The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 305 Under the Covered Nest
The process of the emperor going out of Beijing has always been cumbersome, with a large and heavy team of guards of honor, bodyguards, and accompanying civil and military officials.

Liu Chengyou ordered everything to be kept simple, but the emperor's guard of honor was not lacking. He left the city from the Chenqiao Gate in the north of Kaifeng City, and the huge procession did not leave the city gate until evening.

Uncle Li Ye did not follow the emperor. He found an excuse to go back to his hometown, arranged for his family to collect gold and silver, took the order to leave the city, and prepared to leave the city early tomorrow morning to join Li Hongxin, the governor of Shaanzhou.

Li Hongxin and Li Hongyi are both brothers of the same clan as Queen Mother Li and Li Ye.

After arranging family affairs, Li Ye got on the carriage and led more than a hundred guards to Chenqiao Gate in the north of the city, catching up with the emperor's emperor and driving out of the city to the suburbs of Qili.

Li Ye leaned back in the carriage, closed his eyes and meditated. His body swayed slightly as the carriage swayed. He put his hands on his knees, tapped his fingers rhythmically, and hummed a song he heard from Yingyuan. Lewd ditty.

The family's escape route has been arranged, and Li Ye feels relaxed and has no worries anymore.

Li Ye is a shrewd man. He knows that he must prepare for the worst in everything.

Although he spent all day in front of the officials preaching how vulnerable the Yedu rebels were and how brave and skillful the imperial army was, in fact, when the two armies faced off, whether Li Ye could defeat Murong Yanchao After retreating from Guo Wei, my heart kept beating.

In private, he asked several generals of the Forbidden Army and learned about the true situation of the so-called imperial masters.

Since nearly half of the imperial army had been dispatched to Hebei to defend the Khitans, the number of soldiers and horses guarding Kaifeng was far from enough, so they had to recruit brave soldiers nearby.

The military salary offered by the imperial court this time is really expensive, coupled with the semi-coercive strict order, and then apportioning the number of soldiers to the states and counties near Kaifeng, under various measures, in just two months, [-] to [-] people were recruited. Soldiers are brave.

The number of the forbidden troops seemed to be [-], and together with the vassal soldiers brought by Wu Qianyu, Murong Yanchao and others, the total army was [-] to [-].

But Li Ye knew that there were probably not even half of the truly capable soldiers here.

Nearly half of the newly formed Forbidden Forces are new recruits, severely undertrained, and have not experienced the test of the battlefield at all.

The tens of thousands of vassal soldiers were all outsiders and were not very enthusiastic about defending Kaifeng.

When money from the treasury was used to reward the three armies, priority was given to the Imperial Guards, and the rewards for the Imperial Guards were much higher than those of the feudal soldiers, so these tens of thousands of feudal soldiers had problems.

As a last resort, the officials ordered to embezzle part of the internal funds to reward the soldiers of the feudal towns, which barely quelled the commotion.

Li Ye always believed that it was Murong Yanchao and several local vassals who allowed the soldiers to cause trouble, and even encouraged them to ask the court for money, and complained to Liu Chengyou in private.

The Forbidden Army's combat strength is seriously insufficient, and the vassal soldiers are a group of unfamiliar white-eyed wolves who have entered the battlefield. These patchwork and miscellaneous troops may not be the opponents of the Yedu rebels.

If the war goes poorly, one's own side suffers heavy casualties, and the morale of the army is completely depleted, it is not impossible to defect on the battlefield.

Li Ye would not tell Liu Chengyou these truths, let alone tell them.

He had already made plans, if Murong Yanchao could repel the rebels, it would be the best, and the official throne could be preserved, so he would not have to worry about his glory and wealth.

But once the court is defeated, he will have to consider his retreat.

Li Ye arranged for his family to leave the city secretly and take temporary refuge with his cousin Li Hongxin in Shaanzhou.

As long as the imperial court shows signs of retreat, he is ready to leave Liu Chengyou and flee to Shanzhou, take his family and run to Chengdu, and live a stable life incognito.

Anyway, the money he has accumulated is enough for the family to eat and drink, and generations of people will not have to worry about it. There is nothing wrong with going to Chengdu to become a rich man.

Li Ye thought that the arrangement was perfect and felt extremely relaxed.

But he was still a little upset.

First, he regretted that he should not have let Li Hongyi get rid of Wang Yin. Second, he regretted that the Guangzheng Palace incident happened too hastily. Third, he regretted that he should not have killed Guo Wei's family so early.

Thinking of Li Hongyi, Li Ye gritted his teeth and punched the window lattice hard.

After all calculations, I never expected that Li Hongyi would be so cowardly. If he could get rid of Wang Yin as soon as possible, gather troops from Chanzhou, and send troops to guard the Yellow River crossing, the Yedu rebels would not have been able to fight their way to Kaifeng unimpeded.

The Guangzhengdian Incident should not have happened at this juncture. We should have waited until the threat from the Khitans in Hebei was lifted and Guo Wei returned with his army before planning carefully.

Fortunately, nearly half of the elite Kaifeng Forbidden Army fell into the hands of Guo Wei. The most annoying thing is that I don't know what magic trick Guo Wei used to make tens of thousands of the Forbidden Army feel indignant against the imperial court. They followed Guo Wei and marched south, in turn threatening the imperial court.

After the Guangzheng Palace incident, the Situ Mansion should not be destroyed in a hurry, but Guo Wei's family should be arrested and used as a bargaining chip to threaten him.

Li Ye closed his eyes and carefully reviewed what happened in the past month. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that there were many mistakes and omissions, and he sighed with regret.

Fortunately, no matter what the ending is, he can keep his wealth.

"Where are you?" Li Ye faintly heard crying on the roadside, opened his eyes and asked.

The guard driving the car said respectfully: "Report to your husband, go to the north side of Hengjie Avenue and the entrance of Qishengyuan."

Li Ye thought for a while, and realized that next door to Qishengyuan was the former site of Situ Mansion. He opened the curtain and looked out the window.

The carriage stopped, just in front of the gate of a mansion that was closed and sealed.

Dark mottled blood stains can be faintly seen on the stone steps, as well as incense candles, melons and fruits as tributes, as if people often come to worship.

Several men and women, with their heads tied with white linen belts, knelt down and cried outside the gate of the mansion, including young and old.

Li Ye's eyes darkened. After the Situ Mansion was wiped out, the whole city was searched, many traitorous accomplices were arrested, and hundreds of people were killed. There were still people who dared to openly worship in front of the Situ Mansion.

When the few people with white linen belts on their heads saw the convoy stopping to watch, they were so frightened that they hurriedly helped each other and left in a panic.

Li Ye sneered and waved to the guards: "Go and find out who else dares to worship the traitor. Once found, they will be executed directly without interrogation!"

The guards left in response.

Li Ye stared at the gate of the mansion with red lacquer and copper nails, and then called someone to whisper a few instructions.

The guard led several people to break open the door and broke into the house. After a while, they saw thick smoke billowing from Situ's house.

"Go and inform the Kaifeng Mansion Yamen and tell them not to put out the fire. Also tell the monks at Qishengyuan and warn them not to meddle in their own business. Anyone who dares to put out the fire will be an accomplice against the Party!"

Li Ye looked at the sky above Situ's mansion that was gradually filled with black smoke, lowered the car curtain and said, "Let's go."

The convoy moved on.

A huge mansion caught fire, and the north side of Hengjie Avenue suddenly became panicked. Countless people and shops ran out to watch, fearing that the fire would burn their homes.

Soon, Kaifeng Prefecture sent officers to block the streets and control order. They were not here to organize fire-fighting, but to prevent others from organizing fire-fighting.

Li Ye ignored the chaos in the street behind him and continued to rest with his eyes closed, preparing to take a nap.

"Uncle Guo! Uncle Guo!"

Suddenly, a shout rang out from the roadside, and the guards hurriedly surrounded the carriage and shouted harshly, not allowing anyone to approach the carriage.Li Ye was woken up and angrily opened the curtain and looked around, only to see a man who looked like a soldier in cloth robes was blocked outside, looking at him eagerly.

"Who are you?" Li Ye felt that this person looked familiar, but couldn't remember it for a while.

"The villain is He Hui, the well-known military envoy of the Anguo Army!" The person who came was none other than He Hui, who had rushed back from Xingzhou.

"He Hui?" Li Ye was stunned and thought for a while before he finally remembered him.

"It turns out to be General He. Why does he look so dusty?" Li Ye asked the guards to let him over.

He Hui hurriedly ran closer, clasped his fists and bowed in salute: "I came back from Xingzhou specially to report something confidential and important!"

Li Ye glanced at him and said calmly: "I wonder what General He has to do?"

He Hui swallowed his saliva and said, "I am reporting to my uncle that Liu Ci, the governor of the Anguo Army, followed the traitor Guo Wei and rebelled!"

Li Ye seemed to be smiling but not smiling: "Liu Ci reported to the emperor a few days ago that he would swear allegiance to the imperial court. The Anguo army has prepared troops and horses and is ready to march to Yedu at any time."

Li Ye looked him over and said, "You must have been expelled from Xingzhou by Liu Ci, so you ran back to Kaifeng to complain, right?"

He Hui said anxiously: "Uncle Guo must not listen to Liu Ci's perfunctory words! He pretended to mobilize troops in Xingzhou just to show the court. Liu Ci had long been in collusion with the traitor Guo Wei and raised troops. Rebellion!”

Li Ye smiled lightly and said: "It's hard to understand why the general still has a heart of public loyalty. The Yedu rebel army has already Chen Bing outside the city of Kaifeng. It doesn't matter whether Liu Ci and the Anguo army rebel or not. The court appeases Liu Ci , not because he believed in his loyalty, but because he didn't want to force him against him.

Liu Ci's family members are still in Kaifeng, so it is not afraid that he will completely fall to Guo Wei. It will not be too late to wait until the court quells the rebellion, and then free up his hands to deal with these top-notch gangsters. "

He Hui hurriedly clasped his fists and said: "The general is familiar with the situation of the rebels in Yedu. Please allow me to allow the general to accompany the army to fight!"

Li Ye smiled: "General He is loyal to the imperial court, and I will report it to the officials in person. However, there are already candidates for various positions in the army, and it is really difficult to find a suitable position. General He should go home and wait with peace of mind. , when the court quells the chaos, General He will definitely be rewarded."

He Hui hesitated for a moment and said eagerly: "Uncle Guo and Nie Chengzhi promised me that as long as the general can persuade Liu Ci to send troops to Yedu, he will transfer him to serve in the Forbidden Army. I dare to ask Uncle Guo, what will happen to the general?" How long will it take?"

Li Ye was a little impatient and said with a cold face: "There are currently no vacancies in the Forbidden Army. How can I arrange it for you?"

After a pause, a trace of ridicule flashed across Li Ye's lips: "Speaking of which, although the Anguo Army made some noise, they did not actually send troops to Yedu. Mr. Liu Ci did not want to offend Guo Wei, nor did he want to comply with the imperial decree. By pretending to make some noise to fool the court, does he think the officials and the courtiers can't see it?"

"So, General He's mission has not actually been completed."

He Hui's expression changed, he gritted his teeth and lowered his head without speaking.

Li Ye smiled and said: "Of course, General He is loyal to the court, and the officials and the court will never forget it. General He should go back to the house and wait. I will send someone to inform you if there is news."

After Li Ye finished speaking, he put down the curtains, and the carriage continued to drive forward.

He Hui wanted to catch up, but was stopped unceremoniously by the guards. He could only watch the convoy go away.

He could see that Li Ye's attitude was cold, and his words were full of perfunctory meaning. It seemed that they promised him the position of general of the imperial army, but nine out of ten they would not be able to fulfill it.

He Hui's face was gloomy and extremely ugly.

For this future, he did not hesitate to fall out with the old coach Liu Ci, but in the end it was all in vain.

Now it is impossible to return to the Anguo Army, and he is in a desperate situation.

Looking at the direction of Situ's Mansion where the firelight illuminated half of the sky, He Hui's eyes were full of sinisterness and ferocity. He had to find a way out for himself.
In front of the gate of Qishengyuan, two men carrying burdens were squatting in the corner to rest.

Both of them were dressed in ordinary peasant attire, wearing large clear hats.

When they saw their faces clearly, they turned out to be Ma Qing and Chen An.

Chen An looked at the monks gathered in front of Situ's Mansion, curled his lips and said: "These monks are not afraid that the fire in Situ's Mansion will also burn down their Qisheng Monastery, so they have not rushed to organize people to put out the fire."

Ma Qing grinned, his teeth were so dark that he couldn't see a few teeth, and his voice leaked: "Li Ye ordered Kaifeng Mansion not to fight the fire, and Qisheng Yuan dared not refuse to listen. Even if the fire spreads, they will have to bear it."

Chen An smiled and said: "These days, even monks can't live in peace~"

Ma Qing folded his sleeves, squatted under the wall, looked at the crowds running on the street, and said vaguely: "The people who came to the Situ Mansion just now to worship were all Marshal Guo's old troops. We sent people to send them out of the city. If Li Ye finds them, they will None of them will survive.”

Chen An nodded in response.

Suddenly, someone passed by them and dropped a ball of paper. Chen An, with quick eyes and quick hands, grabbed the ball of paper and looked around vigilantly, making sure that no one was paying attention before carefully unfolding it to take a look.

A few words were written on the crumpled paper.

"As expected by the little official, Li Ye really wants to run away!" Chen An sneered and handed the note to Ma Qing.

Ma Qing glanced at it a few times, rolled it into a ball, chewed it and swallowed it.

"Send someone to keep an eye on Li Ye's mansion and find out where his family is fleeing to!" Ma Qing's voice was cold and faint, like an evil spirit wailing in a low voice.

Chen An nodded vigorously, gritted his teeth and said: "This time we must let Li Ye pay with blood! Old Ma, your chance for revenge has come!"

Ma Qing grinned, his dark mouth was very scary: "I told you that I would personally peel off Li Ye's human skin and light a lantern!"

Chen An said with a smile: "Don't forget to cut a few more times for me. That guy still has the lives of a dozen brothers from the Zangfeng Camp."

"Hehe~ Don't worry!"

Chen An hesitated for a moment, then whispered: "The junior officials don't like us using torture. You should hide when you attack, so you don't get scolded by the junior officials."

"Of course I can't let the little officials know." Ma Qing smiled faintly.

"As time goes on, the blockade of Kaifeng City will become tighter and tighter. You and I should be careful, and meet at the Town God's Temple in Killing Pig Alley if we have important matters." Chen An said solemnly.

Ma Qing patted his arm: "Come on, you are getting more and more verbose."

Chen An picked up the burden, turned around and said with a smile: "By the way, old horse, let me do the chewing of paper balls from now on. You have bad teeth, so be careful of eating them and ruining your stomach."

Ma Qing was taken aback, but before he could react, Chen An carried the burden and disappeared into the crowd on the street.

"This little bastard~" Ma Qing cursed with a grin, stood up slowly, patted his butt, picked up the load and disappeared into the crowd.

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　　Thanks to Song Bingshu, jssbnm, Maomao and Haha, the author is great, zzonline, too lazy to think of a new name, Be Carefree with Books as a Guide, The Pig Who Wants to Fly, book friend 20190821155634341 and other friends for their votes and rewards!

　　I typed the record by hand, so please forgive me if there are any omissions or errors!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)