Liu Rengui stood on the platform of the battleship, looking towards both sides of the canal (those who are familiar with this sentence are not young anymore).
It was still dark at this time, and there were rows of willows on both sides of the river, as hazy as two black strips. They were all extinguished on the boats to prevent them from being obvious targets for the enemy to attack.
The warship was built by the Jiangnan Shipyard according to the drawings left over from the Sui Dynasty. It was specially designed to sail within the river. The ship was three stories high and had five sails. The sails could be adjusted at will to blow in the river wind.
Swinging, the warship zigzagged forward on the river at extremely fast speeds.
Behind him, dozens of warships of various types also spread their sails and moved forward at full speed. The mighty fleet carried thousands of naval warriors all the way north along the canal and headed straight for Tongguan.
In attacking Tongguan this time, Liu Rengui could be said to be full of ambition.
Although he was not of high origin and his family was in decline when he was young, he always had great ambitions. His fate suddenly changed when he defected to Fang Jun, and he embarked on a journey to success. Over the years, he had made countless achievements in overseas expeditions, and the ambition in his heart was
Increasingly loud and passionate.
However, today, the vast sea territory can no longer carry his ambitions. Entering the center and taking charge of the court are the goals he strives for.
In the woods by the river, there are birds flying in fright.
Liu Rengui's eyes were as bright as lightning, he pointed to a row of poplar trees on the left bank, and sneered: "I don't know where the thieves are, how dare they block the car with their arms? Come here, send an order to the scouts to wipe out the thieves lurking in the dense forest, as a warning to others!"
"Here!"
The deputy general behind him got the order, turned around and ordered people to light the candles, and then used a mirror to reflect the firelight and shine it several times toward the left front.
After a moment, the sound of horse hooves was heard, shattering the silence on both sides of the river embankment. A scout team of more than ten people surrounded and returned from the left front, and then a burst of gunshots like exploding beans rang out, and in the dense forest,
There were several screams in the air, and then everything calmed down.
Liu Rengui didn't take it seriously, looked at the sky, and ordered: "The scouts on the shore will go forward thirty miles and closely monitor the situation on both sides of the canal. The fleet will move forward at full speed!"
At this time, the fleet has passed Bianzhou and will arrive at Banzhu tomorrow night. In the first year of the Sui Dynasty, the Yellow River water was diverted from Banzhu to the southeast to the Huaihe River, which is the Tongji Canal. Banzhu is the starting point of the Tongji Canal.
, the fleet goes upstream and will enter the Yellow River.
Banzhu is an ancient ferry crossing, extending in all directions, and it is not far from Xingyang. It is the territory of the Zheng family in Xingyang. After the private army in the south of the Yangtze River was defeated, the private army formed by the Shandong family was not affected. Instead, it accelerated the recruitment of soldiers and raised funds.
The speed of the baggage was so great that it pushed all the way to Tongguan to support the rebels of the Jin Dynasty. How could the navy be allowed to follow the current to Tongguan and threaten the army to cross the river?
Therefore, in Liu Rengui's view, there must be a battle in Banzhu, but he didn't take it seriously.
At this moment, there are only 5,000 troops accompanying the fleet heading north. Facing the elite troops of the Sixteenth Guards will still make him wary and cautious. However, even if the Zheng family in Xingyang will hoard heavy troops in Banzhu to intercept them, and the private armies of the various clans,
How could he put it in his eyes?
Of course, underestimating the enemy will never happen to him...
The sky is getting brighter, the morning breeze is blowing, the sails are full and swaying, the speed is getting faster and faster, and it is heading towards Banzhu along the canal like a galloping horse.
Along the way, they continued to receive news from the scouts ahead. When they reached 20 miles north of Bianzhou, they had received specific news from Banzhu. As expected, no less than 10,000 soldiers were stationed along both sides of the river to guard the sluices.
The commander of the army is General Youwuwei, the governor of Lingyan Prefecture, Shangzhu State, Tongan County Duke, Zheng Rentai!
…
Banzhu has been a ferry of the Yellow River since ancient times. In the first year of the Sui Dynasty, Banzhu was dug to divert the Yellow River water to the southeast and into the Huaihe River. It connected the north and the south, which was the Tongji Canal. The goods and rice grains from the south of the Yangtze River were continuously supplied to the capital for water transportation.
.
Xingyang to the south of the ferry is where the Zheng family's ancestral temple is located, so from Luoyang downwards to Bianzhou, it is the sphere of influence of the Zheng family in Xingyang.
Zheng Rentai, wearing a helmet and armor, was sitting in a tent by the river, drinking tea with Dugu Yanyun across from him. Dugu Yanyun was in his fifties, with a handsome face and a selling figure. His words were humorous and interesting, cheerful and talkative, and the atmosphere was good.
There are rows of huge warehouses in the river silos outside the camp. The canal water is rolling. Countless boats and naval forces tightly surround the locks. On land, war horses neigh and flags are fluttered. More than ten thousand elite soldiers guard this canal hub.
No gaps.
In the tent, Zheng Rentai had an ancient look and a dignified manner. He was sitting with a big horse and a golden sword. He was holding a pot and pouring tea for Dugu Yanyun. He said with emotion: "Time flies so fast. It has been nearly twenty years in a blink of an eye. That is when we followed His Majesty."
We fought our way out of the desperate situation and created a great cause. Now His Majesty is still gone. Although we are still alive, we are getting older and our pride is gone. We are eroded by this glory and wealth and are only an empty shell. I only wish that he
When I die, if I can be buried with him in Zhaoling, I will have no regrets in this life."
Dugu Yanyun took a sip of tea, narrowed his eyes slightly, showing a nostalgic look, and sighed: "Who said otherwise? Back then, everyone thought that everyone in the Qin Prince's palace was already doomed, but the result... Hey!
Your Majesty led us from the Xuanwu Gate to the palace, and then wiped out the entire city of Chang'an, and actually gave us the throne. I am still confused and don't know how it was accomplished."
In the ninth year of Wude, Prince Li Jiancheng and King Qi Li Yuanji felt threatened by the increasingly powerful Tiance Mansion and plotted to assassinate King Qin. Unexpectedly, the matter was not secret and was found out by King Qin. Changsun Wuji, Yuchi Jingde and others
He advised the King of Qin to strike first to gain strength. The King of Qin accepted the advice and appointed Fang Xuanling. Du Ruhui strategized and commanded outside the palace. He persuaded Chang He, the guard of the Xuanwu Gate, to personally lead the eldest son Wuji, Yuchi Jingde, and Hou Junji.
Nine people, including Zhang Gongjin, Liu Shili, Gongsun Wuda, Dugu Yanyun, Du Junchuo, Zheng Rentai, and Li Mengchang, entered the Xuanwu Gate to ambush, killing the prince and the King of Qi in one fell swoop, and then took advantage of the situation to invade the palace and place Emperor Gaozu under house arrest.
, and finally usurped it and set aside the great cause.
This is not only a turning point in the career of His Majesty Li Er, but also the culmination of glory for all the generals under the command of Tiance Mansion.
Before that, he had guarded Changchun Palace, the base camp of King Qin all year round...
These two people are both the humerus of His Majesty Li Er. They have great trust and entrusted them with important responsibilities. Naturally, they are even more loyal to His Majesty Li Er.
When people get old, they naturally often miss the past, recall the past, and like to immerse themselves in it...
After a long time, the roar of horse hooves from passing cavalry outside the tent woke the two of them up. Dugu Yanyun said with a smile: "Your Majesty originally promised that when you were alive, you and your ministers would enjoy wealth and honor together. When you die in the future, your old brothers will be buried together."
Tomb, and continue to follow His Majesty underground... But now that His Majesty passed away suddenly without leaving any legacy, this wish may not be realized."
The emperor's mausoleum is an important place in the country. Without the emperor's edict during his lifetime, no one can be buried within the scope of the mausoleum without authorization...
Hearing this, Zheng Rentai snorted coldly: "Who said there is no legacy? The King of Jin already has the legacy of the late emperor in his hands!"
Dugu Yan said: "Come on, who can tell whether that thing is real or fake?"
That's what he said, but looking at his expression, he didn't believe it at all.
Zheng Rentai frowned, and his eyes under his thick eyebrows were piercing, looking directly at Dugu Yan: "His Majesty had intended to be crowned king before his death, and he wanted to be crowned king several times. Everyone knows this. When he died, he left a posthumous photo to pass the throne on.
Prince Jin is really reasonable, I wonder why you idiots just don’t believe it? Your Dugu family is from the Guanlong lineage, and now the Guanlong clan and the Prince of the East Palace are at odds with each other, and their hatred is as deep as the sea. Why do you want to speak for the Prince? "
Dugu Yanyun was not angry at all, and said calmly: "At this moment, the Duke of Zhao committed suicide, and the dragons and dragons in Guanlong were leaderless and fighting on their own. How could a mere scholar be able to rectify the whole group and lead the group? This matter has been put aside.
Let’s not mention it, let’s just talk about Yi Chu. You and I both know that His Majesty wanted to Yi Chu several times back then, but why didn’t he get to that point in the end?”
Zheng Rentai looked at Duguyan with no expression on his face and said: "I thought you came here today just to comfort me for the King of Jin, but I didn't expect that you actually acted as a lobbyist for the Crown Prince... I fought side by side with His Majesty back then, and I was so affectionate.
I cannot allow it to be forgotten. Later, His Majesty had great faith in me and was promoted to a higher position. The loyalty between the monarch and his ministers is as solid as stone! Since you have forgotten these and are willing to side with the prince, what is there to say? The ways are different and they are not compatible with each other.
Mou, I don’t want to treat you harshly because of my past relationship, so please go ahead.”
He actually sent the guests off without making any excuses.
Dugu Yanyun sat still and shook his head: "I am not anyone's lobbyist. I just want to warn you not to invest too much in the broken ship Shandong Menva, so as not to sink too deeply when the ship sinks in the future. Your Majesty is still alive.
Even if he had not saved the throne due to various worries, how could he leave a legacy edict on his deathbed and leave endless troubles to the great empire he created? Therefore, everyone knew that the so-called edict of King Jin was false.
But because it is in your interests for the King of Jin to ascend to the throne, you have turned a blind eye to the truth and would rather provoke a national war that would lead to the disintegration of the empire than the crown prince's orthodox position. To put it bluntly, you are national traitors!"
"presumptuous!"
Zheng Rentai slapped the table suddenly, his eyes widened in anger, and he cursed angrily with his halberd finger: "How can a villain like you understand my loyalty to His Majesty? It's convenient to just leave this place. If you still don't leave,
,Don’t blame me for not letting go of our past feelings!”
The general who bravely championed the three armies and once had tens of thousands of soldiers under his command was in full swing at this moment. He was really angry and powerful. It seemed that if Dugu Yanyun continued to utter a word, he ordered his soldiers to drag him out of the account.
Engage in military law!
But how could Dugu Yanyun be afraid of him?
Sitting firmly as a mountain, with a sarcastic look on his face, he said sarcastically: "I'm just going to sit here and see if you, a stooge who doesn't know right from wrong and doesn't care about justice, still have some of the courage you once had."
The Dugu family is not just a cat or a dog. Even if Dugu Yanyun did not die here today but suffered humiliation, both the crown prince and the King of Jin would remember this. Zheng Rentai and the Zheng family in Xingyang behind him would all
Suffer unpredictable losses.
As expected, Zheng Rentai's momentum froze, his eyes turned, and he had to sit down again with a sullen face. Dugu Yanyun did not say any sarcastic words, and held the pot to pour him tea. Zheng Rentai picked up the teacup, took a sip, and spit out a long sip.
In a tone of voice, he said: "I am a descendant of the Zheng family in Xingyang and a descendant of the Shandong family. Even if I have objections in my heart, what can I do if the general trend is like this?"
All the previous experiences were just temptations...