Chapter 48 Chapter Forty-eight

At this time, Jin Hui was carefully reading a letter on the desk, while Wang Jian stood aside, and the morning glow shone on his face through the window lattice of the grille.Jin Hui closed the letter, raised his head, and there were many silver threads growing on his temples.It has been nearly twenty years since I met Wang Jian!Years have mercilessly aged the two youths in their prime.Years of fighting and fighting have taught them to survive in troubled times, and also learned to be indifferent.However, in front of them, war is still indispensable. "It's a distress letter from Dongchuan. The emperor has cleared Yang Fugong, the lieutenant of the Shence Army, from the court, and his adopted sons raised their troops to resist the court. The letter said that the court sent Song Daobi, the middle envoy, to give Gu Yanhui Jingjie, and Yang Shouliang sent people to kidnap him halfway. Withhold the banners and send troops to attack Zizhou." Jin Hui said.

"Bo Ya is really good at predicting things like a god!" Wang Jian admired secretly.He has been dealing with Yang Shouliang for many years, and the beginning of working together can be traced back to the era of the Zhongwu Army.Yang Shouliang's real name is Zi Liang. As early as when Yang Fuguang, the military supervisor of Zhongwu, pacified Jiangxi, he was raised as a fake son and changed his name to his current name.During the reign of Guangqi, Wang Jian served as governor of Lizhou, who happened to be under the jurisdiction of Yang Shouliang.At the beginning, it was because he was afraid of Yang Shouliang being framed that he listened to Zhou Xiang's suggestion to capture Langzhou.In the next few years, he has been fighting in Xichuan, as if he is in harmony with Shannan's well water.However, three months ago, Gu Yanlang, the governor of Dongchuan, passed away, and Wang Jian worried that Yang Shouliang would join forces with Gu Yanhui to attack Xichuan.However, Zhou Xiang said that Yang Shouliang would not try to win over Dongchuan because he believed that his army was strong and strong. Instead, he would first attack Dongchuan and then plot against Xichuan. Therefore, he suggested that he must not meet Dongchuan first.Unexpectedly, the war in Dongchuan really broke out now.

"Brother, no matter how rude Gu Yanhui was to the Yongping Army before, after all, the two Sichuans are closely related. If Dongchuan falls into Yang Shouliang's hands, Xichuan will definitely not be as peaceful as it is now!" "Yes, I will never let Yang Shouliang win Dongchuan..." "If you are worried, you can hand over a team of troops to me, and within a month, the enemy army can be defeated!" But Wang Jian shook his head, snorted and said, "I want to see what kind of people Yang Shouliang has under his command. How can you kill a chicken with a butcher's knife? To deal with this kind of people, don't bother you, just send a few young men." After all, Wang Jian waved his hand and beat the drums to gather the generals!

Not long after, dozens of warriors gathered together.Wang Jian briefly explained the reason, and then sent his beloved general Hua Hong to command 20,000 troops. He also ordered Li Jian, Wang Zongbi, and Wang Zongkan to assist him. After capturing Chengdu, Zhang Qianyu was always worried.Although he risked his life to persuade Chen Jingxuan and Tian Lingzi to make great contributions to opening the city, after all, he did not communicate with the commander in advance, and he acted without authorization and disobeyed military orders.He knows that the lord is strict in governing the army, even if he has the merit of surrendering, he will not be able to escape punishment.

"My lord, the last general is not talented, and I would like to lead the battle with General Li Jian." Just as Wang Jian was about to disband, Zhang Qianyu asked for orders.All the generals were silent.Everyone has heard the heroic stories of Zhang Qianyu before, but after entering the city, Wang Jian never rewarded or punished him.Now that he took the initiative to ask for a fight, he didn't know if it was a blessing or a curse. "Qianyu, you have always served in my personal army. I have tried to promote you several times, but you are unwilling. Why did you take the initiative to ask for a battle today? Could it be that you are unwilling to stay in the military academy?"

"No! It's just because I went to say that I surrendered to Grand Master Chen, but I made my own decision and violated military regulations. I asked my lord to allow me to fight with the army and make meritorious deeds!" "Since you mentioned this matter, let me ask you, what crime should you be guilty of if you make your own decisions before the battle and force the entire army plan to change because of you?" Zhang Qianyu gasped: "Beheaded according to the law!" The generals on both sides were suddenly shocked.Wang Zongyao hurriedly pleaded: "Father, please spare General Zhang's life for his great merit in persuading Grand Master Chen." All the generals agreed one after another.

"Hey, seeing so many people pleading for you, if I kill you, I will be outraged. Qianyu, take care of your life yourself. From tomorrow onwards, you don't have to stay in the personal army anymore. In the territory of Shuzhou, There is Qingcheng County, where there is a lack of a county magistrate, so you can go there tomorrow to serve." It took Zhang Qianyu a long time to come back to his senses.He has never been afraid of Chen Jingxuan's frying pan, so death is nothing to him!He only knows that his efforts have saved many innocent people.The lord wanted to kill him, and he didn't complain at all, but from now on, he was going to leave the lord, and when he thought about it, sadness welled up in his heart.

That night, Wang Jian's mansion was still brightly lit. "We're leaving tomorrow, come here, I'm here to offer tea instead of wine to the four of you, and wish you an early triumph." The four generals Hua Hong, Li Jian, Wang Zongbi, and Wang Zongkan took the tea bowl from Wang Jian, raised their heads and drank it all in one gulp. "This time, Yang Shouliang only sent one Yang Shouhou. I think he is just testing the truth. With the ability of the three marching troops, I predict that you will fight against Mianzhou and win within three days. When the soldiers defeat Yang Shouhou, Dong Chuan Gu Yanhui will send out a reward teacher, you can have a banquet in the camp, take the opportunity to kill him, so as to avoid future troubles!" The three were shocked when they heard this.

Li Jian was taken aback for a moment, and then quickly understood everything.It seems that not only Yang Shouliang misses Dongchuan, Wang Jian also covets this fertile soil in his heart. Both Zong Bi and Zong Kan said: "Father, don't worry, we will play by ear!" Only Hua Hong lowered his head and remained silent. In the early morning of the next day, Wang Jian personally sent the army to Sima Bridge in the north of the city.After watching the army go away, just as he was about to turn around and go back, he saw Zhang Qianyu leading a claret war horse out of Daxuanmen. "My lord, I will bid farewell to you at the end." There was a bit of sadness and desolation in the words.

Wang Jian asked with a smile: "Do you know where Qingcheng County you are going to be?" "Yesterday, I asked the old people in the market. I heard that there is Qingcheng Mountain in this county. Zhang Daoling went to Qingcheng Mountain in his later years and founded Taoism. Qingcheng Mountain is a holy mountain." "I said you! Haha... Do you really think I want you to guard a holy mountain?" Wang Jian laughed so that Zhang Qianyu panicked: "My lord is a man of great talent, not something that the generals can understand." Only then did Wang Jian tell the story: "Qianyu, I asked Zhang Gong for advice. The reason why Xichuan is so rich in the world is because of the Meiwei Weir! The Meiwei Weir is the dragon vein of the Chengdu Plain, and the prosperity of the Muwei Weir is the prosperity of Chengdu. If the Weiwei Weir is destroyed, Chengdu will perish. When I entered Xichuan, all the prefectures were vying to submit to it, but Yang Sheng in Pengzhou was the one who resisted stubbornly. Pengzhou governs Jiulong, Mengyang, Tangchang, and Daojiang counties, where the Weiwei Weir is located. Guankou Town is located in Daojiang County. This time, I will send Huahong to assist Dongchuan. When the war in the north is a bit peaceful, I will personally lead the army to conquer Jiulong in Pengzhou. I hope that at that time, you can send me from Shuzhou. I agree."

"The final general must fulfill his mission." "When Xichuan belongs to me, I will hand over Daojiang County to you to manage." At this point, Wang Jian patted Zhang Qianyu's shoulder lightly, "Qianyu, you have been loyal to me since then, I can see it all. I want to gain a foothold in Chengdu and seize the three rivers, and the Minweiyan lineage is of great importance. I, however, have entrusted you with the lifeblood of Chengdu!" Hearing this, Zhang Qianyu suddenly realized: "My lord, the general finally understands your thoughts... My lord trusts the general so much... The general... The general will definitely devote the rest of his life to this thousand-year-old ancient weir, and he will never hesitate to die!" Everything was as expected by Wang Jian. Hua Hong not only had both resourcefulness and resourcefulness, but also took the lead on the battlefield.Those soldiers were all scrambling to be the first, and Yang Shouhou's team was no match for this tiger and wolf army.As soon as they fought, the enemy army was defeated and lost seven camps in a row. Wang Zongkan took the lead and took back the banner bestowed on Dongchuan by the imperial court. As night fell, the army settled down against the majestic mountains.Occasionally, a few meteors flashed across the sky, but the camp where tens of thousands of people were stationed was so peaceful.In the big tent of the Chinese army, Hua Hong was drinking a pot of shochu all by himself. "Handsome, please see General Li." "Please!" Hua Hong hurriedly stood up from the ground, just patted his clothes, when he looked up, Li Jian was already standing in front of him. "Drink some wine alone...the general laughed..." Hua Hong looked ashamed. Li Jian didn't say much, and sat down on his ass: "What's the point of drinking alone? Come, I'll accompany you." In terms of qualifications and age, Li Jian is comparable to Wang Jian and Li Shitai. Moreover, Hua Hong heard that Wang Jian and Li Shitai relied on Li Jian to make their fortunes.This time he went to Dongchuan, Li Jian was his lieutenant general in name, but he respected this illustrious general very much. Hua Hong poured Li Jian a bowl of wine.Li Jian raised his hand and drank it all in one gulp. "Fall up again!" Hua Hong poured Li Jian again, and asked cautiously, "General Li has something on his mind?" Li Jian was silent for a while, and drank another bowl.Hua Hong continued to pour the wine: "If you have something on your mind, you may as well say it, I happen to be bored too." Li Jian picked up the third bowl of wine, hung his hand in mid-air, smiled wryly, and asked Hua Hong: "You said, if a man of seven feet abandons his wife and children in a foreign land for several years, he has to be a high-ranking official and ride a fine horse, but let him go?" The wife and children have no food to eat, no clothes to keep warm..." "What kind of man is this!" Hua Hong patted the table with a "slap", interrupting Li Jian. "Yeah, what kind of man is this... But, but I am such a man..." After finishing speaking, Li Jian gritted her teeth and drank the third bowl. Hua Hong felt abrupt in his words: "Why did the general make such a statement? Could it be that there is something unspeakable?" "Hey, I'm not afraid of your jokes when I say it... When I attacked Langzhou, I met my wife and had a son. I was afraid that the lord would blame me for getting married before the battle, and I would be dealt with by the military law, so I have been hiding it until now..." "The general is worrying too much. Is the lord an unreasonable person? Didn't Wang Zongyao also marry Miss He during the war?" "How can it be the same? My lord was trying to win over He Yuanwai. And what about me? In the early years, I conquered Huangchao, relying on my seniority, I used to contradict my lord many times... Sigh!" "The general is really worrying too much! Since I joined the Zhongwu Army, I have followed the lord for more than ten years. The lord is definitely not a small-hearted person. How can I hold grudges because of these things? Besides, the lord will also be grateful for the merits of General Ping Xichuan. You are allowed to take your wife and children back!" "I thought so too at first. Who would have expected that the war would start again so soon... Ordinarily, this time I fought to help Dongchuan. After winning the battle, I could just take the opportunity to visit his mother and son in Langzhou, but my lord... wants to We secretly..." At this point, Li Jian felt that she had talked too much, so she poured another bowl of wine by herself. "The general and I have a heart-to-heart relationship, so I might as well say it bluntly. I was drinking here alone just now, and it was because of this that I was bored! Tell me, the old Gu Gong and the master were not bad in the past, no matter how you say it, you are kind to us. He just died, and this time it's Mr. Gu who asked us again... To be honest, I'm not worried that I won't be able to defeat Dongchuan. Pingzizhou, I’ll go back to Chengdu with my head in my hands! It’s just that… if I make such a secret move, I won’t be afraid that the world will find out and laugh at the lord for being ungrateful and taking advantage of others’ danger?” At this time, the voice of the sentinel came from outside the door: "The general ordered that no guests be seen." The visitor seemed determined to break in. "Who is making noise outside the tent?" Hua Hong suddenly sobered up a lot. Just now he was unrestrained, and his voice was surprisingly loud. He was worried that these words would be heard by Wang Jian's cronies.As soon as the words were finished, a person lifted the curtain on the door and strode in.I saw that this man was seven feet tall and could not pass the age of twenty-seven or eighteen.A bright-colored tiger-skin waistcoat was worn around his body, and a bright red cloak was shaking off his back. Li Jian turned his head and seeing that it was Wang Zongbi, he let go of his heart and continued drinking. Hua Hong tilted his head and raised his head, and said coldly: "Hongfu, I haven't seen your shadow after ten days of fighting. You just took off the banner today, but you appeared?" "Brother Hua, it's a good thing to win a battle, why are you frowning?" Hua Hong straightened his waist, shook off the scum that fell from his body, and moved a cushion beside him to one side, signaling Zong Bi to sit down too.Zong Bi sat down cross-legged, and poured a full bowl of wine himself, and the three of them raised their bowls together and drank them down in one gulp. Hua Hong originally looked down upon Wei Hongfu.Before attacking Langzhou, Wang Zongyao relied on his real ability to regain the cunning chieftain who occupied the mountain, and even led the army to attack the city at night.Hua Hong easily dislikes others. In the battle of Langzhou, Zhou Xiang came up with such a plan, and Zong Yao showed his skills at the beginning. He really admired him.But I don't know why, after winning Langzhou, this Wei Hongfu was ranked first in terms of rewards for meritorious deeds, and later he was adopted as a adopted son by the lord for no reason.Of course, he also heard that the battle between Wang Zongbi and Song Xingneng in Chengdu was extremely fierce, but this time the battle to help Dongchuan was not seen for this reason.He couldn't help sneering: "Maybe Hongfu has preserved his strength this time, right? I'm sure that if Mr. Gu comes to our banquet, the sharp knife on Hongfu's waist will definitely not let him go!" "Zong Bi is here for this matter." Hua Hong raised his eyebrows vigilantly: "Did you hear what I said just now?" "Hehe, brother Hua, don't be nervous, you and I don't have different opinions." Zong Bi continued, "I thought that the lord is based in Xichuan, and he will not surrender in all directions. It may not be the best policy to be uncertain in Xichuan and hope for Dongchuan! I remember Mr. Boya said , right now, we should first contact Dongchuan to gain a foothold. Such an assassination of Mr. Gu may be detrimental to the overall situation." Li Jian interjected, "In your opinion, what should we do?" "I think it's better to spare Gu Yanhui's life. It can not only preserve the reputation of the lord, but also preserve the victory of Xichuan." Hua Hong shook his head again and again: "Before we left, my lord entrusted the four of us with important matters. If you let Mr. Gu go blatantly..." Li Jian said: "I don't agree with stabbing a knife in secret. If you want to let Gu Yanhui go, I just turn a blind eye. But I don't know what Zong Kan thinks..." Hua Hong said: "With his temperament, I'm afraid he won't approve of this." Zong Bi said: "If you want to do this, it's better to tell Mr. Gu in advance that he will save his life as long as he doesn't come to the army when the time comes." "This..." Hua Hong hesitated, "Although I don't want to do the stabbing in the back. But if I inform him in advance, it will be easy to lose my life at that time, and I will be stigmatized as a traitor after I die!" Zong Bi said: "If General Li and Brother Hua agree, I can bring Jingjie to see Mr. Gu tomorrow. This matter has nothing to do with you. If the lord finds out in the future, the crime should also be charged to Zong Bi." Hua Hong thought to himself: After all, Wang Zongbi and the lord have the status of father and son. In the final analysis, this matter is not to let the lord make a wrong move.Since he was willing to take the risk, he simply let him. Early the next morning, Wang Zongbi led a team alone to seek Gu Yanhui.The first time Gu Yanhui saw Zong Bi was Wang Jian who went to Zizhou to entrust his family members, at that time he admired this young man very much.Now seeing that the Jingjie was lost and recovered, I am even more happy, and then I have a big feast to entertain.Before the banquet, Zong Bi secretly told Gu Yanhui about Wang Jian's deployment.Gu Yanhui was shocked when he heard this, and secretly scolded the thief Wang Ba for being ungrateful.He only hated that his own strength had declined greatly compared to when his deceased brother was alive. If he turned his back on Yang Shouliang and Wang Jian at the same time, Dongchuan would definitely be at risk from the enemy!But for Wang Zongbi, besides love, he was more grateful, and left a sentence, saying: "Thanks to the young general who understands the righteousness, and risked his life to save him! If there is an opportunity in the future, Gu is willing to sacrifice his life to repay him!" A few days later, Hua Hong held a banquet in the camp, and Wang Zongkan ordered people to ambush heavy troops, but only a governor of Dongchuan came to labor.Zong Kan guessed that the rumors about this matter must have leaked out. If the governor was killed, the war between the two Sichuans might start for no reason.So, I had no choice but to go along with the flow and receive this person politely. In February of the first year of Jingfu (892 A.D.), Yang Sheng, the old general of Chen Jingxuan who was guarding Pengzhou in Xichuan, sent troops to plunder Xinfan and Hanzhou, so that he led Lv Luo and Yang Shouhou to attack Zizhou.Wang Jian sent Li Jian to attack him, and beheaded Lu Xiao, and sent Zong Yao, Zong Kan, Hua Hong and other generals with 50,000 soldiers to attack Pengzhou.The last fierce battle to determine the ownership of Xichuan finally kicked off. As soon as the two armies fought, Wang Zongyao led an elite team and defeated the aggressive opponent in a desperate battle.After Shannan Yang Shouliang got the letter, Fu Zhao from the dispatch department came to rescue Yang Sheng.However, Fu Zhao led an elite army of 30,000 soldiers and headed straight for Chengdu. For a while, Wang Jian panicked. He had to admit that Fu Zhao's move was really clever.This time when he attacked Pengzhou, Wang Jian was really cruel. He even handed over the troops who had followed him for many years to Zong Yao. Now the rear is empty. If the main force in the front is not recalled, Chengdu will be in danger. The nights of early spring were bitterly cold.Wang Jian built it on the top of the city, and saw that the whole Chengdu was in a panic.Looking towards the western suburbs of the city, Huanhuazhai is dotted with stars—Fu Zhao's elite has already stationed there. "Brother, it's windy at the top of the city, go back to the mansion early." Such a strange but familiar voice came from Wang Jian's ear.The reason why he is unfamiliar is that since he led the Yongping Army to attack Shu, everyone from the prefects and county governors down to the common people in the city have called him "the lord", even Li Shitai and Li Jian who started a business with him in the early years are no exception—— And who else could be such a familiar call but him? In the darkness, Wang Jian turned around slowly, and held Jin Hui's callused hand—he had gone through various battles over the years, and he was always by his side with this brother who shared weal and woe.Now, with the passage of time, the two have added several new couples of children under their knees, but they are already nearly half a hundred years old. The two sat down against the walls. "Guangyuan... only Zhang Jie's temperament still calls me big brother, and only you can call me starling at this time." In one sentence, Jin Hui's mouth was blocked, and he wanted to say a lot. The words were stuck in the throat for a while.That's right, in terms of family background and talent, Jin Hui is no less than Wang Jian, but he has been with him all these years, and he has no complaints.Jin Hui clearly remembered those days in Xuzhou Prison.It was originally a family matter of the Jin family, but Wang Jian was willing to risk his life and rush back to Xuzhou with him.For more than ten years, Jin Hui has killed half of the Tang Dynasty with a long spear. Every time he goes to war, he is proud of the battlefield, with a frank picture of a horse leather shroud in his chest, but only that time in prison, he and Wang Jian It was when he was sitting on a clump of straw—as they were now, side by side—that the only time he felt death was approaching.At that moment, he secretly promised that for this righteousness and love, if he could survive one day, he would definitely follow this Central Plains man who was two years younger than him. "Brother, I suddenly remembered the time when we stayed in the ancient tomb in the cave... I remembered those little ghosts who offered food to us. I still don't know whether it is real or a dream..." "Hehe, do you still remember that incident? Let's just think of it as a dream... It's really incredible when you think about it." In the darkness, Wang Jian smiled lightly, as if he had forgotten the crisis of soldiers approaching the city.