After hearing Yan Ji's words, Yang Peng felt an inexplicable sense of relief. Yan Ji glanced at Yang Peng and asked, "Brother, do you want to continue investigating this matter?"
Yang Peng looked at Yan Ji, frowned and asked, "Why do you ask?"
Yan Ji sighed and said: "A wealthy family is as deep as the sea, not only for women, but also for men!" She looked at Yang Peng, "According to the maid, after those assassins appeared, they were targeting Yang Peng. Prince Jun is here! They ignored Concubine Pang who was injured and fell to the ground, and focused on chasing Prince Yang Jun. What does this mean? My eldest brother is much smarter than me, so I don’t need to say anything."
Yang Peng sighed and smiled bitterly: "I didn't expect that this kind of thing would happen to me!" Yan Ji said: "This is inevitable! In order to fight for power and gain, wealthy families even fight against each other, let alone the king's family! There are always people who fight for power. That enviable power will do terrible things by hook or by crook!"
Yang Peng frowned and said to Yan Ji: "This matter ends here, don't pursue it any more!"
Yan Ji nodded. Yang Peng was silent for a moment, looked at Yan Ji, and asked: "If one day, I don't become the King of Yan and return to the mountains and forests, will you follow me?" Yan Ji felt a little surprised and didn't understand how this King of Yan could do this. If he says he won't do it, he won't do it, but he feels that as long as he can accompany his eldest brother, it will be fine. As for whether his eldest brother is King Yan, that is not an important thing. Yan Ji smiled sweetly and said: "Wherever brother goes, I will go. In this life, brother, don't think about getting rid of me!" Yang Peng couldn't help but feel happy and said with a smile: "This life is not enough! In the next life, I will never get rid of you!" , Big brother will pester you in the next life!" Yan Ji's eyes showed a gentle look, and she was just thinking in her heart: I only envy mandarin ducks but not immortals!
Yang Peng threw all his worries behind his mind, walked up to Yan Ji, and suddenly hugged her sideways. Yan Ji was caught off guard and couldn't help but exclaimed. Then she realized her elder brother's intention, her face turned into a charming blush, and she looked at her elder brother lovingly with her eyes.
Yang Peng kissed Yan Ji's red lips and said with a smile: "If you have wine today, you will get drunk today, and you will worry about tomorrow. As a human being, it is better to enjoy yourself in time!" Yan Ji smiled softly and gave her elder brother a charming look. A pair of Rouyi hooked the eldest brother's neck.
Yang Peng moved his index finger, hugged Yan Ji, moved behind the screen, and laid her down on the bed. Yan Ji stretched out her slender hands and grabbed Yang Peng's collar, and gently pulled it downwards. Her beautiful face was so charming that Yang Peng immediately forgot everything, the world, the sun and the moon, and her body and soul were immersed in it. In the endless lingering. …
Before we knew it, it was March. Yang Peng left Tianjing New City and came to Nanyang. Ye Qi Guanyin led the generals out of the camp to greet him. Yang Peng and Ye Qi Guanyin couldn't help but feel a little excited when they met. The two hadn't seen each other for a long time. Although Ye Qi Guanyin was wearing armor, he could still see the change in his figure. Although he had not yet reached the level of a potbelly, he could still see the changes in his figure. It's obviously already on some scale.
Ye Qi Guanyin led the generals to pay homage to Yang Peng. Yang Peng quickly stepped forward to help Ye Qi Guanyin, and the two looked at each other with tenderness and sweetness. Yang Peng said to the generals who were still kneeling on the ground: "No need to be polite, everyone, please get up!" The generals thanked them and stood up.
When everyone entered the big tent, Yang Penggao sat at the head. The generals were divided on the left and right, and Yeqi Guanyin stood at the head of the left.
Yang Peng asked: "Are all the armies ready?" Yeyi Guanyin clasped her fists and said: "The first army, the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and trapped army, the first and second artillery brigades, a total of three The 160,000-strong army is ready and can attack Xiangyang just waiting for King Yan’s order! All the Nanyang Army troops have also been assembled and are on standby in the camp! In addition, the food, grass and baggage are also ready!"
Yang Peng nodded and asked: "What is the situation in Xiangyang now?" Yeli Guanyin said: "According to various intelligence, Xiangyang is guarded by 400,000 troops under the command of Cao Yong. The entire Han River, except for Deng City, has been fortified and cleared. It’s time! The one guarding Deng City is Cao Yong’s general Yao Ping. There are more than 30,000 defenders, all of whom are Cao Yong’s elites from hundreds of battles!”
Yang Peng thought to himself: "I have heard that Yao Ping is the bravest general under Cao Yong, and he is also quite resourceful. When the Khitans invaded Shaanxi and Gansu, Yao Ping repeatedly performed extraordinary feats and killed countless Liao generals. The Khitans It can be said that I am in awe of him!" Then he laughed and said: "Cao Yong led 30,000 elite troops with Yao Ping to defend Deng City. It seems that he wants to give us a showdown!"
All the generals came out to ask for battle: "Brother (King Yan), I am willing to be the vanguard to attack Dengcheng. If we cannot defeat it within three days, I am willing to serve as a military judge!" Yang Peng glanced at the generals, and his eyes fell on the formation. In front of Gao Hu, the commander of the military capital, he shouted: "Gao Hu!" Gao Hu immediately stepped out of the queue, cupped his fists and said, "The general is here!"
"I will make you the vanguard to attack Dengcheng!" Gao Hu was overjoyed and promised loudly. All the generals looked at Gao Hu with envy. Yang Peng warned: "This is the first battle of our army's southern expedition. I hope you can show the military might of our Yanyun Army!" Gao Hu said resolutely: "The final general will never let down King Yan's expectations!"
Yang Peng nodded, glanced at the generals, and said: "The rest of the armies will follow me!" The generals agreed in unison.
After the meeting, Yang Peng held Yedi Guanyin's delicate hand and said softly: "You are already heavy now, so you should return to Tianjing New City to cultivate." Yedi Guanyin shook his head and said: "No, I have no problem, brother, you don't have to Worry!" Seeing that his eldest brother was still trying to persuade him, he frowned and said in an almost arrogant tone: "Brother, it's useless what you say, I'm going to go south with him anyway!" Yang Peng thought: 'Let her ride comfortably. There will be no accidents in the carriage. As soon as he thought about it, he smiled and said, "Okay, it's up to you!" Ye Qi Guanyin smiled.
When Yang Peng saw her smiling face as bright as a flower or a peach, his heart skipped a beat, and he put his arms around her waist. Ye Qi Guanyin was worried that her elder brother would be impulsive and hurt the baby in her belly, so she quickly pushed Yang Peng and said angrily: "Don't mess around! Don't forget that there is still our baby in my belly!"
Yang Peng glanced at Yeqi Guanyin's abdomen and saw that her abdomen was slightly bulging, so he pushed up the armor. He couldn't help but reach out and touch it, as if he could feel the child's heartbeat, and his heart skipped a beat. He raised his head and asked, "How long will it take for the baby to be born? Has the medical officer seen it?" Ye Qi Guanyin's face showed the brilliance of motherhood and said, "The medical officer said it will take three to four months for the baby to be born." "Is it a boy or a girl?" Yang Peng asked curiously. Ye Qi Guanyin said: "The medical officer said it might be twins. I don't know whether they are boys or girls." Yang Peng blinked and exclaimed: "Twins!" Ye Qi Guanyin smiled and said: "That's what the medical officer said. of."
Yang Peng gently held Yedi Guanyin in his arms, closed his eyes, and smelled the fragrance of her body, looking like he was enjoying it. Ye Qi Guanyin stayed alone in Nanyang to prepare for the southern expedition. She was already unbearably lonely. Now that she was held in her arms by her eldest brother, she couldn't help but feel emotional. She just wanted her eldest brother to love her as he did in the past. But when I think of the fetus in my belly, I feel like a bucket of cold water has poured down on my head, and most of my lust is extinguished!
Yang Peng smiled and said: "Actually, it's okay to be pregnant!"
Ye Qi Guanyin shook her head vigorously, "No! You can't harm your child just for your own happiness! I've endured it for such a long time, can't I still endure it these past few months?" Then he rolled his eyes at Yang Peng and said angrily. : "You can't seduce me on purpose!" Yang Peng chuckled, "Okay, okay, I don't tempt Guanyin on purpose. But if you accidentally seduce me, you can't blame me!" Ye Qi Guanyin glared and said, "That's not okay either! He stroked his belly and said to Yang Peng: "If you hurt our child, I can't forgive you!"
Yang Peng smiled and said: "Okay, okay, I will listen to you!" Ye Qi Guanyin smiled brightly.
Xiangyang. When the news came that Yanyun's army had left Nanyang and headed south, the whole of Xiangyang immediately became nervous. The four gates were closed tightly, the people returned home, and all the troops were ready. Cao Yong gathered the generals and military advisors in the hall to discuss countermeasures. Everyone frowned and looked worried. A rough-looking general shouted loudly: "Why are you afraid of them? They only have more than 300,000 soldiers and horses, but we have more than 400,000 troops. With a strong city and the Han River to rely on, are we still afraid of them?"
A middle-aged man who looked like a strategist frowned and said: "How can it be so easy! Yanyun Tiger and Wolf are the most powerful in the world! And their equipment is extremely sophisticated! If they fight in the wild, let alone an army of more than 300,000 people, Even with hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses, we may not be able to deal with it! Although we have many troops, our overall combat power is very different! The only advantage we can rely on is the geographical location! It is really hard to say who will win in this battle!"
The generals talked a lot and felt that it was not easy to defend Xiangyang. The man who looked like a military advisor said to Cao Yong: "Generalissimo, in fact, we should avoid fighting with the Yanyun Army. It is worth paying a certain price for this! It is really the next best thing to go to war with the Yanyun Army!" The rough general shouted angrily: "What did you say! You are simply a coward!"
Cao Yong shouted: "Zhao Xiong, don't be rude to your husband!" It turned out that the rough and majestic general with a ferocious face was named Zhao Xiong, and the man who looked like a military advisor was indeed Cao Yong's military advisor, named Liu Feng. Zhao Xiong closed his mouth, looking very depressed and angry.
Liu Feng said with a smile: "General Zhao is so angry, it shows that General Zhao is an upright, loyal and brave man!" Zhao Xiong snorted and said angrily: "You stinky scholar, no matter how much you praise me, I don't like you. !”
Liu Feng didn't think he was dissatisfied, he chuckled, and then said to Cao Yong with a serious look: "Generalissimo, why doesn't the imperial court find a way to negotiate peace with Yan Yun?" Cao Yong sighed and said, "The imperial court has already tried it. They sent me years ago. His father, Cao Bin, sent an envoy to Tianjing New City and asked Yanyun for a truce on the condition of half of the taxes from Jiangnan! But the King of Yan refused!" Zhao Xiong couldn't help shouting: "The imperial court should not have sent an envoy to sue for peace at all. ! It’s so easy to look down upon!”
Liu Feng frowned and said: "King Yan completely ignores wealth, so he is obviously aiming to dominate the country!"
Cao Yong nodded, "According to the information from your majesty, King Yan said to my father face to face at that time: 'Gold and silver wealth is no different from dung in my eyes! The Yanyun army has risen according to the destiny, and it must comply with the destiny. Unify the world!"
Zhao Xiong couldn't help but admired: "Then King Yan is really a hero!" Then he raised his thick eyebrows and said excitedly: "Being able to fight to the death with such a person, I will die without regrets!" Liu Feng sighed.
An officer rushed in anxiously and knelt down to report: "Commander Qi, rumors are spreading in the city and the people are panicking." Everyone was shocked, Liu Feng said to Cao Yong: "Nine times out of ten, this is Yan Yun's detailed work. The purpose of deliberately spreading rumors is to shake the hearts of the soldiers and civilians in the city so that they can seize Xiangyang!"
Cao Yong was convinced and asked the officer: "What is the rumor?" The officer said: "The rumor is that King Yan is the reincarnation of the Great Bodhisattva of Light and is here to save all people in the world; under the kindness of King Yan, everyone is equal. , there is no distinction between high and low, and all ordinary people can receive five acres of fertile land unconditionally.…”
Everyone couldn't help but change their colors after hearing these words. They could naturally feel the power of these words. From ancient times to the present, kings and officials have always been superior. How can anyone be equal? If everyone could be equal and not oppressed, even I couldn't help but yearn for it, let alone ordinary people; there is also land, how can most people have themselves? Land, even if the ancestors had land, has already fallen into the hands of the rural gentry and nobles from all over the country for various reasons. Most of the people actually live a life of slaves, and they can only have a few acres of land to protect themselves from the bullying of their employers. , it can be said that it is something that most people dream of. Yan Yun said that grain fields can be distributed to ordinary people unconditionally. That is the most inflammatory statement!
Liu Feng hurriedly said to Cao Yong: "Commander, we must immediately hunt down those who spread rumors, otherwise the consequences will be disastrous!" Cao Yong asked the officer: "What is the situation in the city?" The officer said: "There is no big problem at the moment, but Many people have gathered at the city gate, hoping to leave the city."
Cao Yong turned to Zhao Xiong and said, "Zhao Xiong, immediately command your troops to hunt down those who spread rumors!" Zhao Xiong promised loudly and prepared to go down. Cao Yong shouted urgently, "Wait a minute!" Zhao Xiong came back to his senses, clasped his fists and asked, "What else does the commander have to say?"
Cao Yong said: "Remember, you must not harass innocent people. Only arrest those who deliberately spread rumors." Cao Yong does not want this matter to be too involved. However, the wish is good, but the reality is cruel. The so-called 'deliberately spreading rumors' It's really hard to say for sure. If a person relays the things he heard to his relatives and friends, is this considered a person who deliberately spreads rumors? If calculated, I am afraid that many people in Xiangyang City will die!
Zhao Xiong promised and ran down. Cao Yong looked at a tall and thin general and said, "Li Zheng, lead your troops to disperse into the city and put up notices to refute the rumors. You want the people to know that what they heard was just Yanyun's side stirring up trouble." Those words are all false and impossible to come true!" Li Zheng clasped his fists in agreement and ran down.
Cao Yong leaned on his chair and stared at the ceiling in a daze. He was thinking about those rumors and his mind was a little confused. He sat up and said to the generals: "You all go back to your respective military camps and get ready! But remember, no one is allowed to act without authorization. Anyone who violates it will be punished as disobeying military orders!" The generals were shocked, clasped their fists in agreement, and filed back. Go down.
Just as the generals left, a personal officer hurried in, holding a letter in both hands, kneeling and saying: "Commander, a person who claims to be Liu Ziyu's messenger has sent this letter."
Cao Yong and Liu Feng were shocked when they heard this. Cao Yong hurriedly said: "Bring it here quickly!" The officer immediately came forward with the letter in hand and presented it to Cao Yong. Cao Yong picked up the letter, opened it, took out the letter paper, unfolded it and read it. His brows gradually furrowed, and finally he became furious. He slammed the letter on the desk and cursed angrily: "Liu Ziyu, you are such a traitor who seeks glory behind the Lord! I thought you had already committed suicide, but I didn't expect that you actually You gave up your integrity and surrendered to the enemy! I really misjudged you!"
Several people present were shocked when they saw Cao Yong's sudden rage. Liu Feng hurriedly asked: "Commander, what did you say in the letter, Mr. Liu?" Cao Yong handed the letter to Liu Feng and said, "Look Take a look." Liu Feng immediately took the letter with both hands and started reading. He frowned slightly, showing a thoughtful look, and was not as excited as Cao Yong. After reading the letter, he put it on the desk, clasped his fists and said, "Commander, are you sure this is indeed Mr. Liu's handwritten letter?"
Cao Yong said: "He and I are very close friends, and I will never mistake his handwriting! Moreover, when he writes the characters for monarch and minister, he is always not used to writing the lower vertical line, which cannot be copied by outsiders! Therefore, this This letter is definitely his own handwriting and cannot be fake!"
Liu Feng said: "The commander-in-chief must know Mr. Liu's character better than his subordinates. How could Mr. Liu be the kind of person who is greedy for life and afraid of death for profit and forgets justice?" Cao Yong's heart moved and he frowned: "Is he forced to write This letter?" Then he shook his head, "No! Ziyu is so proud that he would rather die than surrender, how could he be coerced into writing a letter against his will?" He picked up the letter and read it, frowning and murmured: "What if This is indeed his intention, so why would he betray the court?"
Liu Feng said: "Perhaps King Yan convinced him!" Cao Yong said subconsciously: "How is this possible?" Liu Feng pointed to the letter and said: "There is a sentence in this letter that left a deep impression on my subordinates. The impression is, 'Throughout the ages, emperors have used the people of the world to satisfy their own selfish desires'!" Cao Yong frowned, found that sentence on the letter paper, and couldn't help but think about it.
Liu Feng glanced at Cao Yong's expression and said: "Commander, to be honest, my subordinates actually quite agree with this statement!" Cao Yong's heart trembled and he shouted: "Why do you say that too? Is it the king in the world? The land, the guests who lead the land are none other than the king's ministers. The country and the people belong to the king. This is the eternal truth! The king is like the head of a family. He naturally owns everything in the family, but the master also has the responsibility to protect his own. The people have the responsibility to let them live and work in peace and contentment! Without this master, wouldn’t the world be in chaos?”
Liu Feng said: "Commander, civilians, and kings, don't they all grow up in this world? They all grow old, sick, and die. Why should we say that one person is the master and others should obey him? Can't everyone get along with each other as equals? Is it just like in a family, why does it have to be the head of the family? Whoever has the right to listen to whom can't do it? Once there is this master, then this master has supreme authority, although he has the responsibility to make his people Live and work in peace and contentment, but how many emperors have had this consciousness from ancient times to the present? Aren't they all plundering the people's wealth and anointing to satisfy their selfish desires? Even if he was wise like Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, he still built many villas and villas and selected so many folk women to enrich them. The harem is still good; bad people like Emperor Yang of Sui, who did not care about the life and death of the people and only cared about their own enjoyment. In fact, the previous emperor was also such a king! Why such a situation occurs? It is not the fault of "the king is the master of the world"! Since he is the master, isn't it normal to take whatever he wants and plunder the people? The behavior of Emperor Sui Yang and others cannot be said to be a great crime!"
Cao Yong slammed the desk and shouted: "Liu Feng, how dare you talk nonsense in front of me!" Liu Feng sighed and asked: "Commander, isn't what my subordinate said wrong?" Cao Yong said solemnly: " Loyalty to the emperor is what the sages say, this is basic morality, if you don't abide by it, can you still be called a human being?"
Liu Feng couldn't help but said: "Commander, aren't the so-called saints also human beings, and haven't they turned into dust long ago? If there are no ghosts and gods in the world, can there be saints? The words of the so-called saints are just the words of a family, and there are rights and wrongs. Commander, In this world, if you believe what others say and don’t have your own ideas, you will probably be nothing more than a flesh-and-blood puppet! I believe that doing things that are beneficial to the people of the world and our Chinese nation is the real righteousness, and vice versa. To be loyal to one person but not loyal to the rest of the world is not loyalty, it is a domestic slave!"
Cao Yong's expression changed, revealing a thoughtful look. Suddenly he let out a long sigh and said: "Maybe what you said makes sense! However, Your Majesty and the late Emperor are extremely kind to me. Even if I feel sorry for the people of the world, I will fight for Your Majesty and the Late Emperor until death!"
Liu Feng sighed and said with a wry smile: "I knew the commander would say that!" Cao Yong looked at Liu Feng and asked: "Did someone come to lobby you?"
Liu Feng nodded and said: "My subordinates agree with King Yan's ideas, that's why I said what I just said!" He smiled and said: "But I owe the commander a lot, how can I not repay him?" ? Since the commander is determined to fight Yan Yun to the end, his subordinates should sacrifice their lives to accompany the gentleman!" Cao Yong shook his head and said: "You don't have to do this!" Liu Feng said with a smile: "I have made up my mind!" Cao Yong looked at Liu Feng, his eyes I was so moved that I felt that I had such a good friend, what more could I ask for! He couldn't help but feel proud and said with emotion: "Let's see how King Yan comes to capture Xiangyang!" Liu Feng said with a smile: "No matter what the outcome of this battle is, it will definitely go down in history! Commander, you are not fighting for the emperor, but for the emperor." I am fighting for my benefactor, and I am not fighting for Zhao Song, but for my best friend!" Cao Yong nodded heavily and said, "I will die to reward my confidant!" Suddenly, Cao Yong felt that his mind was boundlessly broadened, and he was boundless. Fear and no worries.
What happened after all, let’s see what happens next.
