In Taoxian County, Huang Chunhui and a group of officials and generals stood on the top of the city, watching hundreds of Tang cavalry drive away the Northern Liao cavalry.
"Spring has begun, and it's time for you guys to practice hard. Many people are arguing about how to practice. I see! The best practice is to fight!"
Huang Chunhui patted the city head gently.
Liao Jin said: "In the turmoil in Northern Liao, the heirs of Helianfeng killed each other, and they all died cleanly. It was an advantage to the emperor's uncle."
"Don't underestimate him." Huang Chunhui warned: "He Lianchun can survive to this day under He Lianfeng's coercion, which shows that this person has good methods."
"This person is the best in forbearance," Liao Jin said.
"Who is not tolerant when this person is alive in this world? How many people who can live unscrupulously have a good end?" Huang Chunhui patted the city head, "This time, I can make Bei Liao speak up and not interfere with the Tang Dynasty's attack on the South.
Zhou Zitai made a great contribution."
Liu Qing coughed dryly, "It's just good luck."
Liao Jin seemed to be smiling but not smiling, "He is very lucky and can be called a lucky general. Otherwise, the DPRK would not choose him to go to southern Xinjiang."
"Old Liao, you don't need to block the limelight for him. Promise is what you make." Huang Chunhui said with a smile: "He has been to Southern Xinjiang and Southern Zhou. If he doesn't go, who can go?"
"This is also luck." Liao Jin said with a smile.
He gradually took over some things, and gradually began to learn how to protect his subordinates from wind and rain.
"Yeah! Yes! It's also luck!" Huang Chunhui smiled, "Look, you can't say it, it just comes as soon as you say it."
More than a hundred cavalry came with a roar. Yang Xuan held his hands at the foot of the city and said, "I have seen my husband."
"Open the door." Huang Chunhui thumped his waist with his backhand, and Liao Jin ordered: "Get a stool."
When Yang Xuan came up, Huang Chunhui was sitting on a stool, leaning against the city wall, holding a cup of hot tea in his hand.
Like an old man taking a spring trip.
Seeing Yang Xuan, he asked: "Do you know why you are here?"
"Southern Zhou." This is not the time for modesty.
"Well!" Huang Chunhui raised his eyes and looked at him, "The tension between Northern Xinjiang and Southern Xinjiang is like fire and water. I won't tell you why. If you go to Southern Xinjiang, those people will not be polite, or they will show you politeness.
A stumbling block."
He coughed a few times and said, "I'm not afraid of any of this. What I'm afraid of is that someone will do something secretly regardless of the overall situation."
This kind of thing is not uncommon.
"Just like in the battle with Lin Ya, He Lianfeng stabbed him in the back." Yang Xuan said.
"It's good if you understand." Huang Chunhui said: "When you go to southern Xinjiang, you not only have to fight wits and courage with the enemy." He pointed to his temple, "You also have to cheer up, keep an eye on all directions, and listen on all directions.
, beware of being tricked by your own people."
"yes."
"I said some things that Zhang Huan doesn't like to hear." Huang Chunhui said with a smile: "All over Southern Xinjiang, one word is stingy!"
Yang Xuan smiled and said: "Xiangong, it's two words."
Huang Chunhui crossed his fingers and said, "Oh! It's two words."
He smiled like a naughty boy, which immediately caused a burst of laughter.
Huang Chunhui stood up and said, "Zitai will go with me."
The two of them walked slowly along the city head.
The wind was very strong, and Huang Chunhui was blown away as if he would fly away in the next moment. Yang Xuan held his arm, Huang Chunhui was stunned for a moment, and then said with a smile: "I have cultivation skills."
Yang Xuan said: "I just want to help my husband walk for a while..."
Huang Chunhui was silent.
Without the old man in front of him, Yang Xuan's journey in Northern Xinjiang would not have been so smooth.
Therefore, he respected and admired this old man from the bottom of his heart.
"Northern Xinjiang is complicated, but southern Xinjiang is even more complicated. Zhang Chumao, the deputy envoy of Jiedu, is a member of the Yang family, and the King of Yue is the grandson of the Yang family. What do these two people want to do when they join forces in southern Xinjiang? They want to seize power and use power to build momentum. , enter the East Palace."
"Princes and grandsons are all big troubles." Huang Chunhui sighed: "So after King Wei came to Northern Xinjiang, I only saw him a few times. That time I took him on an expedition to give His Majesty an explanation. The rest, Let him figure it out on his own. As long as he doesn't go too far, I'll be out of sight and out of mind."
Yang Xuan nodded, "But Zhang Huan remained polite with the King of Yue."
"Zhang Huan wants to go to Chang'an to become the prime minister, so he can suppress me. Therefore, he will not offend the king of Yue, otherwise Yang Songcheng and others will join forces to suppress him in southern Xinjiang for the rest of his life." Huang Chunhui looked at Yang Xuan, "You What do you think?"
"There is more than enough for one's own life, but not enough for one's country."
Huang Chunhui nodded, "That's appropriate. I'm telling you this not to make you look down on him, but..."
"Know yourself and your enemy, be careful and be careful!"
There was a smile in Huang Chunhui's eyes, and he patted the back of Yang Xuan's hand, "Naughty!"
Yang Xuan felt warm in his heart, "Do you have anything else to say, sir?"
"I said so many words to make you careful." Huang Chunhui stopped and turned around to look at him, "But I want to tell you that after leaving the Tang Dynasty, you should have an idea in your mind..."
Yang Xuan stood with his hands tied.
Huang Chunhui raised his eyes and said word by word: "I will do my best for the Tang Dynasty!"
…
Chang'an.
Zhou Zun is preparing his luggage at home.
Zhou Qin stood outside the door with his cane, "Yang Songcheng advises you to go to southern Xinjiang and serve as the commander of the march. It seems that you have a high position, but the coach Zhang Huan wants to curry favor with Yang Songcheng. The deputy commander Zhang Chumao is Yang Songcheng's son-in-law. Army, that adds fuel to the fire. Hey! Who among these people doesn’t want to please Yang Songcheng? You go here... be careful."
"I know." Zhou Zun picked up a scroll, thought about it and put it back, "Zitai will lead the army over in northern Xinjiang. In this way, I can also take care of him."
Zhou Qin walked in and said, "You two still don't know who is taking care of whom. By the way, did An Ning write a letter?"
"I'm here to talk about some trivial matters."
"Is Zitai coming to Chang'an or..."
"When he came to Chang'an, it was too far to go to Southern Xinjiang, so he went directly to Southern Xinjiang."
After packing his things, Zhou Zun said goodbye to his father in the early morning of the next day and went to the palace to see the emperor.
It was rare to see the emperor who was enjoying his time in the opera garden.
"If you go to southern Xinjiang, you should see more and listen more."
"yes."
After a few words, Zhou Zun resigned.
After leaving the palace, Chang Mu, the waiting staff member, asked: "Mr. Lang, does your Majesty have any private instructions?"
Zhou Zun nodded, "It's nothing more than trying to take advantage of the recent conflict between Zhou and Yang as a check and balance."
Chang Mu smiled and said: "No wonder His Majesty ordered my uncle to lead the Northern Xinjiang army to Southern Xinjiang."
"Zitai and King Wei are quite close, and they saved the imperial concubine, so they are the sworn enemies of the Yang family. When he went to southern Xinjiang, I had to worry about bringing him down even if his position was unstable. In this way, the two men, Weng and son-in-law, joined forces to It can check and balance the civil and military forces in southern Xinjiang."
Zhou Zun said calmly: "The tactics and tactics are great, but they lack the grandeur. No wonder he was evaluated as a hero of the moment when he was filial to the emperor."
The emperor immediately returned to the Liyuan.
"Where's the stone?"
"Your Majesty, Young Inspector Han is watching them repair the palace."
"Let others do this kind of thing."
After a while, Han Shitou was summoned back.
"Your Majesty." Han Shitou looked at Han Shitou's disgraced face, and the emperor smiled and said, "Why is this?"
"My slave said that a big piece of wood was rotten, but those people didn't believe it, so I went to pull it, and it collapsed instantly."
"Ha ha ha ha!"
The emperor laughed.
Someone outside said: "How about I go get a wet wipe for Young Inspector Han?"
The chamberlain beside him said sadly: "If you want to commit suicide, don't bother us."
"What do you mean?"
"After wiping the dust clean, who knows how hard Young Inspector Han has worked?"
The emperor said happily: "Ask about the news from southern Xinjiang."
"yes."
Han Shitou asked people to go to the mirror.
The news was sent in the afternoon, and it was still Wang Shou.
"There is also a letter from the King of Yue."
Han Shitou went in.
"Your Majesty, I have a letter from the King of Yue."
"Look, let's talk briefly." The emperor closed his eyes, and the imperial concubine walked behind him and rubbed his shoulders.
Han Shitou looked at it carefully.
"The King of Yue said in the letter that he was terrified when he learned that he could supervise the army, and was worried that it would ruin the Southern Expedition. He was deeply grateful for your Majesty's letter... He vowed to serve the country with all his strength..."
"...The King of Yue finally said that Zhang Huan sharpened his sword very hard and wanted to make great achievements. The same was true for Zhang Chumao."
The emperor seemed to be asleep.
The imperial concubine was still kneading, but Han Shitou remained motionless.
"Stone."
"My slave is here."
"Tell me, can his words be trusted?"
"Slave..."
The emperor opened his eyes and said, "I don't believe a word of it."
…
In summer, southern Xinjiang is already very hot except for the cool mornings and evenings.
Qinghe County, where the Southern Xinjiang Jiedushi is based, has now become a large military camp.
In Jiedushi's mansion, civil and military officials gathered together.
Zhang Huan held the desk with both hands and looked at the map intently.
"The Southern Zhou Dynasty is on alert. If so, a surprise attack will become a luxury." Zhang Chumao pointed to the Southern Zhou Dynasty.
"Whether the raid will succeed or not, it doesn't matter." Zhang Huan said calmly: "This battle will demonstrate the prestige of our southern border. Therefore, it is better for them to be prepared, so as not to clamor about victory without force in the future."
Officials in the Southern Zhou Dynasty often made remarks like this, why they were defeated by the Tang Dynasty without war, and what the reasons were. In a word, the Tang Dynasty was really lucky, but we are really unlucky.
"Yes." Zhang Chumao smiled. Although he disagreed, the expedition was about to begin, and it was not a good thing to disagree with the coach.
He glanced at the King of Yue who was smiling and silent beside him, thinking that in the last battle in Northern Xinjiang, King Wei did not have the power to supervise the army. This shows that in the eyes of the emperor, King Wei had no place on the stage.
Just a maid giving birth to a son!
If the Queen survives, is he worthy of coveting the East Palace?
The King of Yue said with a smile: "What Prime Minister Zhang said is very true. I think that this kind of fighting will get off to a good start and frighten the enemy in one battle. In this way, we need strong generals."
Shi Zhongtang's heartbeat quickened. On the one hand, he hoped that the King of Yue would speak good words for him, but on the other hand, he was worried that Zhang Huan would be furious because of this.
It's hard to be a good person when you're stuck in the middle, but he has to do it and do it well.
He was in a daze... When will I be able to make others carefully consider myself?
Zhang Huan slowly raised his head, "What does the king mean..."
The King of Yue pointed at Shi Zhongtang, "If we talk about fierce generals, the number one fierce general in southern Xinjiang must be General Shi, right?"
Zhang Huanyi was startled. He had his own confidants and was ready to make them shine.
But when the King of Yue opened his mouth, he could not refuse.
If Yang Songcheng wants to return to Chang'an as prime minister, he may not be able to accomplish anything, but he can do bad things.
Furthermore, he has always shown that he regards Shi Zhongtang as his confidant. If he refuses at this moment, the King of Yue will be angry and does not say anything, and Shi Zhongtang will leave his heart in an instant.
But if he agreed, the favor would be attributed to the King of Yue, and he would become a villain.
Your Majesty…that’s interesting!
Zhang Huan nodded, "I know that Yunshan Slave is brave. I have watched him fight in various battles over the years, and I have long been reminded of him."
Shi Zhongtang stood up and saluted, "I dare not or forget my kindness to you."
The King of Yue glanced at him and smiled.
Interesting!
Shi Zhongtang's words expressed his position: Although it was recommended by the King of Yue, the subordinate knew who his benefactor was.
Zhang Huan smiled happily and said, "The Northern Xinjiang Army is involved in this battle. According to the Ministry of War, the Northern Xinjiang Army will send out three thousand cavalry."
The King of Yue asked: "Who will lead the army?"
Yang Songcheng has already expressed his stance that he will do his best to help the King of Yue enter the East Palace.
Now that the posture has been put out, if he plays dormant again, it will be a sign of weakness. Therefore, the attitude of the King of Yue has been somewhat sharp recently.
Zhang Huan shook his head, "The news hasn't come yet."
The King of Yue and Zhang Chumao looked at each other.
Zhang Chumao said: "There are many generals in Northern Xinjiang, but there are only a few who can stand alone. They are none other than Jiang Cunzhong."
Later, everyone dispersed.
Zhang Huan sat there and suddenly said quietly: "The King of Yue is a little impatient."
Sima Chuyuan was his confidant and sneered: "I saw it before, and the King of Yue clearly wanted to win over Shi Zhongtang."
"I haven't left yet!" Zhang Huan said calmly: "The person coming from northern Xinjiang is Yang Xuan. This man has a good relationship with King Wei and is the mortal enemy of King Yue. There is also Zhou Zun, the son-in-law and the Yang family.
None of them are harmonious."
"My husband means..."
Zhang Huan picked up the tea cup and said, "It's better if we don't get along!"
…
"It's Yang Xuan." After leaving the Jiedu Envoy's Mansion, Zhang Chumao said, "The news about this matter has been known for a long time."
"Zhang Huan wanted to express his dissatisfaction." King Yue said.
"Just be dissatisfied! But he didn't dare to fall out." Zhang Chumao smiled happily, "Zhou Zun will come too. This is the hostage sent by the abbot. If it is not appropriate, throw a big pot to him. The head of the Zhou family will
If you are disgraced and disgraced, it will be a big joke if it is reported back to Chang'an!"
The sound of horse hoofbeats was heard, and everyone looked up and saw several sergeants coming to beat the horses.
"What's the matter?" Zhang Chumao waved.
A sergeant dismounted and said, "Zhou Zhang Shi has arrived."
Zhang Chumao said calmly: "Zhou Zun is here, Your Majesty, it's not a bad thing to welcome him."
The King of Yue glanced at him and said, "I know."
Zhang Chumao felt a chill in his heart, knowing that he had overstepped his authority.
Zhou Zun entered the city in a dusty state. When he saw the King of Yue coming in a hurry, he dismounted and handed over his hands, "How dare you do this?"
The King of Yue smiled and said: "Zhou Changshi has worked hard all the way."
After a few pleasantries, Zhou Zun asked: "I wonder if the reinforcements from Northern Xinjiang have arrived?"
"It's just these days." The King of Yue said with a smile: "There are rules in the army. It is a serious crime to be late. I think the Northern Xinjiang Army will not be late."
Zhou Zun nodded.
Then came the reinforcements from Chang'an.
No one gave them a second glance.
Luo Bing and Mo Congduan were also among the reinforcements, with 300 cavalry under their command.
"It seems that we are not very popular." Mo Congduan said bitterly.
"Watchdog!" Luo Bing said with a smile: "When the watchdog comes out of Chang'an, who will welcome it?"
After entering the Jiedu Envoy's Mansion, after some greetings and explanations, Zhang Huan said: "Get some rest first. In the afternoon, I will ask someone to prepare a banquet to welcome Zhou Changshi."
A long history is not enough to make him do this, but this long history is also the head of a family with five surnames: Zhou, so it is another matter.
In the afternoon, civil and military officials from southern Xinjiang gathered together.
Zhou Zun went to the meeting with his staff and accompanying generals.
After three rounds of drinking.
Zhang Chumao winked.
A foreign general stood up and said: "I heard that Zhou Zhang Shi's family has said that cultivation is the key to success. In this battle, we must kill the general and seize the flag."
Zhou Zun looked at this man and said calmly: "I am the marching commander Shi."
It was the marching commander Shi's turn to kill the enemy, and the battle was bound to be a disastrous defeat.
As the head of the family, he has many good people around him. He only practices to strengthen his body and prolong his life.
Zhang Chumao introduced: "This person's name is Ashina Yansong. He is a fierce general in southern Xinjiang. He likes fighting the most. Zhou Changshi has just arrived. Why don't you... give me a try?"
This is a provocation!
In Chang'an, Zhou Zun punched Yang Songcheng.
Regardless of past suspicions, Yang Songcheng took the initiative to recommend Zhou Zun as the commander-in-chief of the march.
now.
Yang Songcheng's son-in-law looked ferocious.
Zhou Zun looked around.
Zhang Huan seemed to be deep in thought and didn't hear anything.
The King of Yue was talking in a low voice to the staff around him, as if he didn't hear him.
Other civil servants, military officials, and civil servants were fine, and at most they showed a fleeting look of gloating over misfortune.
The generals did not hide their emotions at all, and almost burst into laughter.
——They like to see noble people being unlucky and making a fool of themselves!
And you can’t blame yourself.
Zhou Zun took a deep breath.
Zhang Chumao smiled and added the attack: "If Zhou Changshi refuses to take action... I think it's okay. After all, peace has been around for a long time!"
This is an attempt to lay a foundation for the Zhou family... The peace has been peaceful for a long time, and the Zhou family has lost its martial courage.
Different from the Southern Zhou Dynasty, in the Tang Dynasty, martial arts was an important indicator of a family's potential.
When a family loses its martial prowess, it means that their children have only one leg to serve as officials.
Cripple!
Can't go far!
Everyone looked at Zhou Zun with smiles.
Someone outside said: "Please wait for me to report to my husband."
"No need, I'll go in by myself."
A man said calmly.
The sound of footsteps was just outside the door.
Everyone slowly looked up.
Yang Xuan stood outside the door and looked at Zhang Chumao.