Eastern Jin Dynasty: My powerful father

Chapter 417: Battle in Hedong (V) 4000
Lu Polou came specially to remind Fu Jian, but Fu Jian did not take it seriously at all.

He said nonchalantly:

"I know the story of Yuwen Xianbei, and Murong Chui also knows the story of Murong Han."

After all, Murong Chui witnessed with his own eyes how his father Murong Huang was abandoned after his father's death and forced his uncle Murong Han to death. Fu Jian did not think that Murong Chui would repeat the same mistake.

Seeing that he didn't take it seriously, Lu Polou could only persuade him again:

"Your Majesty, this matter concerns the survival of the country. How can we take chances?"

Seeing that Lü Polou was so persistent, Fu Jian knew that if he didn't explain it to him today, he would definitely be pestered by him, so he could only patiently say:
"Guangping (Lü Polou's name), what do you think of Murong Chui's ability?"

Although Lü Polou disagreed with Fu Jian's recruitment of Murong Chui, she would not deliberately slander him:

"Murong Chui has been fighting for nearly twenty years without a single defeat. His military strategy is no less than that of Huan Xi and Murong Ke."

As she spoke, Lu Polou was about to continue explaining the reasons why she was against recruiting Murong Chui, but was interrupted by Fu Jian who raised his hand.

Fu Jian said earnestly:
"With such talent, if he could follow his uncle's example and flee to serve under Huan Xi, wouldn't that be like adding wings to a tiger?
"I am recruiting him today. If he is ambitious, I don't need him, but I will never let him be a general in Liang or Chu!"

If Murong Chui wanted to escape, there were not many places he could go in such a big world. Goguryeo and Dai were vassals of Yan and Yu respectively, and Silla and Baekje were huddled in the southern part of the peninsula and were weak.

The only people Murong Chui could turn to were Fu Jian and Huan Wen and his son Huan Xi. As for the Jin Dynasty, it was just a puppet in the hands of Huan father and son.

Fu Jian’s meaning was very clear. He could leave Murong Chui alone, but he could never let him become a lackey of the Huan family.

As for the oath that Fu Jian had sworn in front of Murong Chui, who would take the oath seriously after Sima Yi violated the Luoshui Alliance?

Hearing this, Lv Polou finally put her heart at ease:
"It turns out that Your Majesty has already made a plan, and I am just worrying about nothing."

Fu Jian patted Lü Polou on the shoulder and said:
"Even a wise man can make mistakes. I still cannot do without Guangping's help in checking for omissions and filling in the gaps."

After saying that, the two looked at each other and smiled.

Hedong County, Jie County.

Since the Yu army moved south from Jiangyi County, Shi Yue had already sent a fast horse to inform Huan Xi, and Huan Xi naturally knew that the war on the front line was about to break out.

He was not in a hurry to rush to Wenxi County. Naturally, he wanted Shi Yue to defend the city and wear down the morale of Fu Jian and Murong Chui. After all, the 5,000 elite soldiers in Wenxi County were not made of paper.

Huan Xi walked out of the commander's tent and found Xie Xuan:
"Youdu, follow me out of the camp to go fishing!"

Now that Xie Xuan has begun to lead the troops, he naturally cannot be called by his childhood name anymore.

Although he was only fifteen years old, his father Xie Yi had already performed the ceremony of coming of age for him before he went to war, and Xie An gave him a courtesy name.

Xie Xuan loved fishing. In the original time and space, "Complete Collection of Jin Literature" included ten of his articles, four of which were related to fishing. He was even ridiculed as a Jie slave fishing in the Wuxing River.

Huan Xi had no addiction to fishing in the past, but when he was in Chang'an, he went fishing by the Wei River with Xie Xuan several times, and naturally he became a fisherman.

If it was in Guanxi, Xie Xuan would definitely go there happily, but this was in Hedong, Xie Xuan hesitated:
"Mr. Liang, in the face of a great war, isn't this too lax?"

Huan Xi smiled and said:

"Youdu, I have the leisure to go fishing today. If the soldiers see me, they will think I have already won the battle and their confidence will be doubled.

"Otherwise, I would be busy in the camp right now and wouldn't be able to go fishing with you."

Xie Xuan's eyes lit up when he heard this. What his brother-in-law said made sense, but he still couldn't help asking:

"Mr. Liang really has a plan to defeat the enemy."

Huan Xi blinked and said:

"We haven't even started fighting yet, so how can we have a plan to defeat the enemy? However, there is always a way out. Even if I don't catch anything now, it won't affect my interest in fishing today."

After saying this, Huan Xi suddenly became excited and chanted:
"Since I have come to Hedong to start a business, I also envy the fishermen who are fishing in their boats."

Regardless of whether Xie Xuan was willing or not, he took his brother-in-law to find a creek near the military camp to fish.

This matter spread among the army that day. Huan Xi was famous for his resourcefulness and prudence.

Now that the war was imminent, he went fishing. Just as Huan Xi asserted, everyone mistakenly believed that he had already figured out a strategy to defeat the enemy. Therefore, the morale of the army was high, and they looked forward to being able to go into battle and kill the enemy and make merit as soon as possible.

Why be afraid of fighting a battle that you are sure to win?

However, the Liang army soldiers did not know that Huan Xi, who they thought was omnipotent, actually had no confidence in himself and could not come up with a countermeasure so easily.

He currently has only one plan, which is to find an opportunity to alienate Murong Jun and Murong Chui, and when the Yan army's detachment is in chaos, he will find an opportunity to fight a decisive battle with Fu Jian and Murong Chui. He will do the easy things first and then the difficult ones. After solving the trouble in Wenxi County, he can concentrate on competing with the Yan army in Dongyuan County.

However, there are still many details that need to be perfected. Huan Xi went fishing at this time just to send a signal to the outside world, not only for the soldiers to see, but also for Fu Jian and Murong Jun to see, so that they would be cautious and guess whether he really had it all figured out.

Huan Xi and Xie Xuan sat together beside the stream. Xie Xuan caught fish many times, but Huan Xi never saw any fish take the bait.

"Brother-in-law! Look! I caught another one!"

Xie Xuan caught a fish and showed off.

This is not a military camp. There is no Lord Liang or generals here, only my brother-in-law and my brother-in-law.

Huan Xi sneered:

"I'm not here to fish, but to enjoy the process of waiting for the fish to bite."

Huan Xi has already spread out the bait, and it depends on whether Murong Jun, the big fish, will take the bait.

"Don't laugh at the general's broken tooth, good and bad fortune are interdependent and fulfill the prophecy; Xianbei people, sitting in the southeast, the real dragon is trapped in the shallow water; when the wind and clouds come, they will break free from the cage and fly into the sky"

The nursery rhyme soon spread throughout Dongyuan County and even reached the military camp of the State of Yan.

At this time, Murong Jun had already arrived in Dongyuan County, but was still more than 20 miles away from Dongyuan County.

Murong Ke was the first to hear this nursery rhyme. He knew that it must be Huan Xi's doing because the nursery rhyme was too specific, and it was almost saying that Murong Chui was the true emperor.

After all, Murong Chui not only broke a tooth, but his current name was also the result of a prophecy. Even the Xianbei boy, sitting in the southeast, reminded people of his title of King of Wu.

What's the real dragon trapped in the shallow water? It just means that Murong Chui is under suspicion. Huan Xi clearly wants to put Murong Chui to death.

His heart can be killed.

However, Murong Ke also knew that his brother believed in these things the most.

Before Murong Jun proclaimed himself emperor, he even hinted to officials from all over the country to offer auspicious signs to build momentum for himself.

However, Murong Ke did not hide the nursery rhyme. He knew that this matter would sooner or later reach Murong Jun's ears and could not be concealed. Instead of letting his brother learn about it from others, it would be better to tell him in person.

Dongyuan County, Yan army camp, inside the imperial tent.

When Murong Jun heard that Murong Ke wanted to see him, he immediately had him brought in, thinking that he had some military intelligence to report. However, Murong Ke said:
"Your Majesty, there are people in the army who are spreading rumors and misleading the people. I request that they be severely punished!" Murong Jun was shocked when he heard this and asked curiously:
"What kind of nonsense is this?"

Murong Ke immediately recited the nursery rhyme, and before the gloomy Murong Jun could express his opinion, Murong Ke defined the matter:

"This must be Huan Xi's attempt to alienate his brothers and relatives, so he sent people to sing it."

Murong Jun snorted coldly:

"I heard someone say that Huan Xi said something that made a lot of sense, that is, a fly won't cling to a chicken that has no cracks.

"Although the King of Wu may not be planning something bad, there is some evidence that he is the real culprit. Otherwise, why didn't we see Huan Xi alienate me from the King of Taiyuan (Murong Ke)?"

As he spoke, Murong Jun's complexion returned to normal, and he said calmly:
"Let's change the generals. Let King Wu come back and let Yue Wan take over as the acting commander."

Murong Ke was horrified. If Murong Jun really called Murong Chui back for this reason, even if Murong Chui could escape death by chance, he would definitely be abandoned. Murong Ke hurriedly persuaded him:

"Changing generals before a battle is a taboo in military strategy! Your Majesty, I guarantee with my life that the King of Wu has no intention of disobeying his will. This is all Huan Xi's attempt to frame him!"

Having said that, Murong Ke knelt down and kowtowed, begging Murong Jun to revoke his decision.

Murong Ke's head was banging loudly, and even his forehead was broken and bleeding.

Seeing this, Murong Jun hurried forward to stop him:
"Xuan Gong! How can you do this!"

Murong Ke cried and advised:

"There is a powerful enemy nearby, watching closely. Your Majesty knows that this is Huan Xi's treacherous plot, but you insist on dismissing the King of Wu. Even your closest relatives cannot be trusted, so how can the soldiers of the three armies dare to hope to gain your Majesty's trust!"

At this time, it was impossible to tell the difference between blood and tears on his face.

Murong Jun saw it all and felt pain in his heart. He sighed and asked:
"Xuan Gong, the conflict between me and the King of Wu has been going on for a long time, and you know that. Even if I believe him today and am not moved by the nursery rhyme, will the King of Wu also believe me?"

Murong Ke was speechless after hearing this.

Trust is mutual. Although Murong Ke could convince Murong Jun not to touch Murong Chui's position as the commander-in-chief, how would Murong Chui feel once he heard this nursery rhyme?

Murong Chui certainly didn't dare to think of becoming emperor just because of a nursery rhyme that was obviously made up by Huan Xi to frame him, but could he believe that Murong Jun would really let him go and not take revenge on him later?

The reason why Huan Xi's nursery rhyme could cause such a big reaction among Murong Jun, Murong Ke and Murong Chui was ultimately due to the distrust between Murong Jun and Murong Chui.

If Huan Xi wanted to frame Murong Ke, let alone a nursery rhyme, he could have stuffed the jade seal and dragon robe into Murong Ke's arms and let Murong Jun catch him. Murong Jun would not have doubted his fourth brother whom he loved and trusted.

The nursery rhyme that Huan Xi came up with would definitely not be sung only in Dongyuan County. When Murong Chui heard it, how could he feel at ease? He would probably try to save himself. After all, Murong Chui also understood Murong Jun's character.

Wenxi County, the main camp of the Yan army.

After Fu Jian heard the nursery rhyme, he rushed to Murong Chui's tent immediately.

At this time, Murong Chui was already packing his bags.

Fu Jian's heart tightened, and he asked hurriedly:

"Where is the King of Wu going? Why are you leaving without saying goodbye?"

He was really worried that Murong Chui would flee to Liang State and join Huan Xi's army.

Murong Chui knew what he was worried about and said with a forced smile:
"Huan Xi is determined to kill me, so how can I serve him? I packed my bags today because I feel uneasy. Instead of waiting for the angels to come and take me away, I'd better take the initiative to go to the emperor and apologize."

Of course, Murong Chui said so, but the more Huan Xi wanted to kill him, it was equivalent to saying that he valued him more and recognized his talents.

Murong Chui felt that if he defected to Liang State, Huan Xi would naturally stop calling for his death.

But Murong Chui was not deceiving Fu Jian, he really wanted to go back and apologize. Murong Chui had entrusted all military affairs to his deputy general Yue Wan. There were only 30,000 soldiers, and Yue Wan's ability was enough to take on the task.

Fu Jian was relieved to see that Murong Chui did not seem to be lying. He advised:

"King Wu, aren't you afraid that the Emperor of Yan will use this as an excuse to punish you?"

Murong Chui said frankly:

“Of course I’m afraid, but I believe in King Taiyuan. With him around, he will be able to protect me.

“Today I took the initiative to apologize. I may have a chance to be reinstated someday. If I let the messenger take it away, I will end up depressed for the rest of my life.

"The King of Heaven has shown me love, and I am deeply moved. Huan Xi once wrote a poem for Xie Ai, and one of the lines in it just reflects the sadness I feel today."

As he spoke, Murong Chui chanted:
"Returning Jun Mingzhu to tears, hating not to meet him when he is not married."

Fu Jian felt a lump in his throat when he heard this. He felt the distress and helplessness in Murong Chui's heart, and was even more sad that Murong Chui was about to leave.

During the time he spent with Murong Chui, Fu Jian, who loved talent as much as his life, had already been attracted by him.

Fu Jian knew he couldn't stop him, so he could only say something solemnly.

Murong Chui smiled and said:
"Perhaps if I can explain the misunderstanding in front of the emperor, I can return to Wenxi County and fight alongside the king."

Fu Jianqiang forced himself to smile:

"hope so."

On that day, Murong Chui left the military camp in a hurry, and Fu Jian saw him off personally. As for Yue Wan, Murong Ke had already given her all the instructions he should have given her, so he let Yue Wan stay in the military camp to stabilize the morale of the troops.

If one says that something like this has no impact on the soldiers below, then one is definitely deceiving oneself.

Fortunately, although Yue Wan had not led troops for many years, the prestige he had gained from annihilating Ran Min's 100,000 infantry and cavalry was still there. After Murong Chui left, he was able to pacify the soldiers and prevent unrest in the army.

However, the combat effectiveness of this detachment of the Yan army will ultimately be discounted.

Fu Jian escorted Murong Chui for fifteen miles, which was five miles more than Murong Ke had walked that day.

At the time of parting, Fu Jian's eyes were filled with tears and his voice was choked with sobs:

"Daoming (Murong Chui's pen name), promise me that this is not a farewell forever."

He no longer called Murong Chui the King of Wu, but called him by his courtesy name. He also no longer called himself "朕", but "我".

It was obvious that at this moment Fu Jian was not seeing off the King of Wu of Yan State, but seeing off his friend.

Although this was just a small trick used by Fu Jian to impress people, it must be said that the effect looked very good.

At least Murong Chui was deeply moved.

He nodded heavily:
"Goodbye!"

After saying this, Murong Chui rode away with his followers and disappeared into the dust.

(End of this chapter)