In the winter months, there was heavy snowfall in Henan, and the surface of the Yi and Luo rivers was frozen, as if the whole world was frozen, and everything slowed down.
Yanshi County, which was within the rebels' sphere of influence, was very quiet until a group of rebel horses crossed the ice street and headed straight for the county government office.
"Prime Minister Gao is here, the county magistrate is coming to greet him!"
The reason why he is called "Prime Minister" is because preparations for the founding ceremony of the Yan Dynasty are in full swing. The edict to appoint Gao Shang as a minister has been written, and everyone can't wait.
Soon, two men wearing Yan official robes rushed out, and the first one saluted first.
"Zhu Xicai, the commander of the Lulong Military Academy and the commander of the Daiyan Division, has met Prime Minister Gao."
Zhu Xicai was tall and strong, with the aura of a martial artist, but his martial arts skills were mediocre and he was just a pretty showman. He was a subordinate of the rebel general Li Huaixian. Because he was good at making connections and was willing to spend money, he planned this Gyeonggi County at the beginning of the founding of the Yan Dynasty.
The official position of the order.
Following Zhu Xicai was a thin, middle-aged man with a timid manner. Although he was wearing an official robe, he looked like a follower. He walked up to Gao Shang, bowed deeply and said, "Yanshi County Lieutenant Zhao Chongyi, pay homage to the Prime Minister."
Gao Shang didn't look at the two of them, walked in, sat down in the flower hall, and asked: "Have you captured Shouyang Mountain?"
The reason why he agreed to appoint Zhu Xicai as the magistrate of Yanshi County was because he was a military general with more than a thousand troops under his command who could preside over the offensive against Shouyang Mountain in his absence.
Two months ago, he learned that Xue Bai led his troops to Yongqiu, so he personally led his troops eastward, intending to annihilate Xue Bai in one battle. Unexpectedly, when he arrived, Xue Bai led more than ten thousand Tang troops to invade Chenliu.
Therefore, in the past two months, Gao Shang reorganized more than 40,000 rebel troops and fought more than a hundred battles with the Tang army between Chenliu and Yongqiu, with each other attacking and defending.
What shocked him was that Xue Bai was well versed in the art of war, could use tactics freely, and had endless changes in strategies. He became stronger with each war. Perhaps it was because he was not skilled at leading troops at first and was unfamiliar with the soldiers. As the war progressed, the Tang army's
Military discipline became stricter, morale became higher, and command became smoother. Defensive battles, ambush battles, night raids, counterattacks, and pursuit battles all made the rebels unable to deal with them. In fact, Chenliu County was almost captured by the Tang army.
But gradually, Gao Shang also heard from some prisoners that Xue Bai was not among the Tang army.
In this regard, he did not believe that, firstly, Xue Bai's flag stood high opposite, and secondly, the military talents and military skills displayed by the generals of the Tang army were definitely not something that unknown people could achieve.
Gao Shang gritted his teeth countless times, almost breaking them, and vowed to defeat Xue Bai. However, an edict from An Lushan called him back. Dayan would soon be founded, and he, the founder, had to be here. He had no choice but to
At the end, I took a distant look at the big flag with the word "Xue" on top of Yongqiu City, and rushed to Luoyang.
When passing by Yanshi, it is inevitable to pay attention to Shouyang Mountain, which has been difficult to conquer for a long time.
Facing the noble question, Zhu Xicai couldn't answer it, so she had to turn her head and glance at Zhao Chongyi behind her.
"Return to Prime Minister." Zhao Chongyi responded respectfully: "The thieves occupied Shouyang Mountain and held it with firearms. Our army originally suffered heavy casualties every time it attacked the mountain. The county magistrate suffered repeated defeats. Finally, he came up with a way to train dead soldiers and prepare
We took a detour and climbed up the northern cliff to make a surprise attack on Luhun Villa."
Zhu Xicai nodded repeatedly and said, "Prime Minister, that's exactly what it is."
Shouyang Mountain is not an isolated mountain, but the highest peak in the east of the Mangshan Mountains. It is located among the mountains and faces the Yellow River to the north, making it difficult to attack.
Gao Shang didn't even defeat him, and he didn't intend to embarrass Zhu Xicai too much. He chatted for a few more words and asked them to arrange food and lodging for him, rest for the night, and then set off for Luoyang.
He did not live in the post house in Yanshi City, because the post house had been set on fire, and he didn't like fire and would feel unsafe. Zhao Chongyi settled him in the county government office. There was no stove in the house, only more bunks.
There are a few quilts.
After settling in, Zhao Chongyi was about to leave when Gao Shang suddenly called out.
"Zhao Liu."
"Here." Zhao Chongyi stopped, his nose slightly opened, he took two deep breaths silently, turned around, and asked cautiously: "Prime Minister, would you like to arrange some beautiful maids to warm you up?"
"No need, sit down and talk." Gao Shang said: "You are now a county captain, how can you still behave like a lowly official?"
Zhao Chongyi carefully sat down opposite Gao Shang. Because the room was dark, he subconsciously wanted to light a candle, but stopped because Gao Shang was afraid of fire. He breathed a sigh of relief without having to look at Gao Shang's ugly, burnt face.
"The villain is frightened, and the subordinate officials are frightened. Everyone else is following Prince Dongping... Yuancong is a meritorious official who follows His Majesty, but the subordinate official is a minor official. He is given important positions just because of his affiliation. The subordinate official always feels that he is not worthy."
"What are we afraid of? The reason why we rebelled is to cry out, 'Does the king and general Xiang Ning have the guts?' When I was young, my family was poor. It was not just poverty, but I was humbled to the ground. My mother is old, and in order to support me
You also have to beg for food from others. Zhao Liu, your family has been officials for generations. In terms of background, you are much better than me. But I only have one more ambition than you. I once said, 'I would rather die for doing something than to end up with nothing.
"Bite the roots of grass to liven up your ears', and now it's finally done!"
In the darkness, the noble eyes were shining slightly, looking a little excited.
"Your Majesty was originally just a barbarian who was grazing outside the Great Wall, but now you are a noble person. Dayan is just such a brand-new court that allows lowly people to become prime ministers regardless of their origins! Stand up, don't kowtow in front of me.
.”
Zhao Chongyi straightened his back obediently.
Gao Shang smiled with satisfaction and said: "I know it was Xue Bai who promoted you from the concierge to the county Yamen Shicao."
"Prime Minister, you gave me this official's name..."
"There is no need to explain." Gao Shang said in a firm tone, "Don't use people you doubt, and don't doubt people you employ. Since I dare to use you, I believe that you are definitely on my side. People with Xue Bai's background don't understand, he just treats you as your
It is a great kindness to be promoted from a handyman to a county official, but I promote you to an official. This is a world of difference. We are on the same road, and only by doing things for me can you trample others under your feet."
"Yes, Prime Minister, I will send you to the official position to be reborn."
Every time Gao Shang came to Yanshi, he would think of the time when he became a scholar from a pariah, and he would get emotional, so he talked a little more. After expressing his feelings, his interest waned and he said: "You have to have confidence in Dayan, go down Bar."
"Well, I hope Enxiang will rest early and don't worry too much about state affairs. I will definitely assist the county magistrate in capturing Shouyang Mountain."
After Zhao Chongyi received some instruction, he became more respectful and humble. Like a servant, he arranged his noble shoes on the ground before retiring.
Gao Shang was very satisfied with his attitude and nodded.
~~
Before dawn, smoke was rising from the backyard of the county government office. Zhao Chongyi specially ordered the kitchen to cook Gao Shang's favorite late rice noodle soup.
There is heavy snow outside the window, and a bowl of warm sour soup makes people feel quite comfortable.
After Gao Shang had eaten, he was not in a hurry to rush to Luoyang immediately. Instead, he ordered: "Go to Shouyang Mountain and have a look."
He was very familiar with this section of the road. After riding his horse to the north for more than an hour, he could see the towering mountains in the wind and snow. The camp of soldiers and horses surrounding the mountains was at the foot of the mountain, but still some distance away from the mountain road. .
"You have to be careful if you go further. The thieves have set up huge rock cannons on the mountain. Sometimes they can hit this place."
Gao Shang stationed his horse and observed for a while. He found that he had been away for two months and the offensive on Shouyang Mountain had not advanced. Instead, he withdrew many troops and blocked it instead.
Zhu Xicai felt Gao Shang's displeasure and stepped forward and said: "Prime Minister, after all, these are just a bunch of bandits. Although the Yan Kingdom has many soldiers and horses, now is not the time to suppress the bandits. I have blocked the main road down the mountain. If you cut off their food and grass, they will be trapped to death sooner or later."
"With such a huge forest, you can trap them to death?"
Zhu Xicai didn't dare to answer, thinking that this group of bandits had done nothing but defend Shouyang Mountain, and Gao was still making too much fuss.
In fact, Shouyang Mountain has not yet been captured, precisely because it is not a strategic location. Since the rebels arrived, Xue Bai's private soldiers have never come down from the mountain. Only terrible traps, tight A solid defense is blocking the way into the mountain, so if you don't mess with it, you'll be fine.
Gao Shang squinted his eyes and glanced at the stretching mountains, and suddenly said: "What do you think, how about setting it on fire and burning it completely?"
"This is Mang Mountain!" Zhu Xicai exclaimed in surprise.
Although Shouyang Mountain is in the east, it also belongs to the Mangshan Mountains, and there are countless emperors buried in Mangshan. Zhu Xicai has only heard about eight Zhou kings from the Eastern Zhou Dynasty since he took office, five emperors from the Eastern Han Dynasty, and the Three Kingdoms Emperor. The two emperors of Wei and the empresses of Wu and Shu, etc.
"The mountains and forests are all connected together, so don't set fire. Once it reaches the emperor's tomb..."
"I don't care about emperors." Gao Shang sneered: "I am a pariah, and since I have started a rebellion, why should I be afraid of a few dead emperors?"
Zhu Xicai disagreed with these arrogant words. He did not think that rebellion had anything to do with burning mountains. It was impossible for him to do it anyway.
Fortunately, Gao Shang was just talking and did not set fire to it today. He just took out a letter from his sleeve and asked in public which soldier dared to be the messenger. Soon a soldier with good conversation came out.
"The general guarding the mountain must be Fan Lao. I told him that it was a letter from an old friend. Dayan will soon establish a country. I will give him one last chance to be the founding hero."
"Here!"
The messenger responded and immediately ran into the mountain climbing path and quickly disappeared into the woods... Gao Shang waited until the afternoon and never saw him come down again.
The wind blows and the snow falls, and the world is lonely.
"Prime Minister, have you set off?"
"Let's go." Gao Shang still has to rush to Luoyang and has to set off.
At this time, a team of fast horses came rushing from the west. The two teams met head-on. The other side shouted from a distance: "Where is Gao Shang?!"
Seeing that An Lushan's order had arrived, Gao Shang got off his horse, went up to greet him, and said, "I'm here."
Although An Lushan has not yet proclaimed himself emperor, there is no shortage of eunuchs around him. Some of them are originally from the Ziwei Palace in Luoyang, and some have just been purified and entered the palace to serve. Although the eunuch who came to deliver the order today is old, his voice is
It's very high-pitched. It must have been castrated before the voice changed, and it belongs to the Luoyang Palace.
However, even such a lowly slave who was favored just because of his surrender dared to put on airs in front of Gao Shang, a hero of Yuan Cong.
"Your Majesty has spoken a decree and decree, and you will accept it noble."
"I accept the order."
Gao Shang agreed with his hands crossed, and after waiting for a while, he saw the old eunuch holding the emperor's silk ribbon high in one hand. He never spoke and just looked at him. He was stunned for a while and finally understood, so he knelt down and said again: "I accept the order."
.”
"You trash!" The old eunuch suddenly pinched his fingers, imitating An Lushan's angry tone, and cursed: "You and Yan Zhuang talked nicely at the beginning, but now it is completely different from what you said, and you still dare to be the prime minister.
?Get lost! Don’t ever see us again.”
Gao Shang was surprised at first, then realized that this was an oral message, and he quickly looked panicked.
Then, the Huang Ling was handed to him. He took it with both hands and unfolded it to see that it was actually a decree to curse him.
"You and I have a perfect way, and you will have nothing to fear. From the four sides now, only Zheng is the only one left. Bianzhou is still there. To the west, there is no way to pass, and there is no more Hebei. Where is the perfect thing?! There is no need to see me!"
An Lushan has always had a bad temper and willful behavior. In the past, he was noble and only thought that the prince was really good-natured, and he would just give him advice when things happened. Now that he is about to ascend the throne, it is very inappropriate to still lose his temper like this.
Gao Shang's brows without eyebrows were raised, he stood up, rolled up the scroll in his hand at random, and asked: "May I ask the envoy, who made the saint's unintentional words into a decree? Do you want to shake the morale of the army and alienate the ministers?
!”
The old eunuch was not afraid of him. He took two steps forward and asked quietly but seriously: "Do you know how angry His Majesty is?"
Gao Shang's heart trembled, and he could feel An Lushan's terrifying anger.
The situation currently faced by the rebels is indeed very serious...
~~
Dusk, Yanshi County.
Gao Shang, who was originally going to Luoyang, returned to the county seat.
That night, Zhu Xicai bought two pots of wine and invited Zhao Chongyi to drink a few glasses with him. Then he asked, "Have you seen what happened today?"
"This... has never been clear."
"Our saint sometimes has a bad temper."
"The county magistrate must not lie. If others hear it, it will be a serious crime to criticize the public."
"I don't care about 'criticizing Chengyu', we don't play this trick either." Zhu Xicai said: "What I'm afraid of is that the current situation is really not very good. Hebei is lost, Tongguan cannot be entered, and the Tang army is still there
The east side is pressing forward step by step."
Zhao Chongyi said: "This is all temporary, the county magistrate does not need to worry."
"I'm worried."
Zhu Xicai sighed with emotion and poured Zhao Chongyi a few more glasses of wine. When he was a little drunk, he said, "Xue Bai, the commander-in-chief of the Tang Army in the east, is there something old with you?"
Zhao Chongyi was picking up vegetables. He was so frightened that his chopsticks dropped to the ground. He quickly said: "What does this mean, the county minister? Prime Minister Gao gave me an official position. This is a great kindness."
"You have to have a life to be an official." Zhu Xicai whispered: "What I mean is, if the situation changes... Count me in?"
Zhao Chongyi shook his head and said: "What the county magistrate said, I just pretended not to hear it tonight. I was drunk and couldn't hear clearly."
After that, he didn't dare to drink anymore and staggered out.
After returning to his residence, Zhao Chongyi opened the window and took a peek behind him. No one was watching, so he quietly went out and went to the courtyard where Gao Shang lived again. He called in a low voice and asked to see Gao Shang overnight.
"What's the matter?"
Gao Shang seemed not to have slept. He stood up from the couch and his voice was still very awake.
"Your Excellency, Magistrate Zhu seems to be shaken." Zhao Chongyi stepped forward and carefully explained what happened tonight.
"Short-sighted." Gao Shang commented lightly on Zhu Xicai.
"yes."
"What about you? Never wavered?"
"To be honest with you, I don't want to lose my official position." Zhao Chongyi said, "I am from a humble background, unlike Xue Bai who has a nepotism to cling to. To him, the county captain is a high-ranking official, but to him, he is a glorious ancestor.
. A low-ranking official would rather die than live as a lowly official again."
"Smart, Xue Bai is wanted by Hunjun. Just watch, the Tang army in the east will be defeated soon."
Gao Shang had already thought about it before leaving for Luoyang this time. Slightly slowing down the oppression of Yongqiu County would also give the Tang army an opportunity for internal fighting.
I didn't expect that Zhao Liu could understand these situations.
"Go ahead."
"I am resigning, please be kind enough to rest in peace."
When Zhao Chongyi retreated, Gao Shang did not rest. Instead, he whispered a few words to his confidants. After a while, Zhu Xicai arrived.
"I've met the Prime Minister."
"Zhao Liu has been here." Gao Shang said, "He has withstood my test."
Zhu Xicai said: "Yes, the official has never found out that he has any contact with Shouyang Mountain."
"It seems that it is impossible to use him to conquer Shouyang Mountain."
The reason why Gao Shang used Zhao Liu as his concierge was not because he had sympathy for his humble background from the beginning. There were so many humble people in the world that he couldn't pity him. He just thought that Zhao Liu might have stayed in Yanshi County from Shouyang Mountain.
There was a hidden stake in him, so he took advantage of it and promoted him to county captain.
"That's all, just treat it as a loyal dog."
"yes."
"And you." Gao Shang glanced at Zhu Xicai lightly and said, "Don't worry, although the Tang army is large, it is just a mob. Although the saint is angry with me for a while, within three days, he will use me again after his anger subsides."
"The official has always been very relieved."
~~
Gao Shang was very certain that An Lushan would definitely send someone to call him back to Luoyang within three days at most.
Because this kind of thing has happened too many times in the past, An Lushan has always been a little childish, and his anger goes away as quickly as it comes. He should stay in Yanshi County and try to conquer Shouyang Mountain.
But that day, before he left the city, some cavalry came back from outside the city and reported: "A group of soldiers and horses is coming from the south."
"What's going on?"
"It was discovered by the sentinel who died in Wu Ling. He said that he encountered signs of troops marching in the Wan'an Mountain area. I don't know which route the troops came from."
"When?"
"Two days ago."
Gao Shang thought that the Tang army might want to attack Luoyang by surprise.
He had to face this with caution, so he summoned his own soldiers and said, "Take someone back to Luoyang to remind the saint to guard against a surprise attack by the Tang army. If you don't see the saint, you must report it to Yanzhuang."
"Here!"
"One more thing." Gao Shang took two steps, leaned over, lowered his voice, and said, "Let Yan Zhuang check if there is any fine work from the Tang court around the saint. Whose hand did that edict accusing me of? From
Start investigating this matter."
"Here!"
Just after he finished his instructions, he could already see the sky to the south. A black line appeared in the heavy snow, coming like a tide. Gao Shang responded calmly and said: "Don't pay attention to it, go quickly."
After seeing off his soldiers, he stood by the battlements and looked at the soldiers and horses coming from a distance. Which Tang army was he guessing? Lu Jiong, the governor of Nanyang? Lai Ai, the governor of Yingchuan? Wei Zhongxi, the governor of Xiangyang?
No matter who he is, he is not very lucky and happens to meet Gao Shang in Yanshi County...
~~
At the same time, Luoyang.
The Mingtang still stands tall and can be seen as far away as the Luoyang City Gate.
Tian Qianzhen came back from the Tongguan battlefield to report the military situation. When he entered the city, he first wanted to see Gao Shang, and then he went to see Anlu Mountain together. After hearing about Gao Shang and Yan Zhuang being reprimanded, he had to rush to Ziwei Palace to see him.
He had been watched by An Lushan since he was a child in Fan Yang's army. He was highly skilled in martial arts and brave in battle. He was liked by An Lushan and entered the palace city smoothly.
"Ah Hao is here."
An Lushan was trying on his dragon robe, but his eyes were full of worry. As soon as they met, he couldn't wait to ask: "Can Tongguan still be captured?"
"Yes!" Tian Qianzhen said: "According to reliable military information, Ge Shuhan is seriously ill and has handed over the military to Tian Liangqiu. The Tang army has different military orders. We will definitely win."
"Really? You're not comforting me?"
In fact, there is no way to tell accurately about the war. Tian Qian was really comforting An Lushan, but he knew what An Lushan was thinking.
"Really. Please rest assured, your majesty. Since ancient times, emperors have won and lost before becoming great. How can they succeed in one fell swoop? Although there are many soldiers and horses of the Tang army on all sides now, they are all newly recruited rabble. They are far less capable than me and Fan Yang. Even if Even if things don't work out, even if they recruit tens of thousands of people, they can run rampant across the world and tear apart a piece of earth, who will they be afraid of?!"
Tian Qian was really a young man, and his words were full of vigor, which made An Lushan very happy.
He then took the opportunity to excuse his nobleness and solemnity.
"Mr. Gao and Mr. Yan are both heroes who have followed His Majesty for many years. If we don't see them and let the generals know about it, it will be really dangerous."
"Ah Hao also knows that nothing can stop me from having such a bad temper."
The reason why An Lushan issued an edict against Gao Shang and Yan Zhuang was because he heard various news about the war going wrong, and thought that these two people persuaded him to rebel. As a result, his eldest son An Qingzong was beheaded by Li Longji, and things were not going well either. I wish I could really kill the two of them to vent my anger.
Although he was frightened when he was angry, he returned to his innocent look after his anger subsided. He held his belly and said sadly: "Now that I have scolded you, what should I do?"
"Why don't your Majesty hold a banquet to invite them back?"
"All right."
An Lushan stroked the dragon robe on his body, thinking that he would have to use capable ministers to help him become emperor, and said: "Then Yi Ahao, I will host a banquet for them and sing to them myself."
…
As Gao Shang expected, within two days, An Lushan had already calmed down and wanted to continue to reuse him.
On the same day, a decree was sent from Luoyang to Yanshi.
~~
Yanshi County.
Following noble orders one after another, the defenders in the city were dealing with the rushing enemy troops in an orderly manner.
Close the suspension bridge, close the city gate, light the beacon fire, beat the tong drum, chaos and order.
"Quick! Break the ice on the Luoshui River!"
Gao Shang strode to the trebuchet and shouted to the soldiers, so the soldiers loaded the stones with a creaking sound.
Suddenly someone raised his hand and pointed at the heavy snow outside the city and said: "Prime Minister, look!"
The sound of horse hoofbeats was getting closer and closer, and the Tang army finally rushed to the south bank of Luoshui River.
Afterwards, a half-rolled flag was unfurled by the wind.
Gao Shang squinted his eyes, his pupils showing disbelief.
"Xue?"
Although there are countless generals named Xue in the world, he had a hunch in his heart that it was Xue Bai who came. But if it was Xue Bai who came, who was he who fought fiercely with him in Chenliu and Yongqiu for two months?
He turned his eyes slightly and saw another flag with the words "Prefect of Changshan" written on it.
In response to his premonition, he murmured: "How is it possible? It's impossible... that's fine."
After only a moment of shock, Gao Shang calmed down, thinking that he would just compete with Xue Bai to avenge the fire that burned his body.
He has been waiting for this day for a long time.
Under the city, armored generals marched out and rode their horses to the edge of Luoshui River. They did not step on the ice, but looked up at Yanshi County... Even though they were far away, Gao Shang knew that Xue Bai was coming.
He laughed and shouted loudly.
"Xue Bai! You came just in time, you are destined to die in my hands!"
The shouting was so loud that it shook the snow off the battlements, and Gao Shang was unable to hear the sound of boots treading the snow behind him.
Until someone called him.
"Favor."
Gao Shang turned around and saw that Zhao Chongyi was coming, followed by a group of people.
He then said: "Zhao Liu, wear armor for me..."
"puff."
The dagger has mercilessly penetrated the noble chest.
He froze, frozen there, as if frozen in the cold winter.
In the distance, Zhu Xicai stood there, eagerly taking off his official robe from the Great Yan Dynasty in the heavy snow.
"Why...why?" Gao Shang murmured: "The name I gave you..."
"You said you came from a humble background and wanted to lead me to trample others under my feet."
In this moment, Zhao Chongyi actually pulled out the dagger and stabbed it again.
"But you've stepped on me, so get out of the way."
Gao Shang felt very dazed and did not hear clearly what Zhao Chongyi was saying. In his ears, he heard the city gate creaking shut and then creaking open. Xue Bai must be entering the city soon.
His opponent was Xue Bai, not the Zhao Liu in front of him. Zhao Liu was just a handyman, a concierge, and an unknown person.
Gao Shang tried hard to turn his head and take another look at Xue Bai, the person who was truly worthy of being his enemy.