Chapter 821 Capturing Sabao

Chapter 821 Capturing Sabao

The thrilling night passed quickly. When the morning light was thin, the troops scattered in the surrounding area came here one after another. The first one to arrive was Wei Xiaokuan.

Wei Xiaokuan led hundreds of light cavalry and fast horses to the city garrison. When he saw that it was Li Tai's Jingzhou army occupying the city defense, he couldn't help but secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Ever since he had a deep talk with Li Tai in Chang'an City at the beginning of the year and reached a consensus and tacit understanding with each other, Wei Xiaokuan has been looking forward to the big event planned by Li Tai. After Tongzhou received the notice of dispatching troops, he sent his subordinates to convey the news to Mianbei first, hoping that the Jingzhou General Manager's Office could make early preparations.

But when he knew about this, Yu Wenhu had already set off and arrived in Mianbei. Just as Wei Xiaokuan lamented that the good situation in the southeast might be overturned, he learned from Li Licheng, who risked his life to join the army and reprimanded the generals, that Li Tai still had follow-up plans. Then when passing through Caiyang City, I learned a more accurate plan from there.

Despite this, Wei Xiaokuan was still quite uneasy. Among the Zhuguo, although Yu Jin is not known for his prowess, he can be said to be the most brilliant in military tactics and strategy. Even if General Li is well prepared, the outcome is really unpredictable. Especially now that we have reached the gate of the country, if we cannot solve it quickly, it will have a very serious negative impact on the subsequent plans.

Therefore, Wei Xiaokuan also had a very restless night, barely sleeping, and before dawn, he led his cronies to the south in order to know the final result as soon as possible.

When he learned of Wei Xiaokuan's arrival, Li Tai also hurriedly stepped out to greet him. He walked up and smiled at Wei Xiaokuan who got off his horse and said with a smile: "It's settled here, I'm here to help Mr. Wei!"

After hearing these words from Li Tai, Wei Xiaokuan finally breathed a sigh of relief, then waved his hand and said: "Although I have been worried and worried along the way, it is just mediocre trouble. Everything was planned and executed by Duke Taiyuan, and I An dares to take credit, he only hopes to break through Jiangling under the leadership of Taiyuan Duke and help make up for the great division between the north and the south! "

At this point, he asked again: "How is Mr. Chang at the moment? Is he willing to calm down the public?"

After hearing this, Li Tai nodded and said: "Chang Shangong is still aware of the general situation and has not given up because of a momentary miscalculation. When the armies gather later, Lao Wei will come out to appease him."

Changing adversaries before the battle will always damage the morale of the army, not to mention that Li Tai originally used unconventional means to replace Yu Jin.

His confidence in doing so lies in the fact that Jingzhou itself has a very considerable armed force. However, if the troops coming from the south are too disorganized and distracted from supervision and control, it will not be conducive to the attack on Jiangling. Therefore, it is best to maintain the appearance of a peaceful handover. As for the dirty power struggles inside, there is no need to let the soldiers know about it.

In one morning, several teams and more than 8,000 soldiers arrived in Shicheng. It can be seen that if Li Tai had not directly tampered with the city defense, Yu Jin would have been able to control it in the shortest time until these troops arrived one after another. , a big fight is inevitable.

Although the battle last night only lasted a short time, some rumors spread to the surroundings, especially the sudden appearance of more than 30,000 Jingzhou Army land and sea soldiers, which also made the soldiers of the army bewildered.

However, with Wei Xiaokuan responsible for recruiting and settling them, these soldiers settled down a little, but they still felt guilty to a certain extent. Because their trip was to seize the opportunity for the Jingzhou Army to attack Jiangling, and General Li had always had a tough attitude. Now that he was caught red-handed, each of them could not help but secretly worry that he might be criticized.

Fortunately, Li Tai did not show up to reprimand the generals. Instead, he ordered people to carry the grain from the boats anchored on the Han River and distribute it according to the number of troops.

Since all the grain, grass and military supplies in Jingzhou were dispersed by Li Tai in advance and distributed among the states and counties, these incoming troops had to not only raise supplies but also maintain a high-speed march. After a few days, they were hungry and full. Yes, now we finally have enough food supply, and the mood is very exciting.

In the evening, when the smoke from kitchen fires rose in all the army camps, Li Tai and Yu Jin went out to patrol the camps and announced that the armies coming south would accept Li Tai's Daxingtai control of Guandong Road. As for Yu Jin, the original commander-in-chief of the army, due to a sudden illness, he could only stay in Shicheng to recuperate for the time being.

After the military commanders and generals learned about this situation, they naturally felt a little strange in their hearts. But when they saw Chang Shanggong Yu Jinzheng following General Li with a crestfallen look and a tired look on his face without saying a word, they all closed their mouths knowingly and did not dare to ask any more questions.

As for the sergeants in the army, they didn't feel anything was wrong at all, and they were even vaguely happy in their hearts.

Although Changshang Gong Yujin also worked hard and made great achievements in the country, he is still slightly inferior to Taiyuan Gong Li Boshan who has been in the limelight in recent years, repeatedly defeated powerful enemies, and maintained an almost complete victory record. The reason for adding "almost" is that the battle lost was also the Battle of Mangshan more than ten years ago. Duke Taiyuan, as a general of Changshan Duke, was beaten by the Eastern bandits and fled in embarrassment.

Even putting aside his past military exploits, Duke Taiyuan was still the landlord here. Not only did everyone have enough to eat as soon as he became the general, what else could they be dissatisfied about?

Yu Jin was originally coerced by Li Tai to go out of the city to appease the troops. When he went out for a walk around the city, he saw that all the soldiers had calmly accepted this. Even some sergeants who were not good at hiding their emotions showed a little joy, and they couldn't help but feel happy. Even worse, after returning to the city, he actually felt dizzy and bedridden.

Li Tai gathered here in Shicheng to appease the troops on the middle road. At the same time, the envoys sent to other roads also set off immediately. The first one to arrive was Wu Ning, who was closest to Shicheng.

Wuning is located between Xiangyang and Jiangling, which is later known as Jingmen City. It is located in the north of Jianghan Plain and the southern foot of Jingshan Mountain. It is also one of the few places of scenic beauty between the north and the south, and has become the link between Yongzhou and Jingzhou in Nanliang. dividing line.

Wu Ning was originally in the hands of Jiang Ling. After all, Liang Wang Xiao Jin was already in a relatively weak position in the contest with Jiang Ling. However, Li Tai directly sent Liang Shiyan to station troops in Wuning to maintain military deterrence against Jiangling, which has continued to this day.

However, the current situation in Wuning has undergone new changes. Liang Shiyan's Jingzhou Army, which was originally stationed here, was expelled outside the city and stationed under the mountains of Jingshan Mountain. Those who entered the city were the troops from Guanzhong led by Yu Wenhu and Li Mu, and the Xiangyang tribe of Liang Wang Xiao Jin camped in Wubang City, forming a completely different situation of host and guest.

Among these people, Liang Wang Xiao Jin was the most eager to attack Jiangling, so when Hou Mo and Chen Shun arrived in Xiangyang and expressed that they wanted Liang Wang to lead his troops south to assist in the battle, Liang Wang almost did not hesitate at all. People from Xiangyang came south.

But although he was in an urgent mood, he did not have a high say. It was the forward general Yu Wenhu who really decided the advance and retreat of the army. Yuwenhu, who had received a lesson in Mianbei, was now following Yujin's instructions. He knew that attacking the battle formation was not his specialty, so after stationing in Wuning, he was not in a hurry to go south to fight the Liang people.

On this day, Liang Wang Xiao Qing once again entered the city to ask for a battle to no avail, and returned to the military camp outside the city with a dejected look. The sound of singing, dancing and opera came from the big tent in the camp. It was Wei general Mo Chenshun who was the supervisor of the army and was having fun.

The King of Liang did not go directly into the big tent, but turned to the small tent on the side. He summoned his subordinate Wenwu who had accompanied the army to enter the tent. He sighed and said: "The Duke of Zhongshan, Wen Sabao, still does not allow the army to go out to fight. I am worried that the Wei people They want to surround and force Jiangling to surrender!"

Everyone in Xiangyang in the tent also became worried after hearing this. If this was the case, it would undoubtedly be disastrous for them. If the Jiangling monarchs and ministers surrender, then their Xiangyang masters and subordinates will lose their greatest value, and they may not even have the qualifications to continue to be puppets.

When Cai Daye, who was accompanying the army, heard what King Liang said, he sighed and said: "There are many fierce and wolf ministers in the Wei State. No matter the Duke of Zhongshan, Wen Sabao, or the Duke of Anping, Mo Chenshun, there is no sage who upholds faith." Yu, my friendship with Xiangyang is shallow, and there are many variables in conspiring with them.

Before the Eastern Expedition, General Li of Taiyuan sent an envoy to tell him that he would conspire with his lord to deal with Jiangling after his triumphant return. With this promise, we, the Xiangyang division, did not have to rush out. But so far, not only has it violated the former alliance, but it has also forced Wu Ningliang to open a government..."

Hearing what Cai Daye said, everyone looked a little unnatural, and Liang Wang Xiao Jin couldn't help but have a hint of shame on his face.

However, when a general, Yin Deyi, heard this, he frowned and said: "What Cai Shenjun said is ridiculous. How can I betray the alliance with this march? It is clearly a internal struggle in Wei, and the top and bottom are strife. Their monarchs and ministers do not value Li Boshan. Our vassal What reason do the people have to cling to the old alliance and entrust all their plans to those who have lost power?

When you join the army, you know that there are many tiger and wolf ministers in Wei State, but don't you know that Li Boshan is the most vicious among them? When they first came south, they captured Fancheng, and their subsequent friendship was just to use my lord's power to get involved in the lands in eastern Han Dynasty. His people extend from a corner of Mianbei to a territory of two thousand miles from east to west. How can I, Xiangyang, benefit from an inch of land?

Li Boshan is a famous general in the world, but his master is not willing to prosper, but he still wants to keep me, Liang Zuo! Among the generals entrusted today, Yu Wenhu is frivolous and unintelligent, Hou Mo and Chen Shun are greedy veterans, and their talents are not as good as those of Li Boshan. If you plan with the mediocre, you can still hope to counterattack; if you plan with the wise, if the enemy is destroyed, I will inevitably feed him! "

After hearing this, King Liang's face faded from shame, and his tone became tougher: "The attack on Jiangling is the key to our country's plan and the survival of our country. How can it be tied to Li Boshan's words? How much more so when he is facing the battle, he himself When I went to Huainan, it was he who abandoned me, not me who betrayed the alliance. Don’t talk about joining the army again!”

Not to mention the plans of the people in Xiangyang, in the big tent, Hou Mo Chen Shun was leisurely enjoying Wu opera singing and dancing. Next to him, Hou Mo Chen Qiong said with a sad face: "Brother, can you ask Zhongshan Gong for me to fight again?" ? I have been in the military government for a long time, and although I have done nothing, I have been treated with courtesy by the Duke of Taiyuan. But now I have left the military government. If I have no achievements, I may be despised by the people even if I am not retaliated by the Duke of Taiyuan! "

After hearing this, Hou Mo and Chen Shun waved their hands indifferently and said: "Do you really think Chang Shangong led the generals to come south just to conquer Jiangling and had nothing to do with anything else? Li Boshan was indeed famous in the past, but since then he may have become more powerful. No more, if you don't know how to keep a low profile and still show off your talents, I'm afraid your life will be in danger. You don't have to rush to show off. This time King Yuwen wants to make his descendants famous and successful, and even I, an old man, am just a foil to the army. "

While he was talking, Hou Mochen picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp, his eyes never leaving the dancing and graceful actors.

There were also people drinking in a place in Wuning City, but they were not as leisurely and content as Hou Mo and Chen Shun, but rather a bit depressed.

"Fill it up, fill it up again!"

Li Mu pointed at Tian Hong opposite and shouted loudly: "Jiangling is close at hand, and the great achievement of destroying the country is in front of us. We should drink and celebrate. Soon, our entire generation will be remembered in history!"

Tian Hong covered the wine glass with both hands, shook his head and said: "I can't drink anymore, I really can't drink anymore! The general has to be straight today, and Wu An is also drunk. It's better to go back and rest quickly. Don't drink drunk before the battle." Harmful!"

After Li Mu heard this, he rolled his eyelids and sneered: "It's just Jiangling, it's not worth mentioning! Even Li Boshan, who is famous all over the world, was easily seized by me and Zhongshan Gong... Zhongshan Gong was very resourceful and used tricks like God, I am driven by it like an ox or a horse!”

Tian Hong and Li Mu were not only colleagues, but also fellow villagers. After hearing this, he hurriedly stepped forward to cover Li Mu's mouth and whispered: "Mr. Wu An, be careful what you say! This matter was discussed in secret by us. Duke Taiyuan feels sorry. But if it is just Duke Zhongshan's personal plan, how dare he? It is clearly the Lord... Well, in short, we just obeyed the order, and Duke Wu An did not intend to be hostile to Duke Taiyuan."

"It's precisely because it was unintentional that it makes people even more angry! If the Lord really considers me as his confidant, why not tell the truth? Could it be that I really refuse him because of my friendship with Duke Taiyuan? I am not being used for my loyalty and bravery this time. , because I am stupid and ugly! Mr. Taiyuan has been kind to me, and I have a duty to support him. But if the Lord really wants me to control him, I will not refuse. He didn’t even complain…”

Li Mu was extremely angry. The Lord refused to report the matter to him. He clearly did not trust him enough and had reservations about him. Furthermore, he was kept in the dark and helped Yuwenhu go to Mianbei to seize power. In the end, he was left alone. He was disloyal and unjust, so he became increasingly depressed.

After Tian Hong heard this, he didn't know how to comfort Li Mu for a while. Apart from anything else, he himself felt that the Chinese and Foreign Affairs Office's approach to seizing the power of the Jingzhou Military Government was somewhat inappropriate, but this kind of upper-level competition and struggle was not something they could mediate, even if it was against their old boss Li Tai. I feel a little aggrieved, but I dare to hide it in my heart.

At this time, there were soldiers outside the door who came to report to Liang Shiyan and asked to see him. Seeing that Li Mu was already a little out of control, Tian Hong wanted to refuse, but Li Mu said: "His army was driven out, what's the matter?" The predicament is difficult to solve. I have already blamed Duke Taiyuan, and I should also take some care of his subordinates. "

Liang Shiyan was soon introduced, followed by more than a dozen soldiers, escorting a large car all the way to the front of the hall. He clasped his fists towards the drunken Li Mu who came out and said, "I'm sorry for disturbing you. Please forgive Mr. Wu An for today." I am asking for an audience because I feel that it will be difficult for the junior generals to participate in the Jiangling war again, and they should be abandoned because they are untalented. However, it would be a pity if all the fine armor and weapons in the army are idle, because I know that Duke Wu An has a deep friendship with my family. So I made my own decision and dedicated it to Duke Wu An, hoping to help him achieve great success!"

Li Mu couldn't help but feel even more ashamed after hearing this, but he also knew that the Jingzhou Army had always been well-armed, so he couldn't help but step forward and open the boxes and cages on the car. Soon he saw the sophisticated armor shining with metallic luster inside, and he couldn't help but think again and again. Say it well.

Liang Shiyan sent a lot of armor, weapons, and staffs this time, which were enough to load several carts. There were hundreds of soldiers responsible for escorting them, but they were all blocked outside. So Li Mu waved his hand, indicating that everyone should be let in, and warmly invited Liang Shiyan to come and have a drink together.

After they had a few drinks with each other in the hall, Liang Shiyan pretended to be mysterious and came up to Li Mu and whispered: "Please Mr. Wu An, please temporarily exclude the remaining people. I will tell you something confidential in the end."

Li Mu's defensiveness was greatly reduced at this moment. After hearing this, he did not doubt that he was there. He waved his hand to signal the guards in the hall to leave. He stared at Liang Shiyan with drunken eyes and said with a smile, "Why did Liang Kaifu sue me?"

Liang Shiyan put away his smile at this moment, stepped forward and threw Li Mu down on the table, pulled out his sword and put it on his neck, and said sternly: "By the order of General Li, Duke of Taiyuan, Daxingtai of Guandong Road, Enter the city to capture the guilty general Li Xianqing! Since Li Xianqing was ordered to go to Taiwan, you did not stay in Mianbei to wait for orders from the army, but you led the army south to Wuning. Do you know your crime?"

"Guan, Guandong Road Daxingtai? This, this... Liang Shiyan, you are so presumptuous!"

Li Mu was drunk at the moment, his thinking and reactions were quite slow, and he was caught off guard by Liang Shiyan, who knocked him down and pointed him at him. He was mumbling incoherently, but suddenly he seemed to have grasped the key point and exclaimed: "You are affected by Guandong." Dao Daxingtai command? Where is Mr. Taiyuan now? Could it be that he has also come to Wuning..."

Seeing that Li Mu was a little unconscious, Liang Shiyan grabbed the copper basin for washing hands next to the dining table, poured all the water in the basin on Li Mu, and then roared: "Mr. Taiyuan has returned to town from Hefei, and it happened to be that Mr. Chang Shang He was seriously ill, so he was ordered to take charge of the armies coming from the south. The envoy from Taiyuan told me that if Mr. Wu An still felt his loyalty, he would give me a private letter to behead Li Xianqing if he lost his way and did not return. !”

As he spoke, he swept away all the food and drinks on the dining table and took pictures of all the letters sent by Master Lang's messenger on the table.

"Chang Shangong is ill..."

The amount of information in this series of messages was so great that Li Mu couldn't react for a while. He grabbed the letters on the case and read them one by one. Then he was silent for a long time. He held his head in silence for a while before shaking it vigorously. He raised his head and looked up at Liang Shiyan who was standing to one side holding a knife and said: "How could I forget the friendship with Duke Taiyuan? This time I came to the south and was deceived. I didn't know the inside story. I drank in the hall because of guilt." Excuse me, Liang Kaifu, where is Mr. Taiyuan’s private message? I’m not greedy for life, I just want to see what Mr. Taiyuan has to say to me.”

After Liang Shiyan heard this, he handed another letter to Li Mu. Li Mu quickly opened this letter and read it, his expression became serious, and he said in a deep voice: "Mr. Taiyuan hopes that I can counterattack." Zhongshan Gong, I am not brave enough to conquer the entire Jiangling army. However, there are more than 30,000 troops here, and tens of thousands of people in the vanguard are with me and Zhongshan Gong. However, there are still more than 20,000 soldiers from Xiangyang Liang Army. Under the control of Anping Gong, I am afraid that the two parties will not accept it!"

After Liang Shiyan heard this, he replied: "Xiangyang has been occupied by our Xingzhou Marine Division, so Liang Jun has nothing to worry about. As for Anping Gong, if you don't obey the order, you will die!"

"This, this... Mr. Taiyuan is really far-sighted, and even Xiangyang is involved in the plan. It turns out that all the people from the south are blind ants in his palm!"

When Li Mu heard this, he felt mixed feelings in his heart, and once again felt the danger of the world. He had previously felt ashamed and resentful because he ignorantly helped Yuwen Hu seize power, but he did not expect that Li Boshan's plan here was more profound. In terms of relationships, all of them are scheming and dirty-minded guys. In the entire Wei Dynasty, Li Xianqing is the only one who is as innocent as water and as stupid as a pig!

Li Mu slapped his face with cold water again, trying to make himself more awake. At the same time, he was thinking and weighing nervously in his mind, and finally decided to help Li Tai deal with Yu Wenhu.

For one thing, he also had some opinions on Yu Wenhu. After coming to the south, there were some military negotiations and there was almost no conversation. Secondly, Li Tai and Yu Jin were under control and took advantage of Xiangyang's retreat. Even if he refused to be accomplices, they wouldn't be able to do anything with them. At least cooperating with Li Tai can ensure that the attack on Jiangling continues instead of falling into meaningless internal strife.

It is very simple for Li Mu to get Yu Wenhu, even the reasons are ready. After tidying up himself and the hall, Li Mu invited Yu Wenhu to come here and select a batch of fine armor donated by Liang Shiyan to arm his own soldiers.

Yu Wenhu was very enthusiastic about this. After hearing the news, he immediately led a group of soldiers to Li Mu. When he saw the various exquisite armors displayed in the hall, he smiled brightly. He touched them one by one, couldn't put it down, and looked at them. Liang Shiyan, who was standing aside with his head bowed, frowned and said displeasedly: "This batch of fine weapons is thought to be in Jingzhou's treasury, but Liang Kaifu only dedicated it to Duke Wu An. Could it be that he still blames me for taking away your city defense?"

"How dare you, the general! Duke Zhongshan and Duke Wu'an are both assistants, so it is natural for them to use the treasury. The general did not dare to disturb Duke Zhongshan because he was worried about his busy military affairs, so he asked Duke Wu'an to transfer it to him."

After hearing this, Liang Shiyan quickly lowered his head and said.

"Xingtai Zuo?"

When Yu Wenhu heard this, he was stunned for a moment, and then said with a sarcastic smile: "Yes, yes, I have forgotten that I am also the director of the station, so I should have the right to dispatch the arsenal of weapons!"

"Since Duke Zhongshan knows that he has this duty, don't blame the general for being rude!"

After hearing this, Liang Shiyan raised his eyebrows again and shouted loudly: "According to the order of Daxingtai, the director of the station, Shi Yuwenhu, neglected his duties and abandoned his duties. Now he needs to be arrested and brought back to the government to be severely punished!"

As he spoke, he and the two powerful soldiers behind him pounced on Yuwen Hu and pushed him down in the hall.

Yu Wenhu's confidant Hou Longen also came to the hall. Seeing this scene, he hurriedly drew his sword and rushed towards him: "The dog thief is so reckless, don't hurt my lord..."

However, before he could swing his sword, the wind in front of him suddenly stopped. Li Mu held a long spear in his hand and pierced the man's chest with a single thrust. The surging blood immediately covered Yuwen's face, which was still struggling.

Hot blood poured into his mouth and nose, and Yu Wenhu was so frightened that he froze in place, not daring to move at all. He only said in a trembling voice: "Don't be impulsive, don't..."