When the navy abandoned the boat and landed to storm Xingyang, and after the city of Xingyang was defeated, the news that Zheng Rentai surrendered the city and was willing to serve as a vanguard to send troops to Luoyang reached Hangu Pass. Qiu Xinggong, who was sitting in the barracks inside the pass, remained silent and expressionless.
His elder brother, Gongqiu Division of Yicheng County, who had given up being the governor of Jizhou, sat opposite him and sighed deeply: "Zheng Rentai has a false reputation and has harmed the country and the people! After the fall of Xingyang, the navy entered the Yellow River from the south of the Yangtze River without any hindrance. If we wait until Luoyang After the loss, there was no longer anything to rely on east of Hangu Pass. The navy could use trackers to pull boats across the natural chasm of Shanmen Gorge. Hangu Pass was attacked on both land and water, and the pressure increased sharply... Even the entire alliance of Shandong aristocratic families would have civil strife because of this, and the situation was not good for the King of Jin. Too disadvantageous."
Qiu Xinggong drank tea slowly and remained silent.
The wind and rain outside the window were dim. Master Qiu looked at his brother's almost indifferent expression and felt a little confused. After thinking about it, he asked softly: "Second brother, do you... have other plans?"
Qiu Xinggong then raised his head and glanced at his brother, and said calmly: "What else can you plan?"
Master Qiu said: "Looking at the current situation, the chance of King Jin succeeding is not high. Although we are from the Guanlong lineage, we are not of the same mind as Yu Wenshiji. That old fox is jealous and cautious. You have to be careful about him. Don't You didn’t even know you sold it to him.”
The Guanlong clan, which used to be united and advance and retreat together, are now in such a decadent state. Each clan has begun to plan to gain more benefits for themselves. No one is willing to sink with this broken ship.
Qiu Xinggong looked at his brother, thought for a while, and swallowed the words before he spoke. He only nodded slightly to show that he knew what he was talking about.
Master Qiu asked again: "Yu Chigong has returned to Tongguan. Luoyang is short of major generals and will definitely not be able to hold it. When the time comes, the navy's soldiers, horses and boats will gather at Hangu Pass. How will you treat it?"
Although his reputation is not as prominent as his second brother Qiu Xinggong, he is also a man who knows military skills.
The Qiu family in Luoyang belonged to the Guanlong lineage and a family of generals. The two brothers gathered troops in the Qizhou and Yongzhou areas to revolt. No less than ten thousand people defected under their command, and they stayed in Xicheng to protect themselves. The momentum was huge. In May of the first year of Yining, Duke Li Yuan of the Tang Dynasty raised troops in Jinyang and invaded Guanzhong. The two brothers gathered bandits and rebels from all over Guanzhong, met with the King of Qin Li Shimin in the north of the Weishui River, and completely surrendered to Li Yuan's rebel army, and have been highly used since then.
Now Master Qiu is not only a county magistrate, but also the governor of Jizhou, sitting in Hebei to intimidate Guandong and Saibei.
Regarding the current situation in Guanzhong, we can clearly see that the King of Jin may still have a glimmer of hope, but Hangu Pass will inevitably fall.
And now the soldiers and horses reunited in Hangu Pass are the only remaining heritage of the Luoyang Qiu family. If they are destroyed together with Hangu Pass, then the Luoyang Qiu family will have their inheritance interrupted and the family business destroyed in the hands of their brothers...
The consequences are too serious.
Qiu Xinggong put down his teacup and looked out the window. The pouring rain shrouded the city gates in a vast curtain of rain. Water was flowing on the ground. He said slowly: "We have a hatred for Fang Jun, and we have long since stopped thinking about each other. Apart from trying our best to help the King of Jin achieve his great cause, what else can we do? Since there is no retreat, the left and right are just fighting to the death, time is fate, and there is no regrets. "
Master Qiu was silent for a moment and sighed: "That's all we can do... Later, when the rain becomes less intense, I will go to Tongguan and ask for reinforcements no matter what. Otherwise, my second brother, you will be unable to support yourself and may not be able to defend Hangu." close."
Qiu Xinggong, however, had no hope: "All the east of Luoyang has been lost, and Tongguan has become a dead place. The only chance for the King of Jin to fight back is to risk death and survive, and decisively send troops to raid Chang'an. If we divide our troops at Hangu Pass, The troops will inevitably be weakened, and the King of Jin is afraid that he will not agree."
So what if we can defend Hangu Pass? It's just a matter of hanging on for a while. It's better to make a dangerous counterattack on Chang'an. If even one or two of the sixteen guards in Guanzhong can respond, maybe it can really happen.
But all this relies on Hangu Pass not falling too quickly, and Tongguan must be given time to counterattack Chang'an.
Therefore, instead of sending more troops to Hangu Pass, the King of Jin would ask him to defend Tongguan to block the navy...
It seems that no matter whether King Jin succeeds or not, Qiu Xinggong is destined to die.
So he looked at Master Qiu with a deep look: "In my opinion, instead of going to Tongguan, brother
If you leave the customs and rush to Luoyang, gather the remnants of Luoyang, open the city and surrender, and then ask to see Zheng Rentai, I have been on good terms with Zheng Rentai for a long time. If you surrender to the Navy through him and become attached to His Majesty, you may be able to save our Luoyang. A bloodline of the Qiu family. "
Luoyang is the base camp of the Qiu family. Although its power has been greatly reduced over the years, it still has a lot of influence. If Qiu division raises his arms, he can still gather thousands of soldiers and horses, and then open the city to surrender. Li Chengqian They won't be turned away there.
Master Qiu looked deeply at Qiu Xinggong with a complicated expression. After a long time, he nodded and said, "In this way, you and I, brothers, belong to different camps. No matter what the final outcome is, we can always preserve the Qiu family's bloodline and inheritance... It’s also a wise move.”
I added from the bottom of my heart: It can also make King Jin feel more at ease...
*****
When Zheng Rentai's army arrived outside Luoyang City, the scouts were already rushing through Hangu Pass day and night to pass the news back to Tongguan. After hearing the news, there was silence in the barracks, and the atmosphere was even more alarming than the wind and rain outside the window. Desolate.
Anyone who knows anything about military affairs will understand the importance of Luoyang and Hangu Pass to Tongguan. Once these two places are lost, Tongguan will become a dead end. The more than 100,000 troops gathered here will be distracted and self-defeating...
Li Zhi was sitting on the throne. After being distracted for a while, he asked urgently: "Dear ladies, what should I do?"
He was really panicked.
Once Luoyang fell and the navy approached Hangu Pass by land and water, how could Qiu Xinggong hold on? And when Hangu Pass also falls, Tongguan has no way to advance or retreat, and becomes a dead end. The more than 100,000 troops inside and outside the pass may have to mutiny. At that time, there will be no need for the Navy or the Sixth Army of the East Palace to attack. These generals and soldiers will be able to defeat him. They were tied up and sent to Chang'an in exchange for a chance to survive...
Xiao Yu was still calm. He looked at the scouts in the hall and asked, "Is there any news about Hangu Pass?"
The scout replied: "Of course it's a bit... Previously, the Duke of Xicheng County returned from Jizhou and stopped when he arrived at Hangu Pass. He discussed with the Duke of Tianshui for a long time. After that, the Duke of Xicheng County left the customs again and headed for Luoyang. Go, why exactly, I don’t know yet.”
As soon as these words came out, Li Zhi was shocked and angry: "What a bastard! I have so much trust in him, Qiu Xinggong, that I even trusted him with the safety of Hangu Pass. Instead of wanting to repay him, he conspired with his brother to sacrifice the city." Surrender and betray this king, there is nothing worse than this for a woman in ancient and modern times to be a sycophant!"
Before, Qiu Xinggong led the only troops under his command to surrender. Li Zhi once doubted Qiu Xinggong's intentions. However, after Yu Wenshi and repeated confirmations, he finally believed that Qiu Xinggong had to choose him because of his deep hatred with Fang Jun. Take refuge here.
So very happy.
After all, although Qiu Xinggong is now less powerful than before, he is still an honorary minister of Zhenguan. His reputation, qualifications, and ability are all the best choices. He joined him and became more powerful. In addition, he personally went to Weibei to persuade Xue Wanche, so he had high hopes for a time.
At this moment, he felt that Qiu Xinggong had betrayed him. Not only had he lost face and been humiliated, but he was also on the verge of collapse because Hangu Pass was about to be lost...
Xiao Yu said hurriedly: "Your Highness does not have to be like this. Although Master Qiu may indeed join the Navy when he goes to Luoyang, Qiu Xinggong may not abandon His Highness. Even doing so further demonstrates Qiu Xinggong's loyalty."
Not only Li Zhi, but everyone in the hall looked at Xiao Yu with puzzled faces.
Yuchi Gong frowned and asked, "What does Song Guogong mean by this?"
Xiao Yu explained: "Throughout the ages, it is reasonable for aristocratic families to choose their children to belong to different parties and share the dangers. Now the Luoyang Qiu family has long been in decline, with insufficient foundation and a shaken foundation. It is easy to overthrow and destroy the family, and it is difficult to resist it. Risk. If Master Qiu comes to Tongguan and Qiu Xinggong is stationed at Hangu Pass, Your Highness should consider whether Qiu Xinggong will dedicate Hangu Pass to the Navy and attach himself to the court. After all, the two brothers belong to different camps, no matter who wins in the end. , one of them can survive and continue the inheritance...Now that Master Qiu is going to Luoyang, this is exactly what he meant, so Master Qiu will loyally surrender to the imperial court, and Qiu Xinggong will stick to Hangu Pass."
Everyone was stunned.
In troubled times, when the imperial power changes, no one can see through the future to ensure that they are on the winning side. How can a family of aristocratic families avoid the most tragic end because of their inheritance on the basis of being on the wrong team?
The answer is to share the risks and send capable children of the family to various forces. In the end, no matter which side wins, the wealth and inheritance of the family can be ensured.
It seems that what the Luoyang Qiu family is doing now is following such a rule. Luoyang is the base camp of the Qiu family. Qiu division went to Luoyang to gather troops and horses, contact the squires, and then opened the city to surrender, which naturally won Li Chengqian's important use; Qiu Xinggong defended Hangu Pass, no matter life or death, as long as the King of Jin won in the end, he would definitely not I'm sorry to the Luoyang Qiu family...
