About sixty miles northeast of Kaifeng, on the north-south official road, a large-scale post station is located here, named Chenqiao Post. As a transportation thoroughfare, it plays the role of government, military, business travelers, and pedestrians passing from north to south. In recent years, It is increasingly prosperous and has great population mobility.
Its establishment was first proposed by Emperor Liu Chengyou. It has been fourteen years now. There is a team of forbidden troops on duty all year round, with more than 30 officers and soldiers responsible for management. There are road horses and more than a hundred post horses. The inn has 185 rooms and is always full of guests. Together with Shofu-eki in the west and Eion-eki in the south, it is collectively known as the Kinki Saneki.
On the flat and wide road that extends to the north, a group of people drove quickly. The leader was a middle-aged military general with a thick beard and yellow skin. The coming general was Guo Tingwei, the commander-in-chief of the Jinghai Navy (upgraded from the Jingjiang Army). , there are only three knights accompanying him. According to the regulations of the imperial court, with Guo Tingwei's rank, the maximum number of retinues allowed to travel is ten.
As a reduced general, Guo Tingwei received rare respect and preferential treatment in the Han Dynasty. Especially as a scarce naval talent in the north, he was promoted exceptionally. In total, he has been in charge of the main force of the Han Dynasty navy for nearly ten years. , has been responsible for the construction of the Han navy in Laizhou and Mizhou in recent years, making the influence of the Han Dynasty spread all along the coast.
Especially after the Northern Expedition, cross-sea operations made the Han Dynasty's ability to attack foreign countries more three-dimensional. At first, he led 15,000 naval troops from Laizhou Bay to the north, successfully landed on the Liaodong Peninsula, fought continuously, and captured several states. Let the Han army display its might in that long-lost land.
Although he was later driven back by Liao general Gao Xun due to various factors such as lack of troops, supplies, and popular support. He persisted for nearly three months and was finally driven off the sea. However, there were still positive effects, at least for the cross-border The naval and military operations accumulated experience and gained a true understanding of the military, geography, and folklore conditions in the Liaodong region, which also made Liaodong no longer the stable rear of the Liao Kingdom.
In view of this, it is said that at the suggestion of Gao Xun, who was left in Liaoning in Tokyo, he also began to form a naval army to prepare for the invasion of the Han army. However, for the Liao State, which was poor and had no foundation for a naval army, this step was extremely difficult.
For Guo Tingwei, the failure in Liaodong was regarded as a shame. Even if the emperor had already said so, he only tried and did not look at the results. In terms of results, at the cost of losing more than 3,000 soldiers, he achieved the result of annihilating tens of thousands of Liao troops. , it cannot be considered a failure. However, Guo Tingwei himself could not pass the test in his heart.
To sum up, the reason lies in his status as a reduced general, which forced him to invest more and put in more energy and effort in his official career. This was an invisible pressure.
Therefore, after returning to Laizhou, the first thing Guo Tingwei did was to report to Liu Chengyou, who was still in Youzhou, to apologize for the war situation in Liaodong. Of course Liu Chengyou comforted him with kind words, and also asked him to report to the imperial court and ask him personally. After learning about various situations in Liaodong, he was encouraged even more to reduce his psychological pressure.
Therefore, Guo Tingwei was grateful to the emperor and wanted to make achievements in return for his kindness. During the three years of dormancy, he supervised the construction of sea ships in the east, replenished troops, and trained in naval warfare, waiting for the opportunity.
But this time, he was summoned to the capital. After receiving the imperial edict, he explained the military affairs and hurried westward with his entourage. Guo Tingwei was a very knowledgeable general. From the emperor's actions, he saw an opportunity. Come, the imperial court must have plans to conquer the Tang Dynasty. After all, when Liu Chengyou gave the order to build a navy in the East China Sea, his main goal was Jiangnan.
In his early years, when fighting against the Tang Dynasty, he might still have some psychological barriers, but after ten years in the Han Dynasty, he had almost forgotten all about his homeland, and he did not dare to show a similar attitude again. When he first surrendered, The emperor may appreciate his loyalty, but if he still remains reserved until now, that would be a recipe for death.
On the other hand, there are only a few small countries left in the south. Unification is imminent and the world is about to return to peace. Warriors like them have fewer and fewer opportunities to make contributions. If they don’t take advantage of the final unification war to actively act , earn meritorious service, and be granted the title of wife and son, it will only become more and more bleak in the future.
With the development up to now, there are so many good generals in the Han Dynasty, but in terms of their achievements, it seems that there are too many monks and too little rice. In comparison, Guo Tingwei is lucky. In terms of naval operations, there is really not much pressure from competition.
In front of Chenqiao Post, a group of people stopped on horseback. Immediately, a post official came up to greet them. After hearing about the situation and learning their identity, the clerk became even more humble, with a smile on his face that made his beard tremble slightly.
While arranging for someone to lead the horse to feed him, he served him with a shy face and enthusiastically. While leading him into the inn, he asked thoughtfully: "I don't know, general, whether you will stay overnight tonight. If so, my subordinates should make arrangements in advance!"
"No need, prepare some food and wine, let us eat and drink before leaving!" Guo Tingwei ordered.
"Yes! General, please come with me!" The postman was as attentive as ever.
Upon entering, there was a burst of hustle and bustle. The interior of this inn is like a restaurant. It is relatively luxurious, spacious and bright. There are nearly forty food tables in the lobby alone, and most of them are occupied by people.
Those who can afford to live in the inn are not ordinary people. Of course, most of the officials and business travelers passing by are there. If you look around, you can see people wearing silk brocade, and some directly wearing official uniforms.
When his group entered, he still attracted the attention of many people. Some people who took the initiative to strike up a conversation were rejected by him unceremoniously. He only entered the inn to eat.
However, after sitting down and observing the surrounding scene, Guo Tingwei could not help but sigh: "The post is full of guests, it is really a prosperous time!"
During the Southern Tang Dynasty, Guo Tingwei saw many people and experienced wars, but he did not feel at ease, which was probably due to the influence of the dynasty's luck.
Waiting is a test of patience, especially when you are hungry and waiting for food. Guo Tingwei is very patient, but his followers are quite unhappy. If Guo Tingwei hadn't pressured him, he would have slapped the table and shouted.
However, at this time, a man in silk clothes with a black futon on his head came to the table and said to Guo Tingwei: "General Guo, my officials are here to invite you!"
"Huh?" Guo Tingwei's eyes flashed with surprise, and he looked at the person. He was in his thirties, and although he was a servant, he had a calm demeanor. He was obviously not an ordinary person's domestic servant.
"Dare you ask your master?" Guo Tingwei asked.
The visitor came closer, lowered his voice, and said a name. Guo Tingwei's expression suddenly became solemn. He stood up, cupped his hands, and said humbly: "Excuse me, please lead the way!"
He gave a few more instructions to his entourage, and then followed the visitor to pay homage.
"The general will meet the Duke!" After entering a quiet room and seeing the middle-aged man sitting at the table and leisurely drinking tea, Guo Tingwei immediately stepped forward and bowed to salute.
"General, there is no need to be polite!" Chai Rong stood up and returned the greeting with a gentle attitude. He extended his hand and said, "Please take a seat!"
Yes, the noble man in the house is none other than Chai Rong, Duke of Chan State of the Han Dynasty. After recuperating for almost a year, he was in good health, so Liu Chengyou let him come out to participate in government affairs. He first served as the governor of Kaifeng for a year, and last year He was also ordered to go hunting on behalf of Tian, and went north to inspect border affairs. It lasted nearly half a year, and he has not returned until now.
"We haven't seen each other for many years, but the general's style remains the same!" Chai Rong looked at Guo Tingwei and gave a rare smile.
Guo Tingwei also complimented: "The Duke is also very noble, and his majesty is getting stronger day by day!"
Chai Rong's face showed no emotion at all, and he said calmly: "I am returning to the capital this time, and I will rest here for a while. When I heard that the general was sitting down, I specially invited him to talk to you!"
"This is the honor of the general!" Guo Tingwei maintained a certain degree of respect for Chai Rong.
Chai Rong's status among the officials of the Han Dynasty was very high and his power was very important. Not to mention his personal ability and the emperor's trust and respect for him, considering that he had mastered military aircraft for many years and was a relative of the emperor, these were enough to make him Most people in the world are in awe.
Speaking of which, there is a certain fate and friendship between Chai Rong and Guo Tingwei. During the Huainan War, in the Huaidong area, Chai Rong, as the strategic envoy, faced Guo Tingwei as the biggest and most difficult opponent. Later, Guo Tingwei's Chai Rong also played a role in the surrender.
This time I met here by chance, and when we talked about it, I felt a little more emotional...
The two sat opposite each other drinking tea and chatting happily. Because of Chai Rong, Guo Tingwei simply chose to stay overnight at Chenqiaoyi and go to Beijing with Chai Rong the next day.
