"His Royal Highness King Pei!" Wang Wenzuo stared at Li Xian's face: "I never thought I would see you again!"
"General!" Li Xian lowered his head in shame: "I really shouldn't have—"
"General!" Zhang Wenguan interrupted Li Xian: "King Pei and I are here this time on the order of the emperor, asking you to go to Chang'an to assist the government!"
"The emperor's order?" Wang Wenzuo frowned: "Is the emperor okay?"
"The Holy Body is fine!" Zhang Wenguan said.
"What about Pei Judao and the Queen?" Wang Wenzuo asked.
"Pei Judao has been removed from his official title and is awaiting punishment at home. The queen has committed suicide by taking poison!" Zhang Wenguan said.
"Pending punishment? Commit suicide by taking poison?" Wang Wenzuo frowned. He glanced at Li Xian and asked, "What is going on in Chang'an? Why did you two come to me?"
Zhang Wenguan knew what Wang Wenzuo meant, so he told Wang Wenzuo how Li Xian came to see the emperor late at night, changed his position after a deep discussion with him, and how Pei Judao and his daughter, in despair, gave up their rights to face the crime and the other committed suicide by taking poison. Wang Wenzuo nodded: "King Pei, the emperor is kind and generous, so you have the opportunity to change your ways. You must be grateful!"
"Xiao Wang understands!" Li Xian quickly lowered his head.
"Mr. Zhang, you also have credit for this incident in Chang'an. I will report it to Your Majesty after I return to Chang'an and reward you!" Wang Wenzuo turned to Zhang Wenguan and said with a smile.
"We are not in a hurry to reward you, let's not mention it for the moment!" Zhang Wenguan said with a smile: "You are now leading an army of hundreds of thousands, approaching the eastern capital; now Chang'an is suddenly shocked, rice is worth hundreds of yuan per dollar, and the people are miserable. I wonder when, General, you will be able to disband all the armies and join the government in Chang'an?"
Upon hearing Zhang Wenguan's urging, Wang Wenzuo looked serious, stood up and paced back and forth in the tent, speechless for a while.
When Li Xian saw that Wang Wenzuo had never expressed his position, he couldn't help but became anxious and shouted, "General, the emperor regards you as a confidant, you must not act in the opposite direction!"
Wang Wenzuo glanced at Li Xian but said nothing. Zhang Wenguan next to him smiled and said: "General, you have difficulties, but it's not convenient for you to talk about it?"
"Mr. Zhang!" Wang Wenzuo nodded: "You return to Beijing for me and tell His Majesty that I have more than 100,000 troops under my command now, and the reduction cannot be done in a hurry. Please wait a moment until I have properly disposed of the troops under my command. It’s not too late to come back to Chang’an!”
"Understood!" Zhang Wenguan nodded: "I should bring the general's words to you!"
Li Xian and Zhang Wenguan came out of the tent, and Li Xian asked: "Mr. Zhang, will Wang Wenzuo really do what he said?"
"Shut up!" Zhang Wenguan shouted to stop Li Xian. He stopped when there was no one around and shouted: "Your Highness, you shouldn't have asked me in the tent just now!"
Li Xian's face changed greatly: "Mr. Zhang, are you saying that Wang Wenzuo will not accept the emperor's order and go to Chang'an to assist the government?"
"I didn't say that!" Zhang Wenguan said coldly: "People's hearts are separated from each other, who knows what he is thinking? But you shouldn't say that at this time, it will make him feel that he is no longer trusted. This is not a good thing. !”
"That's true!" Li Xian took a breath and nodded: "I really shouldn't have asked that just now. But when he said it would take time to dismantle the army, was he telling the truth or was it just a delaying tactic?"
"I don't know!" Zhang Wenguan shook his head: "Only he knows this. I hope Pei Xingjian can be more powerful. After all, if Wang Wenzuo can reach Chang'an without any effort, he will still develop this even if he didn't originally have this intention. It comes from your mind, after all, who likes to be controlled by others?"
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After sending Zhang Wenguan and Li Xian away, Wang Wenzuo returned to his seat and sat down. Lu Zhaolin stood aside, remaining silent. After about half a moment, Wang Wenzuo raised his head and said, "What do you think I should do?"
"General!" Lu Zhaolin said with a bitter smile, "Do you think I might know?"
"Yes, you don't know, and you don't need to know, only I have to know!" Wang Wenzuo complained: "More than a hundred thousand people gathered together, armed with weapons, and full of ambition; now we have to let them go home individually. Satisfied, what a hell!" Wang Wenzuo returned to his chair and sat down, waving to Lu Zhaolin and gesturing for him to come closer: "It must be kept secret, at least not yet to let others know about it!"
"Yes! General!"
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On the afternoon of the second day after Li Xian and Zhang Wenguan arrived, Heyang Nancheng was finally captured. The Heyang Floating Bridge across the Yellow River finally fell into the hands of the army. The cheers of more than 100,000 people resounded on both sides of the Yellow River. Everyone in the army understood that Luoyang City was within easy reach, and then Tongguan and Chang'an: the unfinished business of Murong Chui, Gao Huan, and Dou Jiande was beckoning to them, and this time it was no longer the east that lost.
Luoyang City did not give the victor a chance to gain military exploits. That night, a group of envoys rushed to the camp. Among the envoys was an acquaintance of Wang Wenzuo, Wang Fuyin. The old man asked for a chance to meet Wang Wenzuo, and was quickly granted.
"It's you, prince!" Wang Wenzuo looked at the old man's familiar face: "It's a pity that Huaiying is not here, otherwise you master and disciple can meet each other!"
"It doesn't matter!" Wang Fuyin laughed: "He will only have a bright future with you. General, I will hand over the Eastern Capital to you, now it will be easy!"
"Leave it to me?" Wang Wenzuo laughed: "My lord, you came at the right time, why didn't you come earlier?"
"I'm just a useless old man. I need help from my maid every night when I turn over, so I can do some things that will help me!" Wang Fuyin spread his hands and said, "If you, General, continue to delay your career for more than a year, I will serve as an official." Return to your hometown and take care of your old age with peace of mind. Others will have to worry about this, so I don’t need to humiliate myself!”
Wang Wenzuo smiled and said nothing. He had just ridiculed Wang Fuyin for not coming early and not coming late. He waited until the fall of Heyang Bridge and the destruction of Luoyang City in a blink of an eye. Wang Fuyin honestly admitted that he was already old. If he had not reached this stage, he would not have the ability to offer the city. Moreover, the other party made it clear that he did not seek wealth and honor, but only wanted Luoyang not to suffer the disaster of war.
"Prince Fuyin, do you have any news about Pei Xingjian?" Wang Wenzuo asked.
"Are you talking about the reinforcements in Guanzhong?" Wang Fuyin said with a smile: "I haven't heard of it, but I heard that the imperial court has ordered the repair and reinforcement of Tongguan to increase the number of troops. It is probably Xianggong Pei who is doing it!"
"Repairing Tongguan?" Wang Wenzuo smiled: "It seems that the court is well prepared!"
"That's natural!" Prince Fu Yin said: "Pei Gong has few soldiers. He has more than enough to defend Tongguan, but not enough to support Luoyang. The best strategy is to defend Tongguan first!"
"Well!" Wang Wenzuo nodded: "Prince Fuyin, you stay with me for one night first. Tomorrow I will ask Yijilianbode to lead two thousand soldiers to escort you back to the Eastern Capital. He will lead the troops to guard the outside of the city and will not enter the city. How about ?”
"Very good, thank you so much, General Wang!" Wang Fuyin was overjoyed when he heard this and hurriedly stood up and saluted. Wang Wenzuo accepted this gift and said with a smile: "The situation is changing rapidly now, and I can't promise you anything. However, Dongdu is a gathering of the best from all directions. If possible, Wang does not want her to be destroyed in his own hands. Qing Qing Leave a bad name in history!"
"It's good that the general has this idea!" Prince Yin Surong said: "Now that you have achieved great success and wealth, what can you ask for in the world? Even the old and mediocre people dare not teach you anything. It's just that a man is born in the world and needs more. Think about the name of the future generations, you just need to think about these a little more, and you will be fine!"
"Wang remembers it!" Wang Wenzuo stood up, bowed his hands, and sent Wang Fuyin out of the tent. The other party obviously hopes that he can take a step back, disband the army and go to Guanzhong to avoid the outbreak of a civil war. But the old man also knew that Wang Wenzuo's position at this time and the power he had behind him would not allow him to retreat just because he wanted to. Therefore, we can only hope that Wang Wenzuo can consider his reputation for future generations more when doing things. After all, if he only considers the current world and leads troops into Guanzhong, becoming the emperor himself is the most advantageous choice.
"It seems that in the eyes of the world, I, Wang Wenzuo, really have no choice but to be the emperor!" A wry smile appeared on Wang Wenzuo's lips. Even this wise old man only dared to persuade himself from the perspective of morality, not interests. In the final analysis, the "road to power" in ancient China was a one-way street. Either go all the way to the top, or fall down halfway and turn into a handful of withered bones among the thorns on the roadside. There is no third way out. .
"General!"
"What's going on?" Wang Wenzuo raised his head and looked outside the tent.
"Emergency messengers are arriving from behind!"
"Come here!"
The messenger looked haggard, his burqa was stained everywhere, and there were cloth bands covering wounds on his arms. Wang Wenzuo frowned. This was not a good sign. Could someone be in trouble behind the scenes?
"Is the road not peaceful?" Wang Wenzuo asked while opening the letter.
"Yes!" The messenger coughed as he spoke: "Not far from the inn, there are often small groups of bandits. My subordinates encountered two groups of thieves on the road and even fought with them!"
"The Bingzhou Army has moved!" Wang Wenzuo frowned. If he had to say what he was most worried about since he raised his army, it was the Bingzhou Army's movements. In the battle for hegemony in ancient Northern China, Bingzhou occupied a very special position.
From the perspective of geographical units, the Shanxi Plateau where Bingzhou is located is located in the middle of northern China. It faces the North China Plain across the Taihang Mountains to the east and the Guanzhong Plain to the west across the Yellow River. The terrain is the highest, so it is said to be the backbone of the world.
Wang Wenzuo sent troops from Fan Yang and fought all the way to Guanzhong along the Hebei Plain. What he was most afraid of was that he would be blocked at the entrance of Tongmen Gate, while the Bingzhou Army marched eastward from the Shanxi Plateau, cut off the retreat, and went straight to Fan Yang's lair, killing him head and tail.
This was also the best strategy for later generations of the Tang army to quell the Anshi Rebellion. If Emperor Xuanzong had not forced Ge Shuhan to go out to fight with the rebels, he would have stayed at Tongguan for three or four months, harassing Fan Yang with the Bingzhou Army while waiting for Longyou and Beiting. The soldiers rushed to reinforce, but Fan Yang's soldiers were attacked on three sides, unable to enter Guanzhong, and unable to retreat to defend Hebei. The Anshi Rebellion was probably put down in a year or two, and it would never have been fought for as many years as it was later.
"It seems that Pei Xingjian has not been idle these days!" Wang Wenzuo touched the beard under his chin. As a warrior, Wang Wenzuo understood Pei Xingjian's choice very well: to use the dangerous terrain of Tongguan to eliminate the enemy's strength and numerical advantage, and at the same time Mobilizing the Bingzhou Army to open up a favorable second battlefield, if it were him, he would make the same choice.
"Convene the generals to discuss!" Wang Wenzuo put the letter away: "Pour cold water on them too, so as not to get too happy!"
In the evening, the officers gathered in Wang Wenzuo's tent. Most of their faces were full of joy. They all knew that Luoyang, the eastern capital, was within easy reach. But when Wang Wenzuo announced the movement of Bingzhou troops from behind, the smiles on people's faces disappeared. Annoyance, anger, and fear took their place.
"Our escape route is cut off!"
"Will the Bingzhou army attack Fan Yang?"
"No, I think it should be Beizhou. Fanyang City is very strong, and Bingzhou soldiers can't attack it for a while!"
"Then what should we do? Return to the division for rescue?"
"Don't be stupid. Wouldn't a U-turn here expose your backside to the enemy? We have an army of 100,000 people here. Just send 10,000 or 20,000 people back to the army!"
"Yes, as long as we can break into Chang'an, we have nothing to worry about! Ignore the Bingzhou soldiers!"
The officers in the tent spoke one after another. Although their attitudes were different, one thing was the same. Everyone was full of confidence in their existing 100,000 troops and believed that the activities of the Bingzhou Army were just a kind of harassment. The main force is used to attack Chang'an. As long as Chang'an can be captured, everything will be fine.
"Let me go!" Lu Twelve said loudly: "Give me ten thousand people, and I will definitely make it impossible for those Bingzhou people to cross the thunder pond!"
"You?" Wang Wenzuo glanced at Lu Twelve and shook his head: "Cui Hongdu!"
"The general is here!" Cui Hongdu responded quickly.
"I order you to stay in Hebei, take charge of the towns, and transport grain, fodder, and soldiers!"
"The general will obey the order!"
Lu Twelve's request for a challenge was rejected, and he looked a little frustrated, but he also knew that people who guard the back line are usually the coach's most trusted veterans. He could not compare with Cui Hongdo in terms of qualifications and trust, so he had to Back off for now.
"Soldiers are more valuable than victory, but longevity is not!" Wang Wenzuo said: "This time our army marched straight in, crossed the Yellow River, occupied the eastern capital, and went straight to Botong Pass. If we can go straight into the pass, everything will be fine. If we can maintain our stalemate at Tongguan for a long time, we will definitely reach the old army. Tired, eventually defeated!" At this point, Wang Wenzuo paused for a moment: "Lu Twelve, you lead a partial army of 10,000 people southward, enter Nanyang, go through Wuguan, and go straight into the pass."
When Lu Twelve heard his name, he was overjoyed and hurriedly responded: "The last general takes command!"
"Everyone, although Luoyang has been conquered, the surrounding passes have not yet been conquered. We cannot sleep peacefully. Be the first soldiers to seize the passes first!" At this point, Wang Wenzuo read out the names of seven or eight generals in one breath, and ordered them to divide their troops and seize the passes. Pass, Cangcheng. The generals took their orders and left.
(End of chapter)
