Chapter 160 Chapter 28: Arranging Fragrant Baits

Chapter 28 Arrangement of Fragrant Bait On the tenth day of April, Yongdu got the military report, which only said that the Yongjun's Qinshui River Valley was defeated. Taizong was angry when he heard the news, and led his army to conquer the Northern Han Dynasty and went to Tongguan in person. ——"Zi Zhi Tong Jian".Yongji III In Qinyuan City, after dealing with complicated military affairs, Duan Wudi stood up and moved his stiff body. Since the last poisonous injury, although the injury has healed, he still feels weak and weak. This time he was ordered to stay behind Qinyuan, he was busy all day to rationalize the Qinshui River Valley, in case he could retreat here after the defeat, so he could barely sleep a few days. The military newspapers from the front line were delivered every day. Duan Wudi knew the military rank of the Northern Han Dynasty. After chasing after him, the Yong army had already fled, but at this time today, why did not see the military report, Duan Wudi was very worried, but this place is more than a hundred miles away from the Ji family, although he has sent scouts to investigate, But if there is really a problem ahead, it is impossible for him to get the news before tomorrow morning.

Turning around in the study for a few times, Duan Wudi felt a little uneasy after all. With a flash of inspiration, he thought of a person who had an unusual identity. It will be easy to say it, but there is still a chance to get some words out.Thinking of this, he summoned his personal guards and walked to the dungeon behind the prefect's mansion. Duan Wudi walked slowly down the bluestone corridor. The walls on both sides were cold and damp, and even moss grew near the ground. Except for the flickering light of the torch, there was no light from the sky. It is so strict that even a mouse cannot escape.Walking to the end of the corridor, there is a fine steel iron door, but it may have been a long time, and there is a layer of rust on it.The two sergeants guarding the gate bowed.

Duan Wudi asked in a low voice: "How is the prisoner?" A sergeant replied: "General Qi, he has been silent since he woke up, but he never resisted. Now he can get up, but he can't walk." Duan Wudi nodded and asked them to open the iron door. When the door opened, a strong smell of medicinal materials mixed with moisture rushed out. Duan Wudi frowned slightly and walked in.The prison is about two feet square, and there is only a stone bed directly opposite, which is covered with thick straw and emits moisture. An iron chain extends from the wall, and the shackles at the end lock the hands and feet of the person sitting on the stone bed. live, making it difficult for this person to move beyond the scope of the chain.The man was wearing coarse prison clothes, and there were many wounds wrapped in cloth strips on his body. He was obviously seriously injured. His long hair was scattered in front of his face, and his face could not be seen, but the right side of his face could be seen through the hair gap He was also wrapped in a white cloth, and he described himself as a wretched man, but when he sat there, he was still tall and straight, with a calm and unhurried demeanor, even though he was in a prison, he didn't have any fear or depression at all.

Duan Wudi frowned lightly, this person was injured by fire, this dungeon is really not suitable for him, but this person is a general of the Yong army, and it is inconvenient for him to tolerate him.Walking to the bed, Duan Wudi said: "General Xuan, has the injury improved?" The man raised his head, raised his right hand and parted the long hair covering his face, revealing a haggard face, the left cheek was covered with a white cloth, but the burn marks could still be seen, but the appearance was the same, it was Xuan Song Xuan Changqing .He smiled slightly and said: "It turned out to be General Duan, my injury has not deteriorated, thank you General for sending troops to treat me."

Duan Wudi sighed softly. On that day, the Yong army desperately wanted to rush out of the Taniguchi, but was ordered by the general to block the way with bows and crossbows. More than ten thousand Yong troops were killed. When cleaning the battlefield, they found that Xuan Song was surrounded by dozens of personal guards. Pressed under him and protected by his body's blood, it is a rare event in recent years for a Yongjun general of this status to be captured, so Long Tingfei ordered him to be imprisoned and ordered a military doctor to treat him.When Xuan Song woke up, Long Tingfei had already led his troops to set off. Duan Wudi also intended to learn about some Yongjun military aircraft from Xuan Song, but after Xuan Song woke up, he was almost silent. Without the heart to surrender, Duan Wudi was busy with military affairs, and Xuan Song was still injured, so he didn't work hard on it.But now that the military situation is unclear, Duan Wudi should not be allowed to be merciless, and he needs to find ways to learn the secrets of the Yong army from Xuan Song.

Xuan Song stared blankly at Duan Wudi, who was in a daze. He understood the purpose of this person in his heart. Although he could not see the light of day in this prison, he could know the approximate time based on the number of times he ate and drank, plus the time he was seriously injured and unconscious. The Northern Han army must have fallen into ambush by now. It seems that Duan Wudi has not yet obtained accurate information, but just found something wrong.Escaping from death on the battlefield, Xuan Song had no intention of dying except for the soldiers who went to die, because of what King Qi said when he was about to leave, if he could return to the Yong army, even if he suffered some humiliation, it would be worth it Yes, but if the generals of the Northern Han Dynasty wanted to find out some military plans from him, he would never think about it. Although he wanted to fight again, he was not a person who was greedy for life and afraid of death.Thinking of this, Xuan Song said: "General Duan, does General Duan know why Xuan is still alive?"

Duan Wudi's heart moved, and he said: "Duan wants to declare that the general is not the one who bowed his knees and surrendered. He must want to see the Dayong banner again." Xuan Song smiled and said: "Xuan has been familiar with military books since he was a child, but his martial arts are mediocre. In the Dayong Army, cavalry and archery skills were the most important. Therefore, although Xuan wanted to lead the army, he had no chance. Xuan was lucky. To join the army under the command of General Jing Chi, General Jing Chi was open-minded and didn't care about the dispersion of power. He allowed Xuan to lead the army, and later he was appreciated by the military supervisor and His Royal Highness Qi Wang. After Qin Ze fought, Xuan's name moved the world. This fame is hard-won, and Xuan has always been grateful for it, so that day when General Long burned Qinshui, Xuan knew that he was close to death, but he still led the army to die."

Duan Wudi frowned and said: "Actually, your Royal Highness King Qi had already led the army away that day. You couldn't retreat in time, so why not surrender, but it's a pity that General Xuan was so obsessed with his obsession that he caused twenty thousand warriors to die in the sea of ​​fire. How can General Xuan bear it?" Xuan Song said indifferently: "General Duan's words are wrong. Although I could kneel down and beg for life that day, how can I, a warrior of Dayong, be a person who is greedy for life and afraid of death? People. Some things are just like this. Could it be that General Duan surrendered in order to cherish the lives of his soldiers when he was in a desperate situation?"

Duan Wudi was speechless, if he could do this, why would he have to fight so hard with Dayong, knowing that the situation was unfavorable, but he still had to deal with all kinds of hardships, some things seemed to be just a step back, but that step would never be backed down.He also understands the meaning of Xuan Song's words, that he should not extravagantly hope to find out some military plans from him, but this is the only way, how can he give up gently, after much deliberation, he can only make side-steps, hoping to learn more clues .Thinking of this, Duan Wudi respectfully said: "It's Duan Menglang, General Xuan is a loyal person, he will never defile himself, and Duan doesn't want to make fun of himself, but this place is not suitable for recuperating. I would like to ask General Xuan to come to the house to recuperate, I wonder how you respect it?"

Xuan Song knew that he just wanted to act in a roundabout way, and even if he didn't want to, it would be difficult to stop his good intentions, not to mention that he was not a pedantic person, so he just smiled and said, "Thank you so much, Xuan." Duan Wudi was overjoyed, and ordered his soldiers to help Xuan Song out of the dungeon, sent him to his residence, and found a tightly guarded room for Xuan Song to recuperate. No matter whether it can soften this person's defense, just the respect in his heart is enough to make him feel better. Duan Wudi did so. It's a pity that the bad news came too fast. When the scouts reported that the army of the Yong army appeared in the south of the Ji family and that General Long had been besieged, Duan Wudi was almost stunned. He fidgeted and looked through all the information he could get. Duan Wudi was helpless. He suddenly realized that the only mobile force in the Northern Han Dynasty had been trapped, and he only had tens of thousands of infantry in his hands. He could defend the city, but he was powerless to rescue him.He only felt that all the energy in his body seemed to be defeated by the bad news. After thinking for a while, he ordered the news to be blocked, and immediately ordered people to secretly report the military situation of the country's lord here, to strengthen Qinyuan's defenses, and then to do everything he could. After finishing, he walked into the residence where Xuan Song was under house arrest.

At this moment, Xuan Song had changed into clean clothes, and was reclining on the bed to recuperate from his injuries. When Duan Wudi walked in, he was reading an ancient book with great interest.Hearing the sound of Duan Wudi's footsteps, he raised his head and saw Duan Wudi's serious face, with a cold killing intent in his eyes, his heart moved, guessing that it might be the news that the Northern Han army was trapped, he put down the book, Xuan Song calmed down. Said: "General Duan looks uneasy, but is there something wrong in front?" Duan Wudi took a deep look at Xuan Song, and said: "General Xuan is a general in the army, and he has the trust of the Marquis of Chu, doesn't he know what's going on today?" Xuan Song said indifferently: "Hou Zhi of Chu Township is deep and brave, he has millions of armored soldiers hidden in his chest, how can I know his strategy, but in terms of temple calculations, no one in the Northern Han Dynasty is his opponent, although the general uses troops like a god , Unfortunately, limited to the situation of military strength, even if we win nine out of ten battles, this last defeat will already destroy the country." Duan Wudi only felt a pain in his heart, and the unrealistic illusions that still existed before were shattered without a trace. He pressed the sword on his waist, wishing to kill the person in front of him with one sword, but after a long time, he finally faded away, cold He said coldly: "The general has 100,000 cavalry and is assisted by Princess Jiaping. Although he is trapped, he is not easy to eat. The situation may not turn around. General Xuan should not be too happy." A cold light flashed in Xuan Song's eyes, and he said: "The general is riding lightly for a long-distance attack. At most, he only has two days' food and grass around him. How many days can he last?" A glimmer of luck flashed in Duan Wudi's eyes. According to the information he got, before the encirclement of the Yong army, the water army responsible for transporting supplies and food had already entered the encirclement and joined the Long Tingfei army. Although the water army could not break out of the encirclement, Long Ting Fei has at least half a month of food and grass around him. If he saves some, he can delay for some time. Although the Northern Han army is trapped, there may not be no hope of breaking through.It’s just that he doesn’t want to tell Xuan Song about these things, but in order to continue to gather some information, Duan Wudi sarcastically said: “I don’t need General Xuan to worry about whether the food and grass around the general are sufficient. It’s just that Emperor Yong’s army came out lightly, although it has not been revealed until now. , but now everyone knows it, I'm afraid Emperor Yong will regret it later." Xuan Song knew that he secretly guided Chu to be eyeing, and Dongchuan was unstable, but how to deal with these things was beyond his knowledge, so he just smiled and said: "Daizhou army is going south, I don't know what is the situation in Yanmen?" Duan Wudi stagnates and the situation in Daizhou is tense. It's not that he doesn't know about it, but he can't do anything about it. Thinking of this, Duan Wudi can't help but smile bitterly, thinking that he is just an ordinary general, and it is difficult to control the overall situation. Now the situation is rotten At this point, I am even more helpless, the only thing I can do is to ask the lord for help, and try my best to defend Qinyuan City. Looking at Duan Wudi's slightly sad back when he left, Xuan Song smiled lightly. He understood what this person was thinking, but the Beihan Building was about to collapse, and how could a few people be able to turn the tide, but he didn't know if he had the strength to turn the tide? Hope to survive, maybe the Northern Han court will order to beheaded before the battle in order to be firm and uncompromising. In the Zhaotai Pavilion in the capital of Emperor Yong, Huang Chongai and Huang Li beamed with joy, embroidering a bright yellow dragon robe stitch by stitch. These days, the emperor dotes on her very much, and often visits her fortunately. In the past, he was troubled and gave up, and he just tried his best to please Li Zhi every day, hoping to get more favors. While she was concentrating on embroidery, her confidant maid Chan'er came in with refreshments. Seeing Huang Chongai's concentrated expression, a trace of contempt flashed in her eyes, but turned into a smile. The more superb it is, this Yunlong is really going to take off his clothes and fly, the emperor must be very happy to see it." Huang Chongai smiled lightly and said, "My embroidering skills are not as good as my cousin's fur. My cousin is the number one embroiderer in old Shu. Her embroidered dragon robes are so vivid." At this point, a hearty laugh came from outside the door and said: "Is that so, is Aifei too modest? I think your embroiderer is already very good." Huang Li raised her head happily, and saw Li Zhi walking in, followed by Song Wan, she hurried forward to salute, and was helped by Li Zhi.Li Zhi picked up the half-embroidered dragon robe, looked at the exquisite embroidery on it, and said, "Why, is your cousin's embroidery better than yours?" Huang Li's eyes brightened, and said: "Of course, among the four famous embroideries in the world, the number one person in Su embroidery is Gu Xiuniang from Nanchu, the number one person in Xiang embroidery is Dayong Xue Lingyi, and the number one person in Hunan embroidery is Yue Qingyan in Southern Fujian." The first person in Sichuan embroidery is Chenqie's cousin Song Ying. Chenqie learned embroidery from her cousin when she was young, but her talent is far inferior. If the cousin was in Yongdu, Chenqie would definitely ask her to embroider a dragon robe for the emperor. " Li Zhi thoughtfully said: "Fujian embroidery, the more green the smoke, is it the bride of the Marquis of the East China Sea?" Confusion flashed in Huang Li's eyes, and he said: "I don't know, I just heard people say that Southern Fujian Yueqingyan likes imitation embroidered calligraphy and paintings the most, and the brushstrokes and paintings are just like the original ones, but Miss Yue is a famous lady with very few works. If one can get one, it is often kept secret, so the concubine has never seen it." Li Zhi smiled and said, "If it's really the person I want, it would be easy. In the future, she will definitely give you a pair of embroidery, but your cousin is also a famous embroidery, I don't know where it is now?" Huang Li's complexion changed, she glanced at Li Zhi, lowered her head, and said, "The concubine's cousin was originally a female official of the Lord of Shu, she was sent home after the death of Shu, and was brought into the mansion for Prince Qing two years ago." Li Zhi frowned lightly inadvertently, and said: "I see, Song Wan, is there such a woman among Prince Qing's main concubine and side concubine?" Song Wan glanced at Huang Li and said, "Your Majesty, there is no such woman. Presumably this woman is just a concubine of His Royal Highness Qing, so she did not report to Mingzong's mansion." Li Zhi nodded and said with a smile: "It's okay, I will decree to give the title of Song's side concubine someday." Huang Li was overjoyed, bowed down and said: "The concubine, on behalf of the sister, kowtowed to the emperor for his kindness." Li Zhi picked her up, seeing her radiant face and boundless joy, his heart softened, he gently embraced her into his arms, Huang Li's body was weak and blushing, Song Wan and Chan'er wisely pushed her out.Just when the two were in love, Song Wan suddenly rushed in with a nervous expression, kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, Zezhou has eight hundred miles to urgently report the military situation." The annoyance on Li Zhi's face was immediately replaced by a look of shock. He let go of the yellow glass, ignoring that he was still in the concubine's bedroom. out, Song Wan hurriedly followed.Huang Li was shocked, and hurriedly knelt down to send Li Zhi away.After Li Zhi left, Chan'er walked in in panic, and asked, "Your Majesty, why did the Emperor leave in a huff, could it be that your Majesty is not serving you well?" Huang Li shook his head and said: "No, the emperor suddenly received a note from Zezhou, and left just like that. Judging by the emperor's expression, there must be something in front that annoyed the emperor." Chan'er's expression changed, and she said: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty is so troubled, you might as well inquire about it, lest your words accidentally touch the Emperor's mind." Huang Li said distressedly: "But how can I inquire about it? If I am too careful about this kind of thing, I'm afraid I will be reprimanded by the empress." Chan'er laughed and said: "What's the problem? Isn't the empress grateful for the empress's love and care? You might as well go to see the empress empress right now, and say that the emperor suddenly became angry. You are worried that the emperor will be very angry. Please ask the empress empress to inquire about it. Just ask the Empress what is the matter after the fact, the Empress is kind and compassionate, and she will definitely not hide it from her." Huang Li thought the same, got up and said: "You serve Bengong to dress up, I will go to greet the empress empress right now." Chan'er was overjoyed, and hurriedly stepped forward to help Huang Li dress up, but Huang Li couldn't see the vicious smile on the corner of Chan'er's mouth. When Huang Li came back from the Queen's Palace, her face was already full of sorrow. She complained to Chan'er: "How good is this one? Zezhou lost another battle. I heard that the Daizhou Army appeared, and His Royal Highness Qi retreated. Thirty miles away, it was burned by a big fire and was defeated. It seems that there was another general who died independently, and his life and death were unknown. Isn't His Royal Highness King Qi a famous general, and the Jiang Consort, who is said to be extremely intelligent, helped him, but he was defeated like this Miserable, the empress said, the emperor is summoning his important ministers, and he is going to go to war in person. Alas, the emperor is a man of gold, why should he go on an expedition in person? It’s not like the court has no generals. Chu, but isn’t there General Qin and the others?” Chan'er comforted her and said: "Your Majesty, the Emperor was the number one general in Dayong before. If he conscripts himself, he will surely succeed in no time. Your Majesty, why don't you embroider the dragon robe quickly, and let the Emperor wear it in time for the expedition, then How nice it would be." Huang Li nodded after hearing this, and quickly picked up the unfinished dragon robe and began to fly the needle. Seeing that she was concentrating on herself, Chan'er quietly walked out, using excuses to go to the imperial dining room. Passed to Dongchuan. Outside the Wenhua Palace, since several important court officials entered, all the servants and maids have been expelled from the palace. These people are all trembling. Who knows that the emperor was furious in the palace just now. If he offended the emperor at this moment, I am afraid Their lives are at stake, even in the eyes of the Mingjun Shengzhu, the lives of these people are nothing more than ants, and the wrath of the emperor is no small matter.These people never imagined that the atmosphere in Wenhua Palace was not as tense as they imagined.In fact, Li Zhi was sitting behind the Longshu case with a smile on his face, looking at a secret document, which was jointly signed by King Li Xian of Qi and Hou Jiangzhe of Chu Township, and it was handed over through the most secret channel. Zheng Xia, Shi Yu, Dong Zhi, Guan Xiu, Gou Lian, as well as Qin Yi and Cheng Shu were all summoned to the palace by Li Zhi. This situation made people believe that there was indeed an urgent military situation ahead, that is, Qin Yi and Cheng Shu were summoned to the palace by Li Zhi. When the special purpose was summoned, he was also uneasy, and he didn't feel relieved until he learned the inside story. Li Zhi put down the secret paper and said joyfully, "Sixth Brother and Suiyun really lived up to my expectations. Now that the Northern Han army has fallen into ambush, the overall situation has been settled. Sixth Brother is not afraid of hardships and dangers and risked his life. I am very comforted in my heart." Shi Yu smiled and said, "Your Majesty has been planning for the Northern Han War for a long time. Although General Changsun said that he was using an excuse to support General Pei, but the 300,000 troops rushed to Zezhou silently. Your Majesty has exhausted his mind, and now he finally defeated the Northern Han Dynasty." The main force of the army is trapped, and with His Royal Highness King Qi's methods of using troops, Long Tingfei can't break through even if he uses his troops like a god, and the main force of the Daizhou army is also trapped, which will be very beneficial to the acquisition of Daizhou in the future." Qin Yi frowned and said, "I've seen Lin Yuanting in Daizhou before. He is brave, heroic, loyal and loyal. It would be very difficult to subdue him. However, the Lin family in Daizhou has made great contributions to the community of Li people, and their reputation and prestige in Daizhou is as high as the sky. If Mrs. Lin refuses to surrender, I'm afraid His Majesty will be in trouble." Gou Lian said: "Although Xin Guogong's concern is very serious, although the Lin family of Daizhou is well-known, it is because they guarded Daizhou against barbarians in their time. For them, guarding their hometown is the most important thing. They were dissatisfied with the former Lord of the Northern Han Dynasty and still surrendered in the end because they did not want to make enemies on both sides. They only needed to separate Daizhou and Jinyang. Will resist Dayong's rule, but will not be an enemy of the court." Li Zhi nodded and said: "Nevertheless, I hope that the Lin family will submit to Dayong willingly. The Lin family has lived in Daizhou and resisted the barbarians. They have made outstanding contributions. In the future, Dayong will rule the world. We still need good generals to guard Daizhou. The Lin family is the best candidate." , I have sent a letter to the King of Qi, ordering him to save the life of Jiaping Princess Lin Bi, and to make forced landings against the Daizhou Army." Zheng Xia said respectfully: "Your Majesty, although the Lin family in Daizhou is suspected of having a separate regime, they have always been good generals who are loyal to the king and have no ambitions. If they can be appeased, they must be a barrier in northern Xinjiang. However, if they want the Lin family to return, it is best The best way is to make the emperor of the Northern Han Dynasty write a letter to persuade the Northern Han Dynasty to surrender. If the army suppresses the border, the Daizhou army will definitely rise up and resist. If the two armies fight and suffer heavy losses, it will not be conducive to appeasing Daizhou in the future." Li Zhi said: "It's the same with my intentions. This time I decided to conquest myself. Although I also intended to lure the enemy, my primary purpose was to calm down the overall situation of the Northern Han Dynasty. Although King Qi was brave, he never cared about government affairs. Suiyun was weak and unbearable. After the Ping-Han period, all kinds of affairs are complicated, and I need to be the master." For Li Zhi's personal conquest, Zheng Xia and others did not object, not to mention that Li Zhi was Yong's military god, and it was a matter of course to win the conquest. Even for the sake of King Qi, Li Zhi went to the battlefield of the Northern Han Dynasty in person, which had more advantages than disadvantages. This battle Although King Qi's record is not outstanding, but if he hadn't taken risks himself and lured the Northern Han army into a trap, the current situation would not have happened. After King Qi wiped out the Northern Han army, he would be able to go north to Jinyang and defeat the Northern Han. The capital city, such a contribution is too heavy for King Qi.If Li Zhi personally commanded the final battle to pacify the Northern Han Dynasty, it would be a more appropriate way to deal with both Dayong and King Qi.What's more, Li Zhi's personal conquest has the effect of luring snakes out. Rather than letting King Qing of Dongchuan launch an attack when Dayong is most vulnerable, it is safer to let him launch an attack at the time selected by the court. While Li Zhi was discussing with the others about the personal conquest, Song Wan quietly walked into the hall and delivered a secret letter. After Li Zhi took it, he raised his eyebrows and said, "It's the letter from Marquis Xia. He has already arranged it." Sure, it can be launched at any time, this is asking for instructions from me." Hearing Xiahou Yuanfeng's name, everyone couldn't help frowning slightly. Although Xiahou Yuanfeng had become Emperor Yong's confidant in the past few years, this handsome young man who used to be as rich as jade had already become a dark place in the hearts of everyone. Xiahou Yuanfeng's insidious and cruel methods also caused many people to criticize him, but everyone knew the status of Ming Jiansi in Li Zhi's heart, and there was Jiang Zhe's shadow behind Xiahou Yuanfeng.Although Jiang Zhe did not intervene in the affairs of the Mingjian Division, Xiahou Yuanfeng used Jiang Zhe to serve King Yong in the past, and his deputy Liu Hua was Jiang Zhe's confidant in the past, and Xiahou Yuanfeng treated Jiang Zhe both openly and secretly. He is very respectful, so everyone has long vaguely regarded him as a force of Jiang Zhe's lineage. Even so, when they heard that the biggest confidant hidden danger was about to be eliminated, everyone showed satisfaction on their faces. Li Zhi put down the secret document, but there was a little worry in his heart. Xiahou Yuanfeng's secret document hinted that he would take the opportunity to take over Jiang Zhe The secret forces of old Shu.From Li Zhi's point of view, when Dongchuan fell into his control, he did not want any forces independent of his control to exist, and the Fairview League, no matter how much Jiang Zhe controlled this force, was still As a rebellious organization, Li Zhi's only concern is whether this will cause Jiang Zhe's dissatisfaction?