The sixteenth chapter, mixed joys and sorrows, entered Xiangping
Flags were flying, soldiers were bathed in blood, and the troops conquering Goguryeo gradually entered Xiangping to rest and recuperate. Liu Pei, the governor of Xuantu County in the two cities of Liaodong, and Murong Ke, the governor of Pingguo, had received the military report in advance and arrived at Xiangping City ahead of the army.
Welcome the army back.
In this battle, Goguryeo was defeated, but the army on the northern route suffered heavy losses. Many of their fathers, brothers and peers were lost on the northern route. Between joy and worry, the army was preparing to enter Xiangping City, but only briefly rested and then headed to Yandu.
No arrangements have been made for this welcome ceremony.
But from outside Xiangping City, although the city commander and the captain did not issue an order, ten miles away, the defenders came out of the city on their own and stood on both sides of the road. The remaining defenders all went to the top of the city and waved flags. I don’t know who raised the head, and the crowd
He gradually shouted "Long live the State of Yan, long live General Jianwei", "Long live the State of Yan, long live General Jianwei".
Since Goguryeo invaded Liaodong last year, the chaos in Liaodong has been going on for several years. After this battle, Goguryeo was no longer in danger. After Murong Ren and Murong Han, the soldiers in Liaodong had not had such a great victory for a long time. Although the troops on the north road died,
But now that the trouble of Goguryeo in Liaodong was relieved, the soldiers were filled with joy, and the soldiers who had guarded the border for many years could return home. From then on, Xiangping, Xuantu, and Pingguo no longer had to worry.
Although the generals in the army felt that something was wrong, they could not stop it gradually, so they shouted on both sides of the road. For a while, the sound shook the world and spread thousands of miles.
But in the ranks of the army, Xian Yuliang raised his hands to Murong Han and said in congratulations: "The general's reputation has spread far and wide. All the soldiers here spontaneously welcome the general. Such popularity in the army is rare in our country of Yan."
At this moment, General Murong Han stretched out his hand and pressed it to signal that everyone should stop shouting. Sweat gradually appeared on his forehead.
"General Xianyu, don't make fun of me." Murong Han said with a bitter smile.
"What the general doesn't know is that among the scholars from the two states of Youping, the only one who is feared by the generals on the border of Zhao State is the general. The general's reputation may be unmatched by anyone." General Xian Yuliang held the reins of his horse and said,
Walking side by side with Murong Han, he seems to be enjoying this honor.
"Uncle Wang, that's right." After hearing this, Murong Ba also rode forward and said: "Now, I have been in the army for many days, and all the veterans and generals have praised the general's reputation. People say: Hanhai Yinshan
Carrying a golden sword, Yan Guo's brave general Murong Han. Wang Bo's reputation is like the Hanhai Mountain in the North Sea, majestic and towering, making people admire him. If he went to war with General Murong Han, he would have won half the battle before the battle. It is really like this now."
"These are just childish words in the army, how can you take them seriously?" Murong Han was furious and left the two men with his whip raised.
But Han Shou arrived and said to General Murong Han: "General, he has been here in Liaodong for many years and has made outstanding achievements. He is very unrivaled."
Seeing Murong Han gradually slowing down his pace, Han Shou stepped forward and said: "This is also a proof, this is also a disaster. I hope the general will notice clearly."
Murong Han turned to look at him, and saw a smile on Han Shou's lips that was imperceptible to ordinary people, and his eyes were looking directly at Murong Han. After saying this, he immediately rode away from Murong Han.
Mu Yuni rode his horse forward, walked side by side with King Yan, and said: "King Yan, it is not appropriate for the soldiers to shout loudly like this from the mountain." He lowered his head and approached King Yan, and whispered next to him: "I only know that there is Han, but I don't know that there is Huang.
.”
King Yan looked stern, and after a long time he said: "Mu Yuni, that's the case, that's fine. According to Gu's decree, General Murong Han has made outstanding achievements. Our army entered Xiangping City to rest for three days and held a big banquet. These three cities in Liaodong are all
If you pay the land tax, you will be exempted from the tax for three years." Mu Yuni was puzzled and reported to King Yan: "This battle also caused heavy losses to our army, is this too much?"
"Although the Northern Army is gone, the Southern Army has achieved unparalleled achievements in our country of Yan. Now our country of Yan, Duanbu, and Goguryeo have all been wiped out, and only Yuwen is left outside the pass. According to this situation, within a few years, Yu Wen can be destroyed, and our country of Yan has no worries. If there is chaos in the Central Plains, our army of Yan country can go straight into the land of Youji and conquer the world."
Seeing that Mu Yuni was still hesitating, the King of Yan said: "I'm sending you another solitary order. All officers and soldiers guarding the border in Liaodong who have not returned home for three years should all return. Those who have been serving for more than five years will be promoted to one rank. Soldiers who have returned home will be sent back to their hometowns." They will all be rewarded with ten acres of land. You will follow this sole order and pass it on."
When the soldiers in the three cities of Liaodong heard the order from King Yan, they all praised King Yan's benevolence and shouted, "Long live King Yan."
When the army entered Xiangping City, the King of Yan held a banquet in the palace of Xiangping City for all the officials and soldiers. They took the fine wines they had obtained. King Yan's desk was high, and all the soldiers lined up on both sides. A red carpet was spread on the floor, and Goguryeo palace singers were sent to play music. The beauties He danced in the center and everyone was overjoyed.
While the banquet was in full swing, I saw an envoy outside the palace asking for an audience. It was a letter sent by the envoy to Jiankang. After reading it, King Yan threw the letter angrily and said with a hint of drunkenness: "The young man of the Jin Dynasty wants to be alone. Fighting for the world, let's see when our Yan army will point its sword to the south of the Yangtze River."
But Murong Han's expression changed and he asked his nephew Murong Ba, "What does the King of Yan want to do? Since the previous king, our country of Yan has always been in good relations with the Jin Dynasty. I have been professed as a minister, and the service has been correct. Why does the King of Yan come out now?" Is this a lie?"
"Wang Bo has been away from the country for a long time, so he doesn't know anything. My father was involved in the Xinping Murongren Rebellion a few years ago. The ministers persuaded him to move forward, and Liaodong Gongjin was granted the title of King of Yan. However, Liu Changshi Jiankang's request for the title was not successful." Murong Ba approached Murong Han and said. .
But when the King of Yan saw the two people whispering on the stage, he said, "Brother Han must have known the reason. I remember that when the late king was here, you once said: 'The princes are better than the diligent kings. Since ancient times, the kings who have made great achievements can only achieve this with his staff. A career person. 'Now, I have destroyed the Duan tribe first, and then defeated Goguryeo. Which one is more important, the achievements created and the name I seek?"
But Murong Han bowed down and said: "The achievements of the King of Yan are outstanding, and there is no one in the world who can compare with this. Now I look at it. As a rule, the Jin Dynasty has not named a foreigner as the king. Our country of Yan calls itself the King of Yan internally. To the outside world, he is called Lord Liaodong."
"It's a big mistake. Nowadays, the world is in chaos and Zhongzhou has been destroyed. Liu Yuan, Shi Le and others are all Rongdi, and they are also proclaimed emperors in the south. Even Li Shou, Li Te and others in the Han Dynasty are called lonely Taoist few. Now our country of Yan has Why not, just call him the Duke of Liaodong? Let Gu Yan say, it is not a bad idea to call him emperor." King Yan was furious, everyone stopped their cups and threw chopsticks, the crows and magpies were silent. The dancing girls also retreated to both sides. Murong Han pressed his head is lower.
After a while, I saw King Yan's anger gradually subsided, and his drunkenness gradually disappeared. Han Shou stood up and said: "My king is Shengming, my Yan army is the leader of Youping, the government of Yan country is peaceful and harmonious, and the whole world has surrendered. Even though my Lord Yan is proclaimed emperor, he will not That's too much. However, on the one hand, the Yuwen tribe has not yet been pacified, and on the other hand, there are many old officials in the court who admire the Jin Dynasty. If Yuwen is destroyed, and the descendants of the next generation enter the Yan court, it will not be too late to proclaim the emperor by then."
"What Han Changshi said is true. It doesn't matter, let's discuss it after I return to the capital. Today's banquet is a feast for victory, and everyone should enjoy it to the fullest." King Yan was about to finish his words, but saw Murong Han already kneeling down, so he Pointing at Murong Ba, he said, "Ba'er, your uncle has made outstanding contributions. Please get up and help your uncle to sit down." Murong Ba quickly stood up and helped Murong Han up.
Everyone returned to normal, but Murong Han remained expressionless for a long time during the banquet. It was not until late at night that everyone dispersed.
Murong Han returned to his tent and was about to go to sleep when he saw someone outside the tent trying to break in. The guards on the left and right yelled, "The general has rested, and what you have said will be as good as this."
Seeing the man outside the tent, he said urgently: "An order has been sent to the army. All those who were originally guarding will return home tomorrow and are not allowed to stay. I'm afraid I won't see the general again tomorrow."
"In that case, you can keep what you have written and I will present it to the general tomorrow."
"Both officers, I am not stubborn. This relationship is of great importance. It's hard to rest assured unless it is handed over to the general personally." The man still stayed outside the tent and refused to leave.
But he saw that the guards were about to take him out. Hearing the commotion outside the tent, Murong Han walked out of the tent. The three men all knelt down when they saw the general.
"The starry night is here, what do you want to tell me?" Murong Han saw a man who was only fifteen or sixteen years old. He was still small, but his body was indeed covered with battle scars, and his tasseled folding knife was blunt. He was indeed a man who had experienced battles for a long time. Murong Han
I have always loved and cherished my soldiers, so I felt a little more pity when I saw this.
"General Shengming, this is an grievance caused by an old friend. Although he has gone, if it is not dealt with impartially, our officers and soldiers in Liaodong may not be able to get over it. We hope that the general will appeal for justice." After saying this, he saw the soldier taking it from his arms.
A piece of white cloth came out with blood writing all over it.
Murong Han took a quick look, his face was serious, he put away the cloth, and asked, "Did anyone know about your journey to find me?"
The little devil said: "No one else knows about this. I know that this matter is very important."
"That being the case, well, you can come into my tent." Murong Han soon returned and came out of the tent, looked around, and said to the two guards: "No one is allowed to enter without my order. If there is anything important, just say
"The general is too drunk and his stomach is unbearable. If there is nothing important, I will report it tomorrow."
Both guards took orders.
Murong Han stopped the kid from entering and asked: "I originally knew that the garrison in Liaodong was quite difficult and dangerous, but I didn't expect it to be so difficult. Doesn't King Yan know?"
But the man said: "The supply of weapons, horses, food and fodder in Liaodong is all under the control of the former military advisor general, and no one else can intervene. In addition, the commander of Xiangping was originally the demoted general Pingyuan, so it is not easy to handle the affairs of the soldiers, and there are..."
"Just tell me, the matter is over, there is no need to worry anymore." Seeing that he still had doubts, Murong Han said bluntly.
"I have often heard Cui Tou say before that among the Murong disciples, Murong Han is the most wise and courageous. He caressed the soldiers, and the soldiers were willing to obey their orders. It is indeed the same when I see him now." But he saw the man bowing in admiration and said, "Xiang
The Ping garrison was in dire straits... There was insufficient food and grass, so the captain had no choice but to send people in the camp to work in the fields. Unexpectedly, the weather in Liaodong has been very cold in recent years, and there were not many people living on the crops, so the work was in vain. The captain had no choice but to reduce the number of people and eat up empty pay.
, the pressure on the city defense was very great, so we all evacuated the border counties and entered Xiangping."
"In that case, why don't you go to the King of Yan to express Murong Ping's accusations and set the record straight?" Murong Han asked.
"The general's intention may be reasonable, but the land of Xiangping was originally occupied by Murong Ren's rebels, and the King of Yan regained control. He originally intended to trap and kill the people of Liaodong. It is lucky that the King of Yan did not pursue it. How could he dare to seek benefits for himself again?
, and King Yan has always suppressed my Liaodong family." The man knelt on the ground and sobbed uncontrollably. Murong Han helped him up, and the man continued.
"Secondly, the generals in the army were known to be poor and humble. They all secretly communicated with Murong Ping and wanted to return to the capital, but sincerely refused to say anything. Only General Murong Khan worked for the benefit of our border people, and rewarded the soldiers with all his salary and salary. And with Cui Yi's power, Yan
Although the country and Goguryeo are enemies, in order to make a living, the captain also allowed the Goguryeo caravans to pass and collected the passing commercial taxes. In addition, Xiangping is close to the junction of the river and the sea, so our army can attack by sea and plunder the goods transported by Zhao.
Only with the food can Xiangping City be able to sustain itself. Otherwise, there may have been a mutiny long ago and Xiangping would no longer exist." The little devil couldn't help but sigh, as if the Xiangping garrison could not finish its grievances for days and nights.
"Did you hear about last year's sergeant mutiny and Murong Ping's execution of Cui Yi in front of the formation?" Murong Han kept asking.
"That was Murong Ping's decision to kill the general privately in front of the formation and impose a crime."
Murong Han stood up slowly, poured a cup of tea, placed it in front of him, and motioned for him to continue speaking slowly.
"Thank you, General." The man held the cup and sat by the table and said, "Cui Yi originally didn't want to argue with him, but when Murong Ping insulted me, the Xiangping garrison was all rats, it would be a great kindness of Yan State not to kill you bastards.
Cui Yi was extremely angry and said: "My officers and soldiers from all ethnic groups are no different from the Han people and Xianbei. They are all citizens of the country. They are only guarding their own homes. Don't bother the general." But Murong Ping was furious and scolded: "
You are called selfless, but you are actually seeking personal gain. You call our soldiers of the Yan Kingdom your own tribe. You are plotting chaos." Then he shouted and took down Cui Yi.
Murong Ping knew that Cui Yi had been in Xiangping for many years and was very prestigious among the soldiers. Over the years, he had been collecting evidence that Murong Ping and his subordinate officials had embezzled food and grass, secretly colluded with the enemy, and secretly resold. They had long been murderous, so they imprisoned him.
At that time, the attack on Goguryeo was very urgent. Murong Ping diverted his troops into Xiangping and arrested him suddenly, which made the defenders dissatisfied. We, his sergeants, originally wanted to break into the prison and rescue Cui Duwei. However, we were stopped by Chengda, and later the enemy had heard about it.
King Yan led his army into the territory of Goguryeo, and the Goguryeo troops retreated. Murong Ping became even more emboldened and killed him in prison." After saying this, the kid collapsed on the ground. Although he wanted to cry loudly, he was afraid that others would hear him, so he suppressed it.
Sadness.
Beep~ beep, beep, the third watch was struck. The candle flame swayed, and with a sound of "bang", the wind blew straight towards the tent door, making a whirring sound, and extinguished the candle flame.
"I already know what you mean, but this matter involves many people in the court, and there are officials from the royal family, so I can't give you an immediate reply." Murong Han put away the piece of cloth, helped the man up, and said, "I want to
If we, the Yan State, want to be great in this troubled world, we must win over the hearts of the people of all ethnic groups. In our Yan State, everyone is a citizen, and there is no difference. Don't worry, I, Murong Han, will fight for this body for you and for you.
This Xiangping garrison deserves justice."
"Thank you so much, General Han." The man supported Murong Han's arms and suddenly raised his hands and said, "I hope General Cui's spirit in heaven can hear me."
"You go back and don't mention it to anyone else. Things are complicated and unpredictable, and people's hearts are unpredictable. I'm afraid something bad will happen to you."
"Don't worry, General, I will pay attention."
"By the way, I still don't know your name at this point, can you tell me?"
"Jin Mu."
After saying that, the man went out, walked straight out of the camp gate, and disappeared into the night.
In the Xiangping Commandery's Mansion, there was still a slight fire in an inner room. Han Shou was sitting on a futon, behind the case. Under this weak candlelight, his figure wearing a crown and hat looked particularly long.
"Squeak." The door opened, and a person walked in hurriedly.
"Master Han, I expected that." The man leaned close to Han Shou and said, "It was the kid who told Murong Han about what happened in Xiangping last year."
"Yeah, I understand." Han Shou was still sitting there with his eyes slightly closed.
"Master Han, you said that our Liaodong clan has been oppressed by the Murong clan for a long time. We have changed the land to the people and organized households to equalize the people. All the farm properties of my Liaodong clan have been taken away by Murong Xianbei." The man stepped forward and said,
"It's a pity that Murong Ren's rebellion fell short. This time, King Yan will definitely die without a burial place."
"It is the kingly way to protect the ruler from his side and to punish the traitor and the sycophant." Han Shou opened his eyes and said, "Who told their own people to be greedy? The disaster started from Xiao Qiang. If Murong Han is used as the banner, there is no need to worry about the failure of great things."
"Master Han, what you have in mind is very wonderful."