Five Dynasties River Mountains Fengyue

The officials also looked at him and asked him to talk about his ideas and tricks.

"Officials, there is only one trick. Han Xin, the soldier fairy, has already said it, that is, use veterans as recruits to set an example. We can transfer experienced veterans from other armies to serve as low-level officers in the new army, so that the new army will continue to grow. Get up quickly."

The officials nodded, and finally ordered Shi Congyun, Zhao Kuangyin, and Cao Bin to be fully responsible for the formation of the new army, and Zhang Yongde was temporarily handed over the affairs of the Dianqian Division.

Zhao Kuangyin and Cao Bin were Shi Congyun's assistants.

Zhao Kuangyin's deputy was indeed a help arranged by the officials. Cao Bin was an internal minister, with the meaning of supervising the army. The officials also allowed him to dispatch officers below the two divisions to help. Shi Congyun and others quickly took orders.

The expansion of the Forbidden Army involves a lot of materials, money and food, and it also needs to be handed over to Li Gu, the third division envoy.

So in the following days, Shi Congyun became busy again.

Just as Daliang was busy expanding his army, all countries in the world were also shaken.

The Tang State was beaten by Shi Congyun and lost half of its country. It is a big deal for the situation of the world to bow its head and proclaim itself a vassal.

Because the reason is very simple, in today's world, the Liao Kingdom in the north is undoubtedly the largest country.

In the south, there were two big countries with roughly equal national strengths, namely Zhou and Tang. Now Tang was defeated, lost half of the country, and bowed his head to proclaim himself a vassal. That means that there is no country in the Central Plains and South that can compete with Zhou.

The news spread to Xishu, Jingchu and other places a few years ago, and all the countries were shocked and began to send envoys to Daliang with heavy money and precious gifts.

Many were sent directly to the palace, and many were sent to Shi Congyun's mansion.

Because the fight against Huainan was fought by Zhou State General Shi Congyun, and now he is famous all over the world, everyone fears and wants to please Shi Congyun.

But at this time, Shi Congyun didn't dare to embezzle, and hurriedly sent all the gifts received from various countries to the palace and reported them to the emperor.

Accepting gifts from his own ministers is at best a moral issue, while accepting bribes from foreign countries is a political issue. He is clear-headed about this.

And years ago, with the spread of the news, after Shi Congyun swept Huainan, the most frightening one was none other than the Kingdom of Shu...

Chapter 179, Shu Middle and Later Shu

"There was a big war in the south of the Yangtze River. That Shi Congyun killed 100 million Tang people! The Huaihe River was dyed red, and the water couldn't flow through..."

"Which Shi Congyun? The one who defeated Li Yangui and Gao Yanchou back then!"

"That's right! If you want me to say that our country of Shu is not bad, it's not that General Li and the others can't fight. In fact, Shi Congyun is too powerful. Look at Tang, how miserable it is. Even the concubine of the prince of Tang was killed by that Shi Congyun." Yun Zaiza took over, tsk tsk, compared to us, it's really miserable!"

"Oh my god, how many people would have to be killed? From this point of view, we are indeed much better than Tang Guo..."

"Yeah, yeah, we're good." Someone shook his head, but he felt a little happy, "It seems that if you meet a murderous god like Shi Congyun, you can still block him from entering Hanzhong. General and General Gao are also great, even though they were defeated."

"It makes sense!"

"It makes sense, our Shu Kingdom is much more powerful than Tang Kingdom!" Someone hurriedly shouted triumphantly, and everyone echoed.

"The soldiers of our Kingdom of Shu are naturally first-rate and powerful, but they are not as good as those of Zhou Kingdom..."

In a restaurant in Chengdu, a bunch of people were chatting over the fire, and the most talked about was nothing more than what they had heard about the war.

War is the place of life and death, the lifeblood of the country, and whether the people can live in peace is also related to it. It is related to the vital interests of everyone's life and death, so it has always been the most concerned by people, whether it is high-level officials and royal families, or the people at the bottom.

Now everyone in the world knows that the war that everyone is paying attention to is nothing more than the war between Zhou State and Tang State.

Zhou State occupies the Central Plains and is the most powerful among the many separatist regimes. The Southern Tang Dynasty is located in Huainan and Jiangnan, and the tiger occupies Jinling.

So when the two sides started fighting, all eyes were on the Huainan battlefield.

Most people's predictions are that it will take at least three years to decide the winner, and because the initial stage of the war did not go so smoothly, many people think that Zhou Guo can win the counties and counties along the Huaihe River as a success.

Unexpectedly, after Shi Congyun served as a recruiter, he completely defeated the Southern Tang Dynasty in just half a year, captured the fourteen prefectures of Huainan, and returned to the city of Jinling.

So far, Zhou Guo has completely declared the victory of this battle.

For a moment, the world was shaken, and this incident was spread everywhere, because this incident was no small matter, and the world's love pattern was completely changed.

This restaurant is a relatively high-end place in Chengdu, and most of the people who come here for entertainment are scholars and empresses, who are well-informed and have some ink in their stomachs.

There is also a big man in a brocade robe sitting in the restaurant. Shu brocade is famous all over the world, and the main economic lifeline of Shu country is the export of Shu brocade, so the high-ranking officials and nobles in Shu, even the wealthy people can wear brocade clothes.

He is Gao Yanchou who fought against Shi Congyun back then.

Gao Yanchou was originally from Hedong, or in other words, most of the monarchs and ministers of the Shu Kingdom, from the emperor to important civil and military ministers, were from Hedong.

Hearing this man's words, he couldn't help but said: "Back then, Zhou Guo took the initiative to withdraw his troops, so what should we be proud of, what can we be complacent about?"

"Besides, the lips are dead and the teeth are cold. There is nothing to be complacent and sarcastic at this time." He attracted everyone's attention as soon as he opened his mouth. Such as the defeat of Changping.

After the First World War, if the two powers did not coexist, no one in the world could resist Qin, and the remaining countries would suffer.

Once the Tang Kingdom is defeated, it is likely that our Shu Kingdom will be the unlucky one. Don't you think about this truth?It's so good that the scar forgets the pain. "

Someone over there immediately dissatisfied, stood up and cursed: "What are you? You are slandering the soldiers of our Shu Kingdom. They threw their heads and blood in the north and repelled Shi Congyun, who was frightened by the world. How can you tolerate it?" Get rid of your nonsense!"

"That's right, what do you call the scars and forget the pain? We are stronger than Tang Guo, and we beat Shi Congyun so hard that he dare not go south. The facts are here, I think you are traitors and collaborators!"

"that is........"

Everyone turned around and began to verbally criticize Gao Yanchou. The two accompanying officers couldn't take it anymore and were about to curse, but Gao Yanchou held back and led them away.

There was another burst of mocking laughter, saying things like they ran away in desperation.

After leaving the restaurant, the cold wind in the streets of Chengdu blew away the anger, but the two attendants were still very angry and blushed: "We are the ones fighting Shi Congyun. They don't know what's going on on the front line!"

Gao Yanchou said helplessly: "Forget it, don't worry about them like them. At the beginning, Zhou Guo took the initiative to withdraw his troops. In fact, we didn't take any advantage. On the contrary, it will be difficult in the future."

Gao Yanchou said as he walked, feeling very uneasy. There were many people on the streets of Chengdu, and there was a festive atmosphere a year ago, but people who think far away like him can't be happy.

"At the beginning, Zhou Guo accepted it because they had Tang Guo behind them. Later, I learned that they only sent less than [-] forbidden troops. Daliang had [-] forbidden troops, but they only sent less than [-] troops, which made us fight so hard. …”

Gao Yanchou sighed, "The reason they didn't fight at that time was because they had worries about the future and wanted to guard against the Tang State in the south, so they took the initiative to withdraw their troops after driving us out of Guanzhong.

But now that the Tang Kingdom has been beaten to the south of the Yangtze River, half of the country is lost and they dare not look north. If they want to attack us again, it may be Daliang's 10,000+ forbidden army!How will our country resist at that time?

But in the whole country, many people don't know that the catastrophe is approaching. They sit there and watch the tigers fight, feeling complacent, but they don't know that the most dangerous thing next is our Shu country! "

The faces of the two attendants also became heavy.

Gao Yanchou looked at the festive people coming and going on the street, and said worriedly: "The Southern Tang retreated to the south of the Yangtze River. Zhou Guo will not send troops in the short term. Wuyue, Wuping, and Jingnan have always followed the lead of the Central Plains. When Zhou Guo attacked Tang, They all sent troops one after another, and the Southern Han Dynasty was too far away, and the Northern Han Dynasty had the support of Khitan.

Right now, if Zhou Guo wants to fight, we are the only ones..."

He had indescribable worries and helplessness in his heart. Zhou Guo was getting stronger and stronger, and they were likely to become the next target. They were as fierce as clouds, with strong soldiers and horses, and general Shi Congyun was invincible.

Internally, the rulers and ministers of the Shu Kingdom and even the people's army did not have a clear understanding, and they were still enjoying themselves, not knowing that a catastrophe was imminent, and still complacent and entertaining themselves.

This atmosphere almost made him despair.

He was not punished after his defeat in the north, but after Shi Congyun captured Huainan, he was promoted instead, because the court felt that the Southern Tang was beaten so badly, but they only lost four states. up.

It's not that we can't do it, it's that the enemy army is too powerful and Shi Congyun is too cunning.

Based on this point of view, the imperial court gave these generals who had fought against Shi Congyun another promotion. He was promoted to the commander of Youfengluan Suwei, and even he himself felt a little blush.

Thinking about the events of these days, he felt a deep sense of powerlessness, and he could only hope that the state of Zhou would change its national policy, rest and recuperate in the future, and not attack the state of Shu.

Other than that, he doesn't have much to do....

........

In fact, as a foreign general, Gao Yanchou doesn't know what's going on in the palace. It's not that the Shu Kingdom's palace is completely ignorant of the situation, and it's not that he just wants to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight.

Meng Chang, the emperor of Shu, and the ruler of the Southern Tang Dynasty have always been in correspondence with each other. They have a good relationship and often exchange gifts.

When the state of Shu was attacked by the state of Zhou, the leader Meng Chang sent someone to the state of Tang for help.

And Meng Chang himself is not a completely mediocre and faint king. In the political struggle where he succeeded to the throne, he showed a certain amount of skill and political talent everywhere. He eliminated the powerful officials who threatened him with a thunderbolt, and he had a lot of credit for governing Shu .

It's just that after the political enemies were wiped out and the country settled down, he soon indulged in pleasure and lost the wisdom and ambition of the past.

In the palace, on the corridor outside the Great Hall of Discussion, Prime Minister Li Hao and Privy Councilor Wang Zhaoyuan were talking to Shu Emperor Meng Chang.

In fact, Meng Chang was very upset. After the war between Shu and Zhou, he wrote a letter to the emperor of Zhou. Because he couldn't let go of face, after several struggles, he still claimed to be the emperor of Shu in the letter. The emperor did not reply to him directly.

He was tense at the time, scared every day, but he forgot about it later.

But at the end of this year, news came from the east that Zhou State General Shi Congyun, the young man who beat them in Shu State, was appointed as a recruitment envoy, occupying all fourteen states of Huainan in Tang State, annihilating hundreds of thousands of Southern Tang troops, The soldiers came to the Jinling City of the Tang Kingdom, and forced the Southern Tang Emperor Li Jing to take the emperor's title, cede the land to seek peace, and even snatched away the concubine of a prince of the Southern Tang Kingdom.

When the news reached the Kingdom of Shu and was confirmed by officials from the border area to the east, Meng Chang was so frightened that he couldn't keep his mind from eating for several days.

He also remembered the letters he had claimed to be the Emperor of Dashu, and asked Prime Minister Li Hao to help draft letters to the King of Zhou State in Daliang, expressing his willingness to remove himself from the title of emperor and use the reign title of Dazhou. emperor.

But Daliang still didn't reply to the letter, which made him even more uneasy.

Lian asked two of his most trusted ministers at the moment to discuss, one was the minister under the door, Li Hao, who was with Ping Zhang, and the other was Wang Zhaoyuan, who was in charge of the Privy Council.

Li Hao is a native of Guanzhong, who was captured by Liu Zhijun and followed him to the former Shu regime.Later, in Qianshu, he served successively as Daojiang county magistrate and Zhongshu Sheren.

After the demise of the former Shu, he followed the former Shu emperor Wang Yan to Luoyang and served in the Later Tang regime. Later, he followed the Sanchuan system envoy Zhao Jiliang to Xichuan to serve, assisted Meng Zhixiang in establishing the Later Shu, and then assisted the young master Meng Chang. .

Wang Zhaoyuan was even more of Meng Chang's confidant.

Wang Zhaoyuan was originally from the middle of Shu, and at first he was a young monk. He was chosen by the late emperor to be Meng Chang's companion. , who has big ambitions and wants to do a big business, is the person Meng Chang trusts the most.

Regarding the affairs of the Zhou Dynasty, Li Hao's view is rather pessimistic, "Your Majesty, forgive me for my honest words, if the soldiers of the whole country really come from Daliang, your majesty will be in danger.

At the beginning, Shi Congyun had almost entered Hanzhong with a rate of only [-]. At that time, they still had to worry about the future.

Now that the future troubles have been resolved, if we accidentally anger Liang, let Shi Congyun lead an army of [-] to attack us, just like we did against Tang this year, we are afraid...it will be difficult for us to fight. "

Speaking of this, he hesitated for a moment, and then said: "Your Majesty, there are some things that the old minister doesn't know but it's not appropriate to say..."

"You said."

"Then please Your Majesty forgive the old minister's innocence."

"I forgive you for your innocence."

Only then did Li Hao dare to continue to say: "It is almost impossible to resist Zhou's soldiers. If it is for His Majesty's consideration, the veteran feels that it is better to lose his title like the Southern Tang Dynasty, proclaim his ministers to the Great Zhou, and at the same time pay tribute every year, or let Zhou's swordsman Do not add.

At the same time, let's send heavy troops to defend the Jianmen Pass area in the north. If Zhou soldiers come, resist if you can. If you can't resist, you can do your best. As long as you make Daliang feel the pressure, you can make peace with them later. The glory of your majesty's family Wealth is guaranteed...."

Li Hao said cautiously, his meaning couldn't be more obvious.

Meng Chang's face turned dark, and he didn't say whether he was right or not. After thinking for a while, he waved his hands, "Li Xianggong is a little tired today, let's go back and rest first."

Li Haolian bowed his hand and resigned.

After Li Hao left, Meng Chang asked Wang Zhaoyuan, who was familiar with military books beside him, "How did he say it?"

Wang Zhaoyuan stepped forward to salute respectfully, and then said: "Your Majesty, it's just nonsense, to increase the ambitions of others and destroy one's own prestige!

So what about Shi Congyun's greatness, wasn't he beaten back by us back then?The people of our Shu Kingdom are rich, the country is strong and prosperous, and there are 20 people with armor, so why be afraid of only one? "

After finishing speaking, he was full of confidence and vowed: "The officials can rest assured, I have been familiar with military books since I was a child, and know all the art of war in the world. I am preparing to be loyal to Your Majesty one day, serve the country, and die.

If at that time Shi Congyun really dares to lead the troops, we can write a letter, asking the Han country in the north to send troops from the east of the river to the south, and attack us on both sides. At the same time, please give me [-] elite soldiers, and I will personally lead the troops to the north. Jianmen confronted him for the official family.

At that time, it is more than just resisting the enemy, as in the story of Marquis Wu back then, it is not impossible to go north to Guanzhong and east to the Central Plains! "

Hearing the words of Wang Zhaoyuan, his playmate from childhood to adulthood, Meng Chang was encouraged and nodded his approval, "That's right, you have loved to read military books since you were a child, and you were originally worried about me. I have taken your heart. If you have your words, you will be able to read military books." Puts me at ease."

After talking with Wang Zhaoyuan for a while, Meng Chang was much encouraged and relieved a lot of worries.

In the afternoon, he asked Wang Zhaoyuan to go back to rest, while he ordered someone to prepare a sedan chair and headed to the harem.

In fact, his worries were not just about military matters. The general of the Zhou army, Shi Congyun, was greedy for money and lustful, and when he was approaching the city of Jinling, he robbed the princess of the Southern Tang Dynasty. What if he came to Shu?

In his harem, there are tens of thousands of beauties from the Shu Kingdom, so they will all be humiliated, and there is also his most beloved Mrs. Huarui, who does not hesitate to build a crystal palace for her to support her. If Shi Congyun comes, will he let Huarui go?

Whenever he thought of the consequences of letting Shi Congyun enter Chengdu, he couldn't help but feel depressed, his face flushed, and he couldn't breathe, so he also agreed with Wang Zhaoyuan's suggestion that he must not do what Li Hao said.

However, even though he has such a determination, it is very difficult to actually do it, and his heart is in a state of turmoil, and he has been restless for a long time.

At this moment, the stamen came out to meet him.

The two walked towards the palace while talking, talking about the Huainan matter, thinking so much in their minds, and unknowingly talked about Shi Congyun's forcible occupation of the Nantang princess.

Huarui is so smart, she understands men's thoughts so well, she was not excited or anxious immediately, but seriously commented in the tone of a bystander: "If I were the concubine of the Tang Dynasty, I would definitely stick to the chastity, and the wealth of a woman's family is very important." It was given by a man, and there is no sense of righteousness if you don't keep the small details, no matter what reason she has, it is not in line with the righteousness of loyalty and filial piety."

Meng Chang beside her finally breathed a sigh of relief and nodded slowly.

Chapter 180, The New Years of Jiangnan

Unlike Sichuan in the west, the New Year in the south of the Yangtze River is not so good.

All compensation, compensation, and waste will eventually be passed on layer by layer, falling on the heads of every ordinary person.

Losing half of the country and facing a large amount of compensation, Southern Tang had already ordered an autumn tax increase when it was defeated years ago. Without the fourteen states in Jiangbei, those shares were also allocated to the nineteen states in the south of the Yangtze River.

The war tax for the past two years has already overwhelmed the common people, and now the pressure has intensified again. Many people’s savings this year have already been confiscated by the government.