Su Jia was also helpless: "Zuowuwei can advance and attack, retreat and defend. If we gather a large army to attack, we will retreat southward into Zhongnan Mountain. The terrain is complicated and ravines are crisscrossed and we cannot pursue it. Otherwise, we will be easily ambushed. When we advance towards Chang'an, we can't pursue it."
He suddenly shot out when he was close, the threat is too great... What should we do about this matter?"
I originally thought that as long as the King of Jin was willing to spend a lot of money, he would definitely be able to recruit Cheng Yaojin. No matter what happened, he could reach a "mutual non-aggression" agreement with Cheng Yaojin and clear the way to let the King of Jin's army approach Chang'an. Who would have expected that the King of Jin was too smart and instead
Making the situation worse.
Yuchi Gong snorted and said, "What else can we do? Increase the price."
Su Jia was stunned: "I looked at Duke Lu's expression and words, and it seems that he is extremely dissatisfied with the King of Jin. Even if the price is increased, it will be difficult for him to change his mind, right?"
Yuchi Gong said disdainfully: "There may be people in this world who would not bend down for five measures of rice, and who are loyal, righteous, and courageous, but they are definitely not Cheng Yaojin! This person's heart is more 'profitable' than 'loyalty', and he just feels that he cannot take all of Fang Jun."
That’s why he refused King Jin because of his property. As long as King Jin changes his condition, he will definitely agree. You don’t have to go to King Jin to report it. Tonight King Jin will lead his army across the Ba River. After we meet, we will
I will tell the King of Jin personally."
"Here."
…
That night, Yuchi Gong led his army to the bank of Ba River to meet the Jin King's army crossing the river. Scouts from both armies were sent out to search north and south along Ba River and Bailuyuan to guard against the imperial army taking advantage of the opportunity to cross the river and attack.
However, except for Liang Jianfang who lined up more than a thousand troops near Baoling to prepare for Yuchi Gong's surprise attack, the rest of the imperial army stood still, as if they turned a blind eye to the King of Jin's move to cross the river...
At the beginning of Yinshi, Yuchi Gong finally saw Li Zhi on the west bank of Bashui.
Both of them dismounted, and Yuchi Gong quickly stepped forward and knelt down on one knee. Yuchi Gong's eyes were red and he was excited: "I failed to open up a passage to Chang'an because of your highness's entrustment. Instead, I was defeated.
I have damaged His Highness’s prestige, so please punish me!”
Li Zhi held his shoulders, patted him hard, and said happily: "Victory and defeat are common matters for military strategists. The Duke of E willingly served as the vanguard of the army. He fought bloody battles and severely damaged the enemy's army, and captured countless people. He only had merit. How can I have any fault?
Although I have never experienced a battle in person, I still know the principle of clear rewards and punishments. After this battle, I will definitely pay tribute to the Duke of Hubei! Please get up quickly!"
Groups of soldiers galloped past, their flags fluttering, and there was no end in sight. This majestic force seemed to be enough to support the creation of the world, and it could be grasped in the hand. Thousands of warriors pointed by the sword's edge would go through fire and water without hesitation. This
It is the beauty that belongs exclusively to power. Savor it carefully, like drinking alcohol, it is intoxicating.
Li Zhi waved his hand vigorously and said in a sonorous tone: "God knows who belongs to the destiny of heaven. We mortals should do our best to support the way of heaven. In the end, God will definitely live up to his expectations! God is moving vigorously, and a gentleman will never stop improving himself!"
When the nearby generals and soldiers heard this, their morale suddenly soared, and they shouted in unison: "Heaven is moving vigorously, and a gentleman will never cease to strengthen himself!"
People heard it from far and near, more soldiers echoed loudly, and the sound spread all over the country, and the bullfight was angry!
…
In the temporary Chinese military tent set up by Youwuwei, Li Zhi sat in the middle, and the rest were divided by civil and military personnel and were listed on the left and right.
Li Zhi asked: "Has my letter been sent to Duke Lu?"
Yuchi said respectfully: "It has been delivered."
Li Zhi looked expectant: "How will Mr. Lu reply?"
Yuchi Gong pondered for a moment and said in a deep voice: "Gong Lu was dissatisfied and refused on the spot..."
Li Zhi was stunned: "How is that possible?"
That was the land of Wu and Yue, which was the most prosperous in the world, not to mention the only navy in the Tang army. It spanned the oceans and connected overseas countries, and controlled the routes of all ports in the Tang Dynasty, except for the flowing gold and silk.
, it also means the transcendent status of sole possession of overseas, coupled with the Jiangnan Shipyard of Huating Town Military Port...
It can be said that within the scope of the fiefdom he could promise after ascending the throne, no other fiefdom could surpass him in terms of wealth and status.
Strictly speaking, this is not just a feudal side, it can even be said to be a territorial autonomy, a separatist side...
Are you still looking down on Cheng Yaojin?
Others didn't know what kind of benefits Li Zhi promised Cheng Yaojin, but seeing Li Zhi's expression, they guessed that it must be a super benefit that was impossible to refuse. However, Cheng Yaojin still refused...
Is Cheng Yaojin determined to stand on Li Chengqian's side and disdainful of any inducements?
Or is it that Cheng Yaojin has too much appetite and wants Li Zhi to increase the price?
Yuchi Gong clicked his tongue, there were many people here. If Cheng Yaojin's original words were told, everyone would know that Li Zhi planned to give Fang Jun's family fortune to Cheng Yaojin. Once word spread, it would inevitably trigger strong resistance from the court.
Those who were not so determined to oppose King Jin may have to fight to the death with King Jin.
After all, who can tolerate a new emperor who will confiscate all his fiefdoms, fiefdoms, industries, and even family wealth after he ascends the throne?
Even the princess and the prince who were left behind by King Jin in Chang'an City could not be kept safe...
After thinking about it for a while, he cryptically said: "Cheng Yaojin's words were not because he complained about His Highness's insufficient commitment, but because he felt that His Highness's reward was too heavy and he was too humble to be worthy of his position. He probably wanted to implore His Highness to reconsider it.
."
These words were cryptic, but Li Zhi had already understood them, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly, feeling helpless.
He did have evil intentions. Fang Jun's foundation in Jiangnan was too strong. Even if he could successfully overthrow Li Chengqian and take the throne, as long as Fang Jun ran back to Jiangnan, with his tyrannical financial resources, military strength, and foundation, he would be able to do so in an instant.
Raised an army of tens of thousands to contend with Chang'an.
Even if Fang Jun is caught, it will not be easy to kill him.
Although that guy has the nickname "Bang Chui", he has excellent interpersonal relationships. If he wants to put Fang Jun to death, not to mention others, at least half of the people in the account will come forward to save Fang Jun's life.
…
In this way, using Fang Jun's foundation and family wealth to give Cheng Yaojin, and using Cheng Yaojin's power to completely eradicate Fang Jun's foundation, is naturally the best of both worlds, killing two birds with one stone.
It turns out that no one is a fool. Cheng Yaojin refused simply and neatly. At this moment, he might have been laughing at him behind his back as His Highness the King of Jin who wanted to compete for the throne was not well-organized, broad-minded, and stingy...
After that, Li Zhi stopped mentioning the matter and discussed with everyone the matter of temporarily reorganizing the army to prevent a surprise attack by the imperial army.
When everything was agreed upon and everyone dispersed, Li Zhi left Wei Chigong behind. After hesitating for a moment, he called out Xiao Yu and Chu Suiliang.
Although Xiao Yu's behavior of cheating and cheating made him extremely dissatisfied, he knew that now he not only needed Xiao Yu's full support, but also stabilized internal morale. The matter of colluding with foreign enemies could only be put aside for the time being and should not be pursued.
Even more so, Xiao Yu must be dissuaded...
The four of them sat down in the tent, and Li Zhi said: "Since Lu Guogong does not agree with my previous suggestion, I will withdraw my order and discuss it again. If I give Qi, Qing, Deng, and four other states to Duke Lu, I will grant him a title."
As the King of Qi, what do you think?"
Xiao Yu and Chu Suiliang were both surprised. Qizhou has been a prosperous land since ancient times. The three states are close to the mountains and the sea, so there is plenty of resources and people. If these four states were given to Cheng Yaojin to become a state, it would almost reach the territory of the Tang Dynasty.
Separate territory within one party.
So how shocking was the previous proposal rejected by Cheng Yaojin that forced the King of Jin to win Cheng Yaojin's support in a way that was close to "losing power and humiliating the country" after his rejection?
Yu Chigong was shocked: "Your Highness, think twice. When the world was fighting for hegemony at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Cao Cao relied on Sangjia Ge, a farmer from Qingzhou, as the basis for his struggle for the world. This eventually became the foundation of Cao Wei. If this land is given to my subordinates to establish the country, I am afraid it will be too big."
This is certainly true, but it may not be without opposition due to jealousy. Thinking that Yu Chigong risked his life and went into battle for Jin Wang An Qianqianmaohou, he was far from receiving the same treatment as Cheng Yaojin. Is it because Cheng Yaojin is now
Is biting gold more effective?
It is said that rewards and punishments should be clearly defined for those in superior positions. Such uneven rewards for merit are not the actions of a wise king...
On the contrary, Xiao Yu muttered: "It is true that the land of Qingzhou is rich, but it may not cause future troubles. Qingzhou is surrounded by the sea on three sides, and to the west is a vast plain. There is no danger to defend. It has always been a place for four battles. Once a war breaks out,
With the rise of the country, large cities with large populations such as Licheng and Linzi can easily be isolated. In addition, with the vast sea area, the navy can choose a place to land at any time, so it is not easy to achieve great success. "
Cao Cao relied on Qingzhou to fight and conquer the world, but his base has always been in Xuchang. A place like Qingzhou with four wars has no danger to defend and cannot become a climate.
From ancient times to the present, there has never been a force based in Qingzhou that finally conquered the world...
After saying this, he glanced at Yu Chigong, and his eyes met. Yuchi Gong's heart moved and he swallowed back the rebuttal words that came to his lips.
I also understood Xiao Yu’s thoughts.
As long as Cheng Yaojin's title is high enough, his fiefdom is good enough, and his treatment is good enough, the rest of the heroes will naturally rise to the top. It makes no sense that Cheng Yaojin, who doesn't count just surrendering in battle, will get the best reward, right?
Li Zhi also glanced at Xiao Yu, and understood Xiao Yu's thoughts in his heart, but he became more and more suspicious: If Xiao Yu wanted to return to Li Chengqian by cheating, why did he say such a generous offer that he could not refuse after he came to power?
Words of reward?
After thinking about it, I felt that Xiao Yu was not completely determined to communicate with the enemy inside and outside. He just made a move to leave a way out. If he failed to succeed, he could also rely on this move left at this time.
Obtained forgiveness from Li Chengqian...
Thinking about it this way, I felt a little better. He was the best at understanding people's hearts, so he naturally understood how difficult it was to get people to follow him wholeheartedly. It was impossible to obtain it without a life-long friendship, majestic prestige, and generous benefits.
So he respectfully said to Yuchi: "Let's do it this way. I will write a letter and send someone to the Duke of Lu's office to wait for good news."