Chapter 92 The War between Sui and Tang Dynasties (22)
Dou Gui left first. Dugu Huaien ordered his son Dugu Weiming to see him out. He hurried to the backyard and came to a quiet room. He reported respectfully: "Master, I am Huaien"
"Come in!"
Dugu Zhen's voice came from the room, but it was not as weak as being sick, and the voice was relatively loud. Dugu Huaien pushed the door open and saw Dugu Zhen sitting on the couch reading a book, looking at him with a smile.
Dugu Huaien hurriedly knelt down and bowed, "Huaien pays homage to the master of the family!"
Dugu Zhen is just pretending to be ill. At this critical moment, as the head of the Dugu family, he does not want to show his face. The best way is to stay quiet and let Dugu Huaien represent the family in external activities, while he directs behind the scenes.
"Has Dou Gui left?" Dugu Zhen asked.
"He has already left. He reported back to the head of the family. Dou Guilai came with a document to persuade Li Jiancheng to surrender. More than a hundred officials have signed it. He hopes that we will also sign."
Dugu Zhen shook his head and sighed: "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince just ascended the throne last night, and he petitioned for surrender today. This makes Li Jiancheng extremely embarrassed. He is too eager to make meritorious deeds."
"But my nephew saw that two of the five prime ministers had already signed on the contract, and there was also Pei Ji. My nephew was just a little strange. Why did he wait until more than a hundred people signed before he came to us?"
Dugu Zhen sneered coldly, "If I guess correctly, Dou Gui's name should be the first one, and Pei Ji's second one, right?"
Dugu Huaien thought for a while, nodded and said, "That's true. The first big character on Dou Gui's name is Pei Ji. As the leader, the first small character below is Pei Ji, and the next twenty or so are all Guanlong nobles."
"That's right. Dou Gui is now obsessed with expression. He wants to be the leader of the Guanlong nobles, persuade the Tang Dynasty to surrender, become a hero, and then occupy a high position in the new dynasty. He is very worried about his thoughts. I can see through it."
Dugu Huaien bit her lip, "Master, what about our Dugu family?"
Duguzhen glanced at him quickly, and still asked without revealing his expression: "Then what do you want?"
Dugu Huaien lowered his head, looking a little timid. In fact, he understood what the head of the family meant. He should try to be as low-key as possible, and it would be best to be as low-key as possible, but he did not agree with being low-key in his heart. He hoped to maintain the influence of the Dugu family, let alone The Dou family is the only one in the family. This will affect the status of the Dugu family in the new dynasty, or to be precise, the status of Dugu Huaien. He felt very uncomfortable in his heart, but he did not dare to object. Today Dou Gui brought a piece of gold. , he realized that the Dugu family was lagging behind.
He couldn't bear it any longer, so he mustered up the courage to say: "The master of the house does not want to be the leader of the Guanlong nobles. My nephew can understand, but my nephew feels that we don't need to be so low-key and should do everything we can, otherwise we will really be in the new dynasty." will have no status."
Dugu Zhen looked at his nephew calmly, feeling an indescribable disappointment in his heart. Originally, Dugu Huai'en was going to be the next head of the family, but at this time, he seemed to smell a burnt smell on Dugu Huai'en. Taste, even though he is forty years old, he is still so frivolous and shallow. Can he be given the responsibility of being the head of the family?
Dugu Zhen sighed in his heart and patiently explained to him: "The reason why the Dugu family keeps a low profile is not because they have done nothing. We have secretly contacted Yang Yuanqing three times, and we still have high-ranking officials in the Sui Dynasty. We have done everything we need to do." It has been done. At this time, don¡¯t be too eager to flatter the Sui Dynasty. This will make people feel that we are disloyal to the old dynasty, but will make Yang Yuanqing look down on us. Look at the Wei family, the Du family, and the Su family, these Guanzhong gentry , how many of them jumped out to express themselves? Wynn, we have to take a long-term view, we want Yang Yuanqing to respect the Dugu family, so don¡¯t do things that are unprincipled, and would rather remain unknown. "
"But at least let Yang Yuanqing know that the Dugu family exists!" Dugu Huaien still can't accept the plan of preferring to remain unknown.
Dugu Zhen was extremely disappointed. He had been talking to himself for a long time, but he didn't understand at all. He only wanted to be limelight. Dugu Zhen felt annoyed. It seemed that Dugu Liang's suggestion was right. Dugu Lei was more suitable to be the head of the Dugu family. Much better than this shallow Dugu Huai'en.
But he still restrained his dissatisfaction in his heart, and said after thinking: "Okay! Now there are a lot of hungry people outside, so the Dugu family helps the people by providing rice and porridge, and the Dugu family exists."
Dugu Huaien was extremely disappointed in his heart. What he wanted was the same action as the Dou family, rather than meaningless things like helping the people, "Master, can you"
"You bastard!"
Dugu Zhen finally became furious and slammed the table, "Don't talk back to me on what I have decided. Go quickly to help the people, and take out all the food to help the people. If you don't do it, I will let you Don't?Go do it! "
Dugu Huai'en had never seen the head of the family get so angry. He was so frightened that he didn't dare to speak anymore and retreated tremblingly. He didn't dare to be negligent anymore and quickly went to arrange for his family to prepare porridge relief. The head of the family ordered that all the food be brought out for relief. People, then at least twenty porridge sheds must be built. You must know that the Dugu family's treasury contains tens of thousands of stones of grain.
Dugu Zhen looked out the window gloomily. He didn't know how this Dugu Huaien could be so stupid. If he didn't have the foresight, it would be a great contribution to stabilize the people of Chang'an for Yang Yuanqing
At noon the next day, the 100,000-strong army on the western front, led by Pei Renji and Sheng Yan divisions, arrived outside the south city of Chang'an and began to set up camp. An hour later, Yang Yuanqing led the main force of 80,000 troops to the west city of Chang'an, together with Cheng Yaojin 10,000 front troops and 340,000 Sui troops surrounded Chang'an City.
The setting sun on the city is mourning, and the long trumpet sound is blown at the top of Chang'an City, full of sorrow. Tens of thousands of defenders look at the endless camp outside the city. The shock of this kind of army siege makes every soldier They were all desperate. At this time, even if Li Jiancheng came to appease the soldiers, it would be of no avail.
In the military tent in the military camp, Yang Yuanqing listened to the reports from Li Jing and Pei Renji. At this time, Pei Renji bowed and said with a smile: "I caught Changsun Wuji at Dazhen Pass. Your Highness, do you want to see him?"
"Is he willing to surrender?" Yang Yuanqing asked.
Pei Renji shook his head, "I tried to persuade him in my humble position, but he refused to surrender. Maybe Your Highness will persuade him differently."
Yang Yuanqing nodded, "Bring him up!"
For a moment, several soldiers brought the bound Changsun Wuji into the big tent. Changsun Wuji led 10,000 troops to resist the 100,000 Sui troops on the western front at Dazhen Pass. However, due to the sacrifice of the generals at the pass, the army was quickly defeated, and Changsun Wuji was defeated. Ji disguised himself as a businessman and fled, but was recognized and arrested by the Sui army.
Yang Yuanqing glanced at Changsun Wuji and ordered the people around him, "Untie him!"
The soldiers untied Changsun Wuji. Changsun Wuji stood with his head raised and ignored Yang Yuanqing. Yang Yuanqing said lightly: "You are not a special person. The reason why I treat you more preferentially is because of your father. I and I Your father has a deep friendship. I don¡¯t want to kill his son, so surrender! I will give you the position of governor of the county."
Changsun Wuji felt that Yang Yuanqing did not mean to insult him. He sighed and bowed, "Father also told me that you would achieve extraordinary things in the future, but I didn't expect that you would achieve this. Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. If you can remember my father's old love, please let me be a citizen."
"Are you going to find Li Shimin?"
Changsun Wuji shook his head, "I wonder where the King of Qin has gone? Since the Tang Dynasty has been defeated, our fate is over, and there is no need for me to follow him. If I don't surrender to the Sui Dynasty, I will give him the final explanation. , please fulfill it, Your Highness."
Yang Yuanqing pondered for a moment, then ordered the soldiers on his left and right, "Give him five hundred taels of gold and let him go."
"Thank you, Your Highness!"
Changsun Wuji bowed and left. Yang Yuanqing looked at his walking back, feeling a little regretful in his heart. He couldn't help but shook his head. This man did have talent, but it was a pity that he didn't use it for himself.
At this time, another soldier reported outside the tent, "Your Majesty, General Cheng has brought more than a dozen county magistrates to see him outside the camp. They are all magistrates of Jingzhao Prefecture."
Yang Yuanqing was startled, what kind of tricks was Cheng Yaojin doing? He thought for a moment and said, "Summon Cheng Yaojin first."
Soon, Cheng Yaojin came to the big tent. He was a little uneasy. Although he seized the gold lock and entered the pass from Tongguan Road, he wandered around the pass for nearly ten days without making any great achievements. Li Shimin also If he did not retreat because of his entry into Guanzhong, he would not be able to capture Chang'an.
He had no choice but to lead the army and force the county magistrates to surrender in one county after another. He forced the surrender of more than a dozen counties in a row, and then brought these magistrates to the camp to ask Yang Yuanqing for credit. He didn't know what he could accomplish this time. If you succeed, what reward will you get?
This time, Cheng Yaojin knelt down on one knee respectfully, clasped his fists and said, "I have a humble duty, Cheng Yaojin, and give orders to His Highness!"
Yang Yuanqing couldn't help laughing. This guy has never been able to stand or sit properly. He even saluted crookedly. How did he become so serious today?
"It's okay to give the order! Why did you bring a group of county magistrates here? Is this also an order from me?"
Cheng Yaojin's dark face turned purple, and he said: "I didn't bring them here, it was them who pestered me. They must bring them to see His Highness, otherwise they will jump into the river and kill themselves. I have no choice."
Yang Yuanqing burst out laughing, and the soldiers next to him couldn't help turning their heads and covering their mouths to snicker. Yang Yuanqing nodded and ordered: "Bring the county magistrate in first, let them rest for a while, and see them again later. "
After saying that, Yang Yuanqing ordered again:The soldiers on the left and right said: "Bring in the black horse!"
The soldiers brought a dark war horse, which was exactly the one Cheng Yaojin liked among the war horses presented by the Uighurs. Yang Yuanqing walked out of the tent, patted the war horse, and smiled at Cheng Yaojin: "This time You have made great achievements in seizing Tongguandao and sweeping Guanzhong, so this horse will be rewarded to you."
Normally, Cheng Yaojin would have cheered and jumped forward to lead the horse, but today he didn't want to. He glanced at the horse. Although he wanted the black horse in his heart, there was something he wanted even more. He lowered his head and whispered: "Your Highness, I don't want this horse. I can give it to other soldiers. Can you give me some title?"
Yang Yuanqing burst into laughter. It turned out that this boy wanted a title.
He nodded and smiled slightly: "You have made great achievements, and your title can be promoted to a higher level, and you can be granted the title of Duke. However, next year I plan to let Li Jing go to destroy Goryeo. You can also follow him to fight in Goryeo. As long as you can fight in Goryeo, If you have made great achievements in Goryeo, I will make you the Duke of Lu."
Cheng Yaojin was overjoyed. He quickly forgot what he had just said. He took the reins, patted the long face of the war horse, and couldn't close his mouth with a smile. "How dare you refuse your highness's reward and humble position? It's just Your Highness." How do you know I like this horse?¡±