Yongqiu County is an ordinary Gyeonggi County located more than 80 miles east of Bianliang City.
Like other prefectures and counties in the Gyeonggi Province that are located in the plains, the terrain around Yongqiu is mainly plain and hilly, with only occasional rolling loess hills. The most famous piece of history in Yongqiu County is that during the Anshi Rebellion of the Tang Dynasty, Zhang Xun, the Prime Minister of the Tang Dynasty, Thousands of soldiers and horses joined the rebellion, and Linghu Chao tens of thousands of soldiers and horses fought fiercely here and defeated the rebels. But in fact, Yongqiu County is not a strong city. There are many reasons for the victory of that battle, but it is definitely not because Yongqiu city defense is strong and the terrain is favorable.
Twenty miles southwest of Yongqiu County, there is a loess hillock that is more than ten miles long. This long hillock looks very abrupt across the plain. I don’t know why it exists. The official name here is Lutai. I don't know why it got its name. The local people are accustomed to calling it "Shili Changgang".
Around Bianliang, even small hills with an altitude of only a few dozen meters can be called mountains, because there are very few real mountains here. Only the Xishan Mountains in the east of the city can truly be called mountains around Bianliang, but In fact, it is only more than a hundred meters above sea level. It is just a green valley sandwiched between two small hills, and it has become a grand scene around Bianliang. Therefore, this ten-mile long hilly land has also become a cultural place. There are lush trees on the hill, and there are also temples, houses, pavilions and buildings. It has become a place where people who go out and gather around Bianliang often come to enjoy the scenery. There is a nine-story stone tower on the top of the middle section of the hill, called the 'Range Tower' , this is the place where the literati and poets in the capital come to visit. The inner and outer walls of the stone pagoda are covered with the calligraphy of literati and poets, many of which are written by famous artists.
The people of Bianliang are actually very pitiful. They are citizens of Bianliang, the capital city at the foot of the emperor. They have all the arrogance of the people in the capital, but they have never seen real mountains. So it is really sad that they value a loess hill so much. .
However, for the Luoyan Army who are gathering here, this ten-mile long post is the best place for them to camp at the moment. Backing the long post and camping along the north bank of the Bian River, there are barriers in two directions. It is an excellent place to set up camp. At this moment, the main camp of the Luoyan Army is divided into three military camps across the slope on the west side of the ten-mile long post.
Lin Jue's Chinese army tent was set up under the Range Rover Tower on the hill. Lin Jue was not just a literati who liked the Range Rover Tower with calligraphy by famous artists. The Chinese army tent was set up here simply because he could climb up and look out. Far away to get an overview of the overall situation. Although Huangtugang is not tall, this nine-story stone tower is the best place to look out. Standing on the top of the tower, with the help of a telescope, you can clearly see the surrounding area for dozens of miles. It is clear that this is the most practical point. Apart from this, Lin Jue has no interest in the poems and sour verses written on the stone towers.
Yesterday at the second watch, Lin Jue led a thousand cavalrymen of the Guards Battalion to arrive here, and joined the 50,000 cavalrymen who had arrived here before. Starting from this morning, Guo Kun led 50,000 infantry and baggage troops to arrive here one after another. After a busy day, finally all the soldiers and horses entered the camp and all matters were on track. In the evening, Guo Kun finally arrived.
At this moment, the sun was setting in the west. On the highest floor of the nine-story stone pagoda, Lin Jue and Guo Kun stood side by side by the stone railing, leaning on the railing and looking into the distance. Under the setting sun, the front was endless in the direction of Bianliang, and there was no snow on the ground at all. Traces of melted snow seeped into the soil, and the entire earth presented a fertile and soft black color. A large river shining with golden light under the setting sun slowly flowed by on the south side, which flows from the capital to the south of the hill. The Bianhe River on the side. The trees up and down the nearby hills have clearly shown a state of vigorous growth, and the smoky green extends north and south along the direction of the hills. Everything in front of you gives people a sense of vastness. A feeling of vitality.
Guo Kun looked happy, and the golden armor all over his body shone brightly in the sunset, and his entire face seemed to be glowing in the reflection.
"Brother-in-law, I, Dazhou, is a land of majestic rivers, mountains, and outstanding people. This is the land of Gyeonggi Province. I thought I would never have the chance to come back in this life. But today, we finally came back. Although we can't see Bianliang City yet, I am already very excited.
I'm so happy. If my father were alive, he would be extremely happy. Brother-in-law, I really thank you. All the years of planning and management are all due to your efforts. In the future, after we recapture the capital and drive away the foreign enemies, you will be our great leader.
The number one hero of the Zhou Dynasty. I don’t make any promises. Whatever you want in the future, as long as I, Guo Kun, can give it to you, I will give it to you. Even if it means...sharing the great Zhou world with you."
Lin Jue was also fully armed, but he was wearing ordinary black armor, and the purple-red cloak behind him was burning like a ball of fire. He was squinting and looking into the distance, but when he heard Guo Kun say these words in his ear, he turned his head
Come and laugh.
"Brother, you are thinking too much. Are you thinking about the future right now? What we are facing now is a big war. We only have a hundred thousand soldiers and horses, and we have to face an enemy several times stronger than us.
, Uncle, you are now thinking about what will happen after taking over the world. Are you a little too optimistic? Even if you take over the world, you and I will share the country? You dare to say this, but I dare not listen." Lin Jue said.
Guo Kun said in a deep voice: "What I said was not a lie, I thought so from the bottom of my heart."
Lin Jue waved his hand and said: "Brother, stop talking. If you keep saying these things, I won't be able to communicate with you properly. You know that I am not a person who strives for power and gain, so there is no need to use these words to win over me. If I
If you were seeking power, how could you leave the imperial court and go to Funiu Mountain? I'll pretend I didn't hear these words and won't say them again."
Guo Kun smiled bitterly and said: "Well, although I said these words sincerely, since you don't like to hear it and feel that I don't mean it, then I won't say it. But I am sincere in my heart, and only heaven and earth can learn from it."
Lin Jue frowned and changed the subject: "The Jurchens are about to attack. Their troops are several times larger than ours. Let's face reality. The Jurchens are not that easy to deal with."
Guo Kun said with a smile: "Actually, I'm not worried at all."
Lin Jue frowned and said, "Why?"
Guo Kun pointed at Lin Jue and said: "Han Jian, because you are here. If I say it alone, I naturally have no confidence. But with you here, it is different. You alone can defeat hundreds of thousands of soldiers, I
My confidence comes from you.”
Lin Jue smiled and said: "That is even more unreliable. It is impossible to put the treasure on one person. One person's wisdom and strength are limited. What we have to rely on are our soldiers and the world.
If we all work together to help our people, much can be done."
Guo Kun chuckled and said: "I know that the people's support is against them. Don't you say this every day? I have already remembered it. I will practice it. But when it comes to marching and fighting, I only believe in you. A good person
How important is the coach, am I still unclear? How many crises have you resolved along the way? It’s all because of your command. You must not be humble. That’s why I believe you will be able to defeat strong enemies.”
Lin Jue laughed and waved his hands: "That's all, I find it's a bit embarrassing to talk to my uncle now. My uncle is too humble and too polite to me. Could it be that he wants to flatter me? I remember back then.
, you are not like this to me. The young prince who yelled at me to kill me is gone."
Guo Kun smiled bitterly and said: "What are you talking about before? When I found out about my sister and you in Hangzhou, I almost went crazy. At that time, I really wanted to chop you off. I don't know why. So I let you go. In fact, I still feel very guilty about that incident. My sister still refuses to forgive me. That day, my mother also said that my sister has always been obsessed with her first child who was forced to abort. I couldn't stop crying. It's all my fault. If I hadn't forced her, I wouldn't have let her suffer."
Lin Jue was stunned for a moment, feeling quite guilty. He had neglected to care about the little princess in the past few years. He originally thought he knew Caiwei very well, but in fact he knew very little about Caiwei's inner thoughts. Back then, he and I Although Guo Caiwei was forced to abort her first child, she felt a little sad at the time, but in the end she was more relieved than regretful. After all, it would be difficult to deal with many things if the child was kept. But this incident left a huge impression on Guo Caiwei's heart. There are scars, but I know nothing about them.
"Guo Kun was dead back then. After so many things, it's time for me to mature. My father often talked about me when he was still alive. He said: Kun'er, when will you grow up so that you won't be impatient and impulsive when things happen. I think I must have disappointed a lot of people back then. I will never be the same person I was back then. I think I have grown up." Guo Kun looked into the distance and whispered thoughtfully.
Lin Jue felt something in his heart and said softly: "Actually, I quite like you before. Although you have a irritable temper, you are still straightforward. Once a person matures, it is no longer fun. He has learned to mean something in his words, and has learned to cover up, so he can't It’s so easy to talk to.”
Guo Kun was stunned and asked: "What?"
Lin Jue waved his hands and smiled and said: "Nothing, let's talk about the matter at hand. The Jurchen army will set off in the afternoon and is expected to arrive tonight. There may be a war against us tomorrow. We can't retreat from this battle. I'm worried now On the contrary, it was not the Jurchens but Lu Zhongtian's soldiers and horses. I never expected that this old thief Lu Zhongtian would dare to steal the country. Now that he holds 200,000 forbidden troops in his hands, what I am most worried about is their movements. If the old thief joins forces with the Jurchens at all costs, then we will face an unprecedented dangerous situation and may be beaten back to our original shape. Has my uncle considered this?"
Guo Kun nodded and said: "I have thought about it. But there is nothing we can do about it. Now we can only hope that Lu Zhongtian will not join forces with the Jurchens. Otherwise it will be really difficult. Maybe we will have to retreat to the Funiu Mountains. Of course, you might There is no good strategy yet."
Lin Jue said: "It is impossible to hope that Lu Zhongtian will join forces with the Jurchens. There is a high probability that this will happen. Lu Zhongtian has completely lost his temper and has become a dog. He can do anything. The old thief is now relying on He has 200,000 forbidden troops in hand, and with Bianliang City in hand, he still has capital. However, the old thief is fickle and cunning. Even if he joins forces with the Jurchens, he will not use his full strength. His cunning is not only Not only for us, but also for the Jurchens. This is his weakness. If he is willing to go all out, we will be in trouble. But I guess he will not do that. He is more likely to use the Jurchens to destroy us. So our The top priority is to defeat the Jurchens."
Guo Kun nodded and said: "It makes sense. The more cunning the old thief is, the less willing he is to use his full strength. He also has to guard against the Jurchens. Even if they join forces, they are still a union of wolves and foxes, each with their own agenda."
Lin Jue nodded and smiled: "This example is very vivid. The friendship between the wolf and the fox cannot be strong. They have to guard against each other."
Guo Kun smiled and said: "I can't actually help you with the war, but there is something I want to ask about your attitude at the moment."
Lin Jue smiled and said: "I guess my uncle wants to ask how to deal with Guo Xu's matter."
Guo Kun nodded and smiled: "Exactly."
Lin Jue said: "Have you met Guo Xu?"
Guo Kun said: "I met him immediately, as well as some of the royal family of my Guo family and the Prince Consort."
Lin Jue said: "What did you say to him?"
Guo Kun said: "What do I have to say to him? He is just a scum who killed his father and brother. Talking to him will not dirty my mouth. I just ridiculed him a few words to eliminate the hatred in my heart. I just laughed at him.
He begged me to spare his life. That’s really crazy.”
Lin Jue said: "Brother, don't you plan to spare his life?"
Guo Kun was stunned and said in astonishment: "Spare him? What are you talking about? Brother-in-law, are you crazy? You actually said that you want to spare this heartless beast? Have you forgotten the things he did?"
Lin Jue looked at Guo Kun and said: "I have not forgotten, and I did not say that I would spare him. However, I cannot make a decision about Guo Xu's life and death, because Guo Xu's life and death is not just the life and death of an ordinary person. He
He is the emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. It has a great influence on his handling, especially at this time."
Guo Kun frowned and said, "What do you mean?"
Lin Juedao: "There is no doubt that Guo Xu died unjustly. Mr. Fang, Mr. Yan and Lu Zhongtian jointly planned to murder the King of Jin, the Queen Mother, the Queen and Concubine Rong all with his own hands. It can be said that the Emperor died because of him.
It is not an exaggeration for such a person to die a hundred times. I snatched him back from the Jurchens just to avenge the dead people, my teacher and Master Yan. However, someone reminded me that now
At this stage, Guo Xu's identity is extremely important. Killing him may lead to unexpected consequences. And keeping his life may be of great benefit. After thinking about it carefully, I think this statement makes sense. If his life is affected
I have to be cautious about the overall situation. So I have to carefully consider it with you."
Guo Kun said in a deep voice: "Is his life and death so important?"
Lin Jue nodded and said: "It is indeed very important. Killing him is not good for our rumors. After all, it is a trip to kill the king. Lu Zhongtian will use this matter to clear his name, and we have no excuse. The people of the world will have more prejudices against us."
A few more points. Although I, the Luoyan Army, have already been regarded as rebels in the minds of many people and no longer care about these remarks, there is no need to do so if we are used by Lu Zhongtian to deceive the world. If we are the opposite
If Guo Xu orders the world, things will be much easier to handle. Our Luoyan Army will become the escort troops and will immediately change the image. It will be even more convincing if Guo Xu exposes Lu Zhongtian's wolf ambitions. The support of the people is very important.
It is even related to the success or failure of major events. Since I, the Luoyan Army, have chosen to leave the mountain, I certainly hope that I will not have to go back to Funiu Mountain. I hope that the big event will succeed, so I have to tell you the pros and cons. Although I really want to kill Guo Xu with one knife, but
I can't just care about my own likes and dislikes and ignore your feelings. After all, we are working hard for the great Zhou community, and this is not my personal matter."
Guo Kun was silent. He had to admit that Lin Jue's statement was correct. Killing Guo Xu at this juncture would indeed have a very bad impact. Originally, the Luoyan Army had been labeled as a rebel since the day of the uprising.
In the name of bandits, seven out of ten people in the world do not agree with the actions of the Luoyan Army. Even Lin Jue announced Guo Xu's murder of his father, brother, bloodbath, and usurpation of the harem and usurped the throne in various state capitals throughout the Zhou Dynasty for exposure and publicity.
But in fact, most people still believe the court's statement, or adopt a neutral attitude. They believe that the rumors of slandering each other in order to compete for the throne are not credible, and Guo Kun is not qualified to compete for the throne, and he prefers Guo Kun.
It is said that Kun raised an army to rebel.
If the Luoyan Army already has the strength to crush the situation, it may not need to care about the impact of Guo Xu's death. But the Luoyan Army is now the party with the fewest troops and the weakest foundation among the three forces. It strives for the recognition of the people all over the world and uses
Guo Xu uses this card to gain both moral and practical support. This is actually the most realistic choice.
However, Guo Kun felt that things were not that simple. Lin Jue expressed his intention to put Guo Xu to death countless times. Guo Xu and Lu Zhongtian were the first two people Lin Jue put on the death blacklist after Fang Dunru's death.
Lin Jue had sworn a poisonous oath to kill him to avenge his teacher. After Guo Xu usurped the throne, Lin Jue even gnashed his teeth and cursed countless times. Fang Dunru was Lin Jue's mentor, and he loved him like father and son, and he was Lin Jue's mentor.
Lord Taishan of Jue. Lin Jue has long regarded Fang Dunru’s hatred as his own family feud. On the anniversary of Fang Dunru’s death last year, Lin Jue promised Fang Huanqiu that he would kill Guo Xulu and Lu Zhongtian in revenge. Guo Kun was present and heard it with his own ears.
Guo Chong and Concubine Rong, who died in Guo Xu's hands, were the biological parents of Lin Jue's most beloved childhood sweetheart, Princess Lu Wu. How could Lin Jue not avenge Lu Wu?
For Lin Jue, he had no reason to hesitate in killing Guo Xu. With Lin Jue's character, he would never spare his opponent lightly because of the so-called overall situation. He is not a tolerant person;
He is fully capable of controlling the situation. Since he has decided to lead the Luoyan Army on the expedition, he has already considered the worst case scenario and will not disrupt the entire plan and steps because of Guo Xu's life and death.
Now, he suddenly asked himself about this matter, what did it mean?
Guo Kun is no longer Wu Xia Amon. The reckless and impulsive Guo Kun back then has already become deep and restrained through a series of experiences. His years of dormancy in the Funiu Mountains have also made his views on many things more clear-cut.
Profound. The changes in status and all the changes made Guo Kun mature. In the past few years, his whole person has actually undergone a radical change. Guo Kun learned not to act based on feelings, but also learned to think about problems, becoming more worldly and kind.
Sleek, even a little deep. To a certain extent, he is becoming more and more like his late father Guo Bing.
After thinking carefully, Guo Kun suddenly understood Lin Jue's intention.
"Brother-in-law, can you leave this matter to me? I want to have a good talk with Guo Xu tonight. As for his life or death, maybe there will be an answer tomorrow. You ask me now, but I don't know what to do at the moment.
Answer you." Guo Kun took a breath and said in a deep voice.
Lin Jue smiled and nodded: "Okay, you have a good talk with him tonight and think about it carefully. The decision on this matter is yours, and I won't interfere."
Guo Xu nodded, and the two stopped talking. They just turned side by side and looked into the distance.
Under the ten-mile long post, there are endless camps of hundreds of thousands of Luoyan troops. Around the camp, groups of cavalry galloped and inspected in an orderly manner. Smoke curled up from the camp, and the soldiers had already begun to bury pots to make rice. Farther away,
The sun has set, twilight has gathered, and there is solemnity in the mountains and fields. The sharp spring breeze blows through the mountains and fields, whistling and sounding, like countless wronged souls starting to wander and howl.
