Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 730: Changing generals on the spot
A few days later, Yan Zhenqing rushed back to Xiangyang without stopping on the way.

He was very anxious. Traveling back and forth would take time, and in winter, Poyang Lake would freeze in some years but not in others, depending on whether the local winter was warm.

Battlefield conditions are not static.

Moreover, the Bianzhou army is not a good guy, and the war may not be started from Jingxiang. Everything is unknown.

Yan Zhenqing was very anxious, but he found that he was the only one who was anxious. Many people were not anxious at all, and they even tried to trip him up in private, not worrying about the consequences of losing the battle.

For example, Lu Qi.

The drizzle of late autumn, wrapped in the chill, seeped into the interior and exterior of the Xiangyang Palace. Yan Zhenqing knelt on the warm cushions in the Purple Palace, with cold sweat mixed with raindrops sliding down his forehead. At this moment, the hem of his purple robe was still stained with mud from the shore of Poyang Lake.

He knelt here and begged for an hour, but Li Lu, on the grounds that "the dragon's health was not good", "hid" in the palace and did not issue an oral order to summon Yan Zhenqing.

The emperor of the Jingxiang court seemed to have believed what certain people said and had different ideas about Yan Zhenqing.

And the more Yan Zhenqing insisted, the more it seemed to prove that some people's "slander" was reasonable.

It was almost noon when Emperor Li Lu finally arrived. He looked pale and indeed in poor health, and it seemed that he was not deliberately ignoring Yan Zhenqing.

"Ahem, shouldn't Mr. Yan be on official business in Hongzhou? Why are you returning to Xiangyang so soon?"

Li Lu looked puzzled and asked.

"Your Majesty! I have already found out that the story of Lu Jiong's private minting of coins is completely false. The reason why General Lu did not march to Poyang Lake is that his soldiers were newly formed and had not yet completed their training.

Although the quality of the soldiers is good, the army has only been formed for a short time, and many of the naval forces are untrained in battle formations. If we start a war hastily, I am afraid the outcome will be unpredictable. I hope Your Majesty will be able to see clearly.

Your Majesty, General Lu has followed you for many years and has fought in many battles. He has made great contributions.

If he had any intention of rebelling, why would he have given all the defense maps to me?"

Yan Zhenqing kowtowed heavily, and the copper coins in his arms fell to the ground with a clink. He then picked up the coins and patiently explained to Li Lu:
"Anyone can mint private coins. The people in Hongzhou have seized some. It's hard to say that it wasn't done intentionally by Bianzhou, spreading rumors in an attempt to discredit General Lu.

I hope Your Majesty will not destroy the Great Wall!"

"enough!"

Li Lu, who was sitting on the dragon throne, suddenly shouted loudly, grabbed the memorial on the desk and smashed it down.

Yan Zhenqing was stunned, not knowing why the other party was so angry. He unfolded the memorial and looked at it. His face turned pale and he looked in disbelief.

The memorial said that a servant in Lu Jing's home in Xiangyang reported the matter to the court and produced a template for minting coins as evidence.

This memorial was submitted by Lu Qi, and it described in a very convincing manner how Lu Jing had absolute power in Hongzhou, how he issued privately minted copper coins in Hongzhou, how he used government tricks to plunder people's wealth, used the money to support private soldiers, and plotted against all odds.

When Yan Zhenqing thought of the phrase "three people make a tiger", his face stiffened and he didn't know how to explain it.

It doesn’t matter if the routine is old, as long as it works well.

The situation Yan Zhenqing is facing now is similar to that of someone making a big fuss outside that Yan Zhenqing is no longer as powerful as a man and is almost the same as a eunuch.

What can Yan Zhenqing say in the face of such malicious slander?

Was he going to demonstrate his powerful sexual skills in front of many people to prove that those rumors were nonsense?

There are many vicious rumors that you can't refute at all.

"Your Majesty, my loyalty to the Tang Dynasty is evident to all.

Your Majesty, please look into this matter carefully!"

Yan Zhenqing knelt on the ground, his voice filled with tears. Some people in the court are not good enough to accomplish anything, but are more than capable of causing trouble.

"Please stand up, Mr. Yan. This is not what I meant."

Li Lu seemed a little frightened and hurried forward to help Yan Zhenqing up.

"I have always had complete faith in Mr. Yan's character.

However, Lu Jing was caught up in rumors and could not advance his troops. He had to stay in Hongzhou for a long time, which caused a lot of controversy in the court and the public, and had a very bad impact.

So I am now considering whether to change the general."

Li Lu asked Yan Zhenqing to sit opposite him at the desk and ask for advice, then he sighed and said.

Rumors are scary, nothing more than this. Yan Zhenqing has now learned the power of rumors.

It was Lu Jiong's servant who reported it, and they had solid evidence. Could such nonsense fool Li Lu?

Such a crude strategy is simply a close attack and will definitely not fool Li Lu.

However, Li Lu now secretly made a note of Lu Qi and pretended that he had been cheated.

In the future, we will settle the score with Lu Qi. How many years have we been playing this game?

This is the power of the emperor.

If I say you can do it, then you can do it. If I say you can't do it, then that's OK too!
Lu Jiong was too close to Yan Zhenqing and held military power, which gave Yan Zhenqing the ability to depose and enthrone the emperor, which was what Li Lu was afraid of.

It would have been better if Lu Qi didn't mention this. But if he did, what would Li Lu think?
This is very realistic and helpless.

"May I ask, Your Majesty, after Lu Jiong is transferred back to Xiangyang, who will replace him?"

Yan Zhenqing asked doubtfully.

"Yu Qi, the Chief Censor, is a simple and upright person. He can be the governor of the Jiangnan West Road."

Li Lu said slowly.

Yan Zhenqing was speechless for a moment and couldn't utter a word for a long time.

Yu Qi is a well-known loyal and honest minister in the court. At least he will not mess around when he goes to the front line.

But Yu Qi was good at everything. He was also an old bureaucrat from the Kaiyuan period and had rich experience.

But as a Jiedushi, there is a biggest problem:

He can't fight.

That’s right, in Yan Zhenqing’s opinion, the biggest problem of Yu Qi as an official was that he had no experience in leading troops in the past.

Although this person started out as a grassroots clerk, he has rich administrative experience, is upright and capable of standing on his own.

But if they have never led troops, they have no combat experience, which is a common problem among intellectuals.

"Your Majesty, there is nothing much to say about Yu Qi, except that he has never led troops before. How can he command a war?"

Yan Zhenqing asked back with a helpless look on his face.

Li Yu waved his hand and explained with a smile: "I heard that Liang Chongyi, a deputy general of the Imperial Guard, is strong and good at sailing. He has a lot of experience as a general in Jingxiang and is very good at fighting naval battles. Let him be Yu Qi's deputy general. The two of them will complement each other and accomplish great things."

Leung Chung Yee?
Who the hell is this?
Yan Zhenqing recalled for a long time, but he couldn't remember that Liang Chongyi had ever been out of town.

I think he has only served as a minor general in the army and has never had the experience of being in charge of something on his own.

As for why Li Lu wanted to promote Liang Chongyi, Yan Zhenqing was relieved after thinking about it. Lu Jing was now "successful and famous", and basically had everything he needed. If Li Lu wanted to win over this governor, he would have to pay a huge price.

And the other party may not appreciate it. Maybe they just think “I deserve this”.

However, Liang Chongyi was different. He was unknown before, but now he is Yu Qi's deputy. He must thank the emperor for winning this battle. Li Lu suspected that Yan Zhenqing had a close relationship with Lu Jiong, but when he was recruiting people, he found that Lu Qi was unusable, but he did not force Lu Qi to take over, but replaced him with Yu Qi, who was more obedient and reliable, and Liang Chongyi, who was not famous.

From this point of view, Li Yu's political tactics are very sophisticated. Although his operation may not be effective, he is not the emperor who is led by Lu Qi.

He is very opinionated, just like Emperor Chongzhen in the late Ming Dynasty.

"Your Majesty, I still say the same thing. You cannot change your generals in the middle of a battle. I beg Your Majesty..."

Yan Zhenqing wanted to say more, but Li Yu shook his head impatiently and interrupted him:
"Prince Yan, there are still many things in the court that need your attention. For example, the issue of military rations and grain roads cannot be neglected.

As for the affairs on the Hongzhou front, they could leave it to Yu Qi. Yu Qi had always been popular, and Liang Chongyi was good at water battles. The two of them, with their combined swords, would surely be able to defeat the enemy.

As for Lu Jing, let him return to Jingzhou and serve as the governor of Shannan East Road."

Li Lu's attitude was very firm and he did not give Yan Zhenqing any chance to speak.

Yan Zhenqing thought to himself that perhaps the emperor had heard many people's advice before and had already made up his mind.

I'm afraid it will be of no use to persuade him again.

"The minister obeys the order."

Yan Zhenqing had a bitter taste in his mouth and saluted Li Wan with his arms crossed.

……

That night, Li Guangbi was looking at the defense map of Poyang Lake in his residence in the water fort.

The military deployments of the Bianzhou Army and the Jingxiang Army each have their own advantages.

Why do I say so? Because although the Bianzhou army currently has an advantageous situation, it is naturally divided into two places. One place is at Jiangzhou Hukou Garrison, which is the entrance of the Yangtze River to Poyang Lake, and the other place is the reed marsh east of Poyang Lake.

The Jingxiang Army concentrated its forces in one place, mainly at the entrance of the Ganjiang River.

Therefore, the problem of the Jingxiang Army is the lack of strategic support, and the problem of the Bianzhou Army is that if they want to attack Yuzhang, they must go south from the Gan River. This is unavoidable. Before attacking Yuzhang, they must fight a decisive battle with the main force of the Jingxiang Army.

"It would be better if we had more men and horses."

Li Guangbi sighed and talked to himself.

What he meant was to have more elite troops like the Bianzhou Army Navy, rather than just conscripting able-bodied men.

"General Jie, General Hao has returned from Hongzhou and said he has important military information to report!"

At this moment, the personal soldier tiptoed into the bamboo building and reported cautiously.

"Let him come!"

Li Guangbi didn't even raise his head, he just stared at the map and spoke, seemingly speaking without meaning it.

After a while, Hao Tingyu walked into the bamboo building with an excited look on his face. Seeing Li Guangbi looking at the map, he sat down with his horse and sword without any hesitation.

"Marshal Li Jie, I have sneaked into Hongzhou disguised as a salt merchant, and I have found out some important things."

After that, he put a few copper coins in his sleeve on the table, pointed at one of them and explained: "General, please look, this new coin, everyone in Yuzhang City is talking about it, it was minted by Lu Jing, 90% copper and 10% lead, it is much better than the Kaiyuan Tongbao minted in Jingxiang."

"Oh?"

Li Guangbi raised his eyebrows and placed the map on the table with interest. He squinted his eyes and smiled: "Lu Jing's strategy of winning people's hearts is not very smart!"

Many Jiedushi had the power to mint copper coins privately. This was not something that had only happened since the Tianbao period, but had existed since the founding of the Tang Dynasty. The Qin Palace of General Tiance could mint copper coins privately without fear.

Generally speaking, the coins minted by the Jiedushi were inferior to those minted by the imperial court. Although this behavior was also plundering people's wealth, the imperial court turned a blind eye and did not investigate further.

However, if the coins minted by the Jiedushi contained more copper than those of the imperial court, that would be a difficult problem.

This is often a prelude to a local rebellion.

Because the "new court" needs to use a more attractive currency to replace the old currency, so as to seize the right to issue currency!

"Who says it's not true? But the problem is, based on my observations, Lu Jing was probably wronged. Or maybe that rough guy couldn't think of such a delicate way to make money.

If the soldiers are short of military funds, they can just rob the local area. If they can't bring themselves to do that, they can negotiate with the local wealthy families and merchants to get some money easily. They don't have to do this job that makes money slowly and is feared, which is thankless.

Hao Tingyu said this with certainty.

For the imperial court, coinage was the most convenient way to obtain funds.

But for the soldiers, the minted coins must be circulated before they can be exchanged for the desired goods. This requires smelting copper ore, or melting copper statues or something. Making molds and starting furnaces for casting are also essential steps.

It's still too slow after all.

After all, robbery is faster. Soldiers can do the job with just a knife. It's a no-cost business and it's really fun!
I have to say that what Hao Tingyu said does make some sense.

"So, Lu Jiong was wrongly accused?"

Li Guangbi asked slowly, with a gleam in his eyes.

“I think so too.

Lu Jiong had always had a history with Yan Zhenqing, and perhaps the emperor in Jingxiang thought that Lu Jiong and Yan Zhenqing could not be underestimated if they joined forces. With the support of both inside and outside, the position under the emperor was threatened.

So even if it is discovered that Lu Jing was wrongly accused, they may still go along with it.”

Hao Tingyu calmly encouraged Li Guangbi and almost asked him to send someone to persuade Lu Jing to surrender.

"Go and take a rest first, and let me think about it."

Li Guangbi did not directly reject Hao Tingyu's suggestion. He was still weighing the pros and cons in his mind.

After Hao Tingyu left, Li Guangbi stared at the light on the table, folded his arms and thought for a long time.

The art of war says: lure the enemy when it is advantageous, take it when it is in disorder, prepare for it when it is strong, avoid it when it is strong, frustrate it when it is angry, make it arrogant when it is humble, tire it out when it is at ease, and separate it when it is close.

The situation Li Guangbi is facing now is that he has to "get close to Lu Jing and separate him", and then wait for a flaw to appear on the other side, and then "take him by taking advantage of the chaos"!
However, it seems that I am not capable of doing this kind of thing myself and it is difficult to gain people's trust.

To put it bluntly, Li Guangbi himself was just a Jiedushi, and was not even a member of the inner circle of the Bianzhou court.

Even if they wanted to make an offer for Lu Jing, it should be Fang Zhongyong who made the offer, not Li Guangbi. The relationship between the primary and the secondary must not be reversed.

In other words, if Li Guangbi promised Lu Jing something and the Bianzhou court refused to honor it afterwards, who would be embarrassed?

Thinking of this, he spread out a large piece of paper on the table, thought for a moment, and then began to write quickly, explaining the pros and cons to Fang Chongyong.

It would be best if Lu Jing could be persuaded to switch sides. Even if this commander could be persuaded to slack off during the battle, that would also be good.

This move can be said to achieve twice the result with half the effort and is cost-effective.

Of course, if Lu Jiong is stubborn and insists on fighting Li Guangbi to the death on this sinking ship, there is nothing that can be done.

So many people have died in these troubled times, so it doesn’t matter if Lu Jing dies one more!
Since I have nothing to do anyway, and the cost of using the plan is very low, why not give it a try? If it succeeds, it will make a lot of money!
After writing the letter, Li Guangbi read it over and over again and felt that there was nothing wrong with it.

So he sealed the letter, called Hao Tingyu over, handed the letter to him and repeatedly reminded him: "Be sure to hand the letter to the emperor in person, so that the emperor can make a quick decision. You have been to Yuzhang to investigate and know the situation. If the emperor has any questions, you can answer them in detail, and there will be no problem."

Seeing that Li Guangbi had a serious expression, Hao Tingyu did not suspect anything. He put the letter close to his body, exchanged some polite words, and then turned and left.

Although the Bianzhou Army and the Jingxiang Army had not yet fought each other in this battle, the secret war in the stage of attacking the enemy's strategy had already begun.

(End of this chapter)