Yang Peng rushed back to Bianliang. As soon as he returned to Bianliang, he immediately summoned all cabinet members in Bianliang for discussion.
Zhang Xiang said: "According to the latest information obtained, Tianzhu's 500,000-strong army plus Duan Zhichun's 80,000-strong army have already attacked Tengchong Mansion..."
"Did Tengchong Mansion fall?" Yang Peng asked.
Zuo Mou said: "It fell, but the situation is a little different from what we expected before. Tengchong Mansion was not captured by the Tianzhu army, but by the Bagan people."
Yang Peng felt a little surprised, "Bagan people? This is a bit strange. Even if they saw the situation in Dali and took advantage of it and went north to invade, they would never be so fast!"
Zhang Xiang nodded and said: "What your Majesty said is very true, and this is what we are puzzled about. It is said that Bagan mobilized a total of 200,000 troops this time. Such a large-scale mobilization, as well as the gathering of food, grass and baggage, are all... It cannot be completed in a short time, it will take at least several months to prepare. In other words, they had already started preparations before the civil strife in Dali, which is really puzzling!"
Huang Qiaoyun said: "Dali tried to invade Sichuan before, but failed. Our Ming army may sweep into Dali at any time. Maybe Bagan saw this situation and thought it had an opportunity, so it started to prepare. In fact, it was related to the civil strife in Dali. It doesn’t matter.”
Yang Peng said: "It is possible. But there is a problem here. If this is the case, then the Bagan people should have thought that their soldiers and horses should encounter our army in Dali, and Bagan has not had any contact with us during this period. We have been in contact. Isn't Bagan afraid of conflict with our army in Dali? Or is Bagan confident in competing with our army?"
Everyone was also confused, and Huang Guang mocked: "These barbarians from the south thought they were invincible before they suffered a big loss. They were arrogant and arrogant! They may really think they can defeat our army!"
Zhang Xiang said: "Master Huang's words remind me of something. Back then, the Yue and Li Dynasties invaded Guangnan West Road and were defeated. Even the prince, prime minister and general were beheaded. The Yue and Li Dynasties had to sue for peace. But the Yue and Li Dynasties remained the same. In order to save the people of the two countries from being devastated by the war, they reluctantly accepted the Song Dynasty's peace proposal. Under the circumstances at that time, Yue and Li Chao's speeches still confused right and wrong and tried their best to whitewash it. As you can imagine, How arrogant and arrogant they were before launching the war! So just as Mr. Huang said, I'm afraid Bagan really thinks that their 200,000 troops are enough to deal with our Ming army!"
Yang Peng thought for a moment, then looked at Yan Ji and asked, "I remember you told me something before. Your subordinates discovered that Dali General Duan Zhichun was in secret contact with some parties in Dali?" Yan Ji She did not leave Bianliang for Yanjing. As the leader of Huaxu, she needed to pay attention to all aspects of intelligence, so she stayed in Bianliang.
Yan Ji nodded and said: "Yes. At that time, our people discovered that Duan Zhichun's cronies were secretly in contact with certain forces. However, their actions were very secretive and cautious, so although our people discovered clues, they failed to do so. There are further gains to be made.”
Yang Peng said: "If what happened at that time is related to what is happening now, what does it mean?"
Everyone was shocked, and Huang Qiaoyun exclaimed: "Brother, are you saying that the Tianzhu people and the Bagan people are all allies invited by Duan Zhichun?"
Yang Peng asked: "Isn't this possible?"
Everyone looked at each other, Zhang Xiang frowned and said: "If this is the case, then the problem is serious. If Bagan is just motivated by profit, then they will most likely conflict with the Tianzhu people, and we can reap the benefits. But If they are all allies invited by Duan Zhichun, then it means that they have reached some kind of agreement on carving up Dali and even resisting our army. In this way, what we have to face is no longer a chaotic situation. But a powerful alliance!" Huang Guang said: "This is just a guess, maybe the real situation is not like this!"
Huang Qiaoyun said: "No matter what the real situation is, we must be prepared for the worst!"
Everyone couldn't help but nodded. Zhang Xiang said: "If we consider countermeasures based on the worst-case scenario, I think there are only two ways to go. One is to withdraw our troops immediately. After all, our army is not ready to deal with such a powerful alliance. To force a fight will be very harmful to our army." Disadvantage. Although the opponent is powerful, it is just a temporary and hasty alliance, lacking trust in each other. They may unite when facing the same powerful opponent, but once this opponent retreats, they will inevitably fight for Dali. And a conflict broke out!" Huang Guang nodded and said: "Master Zhang's plan is brilliant!"
Huang Qiaoyun frowned and said: "Although Lord Zhang's plan is clever, if they reach an agreement on carving up Dali and there is no conflict, won't the situation be even more unfavorable to us?" Zhang Xiang and Huang Guang couldn't help but be stunned, and then Frowning.
Huang Qiaoyun continued: "It is natural for our army to retreat and they compete with each other for Dali. But if this does not happen, and they each control a piece of land in Dali and live in peace, this will be very detrimental to our army's future recovery of Dali. Then At that time, although our army was fully prepared, the enemy was also prepared for defense in Dali. The mountains and rivers in Dali are steep, and their coalition forces are huge. Under such circumstances, even if we win, we will probably pay a heavy price. The price! To fight under such circumstances, I am afraid that our army will have to mobilize the main force of the empire to join the battle. If there is any change in Xiliao or the Liao Kingdom at this time, I am afraid that things will be difficult to deal with! "
After hearing Huang Qiaoyun's words, everyone couldn't help but break into a cold sweat. Zhang Xiang said: "What Mr. Huang said makes sense, I took it for granted. If you follow my plan, things may get worse!"
Yang Peng said: "What Zhang Xiang said makes sense, and what Qiao Yun said also makes sense." Everyone looked at Yang Peng, waiting for Yang Peng's decision. Yang Peng thought: "After comprehensive consideration of the pros and cons, the plan will be slightly adjusted, but the big plan of conquering Dali will not be changed." Everyone clasped their fists and said, "Your Majesty is wise."
Yang Peng said: "According to the original plan, our two legions plus the Hanzhong Army with more than 200,000 soldiers and horses entered Dali to fight. Now that there has just been a coup in the Yue and Li Dynasty, the main force has been transferred to attack the city, and there should be no danger from the south of the Yangtze River. A problem arose, so the two legions in Jiangnan were all dispatched. In this way, we have three legions plus the Hanzhong Army, nearly 300,000 regular troops. With such a scale, combined with Dali's army and relying on the mountains and terrain to defend and counterattack, we should still be able to defend and counterattack. Chances of winning." Everyone nodded.
Yang Peng continued: "In addition, there are military government troops. Even if these troops cannot fight in the field, they are still useful for defending." Then he smiled and said: "Although the enemy's forces are strong, but based on this calculation, we can definitely handle it." Then he smiled. He said to the members of the cabinet: "You will immediately send an order to Jiangnan in the name of the cabinet to mobilize troops immediately." Everyone clasped their fists and agreed. Yang Peng looked at Huang Guang and said: "The food, grass and baggage must be safe!" Huang Guang clasped his fists and said: "I promise that everything will be perfect!" Chen Xiao nodded.
Realize transfer to Dali.
After Zhao Xiang'er and his party crossed the Nu River, they headed east and a few days later arrived at Fengyu County, a hundred miles north of Dali, the capital of Dali. Fengyu County is separated from Dali City by Diancang Mountain. After passing Fengyu County and Diancang Mountain, and then going south along the Erhai Lake, you will reach Dali City soon. Therefore, Fengyu County can be said to be the gateway to the north of Dali City.
Zhao Xiang'er and his party came to Fengyu County and tried to enter the city. However, the city gate guard said that the city gate could not be opened during extraordinary times. Zhao Xianger negotiated with the other party, and the other party finally said that it was okay to enter the city, but all Ming soldiers had to put down their weapons and take off their armor. The soldiers of the Ming Dynasty were very angry and shouted and cursed one after another. When the Dali guard saw this scene, he was very nervous and ordered his sergeants to unstring their arrows and prepare for attack. Zhao Xiang'er was worried that the conflict between the two sides would become unmanageable, so he quickly persuaded Ma Jin, and then went to negotiate with the other party, asking only that the other party accept the civilians and wounded soldiers of the Ming Army. The Dali guard finally agreed to Zhao Xiang'er's request, but asked the Ming army to retreat ten miles before they opened the city gate.
When Ma Jin heard that Zhao Xiang'er told General Dali's request, he couldn't restrain his anger and cursed his mother. Zhao Xiang'er said: "Now is not the time to fall out with the Dali army. Since they want us to retreat, we will retreat. Everything is based on the overall situation." Ma Jin said nothing more and ordered the wounded soldiers in the army to put down their weapons and march together with the common people. city. However, none of the wounded soldiers in the army were willing to lay down their weapons and accept the charity from the Dali people. So Ma Jin and Zhao Xiang'er led their troops to the north, while the people stayed outside the city waiting to enter the city.
The defenders in the city only opened the city gate when they saw that the Ming army was far away. Put the people in.
Ma Jin and Zhao Xiang'er led their troops all the way north and stopped at a small town in the north of Fengyu County. The people in Zhendian suddenly saw a strange army coming. They were very frightened and fled their homes one after another. But later, I saw that the army was only stationed outside the town and did not enter the town. My originally panicked heart gradually calmed down. People returned home one after another, tried to contact the soldiers, and found that they were very kind, so the remaining fear was completely eliminated, and Zhendian returned to its former appearance.
Ma Jin and Zhao Xiang'er were sitting in the tent. Ma Jin frowned and said, "This is really strange! Our army was not blocked by the Dali Army when it came over. Why is the Dali Army so defensive about us now?" Zhao Xiang'er frowned. He thought: "Maybe something happened again!"
One day later, another news came from Dali City. It was the news sent by Fan Yong, the envoy of the Ming Dynasty, after receiving the message from Ma Jin and Zhao Xiang'er. It turned out that Emperor Dali suddenly ordered all checkpoints and cities to be blocked, prohibiting Yan Yun's army from passing the checkpoints or entering the city.
The visitor also said that the Emperor of Dali had originally decided to completely surrender to the Ming Dynasty, but for some reason he suddenly regretted it overnight.
Ma Jin and Zhao Xiang'er looked at each other. Ma Jin angrily scolded: "What a fool, he is always frivolous and does not keep his word! Is this kind of guy worthy of being the emperor?" Zhao Xiang'er frowned and said: "In this case, I'm afraid it will completely disrupt the plan designated by His Majesty! "
Bianliang Palace. In the middle of the night, Yang Peng quickly came to the study. Yan Ji, dressed in a warrior uniform, immediately clasped her fists and said: "I just received an urgent report from Dali. The Emperor of Dali suddenly repented and ordered all cities and passes to be closed, and our army was prohibited from entering." Enter the city or pass the pass!”
Yang Peng frowned, walked quickly to the map, looked at the map of Dali and asked: "Where are our troops now?|"
Yan Ji pointed at Shanchan Mansion and said: "General Wu led a legion into Dali from Guangnan West Road. They are now near Shanchan Mansion (now Kunming City)." Then her delicate jade finger moved north and stopped at Huichuan Mansion (now Kunming City). Huili County), "The Eighth Army Corps led by Si Xingfang stayed near Huichuan Mansion. Due to the sudden order of Emperor Dali to close the passes and the city, the two legions of our army were trapped in these two places."
Yang Peng asked: "Can their food, grass and baggage be guaranteed?"
Yan Ji said: "The grain and grass baggage from the rear cannot be transported now, but the grain and grass baggage they carry is enough to last for a month without any problem."
"What are Shi Liancheng's plans?"
Yan Ji said: "General Shi Liancheng is waiting for Fan Yong to negotiate with the other party. General Shi Liancheng plans to seize Shanchan Mansion in one fell swoop if the other party insists on refusing to open the city and passes, and at the same time, orders Si Xingfang to capture Huichuan Mansion nearby. , and then the two armies split up and attacked together to attack Dali!"
Yang Peng shook his head and said: "You can't do this. The Emperor of Dali suddenly repented, probably because of the enemy's plan. As a general of Dali, Duan Zhichun has a high position and has been in an important position for a long time. There must be his allies in the Dali court. . Maybe it was through this ally that he made slanderous remarks to the Dali Emperor, causing him to suddenly regret it. Our army's attack on the Dali Army is probably what Duan Zhichun and the others want to see the most!"
Yan Ji felt that what Yang Peng said made sense, but felt that the current situation was really confusing, and asked, "Husband, what should we do?"
Yang Peng looked at the map and thought for a moment, then asked: "Where are the Tianzhu Army, Duan Zhichun, and the Bagan Army now?"
Yan Ji pointed at Yongchang Mansion, "According to the news we just received, the Tianzhu and Duan Zhichun coalition forces have captured Yongchang Mansion (Baoshan County in Yunnan, on the east bank of the Nu River)." The jade finger moved eastward and fell on Luo Piao. Above, "The Bagan army has arrived at this position, but it encountered a strong blockage from the coalition forces including the Luo Piao tribe, and it was difficult to advance northward for a while. However, the strength of the coalition forces was limited, with less than 10,000 troops. The reason why they were able to stop the Bagan army was all due to the dangerous terrain in the area. If something unexpected happens, they won’t be able to resist for long!”
Yang Peng looked at the map and thought for a moment, then said: "Send orders to Shi Liancheng and the others to stay where they are." Yan Ji didn't know what was going on and wanted to ask, but she felt that she knew so much about what to do and she only needed to follow her husband's instructions. Okay, as soon as I thought about it, I immediately agreed and ran down.
In the Dali Palace, the Dali monarchs and ministers received reports that the two main Ming forces were stationed on the spot after being refused to pass through the pass, and did not take any drastic action. Dali's monarchs and ministers couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Princess Qionghua looked at the sanctimonious minister and said angrily: "It's nonsense to talk about false Taoism and conquering Guo! Since we have surrendered to the Ming Dynasty, we should behave as ministers should. Such half-heartedness and doubts only lead to It will harm us all!" The minister's name was Duan Wu, who was the Minister of Punishment of the Dali Kingdom and was considered a high-ranking official. Not long ago, he was the one who advised the still doubtful emperor, saying that the Ming army had bad intentions and that the army's entry into Dali must not be to help Dali resist foreign aggression, but to play a false conspiracy to defeat Guo. The Emperor of Dali was originally very suspicious of the large-scale entry of the Ming army. After hearing these words, he was immediately frightened. He even overturned the promise he had just made with the Ming Dynasty and ordered all cities and gates to immediately close the city gates and prohibit the Ming army from passing through. .
Duan Wu didn't look at Princess Qionghua and said to the emperor: "Your Majesty, the minister is doing this for the sake of the country and the country of Dali!" He turned to look at Princess Qionghua and said: "The fact that the Ming army has not made any moves at this time does not mean that They had no conspiracy! They didn't expect His Majesty to see through their conspiracy wisely, so they were at a loss when faced with the unexpected situation! I can be sure that they are now stepping up their plans to adjust their plans and will launch an attack on us at any time! "The emperor frowned and nodded.
Princess Qionghua felt dumbfounded and said: "Excuse me, sir, is it the Ming army that is attacking us now, or is it the rebels, Tianzhu people and Bagan people who are attacking us? We invited you to come to the Ming army, and the rebels are attacking us." The army, Tianzhu people and Bagan people have conquered countless state capitals and counties! But we are here discussing how to deal with the Ming army. This is ridiculous! "
Duan Wu said: "Princess is wrong!" Then he said to the emperor: "Your Majesty, the people of Ming Dynasty have bad intentions at all. They took this opportunity to enter our country. Their intentions are known to everyone! In fact, the problems we are currently facing are our own. It can be solved completely. Why does the Ming Dynasty need to intervene? Tianzhu and Bagan were both invited by Duan Zhichun, and Duan Zhichun, Your Majesty, he is your imperial brother. You should be very clear about his character. He will never conspire. To seize the country, the reason why he united with Tianzhu and Bagan is actually to deal with the Ming Dynasty! Therefore, we can completely negotiate with Duan Zhichun. As long as the misunderstanding between the two parties is eliminated and the current crisis is solved, the current crisis will not only be solved, but also The Ming Army will also be wiped out in the face of the powerful power of the coalition forces!"
The emperor nodded with deep understanding, and all the ministers agreed, feeling that what Duan Wu said was very reasonable.
Seeing this scene, Princess Qionghua was very anxious and said anxiously: "I won't say what Duan Zhichun was thinking, but are the people from Tianzhu and Bagan all here to do good deeds? They came in large numbers. How can we give up if we don’t occupy our land?”
Everyone couldn't help but frown. Although they didn't want to believe it, they couldn't help but become worried. Duan Wu said: "There must be a price, but the two countries just want some land and some benefits, but the Ming Dynasty is different. He wants to destroy our Dali! Whichever is the lesser of two evils, at this time, So we have to pay part of the price in exchange for Tianzhu Bagan to deal with the Ming Dynasty! Driving tigers and devouring wolves is the best strategy at the moment!"
Everyone nodded in agreement, saying that at this time, this was the only strategy they could use.
Princess Qionghua said to her father: "Father, you can't do this!"
The emperor glared at Princess Qionghua and said angrily: "Do you think we will be annexed by the Ming Dynasty?" Princess Qionghua couldn't help but be shocked when her father spoke to her so harshly. The emperor said angrily: "You are a woman, and you should not be involved in national affairs. You should not participate in political discussions in the future!" Princess Qionghua was sad and worried, and she shed tears in a daze. The emperor waved and said: "You go down!" Princess Qionghua bit her lips with tears in her eyes, bowed to her father, and staggered down.
The emperor looked at his daughter's back with disgust. He turned to Duan Wu and said, "My dear, do you think we can reach an agreement with Duan Zhichun?" Duan Wu said categorically: "We must be able to reach an agreement! I am willing to guarantee it with my head! I believe that as long as the two sides reach an agreement, Zhu will be able to reach an agreement on that day. The army and the Bagan army are no longer our enemies, but have become powerful allies against the Ming Dynasty!"
The emperor was very pleased, and then said gloomily: "I was really confused before. I actually listened to the slander and went to the Ming Dynasty for help. Now I have led the wolf into the house, alas!"
Duan Wu said: "Your Majesty is wise and powerful! In fact, it would be better for your Majesty to bring in the Ming army! Now the Ming army is trapped in our territory of Dali and cannot advance or retreat. As long as we negotiate with Duan Zhichun, then the army will besiege them and they will be able to eliminate them in one fell swoop like catching turtles in a urn. !" The emperor was overjoyed and nodded: "Not bad, not bad! It's really like catching a turtle in a urn!" All the ministers burst out laughing, and the haze that had been lingering in everyone's hearts these days seemed to be swept away in an instant! The emperor said impatiently: "Without further delay, we have to send an envoy as soon as possible! Who does Ai Qing think would be a good envoy?" As he said this, he couldn't help but have an examination of Duan Wu in his heart. Although the emperor felt that what Duan Wu said was very reasonable, he also had some doubts about whether he had already secretly communicated with Duan Zhichun, and his words at this time were intended to betray him. If he wanted to be the envoy himself and take advantage of the opportunity to escape, then in all likelihood he had already been bribed by Duan Zhichun, and vice versa, there should be no problem.
Duan Wu cupped his fists and said, "I originally wanted to serve your Majesty, but traveling as an envoy to lobby is not my specialty. Therefore, I would like to ask your Majesty to find a minister who is good at diplomacy to serve as an envoy to the other party!"
When the emperor heard what he said, the doubts in his heart disappeared immediately, and he smiled and said: "My dear, you are too modest. If my dear can send you as an envoy, I will naturally have peace of mind. But you are indispensable by my side, so I have to choose someone else as my envoy." !" Then his eyes scanned the people in the hall, and finally fell on a minister. He smiled and called: "Wang Aiqing!" I saw a slightly fat, kind-looking middle-aged man leaving the train and coming to the hall. In the middle, he bowed and said: "I am here." This man's name was Wang Zhong, a minister of Dali Temple. Although he was not the most suitable person to be sent as an envoy, he was the person whom the emperor felt most at ease with.
The emperor ordered: "Wang Aiqing, I leave this important mission to you." Wang Zhong bowed and agreed.
What happened after all, let’s see what happens next.
