"Based on Lord Gu's strength, it shouldn't be difficult to separate one side from another. We can even go one step further and capture Jiaozhou, which is not impossible."
"But what I saw along the way made Su feel that Master Gu is indeed a loyal minister who is loyal to Great Liang, but this kind of loyalty should be more of the Great Liang at its peak."
"Like Great Liang, which is now declining and is on the verge of becoming lonely, Mr. Gu is afraid that he will assess the situation and make other plans."
Gu Hua's rhetorical question, Su Qian'an did not hide it, but spoke directly.
Just based on the advice Gu Hua gave him just now and leaving him to talk, it already showed that Gu Hua was somewhat honest with him.
Of course, this kind of honesty must still be based on equal strength.
If Su Qi'an was just a prince occupying a county, Gu Hua would probably be polite.
But now Su Qi'an defeated Li Kang and became the actual person in power in Jiaozhou. He had put down the civil strife in Jiaozhou and had powerful troops in his hands.
Naturally, it cannot be compared with some senior state pastors, but it seems to be an emerging force.
After careful consideration, Gu Hua chose to make friends with such a person.
What Gu Hua said next to Su Qi'an was just a laugh, which confirmed Su Qi'an's judgment.
In addition to being entrusted by the sixth prince, Gu Hua actually wanted to make friends with Su Qi'an.
Su Qi'an's frankness made Gu Hua feel a little relieved. Only this kind of frankness showed that Su Qi'an was not hiding something, but talking heart to heart.
If Su Qi'an was as polite as before, it would make Gu Hua suspicious.
"If that day comes, what do you think Benzhou will do?" Gu Hua, who smiled for a while, continued to ask.
"Su is not clear about this matter. Everything can only be decided by Mr. Gu. But what Su can be sure of is that no matter what choice he makes, Mr. Gu will definitely put the preservation of the people of Nanzhou first."
Su Qi'an's words made Gu Hua's eyes look a little surprised.
He has been a shepherd in Nanzhou for many years, and three generations of his ancestors have served as local officials in Nanzhou.
It can be said that the largest local family in Nanzhou is Gu Hua's Gu family.
Originally, my ancestor was quite loyal to the Daliang royal family. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he guarded the south gate of Daliang for the Suliang royal family.
It is precisely because of this background that Gu Hua became the shepherd of Nanzhou, almost naturally.
Nanzhou has been run by the Gu family for so many years, and it can be said that it has basically fallen into the hands of Gu Hua.
As long as Gu Hua is willing, it is not impossible to separate Nanzhou, invade Jiaozhou and Yuezhou, and unify the southern border of Daliang.
Even outsiders would make some speculations about this idea. Li Kang, the pastor of Jiaozhou, the sixth prince of Yuezhou, had had private contact with Su Qi'an before he came.
They all hope that Gu Hua can be more or less on their side or give some support.
This kind of wooing was actually because he was afraid that Gu Hua would separatist forces, or that he would take advantage of the situation and take advantage of any war that broke out in the southern border.
Therefore, I tried to test Gu Hua's background in advance.
But who is Gu Hua? Even though he looks like a Confucian scholar, he seems to be easy to talk to. In fact, he is experienced and very good at observing people's emotions.
Not only did he deal with the two states, but he also gained His Majesty's trust.
It is not an exaggeration to say that he is an old fox, but the more he behaves like this, the more Li Kang and the Sixth Prince become more and more wary of him.
Being so cunning and smooth is not just to show to the outside world that Gu Hua is a very cunning person. No one will believe such a person if he has no ambition.
Almost all the people in the three southern states believe that there is no difference between Gu Hua and some state herders who are plotting separatism. It is just that the time has not come yet.
But only Su Qi'an could see that Gu Hua's cunning and tact was just for the sake of a better life for the people of Nanzhou. If war broke out one day, Nanzhou would at least have the ability to protect itself.
There is a saying that goes well, in the turbidity, any sobriety is a sin.
So this is why Su Qian said that he and Gu Hua are more or less the same kind of people.
Su Qi'an saw through it, which somewhat made Gu Huashen
The situation was complicated, so he didn't say anything more. He nodded to Su Qi'an, quickly returned to his normal expression, and continued.
"Being able to invite Dongshan Hou this time is the best thing I have done. Here, I have a personal request. I hope Dongshan Hou can agree."
"What Master Gu wants to say is Xie Cang."
Su Qi'an's words were clear, and as expected by Gu Hua, he nodded and said, "Yes, Dongshan Hou should be able to see that Xie Cang is a good fighter, but in politics, he is far worse."
"He is now a first-rank marquis based on his military exploits. This is all due to his changes, but this state does not want to see him involved in fights between princes in the future."
"Teacher realized this after the Battle of Ningzhou, so he made secret arrangements to transfer him to the southern border."
"I originally wanted to train him well, but now it seems that it doesn't have much effect. Xie Cang comes from a famous family and is the adopted son of his teacher. It is his duty to be loyal to the court."
"But your Majesty has not established a prince for a long time. He has watched several princes under him fight for power and achieve a certain balance. However, this balance will not last long. The Great Liang sun is setting in the west. I really don't want to see that one day Xie Cang will become the prince to fight. chess piece, and ultimately died."
Gu Hua's words were really not alarmist. As early as Su Qi'an met the three princes in the imperial city of Kyoto and looked at the atmosphere in the court, he had already sensed something was wrong.
The second and fourth princes basically controlled the court, each secretly winning over people's hearts. The two sides fought fiercely, but His Majesty just let it go. If it hadn't been for the Kyoto defense war that broke out at that time, it would have been somewhat relieved.
I'm afraid the fight between the two princes will become even more fierce. This kind of struggle for imperial power is very scary.
Even if you don't want to take sides, as long as you stay in Kyoto, you will be forced to take sides and be involved in the vortex of this political struggle.
One mistake could lead to disaster. Therefore, Su Qi'an took advantage of Zheng Guogong's impeachment to directly make things worse, and finally got the chance to escape Kyoto.
It can be said that before you have the strength, staying in Kyoto is not much different from waiting to die.
When the Duke of Chu was still in power, he was the prime minister of the dynasty and could still protect Xie Cang. Now, the Duke of Chu had already retired from office half a year ago and was preparing to retire and return to his hometown.
As for the current prime minister of the imperial court, it is no surprise that he is Zheng Yuan, Duke of Zheng.
Fortunately for Su Qi'an, he now holds Jiaozhou and has soldiers. It is still very troublesome for Zheng Yuan to touch him.
Moreover, how would the imperial court know about Su Qi'an's current situation in the southern border? When he found out, it would be time for him to return to Xizhou and have an explanation with Tang Feng.
At that time, there are only two results. Su Qi'an kills Tang Feng and becomes stronger and stronger. It is even more impossible for Zheng Yuan to touch him. As for the other result, he is killed by Tang Feng, which just follows Zheng Yuan's wishes.
But Xie Cang is different. He has already made a name for himself in Nanzhou, and the Split Mountain Army in his hands is also famous.
It was only a matter of time before the two princes in Kyoto knew about it. Even before the two princes knew about it, he was spotted by the sixth prince in Yuezhou.
Originally, the fight between the second and fourth princes was cruel enough, but now a sixth prince was involved. Xie Cang was involved, and he had to be crippled even if he didn't die.
Su Qian also thought of Gu Hua's worries. He was silent for a long time and soon said something to Gu Hua.
Gu Hua's eyes flashed, and his face was obviously a little strange. He looked at Su Qi'an and asked, "Is this method feasible?"
"Master Gu, instead of blocking it, it's better to open it up and try so hard to protect Xie Cang and hide him. It's better to let him shine brightly. It's best for His Majesty to see it."
"Although we in Great Liang have always emphasized civility and suppressed military force, in the face of invasions from all around, Your Majesty still has to use military officers."
"Under such circumstances, it will not be easy for His Majesty to see a general who is only loyal to himself. Even if the princes want to win over and use Xie Cang, it will not be easy."
"After all, the current ruler of Great Liang is still His Majesty."
Su Qian's last sentence made Gu Hua understand a lot instantly.
Su Qian'an is right. Even if the struggle for imperial power is tense and the princes are making troubles, as long as the current emperor is His Majesty,
, after all, they can't afford any flowers.
On the contrary, if something is done too much, His Majesty will be jealous. Once he gets angry, it will be a headache.
After all, what His Majesty wants is a balance of power. If any prince shows a significant advantage, it means that Su Xuanyong's rights are violated and it is a challenge to his imperial power.
Therefore, being suppressed is inevitable.
With Xie Cang's thoughts of only loyalty and patriotism, if His Majesty sees him, he will only take him more seriously.
Your Majesty wants a general who is loyal to himself, has no thoughts, and has no contact with other princes and dignitaries.
For example, the reason why Deputy Commander Liu Xin gained Su Xuanyong's attention and became the Deputy Commander of the Forbidden Army was because of his loyalty and no official friendship in private.
Xie Cang, as long as you build some momentum and achieve more great military exploits, it will only be a matter of time before Su Xuanyong sees him.
Therefore, Xie Cang might have to stay with Su Qi'an for a while, at least until he returns to Xizhou.
Gu Hua naturally agreed with Su Qi'an's idea.
Although the Split Mountain Army left Nanzhou and Gu Hua lost one general, it was a good thing to let Xie Cang leave for the sake of his future safety.
And with Xie Cang's temperament, he is also suitable for the battlefield.
After sending troops to support Yuezhou this time, he followed Su Qi'an back to Xizhou to conquer Tang Feng.
With Gu Hua's strength, he could naturally find out what happened to Su Qi'an in Xizhou.
It can be said that Gu Hua basically understands the mileage that Su Qi'an has come step by step.
Gu Hua admires such talents very much. With Xie Cang's help, Gu Hua feels more at ease.
Gu Hua knew that Xizhou Mu Tang Feng was much stronger than Li Kang. It would be very difficult for Su Qi'an to defeat him.
Gu Hua gave Su Qi'an some useful suggestions on how to deal with Tang Feng when he returned to Xizhou in the future.
The conversation between the two lasted for more than two hours, and it was already midnight by the time they left.
During this conversation, there was no trace of exhaustion on either of their faces, but rather a look of regret at having met so late.
In terms of age, there is a lot of difference, but in terms of thinking, there is a lot of resonance, which Su Qi'an always believes.
Even in the waning days of Great Liang, there will always be talents and like-minded people who share the same journey together.
With such a group of people, Su Qi'an does not feel lonely and feels full of confidence.
This Great Liang will never be defeated by them.
