Xiping Kingdom occupies a very small area. The distance between Laonan City, an important border town, and Shengyun City in Kyoto is only 800 miles. The return journey of the army only takes three days at most. This battle has great achievements, creating history since the founding of Xiping Kingdom. The army was prepared for this battle. The war had been going on for several days without a good rest. Ashan Nute ordered his army to reorganize outside Laonan City for two days before returning to Beijing.
If an ordinary army wins a battle, it is normal for the soldiers to meet for a drink. Even if they spend more money and sleep with a few oirans, it is not impossible. However, Ashannu was strict in running the army. Every time he sent out troops, if one person died in battle, the rest of the army must keep vigil for three days. During this period, the entire army was not allowed to organize or participate in various celebration ceremonies. The first offender would be whipped fifty times according to military regulations, and the second offender would be punished directly Execute! Forty thousand troops were stationed outside Laonan City, resting and resting.
In the main military tent, only father and son Ashan Nu and Yang Qinan sat opposite each other.
Ashannu was the first to speak: "Nan'er, remember to personally send the pension money to the family members of Paoze who died in the battle, and give each person an extra one hundred taels of silver. This money will be allocated directly from the general's mansion. Don't do it yourself." It’s out of pocket.”
Yang Qinan smiled coquettishly. It was obvious that he had spent a lot of money on behalf of those who died in battle over the years. If not, based on his military merits, Yang Qinan would have been able to buy his own mansion in Shengyun City, where every inch of land is precious, and he would not still be staying in the city. In Ashannu's house, he saw his adoptive father's face was solemn, without any joy after the victory, so he asked, "Does my adoptive father have something on his mind?"
Ashannu sighed and asked, "Nan'er, how many years have you followed my father?"
"Sixteen years have passed since the child was adopted by his adoptive father when he was free." Yang Qinan replied.
Ashannu nodded and said: "My father has never married, and I have no son or daughter. Although you and I are not father and son, my father has always regarded you as his own flesh and blood, and has cultivated you with all his heart, hoping to have a happy future." Then you can inherit the mantle of your father. Today, you and I, father and son, will say some heartfelt words."
"You asked me in Feiyun Stream the day before yesterday. King Nu is fatuous and incompetent. Now that the situation is in my hands, why don't you take the opportunity to rebel? Do you know the reason?"
Yang Qinan replied: "My adoptive father said that day that he didn't want the forty thousand sons of our army to die in vain."
Ashannu nodded and said: "In the early days of the founding of Xiping, when the eunuchs were interfering in politics, my father was killed by a traitor and almost died. It was the late emperor who overcame all opinions and spared my father's life. As a son, I will naturally be kind. There must be retribution, so no matter how stupid the angry king is, I, Ashannu, will still do my best to assist him. Even if he is not useful, I will not turn against him as a father. This is my filial piety as a son and my loyalty as a minister."
It was also the first time for Yang Qinan to hear these old stories, and he didn't know what to say.
Then I heard Ashan Nu continue to say: "My father has been on the battlefield for twenty years, and has experienced nearly a hundred battles, large and small, and has always taken the lead. My father does not want to die, but he is not afraid of dying on horseback. I believe that the 40,000 good men under his command are also the same. I have the same idea, but being a father can look down on life and death, which does not mean that you can look down on the life and death of others. These 40,000 good sons are all raised by father and mother. Since you follow me and want a high official and a generous salary, I can give it to you. I can give you a bright future, but if you want to survive in this troubled world, I, Ashannu, want to give it, but I can’t."
For some reason, Yang Qinan thought of the four words "Compassion does not lead the army". It turned out that his adoptive father would always take the lead in the war. Just for peace of mind, he explained: "Now we have won a great victory, without Cao Bo." It is not difficult for brothers to live well under this external threat."
Ashannu shook his head and sighed: "The battle of Feiyunjian is destined to go down in history. Our army's victory is a great thing from the moment. But in the long run, it does more harm than good. As a father Now he is in a high position. Compared with those three people, his rank is half a level higher. It is all because of the existence of Cao Bo. He has won the battle this time and should be rewarded based on his merits. He should go further. Riding a general is the ultimate for a military general. But my father is only thirty-two years old now. If there is another war and he achieves military success again, is it possible that he should imitate the Li sword of the Liang Kingdom and split the earth to seal the king? The Liang Kingdom has a vast terrain. , Feng Jingquan has such courage, does our Nu Wang also have it? Besides, Hong Jiang will not let his father's power grow stronger. He knows that I will not rebel, but these people under me, including you, really have no intention of rebelling? What if? When the day comes when the seal cannot be sealed, will I follow your persuasion and go against the trend, so Hongjiang will kill this possibility as soon as possible, and it will not be these soldiers who become the victims."
Yang Qinan pondered and said: "Flying birds have all the good bows, and the emperors in the past have only this kind of thinking. So what are the plans of the adoptive father?"
Ashannu shook his head and smiled bitterly: "I can only take one step at a time and see what I can do."
————
Two days passed quickly, and the army had finished resting and was ready to return to Beijing.
The army did not move very fast, and it was only three days later that they saw the tower of Shengyun City.
Unexpected people lined the streets to welcome him, and the gate of Shengyun City was closed tightly. Seeing this, Ashan Nu frowned, raised his right fist high, ordered a halt, and said to Yang Qinan beside him: "It's a little weird, the whole army is in formation. !”
Not long after, the city gate slowly opened from the inside, and Li Mi first rode slowly in. Seeing the vast army of 40,000 people not far away, he said loudly: "Li Mi first, can you ask the general to speak in front of the formation?" .”
Yang Qinan frowned and said, "Father, be careful of fraud. Just let the child capture this person first and then make plans."
Ashannu shook his head and said with a smile: "Although my father is not a martial arts master like Sikong Li and Baili Jin, he can defeat a scholar like Li Mixian with one hand, so there is no need to worry. , let me go to meet him as my father, I want to see what kind of medicine he is selling in his gourd." After saying that, he rode out of the battle alone and walked slowly towards Li Mixian.
Although Li Mi was just a weak scholar with no strength, Yang Qinan was still afraid of being deceived and ordered someone to hand over a crossbow in case of any eventuality.
Soon, two powerful ministers, one civil and one military, met at the foot of Shengyun City. Ashannu was the first to speak: "Master Li, I don't seem to be on good terms with you, so why are you personally coming out of the city to greet me today? "
Li Mi shook his feather fan lightly and said with a smile: "I would like to congratulate the general on his return from the great victory. The general does not know that in the past few days since the general left the capital, I have united with three other generals to launch a mutiny. Hongjiang died in the palace, and now Xiping has been changed." The name of the country is Liao, and Yunxi, the king of Yunxi Island, is proclaimed emperor!"
Ashan Nu was shocked when he heard this, and his right hand holding the reins unconsciously clenched, but his face remained as usual and he said calmly: "So Mr. Li came here today to want me to surrender without mercy and surrender to the new emperor?"
Li Mi first glanced at Ashan Nu's right hand with bulging veins, and said: "The general is a smart man. He should know what I am thinking. The angry king is stupid and ignorant. He only cares about drunken life and dreaming of death all day long. Now the world is divided into four parts, and he is a hero. When it is time to achieve an unparalleled achievement, so what if we are lucky enough to defeat Cao Bo today? This time Liang sent a hundred thousand troops. If the Liang State sends two hundred thousand or three hundred thousand troops in the future, how will the general resist? The general is immortal Why are you so talented and willing to succumb to the great river? Don't you want to compete in the Central Plains and create great achievements?"
Ashannu said coldly: "If Mr. Li is just here to be a lobbyist for Yunxi in that district today, you'd better not waste your breath. The late emperor was kind to me for eating the emperor's salary and being loyal to the emperor, and I, Ashannu, have done it again." How can I be that capricious traitor? No matter what Hong Jiang's character is, the blood of the late emperor will always flow through her body. I must avenge this revenge for the late emperor."
Just as he was about to give the order to march, he heard Li Mi sneer and spat: "That's ridiculous! Even if the late emperor was kind to the general, he would have repaid it all in the past twenty years. The angry king did not want to make progress and immersed himself in the wine pool and the meat forest all day long. Is this kind of foolish king worthy of your allegiance? Rather than being ruined in the hands of this person, we should establish a new master as soon as possible. If the late emperor knew about it, how could he blame the general!"
Ashannu said in a deep voice: "We have different ways and we do not want to conspire against each other. If the two countries are at war, we will not kill the envoys. For the sake of you and me being officials in the same court, please come back, Mr. Li. Although I only have these 100,000 soldiers, Ma, it is not difficult to break through this Shengyun City."
Li Mi was not afraid and said with a sneer: "I know very well the power of General Hu, and the army in the Eastern Conquest is famous far and wide, surpassing Xiping. But after all, we have just experienced a great war, and we are short of men and horses. Even if we let the general attack Shengyun City, there will only be 40,000 troops left." How many people are there? When Liang Guo takes the opportunity to send troops south, who can stop those tiger and wolf troops? Does the general want to let Xiping II die for his own selfish desires? Even if the general does not think about himself, he will not think about his subordinates. Think about those 40,000 people?”
When Ashan Nu heard this, his expression was suffocated. The sword in his hand slowly returned to its sheath and remained silent.
Li Mi saw the opportunity and continued: "One general's achievements have led to thousands of bones being withered. How can the general have the heart to bury the 40,000 good men under his command in vain to gain a false reputation that will not last forever? The new emperor is talented and ambitious, not inferior to the previous emperor, and he will conquer the Central Plains one day. With thousands of miles of territory, a general’s name can go down in history.”
After a long time, Ashannu slowly raised his head, looked at Li Mixian, and said dejectedly: "If I take the initiative to hand over my military power, can Mr. Li guarantee the safety of my subordinates?"
Li Mi first asked: "Why is this? I'm afraid the general has misunderstood what I mean. When I tell the general these things, I don't want to force him to marry me, but I hope to join hands with the general to create a great cause. Why does the general do this?"
Ashannu was heartbroken and shook his head: "The late emperor was kind to me. Although I, Ashannu, am not a scholar, I also know that kindness must be repaid. Now that Xiping has changed hands, I, Ashannu, have no face to face the late emperor. I just want to be able to take off my armor and return to the fields, and survive for a lifetime. These 40,000 soldiers have followed me for many years and are loyal. I will explain the whole story to my son later. I believe that with Master Li's methods and given time, they will be able to turn it into something. For your own use.”
Li Mixian said coldly: "Don't you understand that the general has not understood it now? Without the general as the backbone, the 40,000 Eastern Army will rebel! Your son Yang Qinan is unruly. Once the general hands over his military power, no matter what, this sum will All the bad debts will be taken to account. When our country is in civil strife, we will have an opportunity to take advantage of it. Moreover, in the competition in the Central Plains, no one can be without you, General!"
Ashannu thought for a long time and finally sighed: "Just follow Mr. Li's wishes. I hope you will not forget what I said today."
When Yang Qinan saw Li Mixian returning to Shengyun City with satisfaction from a distance, his adoptive father seemed to be exhausted physically and mentally and returned to the formation. He felt bad and knew that something big had happened. He quickly drove forward and asked what happened. Ashannu smiled bitterly and asked, "Nan'er, what do you most want to do in your life?"
Yang Qinan did not doubt that he was there, and blurted out: "My child hopes that one day he can personally lead the army, set foot in the Central Plains, and personally lead the army to attack Yangcheng of Liang Guoqing!"
Ashan Nu was noncommittal, nodded, and said, "My son has such an ambition, and I am very pleased as a father." Seeing the city gates wide open, he added, "The army is back in the capital!"
Yang Qinan was puzzled. He didn't know why his adoptive father asked this question, so he said, "Father, what did Li Mi tell you first?"
Ashan Nu didn't know how to answer, but just said: "Follow me back, and you will know everything."
————
In the Xiping Imperial Mausoleum, after Hong Jiang died at the hands of Ou Yunxi, his body was disposed of casually and was not buried in the Imperial Mausoleum. Therefore, in this vast imperial mausoleum, the founding emperor of Xiping is buried alone— —Hong Yuan is just one person.
After Ou Yunxi took control of Xiping, he changed the name of the country to Liao. The imperial mausoleum is now a bit unruly. Some ministers once advised to simply abolish the imperial mausoleum and expose Hongyuan's body to the wilderness, but Li Mi first stopped it. After coming down, the latter knew that Ashannu had a strong temper. If the grave was really dug up, Ashannu's 40,000 troops would never take kindly to it. Fortunately, Ou Yunxi didn't care, so the matter was left alone.
At this time, Ashan Nu, who had not yet had time to remove his armor, approached the late emperor's mausoleum alone, carrying a jar of wine, his face as if sinking in water, silently put down the jar, kowtowed three times respectfully, and turned to leave.
