Since the beginning of spring, the Yuan Dynasty has sent more than a thousand scouts, with a beacon for ten miles, directly to Zhuoxie Mountain (to the west of Junji Mountain, present-day Manda Jingobi, Mongolia, and together with Junji Mountain, it is the border between Yuan, Wei and Rouran) to closely explore Rouran.
However, the trend.
In the past two months, both the small Rouran tribe to the north of Zhuoxie Mountain and the Rouran Khan's court further up the mountain have been calm and calm, and there have been no large troop movements of soldiers and horses. Therefore, the Yuan Prey
He took the opportunity to send troops to prevent the worms from stealing his nest.
But suddenly tens of thousands of Rouran elite soldiers appeared. Could it be that they fell from the sky?
Yuan Zhi immediately stationed his troops in Yumen County and ordered him to make a circuitous route along the Qilian Mountains and explore eastward.
You won’t know if you don’t check, but you will be shocked if you check: Zhangye and Wuwei are like locusts crossing the border, leaving no chickens or dogs behind. Except that the city walls have not been pushed down, the houses have not been burned, and not even a root of grass has been left behind. Dongliangzhou
The governor Yuanhui was even more confused about whether he was alive or dead.
I checked again and got no response.
For nearly two months, no matter how many scouts Yuan Zhi sent out, how many layers of identity he disguised, and how carefully he hid, if he crossed the ancient silk road fifty miles to the north, even one of them would never come back.
The most horrifying thing for Yuan Zhi is that he once sent a battalion of fine cavalry, light and half-armored, vowing to find out the truth, but in the end it was still like a stone sinking into the sea, with no people alive, no dead bodies, and not even a horse escaped.
It is as if there is a huge beast guarding the north of the ancient road. No matter how many come, it will swallow up nothing left.
At the same time, the scouts sent to the north of Zhuoxie Mountain, Junji Mountain, and Nantang Mountain came back one after another, saying that from the west of Junji Mountain to the Rouran Khan Court, no trace of any large army was found, and not a single person was seen.
Shadow, horse trace.
But the strange thing is that more than ten thousand Rouran elite soldiers suddenly appeared in the area from Nantoushan to Daqi, and they occupied Bigan City, which originally belonged to Woye Town?
No matter how slow Yuan Zhi reacts, he still knows that something is fishy.
The art of war is divided when the cloud is doubled, the attack is done by five, and the enemy is surrounded by ten. Thousands of elite scouts can be disappeared silently. There are at least tens of thousands of enemy elites north of Zhangye and Wuwei counties. Otherwise, it is impossible to even survive.
None can escape.
If we add the 10,000 troops stationed at Daqiu, this would be 20,000 upwards, and it would be considered a strong brigade. However, he only has more than 10,000 soldiers and horses in his hands, how can he dare to force the tiger's beard?
He immediately gave up the idea of seeking death, and even recalled all the South Road experts, and then reported to the court urgently.
The Yuan bird of prey was located in the western border. It didn't know where to go, so it only thought that Rouran was really invading. The reason why it didn't pass through Zhuoxie Mountain and Junji Mountain was probably because it came from the east of Daqi instead of seeking the nearest.
But Yuancheng, the leader, thought of the West Sea first.
The Rouran people's heads were swollen, so they didn't take the shortcut and made a big circle and walked thousands of miles to capture Liangzhou?
Moreover, it is too obvious: Rouran Khan Court and Zhuoxie Mountain have no trace of sending troops. Zhangye and Wuwei have been captured by the quotation, and there are tens of thousands of troops stationed north of the ancient road?
And the same is true of Nantang Mountain and Bigan City, where more than ten thousand Rouran troops suddenly appeared?
Then there was a sudden chaos in Six Towns, and there were a large number of refugees. The defeated army fled from Beizhen and fled to the west. However, not half of them fled to Jiuquan, and they pointed directly to the West Sea.
All you have to do is pull out another map and draw a circle on it, and no matter how stupid you are, you can figure it out: This group of creeping cavalry seems not only to rob, but also to seize Xihai, Zhangye, and Wuwei counties, and also
Gather the rebels who escaped from the six towns and defeat them.
If Rouran really invades, they will not only take Dongliang Prefecture, but leave the richer Jiuquan nearby.
It is even less possible to take advantage of the civil strife in the six towns and sit idly by and not avenge the bloody defeat at the hands of Gao Zhao last year.
Therefore, these 20,000 soldiers are like Hu soldiers descending from heaven, and they definitely do not come from Rouran.
Moreover, Yuan Ying had been dead for less than a year, and Gao Zhao had rebelled for only half a year. The two of them had secretly informed the Queen Mother many times before, saying that the West Sea was where Li Chengzhi hid his troops, with tens of thousands of strong soldiers and tens of thousands of Dingkou. The memorial is still locked in the secretary’s cabinet. How could Yuan Cheng forget it so quickly?
Otherwise, why Chao Yan ordered Yuan Zhi and Yuan Hui to patrol the West Sea was because he suspected that the two men's reports were more true than false.
By chance, news came from Xi Zuo who had sneaked into Jinming County, saying that Gao Zhao treated Yuan Yi and Li Shixian as if they were guests, serving them good wine and meat every day without any trouble.
Yuan Yi was a prince of the clan and the biological father of the emperor. His significance was of great importance, so he was naturally worthy of Gao Zhao's treatment. But Li Shixian's official position was only the fifth rank, his family status was no more than middle-lower, and his ministry records were lacking. Why should Gao Zhao treat him so politely?
Unless he is also of great use...
What's more, just after Li Chengzhi died, coincidences happened one after another:
It had only been a little over a month since Li Chengzhi was killed, and suddenly tens of thousands of barbarian soldiers appeared and captured Hexi?
The two counties of Zhangye and Wuwei were plundered, and tens of thousands of Hu troops suddenly appeared in Bigan City and Daqi. At this juncture, the six towns happened to be in chaos?
What's more coincidental is that Li Chengzhi's cousin Li Chengxian and Li's old servants have left the capital one after another, and now even Li Chengzhi's biological mother has been kidnapped?
As a result, there is no one in the huge capital that Li Chengzhi misses?
After several combinations, everyone who knows Li Chengzhi well will all have wild imaginations: Do these items, piece by piece, look like Li Chengzhi's handwriting?
Therefore, it is not just Yuan Cheng, Liu Fang, Cui Guang, You Zhao, and Yuan Yuan are all so suspicious.
However, it is all taken for granted and there is no empirical evidence, so no one has stated it explicitly, only guessing in secret.
Furthermore, the two powers were at odds with each other. Even if they wanted to follow the clues and get to the bottom of things, they had to wait until the Gao family's rebels were killed, the Northland was pacified, and the six towns were stabilized before making any plans.
Yuan Cheng is different: if he, Yuan Ying, and Yuan Jia had not colluded in the struggle for power and profit, and worked together to deceive Gao Ying, trying to make Li Chengzhi and Gao Zhao fight, why would the current situation have happened?
Now that Gao Zhao has rebelled, if it is confirmed that Li Chengzhi also faked his death and was secretly waiting for an opportunity, someone must be responsible. Unfortunately, both Yuan Ying and Yuan Jia went to hell, and it would be difficult for Yuan Cheng not to take the blame.
Compared with taking the blame, Yuan Cheng is more afraid of death, ruining the great empire of Yuan and Wei, and becoming a sinner for the ages.
Therefore, now he no longer cares about his own safety. Even if he fights Gao Ying to convict and execute him, he still has to beware of Xihai.
Because Yuan Cheng knew very well that if Gao Zhao was a wolf, Li Chengzhi would be a tiger. If he were to become powerful, Yuan and Wei would be destroyed...
The more Yuan Cheng thought about it, the colder he felt in his heart.
Gao Ying's anger remained unabated, and a rare stern look appeared on his face: "Yuan Cheng, do you know that if, according to what you said, Li Chengzhi is not dead and is now hiding in Xihai, you are the first servant. , you, Yuan Ying, and Yuan Jia are all the chief culprits. If you are not held accountable, how can you be held responsible by the ministers and the people of the world?"
Yuan Cheng was suddenly startled, and when he saw Gao Ying's silver teeth clenching, he understood everything.
It turns out that the Queen Mother knows everything?
The reason why I didn't mention it, and even more so because I didn't believe it, was because I didn't want to cause chaos in the DPRK at this critical moment when everyone was surrounded by soldiers.
No matter how unbearable he was, his reputation spread far and wide, and he was regarded by the world as the chief assistant of Duke Zhou...
Yuan Cheng knelt down with a "pop" sound: "I know that I deserve to die for my crime, but the disaster has already happened, and it is too late to regret. I don't want to live, I just want to use my body to apologize for my sins just in case... Please Queen Mother
With the approval, I also gave you an imperial edict, allowing me to rush to the river to appease the Li family..."
"Appeasement?"
Gao Ying's face turned livid: "If Li Chengzhi didn't hate you to the core, why would he have rushed into the Zhongshan Prince's Mansion on the day of the assassination? Yuan Cheng, can you believe it or not that you stepped into the West Sea with your front foot, and your head was in a different place with your back foot?
What will happen?"
After a pause, Gao Ying sneered like a neurotic again: "I originally planned that when the snow sets in winter, both Jin Ming and Beizhen will have to stop their troops. If there is a little leisure at that time, Cui Shangshu and Wei Shaoqing can be sent
Wait, I will go west with the imperial edict to protect Mrs. Guo...but I don't want to risk my life and fall short..."
Yuan Cheng was stunned and speechless, and Yuan Quan, who was pretending to be a living dead, was even more shocked and broke into a sweat.
Doesn't it mean that the Queen Mother has no quick wits and only mediocre talents? Why is her plan so far-reaching and kept secret?
Gao Ying smiled sadly again: "That's all, it's true that you, Yuan Ying, and Yuan Jia were the first servants, but how can Gu be spared and live alone? Now I can only try my best to do it..."
"Queen Mother!"
Yuan Cheng cried out sadly and grabbed the ground with his head, "The situation is far from critical now. The Queen Mother must not become depressed and give up on herself?"
"It's just a matter of survival!"
Gao Ying sighed, his expression indescribably desolate, "Even if Gao Zhao can be defeated, does the imperial court still have enough energy to march to the west? King Rencheng, you must not forget that Xihai only has five thousand armored cavalry, and only one
Within ten days, tens of thousands of soldiers with string control were killed, and the Du Lun tribe, which had the leader Man could rely on, was wiped out..."
It was as if five thunders struck his head. In an instant, Yuan Cheng's face turned as white as paper. There was already blood on his forehead, but he didn't even notice it.
He gritted his teeth fiercely: "Li Chengzhi has a loyal temperament, otherwise he would not have repeatedly taken risks and saved the late emperor from a near-death situation. Therefore, he would definitely not sever ties with the Queen Mother and the imperial court. For the current plan, only
If you can first appease...if you can't break the mirror and reunite, you can only take grain from the fire and drive the tiger to swallow the wolf..."
Gao Ying's heart was darkened but his expression was half-hidden, as if he was talking in sleep, and he murmured: "What is a tiger and what is a wolf?"
A sharp light flashed in Yuan Cheng's eyes: "Gao Zhao can be a tiger, Rouran can be a tiger, and even Nanliang and Tuyuhun can be tigers... It's nothing more than ceding land and offering cities, submitting to humiliation, and annihilating all the tribes.
, the country is destroyed and the family is destroyed, it is better to be strong. Once the evil wolf Li Chengzhi is removed, it will not be too late for the government to pick up the pieces and clean up the old mountains and rivers..."
"How is this different from betraying the country and seeking glory? If things go against your wishes, how can I see the late emperor and the ancestors of the Yuan family when I'm under the Nine Springs?"
Gao Ying smiled bitterly, but a few glints flashed in his eyes, "Which of the Yuan family members, the princes in the court, the governors of various states, and the important generals leading the army outside, etc. dare to agree?"
"Now is the critical moment, when survival is at stake. If we cut off this last glimmer of hope again, we will be the sinners of the ages... I hope the Queen Mother will think again!"
Yuan Cheng burst into tears and shouted at the top of his lungs, "As long as the Queen Mother gives permission, all assistants and important generals will be convinced by my reasoning..."
Seems really anxious?
But if I had known this, why bother?
Gao Ying secretly sneered in his heart, but his face was extremely tangled, as if he was hesitant and extremely difficult to make a decision.
Yuanying didn't know what the plan was, and kowtowed a few times: "This matter was all caused by the greed of the minister, and he got a bad name. I should shoulder the responsibility with my own strength, and never dare to damage the Queen Mother's reputation. That's right. The Queen Mother just pretends that she doesn’t know. Once she has some confidence, I will contact all the princes and present the report together..."
Gao Ying still didn't answer.
Just at this moment, Qin Song's voice sounded outside the palace: "The Queen Mother, Xi Shangshu is urgently reporting!"
The bell was not rung for the Dragon Boat Festival, and no one came to deliver the emergency report, so it was not bad news...
Gao Ying guessed in his mind and shouted urgently: "Send it up!"
Seeing that the seal was intact, Gao Ying breathed a sigh of relief and opened the envelope in twos and twos.
After scanning ten lines with one eye, Gao Ying was first happy and then surprised.
Fortunately, Xing Luan defeated Jinming County, and Xi Kangsheng and Cui Yanbo won consecutive battles and recovered Sizhou.
Nearly 20,000 bandits were killed in the two places, forcing Gao Zhao to huddle to the north of the border wall, and Gao Zhi had to retreat to Hengzhou.
Surprisingly, Luo Jian, the governor of Xisan Town, was defeated and his life and death were unknown. Now all six towns have fallen into the hands of traitors.
Xi Kangsheng asked me to report that in the past half month, it has snowed twice in half the land. The army is in urgent need of winter clothes and thick blankets, and the soldiers are all exhausted. Is it possible to temporarily stop fighting and take a rest...
The implication is that we want to have a truce for a few months and then fight again in the spring.
Could it be that Xi Kangsheng felt fear when he saw that the six towns had been captured?
Gao Ying was uncertain and handed the urgent report to Yuan Cheng.
Seeing that all six towns had fallen into enemy hands, Yuan Cheng's hands couldn't stop trembling.
Xi Kangsheng worked hard and tried his best to regain one county and one state, killing more than 20,000 thieves. But in the blink of an eye, like God's help, the rebels took Liuliu Town into their hands?
If Gao Zhao were more ruthless, he would probably have to fight with hundreds of thousands more soldiers. If he hesitated again, not to mention Li Chengzhi, Gao Zhao alone might have been able to score a small number of Yang Lai...
"It's not that Xi Shangshu is timid in fighting, but that the soldiers are short of clothes and tents, and it is difficult to fight in the cold north. If we force them to fight, even if they win, they will injure the enemy one thousand and lose eight hundred to themselves. But now one is declining and the other is increasing. The rebels' strength increased, so Minister Xi had to call off the war..."
Yuan Cheng bit the tip of his tongue and replied in a trembling voice, "The Empress Dowager Mingjian, if you accept Xi Shangshu's memorial, all the ministries will be able to breathe for a few months. It is time to send Cui Shangshu and Wei Shaoqing to the west at this time..."
Gao Ying's pupils shrank sharply: Yuan Cheng was already so distraught that he couldn't even wait for half a moment.
If Li Chengzhi cannot be persuaded, he may send envoys to Rouran, Tuguhun, Nanliang, or even Xiazhou...
But now that the matter has come to this, what can I do?
Gao Ying looked like he had lost his soul, and sighed sadly: "Just follow the instructions of King Ren of the city and do it immediately..."
An indescribable feeling of happiness surged into his heart, just like drinking ice-cold plum wine under the dog days of the sun. It was indescribably refreshing and refreshing, and Yuan Cheng almost cried with joy.
He bowed down deeply and said, "The Queen Mother is Shengming!"
Gao Ying, however, seemed frustrated and waved his sleeves lazily, as if he didn't even want to say anything.
Yuan Cheng and Yuan Quan resigned in unison and exited the hall.
It wasn't until he walked out of the Zhaoyang Hall and entered the Shiqian Hall where Zhongshu and his disciples were, that Yuan Cheng felt blessed and suddenly became cheerful: What happened, have you been tricked by the Queen Mother?
Gao Ying clearly wanted to trick him because he didn't want to risk losing his power, humiliating the country, and being associated with enemies and thieves...