Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 548: If one's virtue is not worthy of his position, he will be blamed

On the top of Cangzhou City, "Sword Saint" Pei Min leaned on the parapet and looked towards the direction of Yongji Canal. Of course, visibility in the night sky was very low, not to mention that the Yongji Canal could not be seen at the end of the field of vision.

The distant view is fake, the impatience is real, I am so anxious that I can't sleep at night.

Under the light of the torch, Pei Min's brows were wrinkled into the shape of the Chinese character "川". After a long time, the tightly furrowed brows relaxed and turned into a long sigh.

"Why did Pei Gong sigh?"

Li Quan stepped forward and asked.

"Daguanzi (Li Quan's Taoist name), do you think he would..."

Pei Min asked hesitantly.

He was obviously worried that Fang Chongyong would not act according to Li Quan's plan.

A little worried about gain and loss.

“If Fang Qing doesn’t trust Li, then he is not someone you can entrust with important matters.

There is no way to talk about the success or failure of Li's plan.

If he believed Li, then Li's plan would succeed, and everything was fate.

Why should Pei Gong worry? "

Li Quan explained calmly, looking confident.

Pei Min nodded slightly and said nothing more.

He wanted to recommend Li Quan to Fang Chongyong to achieve great things. After all, his life was already like this, and it would be a waste of talent for Li Quan to follow him.

But Li Quan said he needed to "observe" for a while. Because for Li Quan, leaving Pei Min did not mean he had to follow Fang Chongyong.

This is the principle that the lord chooses his ministers, and the ministers choose their lord.

Li Quan's meaning was very clear: if Fang Chongyong trusted him and acted according to the plan, he could definitely capture Gao Miao easily.

If you don't believe it, you can only say that the other party is not destined to have this fate and is not worthy of your service.

That's fair enough.

Therefore, when Li Quan first met Fang Chongyong, he did not take out Pei Min's "letter of recommendation". He was secretly observing and weighing the pros and cons from beginning to end.

"Daguanzi, this..."

Not long after, Pei Min raised his hand and was about to say something, but when he saw Li Quan's calm face, he immediately swallowed back what he was about to say.

"Please rest assured, Mr. Pei. Even if Fang Qing is not here, Mr. Pei still has many ways to get out of this situation."

Li Quan said indifferently.

Pei Min nodded slightly. If Li Quan said that he could get away, then he could definitely get away. But it would be difficult to get away with his troops.

Unlike Wang Zhongsi, Pei Min is not Ji Ge's die-hard fan.

He is the direct descendant of the Hedong Pei family and the 31st generation grandson of the Pei family.

What Pei wanted to do was to "wait for a price" in troubled times, rather than follow a certain emperor all the way to the end.

When troubled times begin, it is only by concentrating all possible efforts to accomplish great things that great things can be accomplished.

So Pei Min thought of Fang Chongyong first. Li Quan's test was actually Pei Min's test. When it comes to life and property, no one dares to bet on an unreliable person at a critical moment.

"Let's go have a drink."

Pei Min said to Li Quan, patting his shoulder, he probably wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.

The two of them came to the signing room on the tower. After three cups of wine, Pei Min looked at Li Quan and asked in confusion, "Liu Ke Nu is guarding Changlu County. Will he break his promise and go to help Gao Miao instead?"

This time Gao Miao deployed his troops, Pei Min was responsible for guarding Cangzhou City, Liu Kenu was responsible for guarding Changlu County, and Gao Miao himself was responsible for guarding the river bank and ambushing the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army.

At this critical juncture, Liu Ke Nu's choice is very important. This person may not be able to succeed, but he is definitely capable of causing failure.

Although Liu Ke Nu and Pei Min had secretly sworn an oath of blood to protect each other, in this day and age, even one's own son cannot be trusted, let alone an ally.
Pei Min's heart has actually been hanging all the time.

Li Quan waved his hand and said:

"Liu Ke Nu was once a general under Xue Chuyu, he was very senior and had made many military achievements.

Huangfu Weiming did not use him, but supported Gao Miao as the chief general. Even if Liu Ke Nu was broad-minded, he had done his utmost by not sending troops to harm Gao Miao, so how could he possibly help him?
Besides, since Liu Kenu had already made an agreement with Pei Gong, he could later swallow up Gao Miao's troops and return to Liaodong to establish his own regime.

There is no reason to help Gao Miao, both publicly and privately."

Li Quan waved his hand. He had already figured out all these tricks clearly.

Xue Chuyu was the governor of Youzhou before Zhang Shougui. He was dismissed by Ji Ge because he falsely reported his military achievements and turned a defeat into a victory.

However, many of the border generals that Xue Chuyu promoted in Youzhou have now grown up, and Liu Kenu is one of them.

Twenty years have passed since then, and Liu Kenu should have come to the fore long ago, but because of Huangfu Weiming's rebellion, he lost his original official position, which was tantamount to a demoted position.

It would be strange if he didn't feel angry.

Why did Huangfu Weiming treat Liu Kenu like this?

In fact, it was just because Huangfu Weiming had too many trusted people around him to be placed, and each one had his own place. Since Liu Kenu was Xue Chuyu's direct descendant, he was a child that no one loved, and it was not that Huangfu Weiming deliberately wanted to make trouble for him.

The world is often just like this.

"Gao Miao is not a bad person, but his virtue is not worthy of his position, so he must suffer the consequences. What a pity."

Pei Min poured a glass of wine for Li Quan and one for himself.

"If the Crown Prince were to stay in Guanzhong and put down the rebellion in Hebei, the world could still maintain a superficial peace.

If Huangfu Weiming enters Chang'an, then... the war will never end."

Li Quan sighed. He was extremely intelligent and well-read, but when faced with such a problem, he could not think of a solution.

“Indeed, Li Wan’s position was not legitimate. If he ascended the throne, the princes would surely raise their armies and attack him.

By then, the war will not be quelled in one or two years."

Pei Min nodded slightly, obviously thinking so too.

Even he was planning to unite with Fang Zhongyong's forces to gain a foothold in the upcoming chaos.

If I am like this, what about others?

Can this world be at peace?

Pei Min and Li Quan were in the signing room on the city wall of Cangzhou City, discussing the general situation of the world while waiting for news from Yongji Canal. No one dared to sleep at this critical moment.

They endured like this until the sky turned pale, when suddenly a group of cavalrymen, holding torches, galloped towards the direction of Cangzhou City!

"It must be Gao Miao who is here!"

Li Quan pointed to the cavalry that was looming below the city wall and gradually approaching and said.

"Someone, change the flag!"

Pei Min made a prompt decision and ordered a flag change. Several messengers around him hurriedly pulled down the military flag on the top of the city wall and replaced it with a flag that read "Silver Spear Filial Piety Army".

After a while, someone was heard shouting from the bottom of the city: "General Pei, open the gate quickly! There are pursuers behind us!"

Hearing this, Li Quan shook his head at Pei Min, indicating that he didn't need to say anything.

If things are not kept secret, they will fail. There is no harm in leaving yourself a way out.

Pei Min said nothing, and the generals and personal soldiers on the city wall also kept silent, pretending they didn't hear anything.

"General Pei, I am Gao Miao! Please open the door!
Why are you keeping silent? Open the city gates! There is no time to waste!
We are being pursued!"

The voice from below the city wall seemed to be Gao Miao himself, but the voice sounded very flustered and hurried at this moment.

Pei Min was unmoved and didn't show up at all.

"Mr. Pei, shoot now! Drive Gao Miao away!"

Li Quan on the side whispered a suggestion.

So Pei Min called a messenger and ordered the archers on the city wall to shoot arrows directly at Gao Miao who was shouting.

shhhhhh!
shhhhhh!
At once, arrows were fired from the top of the city wall. Gao Miao, who was shouting at the foot of the city, had to ride his horse back many steps until he was out of the range of the arrows.

The arrows were not very accurate and Gao Miao, who was riding on his horse, was unharmed.

"Pei Min! You are so cruel! You and Liu Kenu both surrendered to Fang Qing! I will report this to Marshal Huangfu and have you beheaded!
Retreat!" Gao Miao cursed angrily, but finally had to lead his soldiers to the south.

Obviously, Liu Kenu did as agreed beforehand. He did not open the city gate, did not show up, and did not answer. He just changed the flag and pretended to be dead.

This time, Gao Miao realized what it meant to be a sinister human being.

After he left with his few cavalrymen, Pei Min and Li Quan walked out of the city wall and looked in the direction where Gao Miao left, with a trace of pity in their eyes.

"It's a bit unfair."

Pei Min sighed. He still had to have some dignity. But in this matter, they did a very dishonorable thing.

Li Quan said to him with a serious face: "Mr. Pei should be thankful that we are not Gao Miao today. Mr. Pei sympathizes with Gao Miao today, but who will sympathize with us when we become Gao Miao in the future? Fighting in a battle is not a competition of swordsmanship, as long as you can win!"

On the battlefield, there is only victory and defeat. Winning is winning, there is no such thing as fairness and morality!
Pei Min smiled bitterly, and apart from complaining a few words in his heart, he was unable to refute.

……

Snapped!Snapped!
A group of cavalry came from the north, and the leader was whipping the horses' buttocks with a whip!

At this moment, two hundred crossbowmen appeared in the woods on the west side of the road and fired fiercely at the team running on the road!
In an instant, dozens of riders fell off their horses, and the fast-running team was thrown into chaos.

This team of crossbowmen carried out a two-stage shooting method. After shooting 100 arrows each in the first and second rounds, the first team that had finished changing arrows would rush out of the woods to make up the shot.

The riders quickly dismounted, picked up their round shields and formed a formation to protect themselves. However, the crossbowmen pressed forward step by step, and compressed these people near a fish pond beside the ridge of the field.

During the fight, pursuers arrived from behind.

The cavalry used force to break through the semicircular formation. More than a dozen people were knocked into the fish pond and covered in mud!
The fighting was merciless. In less than an incense stick of time, only a few of the cavalrymen who had been on the road were left standing. The others were either dead or injured. Those who were seriously injured but not dead yet lay on the ground, writhing and groaning, in the most miserable state.

"I am Gao Miao! Fang Qing, you despicable villain! Come on, take my head!"

Gao Miao threw the round shield in his hand to the ground, raised his sword, and roared at the soldiers who surrounded him.

At this moment, the crowd parted ways. Fang Chongyong, escorted by He Changqi, stepped forward and looked at Gao Miao as if he were a fool.

"Is it interesting to talk about this now?"

Fang Chongyong asked calmly.

"You can kill me if you want, but I have to make one thing clear to you! Otherwise, I will die with my eyes wide open!"

Gao Miao shouted with his neck stiffened.

"Then tell me quickly."

He Changqi, who was beside Fang Chongyong, couldn't help but retort.

"Fang Qing! If two of my generals hadn't suddenly rebelled, would you still be able to win today?

Can you still stand here and watch Gao's joke?"

Gao Miao said unwillingly, his eyes red. His tall and thin body was shaking with anger, and he wanted to beat Fang Zhongyong up to vent his anger.

But he could only think about those things in his mind, and now he couldn't even touch the corner of Fang Zhongyong's clothes.

Typical of a duck that is still stubborn even after it dies.

"Li Baochen has 50,000 pursuers behind me. Why don't you let them withdraw and then pick 3,000 elite soldiers to confront me head-on?"

Fang Zhongyong asked.

Gao Miao was speechless. It was meaningless to be a double standard person. You can't say that you are only allowed to fight ten against one, but others are not allowed to cheat, right?

"Then how did you know I was lying in ambush? Did someone tell you the secret?"

Gao Miao then asked.

Hearing this, Fang Zhongyong was too lazy to answer him and simply spread his hands to him.

"Give him a horse and tell him to go away, wherever he wants."

Fang Chongyong said to He Changqi beside him.

"General Jie! This is not possible!"

He Changqi hurriedly stopped Fang Chongyong.

Gao Miao was also stunned when he heard this. It didn't seem like a normal operation to casually release the enemy's main general.

"We each serve our own master. Leave some space for each other so that we can meet again in the future.

Go ahead and give him a horse."

Fang Chongyong gently waved his hand, signaling He Changqi not to make a scene here.

"Order!"

He Changqi reluctantly led a horse, then walked forward, handed the reins to Gao Miao, and said nothing with a fierce face.

"If you don't accept it, go back and regroup and fight again. I'll beat you until you accept it."

Fang Zhongyong pointed in the direction of the south.

Gao Miao looked at him deeply, clasped his fists and bowed, then mounted his horse, rode south, and soon disappeared.

"Send them on their way."

Fang Zhongyong pointed at the wounded enemy soldiers groaning on the ground.

He Changqi walked forward with a few personal soldiers and killed them one by one. They were soon done. A large amount of blood flowed into the pond, turning it red.

"Go and pass the order, everyone gather outside Cangzhou City."

Fang Chongyong asked He Changqi to lead his troops personally to inform Che Guangqian and others that the battle on the canal should have been over.

"General Jie, let Gao Miao leave this matter..."

He Changqi seemed to be still bothered by the previous scene.

"The commander has his own ideas for this section, and I will tell you in detail later."

Fang Chongyong pointed to the west, signaling He Changqi to go and do his job quickly.

An hour later, all the members of the Silver Spear Filial Piety Army gathered at the foot of Cangzhou City. At this moment, they had lost most of their boats and supplies.

It's not as easy as it looks.

Although Gao Miao's trusted troops were annihilated, Fang Chongyong was still half guessing as to what Pei Min meant and what the situation was in Cangzhou City.

It didn't take long before the gate of Cangzhou City was opened.

Pei Min brought Li Quan and went out of the city in person to welcome him, which was considered to be giving Fang Chongyong enough face.

"Mr. Pei, Mr. Li, our commander has already annihilated Gao Miao's troops."

Fang Chongyong stepped forward and summarized the battle situation in one sentence.

"General Fang, can you kill Gao Miao? Can you capture him?"

Li Quan asked with great concern.

"He was not captured. He escaped on his own."

Fang Chongyong looked calm, shook his head, and spoke nonsense in a serious manner.

Pei Min and Li Quan looked at each other, then Pei Min looked at Fang Zhongyong, made a gesture of invitation and said, "This is not a place to talk, please come into the city for a chat."

"So good."

Fang Chongyong nodded, pretending not to know Pei Min, and led the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army slowly into the city.

The atmosphere at the city gate was very peaceful, without any sense of tension.

When they arrived at the government office, a banquet had already been prepared in the lobby. Fang Zhongyong arranged for his generals to sit down and drink, and he followed Pei Min and Li Quan to the government office's study to discuss important matters.

After the three of them sat down in the study, Pei Min pointed at Li Quan and said, "This Taoist is called Daguanzi, and he has great talent. I am old, and it would be a waste of his talent if he follows me. It would be better for him to stay by your side and help you with your plans."

Li Quan also saluted Fang Zhongyong and said, "General Fang is brave and resourceful, and has a great demeanor. I am willing to serve you without hesitation and will not hesitate to work hard for you. Please do not despise me because I am old."

"No, no, Mr. Fang, you feel like a fish in water."

Fang Chongyong was flattered and quickly supported Li Quan.

(End of this chapter)