Chapter 22 Chapter Twenty Two

At this time, the battle on the front line of the Central Plains was close to a stalemate. Before sitting alone at the desk, Yang Fuguang made a pot of strong tea and drank it by himself.A copy of "Health Preservation Master" was turned upside down on the table, and a corner of the book was slightly rolled up.If an outsider sees it, they will be amazed that this war-tested military supervisor can still walk in the courtyard at the top of Mount Tai.As everyone knows, Fuguang is full of ambition, and the ambition in his heart is waiting to be stretched.Just a few days ago, after several efforts and repeated instigations, he finally used Huang Chao's favorite ministers to persuade him to surrender.Wang Duo, the commander-in-chief of the three armies, couldn't help being overjoyed when he heard the news. Immediately, Jimo pardoned the official and appointed Zhu Wen and Tonghua Jiedu envoy.Afterwards, Li Xuan received the report and formally named Zhu Wen the General of Jinwu and Deputy Envoy of Hezhong Camp Recruitment, and gave him the name Zhu Quanzhong.

Tang Jun increased his generals, and Huang Chao lost an arm. Every entry and exit made subtle changes in the battle situation.Fu Guang lifted the tea cover, flicked the tea stem, and sipped the bitterness of the strong tea.It is not an easy task to completely eliminate the enemy army.Huang Chao is still stationed in Chang'an with more than 200,000 troops, which is always a deterrent to the important town of Gyeonggi.Some generals who were once persuaded by Zheng Ting to fight against Huang Chao together are now in a dilemma. After all, with their meager strength, it is really difficult for them to compete with the Chang'an rebels.Just the day before, Wang Chongrong in Hezhong was still complaining to him, asking him to ask the emperor to gather an army to support him, saying that Chang'an grass bandits are very serious, and they are ready to kill Hezhong in one fell swoop.He also said that ministers and thieves are responsible for the country, and there are not enough thieves, so I don't know what to do.Fuguang thought in his heart, the emperor is far away in Chengdu, so he can protect himself, how can he spare the power to kill the thieves?After Fengxiang's mutiny, Zheng Tian went to Xishu, Jianghuai Gaoping stood still. Although his loyal army was all elite with one enemy ten, it was only a mere ten thousand people.In order to stab Huang Chao's back in such a balanced situation, perhaps the only way is to let Shatuo's elite help.

He is waiting, waiting for the emperor's pardon. As soon as the edict arrives, he can write to Shatuo general Li Youjin, asking him to call his brother Li Guochang to lead the army south to defeat the enemy in one fell swoop.Li Guochang used to be a legendary name.The Shatuo tribe under his command was originally a part of the Western Turks. They have always been submissive and rebellious all the time, and they are very rebellious and capricious in this dynasty.When Pang Xun rebelled, Zhu Yechi, the head of the Shatuo tribe, led his troops to suppress and made great contributions. The emperor canonized Zhenwu Jiedu envoy and gave the country's surname, Li Guochang.But later, because of being forced by the tribes in Mobei, Shatuo repeatedly invaded the border, which made the two generations of emperors no longer favor him.The most recent time was during Guangming period, Tuyuhun governor Helianduo joined forces with other generals to defeat Shatuo, and Li Guochang had to flee to the southern foot of Yinshan Mountain, and attached himself to the Tatar clan.In fact, now is the time when Shatuo is in danger. If the emperor can forgive them righteously, they will definitely do their best to protect Datang from now on.What's more, the several Yanmen tribes are all barbarians, tyrannical and tyrannical, and it is difficult for the generals of the North to subdue them. If they are handed over to Li Guochang, they must be an army that turns decay into magic.Of course, Yang Fuguang also calculated that Li Guochang was already in his twilight years, and it might not be easy to personally lead the elite to go south.But Sha Tuo had talents on his behalf, and Li Guochang's son Li Keyong was a general.It is said that he was blind in one eye when he was born, so he was named Cyclops.This son was brave and good at riding and shooting when he was young, and he followed his father to suppress Pang Xun in his early years. He was fifteen years old and invincible.He had already heard of Shatuo's reputation as "Flying Tiger Son" a few years ago, and this person is now in his prime, and Mobei has received a lot of responses, and he must be no less than his father.

Yang Fuguang took another sip of tea, feeling a little anxious: he can think of these advantages and disadvantages, and other insightful people should also be able to understand them.Even if the emperor is not good at political affairs, is it possible that none of Kong Wei, Zhang Jun, Wei Zhaodu, and Du Rangneng around him wrote to the emperor to protect Shatuo?well!There are no virtuous ministers in troubled times, otherwise how could there be this chaos in Huangchao? "My lord, someone from the Ministry of War! They are from Chengdu!" Suddenly, a notification interrupted Yang Fuguang's thoughts. He was anxious and let go. The celadon tureen fell to the ground and shattered. Wet his court clothes. "Please!" Yang Fuguang couldn't hold back the joy in his heart. If he guessed correctly, the emperor must have pardoned Li Keyong. In this way, Datang is saved!He no longer cared about the airs of the illustrious Zhongwu Supervisor, and greeted him out of the gate himself.Not far away, a tall man with a burly figure and a waxy complexion was bowing to him: "My subordinate Zhang Qianyu has seen Mr. Supervising Army!"

"Excuse me, excuse me, what is Master Zhang talking about here?" "Don't dare, the lord can just call the little Qianyu. The little one is sent by the lord Zheng, following the order of the emperor, and carrying the letter of pardon from Marshal Wang, to pay a visit to the lord." Yang Fuguang was so happy that he pulled Qianyu closer, and asked in a low voice, "How about pardon Shatuo, Li Guochang and his son?" "My lord is really clever!" "Hahaha... that's great, that's great!" Yang Fuguang huddled his forehead in excitement, "please come in quickly, let's talk inside."

Then Zhang Qianyu and Yang Fuguang walked into the inner hall, recited the emperor's oral order, handed Wang Duo's personal pardon to Fuguang, and told how Zheng Tian recommended Qianyu to the emperor, and how he made peace with the old Zhongwu General Jin. A master-servant relationship is told one by one.When Yang Fuguang learned that the person in front of him turned out to be the general of his old friend Jin He, he couldn't help but feel emotional, and his face looked sad. Zhang Qianyu said: "Master Zheng wanted to stop meddling in the government, so he strongly recommended his subordinates to come to Zhongwu. It was obvious that he was passing on the edict on behalf of the emperor, but in private, it was also a wish of his subordinates. All along, his subordinates have always wanted to fulfill the master's long-cherished wish during his lifetime and fight fiercely On the battlefield, you will always be loyal to the military."

"Good! Good! You have such a relationship with my Zhongwu Army. From now on, you will stay by my side, and I will definitely use you again." "Thank you for the cultivation of the supervising army! It's just that the subordinates are concerned about the young master and want to serve under General Jin." "Oh—it's because you have such a heart. That's fine! It's just... Guangyuan is stationed in Nanzhai now, and he won't be able to come back for a while. In my opinion, it's better for you to go to Wang Guangtu first. Guangtu and Guangyuan are life and death If you are a friend and a brother, you will definitely be able to use it there.”

"Very good! This subordinate knows General Wang, so I would like to ask the supervisor to recommend him. I have to ask the supervisor to worry about the matter of passing orders to Li Guochang and his son in Mobei." "Don't worry about it, I will order someone to report to Li Youjin quickly, and let him go to Mobei to pardon his brother!" When Chang'an City was fighting fiercely, it was the time when the Mobei Grassland was at its most lush.After the abundant rainwater infiltrates, the oily green has been spread out, connecting the blue sky above the horizon.Fat flocks of sheep are moving slowly along a clear stream in the distance, and the tents where the Tatars live are scattered in the boundless wilderness...

"Come on, let's raise the wine glasses in our hands again to welcome the guests from afar." A leader-like man with a beard sat in the center, raised the silver cup in his hand, and smiled at Li Guochang. "Respected leader Yanbat, thank you for taking in our father and son. Your mind is as broad as the sea!" Li Guochang stood up trembling his slightly fat body.He is old, and this Shatuo general who has experienced many battles and has mixed merits and demerits is already graying at the temples.He dipped his fingers into the glass and sprinkled two drops of wine into the air, and drank the sweet and delicious quesaima brewed with honey in one gulp.

"I said... Li Guochang, you have been here for a long time in our Tatar department." A fat man with the appearance of an aristocrat put down the wine glass in his hand and said with squinted eyes, "Where is the rest of your department? They all seem to be in a panic." Hahaha... Do you still want to avenge Helian Duo's revenge? Are you waiting for the tiger and wolf division of our leader Yanbat to help you?" "General Jeddah, I have sent my generals to look for the rest of my troops. As long as they hear my call, they will gather around the leader of Yanbat like a flock of sheep." Li Guochang said respectfully.

"Hahahaha, it's more touching than the singing of the shepherdess!" Jida stared at Li Guochang fiercely, "If the rest of your troops gather around you, I'm afraid even the beautiful Lake Baikal will be destroyed by your horseshoes." trample on it!" Li Ke stood up with a "hu": "Jeda, are you trying to provoke the leader of Yanbat and our father and son?" He closed one eye slightly, but stared at Jeda with the other eye, "We Shatuo People have always been loyal! Chief Yanbat took us in, such kindness like spring water, such a heart like a bright moon, we will never forget it!" "Hmph!" Jida said angrily, "Boss, Helian Duo's people have said long ago that Li Guochang and his son are by no means willing to be inferior to others, and their ambitions are more ferocious than wolves. Suffered..." Li Ke stepped forward and grabbed Jida: "What are you talking about? You can believe Helian Duo's instigation? He hopes that his Tuyuhun will destroy Shatuo, and then destroy Tatar!" "Okay! Don't quarrel!" Yanbat shouted, seeing Li Keyong let go of Jeddah, and said, "Today I am entertaining my guests, so don't bring any unpleasant things here! I have already ordered delicious goubaidier and itebrissi to be prepared, and today everyone must eat to their heart's content!" The night in the grassland is so peaceful, the sky is filled with stars, the Milky Way is full of stars, and the clear Big Dipper hangs low above the horizon. No matter how time goes by, they are faithfully rotating slowly around the North Pole.Li Guochang sat alone on a grassy slope, holding in his hand a bunch of tender grass that was just uprooted and still mixed with the fragrance of soil.Looking at the starry sky from a distance, he is full of nostalgia for this fertile grassland in the northern part of the desert. He has fought all his life, but as a descendant of nomads, he is instinctively attached to this vast world.As time goes by, he has long been familiar with the position of Beidou in different seasons, but his beloved son Li Keyong may still continue to struggle in this world... Sooner or later, he will be like a hungry wolf in the grassland He also died of old age and turned his body into soil to nourish the green, but Li Keyong wanted to continue his life as a lonely eagle.This eagle guides the way forward, and its every move is related to the fate of the Shatuo tribe.However, today's son's impulsiveness made him feel a little uneasy. There was a faint rustling sound from the green grass behind him, and he could sense it without turning his head. "Father, Helian Duo has sent someone to provoke us! He wants to use the hands of the Tatars to destroy us!" Ke's tone was mixed with haste and panic. "Come on, sit down." Li Guochang seemed to ignore his son's worries, and said slowly, "We are dependent on others now! Your words and deeds during the day may make Yan Bart feel unsafe. If he feels unsafe , we will not be safe. If you really want to fight at that time, do you still want to fight with him for the grassland under the Yin Mountain?" He said, looking sideways at his son, and using the only remaining scorpion God's eyes were also looking at him. "No, no, no," Li Guochang slowed down and lowered his voice, "We can no longer live a life of wandering, we urgently need the monarch of the Tang Dynasty to grant us a piece of rich and beautiful land, and we want to live like the Han people. " "But father, before we get back to the Great Wall, these unfaithful Tatars will drag our bodies to the grass to feed the wolves!" Li Guochang couldn't help laughing: "Helianduo bribed Jeddah and the others a long time ago. He wanted to use a Tatar saber to cut off the head of the thorn in his side - this matter is very clear. I am old and my legs and feet are not flexible. But the eyes are still as bright as eagles, how can we not see through this matter? Right now our tribe has dispersed, before returning to the south of the Great Wall, we must live here well!" "Father, can the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty still use us? We plundered the northern city, Li Zhuo will definitely speak ill of us Shatuo people in front of the emperor." "Yes." Li Guochang said with firmness and confidence, "Do you still remember the time when Pang Xun was suppressed? As long as the emperor of the Tang Dynasty was in danger, he would definitely think of our Shatuo's iron hooves and sabers, and he would Trust us, because we have an absolute advantage in front of those insurgents, and our brave soldiers will make them fearful and make the emperor happy." Li Guochang couldn't help but look up at the starry sky, "Li Youjin said the emperor Will agree to pardon us soon, and wait until the emperor restores the Lord of the Shatuo people... But before that, we need to do two things, one is to secretly contact the lost tribes; Yanbat is worried about us, and we should wait for the opportunity here safely. Do you understand?" Li Keyong nodded thoughtfully. The sky beyond the Great Wall is always so blue, and there is no cloud floating in the first glance, and occasionally a flock of wild geese brushes across the sky—this kind of picture can always make people forget a lot of unhappiness and enjoy the fun in front of them. "Ku Yong, why didn't your father go hunting with us?" Yanbat rode a tall yellow-maned horse and walked in front of a group of people. "Regarding the leader, my father is old and his legs and feet are not flexible, so he specially ordered me to accompany the leader." Li Ke used the horse, intentionally slowing Yanbat by a head. "Oh! I have heard for a long time that you have learned the language of the army since you were young, and you can draw a bow and shoot eagles at the age of ten. Li Guochang is so lucky to have such a shrewd and capable son. However, today I think Let's see your arrow skills." "Let the leader laugh, those are just a waste of fame." Yanbat ignored Ke Yong's modest words, he waved his hand, and the servants at the side had already handed a huge bow to Ke Yong's horse.Seeing that Yan Bate insisted on seeing his own arrow skills, Li Ke thought that this might be a good opportunity to show off his skills. Most people on the grassland are open-minded, and the more capable they are, the more they will be respected. On the other hand, it is also a deterrent to some people in the Tatar tribe who are hostile to themselves.So, he took the bow, pointed to a big tree in front of him and asked, "Have you ever seen the yellow leaves mixed with the green leaves?" After hitting the horse for two hundred steps, he suddenly turned over on the horse's back, raised his bow and set an arrow, and the arrow fell straight to the yellow leaves with the sound of wind.Afterwards, Ke Yong ordered someone to take a needle and hang it on a tree branch, and the arrow still fell a hundred steps away.Jeddah shivered in shock.Yan Bate was overjoyed to see this, and was about to call Li Keyong, when a group of wild geese flew by in the sky, Ke Yong was really out of control, his only remaining eye had already keenly captured the scene above his head, and then he quickly lay down. Lie down on the horse's back, put the arrow sideways, the bow is like a full moon, and the geese fly away when the arrow is fired... Not long after, the accompanying soldiers handed the fallen eagle feathers to Yanbat's horse.When Yanbat saw it, he couldn't help but gasped: there were two geese on the arrow, one big and one small. He laughed and praised Li Ke's arrow technique, and he couldn't help but secretly shouted in his heart: "This Compared with his father, Li Keyong is even worse! I never imagined that the Shatuo tribe could produce such a hero in every generation." After the hunt, it was a joyful gathering as usual, with Yanbat sitting in the middle, and various nobles and generals surrounded Li Keyong, frequently persuading him to drink.Yan Bate raised his wine glass high, and said to Ke Yong: "I really admire your performance today. I never thought that Li Guochang would have such a son. He deserves to be called 'Flying Tiger'! You have such superb martial arts skills. , a few years later, he will definitely become the overlord of the grassland!" Li Keyong was startled, and suddenly remembered what his father said last night, so he quickly apologized and said with a smile: "The leader is too famous. I have practiced martial arts with my father since I was young, and I have also fought in the north and south with the army. The emperor of the Tang Dynasty gave my family a national surname, and my father Never forget to serve the country and serve the emperor! It's a pity that I was reckless by nature, offended the emperor, and now I have no way to serve the country! I heard that since Huang Chao occupied Chang'an, the emperor was in trouble. It would not take long before he would be able to forgive my father and son. At that time, the leader might as well lead the Tatar tribe to go south with us and make great contributions together. How about life, wouldn’t it be a pleasure if you can die of old age and die in the sand?” Yanbat was speechless when he spoke, and could only praise the accompanying wine to cover up. After drinking all the wine, Li Keyong got up to return the bill. "Boss, Li Ke is using this to demonstrate to us!" Jida said, "He regards our heroic Tatars as lambs who can be played with! Kill him! Don't you have to wait until the evil in this hand Does the tiger grow strong?" "Kill him?" Yanbat glanced at Jida, "Do you think you are a warrior who can tame wolves? Be careful that you don't become a fat goose shot down by the Shatuo people!" Jida said angrily: "Are you frightened by him? As a Tatar, I would be ashamed of your timidity!" "Shut up!" Yanbat slapped the table angrily, "You took the gold and silver treasures of the Tuyuhun people, you think you can hide it from my eyes? What I hate the most in my life is the person who has no guts but borrows a knife to kill! He is Li Ke. Yong also invited us to fight in the south to gain wealth. Doesn’t it show that he has no ambition to dominate the grassland at all? I dare say that when the emperor of the Tang Dynasty grants a letter of pardon, their father and son will definitely leave this beautiful grassland at the foot of Yinshan Mountain .At that time, I think I will become friends with these heroes!" Yan Bart looked at the blue sky outside the house, "There is no way to keep swan geese here..." "General, Governor Li Youjin is here!" Hearing these words, Li Guochang, who was recuperating on the bed, sat up in shock.The leader of the Shatuo tribe suddenly felt a bit of sadness in his heart: "It's finally here!" These months, he had to rack his brains every day to fight wits and courage with the nobles of Tatar, and on the other hand, he had to contact His lost followers.All he can hope for is to wait, to wait for the people from Tang Dynasty to come, to wait for the emperor to reactivate the Shatuo tribe, but this kind of endless waiting is tormenting. Getting old... He finally got out of bed with the help of his servants, and shouted excitedly at Li Keyong: "Hurry up and meet your uncle!" Since he received Li Xuan's oral order from Yang Fuguang, and Wang Duo's Mo She, Li Youjin brought five hundred people to Yinshan in person.Seeing the elderly clan brother, Li Youjin felt sore in his heart: Why is the life of Shatuo people so bitter!However, when he saw Li Keyong, who was in his prime, he felt some comfort in his heart.After all, this announcement is a new opportunity for Shatuo to rise.