After hearing Qin De's words, Shangguan Hong was slightly startled, then narrowed his eyes and smiled.
"Oh? Listening to what Brother Qin said, it turns out that Brother Qin has secretly accumulated a lot of troops over the years?"
"Why don't you?" Qin De still sneered after hearing this.
"Indeed, but so what?" Shangguan Hong smiled helplessly, "I secretly amassed an army just for self-protection. After all, the Xiang family and the Mu family combined have a hundred people on the surface alone. Four hundred thousand troops! How can people feel at ease with this?"
At this point, Shangguan Hong's eyes became dangerous, and he asked Qin De curiously: "So Brother Qin... How many people do you have secretly, and you dare to say that you are 80% sure? And how did you avoid the Xiang family's intelligence investigation? of?"
"Two hundred thousand." Qin De smiled faintly and compared a number. "In other words, the total number of troops under my command is 800,000! And I also have a Fierce Tiger Army of fifty thousand. Although the Fierce Tiger Army The number of people is small, but in terms of combat effectiveness, it is equivalent to an ordinary army of two to three hundred thousand troops."
"Is the actual combat strength equivalent to a million-strong army?" Shangguan Hong's eyes lit up when he heard this.
Although he had been secretly hoarding troops over the years, he did not dare to be too bold due to the Xiang family's intelligence investigation. He did not expect that Qin De would be so bold.
Indeed, if we estimate based on what Qin De said just now, in terms of the quality of the army alone, the armies of the three counties in the Eastern Region are probably the strongest in the Chu Dynasty at present, and there may be real hope of overthrowing the rule of the Xiang family.
However, Shangguan Hong still had concerns and asked: "Indeed, if you and I form an alliance, we already have the strength to fight against the Xiang family and the Mu family. But as far as I know, the mountains in the Blackwater Mountains The bandits still need you to send 200,000 troops to deter them at all times, right? If you ignore the bandits in the Blackwater Mountains and use all your troops to fight, won't these bandits be able to wreak havoc in the three counties of your Eastern Region? Then you will be Isn’t it difficult to take care of the beginning and end?”
"Haha..." Qin De smiled as expected when he heard this, and then said nonchalantly: "I knew Brother Shangguan would be worried about this problem. But I think your worries may be a bit unnecessary. The mountains in the Blackwater Mountains No matter how many thieves there are, they are just a bunch of mobs. If it weren’t for the fact that the Blackwater Mountains are so geographically difficult to eliminate, I would have conquered them long ago. I would have just killed them if I didn’t bother them. Do they really dare to do so? Taking the initiative to mess with me? As long as you give me a little benefit, I think they won't make mistakes."
"Indeed...if they are not stupid, then sitting on the mountain and watching the tiger fight is indeed the best choice. This is beneficial and will not offend either party. In the end, no matter who wins, they can be as safe as before. It's a matter." Shangguan Hong nodded slightly when he heard this, "But... the risk is still too great. You know, this matter is a do-or-die deal."
Qin De's face turned cold again when he heard this: "Brother Shangguan, you underestimate me, Qin De. I'm not completely sure. Do you think I will come to you to discuss this matter? Most likely it's just my humble words... Humph. Besides...the three counties of the Eastern Region are close to the primitive land. The army of my Qin family has been training in the primitive land all year round and fighting with the monsters of the primitive world! How can it be that the four counties of the Western Region have not fought in decades or hundreds of years? Is it comparable to soldiers?"
"Oh...it's true..." Shangguan Hong nodded in agreement with some shame.
Looking at Qin De's gloomy face, he realized that the other party was not here to discuss with him today, but was forcing him to clarify his position.
If he dared to say no, this guy might even target him.
Now, he only has two choices.
Either stand with Qin De or stand with the Xiang family.
But Qin De is right about one thing.
It is true that the four major families each have their own armies. However, in terms of military combat effectiveness, the armies of the three counties of the Eastern Region are definitely the strongest, because the army bases of the three counties of the Eastern Region are on the border of the ancient times, and they often fight against wild beasts. Bloody.
Including the army of his Shangguan family, the armies of the other families have indeed not experienced a real war for decades or even hundreds of years.
It seems clear how to choose.
But Shangguan Hong still had some hesitation in his heart.
After all, the Chu Dynasty has stood firm for thousands of years under the rule of the Xiang family. Who knows if the Xiang family has any trump cards? He, Qin De, has secretly hoarded troops, and the Xiang family is not necessarily easy to mess with.
Shangguan Hong kept thinking about the pros and cons in his mind. After a long time, he raised his head and asked Qin De: "Brother Qin is a straightforward person, so I won't beat around the bush. Ask me directly the question I care about most. First, help you overthrow What benefits can I gain from the rule of the Xiang family? Secondly...how can you guarantee that you will not destroy me even if you destroy the Xiang family in the future?"
His Shangguan family was undoubtedly the weakest force caught in the middle. Both Qin De and Xiang Guang can easily destroy Shangguan Hong.
When the two sides start a war, he must choose a side.
Now we have to see which side has more benefits.
Qin De smiled slightly and said: "Brother Shangguan is a smart man. You should know that since I am talking to you about this time, a battle with the Xiang family is inevitable. By then, if you choose to stand on which side, you will be my Enemy, and as a minister of the Xiang family, it is your duty to protect the master, so you can only become Xiang Guang's pawn without getting any benefits!"
"indeed so……"
"And if you really want to make this choice, you must first think clearly. If Xiang Guang sends you as the vanguard, how long can your Shangguan family's troops last in front of my Qin family's army?"
Qin De asked with a sneer.
Then, without waiting for the ugly Shangguanhong to reply, he continued to persuade, "And if you stand on my side, I, Qin De, swear by my ancestors that the four counties of the Western Regions and the two counties close to the northern ocean will belong to you. Including your original two counties, there are four counties in total. These four counties are all close together and have the ocean at their back. With these four counties and the ocean at your back, you are not afraid that I will go back on my word in the future. How about it?"
"The four counties close to the ocean?" Shangguanhong's eyes suddenly lit up, and it was obvious that his heart was moved, "Brother Qin, are you serious about this?"
These four counties are close to each other. Once they all belong to Shangguanhong, it will be difficult for Qin De to destroy him in the future. After all, with the natural barrier of the sea at its back and the four counties in hand, there would be absolutely no problem at least in self-protection. Moreover, after the war, the Qin family probably wouldn't have much power to deal with him anymore.
"No joke!" Qin De snorted coldly and said, "I'm different from that kid Xiang Guang. Once a word is made, it's hard to catch up!"
"Okay!" Shangguan Hong was about to nod in agreement, but then he thought of a thorny issue and asked quickly, "But... if we join forces to deal with the Xiang family and the Mu family, what if the Han Dynasty takes the opportunity to make a sneak attack? What should I do?”
Qin De sneered when he heard this and replied disdainfully: "Don't worry about this, I have a way to prevent the Han Dynasty from getting involved. As for the Ming Dynasty... I believe that they will only be attacked. A weak dynasty that doesn’t even dare to resist doesn’t need to worry too much, right?”
Shangguan Hong fell silent upon hearing this.
After a long time, he seemed to have made up his mind, nodded slightly, and made his last request: "I can agree to form an alliance with you, but the premise is that the people from my two counties in the northern region will never serve as vanguards."
"Of course, only a villain like Xiang Guang can do this kind of thing."
Said, Qin De and Shangguan Hong high-fived each other and vowed, "It's a deal! Haha——"
The two looked at each other and then laughed in the courtyard.
However, no one knows what these two people are thinking.
If two people can sit in such a position, it is natural that they will not be fuel-efficient.
Qin De would not believe that Shangguan Hong would really cooperate with him so easily. Of course, he did not reveal all his trump cards to Shangguan Hong.
············
Sure enough, just as Qin De expected, Shangguan Hong did not want to cooperate with him sincerely.
It's natural for a wallflower like this to lean on both sides.
The next day, in a manor somewhere.
Shangguan Hong was sitting at the desk writing furiously, and Zhuang Jun was respectfully watching beside him.
After a while, Shangguanhong finished writing the letter and checked it carefully again, and couldn't help but be very satisfied.
This is a secret letter he wrote to Xiang Guang. Of course, he also left something in the secret letter.
"Hmph, that idiot Qin De actually wants to rebel and drag me into trouble? Isn't it great that I can now be my king of Zhenbei? Although... this guy is right, the four counties are also very attractive. .such a pity……"
When Zhuang Jun heard this, he was a little confused. After all, he heard clearly the conversation last night: "Your Majesty, the terms offered by Qin De are not bad, and Xiang Guang is indeed what he said. Once the war starts and we are asked to be the vanguard to face the enemy, why should we..."
Shangguan Hong turned to look at Zhuang Jun and laughed: "Yes. So I don't intend to completely switch to Xiang Guang's side... Zhuang Jun, we are a weak force in the middle between two powerful forces. You know this What does it mean?"
"This subordinate is stupid."
"This means that our situation is quite dangerous. If it were normal, either of them would have the strength to easily crush us." Shangguan Hong said calmly, "But if they start a war, it will be different..."
"My lord, what do you mean..." Zhuang Jun's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he seemed to understand something.
"Sometimes, it's just a feather like us that determines which way the balance tilts." Shangguan Hong's eyes were cunning. "Zhuang Jun, we are very weak, so we cannot afford to lose. Before we are absolutely sure, we cannot easily bet on one side. We have to bet on both sides, whether the Qin family wins or the Xiang family wins, in the end It doesn’t matter who the winner is, all we have to do is give it a little push at the critical moment.”
"Your Majesty, this subordinate is really stupid..." Zhuang Jun still didn't understand after hearing this, "If we do this and let them know about it, won't we both get no benefits?"
"Things can't be that simple..." Shangguan Hong smiled nonchalantly, "Don't worry, I'm sure of this matter. You don't need to worry, go on."
"My subordinates, please leave." Zhuang Jun also knew that he could not ask any more questions and immediately left the room respectfully.
After the other party left, Shangguan Hong's expression suddenly turned cold: "Send this letter to the emperor."
While speaking into the void, he picked up the secret letter and waved slightly.
Then suddenly a dark shadow flashed, and the secret letter disappeared in his hand.
············
In the Imperial Study Room of the Imperial Palace in Beijing.
"Haha..." Xiang Guang held two secret letters and couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth.
"Zhen Xu really lived up to expectations, hiding 200,000 troops. The cost of such an army is a huge sum. If Qin De doesn't want to rebel, what does Qin De want to do with so many troops? Is it because it's too expensive? "
Having said this, Xiang Guang couldn't help but sneer.
Zhen Xu was in charge of the intelligence investigation work in the three counties of the Eastern Region. In just half a year, many things were revealed.
"Your Majesty, although Qin De has 200,000 troops secretly hidden now, he is restrained by the Blackwater Bandits after all. He cannot attack with his entire army to rebel. Otherwise, if the Blackwater Bandits are in chaos, he will be attacked from both sides, and there is no need to worry about it. "The hook-nosed man said calmly in the dark corner behind him.
But when Xiang Guang heard this, he shook his head slightly, put down the secret letter in his hand, and said: "What do you know? The Blackwater bandits are just a group of bandits after all. As long as they are given some benefits, they will not cause trouble as long as they have some brains. Then Qin De can still bring out 800,000 troops to fight against me."
"Your Majesty is wise." The hook-nosed man bowed, "But...according to this statement, if the bandit can benefit from Qin De, he can also benefit from others."
"That's right." A cold light flashed in Xiang Guang's eyes, "This Qin De is really stupid. Zhen Xu found out that there were some signs of preparations for grain, grass and materials in the three counties of the Eastern Region. In addition, he secretly summoned many Two hundred thousand troops, and these two hundred thousand troops have been recruited for more than five years and have already become elite soldiers. All this shows that he really wants to rebel! In this case, don't blame me for being cruel. When the time comes... ...We must let him understand who has the final say in this Hidden Dragon Continent!"
"Your Majesty is wise!" The hook-nosed man chuckled.
Instead, there was a trace of pride on Xiang Guang's face, "Remember, send someone to negotiate with the Blackwater Bandits immediately. Whatever they want, just ask them, as long as they can get it before the war starts.
It is easy to negotiate whether Qin De is attacked from both sides. "
The hook-nosed man hesitated when he heard this, and said, "But Your Majesty... what if those bandits have too much appetite?"
"Idiot!" Xiang Guang sneered and turned to stare at the hook-nosed man, "Didn't I say it? Whatever they want, just ask for it. In short, you must make them agree at all costs! Even if they want a I can give them all the land in the county! Do you understand what I mean?"
"Uh...I understand!"
The hook-nosed man was slightly startled, but then he quickly understood.
Having followed Xiang Guang for so many years, he knew Xiang Guang's temperament very well.
If Xiang Guang is really so generous and willing to cede a whole county to bandits, then the sun has risen in the west.
This is obviously just a blank check.
After the Qin family is destroyed, will these bandits be able to overturn the world?
(Remember to bookmark it for next time reading!)
