The group of people who came to the border army to declare the order were led by a eunuch and were also accompanied by civilian officials. After receiving the order, Han Shizhong sent someone to take them to rest.
After a while, the accompanying young official came to the account again to ask for an audience.
"Xiaoguan Zhao Ding."
The young man who seemed to be well-mannered and courteous, after saluting Han Shizhong, said in a low voice, "Prime Minister Li specially put the subordinates into the team announcing the decree to remind Han Shuai that Chen Daozi not only wanted to transfer from the frontier army We have twelve strong generals, and we also have the idea of providing food and fodder for the frontier army."
"Prime Minister Li is fighting for it in the court, fearing that he will not be able to convince the officials, but the officials have always relied on Han Shuai, and hope that Han Shuai can send a memorial to Bianliang to persuade the officials."
Han Shizhong sat behind the desk, with a short black beard, thick eyebrows, a solemn expression, and a very upright demeanor. He said: "It is difficult to violate the holy will. If the official has already made up his mind, some of my smallest words , and where will it play any role?”
Zhao Ding didn't expect that Han Shizhong would answer like this. He was startled and said: "Han Shuai..."
"Those people named in the imperial edict have always been active rather than quiet. When the weather is fine, they often go to the river to play with bows and arrows. I am about to send someone to call them back."
Han Shizhong said, "Since you are here, I would like you to go with my soldiers in front of the tent to call them back."
Zhao Ding didn't want to say anything more and took the order.
Several soldiers brought the horse and asked him to get on it. They took care that he was a civil servant and could not walk very fast. After leaving the camp, he walked along the edge of the boundary river, trusting the reins and heading downstream downstream.
In recent decades, the Liao Kingdom has experienced frequent civil strife. First, the emperor's great uncle Yelu Chongyuan rebelled, but was put down by Yelu Yixin, the king of the South Branch of the Liao Kingdom.
Also, Yelu Yixin had been in power for more than ten years. His hands and eyes were all over the world, and he had power in both the government and the public. He used the same party to suppress dissidents, and he wanted to purge the people in the government who disagreed with his political views. He killed all the talents in the capital of Liao Dynasty and withered.
Now the emperor of the Liao Kingdom finally survived Yelu Yixin. A few years ago, there was a rebellion by Yelv Zhangnu. The royal relatives of the Liao Kingdom seemed to be addicted to rebellion and usurping the throne.
The people were also very uneasy, and many people saw the opportunity and rebelled.
However, a few years ago, after the Jurchen Wanyan Aguda lineage was exterminated, a young man named Zong Han escaped to the Liao Kingdom and went to Beijing by chance, offering the ancient magic secrets he obtained from Tianchi.
That secret method is specifically used to explore mineral veins. Although it has many flaws and the accuracy of the exploration is not as accurate as the method in the hands of the Song Dynasty court, it can still be used.
At that time, Xixia had been destroyed, and the Liao court finally felt the urgency and invited eminent monks and mages from various places who had supported them for many years to personally assist in digging the veins.
The tomb of Yelu Yixin, the king of Nanyuan at that time, was dug up, and Yelu Yixin's self-created magic skills were discovered. They were widely spread among the army, which made the Liao army's magic skills flourish day by day, and was able to maintain the shaky rule. The border of Chen Jun was separated by Jiehe confronted the Song army.
The camps and strongholds on both sides of the river were built intermittently, destroyed and repaired, repaired and destroyed again. There were remnants of wars, and there were also large strongholds with tight walls, almost like a city.
Zhao Ding looked at the other side from his horse, and could vaguely see large and small camps stretching for dozens of miles, flags fluttering, swords and guns glowing coldly in the sun, and people and horses coming and going in an endless stream.
"Coming."
Several soldiers came closer, each pulled out an iron umbrella from behind, and opened the umbrella. It was as big as a mat and was made up of pitch black iron bars. Each iron bar had a red talisman engraved on its surface. .
Several large umbrellas blocked the sun, and the edges of the umbrellas overlapped, shrouding Zhao Ding firmly in shadow.
Zhao Ding was a little confused and said, "What is this?"
The soldier explained: "The nobles don't know something. The army is boring. Daily drills are no longer meaningful to the generals and warriors, so they often go to the river to shoot and play."
"Shooting?!"
Before Zhao Ding could figure it out, he heard an explosion not far ahead.
A golden light fell to the ground and made a small crater on the shore.
Although the arrow had completely submerged under the soil on the shore, Zhao Ding's eyesight was still able to vaguely capture the tail feathers of the arrow.
It was an arrow from the Liao army, coming from the other side.
The boundary river between Song and Liao was not originally a particularly open river, but since the founding of the two countries, there have been few times of peace and many times of war. The two armies have been fighting for many years, with ships and cannons coming and going, which has already caused the river banks to collapse. open up.
The mages of the two armies often used methods to move the wind and waves, affecting the climate, and the water flow became deeper and deeper. After more than a hundred years, the boundary river has become as wide as a big river.
The section in front is relatively the narrowest part of the water, with the two banks separated by only three or four miles.
People who are good at archery can guide their bows and arrows there, and they can shoot across the river.
Arrows constantly collided with each other on the water, exploded, broke, and fell into the water. Only a few arrows could reach the shore, and even fewer could kill enemy soldiers.
Zhao Ding looked at the crowd. Among the dozens of people on this side, there were a few whose faces stood out. He could recognize them at a glance as Guan Sheng, Hu Yanzhuo, Dong Ping, Xu Ning and others.
There was a young general from the Song Army standing among the group of sharpshooters. His facial features were immature, as if he was still young. He was holding a big bow that was taller than others. The arrows from the bow were heavy, and every two or three arrows flew away. On the other side, you can make someone fall.
The surrounding Song Army archers cheered repeatedly.
The people on the other side seemed to be irritated. Suddenly, a very tall figure jumped out of the camp and came to the shore. He bent his bow and set an arrow. From the rain of arrows in the sky, a golden arrow like a python swam past.
The young general fired three arrows in a row and hit the menacing flying python. He was unable to block the force and all three arrows were shattered.
The python flew to the shore. The young man jumped up more than ten feet and hit the python on its head with his back.
The python finally collapsed and the golden arrow fell to the ground.
"This is the Mohu Luojia arrow, one of the eight divine arrows of the Liao Kingdom. This kind of arrow feather is precious and can only be used by the generals of the Liao Kingdom."
Guan Sheng was slightly angry, his heavy jujube face turned even redder, he took out his bow and arrows and fired at the other side, saying, "What a Liao general, you are so shameless, you actually bullied a young horse archer in our army."
Hu Yanzhuo and others gathered around, caring about the young general.
"I'm fine," the young general said. "It's a pity that it's rare to find a suitable big bow, and the bowstring was broken."
Hu Yanzhuo smiled and said: "Pengju, although your bow is big, it is not really a good bow. I have the Dingri Bow left by the ancestors of the Huyan family here. Come and try it."
Yue Pengju was overjoyed, thanked him profusely, and took the bow. Although this bow was only more than four feet high, far inferior to the big bow just now, it was heavier. After he took it, he couldn't draw it full. When his fingers were clasped on the bow string, he felt as if Shake the iron pillar.
Another flying python attacked from the other side. It had a slender figure. Yue Peng raised an arrow and shot it. The phantom of the python suddenly dimmed out of control and fell into the river as if struck by lightning.
However, this bow was too stiff after all. After Yue Pengju shot less than ten arrows, he found it unsustainable.
Hu Yanzhuo laughed loudly: "You are only eighteen, but you have such a skill. It is amazing. It seems that after many years of dust, this bow has finally met the Ming Master."
Yue Pengju said: "How dare I..."
"Don't refuse!"
The gift of a bow from a veteran was a nice talk, and Guan Sheng and the others were happy to facilitate it. After a few words, they felt that they had had enough fun today, so they asked people to hold up their iron umbrellas, retreated slowly, and shot a few more arrows from the opposite side, then stopped.
Zhao Ding only woke up at this time. He was sitting on the horse and seemed to have been watching for more than a quarter of an hour. The frontier generals were fighting with arrows in such an admirable manner that he forgot the time for a while.
"In today's world, within the Song Dynasty, the only ones who can really be considered doing business are the border troops."
This thought flashed across Zhao Ding's mind inexplicably, and he stepped forward to greet them, dismounted from his horse, and greeted several generals.
When Guan Sheng heard that Zhao Ding came to the military camp with the imperial edict, his eyes suddenly lit up and he said with joy: "Have the officials decided to go to war with the Liao Kingdom? We can finally fulfill our long-cherished wish to regain our homeland."
Zhao Ding sighed secretly, shook his head and said: "The general has misunderstood."
After the generals figured out the whole story, they had different expressions, and some of them were a little disinterested. They returned to the military camp in silence all the way to meet Han Shizhong.
The eunuch who announced the decree has also been called into the big tent again.
"You should have heard about the imperial edict."
Han Shizhong had always been dignified and serious. Although the soldiers in the border army loved him, they were also afraid of him. When they came to the tent, everything was silent except for his voice.
"Guan Sheng, Hu Yanzhuo, Luan Tingyu, Xu Ning, Sun Li, Dong Ping... you all have to go to Bianliang first, and then reorganize your army and set off. It's a pity that you are aggressive by nature. You usually enjoy fighting arrows, but now you still have all the wounds on your body. Injured.”
Guan Sheng and others stared blankly.
"The general and others are so brave and fierce that they shouldn't be. However, if we go to Bianliang with injuries, I'm afraid we will miss important events before the battle. Our injuries..."
Hu Yanzhuo looked at Han Shizhong with a questioning look in his eyes, "The military doctor said, do we need to recuperate from this injury?"
Han Shizhong said: "If you want to regain your strength and make contributions in the Battle of Liangshan, you should rest for a year at least."
The face of the eunuch who announced the decree changed greatly. He was about to have an attack, but he was also a little timid, so he had to open his mouth to persuade him.
Zhao Ding was thoughtful, but when he heard the words "one year", he still couldn't laugh or cry, and said: "Han Shuai, one year is too long. I'm afraid it won't be easy to explain when we go back."
Han Shizhong's expression remained unchanged, his majesty was so majestic that it made his heart tremble. He thought about it again and again, and said in a very embarrassed tone: "Well, for the sake of the important affairs of the court, even if they have some hidden diseases and injuries, they can't care much about it. How about taking a month's rest?" ?”
The eunuch who announced the decree was immediately relieved, fearing that Han Shizhong would regret it, so he hurriedly nodded in agreement, saying that he would truthfully report back to Bianliang.
He was not a fool. He secretly looked at the generals and felt that they were listless when they came back. When they went out, their faces were even more pale, their lips were bloodless, and their expressions were haggard.
"These tattooed Qiu Ba deserve to die. They are still running around after being injured like this."
The eunuch cursed a few times in his mind, but he didn't think it was strange. Soldiers and generals fought bravely and severely, and their heads were beaten to a bloody pulp. This often happened in Bianliang. This group of people was stationed at the boundary river, so it was even more so. It's no longer surprising.
After everyone left, Han Shizhong left Zhao Ding behind and said, "Is one month enough for the Prime Minister?"
Zhao Ding was sincerely convinced and said: "Han Shuai plans the strategy, and I admire him."
"Oh, they are just dedicated to the imperial court. Please step back."
Han Shizhong unfolded the imperial edict and looked at it again. His face was full of calmness and his eyes did not waver at all. He then got up and returned to the Han Mansion and went straight into the backyard.
In the courtyard, his wife Liang Hongyu, dressed in light purple, was sitting next to the stone table, carefully wiping her sword. There were wine bottles, wine glasses, and small plates of cakes on the table.
Han Shizhong backed away, sat across from the stone table, tasted half a glass of water and wine, and said casually: "Just now a decree came from Bianliang, saying that a large group of grass bandits gathered in Liangshan, Jeju, to cause trouble to the nearby state capital, and the imperial court sent troops twice The expedition was all defeated. Liu Guang, the prefect of Quancheng, and his family were killed. Yun Tianbiao and Liu Yongxi were both there. They wanted to transfer generals from me to raise troops for the expedition."
Liang Hongyu turned around and said in surprise: "Yun Tianbiao's martial arts are extraordinary. Although Liu Yongxi is just a make-up, he has already become one of the four great officials. The imperial court has personally appointed Doctor Taixu. Who can kill the two of them?"
"It's not mentioned in the imperial edict, but I know it."
Han Shizhong held the wine glass and told the names of Liangshan's current leaders.
His tone was loose, his demeanor was lazy, and his sitting posture was improper. He didn't have half of the solemn commander-in-chief look that most military lieutenants respected.
But Liang Hongyu had long been used to seeing him like this, so she just asked curiously: "How do you know so much about Liangshan's affairs?"
"Li Jun was originally the commander of the naval force under me. I let him go back to recuperate and visit his relatives. Within a few months, the state government reported that he had become a wanted criminal. It was unclear. How could I not investigate?"
Han Shizhong poured another glass of wine, "This investigation is really shocking. The so-called bandits in Liangshan are basically ordinary people and refugees living in various states on Jingdong East Road."
Liang Hongyu sheathed her sword with a cry: "Then you must have another idea."
"How can Liangshan resist the imperial court with a mere river? But Liangshan, who is hated by Chen Xizhen in the court, is gnashing his teeth. I can't speak for Liangshan in front of the officials."
Han Shizhong raised his eyebrows and said, "Unless Chen Xizhen is dead. At that time, I will use some means to let Li Gang know the secrets of Liangshan and propose to the emperor to recruit Liangshan to safety. It may be feasible."
Liang Hongyu thought: "Chen Xizhen is a ruthless and decisive person with a strong Taoism. It is extremely difficult for him to die. Besides, he is a close official of the official family. Wouldn't his death in Liangshan make the official family even more angry?"
Han Shizhong said: "The emperor favored the Taoist priests, but he killed many people in Longhu Mountain, Hengshan, Ningling, Erxianshan and other places. He took advantage of Liu Hunkang and forced him to stay in Bianliang. The emperor relied heavily on military generals, but after the break of summer, , those who were unwilling to settle down were scattered all over the place and were being squeezed and suppressed, but he turned a blind eye."
"It seems that he is a man of talent and military prowess, has a keen eye for understanding people, and has the ambition to achieve great things, but in fact..."
Han Shizhong drank the glass of wine.
At that time, he also thought that the destined emperor was a rare and eternal wise king who was entrusted by heaven and man, but he understood later.
The emperor needs non-rebellious people, but he doesn't care much about what these people are like. He needs civil servants to take care of the government, and military generals to conquer all directions, but he doesn't necessarily care about these civil and military ministers.
Liu Guang and others thought they had gained the upper hand, but little did they know that their lives might not be worth the current emperor spending even half a moment to remember.
"As long as Chen Xizhen dies, it won't matter at all."
Han Shizhong finally said, "But how he is going to die is really difficult. I hope Liangshan can be prepared if he has an extra month."
Liang Hongyu touched the hilt of the sword and was silent.
Bianliang civil and military officials, border army generals, and officials from various states on Jingdong East Road were all waiting and paying attention to Liangshan.
However, soon there was new news, which was beyond everyone's expectations. It was like a shocking thunder across the sky, illuminating each of their faces.
There were many new messages, and the earliest one appeared in Daming Mansion.
That day, in a beautiful small courtyard of Daming Mansion, a naturally beautiful woman, especially Begonia Chun, was holding a piece of letter.
"Liangshan..."
She paused and was silent for a long time, then laughed softly, "Liangshan, as expected, there are many people who want to do this kind of thing, and some have already succeeded."
The woman named Qiong Ying rolled up the piece of paper, and soon a maid came to report it.
"Miss, the master and Brother Xiaoyi are here."
"Is the wine ready?"
"They are all first-class wines. It is said that one jar among them was a treasure of Erxian Mountain in the past."
"Okay, this kind of wine can make my foster father drunk."
Qiongying stood up and said with a smile, "Come with me to greet my adoptive father."
She took people out and saw two horses walking slowly on the path.
The horse in front was carrying a majestic middle-aged man who was looking at the flowers and clouds and wandering around the scenery.
Sitting on an old horse behind him was a handsome young man in thin clothes holding a piccolo. His clear eyes were already looking at Qiong Ying.
Lu Junyi, the xuanfu envoy of Daming Palace, and the Lu family who resigned from his official position and became alone, followed Yan Qing.
