The Beacon of Kyushu

When Hou Renbao heard this, he straightened his face and glanced at Kou Zhun dissatisfiedly, "Pingzhong, your plan is totally wrong! Our expedition this time is to defeat the unconquered ministers under the orders of heaven. How can we be so suspicious? If we really follow your orders If we act according to our plans, where is the magnanimity of our Song Dynasty? Who will dare to rely on us in the future?"

Kou Zhun sighed: "Master Hou, even if you don't follow my plan, you must not lead your army to enter Beining City, otherwise the consequences will be disastrous!"

Hou Renbao laughed a few times, hit the riding whip with a wave of his hand, and entered the city gate first. When all the soldiers saw that the general had entered the city, they quickly followed him and poured into Beining like a tide. Only Kou Zhun looked at the backs of everyone with endless worries in his heart.

When Wang Shaozuo saw Hou Renbao riding a horse into the city first, he hurriedly ran down the tower, knelt on one knee in front of the horse, and said with great respect: "The last general Wang Shaozuo has met Mr. Hou!"

Hou Renbao tightened the reins and said: "General Wang, I heard that you are a famous general in Quyue, who made great achievements in pacifying the rebellion of the Twelve Envoys. Why did you take the initiative to ask for surrender from the Song Dynasty today? "

Wang Shaozuo said: "Master Hou, the twelve envoys in the past were just a group of young men who did not live up to their reputation. Although the last general was not talented, he could deal with them with ease with the long sword in his hand and the little calculation in his heart. But the Song Dynasty was a celestial state, its officials were wise and powerful, and its ministers were as loyal to the country as they were, and they were both civil and military. Naturally, they are not something that the generals can contend with."

Hou Renbao smiled, "Really? Then why didn't General Wang take the initiative to surrender the city to our Song Dynasty when he was in Lang Son?"

Wang Shaozuo lowered his head slightly and said shyly: "At that time, the generals didn't know how brave the heavenly soldiers were, and they thought of using mantis arms as chariots. Only now have they come to their senses. I hope you will ignore the past grudges and cultivate more in the future."

Hou Renbao said: "My official position is small, and I am only from the fourth rank. On the other hand, General Wang was originally General Qu Yue, and he abandoned the dark side and turned to the bright side at a critical moment. The official will definitely reuse him. I am afraid that it will be you who promotes me in the future." "

Wang Shaozuo shook his head and said: "Sir, you were able to sweep Qu Yue for the first time when you led the army. Even if Han Xin, Xu Ji and other famous generals have such achievements, who can be better than you? Your brother-in-law, Mr. Zhao, is even more talented in the world. , repeatedly gave advice to Taizu, which led to the splendid landscape of the Song Dynasty. Although the current official family was temporarily deceived by traitors and dismissed Mr. Zhao from his position, it will not be long before he will re-employ Mr. Zhao. General, I have a body of seven feet, but I am incompetent in writing and martial arts. I am afraid of humiliating you by leading my horse and riding on it. How dare I stand above you?"

Hou Renbao raised his whip and laughed loudly, saying: "General Wang, what you said is good! Although I, Hou Renbao, was born in a wealthy family and spent my childhood among dandies, I think I am definitely not comparable to those ordinary people. My brother-in-law is even more talented. He is ten times more powerful than me. The lack of him is a great loss for the Song Dynasty. This time I asked Ying to conquer Quyue, just to make a great contribution to the world, so that I can show off to the officials on the day of my triumph. , I beg him to ask my brother-in-law to return to the government no matter what. If my brother-in-law can really return to the government, I will be satisfied even if I stay away from the temple forever."

Wang Shaozuo nodded and said: "You and Mr. Zhao are not only relatives, but also the twins of the Song Dynasty. It is really sad that one side is missing now. But I will believe that if you can eliminate Qu Yue one day early and capture Ni Kuili Huan, your brother-in-law will definitely return to court one day early."

Hou Renbao nodded, got off his horse, and lifted up Wang Shaozuo with both hands, "General Wang, although you and I are friends for the first time today, you are the one who knows what Hou is thinking best. I will never forget you on the day of victory!" "

Wang Shaozuo said with a smile: "Thank you, sir! The city gate is not a place to stand for a long time. Let's go to the government office to rest with the general." He said and made an invitation gesture towards the east.

Hou Renbao said with a smile: "Okay, General Wang, please lead the way." Wang Shaozuo hurriedly led the way as instructed, while Hou Renbao led the horse and followed slowly. The two of them walked towards the government office talking and laughing, but Kou Zhun and a group of people were surprised. All the soldiers were forgotten. The soldiers had been fighting for a long time, so they naturally understood the rules of the army. Without Kou Zhun's instructions, they consciously lined up neatly and went to the city camp to rest. Kou Zhun saw some soldiers whispering to each other as they walked, all seeming to be praising Wang Shaozuo. Kou Zhun was more worried than before entering the city.

He frowned, clenched one fist, and murmured: "I originally thought that Wang Shaozuo was going to trick us into entering the city, and then use all the ambush troops to make it impossible for us to come back. Now it seems that his plans are much deeper than I imagined. Even worse, Master Hou believes in him just because of a few words of flattery, and I am afraid that all my subordinates will be taken captive by him!"

The afterglow of the setting sun slanted into the main hall of the government office. Hou Renbao was sitting on a high chair in the main seat, looking at the sky outside the hall thoughtfully. Wang Shaozuo stood in front of him, his expression seemed to be more respectful than when he first entered the city, "Sir, it's getting late, what do you want for dinner? I will prepare it for you right now."

Hou Renbao grew up in Luoyang since he was a child. He was used to Central Plains food, so he was inevitably not interested in Quyue cuisine. He heard Wang Shaozuo ask himself, and without thinking he said casually: "Anything is fine, just follow the arrangements."

Wang Shaozuo smiled and said, "Sir, although Beining is located in Quyue, there are also many Han people in the city. The Luoyang cuisine cooked by several of them is outstanding in the local area. In the end, I think it is better to ask them to prepare a banquet for you to taste. Jian, what do you think?"

When Hou Renbao heard this, he immediately became interested and said with a smile: "Oh, really? I haven't eaten authentic Luoyang cuisine for many years, and I really miss it. Please call these cooks to cook for me. If If you do a good job, I will reward you greatly!”

Wang Shaozuo nodded, "Okay, General Mo will go right away."

Hou Renbao waved his hand and said: "Go quickly, let's have dinner together later."

Wang Shaozuo turned around and was about to leave, but turned back after hearing this. He seemed a little embarrassed and said: "Sir, there are still some matters to be settled in the army. I am afraid that I will not be able to share the delicious food with you. If you think it is boring to eat alone, "Why don't I invite Master Kou and Shaoxia Wan to you?"

Hou Renbao pondered for a moment and said: "General Wang, you and I are now a family, and I don't have to hide some things from you anymore. I sent Wan Shaoxia to Baitengjiang to help in the battle more than ten days ago. What have you seen these days? Wan Shaoxia is just a soldier in the army pretending to be a soldier. As for Pingzhong, you might as well call him over. I'll let him see with his own eyes how General Wang treats guests, so that he won't have to doubt you all the time. ”

Wang Shaozuo said: "What Lord Kou thinks of me, that is Lord Kou's business, and I will never mind. I only hope to help you defeat Qu Yue, make some small contributions, and make me your wife and son. I will be satisfied in this life."

Hou Renbao smiled and said: "I know that when the army starts fighting in the future, General Wang will definitely have the opportunity to make contributions. It's getting late, and General Wang has something to do, so I won't delay you."

"General, I will leave." Wang Shaozuo cupped his hands, then turned around and walked away slowly. When Hou Renbao saw him leaving, he lowered his head and fell into deep thought. His thoughts went back to the happy past when he got together with his wife and brother-in-law. (End of chapter)