Late Tang

Coming out of the imperial study room, Zhang Chengye felt a little floating.

Before entering Beijing, he persuaded Li Jing to offer it to the emperor, but Li Jing really generously handed over 200 million guan to him to send to the capital.Although only half of the more than 200 million was a contribution to the emperor, Li Jing asked him to manage the nobles in the capital for the remaining half.But 100 million guan, now the imperial court's wealth is all supplied by a small area in the southeast, and the southwest has been using troops for years, and the imperial court has resigned five times.

Jixiang is a fat vacancy, but now he is not willing to take it, so we can know that the imperial court's finances are so tight.As a last resort, the imperial court can only increase the price of these monopoly sales of salt and tea. Although the tension has been temporarily relieved, Zhang Chengye can see that this is not a good way, just drinking poison to quench thirst.There was a continuous famine last year and this year. When he was in Dengzhou, he didn't realize how serious the situation was, but when he came to the capital along the way, he saw countless deserted fields, empty villages, and groups of people on the road, like A group of hungry wolves like refugees.

As an eunuch, he is a slave of Li Tang's royal family, and he is very worried.It really made him happy that Li Jing was willing to spend so much money.Li Jing is still a general in a small town, so he can give 100 million yuan to the emperor, and now Li Jing has been promoted to a high position all at once.He became the Marquis of Zhendong, the champion general, and Jinwu General. He not only served as the military envoy of the Zhendong Army, but also served as the defense envoy of Dengzhou. Now he was promoted to the rebuilt Andong Protectorate.

He didn't expect that Li Jing would undergo such a big change after only leaving Dengzhou for such a short time.Not only did they win a big battle in Liaodong and captured two big cities, but they already had more than 2 horses.Entering Qingzhou to quell the chaos, beheaded more than 8000 rebels.Now, Mrs. Lian Huang admires Li Jing so much.

Zhang Tai has been looking at Zhang Chengye, the adopted son, and his heart is full of sighs. Zhang Chengye's character is excellent, otherwise he would not have adopted him as an adopted son.The last time he asked Zhang Chengye to go out of Beijing to work as a military supervisor at Zhang Wanrong's place in Qingzhou, it was for his own sake, and he was asked to work hard so that he could find a position as a military supervisor in the future.He knew Zhang Chengye's character, such a straightforward and loyal character, it was not very suitable to stay in the palace.

It never occurred to him that so many things happened when he went out this time.Now the adopted son has not only just been conferred the title of General of the Right Prison Gate of Cong Sanpin, but he was even conferred by the emperor as the Supervising Army Envoy of the Protectorate of Andong just now.Supervising the military envoy, for an eunuch, this is the second only post in the army to the military envoy. Compared with those generals, it is like the post of Jiedu envoy.

The adopted son is really following the right person now, and he is in his early years.Even he himself was honored by his adopted son, and got the post of a right prison guard and general, and was rewarded by the emperor.

Sighing along the way, for a long time, Zhang Tai said to Zhang Chengye: "Chengye, you are really following the right person this time. Then Li Jing is now registered with the emperor, and his future is bound to be limitless in the future. This time Tian Lingzi thinks To prevent Li Jing from entering Beijing, let Li Jing go to Liaodong. In fact, you don’t have to worry about this being a bad thing, I think it’s a good thing. Then Li Jing’s real skills and military achievements are outstanding, so I think it’s a good thing to enter Liaodong this time. Now He is still young, if he enters Beijing rashly, it may not be a good thing for him. It is better to stay in Shandong, as long as he survives for a few more years, and if he has some real military exploits, then he can take down one or two cities in Liaodong, then who can stop him Him. Your Majesty has to be promoted to be a military supervising envoy. At this position, at your age, I don’t know how many people envy and envy you. Follow Li Jing well, don’t be arrogant and domineering, and have a good relationship with Li Jing. From now on, you If it’s tied together, he’ll be fine, and you’ll be fine. Don’t worry here in the palace, with me here, you don’t have to worry.”

"Have a lot of hard work abroad, and when you come back in the future, it is not impossible to become a lieutenant in the Shence Army, an envoy to the Privy Council, or even an envoy to watch the army."

Zhang Chengye nodded: "Thank you, Father, for your cultivation."

Zhang Tai said again: "Remember to win over Li Jing more, this Li Jing seems to be able to do things, but after all, you are young, you have to help him a little bit in some places. He has made a fortune, and you are naturally a chicken and a dog."

"Li Jing is good in everything, but I think he seems a little elusive. Watching him act, he looks like he is loyal to the Tang Dynasty and the emperor, but sometimes, it makes people feel that this person is a bit like that."

"A capable official who governs the world, a traitor in a troubled world?" Zhang Tai directly said what Zhang Chengye hadn't said directly.

"Yes!" Zhang Chengye nodded, and after getting along with Li Jing for a while, he had already seen some signs from Li Jing's many actions.For Li Jing, it is not appropriate to say that he is arbitrary, but it is more appropriate to say that he is full of ambition.

Zhang Tai was silent for a long time, then sighed softly: "There are some things, you don't have to be too persistent. There is nothing wrong with being a capable minister in a troubled world, or a traitor in a troubled world. In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, this is Cao Cao's comment. Cao Cao has a saying What you said is good, if there is no one in the world, I don’t know how many people will be called emperors and how many people will be called kings.”

"Father!" Zhang Chengye did not expect Zhang Tai to say such a sentence.Zhang Tai shook his head and stopped talking. After being in the palace for a long time, Zhang Tai has a better understanding of the current Tang Dynasty than Zhang Chengye. Since Xuanzong Zhongxing, he has experienced a licentious Yizong. The rebellion between Qiu Fu and Pang Xun.Although the two large-scale rebellions were quelled, they also wiped out the little family fortune that Emperor Xuanzong had managed to save.Finally, Yizong died, and now there is another Li Xuan who just came out of almost the same shape as his father, who only knows how to play ball and cockfight all day long.

The world suffered from severe drought for two consecutive years, and people all over the country were displaced, but Tian Lingzi took control of the government, but he didn't tell the emperor anything.The locust plague attacked the capital Chang'an from east to west, but the officials below reported that after the locusts arrived in the suburbs of Chang'an, they did not harm the crops, but died holding thorns.Such absurd words dared to be played in the court, and what was even more ridiculous was that Man Chao Zifei didn't have a single rebuttal, but instead said it was some kind of auspicious omen.Zhang Tai knew in his heart that the Great Tang building was about to collapse, only Zhang Chengye couldn't see through it.

At the beginning of May in the 15th year of Xiantong, Li Jing returned to Dengzhou. After returning to Shamen Town, he did not rest at all. Wei's front compartment soldiers and horses directly sent troops to Dengzhou Shuicheng.

The situation in Dengzhou is tense right now. At the same time when Song Wei issued the military order to call all the troops to Qingzhou, Qingzhou Navy and Laizhou Navy rushed to Dengzhou one after the other.Song Wen gathered the Longshan Camp in Dengzhou, the Zhizhou soldiers, Dongmou Shouzhuo, Chishan Town, Tuanjie Battalion, etc., with a total of [-] soldiers and horses, including the soldiers and the private soldiers of the generals. Live in Shuicheng.

Facing Song Wen's army, Wang Jingwen and Wang Jin refused to surrender, let alone hand over their military power.The two sides then entered the battle, but the water city where the Dengzhou Navy is stationed is leaning against the shore and the mountains, and the terrain is very dangerous.What's more, apart from Li Jing's two sailor battalions in Dengzhou, only the Dengzhou navy has warships.Song Wen sent Lin Wei to lead the sailor battalion to join the battle, but Lin Wei did not send troops after receiving the military order.

Without the navy in Shamen Town, Dengzhou had many soldiers and horses, but after fighting for several days, there was no progress.On the contrary, Wang Jingwen sent several squadrons to sea, along the coast of Dengzhou, raided dozens of villages in several townships.Song Wen couldn't help it, so he had to divide his troops to deal with it again. The two sides fought back and forth for several days, but they hurt each other, but Shuicheng stood still.

Li Jing stood on the deck of the flagship of the Sirius, looking at the sea near the nowhere water city. Because of the outbreak of the war, all the merchant ships from Dengzhou hid in the pond of Daxie Island.All ships entering Tangwan do not have to worry about being attacked, they are protected by the Zhendong Army.But after leaving Daxie village, there is no one to protect it, so there is no shadow of half a boat on the sea.Not only the merchant ships could not be seen, but even the fishing boats could not be seen.

The Dengzhou soldiers did not have warships, so it was really difficult to attack Dengzhou Water City, which was half at sea and half on shore.However, Li Jing looked at the more than 100 warships of the Raging Wave Camp and Zhenhai Camp behind him, but there was a slight smile on his face.The sailors of the two battalions now retain more than 100 warships, but they are all solid warships. The rest are stored in the port, and some have been sold to Zhang Yingying.Two elite sailor battalions are enough to control Liaohai, and Li Jing is not willing to keep the extra warships. He relies on land troops and sailors for support.

"Will Wang Jingwen really surrender to us? Are you willing to hand over the Dengzhou navy?" Lin Wei asked as he stood beside Li Jing, blowing the cool sea breeze in May.

Li Jing had just sent a letter written by Wang Jingwu to Wang Jingwen to Dengzhou Water City.Wang Jingwu asked Li Jing to spare his life at the beginning, and was willing to exchange it with the Dengzhou Navy, but Li Jing did not directly agree.In the end, Wang Jingwu asked Li Jing to hand over the three naval divisions controlled by him in Qingzhou, Dengzhou, and Laizhou.Of course, it is impossible to make Wang Jingwen surrender by relying on this letter alone, but Li Jing also promised Wang Jingwu that as long as the three naval forces surrendered to him, he would no longer lead troops to attack him in Ziqi. In addition, he could let Wang Jingwu go. Jingwen et al.

In addition to this, Li Jing also brought warships to throw cannons. Song Wen couldn't deal with Wang Jingwu, but it didn't mean that Li Jing couldn't deal with them.It was not that Wang Jingwen had no intention of evacuating to Ziqi by boat before, but the warships of Zhenhaiying had already blocked the mouth of Jishui and the Yellow River, and they couldn't get through at all.

The fleet approached Dengzhou Water City, and two small boats sailed one after the other on the sea, one came out of Dengzhou Wharf, and the other came out of Water City.

"Song Shijun heard that General Li had returned from victory, so he invited him to meet him in Dengzhou." An old acquaintance came from Dengzhou pier, Song Xi.Li Jing smiled, and did not agree, but said to him: "General Song, please wait a moment, I will go when I surrender this group of rebels." As he said that, the people sent by Shuicheng had already been brought in .

The visitor directly told his intentions. He came to surrender to Li Jing on behalf of Wang Jingwen. The Dengzhou Navy, Laizhou Navy, and Qingzhou Navy have a total of 5000 troops and are willing to surrender to Li Jing immediately.

After receiving the letter of surrender, Li Jing smiled and said to Lin Wei: "Let the brothers enter Shuicheng, accept the surrender, and take over Shuicheng." When it wasn't Dengzhou that surrendered, it looked a little ugly.Seeing that Li Jing didn't go to invite Song Wen and others, but went directly to accept the surrender, his face turned darker.

"General Ji Yu, should we wait for the envoy of Song Dynasty and the generals of Dengzhou to come before accepting the surrender?"

Li Jing chuckled lightly: "The rebels surrendered to this general, so why bother the envoy Song for the surrender ceremony. General Song should know that I am now the envoy of the Zhendong Army and the defense envoy of Garden State. The defense envoy is in charge One state's soldiers and horses, the governor of the Song Dynasty is the main writer, and the general will be in charge of the military. In the future, Dengzhou will distinguish between civil and military affairs. Regarding matters such as soldiers, horses and military affairs, there is no need to bother the governor of the Song Dynasty." After finishing speaking, regardless of Song Xi's ugly face, Disembark directly with Lin Wei, ready to enter Shuicheng to accept the surrender of the rebels.

Watching Li Jing's figure slowly disappear, Song Xi froze on the spot, and a sound of footsteps woke him up.

A guard of Li Jing in silver armor came forward and said: "The defense envoy has an order. Let me pass it on to General Song. After General Song returns to Dengzhou, he will notify the generals of all departments in Dengzhou. Every battalion in Dengzhou will The above-mentioned officers, before noon tomorrow, do not have to go to Shamen town to participate in the Dengzhou military meeting. Those who fail to arrive at [-]:[-] noon will be at their own risk!" After finishing speaking, the guard didn't wait for him to reply, and directly flicked the silver cloak, He just walked away.

(To be continued)