After Li Yuan returned to camp, he seemed to have put on a pair of shiny tiger head armor, and was wearing a brand new three-eared sword around his waist! The wind was blowing at my feet all the way, and coupled with this enviable new skin, I was stunned by the soldiers in the same camp!
Even his previous immediate boss, the domineering Ji Dutou, heard this and ran over. After seeing it with his own eyes, he just opened his eyes wide, congratulated Li Yuan and ran away in a hurry. After a while, he secretly left and came back again. Then someone stuffed something into Li Yuan's hand.
Of course, all this was what Li Yuan expected. At this moment, he did not waste time. After returning to the camp to find Liu Jiangsheng and Luo Erhu, without explaining too much, he took the two people who were stunned and took the token given by Bian Hao. He took three good horses and the three of them headed towards Gallop north.
Tanzhou Prefecture was the Changsha City in later generations.
Tanzhou has been an important town since ancient times. After the Qin Dynasty destroyed the Six Kingdoms, it "turned the Sha Township in the south into Changsha County". After the attack on Nanchen in the ninth year of Emperor Kaihuang's reign in the Sui Dynasty, it was named after Zhaotan and named Tanzhou. The wars between the Five Dynasties and the Ten Kingdoms continued. Since the old Chu King Ma Yin established his capital here, he has continued to expand and repair it over the years. Now, Tanzhou Prefecture, the capital of the Chu Kingdom, can be said to be one of the most fortified cities in the world.
Liling is close to Tanzhou to the north, and with the fast horses galloping, Li Yuan and the others quickly arrived at the foot of Tanzhou City.
And just as Li Yuan expected, Tanzhou Mansion at this time was just as recorded in the history books, with weak soldiers and few generals, no fighting spirit, and even the hanging war flags of the Chu State were tilted. In such a huge city, there is not even a single guard on the long wall. It is unbelievable that this is the capital of a country!
The three brothers sat on their horses, observing the enemy capital with their eyes wide open. The surprised and excited expressions on the faces of brothers Liu Jiangsheng and Luo Erhu betrayed their inner thoughts. These children who have lived in the countryside for a long time still have admiration and fantasy for the big city.
But Li Yuan was different. He was just shocked by the construction craftsmanship and scale of the ancient city. This special feeling was completely different from what he saw in historical books.
Luo Erhu couldn't help but sigh: "Brother, this Tanzhou City is really an eye-opener for me. Look at this city wall, it is higher than our Chuzhou!"
Ever since Li Yuan generously gave him and Liu Jiangsheng twelve taels of silver each when he returned to the camp, he was completely convinced. I was even secretly annoyed in my heart, why did I curse when Li Yuan borrowed money from me? What if Brother Yuan didn't take him with me next time?
So he decided immediately and vowed to recognize Li Yuan as his eldest brother, so the confused Liu Jiangsheng also became his second brother, to which Li Yuan just smiled and had no objection.
Although Liu Jiangsheng was very excited at this time, he was more palpitated. He took a deep breath, turned his head to Li Yuan and lowered his voice and said: "Brother Yuan, if it doesn't work out later, you can find a way to run away! Mother!" We can’t die without anyone!”
Luo Erhu obviously heard it and muttered with some dissatisfaction: "Second brother, my eldest brother said it can be done, then it can be done! Why don't you believe eldest brother? No matter if he is the King of Chu or not, if he dares to touch eldest brother, I, Erhu, will fuck him Take it out!"
Li Yuan sweated slightly on his forehead, but he just told him again: "We are about to enter the city. Remember, you two, when you meet the King of Chu later, don't talk! Just pretend to be ruthless. Be as ruthless as you want!"
Luo Erhu immediately replied: "De La!"
"You two do what I said before and go to the city!"
When the eldest brother spoke, Luo Erhu instantly gained courage, rode his horse forward, raised his nostrils, stared forward, and roared: "Ahem! The special envoy of the Tang Dynasty invites the King of Chu to meet!"
Liu Jiangsheng immediately followed him, blushing and shouting: "The special envoy of the Tang Dynasty invites the King of Chu to meet with you!"
Li Yuan felt his eardrums vibrating from the thick voices of the two big men, but no one in Tanzhou City, so close at hand, responded. The Chu soldiers who were sparsely patrolling just tightened their weapons in their hands for a moment, looking at the three people under the city with fear and caution.
Li Yuan was angry and funny, and shook his head, why did the mighty Chu Kingdom fall to this point?
Then he showed a scornful smile, then drew out the sword from his waist, pointed at the city gate and roared: "Please come to the city to see the King of Chu quickly. I, the King of the Tang Dynasty, have arrived with one hundred thousand soldiers! Otherwise, after the city is broken, men, women, old and young, chickens and dogs Do not stay!"
This sound was like a sharp sword hanging from the neck, and the little fighting spirit in the whole city of Tanzhou seemed to dissipate in an instant.
A weak response soon came from the city: "Your Majesty has an order, open the city gate!"
Li Yuan and the other three followed several Chu soldiers as they galloped down the empty streets of Tanzhou Mansion. The noise of the capital in the past had long since dissipated due to the wars in recent years, and was replaced by the panicked gasps of the people hiding in every house.
The weak sunlight flickers between the green tiles and red walls everywhere, the abrupt eaves of the houses, and the high-flying shop flags, all telling that the prosperity of the past has long since faded.
Chu Palace, main hall. (Also known as General Tiance's Mansion, all the Chu kings in the past dynasties accepted the canonization of the Central Plains Dynasty and granted General Tiance the title)
There are not many maids left in the palace. In addition to those who died in civil strife, more of them died at the hands of the tyrannical Ma brothers. Sometimes the crimes cannot be found in the laws of Chu State, such as breathing heavily or being slow to pour tea. . (Note: historical fact)
An elderly chamberlain bowed tremblingly and said: "The king has an order, please invite the general to come to the palace!"
Li Yuan had an expressionless face and held a sword in his hand. He was about to stride forward with a sudden stride when he saw Luo Erhu and Liu Jiangsheng behind him who were wearing ordinary soldiers' armor. The old slave stretched out his hand to stop them behind him. He said: "My king only invited the general to go to the palace, and also asked two guards to wait outside for a while!"
Li Yuan thought, let’s start with you!
So he arrogantly rebuked: "Huh! They are my personal bodyguards, and according to the military laws of the Tang Dynasty, they must stay at all times! Why, is your Chu country still in charge of the Tang Dynasty?"
Then with their eyes raised, Luo Erhu and Liu Jiangsheng immediately understood and began to pretend to be angry and push them forward.
After all, this old slave is a eunuch and is getting old. He usually just relies on every possible means to please his master to show off his power. How can he resist such a threat from the warrior? He quickly lowered his head in fear and said: "This... the general has misunderstood, it is really——"
Li Yuan was very satisfied and said indifferently: "Stop talking nonsense and lead the way!"
The three of them entered the palace smoothly.
In the court hall of the king of this country, Li Yuan finally intuitively felt what it meant to be alone.
The splendid palace is empty of appearances. The king meets with foreign envoys, but there is not even a minister or general in the palace!
A frail man wearing a crimson crown and a royal bead. He didn't look old, but his face was extremely pale, presumably due to excessive enjoyment. Now he was sitting on the throne pretending to be calm, his hands constantly stroking his knees.
There were only two well-dressed guards beside him, one on the left and one on the right holding spears to protect the last dignity of the kingdom - Ma Xichong, the last king of Chu.
When they met for the first time, Li Yuan still bowed his hand, then put his hand on the sword on his waist, and shouted confidently: "Li Yuan, the Shenwu Army of the Tang Dynasty, has met the King of Chu."
Seeing the three people in front of him, especially the two sturdy guards behind Li Yuan, Ma Xichong couldn't help but swallowed his saliva and said hurriedly: "General Li, no courtesy! I wonder what your country's envoys are here for?"
Li Yuan had been prepared, and what was recorded in the history books was exactly the same as what he had seen and heard since entering the city today. Ma Xichong had already deserted his relatives, so he said unceremoniously: "King Chu, the war is about to begin, and I will no longer be polite to you! Now that I, the King of the Tang Dynasty, have joined forces with King Hengshan and Ambassador Liu Jie at your city, Tanzhou is now isolated and helpless and will be defeated sooner or later! Why don’t you surrender quickly?"
As if he had been guessed, and seeing Li Yuan's aggressive behavior, Ma Xichong instantly changed his expression, raised his hand feebly and said: "You, how dare you be so rude? You are the king of a country. He obeys the will of heaven and obeys the people's wishes. Why did our country collude with our Chu country to rebel? Why did our country interfere in our Chu country’s affairs?”
Hearing these unsatisfactory words, Li Yuan suppressed his smile and said coldly to such a foolish king who is just a slave to the common people: "King Chu, don't deceive yourself and others! If you really follow the will of God and obey the people's will, you won't Reduced to this! The so-called rebellion is even more ridiculous! You Ma brothers have been fighting for it for the past few years, taking turns to be the king. Who is the rebel? I don’t think anyone can tell, right? All of them only know how to enjoy themselves day and night and feed the common people! In vain Ruining the foundation he built with his own hands! If your old King Chu has a spirit in heaven, I am afraid he will have no peace when he sees you unworthy descendants!"
The dignified King Chu seemed to be choked at this time and was speechless.
But the guard behind him couldn't help but stretched out his spear and shouted sternly: "Why are the thieves so rampant?! How dare you insult my king? If you dare to speak nonsense again, you will be killed on the spot!"
Li Yuan secretly sighed in his heart, there is nothing better than this in ancient times! Facts have proved that no matter how stupid a monarch is in history, he will still have die-hard loyalists, even one or two.
But Li Yuan's face remained unchanged, and instead he showed a more disdainful smile: "Oh, King Chu, take care of your subordinates. I, the Tang Dynasty's 100,000-strong army, are waiting outside the city!"
Following Li Yuan's words, Luo Erhu and Liu Jiangsheng glanced at each other, and immediately not to be outdone, they tacitly drew out their swords and howled angrily: "Hey!"
Ma Xichong's face became paler. He knew the situation outside the city better than anyone else. Otherwise, most of the soldiers in Tanzhou City would not have fled. He quickly stopped the guards beside him and said: "Don't be rude! Get back!" "
The guard still shouted unwillingly: "Your Majesty!"
Ma Xichong just glanced at such a loyal guard and growled: "Back off!"
After time stopped for a moment, Ma Xichong struggled in his heart and finally said timidly: "Here, General Li, I just want to know why your country is helping the traitor Ma Xie again this time. Now that he has lost his throne, Gu is the king of Chu! He can give Gu what he can! How about this, as long as your country is willing to withdraw its army, Gu is willing to reward me heavily! If your army helps me suppress the rebellion, Gu, Gu can cede the land of ten states! "
Li Yuan suppressed the secret joy in his heart and pretended to be angry: "Are these important? Our Tang Dynasty is so rich, what does gold and silver mean? As for the land and cities, my army will take it from here! By the way, I The general reminds you, don’t forget, you, the King of Chu, are already alone, and you only have one city in Tanzhou, how can you get the land of ten states to cede?"
"General, I don't want to waste my time with you! I came here on the orders of the commander-in-chief to give you one last chance! King Chu, you are at the end of your rope. If you resist, our three armies will attack the city together, and you will have no chance. A way out! In the past, when Ma Xi'e was in power, he was very kind to you, even entrusting the general with all important affairs of the country. However, you betrayed your trust and forced Ma Xi'e to usurp the throne and claim the throne. If you fall into the hands of him and the Langzhou soldiers, your fate will be disastrous. Do you need me to remind you?"
The autumn wind swept the fallen leaves, and it was no longer possible to hide Ma Xichong's emotions. The sweat on his forehead kept dripping on this luxurious royal robe, and his psychological defense completely collapsed: "I don't want to fight! But if I fall, won't I still fall?" Will it fall into their hands? I can’t survive alone!”
Shi Shucheng will not deceive me! You kid really had your intention to surrender!
Li Yuan smiled secretly and said: "Then it depends on who King Chu surrenders to."
Ma Xichong blinked his eyes fiercely, seeming a little confused: "General, what do you mean? Isn't your country here to help Ma Xi'e recover? Does it matter who you surrender to?"
Li Yuan felt helpless and cursed for a while how this guy became the king. But he still patiently brainwashed: "Our Tang Dynasty is a huge country, and Ma Xihe is just an ant in the eyes of our court. If the King of Chu takes the initiative to surrender to our Tang army, not only can the people of Tanzhou be spared from the war, but also their safety can be preserved." It is a great achievement to seize the capital that the old King of Chu has worked hard for many years! My Majesty, you will definitely be very happy. You can still serve as an envoy in the Chu land, and you will be rich and prosperous for life! Think about it, after you surrender, I will Officials of the Tang Dynasty, how could we let our own officials be persecuted by a foreign minister like Ma Xi'e?"
Ma Xichong's eyes suddenly lit up, he retracted his snot, and said with surprise on his face: "Is this true?"
Then he gritted his teeth and said angrily: "That Ma Xi'e is so ambitious! How can we give up?"
Li Yuan raised his sword and shouted: "What a joke! If you surrender to the Tang Dynasty, and if Ma Xi'e dares to harm you, the Tang Dynasty will be destroyed!"
Ma Xichong still seems to be extremely troubled. What is funny is that what he is troubled about is not the insecurity of the country. At the last moment, he is still obsessed with fighting between brothers: "General, can I think about it again?"
Li Yuan no longer hesitated. The person who was on the verge of despair, the harder he pushed, the faster he collapsed, so he roared loudly: "You have no time! Whether you die without a burial place or live in wealth and wealth for the rest of your life, it all depends on you!" You and I both know that the city can only be destroyed in an instant! I advise you not to hesitate any longer!"
Ma Xichong still looked unwilling, and just muttered: "Gu, Gu..."
Li Yuan turned around, waved his hands towards Luo Erhu and Liu Jiangsheng, and said loudly: "Let's go!"
One step, two steps, three steps...
When Li Yuan counted to the tenth step in his mind, he finally heard a sad cry from behind: "Surrender! I wish to surrender! I wish to surrender to His Majesty the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty!"
Li Yuan took a deep breath, raised his eyebrows, and the matter was decided!
Forcibly controlling the restlessness in his heart, Li Yuan immediately whispered: "Jiang Sheng, I order you to rush back quickly, take this token to report to the commander in chief, and say that the matter has been decided, and the entire army will enter the city immediately and lightly. Don't delay!"
Liu Jiangsheng's originally nervous state of mind had long been conquered by the domineering spirit that Li Yuan exuded today. Now his blazing eyes contained not only brotherly love, but also eager admiration. He raised his hands with excitement and said: "Yes! "
Seeing Liu Jiangsheng walking away, Luo Erhu kept twitching his Adam's apple, but he did not dare to say a word for fear of disobeying his eldest brother Li Yuan, who was now like a god in his heart.
Because this brother told him not to speak in front of the city gate, so he had no choice but to shout "唔"...
Behind him was Ma Xichong, who was lying softly on the throne. Two guards had been ordered to go and order the whole city to surrender. But Li Yuan never turned around, he just looked into the distance quietly, breathing in the last ray of kingly aura in the palace.
At the same time, he was also very uneasy in his heart. Because he, the time traveler, flapped the wings of the butterfly, the time for Ma Xichong to surrender to the Tang Dynasty was advanced, and he changed from surrendering voluntarily to being forced to surrender by the Tang army. I don’t know what chain reaction it will trigger in the future...
An hour later, the south gate of Tanzhou City, the capital of Chu, opened wide. Bian Hao's army entered the city. King Ma Xichong of Chu led the entire Ma family to surrender.
From then on, there was no longer a king of Chu.
