Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 680: Targeting Bohai Kingdom

In front of the Huaizhou government office, Li Tingwang seemed to understand something as he looked at the fierce soldiers in bloody uniforms. He gradually filled in the details he didn't know. After Tianjing Pass fell, the camp at the foot of the mountain also fell one after another. The Konghe Army changed into the uniforms of the Luoyang Army and attacked Huaizhou City without any intention.

Then it started to snowball.

There were not many defenders in Huaizhou City. To prevent accidents and to facilitate escape, Li Tingwang deployed his main forces in the camp outside the city. Since the Konghe Army had already occupied Huaizhou City, the Luoyang Army camp outside the city was also likely to be lost.

These are all strategies that are linked together. From the very beginning, Li Tingwang lost.

"General Li, you gave us a hard time looking for you. I thought you were in the camp outside the city, but I didn't expect you to be able to sleep peacefully in Huaizhou City.

You are a blessed person."

Li Huaiguang, holding a sword in his hand, walked forward with a grim smile on his face, and there was no lack of sarcasm in his words.

Li Tingwang didn't know Li Huaiguang at all, but it wasn't hard to guess the other party's identity. Li Tingwang also roughly guessed what the battle was like.

I didn't realize how powerful the Konghe Army was. It was ultimately because I was careless in my defense.

Li Tingwang thought that Tianjing Pass was a natural barrier, and the recent defeat of the Konghe Army was not a big concern. Therefore, some of the usual military routines were not implemented, such as daily rotation of guards, regular inspections, changing passwords, etc.

He and An Shouzhong had lived in Luoyang for several years, and their fighting skills had indeed become a lot less sophisticated. War is like this, more sweat in peacetime, less blood in war. War will cost lives, and test whether each participant has cheated in their daily lives.

God is fair. Li Tingwang did not learn his skills well, so he will pay the price in blood today.

"Alright, I admit defeat. You can kill me or chop me up as you wish."

Li Tingwang threw his sword to the ground very decisively without any hesitation, nor did he kneel down to beg for mercy.

"Haha, General Li, there's no need to be so stubborn. I'll let you go back and report the news!
Someone, please make way."

Li Huaiguang seemed to have no intention of killing Li Tingwang, and waved his hand gently. The soldiers around him retreated to the side without any hesitation, their faces calm but with a bit of contempt.

Li Tingwang couldn't understand what Li Huaiguang's intention was.

This release was a bit abrupt, which was puzzling. But it was not important. What was important was that he didn't have to die today. Life was not easy, and being able to linger for two more days was good.

"Then I, Li, would like to thank you and take my leave."

Li Tingwang saluted to Li Huaiguang, then turned and left.

When Li Tingwang left Li Huaiguang's sight, Han Yougui approached his own commander. He looked troubled and asked in a low voice, "Commander Jie, are you going to let Li Tingwang go so easily?"

"When Li Tingwang returns to Luoyang, he will certainly publicize that the Konghe Army is invincible and unstoppable.

Otherwise, Li Tingwang would definitely be punished by An Shouzhong.

Of course, An Shouzhong would not trust a general who was released by us. After all, Li Tingwang is not An Shouzhong's son, and the two of them cannot be completely united.

Next, the two of them will inevitably be on guard against each other. An Shouzhong is afraid that Li Tingwang has become our accomplice, while Li Tingwang is afraid that An Shouzhong will be suspicious of him.

This treatment is a hundred times better than killing Li Tingwang. What's the point of killing a defeated general?
With Li Tingwang helping us pass on the message, An Shouzhong's troops will be afraid to confront us head-on, and their morale will surely be severely damaged."

Li Huaiguang explained calmly.

When it comes to managing territory, Li Huaiguang is not even worthy of carrying Fang Chongyong's shoes. But when it comes to leading troops in battle, he still has some skills and knowledge.

This is called "specialization in one's field".

Li Huaiguang and his soldiers are typical military leaders. They can fight but not manage, they are good at killing and robbing but not good at production.

"General Jie, the situation is very good now. Should we rush to attack the three cities of Heyang?"

Han Yougui continued to ask.

It was understandable to let Li Tingwang go, but the current situation of the Control Crane Army was not absolutely advantageous. They and An Shouzhong each won a game, but also suffered losses.

Everyone has the strength to give it a try, and it is still unknown who will be the winner in the future.

"Let's take it easy. There are a lot of supplies in Huaizhou City that need to be dealt with. We didn't have time to move them away before, but now they are in our hands. We might as well give out all the rewards we can, rest for a few days, and prepare to attack the three cities of Heyang."

Li Huaiguang frowned slightly.

In fact, he was not worried about An Shouzhong. If An Shouzhong was the only opponent, then this battle would be a sure win.

However, Li Huaiguang also knew that although he was the first to take action, there were also Tian Qianzhen under Shi Siming and Li Guiren who pretended to surrender to Bianzhou watching the battle on the sidelines, not to mention the two "courts" of Guanzhong and Bianzhou, which were much stronger than them in all aspects.

If any one of them intervenes, the situation can be reversed. Who dares to say that they will have the last laugh?
Han Yougui had just turned around to pass on the order when Li Huaiguang hurriedly stopped him and whispered, "After delivering the order, quietly go to Bianzhou to find Fang Qing and tell him that we are helping him attack Luoyang and ask Bianzhou to help."

Can it still be like this?
Han Yougui was stunned. She didn't expect Li Huaiguang to think so far. This move was to muddy the waters and get more "players" to join the game. It must be said to be a good strategy.

He thought Li Huaiguang only knew how to fight and kill.

"The general knows."

Han Yougui took the order and left.

……

Although people still cannot feel the breath of spring, the ice on the canal, which was once very thick, has become as thin as a cicada's wing. There are already large ships breaking the ice on the canal, and boatmen are pulling on the shore.

It is already a scene full of vitality, with all things competing to flourish.

A large army, including both infantry and cavalry, wearing the black uniforms of the Bianzhou Imperial Guards.

The army's flags were flying and they marched eastward in a mighty force.

They walked along the shore of Baigou, apparently heading to Juye Lake, where there was a large ferry with enough boats to transport troops. It was estimated that by the time the team reached Juye Lake, the ice on the river would have completely melted, and they could then take a boat to Dengzhou.

This is also a major canal passing through Bianzhou. It is the main waterway from the Jiaodong coast to Bianzhou. It can be said to be a lifeline second only to the Grand Canal of the Sui and Tang Dynasties.

The common people, merchants and travelers along the way all saw this army. On the huge flag, written in black on a white background was the word "Fang".

There are four words on the vertical military flag: Silver Spear Filial Piety!

The Bianzhou Imperial Army marched eastward, where are they going?
People couldn't help but ponder in their hearts, thinking that there seemed to be no war in Jiaodong. Could it be that he was going to sail out to the sea from Jiaodong, land in Youzhou, and launch a surprise attack on Shi Siming?

But there are mysterious people who spread the news that the King of Bohai, Damen Yi, has died of illness and the death is kept secret. Damen Yi's nephew, Daqin Mao, borrowed troops from the Tang Dynasty to succeed him. Damen Yi's daughter is Fang Qing's concubine and has a son. This son may inherit Bohai in the future.

The speaker may not mean it, but the listener may take it seriously. The rumor spread at an alarming speed, and by the time it was reported back to Bianzhou, it had become "Fang Qing sent his concubine to give birth to a child and went to the Bohai Kingdom to ascend the throne."

The argument is convincing and logical.

For the sake of offspring and territory, it seems reasonable to send troops to Bohai Kingdom, right?
For a time, people in Bianzhou were talking about this matter a lot, and some people even compared this incident with Emperor Taizong's expedition against Goguryeo.

Now that the Tang Dynasty is torn apart, it can still interfere in the dethronement and enthronement of the rulers of the surrounding foreign vassal states. One can't help but sigh that the Tang Dynasty is really deep and unfathomable, and the power of the tiger will not fall even after its death.

However, the leader of this army did not hear similar discussions. They were acting in full, and they walked very slowly along the way, stopping and starting from time to time. Whenever there was a market town or county town, the army would stop and set up camp, and they were not in a hurry to continue their journey.

A few days later, the expeditionary force arrived at Wanqu, Caozhou (20 kilometers west of Heze, Shandong), a large city with registered households. The county town also had an "outer city" without city walls. As it was near Baigou, the water transport was well developed, so the ferry outside the city was very busy.

It was not affected much by the war, or it has recovered rapidly in the past two years. Caozhou once produced "Lu Brocade", which was famous in the Tang Dynasty.

Although the weaving craftsmanship is ordinary, the bold and unconventional use of colors gives people a vivid and bold feeling, and has a wide audience. After Fang Chongyong settled his troops, he took He Changqi, Cui Qianyou and others to stroll around the goods outside Wanqu City, and saw the Lu brocade that had once disappeared.

“Does anyone buy this kind of cloth?”

He Changqi, who was dressed as a guard, muttered softly.

In fact, what he said was nonsense, because at this moment, the shop selling Lu brocade was bustling with people, and it was obvious that business was good.

"Once the world is somewhat settled, the people will be able to find a way out themselves."

Fang Zhongyong waved his hand and said casually, not bothering to pay attention to He Changqi at all. He Lao Hu liked the kind of clothes with gorgeous and fine patterns, not the kind with coarse patterns and single colors.

In fact, local specialties have their own background and needs. Someone may not like it just because he doesn't live there.

"General, let's take our troops to Dengzhou. Is Bianzhou okay? Hebei is not peaceful right now."

Cui Qianyou, who was also dressed as a guard beside him, asked worriedly.

He actually wanted to stay in Bianzhou, but it seemed that Fang Chongyong had other plans.

In Cui Qianyou's opinion, this trip to Dengzhou was probably just a polite gesture to Daqinmao. It was impossible to really send troops to Bohai State, at least Fang Zhongyong would not lead the troops himself.

That's what he thought, but Fang Chongyong didn't make any clear statement.

The crowd came to a teahouse on the roadside. There were many people inside, listening to a storyteller. The content of the story happened to be "Prince Yong gave up the throne, but Fang Qing refused to accept it."

Storytelling has not been popular for long, and the plots are not long, but there are many types of books.

Fang Chongyong found a private room to listen to a story. The plot had progressed to the point where Prince Yong Li Lin ascended the throne and became emperor. However, he was unable to govern the country well, causing public resentment.

Li Lin proposed to abdicate to Fang Qing, but was firmly rejected. In the end, he had no choice but to hand over the military and political power to Fang Qing, and then became a peaceful emperor himself, not caring about anything and spending all day with women.

"This storyteller speaks too highly of that dog emperor."

He Changqi complained, but saw that Fang Chongyong looked thoughtful.

"The Marshal has governed the country with achievements that are obvious to all, and now he is the people's choice."

Cui Qianyou said calmly.

In fact, everyone knows what happened. Maybe there used to be books in teahouses saying that Fang Qing was a traitor, but soon the storytellers who told such books would disappear for various reasons.

In short, I understand everything.

"Everyone wants to make progress. This is normal and not worth mentioning."

Fang Zhongyong waved his hand calmly and said, as if the storyteller was not talking about him.

What about the peaceful rivers and clear seas, what about the praises of the people, just listen to it casually. The endless roads in the world are the routines set by those in power for the people.

He listened carefully to a section and found that they were all praising themselves without any expression, so he thought it was definitely not a "wild 1450".

Well, when I get back to Bianzhou, I’ll have to ask if it was arranged by Yan Zhuang.

Fang Zhongyong thought to himself, but no emotion showed on his face.

"Marshal, are we really going to invade Bohai this time? It's a bit stressful to go on a long expedition alone."

Cui Qianyou finally couldn't hold back any longer and asked in a low voice. He Changqi also nodded and they exchanged glances.

Seeing that everyone looked nervous, Fang Zhongyong suddenly laughed, patted the table and said:
"Sending troops to Bohai is indeed difficult.

However, we are not saying that we will not send troops, but we need to take a long-term view.

There is nothing we talk about that will definitely happen.

It’s not right to say that we shouldn’t send troops. We believe that everything depends on human effort. If we really need to send troops, we will have to send them.

Even if the conditions for sending troops are not met, we must create them and go.

It is very difficult to send troops to Bohai Kingdom at present, but we can find a way. We can find a way.

Well, you go back and think about it first, and we'll do it when the time comes, okay? Then let's do this for now.

When we get to Dengzhou, if Daqinmao brings up the matter of sending troops, I will say this, do you understand?"

What a mess!

He Changqi and others showed an expression of "as expected" on their faces.

Originally they all thought that Fang Zhongyong was very serious about sending troops to Bohai Kingdom, but they didn't expect that it was all a big lie!

Fang Chongyong made a gesture to send troops and even marched his troops to the port of Dengzhou.

But after he came, he didn't move. If you ask why, the repetitive words Fang Zhongyong just said are the answer.

There were strong waves at sea, the soldiers were not acclimatized to the climate there, the Bohai Kingdom had not announced the death, and so on. Any of these could be a reason for not sending troops.

Anyway, if you want to find excuses, there are plenty of them.

It’s not that we can’t do it for you, but the objective conditions are very difficult. Look, you’re anxious again!
Fang Chongyong had already led his troops to Dengzhou. What else could Daqinmao say? Could he say that the other party was not willing to risk his life? Could he say that the other party was just being perfunctory?
This position has been established. We have explained to Daqinmao and the people of the world.

The emperor has enough hungry soldiers, but Daqinmao just wants Fang Chongyong to send troops without any conditions.

Then why did Fang Chongyong risk his life to go to Bohai Kingdom to help Daqinmao fight for the throne?
Who is more stupid than who?

This is actually a game of strength and reputation. Both sides will not tear each other apart, but will make a real exchange of interests. If it's a deal, then we have to talk.

What should be done? External rhetoric is one thing, and actually putting it into practice is another.

He Changqi couldn't help but sigh that Fang Chongyong was really an old coin. Outsiders saw him foolishly leading his troops to Dengzhou, as if he was fooled by Daqinmao.

In fact, the hidden routine is just inconvenient to say. Daqinmao is not a fool, he will understand it in time.

After learning of Fang Zhongyong's true intention, everyone immediately felt relieved and no longer worried as before.

If Fang Chongyong really wanted to lead his troops to Bohai Kingdom in a hurry, they would be so worried that they would not be able to eat. No one wants their commander to be a hot-headed idiot, right?
At this moment, Cen Shen hurriedly walked in from outside the teahouse. He was sweating profusely and seemed to have been searching for a long time before finding this place.

Cen Shen came over and whispered in Fang Chongyong's ear for a long time, as if there was something important.

"Don't worry, sit down and listen to the book."

Fang Chongyong pointed at the Hu stool beside him and said to Cen Shen, calmly.

(End of this chapter)