Li Bing was in a good mood and told Murong Xue about various situations since he took charge of Youzhou's military affairs, including the deployment strategy for the upcoming army battle. Murong Xue understood that His Highness hoped that he could enter the state as soon as possible and make suggestions for pacifying the world, so He also listened very carefully, not daring to miss any detail.
At the end of the story, Li Bing said in a heroic tone: "Although we lost our generals before we even set off due to the assassination of those two monsters, the officers and soldiers of the entire army share the same hatred for the enemy and their ambition has not diminished but increased. We will follow the original plan. , sent troops to march south, and has successfully captured the strategically important Xiangzhou, making a good start!"
Murong Xue also said happily: "That's true. Xiangzhou is located at the intersection of two important waterways, the Jin River and the Zhang River. It faces the danger of Taihang to the west and the victory of the plains to the east. Once you master Xiangzhou, you can overlook the Huaihe and Huaihe areas of the Central Plains, and Being able to guard the gateway to Hebei is a treasure land that can be advanced, attacked, retreated and defended."
Li Bing nodded slightly: "So, I have decided to use Xiangzhou as the fulcrum and divide the troops into two groups. The main force of 300,000 people will form one group and attack Bianzhou, Yuzhou, Chenliu, Xingyang and other places respectively, and completely blockade Xie Guangdong. to prevent him from escaping back to his hometown in Yanzhou. Once these places are under my control, he will concentrate his forces to attack Hulao Pass, and then force his troops to Luoyi. On the other hand, about 50,000 troops will go south to occupy Yingchuan County, set up a front against Huaiyang."
Shen Lie added on the side: "Public soldiers from Jiangnan Road, Jiannan Road, Qianzhong Road and Lingnan Road have begun to set out one after another to assemble in the Jingxiang area. News sent from the imperial court from Yizhou stated that this time The army gathered in the Jingxiang area will exceed 500,000 people. At present, Li Chenglin, the king of Shangzhu Kingdom and Anping County, is tentatively appointed as the marshal in command, and the post of marching general manager will be concurrently held by Jiannan General Ma Hongjie. In addition, Navy Commander Bao Yuchun has received orders and is on his way back to Shengtang from Kuohai in Eastern Xinjiang. Six thousand sophisticated warships and 80,000 sailors will be divided into multiple routes to block important water systems such as Jinhe and Dajiang to assist Put down the rebels!"
Murong Xue couldn't help but said excitedly: "There are so many troops? That's great! The Prince of Anping County is a member of the royal family, and his loyalty to the court is unquestionable. Governor Bao and General Ma are also famous generals in our court. , with them in charge, there will be no mistakes in the war."
"I am quite relieved about this situation." Li Bing said with a smile: "There are only two questions at the moment, and I just want to hear your opinion."
"Your Highness, please make it clear." Murong Xue bowed her hands and responded loudly.
Li Bing glanced at Shen Lie first, and then said: "The first thing is about my enthronement. Unfortunately, the imperial capital fell, and the emperor's uncle heroically died for the country. This is a tragedy that has never happened in the eight hundred years of our Holy Tang Dynasty. . All the ministers, including Shen Qing, believe that the country cannot live without a king for a day, and hope that I will follow the late emperor's edict and immediately succeed to the throne and proclaim the emperor."
Shen Lie held up his hands and said: "Your Highness, before I left the imperial capital with the order, the late emperor made it clear that once the imperial capital was lost and his old man died for the country, we must immediately declare the imperial edict to the world and support the crown prince on the throne to stabilize the world. The foundation of the Shengtang Dynasty. The world is in chaos, and only by establishing a position early can we unite people's hearts."
Li Bing nodded silently, then looked at Murong Xue and motioned for him to express his opinion.
Murong Xue thought for a moment and then said: "I think Master Shen and the other ministers are right. As the saying goes, if the name is not right and the words are not right, only by establishing a new king can we unify the power of the country and sweep the world. It's just... …I feel that the current conditions for succession are not perfect.”
"Oh, tell me then, why are the conditions imperfect?" Li Bing asked with interest.
Murong Xue spoke eloquently: "Your Highness, we have the sacred mandate of the late emperor, the support of the Yizhou court, and the support of the soldiers and people of the country. As the crown prince, you will fulfill the covenant of the Holy Religion and inherit the throne of the emperor. It is indeed what everyone expects. However. At present, the Holy Tang Dynasty is not a time of peace and prosperity, but a time of war and chaos. There are not only enemies outside, but also traitors inside. When I ascend the throne at this time, I believe that one of the most important things is missing, and that is - the courage and responsibility of the emperor. !”
Li Bing's eyes flashed with light, and he stared at Murong Xue closely, signaling him to continue speaking bravely.
"For an emperor, what is courage and responsibility?" Murong Xue continued: "When the world is at peace, one who can restrain one's selfish desires without harming the people's strength, can bear the name of mediocrity without harming the country's foundation, even if he is ridiculed by future history books, Don't act recklessly, this is the emperor's courage and responsibility; and when the world is in turmoil, not fearing hardships and sufferings, leading the army and the people to fight to the end, this is the emperor's responsibility and courage!"
"Well said!" Li Bing slapped the table and shouted: "According to this standard, the emperor's uncle is a truly good emperor!"
Shen Lie has always been known for his hard-hearted and ruthless nature, but at this moment his eyes were filled with tears. He tried hard to control the muscles of his Adam's apple to avoid choking: "General Murong, you are right, the late emperor was exactly such a person. . However, Shen still wants to ask you, since the so-called conditions refer to the courage and responsibility of being a king, how should we show it to the world? "
Murong Xue's eyes were firm: "It's very simple. The imperial capital, Dongdu, must be chosen one!"
"I understand what Murong Xue means." Li Bing stood up and said loudly to everyone present: "As the new emperor of the Holy Tang Dynasty, if he doesn't even have the ambition to take back his own imperial capital, but chooses to hastily go somewhere else If you ascend the throne, what qualifications do you have to say that the blood of the Li family flows through you? How can you have the dignity to command the soldiers and civilians across the country? How dare you win the trust of the world?"
Murong Xue nodded and said solemnly: "Your Highness, this is what I mean. You can indeed use the late emperor's photo to ascend the throne in Yecheng, in Youzhou, or in Xiangzhou. But in the same way, the anti-king Li Kuang also You can proclaim yourself a false emperor in Huaiyang, and even the traitor Xie Guang can ignore the rebuke of the people of the world, wear a yellow robe, and wear a monkey crown. The difference between us and them should not only be in orthodoxy, but also in morality. Only by taking back Only in the imperial capital can the world truly be at home!"
Li Bing was equally solemn: "Okay, you have spoken clearly, and I have listened. My dear friends, I hereby swear an oath and declare to the world that if I do not retake the Eastern Capital, I will not ascend the throne." proclaim oneself emperor!"
When the ministers saw that the prince was so resolute and resolute, although they still felt that it would be better to be justified as soon as possible, they couldn't help but admire him in their hearts. Everyone knew that it would be useless to talk any more, so they all bowed their hands and said, "I obey the order."
Li Bing waved his hand gently, and then said to Murong Xue: "The issue of ascending the throne is the first thing, let's stop talking about it here. As for the second thing, it seems a bit strange."
He paused for a moment, then turned to Shen Lie and said, "This is the information your Nilin Division just sent. It's up to you to tell it."
Shen Lie obeyed the order, and then introduced to everyone in a leisurely manner: "Everyone, the thing is like this. According to the spy report, just a few days ago, the Xuanjia Army Division, which had been stationed in Yichuan County south of Luoyi, suddenly Set off and move towards Ruzhou in the southeast. The enemy's move is very unusual. We have tried various methods, but we still have not been able to find out their true intentions."
A general next to him felt puzzled: "It's indeed strange. The Xuanjia Army is the main force of the rebels, and their movements can often represent Xie Guang's strategic purposes. Are you going to Ruzhou suddenly to start a war with the King of Huaiyang?" "
Ruzhou is located to the south of Luoyi. Not far to the east is the territory of Huaiyang King Li Kuang, and further south is the Jingxiang area where imperial reinforcements are about to gather.
It is indeed strange that Xuanjia Army did not guard against Jingxiang's front line, but instead went towards Li Kuang.
Another general shook his head: "Probably not. In my opinion, the most important thing for Xie Guang right now is to establish the southern defense line to prevent King Qin's army from going north to join us. This is the most reasonable explanation."
"Brother, that's what makes it so unusual." The previous general said: "If they want to build a defense line against the imperial army moving north, they should go straight to Nanyang County, which is close to Jingxiang and has dangerous terrain. It is conducive to defense. As for Ruzhou, it is not on the route of the army moving north at all. Xie Guang has experienced many battles, so he will understand this truth."
Murong Xue also agreed: "That's right. Since ancient times, to guard against Jingxiang, Nanyang must be taken. The Xuanjia Army went to Ruzhou for this reason."
"I think so too, but..." Li Bing thought: "Xie Guang wants to deal with King Huaiyang at this time, which makes some sense."
Shen Lie nodded slightly: "Xie Guang is now under attack from both sides. To the west is the Turkic army whose attitude is unpredictable, and to the east and south we are gradually encircling him. Either defend the eastern capital Luoyi; or move east as soon as possible and escape back to his hometown Yanzhou , or risk crossing the Jinhe River, temporarily avoiding the Central Plains, a land of right and wrong, and hiding in the Sanjin area or Yunzhong County further away. But no matter what he chooses, he should not choose this time to provoke the Huaiyang rebels. "
"Well... Sirs, does Xie Guang plan to form an alliance with Li Kuang?" An elderly civil servant tried to say: "After all, they are all traitors, and it is also an option for them to join the alliance to keep warm."
Murong Xue smiled when he heard this: "Master Chu, in my opinion, this possibility is unlikely. It's not that they will definitely not collude, but if they really want to form an alliance or have already colluded, they will never collude. Sending the main force close to the core area of the ally is a taboo move and can easily cause unnecessary misunderstandings on the other side."
Shen Lie agreed and said: "The Xuanjia Army suddenly arrived near the Huaihe River area. It doesn't look like a good enemy. If I were Li Kuang, I would have to be very energetic and prepare for the war with all my strength."
Li Bing frowned and murmured: "So it seems that Xie Guang is really planning to attack King Huaiyang?"
"Based on the current situation, our army will break into the Central Plains at any time and occupy the cities east of Hulao Pass," Murong Xue analyzed for Li Bing: "At this critical moment, Xie Guang has no reason to deploy elite troops far away from the core battlefield. To the southeast. The only target that can be attacked in Ruzhou is King Huaiyang!"
He paused for a moment, and then said word by word: "Your Highness, if I guess correctly, at this moment, there must be a huge change within the Xuanjia Army that we are not aware of yet!"
