end song

Chapter 672 Tong cares about the ancients

Lin Zi closed his eyes, and could imagine pictures one by one...

Lian Xixian decided to withdraw from Guanzhong, first arranged a few batches of assassins in Chang'an, and then arranged a group of elites in Huashan.

"The old man expected that Li Xia would enter Chang'an, and so on..."

"If Li Xia is not dead, he will definitely go to Tongguan, and you can set up an ambush here, old man..."

Thinking of this, Lin Zi opened his eyes, shook his head, and realized that Lian Xixian was not an "old man" at all.

It was still difficult for him to associate the image he had imagined with the young man.

It wasn't until he glanced at Li Xia again that he admitted in his heart that there were also people in the enemy country who were in high positions at a young age.

In his mind, Lian Xixian faced the bronze mirror, shaved off his beard little by little with a knife, turned around...it was Yuan Congzheng.

Thinking of this again, there was a feeling of being calculated, and Lin Zi felt uncomfortable all over.

But he still cared about Li Xia first.

"Marshal, what about the whereabouts of the girl from the Zhang family?"

"It's all true. We inquired along the way, and found Jiufeng Academy all the way, and continued to investigate after that. It can't be fake."

"How does he know such details?"

"Maybe there is indeed a Yuan Congzheng. Lian Xixian has asked so many days in advance." Li Xia said: "He does not look like a Central Plains person, and the ancestors of the Yuan family have Xianbei blood, so they chose Yuan Congzheng as an identity. , there is an explanation."

Lin Zi thought about it carefully, Li Xia was still wearing plain armor when he saw those scholars, and there were guards around them, and those scholars had already been searched.

"He has calculated thousands of times, and he can't even think about succeeding in the assassination."

After saying a word like this, the uncomfortable feeling in my body disappeared a lot.

"Marshal is right, Lian Xixian has been completely defeated."

Li Xia waved his hand and said, "I said it at the beginning, I'm not sure that Yuan Congzheng is Lian Xixian, but...very, very suspicious."

"How did the commander-in-chief see it?"

"If you want to get close to me, you have to show your talents. If you show too much, it's easy to show your secrets. It's not easy to handle. On the first day, there were a few doubts... I saw Yuan Congzheng's strategy and theory, and I was surprised by his talent. I observed him. His handwriting is different from that of Lian Xixian. But he writes with his left hand, but he usually uses his right hand. For another example, if he can make such a policy, he must want to stay. But I deliberately tested him, but he said he wanted to leave , or put on airs, or have ghosts in your heart..."

Lin Zi said, "Let me check it out, or ask Liu Yuanli to take a look?"

"That is to expose him suddenly. Once exposed, he can only do his best on the spot, but I want to recruit him. So I keep probing, and he must suspect that I have seen through him. But it is useless to doubt it. It is like There is a hazy window paper, let him hide behind, listen to my persuasion slowly, and think slowly."

"Understood. I don't think he is in the right mind today. He should be loyal to the commander immediately."

"How easy is it?" Li Xia said, "How long have you been with me?"

"It's been four years and five months since I went to the north with the commander in chief." Lin Zi smiled and said, "My life, and everything today is given by the commander in chief. Even the good woman I married was arranged by the commander in chief."

"Lian Xixian followed Kublai Khan for ten years, from a fledgling to the official worship of the prime minister. Even if he understands other reasons, a person like him will not forget Kublai Khan's kindness to him so quickly. Civil servants, celebrities, It is different from those princes..."

Lin Zi asked straightforwardly, "What is the commander in chief going to do?"

"The ten-year kindness between Kublai Khan and him is cut off."

Li Xia beckoned.

Lin Zi listened to him, stretched his neck and listened carefully, and at the end, clasped his fists in reply, "Understood."

"And don't forget to digest the methods used by the other party, you will be the most powerful spy in the world, go..."

~~
At night, Yuan Cong was sitting by candlelight processing paperwork.

Most of these documents are related to the people's livelihood and economy in Guanzhong, including the registers of various states and counties, the estimation and accounting of commercial taxes and the amount of autumn grain, and the large and small case files of nearby states and counties such as Weinan and Huazhou.

But from the beginning to the end, there is no content related to the defense of Tongguan and the Yellow River.

He didn't have trouble doing this, and he was often able to sketch out a solution with just a glance.

In the middle of the night, a scholar from Jiufeng Academy came in and put a stack of account books on the case.

"Heyi, it's all over...it's not easy, take a closer look."

"Thank you." Yuan Congzheng didn't look back, but only raised his hand to show that he didn't want to be disturbed.

When the footsteps were far away and the door was closed, he opened the booklet and put the thing under it into his sleeve.

~~
The next day, these official documents were placed on Li Xia's case.

Another pile of files was pushed to the edge of the case.

Li Xia said: "How about temporarily handing over these official duties to Heyi? I plan to go to the north of the Yellow River tomorrow."

Yuan Congzheng asked in surprise, "The commander-in-chief is going to Shanxi?"

"Cross the river, and I'll be back in a few days." Li Xia seemed to be chatting casually, and said again: "By the way, General Liu will return to Tongguan tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. I have some documents for him. Please send me some documents when the time comes." He Yi will hand it over."

Yuan Congzheng thought for a while, and said, "Students are familiar with the situation on the North Shore, how about letting the students lead the way for the general to go to the North Shore?"

"Aren't you afraid of being recognized?"

Yuan Congzheng hesitated slightly, and said: "The student has no close relatives, even if he is recognized, no one will be implicated."

"Alright."

On this day, soldiers and horses came from the west and entered Tongguan, and many scouts came back from the other side of the Yellow River to report the news to Li Xia.

Li Xia was obviously also busy and did not summon Yuan Congzheng.

And this busy day passed, and the next day, they set off for a trip to the north bank...

~~
The Yellow River has come to the flood season, and it is the most turbulent time.

On the bank of the river, a team of more than [-] people dressed as herdsmen, but all of them are tall and brave.

Li Xia finally took off his armor.

He has a tall and straight figure, although he is wearing a commoner clothes, he still has the bearing of a handsome boy, but he is by no means weak. His shoulders are broad, his chest is thick, and the muscles of his back support his clothes.

A long sword was not hung on the waist, but wrapped in a cloth bag and held in hand, obviously not for decoration.

Many people in the world already know that this young Shu Shuai is very skilled.

Ahead, one by one bravely boarded the boat and rowed slowly to the opposite bank.

Considering that they would bring back 30 people, they brought a lot of boats, and crossing the river north at this time, each boat was very spacious, and there were no more than three or four people on each boat.

……

"How about getting on the same boat with me?"

"Listen to the Commander-in-Chief." Yuan Congzheng made a bow and followed Li Xia to board the boat.

Except for the four boatmen on this boat, there were only him and Li Xia.

The Yellow River is rough and the boats are shaking.

The two sat opposite each other in the cabin, and the atmosphere was quite different from before.

Yuan Cong looked directly at Li Xia, only to see that the 20-year-old young man's eyes had the calmness of an old monk.

The long sword was placed on the lap.

After that, Li Xia suddenly said something.

"This is the best chance I can give you to assassinate me. There is still a glimmer of hope for you to do it now. But in Shanxi, there will be no chance."

"What is the commander-in-chief talking about? It seems that he misunderstood the student as an assassin?"

"After this trip, I have to return to Chang'an, so you can't hide anymore." Li Xia said, "You have a dagger in your sleeve, try to kill me?"

"Dagger?" Yuan Congzheng was taken aback for another moment, and quickly raised his body, exposing his arms.

No dagger.

Not too surprised, Li Xia asked, "We mentioned Lian Xixian a few days ago, and I said a lot, do you have anything to refute?"

Yuan Congzheng put down his arm, and was silent for a while, then suddenly said: "So that's the case, no wonder the commander-in-chief has been tempting me these days, so he thinks I'm Lian Xixian? The commander-in-chief wants to recruit him?"

"Ah."

Yuan Congzheng seemed to find it funny, shook his head, and said frankly: "The student is not Lian Xixian."

Li Xia was taken aback.

After that, he also shook his head and smiled.

"Okay, how about you use Lian Xixian's position to refute me? Just help me practice persuasion."

"Since the Commander-in-Chief gives orders, it is better to obey than to be respectful."

Yuan Congzheng first turned his head to look at the Yellow River water outside the boat canopy.

It seems that because the closer you are to your hometown, your temperament is much more free and easy than usual.

"In all fairness, the commander-in-chief used the technique of sophistry. The reason why he was able to win Guanzhong was because he took advantage of the situation when the troops in the Central Plains had no time to look west. Of course, this is common sense in the art of war. It should be taken for granted that the commander-in-chief has such an opportunity. It is admirable to act decisively and seize the opportunity every step of the way.

But... there is no need to say it in a high-sounding manner.

For the imperial court to which Lian Xixian is loyal, Brother Ali and Li Fen are more threatening, and there is no need to fight the commander in Guanlong for a long time.It's not that people's hearts are not available.At least before the war, Guan Long's people's hearts were not in the commander in chief.

It's not so much that he fights "petty", it's better to say that he has a different perspective from the general.Presumably, if he did it all over again, Lian Xixian didn't intend to conquer all the people in Guanzhong, and even if he was defeated in Guanzhong, he would have to fight to the death with the general. He neither wanted nor had to.For him, it's as simple as that. "

Li Xia was not angry when he heard this, and raised his hand to signal him to continue.

"The commander-in-chief said that he should do a better job than the king of the north, but he just said that he has not seen it yet. At least this time, the king of the north conquered Mobei himself, established the Han system, and resisted the old Mongolian system. It can be called upright. Commander-in-Chief Although the ambition is lofty, but...to take advantage of the fire to loot, and to use the name of Song Ting to act as a Song thief. It cannot be said to be disgraceful, but it is indeed not better than Beijun."

At this point, Yuan Congzheng said again: "However, the courage of the commander-in-chief has far surpassed that of Lian Xixian, he must have bowed down and convinced himself."

"Sheng Lian Xixian, Kublai Khan has not yet been defeated, what do you mean?" Li Xia asked, "But what about the future?"

"The commander-in-chief has great ambitions. In the future, it may be as the commander-in-chief said, and he will build a brilliant career."

"Is it possible to defeat Kublai Khan in the future?"

"It's possible." Yuan Congzheng said: "But the premise is that in the next ten or 20 years, the commander-in-chief can still go well. He won't be sick, he won't die, his ambition will not change, his luck will continue, and he will be able to deal with the North and the South. Endless attacks."

"Does Lian Xixian believe that I can do it?"

"Probably unbelievable."

"How can I believe it?"

Yuan Congzheng glanced out of the canopy again, and said, "I don't know, the students are just arguing from Lian Xixian's point of view as ordered by the commander-in-chief."

"It's a pity, you are too restrained. If it is really him, he must be able to speak more eloquently and freely."

After Li Xia finished speaking, she also looked out of the canopy and stopped asking.

After a long time, when the boat was approaching the north bank, it was Yuan Congzheng who spoke first.

"Students, from Lian Xixian's point of view, talk about your views on the marshal?"

"Alright."

"He has no personal grievances with the commander in chief. He is an enemy of the commander in chief, just doing things."

"It's also taking responsibility." Li Xia said: "He appointed Wang Liangchen as the commander without authorization, and lost Guan Long in the end. He wants to take it and restore it."

"That's how it is." Yuan Congzheng said: "Then if he is convicted, he can't blame the ruthless monarch, and don't blame the marshal. The mistakes he made should indeed be borne by him. He is called 'Xi Xian', but he doesn't abide by the rules. ,Should."

Li Xia smiled and remained silent.

Yuan Congzheng said: "From this, it can be imagined that he shares the same goals with the Marshal, and even appreciates, admires, and admires the Marshal."

"But won't submit to me?"

"As I said just now, in his opinion, the commander-in-chief has not surpassed Beijun so far. How can he live up to the kindness of the king for ten years? Then tie his life to the unknown?"

"No rush, take your time."

"Yes." Yuan Congzheng continued what he wanted to say, and said: "The commander-in-chief has the first words, which fit the scene in front of him."

He raised his hand, pointed to the water of the Yellow River, and chanted in a deep voice.

"The peaks are like clusters, the waves are like anger..."

The boat was already on the shallows.

Yuan Congzheng didn't realize it, he was still reciting the words slowly.

After saying the last word "bitterness", he turned his head and looked at Li Xia, his temperament was different again.

Without the humble and immature youthful spirit, there is more calmness and melancholy.

"I didn't write this word, Zhang Yanghao wrote it." Li Xia said slowly, "It's a pity that you read this word today. Decades later, someone passed through Tongguan, and what he witnessed was still the disaster of the people."

A very solemn word.

But Yuan Congzheng didn't understand.

At present, no one can understand...

"Zhang Yanghao." Yuan Cong was thinking of the name, and said, "Your Excellency Li Jieshuai is better at disguising himself."

"Don't pretend?"

"It's too rough to pretend, so don't pretend."

"Rough refers to your plan. As for acting, it can only be described as 'clumsy'."

The two looked at each other, and each smiled. There was understanding, relief, and guard in the smiles...

~~
"Your Excellency Li Jieshuai, face to face. No talent, Lian Xixian."

Li Xia waved his hand and said, "You don't have to be so solemn. How about I call you 'Brother Shanfu'? I heard that Li Shimin calls Li Jing his brother."

"I can't afford it." Lian Xixian waved his hand and said, "I'm afraid you are trying to kill me."

"I'm not afraid in the Song court, but Kublai Khan's spirit is even smaller?"

"Since that's the case, Feiyu can't blame me for being rude."

As soon as Lian Xixian announced his name, his temperament changed again, and his demeanor became more majestic.

Unexpectedly, he unhurriedly picked up a gong and blew it.

The sharp dysprosium sound swayed away.

Li Xia didn't stop her, and smiled.

"Brother Shanfu expected that I would come to Shanxi, and there would also be a navy?"

"It's not expected, but I just made a few more preparations and told my subordinates that it might be possible to lure Feiyu across the river. Those people can't be called sailors, but there are ships that can transport personnel and supplies to encircle and suppress people like Feiyu. Still not difficult."

Li Xia said: "But as I said, being on the boat just now is your best chance."

Lian Xixian laughed at himself, and said: "Although I think I am good at bow and horse, it is really difficult to hunt and kill you with one enemy five."

"Blame me for not giving a better chance?"

"Willing to sit alone on the boat tent with me and give me a chance to kill you is enough courage. After all, if you want to persuade me to surrender, how can you really let me kill you?"

In the distance, dust and smoke can be seen rising, it should be Lian Xixian's person.

Li Xia was not in a hurry to escape.

And his thirty sharp soldiers have come to surround the boat canopy.

Lian Xixian asked, "I didn't expect that you would dare to come to Shanxi and be so calm?"

"If you want to do great things, how can you spare your life?" Li Xia asked back: "Where is Brother Shanfu? You are trapped among my thirty elites, are you afraid that I will kill you?"

"Take responsibility and not fear death."

"Then it seems that you have already made plans, and I have made plans, it just depends on who wins."

Lian Xixian waved his hand and said, "Forget it, it's useless to think about it now, let's see the result."

"Alright, it seems that you won't rush to kill me, and you can talk a little more." Li Xia said, "Actually, you have a better way to kill me."

"Proactively reveal your identity, express your attachment as 'Lian Xixian', and then kill you while you relax your vigilance?"

"Well, it's much safer that way."

"At the beginning, I only thought that you were a sinister and cunning person every time you used assassination methods to achieve things. I have no shame in repaying others in the same way." Lian Xixian laughed at himself and said, "But since you are sincere Treat me, I can't use such shameless tricks again."

"Then continue to kill me?"

"You are well aware of my identity, and when you said 'I will give you a lot of opportunities', didn't you mean to fight again?"

"That's right, upright and upright, it really is the 'Lian Mencius' who was sent to tell the envoy before the war."

The dust and smoke raised by the horseshoes approached, and ships appeared upstream, surrounding Li Xia and the others.

"Let's say something more from your heart."

Lian Xixian sighed and spoke slowly.

"Mongolian princes and nobles occupy a large number of acres of land, seductive businessmen pay taxes and manage money, fish and meat... These are also stubborn diseases that I have tried my best to eliminate all my life. The phrase 'happy to the heart' that I said to Feiyu came from the bottom of my heart. When I finished speaking, I just feel that the blood is flowing smoothly. However, it is only reasonable to wait for His Majesty to calm down the world and reform."

"Maybe."

Li Xia turned and left the canopy, and looked at the cavalrymen running towards them.

Lian Xixian also came out, took a look at the majestic scenery by the Yellow River, and once again felt that the poem "Li Xia" was written in his heart.

……

"The peaks and ridges are like clusters, the waves are like anger, and the mountains and rivers are outside and inside Tongguan Road. Looking at the western capital, I hesitate."

"Sadly, where the Qin and Han scriptures traveled, thousands of palaces and palaces were made of earth. Prosperity, the people suffer; death, the people suffer!"

(End of this chapter)