"Your Majesty, Guo Rong, led the Xuyi soldiers, respectfully welcomes Luan Jia. Your Majesty, please enter the camp for inspection!" In front of the Han army camp, Guo Rong led the team and bowed to greet him.
After landing on the boat, Liu Chengyou's expression had not yet calmed down, but when he saw Guo Rong, he got off his horse, quickly stepped up, helped him up, and said with a smile: "Guo Qing, please get up!"
He looked around, then waved his hand to the person greeting him: "Generals, no courtesy!"
After entering the military camp and sitting in the central tent, Wu Xingde stood up and prostrated himself in front of everyone, pleading guilty to Liu Chengyou for Xuyi's defeat.
"Wu Qing, please get up!" Looking at Wu Xingde, Liu Chengyou had a kind attitude and said in a calm tone: "There is no master who can win forever. Victory and defeat are common matters for military strategists. Besides, I have already dealt with rewards for merit and punishment for faults, so there is no need to dwell on this! "
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Seeing this, Wu Xingde breathed a sigh of relief. In fact, what he wanted was just to get a clear attitude from the emperor.
Obviously, he noticed Wu Xingde's little thoughts and found that this man seemed to have some inferiority complex behind his obedience. After thinking about it, he simply reassured himself and said: "Dou Zhengu of Xuzhou was transferred to Huaixi Road as the chief envoy by me. Wu Qing will go to Xuzhou to replace him and know about Xu Junzhou's affairs!"
"Yes!" Sure enough, Wu Xingde's eyebrows relaxed completely.
Although I have stepped back from the Xuzhou Festival, I feel at ease enough. On Liu Chengyou's side, although Wu Xingde was respectful, he had been in Xuzhou Jie Town for a long time and it was time to move his position. In fact, not only Xuzhou, but also many Fangzhens in the Han Dynasty have been included in Liu Chengyou's plan. Liu Chengyou has entered his fifth year as emperor, and it is time to solve the problem of Fangzhen.
"What is the situation in Xuyi City now?" Liu Chengyou asked Guo Rong.
When asked, Guo Rong didn't say much, but responded succinctly: "The situation in Xuyi is just like what I said in the report. It is a city that wants to surrender but cannot surrender. Your Majesty, when your Majesty arrives, Guo Tingwei will surrender!"
"I heard that you admire Guo Tingwei very much?" Liu Chengyou's focus is obviously not on Xuyi City.
Guo Rong nodded and said: "I have had many encounters with this person. He is decisive in decision-making, flexible in combat, capable of both offense and defense. He is not weak in foot combat, but is good at water combat. Our dynasty is good at field combat on foot and cavalry, but the navy is not the strength of our army after all. , this southern expedition, if it were not for the strategic decision-making problems of the Southern Tang Dynasty, the Huaihe River defense line would not have fallen into the hands of our court so easily to take advantage of the navy.
I think that Your Majesty has the intention to conquer the eight wastelands and sweep the world. He will use it in the south and fight across the river, so he must rely on the navy. Our court has no shortage of warships, and after we capture Huainan, we will also have no shortage of sailors. The ones we lack the most are those who can lead troops into battle.
I think Guo Tingwei is a rare water warfare general. If they can be appeased and put to good use, it will be of great benefit to the future expedition to the south and flatten the countries. As for the soldiers of the Tang army who surrendered, if there were generals like Guo Tingwei, it would be more conducive to containing them! "
Although the southern expedition was over, in Guo Rong's view, it was obviously just a temporary truce. To flatten all the countries and unify the world, when he said it from his mouth, it seemed very plain, as if it was a matter of course. This was not only the ambition of Liu Chengyou, but also the ambition of many knowledgeable people in the Northern Han Dynasty.
After listening to Guo Rong's words, Liu Chengyou was full of approval and said: "When I was in Shouzhou, I often heard the name of Guo Tingwei, which caused a lot of trouble to our army. However, since he is a useful talent, I also Is there any reason not to surrender!"
"Zhao Kuangyin!" Liu Chengyou called.
"The general is here!" Zhao Kuangyin responded quickly.
"Go, put Guo Tingwei's parents, wife and children into the city so that his family can be reunited first!" Liu Chengyou said.
Guo Tingwei's family was also included in the exchange with Southern Tang Dynasty. Zhao Kuangyin arranged to go, while Liu Chengyou, Guo Rong, and Xiang Xun discussed military affairs in a leisurely manner.
There are three main points: Meng Shu, Jingnan, and Hunan. The next strategic direction is where to take it first. Mencius and Shu invaded the border, and civil strife in Hunan was imminent. They were all profitable areas. As for Jingnan, it blocked the middle reaches of the river and had a prominent strategic position.
Speaking of Jingnan, just after the Han-Tang peace treaty was reached, Gao Baorong came forward and said that he had sent troops to attack Ezhou...
After some discussions, a consensus was reached. If you want to destroy the country, you need to look at the timing, but in the southwest, the four states of Qin and Feng must be taken back. Otherwise, even if the Shu army is weak, the threat to Guanzhong is not small, and at least it can have a containment effect.
After waiting for less than half an hour, news came from outside the camp gate that the Xuyi gate was wide open and the Tang army had surrendered. Liu Chengyou showed enough respect for Guo Tingwei's surrender. He raised his account and received him with civil and military accompaniment. He was exempted from the crime of resisting the Tianjun on the spot. He was promoted to deputy commander of the Jingjiang Army and accompanied him back to Tokyo.
After counting, among the surrendered generals of the Southern Tang Dynasty, Guo Tingwei received the most attention and favor. However, this status and respect must be earned after all. Guo Tingwei's performance before and after caught the eyes of the Northern Han Dynasty monarchs and ministers.
As for the guards in Xuyi City, it is better to arrange them. Those people are basically from Huainan. A small number of capable men were incorporated into the Huaidong Road Command Department, and the navy also selected their elites to join the Han Navy. The rest were eliminated as rural soldiers and went home to work in the fields.
Speaking of which, the navy and warships of the Southern Tang Dynasty that were captured and captured were eliminated and conquered, which directly caused the strength of the navy of the Northern Han Dynasty to skyrocket. Together with the original Jingjiang Army, it directly exceeded 20,000 soldiers. It has a foundation and only needs to be further trained. Conquering the military's morale is enough to become a powerful force across the Yangtze River and Huaihe River.
After the business in Xuyi, the emperor continued his journey and returned north to Tokyo. After passing the vortex, he met up with the camp team to the west. Liu Chengyou, who had had enough of the boat, abandoned the boat and landed, returning to Beijing by land.
Returning north almost along the same route as when we went south, we set up camp in Suzhou and spent the night.
Li Fang walked into the imperial tent and looked at Liu Chengyou, with obvious hesitation on his face. He stood there and opened his mouth several times, but no sound came out.
"Mingyuan, if you have anything to say, just say it without hesitation!" Liu Chengyou gave instructions without even raising his head, giving instructions on military and political affairs.
"Return to Your Majesty!" Li Fang reported: "This is Wang Chengxiang, he wants to see Your Majesty!"
"Your Majesty." Liu Chengyou closed the album, thought for a while, and said calmly: "I won't see him anymore! You go to see him on my behalf and pass on my instructions to let him go to Haozhou to be a county magistrate. Tell me. He, the newly-acquired land in Huainan, is in need of security and support for the people. Although a county is only a hundred miles away, it is not easy to be a good parent official. Let him educate the people well, encourage farmers to teach, drink less, and be more work!"
"Yes!" Li Fang responded immediately: "I am here for the king. Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Although Li Fang was promoted to official position one year later than Wang Zhu, he was older and more knowledgeable than Wang Zhu, and he got along well with him on weekdays. This time, although he was assigned the position of county magistrate, for Wang Zhu, who had "lost his favor", it was tantamount to releasing the invisible restraints on him. As long as you don't slack off at the local level and make some political achievements, with your background as a close minister of the emperor, you can still expect a future career.
"This is a king!" After Li Fang withdrew, Liu Chengyou suddenly looked at Zhang Dejun: "Do you think Wang Chengxiang can understand my painstaking efforts?"
When Zhang Dejun heard this question, his eyes wandered for a moment, showing a hint of confusion: "You are so stupid, what do you mean by your majesty?"
Withdrawing his gaze, Liu Chengyou said calmly: "This man is young and has too much enthusiasm for book business. When he stays with me, he will be just a lucky minister and a close servant after all. I hope he can take up a local post, sharpen his character, and have more practical ability... ..”
Zhang Dejun then "suddenly realized" and hurriedly said: "Your Majesty has such expectations for Wang Zhu. I hope that he can live up to His Majesty's hard work!"
Taking a deep breath and exhaling it slowly, Liu Chengyou felt a little tired as he looked at the memorials that almost filled the table. When marching and fighting, although the pressure is huge, there are really not so many trivial matters. After the war was over, follow-up matters, including military and political affairs across the country, were presented to his case one after another. He felt a little tired, but he had to endure it. Sometimes the monarch's power was reflected in the memorials that required his review and approval.
"Your Majesty, would you like to go for a walk and relax?" Zhang Dejun seemed to notice Liu Chengyou's fatigue and took the initiative to speak.
He raised his finger and directly ordered: "Let's go patrol the camp!"
In the huge Han camp, the lights were bright, and although the patrols were strict, there was obviously less tension and chill. After all, it was no longer wartime, and the soldiers' nerves did not need to be so tense.
Under the night, the stars were dotted, and although there was no loud noise, there was a constant hum of people and animals. Liu Chengyou was walking aimlessly, and was suddenly attracted by a burst of music. It was clear and beautiful, melodious and melodious, with a hint of sadness in it.
"Why is there such joy in the camp?" Liu Chengyou paused and listened for a while, then said. He looked forward and saw a row of tents: "Are they the captive women of the Tang Dynasty?"
Those who could be taken as trophies by Liu Chengyou and accompany him back north were definitely of high status, and they were only a few people.
"I'll go check it out now!" Zhang Dejun said smartly.
"No need!" Liu Chengyou shook his head, raised his hand to stop, and followed the sound slowly.
He went to the small tent, opened it, and looked inside. He saw the young girl sitting on the table, stroking the pipa, with beautiful appearance and moving mood. Liu Chengyou stood outside the tent, forbidding the guards from disturbing him, and closed his eyes to listen until the music stopped.
"Who's out there?" He seemed to be aware of the movement outside the tent, and the voice of inquiry came out, clear, sweet, and slightly nervous.
Zhang Dejun opened the curtain, and Liu Chengyou stepped in slowly, directly surprising the beauty inside. In the meantime, there were only two masters and servants, and two young girls. Of course, Liu Chengyou's eyes only fell on the little lady holding the pipa in her arms.
Raising his hand to signal Zhang Dejun to stay outside the tent, Liu Chengyou went straight forward and sat down without saying a word. This host's behavior made the young lady very surprised.
He looked at the somewhat rude man who came in. He had sword-shaped eyebrows and short beard, a handsome face, and a slightly gloomy expression. He was dressed in rich clothes and had a restrained and intimidating aura. The clear eyes were full of alertness: "You...who are you, and why did you break into the women's tent without permission?"
"While traveling and camping at night, I suddenly heard the wonderful music of the pipa. I felt that the sky was high and the sky was far away, and I felt relaxed and happy. I came here to pay my respects!" Liu Chengyou said calmly, with the corner of his mouth slightly raised, looking at the young lady's graceful and charming appearance.
As he said that, he looked at the little lady wildly. She has a beautiful appearance, a graceful figure, and is so tender. He raised his finger and said in a tone that left no room for doubt: "Please, little lady, please play a song for...me again!"
"You are so rude! Without permission -" The maid who was guarding him couldn't help but scolded her, but Liu Chengyou glanced sideways and suddenly lost her voice and almost cried out of fear.
"Play a song!" Liu Chengyou repeated.
The young lady was obviously equally nervous and very uncomfortable, but she was smart and could sense that the man in front of her was extraordinary. After all, the Han army was highly disciplined and being able to roam in the military camp definitely had an extraordinary status. As the daughter of a captive, how could she dare to be arrogant and offend?
After straightening the pipa again, the young lady whispered: "Please give this gentleman a taste!"
Just as he was about to start, Liu Chengyou said again: "Although the song written by just now is melodious, it is also sad. Today, the Han Dynasty has won the southern campaign and returned to the court in triumph. Please play a piece of festive music!"
Hearing this, the young lady puckered her red lips and seemed a little aggrieved, but she could only respond with a strong face.
After listening to another song, Liu Chengyou stood up and walked out of the tent under the surprised look in the young lady's eyes. Outside the tent, Zhou Zongzheng was wandering around nervously, his old face full of solemnity. He had been received by Liu Chengyou. When he met, he quickly bowed down and begged for mercy, hoping that Liu Chengyou could avoid the crime of quarreling with his daughter.
Looking at Zhou Zong, Liu Chengyou smiled faintly: "The daughter of Duke Zhou is graceful and graceful, and has many talents and arts. She is very good!"
After saying that, he wandered back to the royal tent and left under the protection of the guards. Zhang Dejun took the initiative to stay, helped Zhou Zong up, and said to him with a smile: "My dear, I would also like to congratulate Duke Zhou!"
"Don't dare!" Zhou Zong said hurriedly.
Facing Zhang Dejun, the chamberlain's somewhat uncomfortable gaze, Zhou Zong sighed silently. He didn't understand what Zhang Dejun meant. Take a step and walk towards the tent...
That night, Zhou Zong's daughter was sent to the imperial tent to accompany him to bed.
The "Queen of the Great Zhou Dynasty" was accepted in this way, simple and direct.
