
Li Shan pulled Cui Xin over and dragged him behind the shield, keeping his eyes on the cavalryman.
I saw the Turkic man slowing down his horse, bending his bow and setting an arrow. With a whoosh, the long arrow was nailed to the table on the wooden platform. The force was so strong that it actually knocked over the wooden plate Cui Xin had put down. Duke Guo Clothing and iron coupons were scattered on the stage.
"Fuck!" Li Shan shouted angrily, "Wang Junhao!"
Among the personal guards, Wang Junhao is the best in cavalry and shooting... On this trip to recruit Yuan Junzhang, the Turks come to disturb the situation. If he loses his spirit, he may not be able to return to Yanmen alive.
Just as Wang Junhao got on his horse, he saw that a green horse had already come out of the queue. It had already galloped far away in a few breaths. The knight gave a sharp shout, sharp arrows pierced the sky, and shot at the Turkic cavalry in full view of everyone.
There was a moment of silence, and then there was an uproar. The long arrow shot right off the Turkic cavalry's leather cap.
Such a miraculous shot was astonishing, and what was even more rare was the grasp of the scale. The opponent shot over the wooden plate, and the man shot off his hat without damaging him at all, but retaliated with fire, which greatly boosted his morale.
Cui Xin looked at this scene dumbfounded. It wasn't that he had never seen anyone in the market before, but... He turned around and looked at Li Shan, who was also a little embarrassed. It was actually Liu Shirang!
