The troops of General Pei Huan, the leader of the left army, have been responsible for supervising the escort team. Counting the troops transferred from various places, the number of troops under his command now exceeds 100,000. Although it is compared with the troops of General Li Yuanshan of the right Xiaowei who are at the forefront and the troops of the right army. General Wei, who leads the army, is still far behind Zhengdong, and naturally even worse than General Jin Shixiong, the general of Zuo Xiaowei who is not allowed to serve in the central army. But Pei Huan was still very happy. Who among those who lead troops would not want to have more troops under his command?
The number of You Xiaowei and You Lingjun guards now exceeds 150,000, while the Chinese army has 300,000 troops. Yang Kai, the king of Xujun, was in charge of the central army and camped due east of Tumubao. The troops of the Right Xiaowei and the Right Leading Military Guard have already opened their battle lines and begun to deploy their defenses. Pei Huan knew that it wouldn't take long before his own men and horses would be mobilized.
There is a junction of hundreds of miles between Mandu Banner and Keqin Banner. At present, it seems that the reinforcements of the Meng Yuan Royal Court can come from any place to fight back. In fact, if the Meng Yuan people were willing to do so, they could make the Sui army's front line embarrassed anytime and anywhere. But for some unknown reason, the men and horses of the Meng Yuan Royal Court remained motionless.
The Mandu Banner that is now occupied is an enclave for the Sui Dynasty. If the Mandu Banner is not still a protruding corner at the edge of the grassland, the Mongolian and Yuan troops can even launch attacks from three sides. It is extremely difficult to maintain such a long and narrow pasture. Fortunately, Langru Mountain sealed most of the borders of this protruding grassland. Otherwise, the Sui army would soon be embarrassed by the Mongolian and Yuan Qingqi that came and went like the wind.
But even so, it is not as simple as it seems to hold two thousand miles of grassland with 700,000 troops. This is a vast grassland with no danger to defend. Unless millions of civilians are mobilized to build a long wall and completely tear the Mandu flag from the prairie. Then a large number of troops are stationed for defense all year round, but this is not something that can be done in a short while.
Pei Huan, who was sitting on a chair tasting wine, seemed to be in a good mood. Sitting opposite him was his most trusted aide, Shi Le. This Shi Le was a scholar from the south of the Yangtze River who failed in the imperial examinations many times. He had great talent and learning, but he was unlucky. He followed Pei Huan many years ago and gradually became Pei Huan's right-hand man.
"The general seems to be happy about something?"
Shi Le asked as he peeled the peanuts.
Pei Huan smiled and said: "There's no point in being happy. I just want to enjoy it more before I have to lead the troops to the front line. I guess it won't be long before Prince Xu will send my left guard to move to the right wing. With that, With Li Yuanshan and Yu Zhengdong's 300,000 men, it would be too difficult to completely block the Meng Yuan people's counterattack on a front line hundreds of miles long. "
"Now that the war is going like this, I'm afraid the prince will be furious in Chang'an City."
Previously, Prince Yi Yang Yin asked them to fight as appropriate, win a small victory first and then lose one, thus evading Prince Xu Jun Yang Kai, and then find a way to get His Majesty to accuse him. When the time comes, Prince Yi will naturally find a way to come to the northwest to take charge of military affairs. After this battle is over, Prince Yi will be able to return to the court and take power in a clear and legitimate manner.
Even the emperor couldn¡¯t stop him.
"Who can predict how the war will turn out?"
Shi Le said: "Mandu Latu died in battle, and the troops of Mandu Banner were routed thousands of miles away. How can we still walk slowly without taking advantage of the situation to advance? If that happens, I'm afraid it's not Prince Xu who will be accused by the emperor, but several generals." We have to bear the brunt of it. Although the prince is far away in Chang'an, he should be able to understand the difficulties of us. It would be too pretentious to ignore the big victory in front of us. "
"yes"
Pei Huan said: "The flying fish robes of the Imperial Guards who are accompanying the army will immediately report the battle situation back to Chang'an. If Your Majesty finds out, who can bear the wrath of thunder? So the only thing to do is to force Prince Xu to go back. I can find another chance. Anyway, Prince Yi is not asking me, but Li Yuanshan. I just have to watch what he does."
"General"
Shi Le pondered for a while and then asked cautiously: "Have you ever thoughtdoes Prince Yi really just want to return to the court and take power?"
After asking this question, Pei Huan's expression couldn't help but change.
"What else can we do?"
He asked back.
Seeing that he didn't have any overly aggressive reaction, Shi Le thought for a while and said: "General, Prince Yi is very close to the people of the Li family in Longyou. This is what we know now. Li Yuanshan was put outside by Prince Yi. A dog that can bite people, and Li Yuanshan now has many soldiers, which is the greatest help to Prince Yi. I know that you, General, are just helping Prince Yi prepare to come to the northwest to take charge of military affairs but you are just trying to repay a favor. In case Prince Yi¡¯s thoughts are not that simple, the general must consider it for himself.¡±
Pei Huan was stunned for a moment, waved his hand and said: "Prince Yi doesn't have the courage, nor the ability! Even if Li Yuanshan is loyal to Prince Yi, what can a right guard do?"??Even if he has 150,000 troops now, if he really has different intentions, he will be destroyed by the army mobilized by His Majesty before he can get out of the northwest. I don¡¯t think Prince Yi or Li Yuanshan have any rebellious intentions. If they did I wouldn¡¯t agree. "
"You can play tricks, you can change the situation of the government, but whoever dares to touch that bottom linethat person will definitely die without a burial place. To say that he has this intention, is it possible that Luo Yao, who has hundreds of thousands of troops in the southwest? Don't you have this intention? Luo Yao has been running Southwest for twenty years and he doesn't dare to be disrespectful at all. Why should Prince Yi? Why should Li Yuanshan? Even Luo Yao understands that the Sui Dynasty is deeply rooted and his Majesty's Dragon Throne is as solid as a mountain. , that¡¯s courting death!¡±
Shi Le nodded and said: "The general can think of this, and my subordinates are relieved. I just don't feel at ease, so I ask you what you mean. I always feel that things are not that simple. Although if Prince Yi returns The more benefits we can get if the imperial court is in power, but if this is a big hole jumping into it will be fatal. The general needs to think more, and it is best to keep a little distance from Prince Yi."
Pei Huan asked: "Are you worried that Prince Yi's purpose in coming to the northwest to lead the army is not pure?"
Shi Le sighed and said: "If you have an army of 700,000 people and have pure royal blood flowing through you I'm afraid no one will be tempted, right?"
Pei Huan's face changed, and he was no longer in the good mood before: "I don't have to worry about it. After the army moves to the right wing, I will send troops to keep an eye on Li Yuanshan's right guard!"
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Chinese Army Camp
Yang Kai, Prince of Xu County, frowned deeply as he looked at the map spread out in front of him. The army's successful capture of Mandu Banner was beyond his expectation. He had thought there would be more setbacks. It was not that he was unaware of Prince Yi's methods, but now he could only passively continue sitting in this seat.
When His Majesty isolated his brothers from the army and the court, he probably never thought that except for himself, no one in the royal family could intimidate these generals with heavy troops. But Yang Kai also knows that His Majesty's original decision was not wrong, and if it hadn't been for this war, these things would not have been so obvious. At the beginning, in order to fight for power and gain, the princes seemed to be idle, but in fact everyone was moving their own little thoughts. His Majesty threw them all outside the court, and no one's thoughts were meaningful.
Yang Kai is an exception. He really doesn¡¯t want to get into this pool.
¡°But His Majesty asked him to take charge of the northwest military affairs, and he was pushed to the forefront. In terms of the strength of his connections, he cannot compare with Prince Yi in Chang'an City. If that person thinks so, there are many people in the court who will speak on his side. As for Yang Kai, who truly intends to stay away from power and become a comfortable person, who will help him?
???????????????????????Although he and the adults in the court often gathered together to eat, drink and play, he never gave those people the slightest benefit. Prince Yi is different, he has never been really honest. But he is a good actor, and his performances have hid many people.
Even the Queen Mother stood by him.
Whenever he thinks of this, Yang Kai becomes irritated and wants to curse.
His eyes were fixed on the map, but his mind was not on it at all.
Standing opposite him, the Minister of War, Mou Liangbi, also had a complicated expression. He glanced at Yang Kai and couldn't help but sigh. Like Yang Kai, he was temporarily appointed by His Majesty and granted great power. Those governors and generals did not pay attention to him and Yang Kai at all. Therefore, Mou Liangbi, who originally had no friendship with Yang Kai, instead stood firmly with Yang Kai. Because both of them knew that when they came to the northwest, the two of them were actually tied together, and they would both prosper and suffer.
Hearing Mou Liangbi sigh, Yang Kai raised his head and asked: "What's bothering you?"
Mou Liangbi shook his head and said: "Nothing goes as planned, so it's not really worrying What I'm thinking about is what kind of tricks those people will use next to get between the prince and me. He was put in shackles, put in a prison car and escorted back to Chang'an City for trial. "
¡°You¡¯re thinking too gloomily, maybe it¡¯s not that bad.¡±
Yang Kai walked to the chair and sat down, looking at the heat in the cup and saying in a daze: "Now that the war has reached this point, even if he still wants to come to the northwest, what great contribution can he get?"
The person he is talking about naturally refers to Prince Yi Yang Yin.
Mou Liangbi sighed: "I'm afraid they didn't come here for any merit in the first place!"
Yang Kai's expression changed, and he waved his hand quickly: "You can't say these things casually, I don't believe he has such wild thoughts."
"maybe."
Mou Liangbi said: "The prince should know that I have been imprisoned in the sky prison for more than ten years. Why did I go to jail in the first place? Isn't it because of the royal affairs? Regardless of the prince?What do you think? Anyway, I have already written a secret message and sent someone to rush to Chang'an City. Whether your Majesty believes it or not, after all, I have done my duty as a minister. "
"Also, Your Majesty Li Yuanshan must be on guard!"
He looked at Yang Kai and said solemnly: "The prince has no intention of harming others, but people don't have the intention of killing people before they see it."
"The Li family doesn't have this ability, and Li Yuanshan is just a knife in other people's hands."
Yang Kai shook his head: "I don't believe he has the guts to frame me. He should understand that if he gets involved in the royal family's affairs, there will most likely be no good ending."
"hope so"
Mou Liangbi said solemnly: "I hope they can have a good time and save themselves from such suffering. Some things are often very clear to the people below, but His Majesty cannot see clearly. Maybe His Majesty doesn't want to believe it Or maybe the city of Chang'an is far calmer and more stable than ours, the sword is in the northwest, and the loyalty is in Chang'an?"
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Right Xiaowei
General Li Yuanshan looked at the secret letter from the capital in his hand, read it carefully and then threw it into the brazier and burned it. Prince Yi was indeed angry. He didn't expect Northwest to win such a big victory. Now that the entire Mandu Banner has been captured by the Sui army, what else can Prince Yi do to achieve greater credit than this when he comes to the northwest?
So Prince Yi scolded Li Yuanshan severely in the letter, which made Li Yuanshan look extremely ugly.
"Do you really think of me as a slave in your house?"
He snorted coldly, looked at the burning charcoal fire in the brazier and said: "Gu Mi, how are we preparing for our own family? No one can know about that matter. If it spreads, it will be in vain! Wait for this matter Now that the matter is done, why does Yang Yin still give me advice? If he wants to succeed, why can't he talk to me politely? "
The staff member named Gu Mi lowered his head and said: "General, don't worry, not many people know about this matter. The two thousand elites guarding there are soldiers and horses that the general has secretly trained over the years, and they are loyal to the general. Northwest. It¡¯s so big that unless you know the details, you won¡¯t be able to find it.¡±
"Um"
Li Yuanshan hummed and said: "You write a letter back to Yang Yin and say that I will open a hole for the Mengyuan people to kill them back later, so that the prince can rest assured. And find a few more people to sign a joint name Report Mo Liangbi for embezzling military resources, saying that he colluded with Yang Kai. As for the evidence, you just need someone to prepare it. A fake account book is enough for them to explain. Tell the prince in the letter to be ready to come to the northwest at any time. All the generals are waiting for you!"