Chapter 4182 Testing each other
Liu Rengui stood on the platform of the battleship, looking at both sides of the canal (those who are familiar with this sentence are not young anymore).
It was still dark at this time, and there were rows of willows on both sides of the river, hazy like two black strips. They were all extinguished on the boats to avoid being obvious targets for the enemy to attack.
The warship was built by Jiangnan Shipyard according to the drawings left over from the Sui Dynasty, and was specially used for navigation in rivers. The ship is three stories high and has five sails. With the sails that can be adjusted at will swaying against the river wind, the warship zigzags forward on the river at an extremely fast speed.
Behind him, dozens of warships of various types also spread their sails and moved forward at full speed. The mighty fleet carried thousands of naval warriors all the way north along the canal and headed straight for Tongguan.
In attacking Tongguan this time, Liu Rengui could be said to be full of ambition.
Although he was not from a high family background and his family was in decline when he was young, he always had great ambitions. His fate suddenly changed when he defected to Fang Jun, and he embarked on a journey to success. Over the years, he had made countless achievements in overseas expeditions, and the ambition in his heart was Increasingly loud and passionate.
However, today, the vast sea territory can no longer carry his ambitions. Entering the center and taking charge of the court are the goals he strives for.
In the woods by the river, there are birds flying in fright.
Liu Rengui's eyes were like lightning, he pointed to a row of poplar trees on the left bank, and sneered: "I don't know where the thieves are, how dare they block the car with their hands? Come, send an order to the scouts to wipe out the thieves lurking in the dense forest, as a warning to others!"< br>
"Here!"
The deputy general behind him received the order, turned around and ordered people to light the candles, and then used a mirror to reflect the firelight and shine it several times toward the left front.
After a moment, the sound of horse hooves was heard, shattering the silence on both sides of the river embankment. A scout team of more than ten people surrounded and returned from the left front, and then a burst of "ping ping ping ping ping" gunshots like exploding beans rang out, and in the dense forest, There were several screams in the air, and then everything calmed down.
Liu Rengui didn't take it seriously, looked at the sky, and ordered: "The scouts on the shore will go forward thirty miles and closely monitor the situation on both sides of the canal. The fleet will move forward at full speed!"
At this time, the fleet has passed Bianzhou and will arrive at Banzhu tomorrow evening. In the first year of Daye in the former Sui Dynasty, the Yellow River water was diverted from Banzhu to the southeast to the Huaihe River, which is the Tongji Canal. Banzhu is the starting point of Tongji Canal. , the fleet goes upstream and will enter the Yellow River.
Banzhu is an ancient ferry crossing, extending in all directions, and it is not far from Xingyang, so it is the territory of the Zheng family in Xingyang. After the private army in the south of the Yangtze River was defeated, the private army formed by the Shandong family was not affected. Instead, it accelerated the recruitment of soldiers and supplies, and tried its best to approach Tongguan to support the Jin rebels. How could the navy be allowed to arrive directly along the river? What about Tongguan threatening the army to cross the river?
Therefore, in Liu Rengui's view, there must be a battle in Banzhu, but he didn't take it to heart.
At this moment, there were only five thousand troops accompanying the fleet heading north. If they faced the elite troops of the Sixteenth Guards, he would still be wary and cautious. But even if the Zheng family in Xingyang would hoard heavy troops in Banzhu to intercept them, and the private armies of the various clans would How could he put it in his eyes?
Of course, underestimating the enemy will never happen to him...
The sky is getting brighter, the morning breeze is blowing, the sails are full and swaying, the speed is getting faster and faster, and the momentum is like a galloping horse heading towards Banzhu along the canal.
Along the way, they continued to receive news from the scouts in front. When they reached 20 miles north of Bianzhou, they had received specific news from Banzhu. As expected, no less than 10,000 soldiers were stationed along both sides of the river to guard the sluices.
The commanders of the troops are General Youwuwei, the Governor of Lingyan Prefecture, the Duke of Shangzhu State, Tongan County, and Zheng Rentai!
……
Banzhu has been a ferry of the Yellow River since ancient times. In the first year of the Sui Dynasty, the embankment was dug to divert the Yellow River water to the southeast and into the Huaihe River. It connected the north and the south, which was the Tongji Canal. The goods and rice grains from the south of the Yangtze River were continuously supplied to the capital for water transportation. .
Xingyang to the south of the ferry is where the Zheng family's ancestral temple is located, so from Luoyang downwards to Bianzhou, it is the Zheng family's sphere of influence in Xingyang.
Zheng Rentai, wearing a helmet and armor, was sitting in a tent by the river, drinking tea with Dugu Yanyun across from him. Dugu Yanyun was in his fifties, with a handsome face and a selling figure. His words were humorous, cheerful and talkative, and the atmosphere was good.
There are rows of huge warehouses in the river silos outside the camp. The canal water is rolling. Countless boats and naval forces tightly surround the locks. On land, war horses neigh and flags are fluttered. More than 10,000 elite soldiers defend this canal hub. No gaps.
In the camp, Zheng Rentai, with an ancient face and a dignified manner, was sitting with a big horse and a golden sword, holding a pot to pour tea for Dugu Yanyun, and said with emotion: "Time flies by, and it has been nearly twenty years in a blink of an eye. That is when we followed His Majesty. Fight a bloody path from the desperate situation and create a grand plan Your Majesty's great achievements are still passing away. Although we are still alive, we are getting older and our pride is gone. We have been eroded by this glory and wealth and are only an empty shell. I only hope that when I die, I can be buried in Zhaoling. Then there will be no regrets in this life.”
Dugu Yanyun took a sip of tea, narrowed his eyes slightly, showing a nostalgic look, and sighed: "Who said otherwise? Everyone thought that everyone in the Qin Prince's palace was already doomed, but in the end... Hey! Your Majesty led us from the Xuanwu Gate to the palace, and then wiped out the entire city of Chang'an, and actually gave us the throne. I am still confused and don't know how it was accomplished."
In the ninth year of Wude, Prince Li Jiancheng and King Qi Li Yuanji felt deeply threatened by the increasingly powerful Tiance Mansion and conspired to assassinate King Qin. Unexpectedly, the matter was not secret and King Qin learned about it. Changsun Wuji, Yuchi Jingde and others advised the King of Qin to act first to gain strength. The King of Qin accepted the advice and ordered Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui to strategize and command outside the palace. He himself persuaded Chang He, the guard of Xuanwu Gate, to personally lead Changsun Wuji. , Yuchi Jingde, Hou Junji, Zhang Gong Jin, Liu Shili, Gongsun Wuda, Dugu Yanyun, Du Junchuo, Zheng Rentai, Li Mengchang and other nine people entered the Xuanwu Gate to ambush, killing the prince and the King of Qi in one fell swoop, and then took advantage of the situation to invade the palace and put Emperor Gaozu under house arrest. , and finally usurped and settled the great cause.
This is not only a turning point in the career of His Majesty Li Er, but also the culmination of glory for all the generals under the command of Tiance Mansion.
Before that, he guarded Changchun Palace, the base camp of King Qin all year round...
These two people are both the humerus of His Majesty Li Er. They have great trust and entrusted them with important responsibilities. Naturally, they are even more loyal to His Majesty Li Er.
When people get old, they naturally often miss the past, recall the past, and like to immerse themselves in it...
After a long time, the roar of horse hooves from passing cavalry outside the tent woke them up. Dugu Yanyun smiled and said: "Your Majesty originally promised that when you are alive, you and your ministers will enjoy wealth and honor together. When you die in the future, your old brothers will be buried together." Tomb, continue to follow His Majesty underground... But now that His Majesty passed away suddenly without leaving any legacy, this wish may not be realized. ”
The emperor's mausoleum is an important place in the country. Without the emperor's edict during his lifetime, no one can be buried within the mausoleum without permission...
Hearing this, Zheng Rentai snorted coldly: "Who said there is no legacy? The King of Jin already has the legacy of the late emperor in his hands!"
Dugu Yan said: "Come on, who can tell whether that thing is real or fake?"
That's what he said, but looking at his expression, he didn't believe it at all.
Zheng Rentai frowned, and his eyes under his thick eyebrows were piercing and pointed, looking directly at Dugu Yan: "His Majesty had intended to be crowned king before his death, and he wanted to be crowned king several times. Everyone knows this. When he died, he left a legacy to pass the throne on. King Jin is really reasonable It’s reasonable. I wonder why you idiots don’t believe it? Your Dugu family is from the Guanlong family. Now the Guanlong clan and the Prince of the East Palace are at odds with each other, and the hatred is as deep as the sea. Why do you want to speak for the Prince?”
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Dugu Yanyun was not angry at all, and said calmly: "At this moment, the Duke of Zhao committed suicide, and the Guanlong group was leaderless and fighting on their own. How could a mere scholar be able to rectify the whole situation and lead the group? This matter has been put aside. Let’s not mention it, let’s just talk about Yi Chu. You and I both know that His Majesty wanted to do Yi Chu several times, but why didn’t he get to that point?”
Zheng Rentai looked at Duguyan with no expression on his face and said: "I thought you came here today to comfort me for the King of Jin, but I didn't expect that you actually acted as a lobbyist for the Crown Prince... I fought side by side with His Majesty back then, and I was so affectionate. Not to be tolerated or forgotten; His Majesty later trusted me The relationship between the king and his ministers is as strong as gold! Since you have forgotten these things and are willing to side with the prince, what is there to say? Be harsh to you, please.”
He actually saw off the guests without making any excuses.
Dugu Yanyun sat still, shook his head and said: "I am not anyone's lobbyist. I just want to warn you not to invest too much in this broken ship of Shandong Menva, so as not to sink too deeply when the ship sinks in the future. Your Majesty is still alive. Even if time was not easy to save due to various concerns, how could he leave a succession edict on his deathbed to the boss he created with his own hands? The empire has left endless disasters? So everyone knows that King Jin’s so-called edict is false, but because it is in your interests for King Jin to ascend the throne, you turn a blind eye to the truth and would rather provoke a national war and cause the empire to fall apart. If you don’t want the crown prince’s position of authority, to put it bluntly, you are a traitor to the country!”
"Presumptuous!"
Zheng Rentai slapped the table suddenly, his eyes widened in anger, and he cursed angrily with his halberd finger: "How can a villain like you understand my loyalty to His Majesty? Just leave this place for me. If you don't leave, , don’t blame me for not letting go of our past feelings!”
The commander of the army, who was the bravest of the three armies and once had hundreds of thousands of soldiers under his command, was in full swing at this moment. He was really angry and powerful. It seemed that if Dugu Yanyun continued to blabber a word, he would order his own soldiers to drag him out of the account. Engage in military law!
But how could Dugu Yanyun be afraid of him?
Sitting firmly as a mountain, with a sarcastic look on his face, he said sarcastically: "I'll just sit here and see if you, a stooge who doesn't know right from wrong and doesn't care about justice, still have some of your former bravery left?"
The Dugu family is not just a cat or a dog. Even if Dugu Yanyun did not die here today but suffered humiliation, both the crown prince and the King of Jin would remember this. Zheng Rentai and the Zheng family in Xingyang behind him would all Suffer unpredictable losses.
As expected, Zheng Rentai's momentum froze, his eyes turned, and he had to sit down again with a sullen face. Dugu Yanyun did not say any sarcastic words, and held the pot to pour him tea. Zheng Rentai picked up the teacup, took a sip, and spit out a long sip. He said in a tone of voice: "I am a descendant of the Zheng family in Xingyang, and a descendant of the Shandong family. Even if I have objections in my heart, what can I do if the general trend is like this?"
All the previous things were just temptations...(End of Chapter)