When it was Bian Yuanheng's turn to ask for an audience, Zhang Yangquan gave a few more instructions to make the two of them speak more tactfully.
"Foreign envoy Bian Yuanheng, please pay homage to Manager Zhang." After Bian Yuanheng entered the study, he proudly handed over his hands.
Zhang Yangquan waved his hand and said: "Brother Bian doesn't need to see anyone outside. I don't know what King Cheng wants, but Brother Bian just says it's okay!"
"I have been specially ordered by my king to discuss with your army about joining forces to fight against the Yuan Dynasty!"
Zhang Yangquan was slightly startled. He thought Bian Yuanheng was here for gunpowder, but unexpectedly he didn't mention gunpowder when he opened his mouth.
"Tuotuo of Xuzhou is about to lead his army south. I already know about this and am planning to join forces with your army to fight against Tuotuo's army." He said.
Bian Yuanheng said happily: "As long as you and I work together, we will definitely make the Yuan army return without success!!"
Ma Yulin suddenly said: "I wonder how your army plans to deal with Tuotuo's army?"
Bian Yuanheng glanced at him and said: "According to the wishes of the king of my family, I hope that your two families will also join forces and fight head-on when the enemy attacks!"
Luo Guanzhong shook his head and said: "The enemy's army is powerful. Even if our two armies join forces, our numbers will be far inferior to theirs."
Bian Yuanheng said: "Although the Yuan army is large, it is a multi-pronged coalition and a mob. Liu Futong was able to defeat 300,000 yuan troops. If you and I join forces, we may not be able to imitate Liu Gong's feat!"
Ma Yulin sneered and said: "Liu Futong's victory was all due to the incompetence of the enemy general. How can we generalize?"
Bian Yuanheng snorted: "How does Ma Tuiguan know that the enemy general will not make mistakes this time?"
Ma Yulin said loudly: "Tuotuo, Dong Tuanxiao, and Chahan Timur are all men who are good at conquering and fighting. How can they be compared with a waste like Timur?"
Bian Yuanheng pondered for a long time and said: "Then I would like to ask your army to set up camp at the north gate of Gaoyou, so that your armies and our armies will be at odds with each other!"
Ma Yulin laughed: "Your army asked our army to camp outside the city, but you hid in the city and huddled. Don't you think it's ridiculous?"
Bian Yuanheng said calmly: "If your army feels something is wrong, our army can be stationed outside the city, and your army can help us guard Gaoyou City!"
Luo Guanzhong interjected: "The enemy's force is huge. For now, we can only stick to it. When the enemy's army is exhausted, you and I will cooperate inside and outside, and we will have the greatest success!"
Bian Yuanheng's face darkened and he said: "Your army wants our army to be used as bait to contain the Yuan army?"
Ma Yulin sneered and said: "Originally, the Yuan army would have rushed towards you first. It's not that we asked you to be the bait, but that you were destined to be besieged!"
Bian Yuanheng raised his head and said: "If your army is unwilling to send troops and just wants to hide behind and watch, our army can also abandon Gaoyou City and defend Taizhou."
Seeing that the topic was about to die, Zhang Yangquan quickly stepped on the brakes and said: "Prince Cheng has a reputation as a virtuous man. I believe he will not abandon the people of Gaoyou, just like our army will not abandon your army!"<
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Bian Yuanheng stared at Zhang Yangquan quietly for a while and said: "In that case, our army can defend Gaoyou. I just hope that your army can provide us with some gunpowder to defend the city. If you don't agree to this, how can we trust your army's sincerity?"<
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Zhang Yangquan secretly exclaimed, "No wonder Bian Yuanheng didn't mention the gunpowder directly. It turned out to be waiting for him here!
He pondered for a while and said: "I wonder how long the food stored in Gaoyou City can last?"
Bian Yuanheng said blankly: "We only conquered Gaoyou in May and have just harvested the first season of grain. We can only last for more than three months!"
"Gunpowder is our army's top secret and I can't provide it. However, I can provide your army with fifteen thousand stones of food, which should be enough to support your army for one more month!" Zhang Yangquan thought for a while and said.
Bian Yuanheng looked hesitant. Although food was also important, his mission this time was to obtain gunpowder.
Ma Yulin snorted and said, "Don't nearly 20,000 dan of grain prove the sincerity of our army?"
Bian Yuanheng had explored Zhang Yangquan's bottom line and knew that if he continued to talk, he would not be able to obtain gunpowder, so he might as well give it up: "I understand, then thank you Manager Zhang for the gift of food!"
After Bian Yuanheng left, Zhang Yangquan finally breathed a sigh of relief.
After waiting at the General Manager's Mansion for a while, Qin Lingjun came back and explained Yang Ying's situation.
Zhang Yangquan poured her a cup of tea and said, "So, she has not revealed her ambition to make Han Lin'er the emperor?"
Qin Lingjun nodded and said, "I carefully observed her expression, and it shouldn't look like she was lying."
Zhang Yangquan believed Qin Lingjun's vision, so he put the matter aside and accompanied her to the military camp to inspect the training of the reserve army.
When we returned to the General Manager's Mansion, it was already noon, and the guards delivered lunch to the study. Just when Zhang Yangquan was about to start, the guards came to report that Li Er was back.
It turned out that Li Er not only held Du Zundao for more than an hour, but also kept an eye on him and found that he went to see Yang Ying, then returned to Guanyi, and left Jiangdu with his entourage.
Zhang Yangquan ordered his guards to get another meal and said with a smile: "Thank you for your hard work, General Li. You can eat at my place. By the way, what do you want from coming to see me this morning?"
Li Er hurriedly said: "My subordinates came here today to recommend a talent to the general manager!"
"Who?"
"Please wait a moment."
Li Er turned around and left the study. Not long after, he came back with a young man.
The young man knelt down on one knee and said to Zhang Yangquan, "Fu Youde, please pay my respects to the manager!"
Zhang Yangquan's eyes lit up. Although Fu Youde's name was not as loud as Chang Yuchun, he was also a famous general in the late Yuan Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty. He hurriedly stepped forward to help him up and said with a smile: "Brother Fu, please get up quickly."
Li Ermei said: "Youde is my old subordinate when I was in Xuzhou. He is alert, brave and loyal. I hope the manager will give him a chance to make contributions."
Zhang Yangquan showed hesitation. Although he knew that Fu Youde was a talent, according to Jiangdu military rules, no matter how capable he was, he had to be promoted slowly based on merit.
He doesn't want to break the rules just because of one person.
Seeing that he was silent, Fu Youde guessed what he was thinking and said, "General manager, before Du Zundao and I came to Jiangdu, we actually took a detour to Qingshui to inquire about what was going on in Xuzhou."
Zhang Yangquan asked: "What's gained?"
Fu Youde said: "Timur has returned to Xuzhou and is under house arrest in the army, but Tuotuo has not immediately asked him about his crime."
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Zhang Yangquan frowned secretly, why didn't the agent sent to Xuzhou send this news back?
Fu Youde saw his thoughts and said: "The manager does not have to worry, Tuotuo has blocked the news, so outsiders have already returned to Xuzhou without knowing it!"
Li Er said with emotion: "Then how did you know?"
Fu Youde said: "Du Zundao has many secret agents in the Tuotuo Army, many of whom have high-level positions, so he can find out confidential information."
Zhang Yangquan remained silent. Compared with Liu Futong and Du Zundao, he started a little later, and in terms of intelligence, he was not as good as them.
This shortcoming must be made up for, and it can be made up for, because he has more financial resources than Liu Futong!
Fu Youde continued: "In my opinion, the reason why Tuotuo blocked the news is to protect Timur. We can help him in this regard!"
Zhang Yangquan was stunned and said: "Help him?"
Fu Youde laughed and said: "I thought that if I stay in the Yuan court first, I can get three good generals than we do!"
Zhang Yangquan laughed and said: "That makes sense, what can you do to save me first?"
Fu Youde said: "If we want to save him, we must first find another scapegoat. Jia Lu is a man of many schemes and fickleness, and he is also his right-hand man. We might as well let him be the scapegoat!"
Zhang Yangquan's eyes flashed brightly and he said: "You want to get rid of Jia Lu? Can you do it?"
Fu Youde smiled and said: "Logically speaking, Tuotuo relies heavily on this thief and will not attack him easily. But compared with his brothers and even his own future, his choice can be imagined!"
Zhang Yangquan was convinced, and decided to protect himself first, not only for the sake of family ties, but also because he was worried that it would implicate himself. After all, the order to change generals on the spot came from him.
Fu Youde held up his hands and said: "If the manager trusts me, I would like to go to Xuzhou in person and put the responsibility for the defeat of Haozhou on Jia Lu!"
Zhang Yangquan stood up and saluted Fu Youde.
Fu Youde was stunned and said: "Manager, what are you..."
Zhang Yangquan sighed: "To be honest with brother Fu, Jia Lu is my wife's biggest enemy. I pay my respects to you to thank you on my wife's behalf!"
Fu Youde hurriedly said: "Jia Lu, the old thief, helped Zhou to commit evil. He also had a share in Xuzhou's blood debt. I want to get rid of him early!"
Li Er listened and patted him on the shoulder.
Zhang Yangquan said coldly: "Let's settle this debt with him together! Just go ahead and do it. If you have any needs, the General Manager's Office will satisfy you!"
Fu Youde smiled and said: "Actually, this is extremely easy. I just need to ask Zhang Tianyou to write a handwritten letter thanking Jia Lu for informing the Haozhou Army of the Yuan Army's battle plan before he left!"
Zhang Yangquan’s eyes lit up.
For Tuotuo, what he needs most now is such a thing. Even if he knows that someone is framing Jia Lu, he will still choose to believe it.
In an instant, Zhang Yangquan's thoughts were swirling in his mind, and a better plan emerged, and he said to Li Er: "General Li, you and Fu Qianhu immediately go to Zhang Tianyou for help. It is expected that he will not refuse. After writing the letter, take it immediately.
Come here."
Li Erdao: "Thousand households?"
Zhang Yangquan said with a smile: "Brother Fu's plan is a great achievement, so I plan to promote him to Qianhu!"
Fu Youde said anxiously: "Manager, this plan has not been successful yet..."
Zhang Yangquan waved his hand and said: "It doesn't matter, you will temporarily serve as Qianhu, and I will make you a full member after the plan is successful."
Fu Youde gratefully handed over his hand and went with Li Er.
Zhang Yangquan asked his guards to get white vinegar again. After more than half an hour, Li Er and Fu Youde came over with a letter written by Zhang Tianyou.
Zhang Yangquan took the letter and dipped his pen in white vinegar and wrote a line at the top. Li Er and Fu Youde leaned over and were surprised when they saw what Zhang Yangquan wrote.
"Manager, why did you add these words?" Fu Youde asked confused.
Zhang Yangquan smiled and said nothing, put the paper on the table, pressed the corners with an inkstone, and then said: "Let's wait a moment." He ordered someone to open the window.
Not long after, both Li Er and Fu Youde were so surprised that the words written by Zhang Yangquan magically disappeared.
Both of them were born in poverty, and they didn't know that the handwriting would disappear after writing with white vinegar and drying. They both showed expressions of disbelief.
Fu Youde suddenly had a flash in his mind and asked: "Manager, can these words still be visible?"
Zhang Yangquan laughed and said: "Brother Fu, it's really easy to see through it with just a few words. These characters can be revealed by roasting them with fire!"
Fu Youde admired: "The manager's move is much better than my plan. In this way, not only can Tuotuo get rid of Jia Lu, but it can also bring more trouble to Tuotuo!"
Zhang Yangquan's eyes flashed and he said: "The Yuan army is so powerful that facing the enemy head-on is the worst strategy, but attacking their morale mentally is the best strategy!"
Li Er and Fu Youde are both praised as good.
That night, Fu Youde took Qiao Zhuang as a merchant and headed for Xuzhou with Zhang Tianyou's letter.