Great Han Empire

Chapter 225
Li Hong ordered Zhao Yun to invite Heng Ji and Xian Yuyin and other trilogy leaders to the big tent to discuss matters.

"Ling Ming, why did you come to report to us? Aren't you in Longxi?" Li Hong asked.

"Return to your lord, I came here to ask your lord for help under the orders of Captain Xu," Pang De said.

Li Hong looked at him strangely, "Why are you with Captain Xu again?"

Pang De had already drank a few sips of hot water at this time, and his spirit was a little better. He immediately explained: "When Han Sui led his troops to attack Didao, Li Taishou ordered me to rush to Long County to ask for help from the Governor. After the troops rushed to Yicheng, they heard that Di Dao had fallen, and Li Xiangru had rebelled, so he kept me by his side. The night before yesterday, Biejia was engaged in Wudu and led his troops to rebel in Wuxiju, beheading Cheng Qiu and Mr. Geng. At that time, the camp was in chaos. I took the opportunity to escape and ran to report to the camp of Captain Xu and Captain Qu. After receiving the news, the two adults immediately led the army to retreat. Mr. Xu It was when the troops were withdrawing that they ordered me to travel day and night to seek help from the Lord."

"Before leaving, what can Master Xu say?" Xian Yufu asked.

"The situation was very urgent at that time, Master Xu didn't say anything." Pang De replied, "Both Lords know me, they know that I am Teacher Fan's disciple, and my martial arts are good, so they are very relieved of me and let me come quickly. "

With hands behind his back, Li Hong paced back and forth in the tent.

"Lingming, after you sent us the batch of evidence, did you go back to Longxi directly, or did you go to Jincheng to meet Mr. Bian?" Xian Yufu continued to ask after a little thought.

"I went back to Longxi directly." Pang De replied, "The teacher has been hiding the batch of evidence in Didao's academy. After my father received the letter from the teacher, he asked me to take a group of people to send the batch of evidence to I gave it to the adults. During this period, I have not seen the teacher."

"Ling Ming, go down and rest." Li Hong walked up to him, patted his back, and said with concern: "I'm too tired after running for hundreds of miles. Longxi fell, and you have nowhere to go for the time being. Just stay with me, what do you think?"

Pound was overjoyed, and hurriedly bowed his thanks.

"In the future, when Xiliang is pacified, I will find a good place for you to go out. Xiliang's crackdown on corruption has achieved outstanding results, and you have a share of the credit for this." Li Hong looked at Xian Yufu and said, "For now, let Ling Ming work in the Black Panther. Yi Cong is the Marquis of the Army and Zilong's deputy, you see..."

"Yes." Xian Yufu said with a smile, "Although this position is a bit small, the military is no better than the prefectural and county government offices, and the promotion mainly depends on military merit, otherwise the people below will not accept it. Ling Ming, are you willing?"

The rank of Cao Zhi, a thief under the government office, was two hundred shi, and the rank of a military marquis was six hundred shi, which was much higher.Pang De was overjoyed, and he repeatedly agreed, and after thanking him again, he left the tent with the guards on duty.

=

"Zimin, the situation in Xiliang is a bit strange." Xian Yufu lay on the map and said slowly, "It seems that Bian Zhang and Han Sui are well prepared, and they have already planned to rebel again."

"They agreed with the imperial court's appeasement, as if it was to make us give up attacking Jincheng and give them a chance to breathe, so that they can regain their strength and make a comeback. However, as far as the results they have achieved so far, it is not their carefulness at all. Prepare to do it.”

Xian Yufu raised his eyes to look at Li Hong, and said solemnly, "They can't do it without anyone's help. Bian Zhang rebelled with 3 troops. In just half a month, he not only quickly occupied Longxi, but also It seems a bit too easy to take down Geng Bi's [-] troops without much effort."

Li Hong walked to the desk, looked at the map and said, "It's not impossible."

Xian Yufu shook his head resolutely, and said, "They absolutely don't have the strength. From my point of view, there is something famous here, and it is likely that the people in the court want to take this opportunity to put you to death."

Li Hong smiled and looked at Xian Yufu.

Xian Yufu said: "Now, the situation in Xiliang is much worse than when we came this spring. You see, there are only more than 1 people left in Xiliang's army, including Xu Rong and Qu Yi, plus us There are more than 3 people, but only 4 people. Dong Zhuo's army is in Pingqiang, Beidi County, and it is impossible to reinforce us in the short term."

"Let's look at the rebels again. After the rebels defeat Gengbi, they will definitely expand their army with prisoners. These prisoners are their soldiers and can be used immediately without adjustment. Now, Han Sui, Ma Teng, Beigong Boyu , together there are nearly 10 people, and if you add the strength of the Qianghu, they will have 10,000+ people. The difference in strength between the two sides is too large, and we have no chance of winning. If we fight for a long time without success, or be defeated by the rebels If you are defeated, you, the general of Zhonglang, will be done. We suppressed corruption in Xiliang and offended all forces in the court and China. You will know what will happen to you, and we will not be able to get better there."

"Bian Zhang and Han Sui rebelled again. I can be sure that the gangsters in the court did it. Their purpose is to put you to death. Otherwise, how will they live in the future? Do you still think about it? Don't uproot you Since then, they will not be able to corrupt the law and do whatever they want, their power will be restricted, and their survival will be in danger." Xian Yufu looked at him and suddenly laughed, "You are not dead, they are stuck in the throat, unable to sleep or eat Ann."

Li Hong also laughed.

Xian Yufu continued: "We can imagine what those treacherous villains did. First, they tried their best to slander the rebels in front of the emperor and provoke the emperor's hatred towards them. But what about the emperor? The emperor listened to the slander and betrayed the original promise He made a promise to appease the rebels. He issued a decree to severely punish the rebels and ordered them to surrender, which directly led to Bian Zhang and Han Sui's rebellion. However, based on the situation of the rebels we have, they are extremely short of food, grass, equipment and military resources. They don’t have the conditions to rebel again. Even if they want to rebel, the most suitable time should be next spring or at least until we evacuate Guanzhong.”

"With an army of [-] remaining in Xiliang and sufficient food, grass and military equipment, they are undoubtedly seeking their own death if they suddenly rebel. With the knowledge of Mr. Bian and Mr. Han, they shouldn't be so stupid, right? Then, What do they rely on to dare to rebel at this most inappropriate opportunity?"

Xian Yufu stroked three long beards with his hands, and said with a sneer, "On the surface, the reason why the rebels occupied Longxi was because they had the help of Li Xiangru and Ma Teng, and they were able to ambush and wipe out Lord Geng's [-] troops because they got Wudu. help, but when you think about it carefully, it’s not the same thing.”

"Tens of thousands of people are marching and fighting. They need money, rations, and weapons. Where did the rebels suddenly get so many things? With fewer troops and the official army still has backup, the rebels suddenly gathered in Wuxi. The [-] troops that surrounded Geng Bi. According to common sense, no one would do such a thing. This kind of siege is quite dangerous. If you are not careful, you will be surrounded. Could it be that the rebels are just because of Wudu? Internal response? The matter is obvious, they are absolutely sure. What does this mean? It means that someone is helping the rebels, someone is providing money and armaments to the rebels, and providing a detailed plan to occupy Xiliang and annihilate us."

Li Hong nodded and said: "Brother Yu Xing's analysis makes sense. This gang of treacherous villains can't be killed. You see, for their own self-interest and for their own power, they actually put the country's safety at risk and caused war disasters again. Let's not talk about how many people will die in this battle, just the consumption of military resources is an astonishing amount." He shook his head repeatedly and sighed: "When will our big Han country be peaceful and peaceful?"

"Okay, don't be emotional." Xian Yufu said, "It's a miracle that a person like you can live to this day. A few years ago, Sili Captain Yang Qiu arrested Zhongchang Attendant Wang Fu for corruption. , Chunyu Deng, Feng Yu and others beat Wang Fu and his son to death in Beisi Prison. But within a few months, he was framed and imprisoned by Zhongchang Attendant Cao Jie and others, and he was also beaten to death in prison. Now you It is not only the treacherous eunuchs who have offended, but also powerful clans and other powers. If you hadn't been protected today, I'm afraid you would have been chopped into meat by them. Therefore, even if we are not for the country, we are for the people of Xiliang , but also to fight for their own survival.”

Li Hong put his arms around Xian Yufu's shoulders, and said guiltily, "Brother Yu Xing is tired, and there are a bunch of brothers, I feel very uneasy."

Xian Yufu smiled and said, "My son, what you said is off the mark. We are brothers, brothers in life and death, and we can't say that we are burdened or implicated. Everything we do is for my big man and for the people of my big man. We don't Wrong. As subjects of the great Han Dynasty, we cannot eradicate the traitors in the court, we cannot help the emperor restore the court, and we cannot rescue the innocent and poor people. What are we doing wearing this armor? What face do we have to live in this world?" Xian Yufu looked at Li Hong said firmly, "To live, one has to do something, at least to do something worthy of one's conscience."

Li Hong nodded again and again, and said emotionally: "Thank you, brother Yu Xing. Since brother Yu Xing said so, why should I worry about it. I'll see who wins the battle in the end."

Xian Yufu smiled and said, "It's good if you have confidence. How do you think this battle is going to be fought? Now the rebel army is strong, their morale is like a rainbow, and there is a tendency to lose thousands of miles. With our current strength, it is difficult to resist."

"At present, the enemy is strong and we are weak. We can't win a frontal battle. We can't fight this battle. We can only avoid the edge." Li Hong pointed to the map on the case table and said, "Look, the north and south ends of Xiliang are all They are all mountains, and although there are no mountains to block the east and west, there is an insurmountable Yellow River. In this complex terrain with no depth and insufficient combat distance, it is difficult for us to use cavalry long-distance raids to wipe out the enemy one by one. Since we If you can’t win by odds, and if you fight head-on and have no chance of winning, then you have to retreat.”

"We should preserve our strength first, and try to keep the rebels in Xiliang. I think it is more realistic to inform Xu Rong and Qu Yi quickly and let them withdraw to the Zixiu Mountain Camp in Long County. We will meet them at Zixiu Mountain. "

"Yicheng is gone?"

"Defend, and defend to the death." Li Hong said resolutely: "Whether you can quickly defeat the rebels depends on whether Mr. Fu can defend Yicheng."

Li Hong pointed to Yicheng on the map and said, "Let's stick to Yicheng and let Master Fu drag the rebels into Hanyang. Once the rebels attack the city, their overwhelming momentum will be contained. If Master Fu can defend By next month, Xiliang will enter a long winter. With the weather getting worse, it is impossible for the rebels to take the risk of attacking Sansuke. If the rebels stop attacking Sansuke, then there will be no threat to Chang'an. In this way, We can also explain to His Majesty."

"One winter is enough for us to breathe and accumulate strength. Next spring, the imperial treasury will be full, food, grass and military supplies will be ready, and General Dong's army and Luoyang's northern army will also come. We can definitely fight the rebels."

Xian Yufu glanced at him worriedly, and said, "If we don't attack, someone in the DPRK will take the opportunity to frame up and make trouble."

Li Hong said without hesitation: "Brothers' lives are not ants or worthless things. My brothers' lives are my life. I will never take my brothers' lives as a trifle. If this battle cannot be fought, it cannot be fought." Looking at Xian Yufu, he smiled helplessly, "If someone wants to kill me, I'll take Hu Ding and Qi Chen to the desert, you stay and continue to take them, you have to bring them back to Jizhou, to You State."

"The people..."

"I would rather die on the battlefield than give those traitors the chance to kill me." Li Hong said coldly.

=

Yicheng Tiger is located on the bank of the Wei River, majestic and majestic.

The armies of Xu Rong, Qu Yi and Hua Xiong were quickly passing the pontoon bridge and heading northward.

Fu Xie stood on the hill outside the city with his hands behind his back, looking at the soldiers who were rushing away with a heavy heart, his face was clouded with sorrow.

In order to explain his thoughts accurately and thoroughly, Li Hong wrote three letters to him in one day.Whether Yicheng can be held, and whether it can be held for a long time, is the key to preventing the rebels from invading Sansuke and Chang'an.Li Hong stationed his troops in Long County, in addition to containing the enemy, he mainly wanted to give strong support to Yicheng at the right time.As for taking the opportunity to wipe out the enemy, or even take the opportunity to wipe out the enemy to rescue the siege, Li Hong thought it would be very difficult unless a miracle happened.

Fu Xie joined the army to fight against the Qiang Hu in his early years, and later followed Huangfu Song to put down the Yellow Turban Rebellion, and he was unambiguous in fighting.He is still very confident in defending Yicheng.It was the bleak situation in Xiliang that made him worry.Originally, after Li Hong struggled to appease the rebels and bloodily eliminated corruption, Xiliang, which was plagued by war and corruption, suddenly had a bright future.Just when people were looking forward to a peaceful New Year, the situation changed suddenly, the rebels rioted again, and everything returned to the past.

After Li Hong came back from Jincheng, he once wrote him a letter. The content of the letter was very subtle, expressing his sincere gratitude to Fu Xie.Fu Xie felt guilty, but he couldn't say it clearly, so he pretended not to know and didn't reply.He thought that Li Hong would be convicted and sent to prison sooner or later, so he kept keeping distance from him, and the relationship between the two was much stranger than before.Unexpectedly, after a month, the two came together again. This time, the two will not only cooperate closely, but also look like they will cooperate for a long time.

Li Hong's campaign against corruption in Xiliang was first helped by Fu Xie. Fu Xie provided a group of traitorous disciples and old officials in a very targeted manner. He hoped that through Li Hong's hands, he would not only attack the traitorous forces, but also And clean up the corrupt officials in Xiliang.It's just that he didn't expect that the development of things far exceeded his expectations.The gangsters of the eunuchs were very cunning. Under Li Hong's severe torture, they provided a large number of disciples from the clan of the aristocratic families, and finally burned the fire of suppressing corruption to their own door.For this reason, Fu Xie was severely criticized by Gai Xun, and was soon called to Huaili by Taiwei Zhang Wen to scold him.In order to prevent the evidence in Bian Zhang's hands from falling into the hands of Li Hong or his opponents, resulting in an irreversible situation in Xiliang, Sangyang thought of an idea to deceive Bian Zhang and Li Hong, and wanted to get the evidence .Under extremely contradictory circumstances, Fu Xie rejected Zhang Wen's request out of conscience.Gai Xun personally persuaded him.Later, Fu Xie saw a loophole in the letter written by Sang Yang for him, so he reluctantly agreed, copied a letter early, and sent it to Li Hong.Fortunately, Bian Zhang was not fooled, not only handed over the evidence to Li Hong, but also sent someone to send Li Hong out of Jincheng.Fu Xie let out a long breath when he found out, at least he didn't do anything to offend his conscience.

Later, the tide of anti-corruption launched by the emperor and Li Hong greatly shocked the Han Dynasty, and at the same time awakened all forces in the court. If Li Hong was not killed, their survival would not only be difficult, but also dangerous.Fu Xie remembered that Gai Xun wrote him several letters, all of which warned him to pay attention to the situation in Xiliang, and if something serious happened, he should go to Chang'an as soon as possible to avoid disaster.Now it seems that the rebellion between Bian Zhang and Han Sui must have been caused by the joint efforts of various forces in the DPRK and China. The ultimate goal may not only be to kill Li Hong, but to regain their lost power and regain their power. The balance of power in the court is so that they can continue to deceive the emperor, fight for power and profit, and steal the country and people.

"My lord, Master Xu and Master Qu are here." The attendant's shout woke Fu Xie from his contemplation.

=

Xu Rong and Qu Yi came with a group of attendants on flying horses.Fu Xie rushed to meet him, and the three of them exchanged pleasantries.

"My lord, according to Li Zhonglang's request, we have left all the surplus food and weapons." Xu Rong bowed and said, "In addition, Mr. Hua Xionghua, the soldier of Jincheng County, led two thousand elite soldiers to stay. They will help My lord guards the city."

Fu Xie smiled gratefully and said, "Thank you."

"This is Li Zhonglang's urgent order. He thinks that if there are 5000 people defending the city, it shouldn't be a problem for you to persist for two months." Qu Yi said with a worried face, "My lord, you will win if you defend the city until it snows." .”

Fu Xie looked up at the sky, smiled wryly and said, "It depends on God's will."

Xu Rong sighed softly, and said worriedly: "Although we have left food, I think the food in the city can only last for more than a month at most. When we return to Zixiu Mountain, we will do our best to persuade Li Zhonglang to go back as soon as possible. Support adults."

Fu Xie shook his head and said, "You have been in command for many years. You should know that Li Zhonglang's method is the only way to hold back the rebels from going east. If we spend too much of our troops in Yicheng, we can only weaken ourselves and surrender to the west." Let Ryo go to the rebels. You all follow his arrangement."

Fu Xie waved his hands vigorously, and said proudly, "Go back and tell Li Zhonglang that I, Fu Xie, swear to defend Yicheng to the death, and I will never surrender even if I fight to the death."

=

(End of this chapter)