Chapter 207 Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Four Lu Can, born in Jiangxia, heir of the Marquis of Zhenyuan, his grandfather Ping, was a general during Emperor Wu's time.The young master lost his mother and went to the army camp with his father. He was more than ten years old and could hold a three-stone strong bow.Every time Xin said about the left and right, he said: "This son's achievements must be on my side." Since childhood, Gong liked martial arts and disliked literature. Because the country's middle school favored literature and despised martial arts, he was worried about it and asked to be taught by his teacher.The public nature is stubborn, and he drives away the teacher.In the eleventh year of Xiande, Jiang Zhe from Jiaxing was hired as his teacher. Shi Zhe was only fifteen years old.

In the 22nd year of Xiande, Zhe was taken into captivity and surrendered to Yong. Within a few years, Emperor Yong bestowed the title of Marquis of Chu, and honored him as Princess Changle of Ningguo in Yong. The public is silent, and there may be some who criticize the public. The public said: "One day is a teacher, and one is a lifelong father. How can you stop him because of unavoidable things? The critics will be ashamed and retreat after hearing about it." ——"The History of Chu in the Southern Dynasties.Zhongwu Gongzhuan At the beginning of August in the tenth year of Longsheng, there was an endless stream of pedestrians on the post road from Haizhou to Xuzhou. There had just been a heavy rain, which dispelled the scorching heat, and the wind blowing from the sea carried a faint fishy smell and brought With incomparable freshness.At this time, smoke and dust billowed in the distance, and the sound of rattling cars came to the ears, and a continuous convoy of supplies came from the direction of Haizhou under the escort of soldiers from the Yong army.The merchants and travelers on the road gave way to the side of the road one after another. This kind of situation happened almost every ten and a half months, so they didn't need to wait for the sergeant's order to avoid it automatically.Dayong and Southern Chu have been at war for several years, consuming countless food, salaries and supplies. Although the Yong army is also stationed in the local area to raise troops, they still need to transport money, food and supplies from various places in Dayong, and the money and food transported from Youji are mainly through Yuntai Port in Haizhou. Transshipment to Xuzhou.

In this mighty army, there was a young man in green clothes without armor riding his horse forward slowly. He was Huo Cong. He landed from Yuntai two days ago and should have rushed to Xuzhou, but after landing, Fear arose in his heart, so he deliberately delayed the journey, and went on the road with the army transporting food and grass, nominally for safety along the way.Although the Huben guards who guarded him were clear about his thoughts, they couldn't bear to expose them. After all, they had been with Huo Cong for several years, and the friendship between them and Huo Cong was already very deep.

Near noon, the general who was escorting the food and supplies ordered the army to rest on the side of the road. The general came over and said, "Mr. May I have a drink, sir?" Although Huo Cong was worried in his heart, he didn't show it on his face at all. He would not refuse the general's intention to make friends, so he smiled and said: "General, I am ashamed of your kindness." After saying that, he got off his horse, and said with a smile. The general walked towards the wild store while talking and laughing.Several Huben guards were naturally divided into two to go to the wild store to investigate first. This time Huo Cong left Dinghai. It stands to reason that those Huben guards who followed Huo Cong in Dinghai had no reason to stay in Dinghai anymore, but Most of them are serving in the Eastern Navy, and many of them have served as mid-level generals or other important positions. If they are withdrawn all of a sudden, it will inevitably affect the combat power of the Eastern Navy.So before Jiang Zhe recalled Huo Cong, he wrote to Emperor Yong to simply transfer those bodyguards to serve in the East China Sea Navy. Except for the four Huben guards who had been with Huo Cong all the year round, everyone else stayed in Dinghai.The general escorting the luggage didn't know Huo Cong's identity, but he saw that the young man was surrounded by Tiger Benwei's entourage, and he also knew the importance of Huo Cong's identity, so he was very respectful and courteous along the way.Huo Cong also took the opportunity to inquire about the situation in Xuzhou.

Since Jiangnan Xingyuan set up a large camp in Xuzhou in the eighth year of Longsheng, hundreds of thousands of reinforcements have defended Huaibei as if it were solid. In the past three years, there have been several wars between the Jianghuai and the Huaihe River. There is no end to the north and the south, even Xuzhou can hardly avoid the infiltration of Southern Chu spies and righteous men, and Xuzhou has Qi Wang Li Xian and Prince Li Jun sitting in the town, so assassins emerge in endlessly.Therefore, Xuzhou has already entered military control and is heavily guarded.But Huo Cong's mentor, Jiang Zhe, is not in Xuzhou at this time. Although Jiang Zhe is the Jiangnan Xingyuan Counselor, he doesn't seem to care much about military affairs. In the past three years, he has not only returned to Yongdu several times, but also often travels to Jingxiang and Huaibei landscapes on weekdays. In the meantime, he would go boating on Weishan Lake, visit Buddhist temples on Songshan Mountain, or linger on Xianshan Mountain in Hanshui River, but he rarely asked about military affairs.However, Emperor Yong's connivance to Jiang Zhe was also unprecedented. Not only did he not convict him, but he was promoted to his title. Now Jiang Zhe is already the honorable prince of Chu, which made many people jealous.Even Huo Cong, although he knew that Jiang Zhe was promoted because of his great achievements in the eight years of Longsheng, Jiang Zhe's indulgence still puzzled him. Giving someone the handle is not something his mentor would do.

Huo Cong's heart was turning back and forth, but his expression was not showing on his face. He chatted with the general and walked to the spacious and tidy wild shop by the side of the road. He lifted the curtain and walked into the shop door. The general was about to greet the shopkeeper loudly. When he turned around, his body shook and he froze.Huo Cong walked behind, seeing that the general's behavior was a bit wrong, but his eyes were blocked by the man's body, and he couldn't see anything wrong in the shop, but subconsciously took a step back, while the two tiger ben guards following behind him It is to keep up with one step, and faintly protect him.

If there is any accident in the store, the two tiger guards who went in beforehand should have noticed the warning. Huo Cong was puzzled, and looked inward with piercing eyes. At this time, the general hurried forward two steps, prostrated himself in the tunnel and said: "Mo Kowtow Xue Quanzhong to Lord Hou, but I don't know that Lord Hou is here, so please forgive me for trespassing." Hearing this, Huo Cong felt a rumble in his head, and his body seemed to be frozen. He looked over the bowed general, and looked inward, and saw two people familiar to him sitting on the seat in the middle of the shop. Incomparable people.That face is as clean as ice and snow, although his face has changed somewhat compared to three years ago, but he is still as young as ever, isn't he the evil shadow Li Shun who is always the servant of the master.And that man with blue shirt reaching the floor, gray hair and frosty temples, a little bit more weathered look on his face, and warmer and deeper eyes, isn't he the mentor who has been away for several years?

The man stretched out his hand to make the general stand up, then looked at the door of the store, and said with a smile: "Cong'er, I haven't seen you for three years, don't you think you don't recognize me as a teacher? gone." Looking at those deep eyes full of admiration and joy, Huo Cong only felt that the fear that had been entangled in his heart for many days was like seeing the ice and snow in the scorching sun, and disappeared without a trace in an instant. , fell to the ground, choked with sobs and said: "The disciple kowtowed to the teacher, the teacher has always been good." The voice did not stop, and the tears had already dripped into the dust.

Seeing Huo Cong's shoulders trembling slightly, but trying to suppress his excitement, I was also shocked. At this moment, I couldn't help but feel apologetic. Thinking of deliberately wronging this beloved disciple in the past few years, he has to bear it at a young age. Such pressure is really difficult for him.Stepped forward to help him up, sat down with his arms, and said with a smile: "Okay, although you have suffered a lot in the past few years, it is very difficult for ordinary people to have such an opportunity. Haitao sent a letter saying that you were very effective in helping him fight, and that Mushou Putuo had put his heart and soul into it, and wanted to recommend you as an official official. But I declined for you. The past few years are just for you to experience and let you Familiarize yourself with common affairs, if you go out to be an official, you don’t need it, and if you study by my side for a few more years, you can directly assist His Highness the Crown Prince in governing the country, but it will be troublesome if you have an official position now.”

After listening to his teacher's persuasive words, the uneasiness hidden in Huo Cong's heart gradually faded away, and he wiped away the tears, only to realize that only Jiang Zhe, Li Shun and himself were left in the store, and other irrelevant people were silent He retreated without interest, leaving an independent space for their master and apprentice to talk about. As for Li Shun, Huo Cong naturally knew that this person and his mentor were one body, and there was nothing wrong with him staying here, so he calmed down. Huo Cong Cong raised the question that had been in his heart for a long time: "Mr., when I heard the battle report in Dinghai, I had doubts in my heart. My grandson said that soldiers are important affairs of the country, the place of death and life, and the way of life and death. You must pay attention to it. Mr. To master the art of war, one should know that the war will be cemented and harmful to the country and the people. If you can win, you should fight quickly. If you can't win, you should stop the flag and drums, and prepare your troops to wait for the opportunity. Mr. is highly valued by the emperor, why don't you do your best, or advise the emperor to stop fighting? , or to pacify Southern Chu in one go?"

I smiled slightly when I heard the words, and said: "Cong'er, people of insight all over the world say that Southern Chu is dark and weak, why can't Dayong Lu attack it? Do you know the reason?" Huo Cong said solemnly: "Most of the southerners have peace of mind, love glory, and have no intention of entering the Central Plains. In terms of the combat power of the two countries, except for the troops under the command of the general Lu Can, most of the rest are not strong. Our elite troops can One counts as ten, so Southern Chu is unable to threaten Dayong. This is why Southern Chu is dark and weak. However, the south of the Yangtze River is rich and fertile, and there are Jianghuai to block the northern iron cavalry, and the middle of Shu guards the upper reaches of the river, which is conducive to defense. Since ancient times, the Jianghuai has been guarded. There are countless vassals who have ruled over half of the south of the Yangtze River. As long as the ruler of Southern Chu has the hearts of the people and guards against the natural dangers of the Jianghuai River, and has one or two generals guarding key areas with the same military spirit, he can make Dayong look at the Yangtze River and sigh. Now there are dozens of people in the South of the Chu River. In 2010, although powerful ministers are now in power, the political situation is still stable, taxes are not heavy, civilians can barely live in peace, the people's hearts are still attached, and there are even famous generals like General Lu who prevent our army from going south, so the war has been stuck for several years. Can't attack." I nodded secretly, Huo Cong has indeed made great progress in the past few years, and asked: "Since that's the case, look at the current situation, who has the upper hand?" Huo Cong had already thought about these things thoroughly, and said without hesitation: "Xiangyang is in the hands of our army, and the Southern Chu army will not go north to Jingxiang, enter Nanyang, and threaten Guanzhong. Qingxu's opportunity, most of the central Sichuan has fallen into my hands, the Southern Chu Army can only defend itself according to Berkshire and Kuizhou, and now the Southern Chu Army can only passively defend. Self-protection, and the strength of the Southern Chu Army has gradually increased over the past few years, if it continues to be delayed, the advantage may be transferred to the Southern Chu Army." I was relieved and said: "You can see through this point. Sure enough, there is no wasted time. Yes, Southern Chu seems to be in danger now, and although our army has the advantage, it is strong from the outside but capable from the outside. Lu Canfei is a person who does not think about making progress. Since our army did not have the opportunity to reinforce in time, we raided Chuzhou and Sizhou. If our army hadn't launched an attack in Dinghai first, I am afraid that he would have taken the opportunity to seize the empty Xuzhou. Captured Xiangyang, but gained a bit of the upper hand, but Lu Can's ambition was fully revealed. Although Southern Chu is in a weak position, Lu Can took advantage of years of hard fighting to take over the military power of Jianghuai and train an elite army that is not inferior to our army , As long as our army is a little tired, he will stand out with surprise troops, attack our unprepared army, and wipe out the efforts of Dayong and Pingchu." Huo Cong was terrified when he heard this, he bowed his head and thought hard for a long time, before he said: "Lu Can's battles, although he often focuses on defense, but every time when the enemy's slack is slack, he will highlight the surprise troops, attack the key city gates, and take advantage of the chaos in Dongchuan to take Jiameng. Guan is an example. Taking advantage of our army's defeat and repairing, we sent Shiguan to take Suzhou, and Yang Xiu's attack on Sizhou is another example. Now that the two armies have been at a stalemate for more than a year, I am afraid that Lu Can is already planning to attack our army. Where will he set his sights?" I nodded slightly, and sighed: "You know, Cong'er, if you want to attack Southern Chu, the best time is in the 23rd year of Wuwei. Wang Jiahe, the ruler and ministers fainted, the government and the people were disintegrated, so His Majesty could lead the army to destroy the establishment, capture the country's lord, and retreat completely. If Dayong was able to go all out at that time, there would be a chance to wipe out Southern Chu in one fell swoop. It's a pity that at that time In the Yong Dynasty, the fear of seizing the heir is imminent. Although His Majesty controls the army, he dare not attack Chu with all his strength. The army's morale is inconsistent, so that he missed the opportunity. After the court was settled, the Northern Han Dynasty has recovered its combat power. The war in the north has resumed, and Dongchuan's hidden worries are also Gradually surfaced, and the Southern Chu is vast and densely populated, and the situation has been stabilized. Once the Southward Expedition, it will be protracted, so we had to decide on the strategy of flattening the Han first, and then destroying Chu. After the Northern Han was settled, in order to digest the Northern Han National strength, and because of the loss of Jiameng Pass, His Majesty had to rest and recuperate. During this period, Lu Can had become the number one person in the Southern Chu military. Although the Southern Chu government was under the control of Shang Weijun, the military was No one can compete with Lu Can. This is a rare unified situation in the Southern Chu military for decades. We have lost the good opportunity to destroy Chu. According to my point of view, in the seventh year of Longsheng, there should be no army to Pingnan. You must know that at that time Shang Weijun and Lu Can asked each other to control the military and politics. Lu Can and Dayong's iron cavalry coming to the south of the Yangtze River will make the two of them put aside their differences and work together to the outside world.It's a pity that His Majesty was eager to unify the great cause, and finally decided to pacify Chu, so that he fulfilled Lu Can and let him win the hearts of the Jiangnan army.Since the war started, I was ordered by the emperor to come south. I originally intended to use Dinghai to contain Wu Yue, and then confronted the Chu army in Jianghuai, Jingxiang, and did not plan to start a war immediately. Unexpectedly, Lu Can took the initiative to attack and took advantage of the continuous war Strengthen your position in the Southern Chu Army.Seeing Jianghuai and Jingxiang's soldiers, I was sure of Lu Can's intentions. He was unwilling to settle down in the south of the Yangtze River, and he had the ambition of the Central Plains. I went to the portal of Northern Peeping Central Plains, and guarded against it. When Lord Nan Chu Ming is in power, I can go north to the Central Plains. Although it may be decades away, it is not an impossible dream. " When Huo Cong heard this, his eyes flickered with coldness, and he said after a long time: "Since Mr. has seen through Lu Can's intentions, he must have a countermeasure. In the past few years, Mr. has been wandering in the mountains and rivers. Could it be that Lu Can no longer cares about it?" Mr. Tight's move?" I smiled lightly and said, "When the two armies are at war, beheading generals and capturing the flag is not my specialty. Even if I am in front of the army, I can't do much. If you want to deal with Lu Can, you have to start from the Southern Chu Dynasty. Although Can has ambitions, he can't see the situation clearly. The government of Southern Chu is corrupt. Zhao Long, the lord of the country, has just been in charge of the government, and he is busy selecting beautiful women, building large-scale construction projects, and building palaces. It is not Mingjun's work, but Shang Weijun has been jealous of Lu Can for a long time. It was only because of the military power in Lu Can's hands, and because Dayong was staring at him, and he had no excuses, so he held back. Since ancient times, there have been dishonest and treacherous ministers in the court, and there is no chance for the general to make meritorious deeds. Lu Can is so suspicious, but he can't use extraordinary means Eliminating dissidents and taking control of the government is already a dead end, all I need is a situation, and I can trap Lu Can to death, why do I need to confront him on the battlefield?" Huo Cong's mind turned, and he had already recalled the events of the past few years in a flash. Although he didn't know Jiang Zhe's many arrangements secretly, but what he knew already made him feel chills in his heart, and he stole a glance at Jiang Zhe, He asked: "Could it be that Rong Yuan is the sharp weapon that Mr. arranged for Shang Weijun?" I nodded and said: "Rong Yuan's loss of Xiangyang is a serious crime. The Southern Chu court never questioned the crime, but demoted him to a rank of military rank, and let him lead the army to atone for his sin. Jun agrees, how can it be like this? Rong Yuan is a narrow-minded person, and he has been afraid of Lu Can's reputation and achievements for a long time. Lu Can also has mistakes. It needs to be eliminated, lest he produce right and wrong, but because Lu Can didn't like Rongyuan's method of eliminating dissidents, he didn't want to use it, but let him take charge of Xiangyang, so that the generals fell out, and our army took advantage of the opportunity to take Xiangyang. As a result, Rong Yuan had no choice but to rely on Shang Weijun to protect himself. Once Shang Weijun attacked Lu Can, Rong Yuan would be the one to handle the sword, but Lu Can was unwilling to kill them all because of his obsession. Yuan is the leader of Jiangling's military, so it's not wrong to add mistakes. However, if I hadn't known Lu Can's temperament, I would not have made trouble. How could I let Rong Yuan escape? In the past, Rong Yuan fled south in a panic. Setting up an ambush, if it wasn't for the opening of the net, would Rong Yuan go away, only because Rong Yuan is left behind, Shang Weijun has the power to deal with Lu Can." Huo Cong said again: "General Lu is devoted to the war, so he can't help but neglect the affairs of the court. Moreover, General Lu is noble in nature, he doesn't like to fight for power and profit, and flatters the emperor, so he must not be in the heart of the emperor. It's fine when he is in charge of the government. Wei Jun can't just find a reason to dispose of General Lu, but once the lord is in charge, the situation will be different. Thunder, rain and dew are all due to the king's favor. It is the lord Zhao Long who wants to dismiss General Lu without any reason. I can only obey orders sadly, but because of the stalemate of the war, this order cannot be issued casually." I sighed and said: "The general is away, whenever there is an impromptu decision, Lu Can is even more resolute and resolute. The attack on Jiameng Pass and the deployment of troops in Huaidong are all arbitrary. There is no sign of rejuvenation of the army. Such a move is a taboo for ministers. Even if the lord is the lord of the Ming Dynasty, it is still a disaster, not to mention the lord of the Southern Chu Kingdom is not the lord of Zhongxing, and Shang Weijun Is it the genus of power? A few days ago, the Empress Dowager Shang of Nanchu intended to choose Lu Mei, Lu Can's daughter, as queen. Concubine is the best way to deal with it. Once married to the royal family, Lu Can will have the opportunity to control the government affairs of Southern Chu and gradually eliminate the influence of the Shang family. Unfortunately, Lu Can is not a powerful minister, and he is unwilling to sell his beloved daughter in exchange for wealth. I get According to the news, Lu Mei was escorted by Lu Can's second son, Lu Feng, to Shouchun, and was secretly escorted by Chentang experts on the way. In this way, Zhao Long must be dissatisfied with Lu Can. Once the situation changes, Zhao Long will never think of defending her. Lu Can. What's more... Alas!" Huo Cong showed sadness in his eyes, and continued: "What's more, generals in charge of soldiers are the object of the king's suspicion. General Lu holds a heavy army and is unwilling to flatter the royal family. Zhao Long must doubt his loyalty. Since ancient times, it is inevitable for famous generals to be heroes Bad luck, not to mention that General Lu is so honest, once the situation stabilizes, the Lu family will inevitably encounter catastrophe. If there are traitors and villains who take the opportunity to slander, it is impossible for General Lu to disarm and return to the land." I said lightly: "If this situation continues, the only way for Lu Can to survive is to rebel, but the Lu family is loyal and respected by the whole world. If he really rebels, his former reputation will be wiped out, and the south of the Yangtze River will be in chaos. This is our army's chance, if Lu Can does not rebel in the end, he will not escape the evil hands of the treacherous ministers, and when the Jiangnan pillars are overthrown, who else can resist our army going south." Huo Cong said in a low voice: "Although there are many hidden worries, General Lu holds a heavy army and is fighting fiercely with our army. I think Shang Weijun will not destroy the Great Wall himself under such circumstances, right?" A trace of grief flashed in my eyes, and I said: "Shang Weijun is not a fool, so naturally he would not act rashly. If he does, firstly, the war will be settled, and secondly, Lu Can will have something to fall into his hands. It's just my plan for three years. , just for today, now that everything is ready, only the east wind is owed, and within a few months, Southern Chu will undergo major changes, and I called you here because I don’t want you to miss this event that will determine the fate of Southern Chu.” Huo Cong only felt a sharp pain in his heart. Three years ago, Wu Yue and Lu Can had fought against each other several times. Although he had never masked his face, he could feel his demeanor and temperament. I couldn't help but feel sad, and said for a long time: "Mr. said that he only owes the east wind, but he doesn't know what the east wind means?" With a flash of my eyes, I said: "This east wind is Xiangyang, and Xiangyang is the place that Lu Can must take. It's just that when he captured Xiangyang, it was the beginning of the collapse of the pillars of Southern Chu."