The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 203 Wei Hu’s choice
Just after the Beginning of Autumn, Longshan Pass has become a bit cooler.

The large areas of exposed brown rock outside the pass add to the bleak atmosphere.

Standing in Guancheng and looking far into the distance, you can see the towering ridgeline. Occasionally, you can see groups of cattle climbing over the ridge and nibbling a little alfalfa growing on the slopes on both sides.

Along with the appearance of cattle, there must be Tibetans dressed as herdsmen.

The Tubo people stood on the top of the mountain, also overlooking Longshan Pass. They may not be herdsmen living nearby at all, but Tibetan soldiers affiliated with the Grand Khenpo of Dandou Monastery, Lachen Gompa.

When the Tubo people saw the Han army flags flying brightly on the Longshan Pass and the Han defenders holding on to the city, they couldn't help but curse.

Taking advantage of the terrain advantage of Longshan Pass, which is easy to defend and difficult to attack, as long as the Han army is internally stable and sticks to the city pass, it is almost impossible for the Tubo people to cross the pass and further erode the Pingliang area.

Inside the pass, the garrison camp looked very orderly, with nothing out of the ordinary.

There were sergeants who had returned to the camp to rest and recuperate. They were walking together in twos and threes, talking excitedly about the supplies that had been transferred from Pingliang last night. There was a sufficient supply of rice, grain, meat and vegetables, and most importantly, there was even wine.

There had been no trace of the Tibetan people outside the pass for two months. The scouts made inquiries and determined that the small group of harassing enemy troops had retreated to the Wating River area, which was more than [-] miles away from Longshan Pass.

This means that the military alert at Longshan Pass has ended and the defenders can take a breath for the time being.

Being able to drink a big meal, the sergeants were elated.

Everyone knows that the supply of military supplies has always been in charge of the Major Envoy Jun Zhuxiu. The food, drink, clothing, and even wages of the sergeants all have to be allocated by the Major Envoy Jun.

The land, cattle, and pensions allocated to the family are also all arranged by the young envoy.

Which one of the six thousand tooth army has not received the favor of the young envoy?Who doesn't like him?

In the general's barracks, Wei Hu was sharpening his sword.

His portable sword is a standard horizontal sword made in the Tang Dynasty. The joint between the handle and the blade is engraved with the word "Shence". It was the standard saber of the Shence Army of the Central Forbidden Army at that time.

The gleaming blade reflected Wei Hu's dark face. In the sunken eye sockets, a pair of gray-brown eyes were as cold and ruthless as a wolf.

Pang Guangsheng walked into the room, clasped his fists and whispered: "General, I have returned from my humble duty."

Wei Hu stood up, only wearing a half-armor short coat, revealing two strong arms, holding the handle of the knife with both hands and slashing in the air, and casually said: "Do you want to know more about it?"

Pang Guangsheng said: "After asking clearly, the news is true. The imperial court has indeed sent Feilong envoy Houzan to serve as deputy envoy of Changyi Army. In six or seven days' journey, we can reach Anding County."

Wei Hu's eyes froze: "How to be sure?"

Pang Guangsheng said: "The new Pingliang County Magistrate used to be a scribe in Jiedu Mansion, and he had contacts with him in his humble position. This person passed the selection examination, and Zhu Xiu personally appointed him to take over as the county magistrate. He just took office not long ago. Now, This matter has spread throughout Anding, and there are frequent discussions in Jiedu Mansion.

When I arrived in Pingliang, I went to see him directly. The news came from his own mouth. "

The horizontal sword was retracted into its sheath with a clang. Wei Hu's forehead wrinkled into the character "Chuan" and he sat on the horse in silence.

A few days ago, military supplies were delivered to Longshan Pass, and the people escorting the military supplies also received news that the imperial court had appointed Feilong envoy Houzan as the deputy envoy of the Changyi Army, and he was about to take office.

After Wei Hu heard about it, he immediately sent Pang Guangsheng to Pingliang County to inquire and confirm whether the news was true or false.

"Deputy Envoy Jiedu." Wei Hu smiled half-heartedly, "Originally I thought that this position would fall to Zhu Xiu. It seems that the imperial court is not worried about Zhang Yijun~"

Pang Guangsheng whispered: "The Pingliang County Magistrate revealed that the imperial court will confer Zhu Xiu with the title of Marching Sima and concurrently the governor of Jing, and will also confer the title of Prince Shaobao on the commander-in-chief."

Wei Hu said coldly: "He finally got the position of Commander-in-Chief of Chu justifiably. No wonder he was willing to leave Jingzhou and go to Qizhou and enter Guanzhong, spending half a year in exchange for the official title from the imperial court. There are people in the imperial court. With the support of Guo Wei and Tianxiong's army, it really gets twice the result with half the effort."

Pang Guangsheng opened his mouth to say something, but seeing Wei Hu's ugly face, he swallowed it back.

Zhu Xiu's contribution in the counter-insurgency war in Guanzhong has been widely publicized by Shi Kuangwei, and has long been known to everyone in Jingzhou.

Wei Hu attributed Zhu Xiu's award from the court to Guo Wei's support in the court, obviously unwilling to believe that Zhu Xiu could also make military exploits.

"The posthumous praise is obviously the supervising army sent by the emperor. In this way, the old commander and Zhu Xiuke are like sticks in their throats."

Wei Hu smiled strangely, with a hint of schadenfreude.

Pang Guangsheng hesitated and clasped his fists and said: "General, I have something to say in my humble position, but I don't know whether to say it or not."

Wei Hu said calmly: "You want to persuade me to withdraw my troops and go back?"

Pang Guangsheng gritted his teeth, knelt down on one knee and said: "The Ya army has been reorganized and expanded, and all military supplies are in Zhu Xiu's hands.

Although the [-] brothers under the general's command have not changed, now everyone has been allocated land and their roots are in Anding County. Who wouldn't miss Zhu Xiu and Jiedufu?The general wants to rely on them to start a rebellion and occupy the three counties south of Yuanzhou to become independent, but it is impossible to succeed!
Even if the soldiers and horses at Longshan, Liupan, and Wating are willing to listen to the general's orders, where will the money, food, horses, and weapons that the army needs come from?
Without a stable foundation, there will be no stable supply of military supplies, and people's hearts will disperse over time.

Many of the brothers under the general's command have just gotten married, and their families have been allocated good paddy fields. If they are asked to rebel at this time, how many of them will agree?
General, go back!Don't dig your own grave! "

Wei Hu stared at him with cold wolf eyes: "You don't even want to leave the Zhang Yi Army?"

Pang Guangsheng said bitterly: "Biji is alone and will follow the general no matter what. But the general has no way to survive without the Zhangyi Army. I don't want to see the general go astray and lead these brothers to lose their lives in vain."

Wei Hu was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said: "Even you think so. It seems that the military's morale has indeed returned to Zhu Xiu. That boy is awesome. In less than two years, the Yajun has bowed to him."

Flames danced in Wei Hu's eyes, revealing many complex and intertwined emotions of anger, unwillingness, and helplessness.

"But you said that when he comes, I have to give up the things that should belong to me?"

Wei Hu's hoarse voice filled with hostility sounded.

Pang Guangsheng bit the bullet and remonstrated: "The general just lost because of the current situation. There may be opportunities to gain high positions in the future."

Wei Hu stood up in a hurry, his face was a little distorted, his eyes flashed with fierceness, and he growled: "You are right, the situation is in Zhu Xiu's favor, let him take advantage of the right time, place, and people, so that he can replace me in charge of the Changyi Army! But! The situation is by no means irreversible, and now is the opportunity!”

Pang Guangsheng said in amazement: "The general still refuses to go back?"

Wei Hu sneered: "Yuanzhou is barren and cold. Although there are many soldiers and horses in the three passes, as you said, it lacks a foundation and cannot create a climate. If you want to succeed, you have to go back to Anding County and hold Jingzhou in your hands!" Pang Guangsheng He murmured: "What exactly does the general want to do?"

Wei Hu said: "Zhu Xiu has become a feather, and I have no chance of winning now. However, the imperial court sent a deputy envoy to Jiedu at this time, which caused a crack in the situation that Zhu Xiu had worked hard to manage. Houzan was ordered by the emperor, and he will definitely If part of the military power is taken away, then the Changyi Army will have two opposing sides. For me, this is an opportunity!"

Pang Guangsheng was shocked and said, "The general wants to rely on the new Deputy Jiedu?"

Wei Hu glanced at him and said calmly: "If you want to seek a high position, you must obtain the support of the imperial court. I have no foundation in Kaifeng, so temporarily taking refuge under Hou Zan is an opportunity. With his help, I can get close to the emperor. If I have With the emperor’s support, are you still afraid that you won’t be able to accomplish anything?”

Pang Guangsheng said in fear: "What should Coach Keke do?"

Wei Hu said indifferently: "The old man is kind to me, so naturally I will not harm him. As long as I get back what should belong to me, the historian's position in Jingzhou will not be shaken."

Pang Guangsheng swallowed his dry throat and breathed a sigh of relief.

No matter what, Pang Guangsheng was unwilling to harm Shi Jieshuai and Shi Jia. This was the bottom line for him to follow Wei Hu.

Wei Hu caught his look in his eyes and felt unhappy in his heart. He waved his hand and said, "Go and bring Guan Tieshi."

Pang Guangsheng took the order and retreated. After a while, he came back with Guan Tieshi, followed by two of Wei Hu's close personal guards.

Wei Hu asked his guards to retreat, stood up and said with a smile: "Brother Guan, please take a seat quickly."

Guan Tieshi said angrily: "If you really want to rebel, just kill me with one knife. What's the point of locking me up and ignoring me?"

Wei Hu apologized: "We are brothers and I was wrong the other day. Please forgive me, Brother Guan!"

Guan Tieshi sat down with a cold snort and said: "You, General Wei, are the tooth commander of the Zhangyi Army. Guan is just the commander of the bodyguard around the old commander, and he is not worthy of calling you a brother!"

Wei Hu asked Pang Guangsheng to go down and bring some food and wine, and sighed: "Brother Guan, you are out of touch when you say this. I have been following the old commander for ten years, and you have been serving the old commander for eight or nine years. In total, we have been serving for almost ten years." Friendship."

Guan Tieshi said angrily: "If you still care about our friendship, you will immediately lead your army and go back to Jingzhou with me to apologize to the old commander!"

Wei Hu sighed: "I didn't want to betray the old commander, it's just that the old commander treated Zhu Xiu ten times better than me, and now he has entrusted all the power of the Zhangyi Army to him. I feel depressed and dissatisfied, and I just acted out of impulse~
I, Wei Hu, have been in the army for ten years and have shed blood and sweat for the Zhangyi Army. You think, with my merits, am I not qualified to take over the old commander's position? "

Pang Guangsheng brought wine and food, and Wei Hu picked up a jar of wine and drank it hard. His eyes were red and his face was full of depression and grievance.

Guan Tieshi saw this, and the anger in his heart dissipated a lot. He drank a glass of wine with him and persuaded: "The merits you have made for the Zhangyi Army will not be forgotten by the commander-in-chief, nor will the brothers in the army. It's just that who should take over is decided by the old commander, by the court, and by the hearts and minds of the Zhangyi Army.

When the old commander was injured and handed over the general power to Zhu Xiu, he said that he was more suitable to be the military governor and in charge of the Changyi Army than you.

Ask yourself, if it were you, would Jingzhou be as prosperous as it is today? "

Wei Hu took a sip of wine and mocked himself with red eyes: "The old man is right. Zhu Xiucai is far better than me. If I lose to him, I have nothing to say!"

Guan Tieshi urged: "The old commander said when I came here, I understand that you have resentment in your heart. As long as you go back, everything will be treated as if it never happened."

Wei Hu seemed to be drunk, his eyes were bloodshot: "If the commander doesn't pursue the case, how can Zhu Xiu spare me?"

Guan Tieshi said hurriedly: "Young Envoy is a sensible and loyal person. As long as you admit your mistake in private and the commander intercedes for mercy, he will not make things difficult for you. Listen to my advice and go back!"

Wei Hu grinned and said vaguely, half drunk and half awake: "For the sake of our ten-year friendship, you have to plead for me! Don't let Zhu Xiu chop off my head."

Guan Tieshi said sternly: "The old commander regards you as his sons. You two should live in harmony and should not be in trouble like this. As long as you go back, I will use my head as a guarantee. If the young envoy wants to kill you, let him first kill me!"

"Hehe~ You are still honest enough! No wonder the boss trusts you the most!"

Wei Hu was really a bit drunk, his speech was slurred and he was smiling foolishly.

"Okay! Let's break camp and set off back to Anding tomorrow!" Wei Hu banged the table and shouted loudly, smelling of alcohol. As soon as he finished speaking, he fell to the ground drunk.

Guan Tieshi hurriedly called Pang Guangsheng into the room, and the two of them worked together to lift Wei Hu to the bed to rest.

"Commander Guan, please go down and have a rest. I can take care of you here." Pang Guangsheng said, cupping his fists.

Guan Tieshi nodded, glanced at the unconscious Wei Hu, turned around and walked out of the room.

After he left, Wei Hu, who was lying on the bed, suddenly opened his eyes, sat up and stared outside the room.

Pang Guangsheng walked out of the room, took a look, and came back and said, "Don't worry, general, he's gone far away."

Wei Hu sneered and said: "The old commander is thinking about our old friendship. I'm sure he won't embarrass me. If I ask Tie Shi to help me talk, Zhu Xiu will have to be cautious even if he wants to take action."

Pang Guangsheng hesitated and said: "I feel that the general is overly worried. No matter how smart Zhu Xiu is, he is still a young man with a weak temperament. I'm afraid he won't be ruthless enough to attack the general."

Wei Hu walked to the table, took a few sips slowly from the wine cup, wiped his mouth and said, "In order to fight for power, what can't be done? Don't look at that kid laughing and being friendly all day long, I really want to poke him He will definitely attack the sore spot without mercy! Don’t forget, it’s the old commander who has friendship with him, not me!”

Pang Guangsheng smiled bitterly and said nothing more.

"Tell the brothers to pack their bags and leave for Anding tomorrow morning. Before leaving, hand over the defense of Longshan Pass and don't let the Tubo people take advantage of it." Wei Hu warned.

Pang Guangsheng accepted the order, stopped at the door of the house, and asked hesitantly: "Actually, the general knew from the beginning that it was impossible to separate the three counties south of Yuanzhou. He acted in this way just to test Zhu Xiu's attitude. The general can be on guard. Now it seems that Zhu Xiu is still wary of the general, and the power he has in his hands is far more than what we see."

Wei Hu praised: "Of all the people around me, you are the only one who understands my thoughts best."

Pang Guangsheng smiled and said: "The general's temperament is like that of an old commander. He is both coarse and fine. He knows clearly that the three counties of Yuanzhou are not the place to stand, so how can he seek death? Before, he was humble and overly worried about his position."

Wei Hu put down his wine cup and suddenly said: "If I surrender to Lachen Gongba, let the Tubo people enter Longshan Pass, and then use the power of the Tubo people to occupy the three counties of Yuanzhou, wouldn't this be a foothold?"

Pang Guangsheng was stunned, and then laughed and said: "The general hates the Tubo people, how can he be willing to surrender? The general is joking with the humble official. The general will take a rest, and the humble minister will go down to deliver the order."

"Go." Wei Hu smiled, picked up the wine cup and watched him go away, his eyes becoming gloomy again.

"It seems you still don't understand me well enough. For the sake of power, there is nothing you can't do. But rather than taking refuge with the Tubo people, wouldn't it be a better choice to take refuge with the Kaifeng court?"

(End of this chapter)