Linzhi

In September of the year when Emperor Jiayou died, it was the time when the autumn was high and windy, and the water was full of egrets. The Turkic army left Chang'an and marched south. Announced to the world, the reign name is Kaiping, according to the south of Anzhou, to the rich land in Yangzhou.

There are no masters in the world, and those who are capable live there. There are many people who refuse to accept the nine princes as emperors. After hearing that Emperor Kaiping ascended the throne, the rebels in Taiyuan and Luoyang also proclaimed themselves emperors, each with a year name.

When there are many emperors, everyone will follow Liushenwuzhu. Those who don't want to be emperors will naturally find a backer. Li Kuan is of course famous, and he also claims to have the last emperor's edict in his hand. Not willing to listen to a puppet young emperor who was learning to speak, he set his sights further north.

"You guys should have realized by now that what Li Kuan is relying on is the late emperor's edict? The late emperor left in a hurry, so why did he leave behind any edict? It's just a reckless order to usurp the throne!"

In the hut, three or four people sat around in a dim light, but they didn't even light the candles. When he said the last few words, Ji Ling even lowered his voice, for fear of being overheard by others.

The rest of the people remained silent, feeling a sense of sympathy in their hearts, thinking that Li Kuan is now so powerful that he almost overwhelmed the sky with one hand, and then King Wei came from Yangzhou with troops and horses, the two joined forces, and now King Xing led troops across In the Jiangbei Expedition, in the southern area, Li Kuan was almost invincible.

Ji Ling stood up for King An early on, but among the six, Xue Tan had already gone to Lingzhou with He Rong. Ji Ling's background and official position were placed there, so he could play better by staying in the capital to help He Rong deliver the news. His usefulness, and because the Ministry of Industry is not conspicuous among the six departments, Ji Ling can keep a low profile until he drives south, and the situation changes suddenly. Seeing that Zhang Song and his group are about to be arrested because they can't talk with Li Kuan The other party squeezed out the power center, Ji Ling saw the opportunity, and spoke out to win them over, hoping to draw them all to Wang An's side.

The northern part suffered large-scale destruction due to the Turkic people, especially Gaomen with mansions of fertile land. The power of the aristocratic family was greatly weakened, but the aristocratic family has existed for hundreds of years, and it should not be underestimated. Moreover, Ji Ling knew that He Rong was actually very interested in Zhang Song, Fan Yi and others have a lot of admiration for their character, but they have different positions before and they don't conspire with each other.

In the past few months, Zhang Song has been running around here and there. He is already old, and now his beard and hair are even grayer.

"Jing Bing, Ming people don't speak dark words, do you support His Royal Highness King An?" The prime minister was not in vain, he raised his head and looked at Ji Ling with piercing eyes, still very intimidating.

Ji Ling's expression didn't change, and now he doesn't have to hide it anymore.

"That's right. Today's son passed away without leaving a will. The crown prince and King Ji have both passed away. In terms of merit, King An will do his part. In terms of talent and virtue, King An is the most outstanding among the princes. The current situation of falling apart, It is time for someone with outstanding virtue and ability to ascend to the top, gather heroes, calm the chaos, and carry forward the past, so who can you choose, King She'an?"

Zhang Song and the others fell silent.

They are actually not dissatisfied with King An, on the contrary, Wang An's excellence is obvious to all, but because he is too assertive, the other party obviously doesn't like to see the family, so he went to Lingzhou early to draw a clear line with them, Zhang Song is not You idiot, you can't even see this.

But if you lean towards Li Kuan...

Zhang Song shook his head secretly. Leaving aside Li Kuan's treacherous and loyal character and his ambition to monopolize power, the other party is actually not from the aristocratic camp, but belongs to foreign relatives and nobles, so at this time, the other party will take the opportunity to weaken the power of the aristocratic family.

"Did His Highness King An ask you to tell us these words?"

Ji Ling shook his head: "Nowadays the north-south communication is inconvenient, and I can't contact King An, but now that Li Kuan has King Wei to join forces, he no longer needs us. If he doesn't leave as soon as possible, I'm afraid that when Li Kuan wants to attack us, It's too late!"

Zhang Song was silent for a moment, and sighed: "You said it lightly, your family members fled back to Shouchun ahead of time, and our family has brought them here, so we can go wherever we want!"

As soon as this remark came out, several other people also looked at each other and shook their heads and sighed.

They are now trapped in the quagmire, and it is already impossible to get out.

"Where do you want to go?"

As the door was suddenly pushed open, a leisurely voice appeared at the door.

Everyone followed the prestige and turned pale with shock.

Li Kuan walked in, with a slim robe and decent appearance. Even Ji Ling couldn't help but admit that Li Kuan's words and deeds were very pleasing.

"Don't listen to indecent words, Prime Minister Li Xiangtang, don't you even have this kind of etiquette?" Zhang Song's expression darkened.

Li Kuan smiled at the corner of his mouth: "Since it is upright, why avoid others? Now that the new emperor is about to enthroned, how many of you are court officials, do you still want to leave your post without authorization?"

Zhang Song snorted coldly: "The first emperor left in a hurry and did not leave a will. You want to support the new emperor to ascend the throne, but did you ever ask us to agree?"

Li Kuan said: "The first emperor ordered me to obey it."

Zhang Song took the case and said, "When the first emperor passed away, none of us were in front of us. How credible is it just by your few words!"

Li Kuan said lightly: "Why should Prime Minister Zhang get angry? Now that the current situation is turbulent, it is time for you and me to work together to tide over the difficulties. I have never thought of monopolizing power. Instead, it is Zhang Xiang who gathered a few colleagues here to discuss matters in private. Is it possible to think that it will be detrimental to the new king? At present, the grandson of the emperor and the king of Wei have all tried their best to support the new king. I advise you to do your own thing and think twice. Focus on the overall situation, don't be emotional."

Zhang Song was furious, and when he was about to scold someone, he restrained himself.

Li Kuan ignored everyone's different expressions, and said to himself: "Not long ago, the Turkic people left Chang'an and continued to go south. Maybe they will arrive in Shangzhou soon."

Many people thought that the Turkic people had robbed and killed enough, so they should go back. The battle line was stretched too fast and too long. People themselves are not a good thing.

Who knows that Fu Nian just doesn't believe in this evil.

Of course, with Xie Shi in Shangzhou, it might be able to last longer, but with that little force alone, it is by no means an opponent for the Turks.

Ji Ling couldn't understand what he heard. He was not good at leading troops to fight, but he also felt that Li Kuan's sudden words to them had very strange intentions, and he might have some other purpose.

Li Kuan left quickly without taking them away, but the surrounding area of ​​this room was also guarded by officers and soldiers. In other words, Zhang Song and Ji Ling were under house arrest.

Yuan Han, Shangshu of the Ministry of Justice, said timidly, "He won't kill us, will he?"

Zhang Song sneered: "He doesn't dare now! Supporting the young emperor to ascend the throne requires righteousness, and killing important court officials will only be counterproductive. How can he be willing to expose the reputation he has accumulated for so many years? This is to imprison us. Take the initiative to compromise and support the young emperor with him!"

Yuan Han was puzzled: "Then he just said that the Turks left Chang'an, what does that have to do with it?"

When the voice fell, Yuan Han suddenly understood without waiting for Zhang Song's answer.

Li Kuan is threatening them!Sooner or later the team had to cross the river. If they refused to compromise, Li Kuan didn't need to kill them. He just left them behind and left them to the Turkic people, and he could kill them with a knife.

Thinking of this, Yuan Han couldn't help but shudder.

He took office in a hurry before the first emperor went south, and he was not an official from an aristocratic family. Now he has fully understood Li Kuan's methods.

Liu Zhong remained silent, not knowing what he was thinking.

Zhang Song glanced over all of them, and couldn't help but sneer, he already guessed that due to Li Kuan's power, someone here might soon lower his head.

Li Kuan's move is not ingenious.

Thinking of the situation in the world and even the ownership of the throne, Zhang Song couldn't help but sigh deeply in his heart.

All parties were supposed to work together to deal with the Turkic people, but now it is the other way around. The existence of the Turkic people has unknowingly become a tool for all parties to fight for power and profit.

In fact, ever since the first emperor died of a sudden illness, Zhang Song felt that the situation was completely out of control. He knew very well that Li Kuan's ambitions were clearly revealed. Instead of proclaiming himself emperor, not to mention King An Xing and others, even King Wei would not support Li Kuan, so even if Concubine Li Shu's son is gone, Li Kuan still has the eldest grandson of the emperor. The value of is used to the limit.

But Zhang Song is different from Li Kuan. Although Zhang Song was born in the Zhang family of Duling, he also has considerations for the interests of the family, but he is still a loyal courtier in essence. In Zhang Song's heart, he is more inclined to be the best among the princes of the previous emperors. An Wang can come out to clean up the mess, turn the tide and end it all.

However, no matter how capable King An is, his military strength is limited, and he dare not directly face the Turkic people who swept across the Central Plains. Maybe the power of this dynasty will really come to an end in just a few decades.

Ahead, is there hope?

……

Outside Shangzhou City, Ping'an Town.

The morning sun rises slowly, like so many old days.

It's just that Ping An Town is no longer safe.

The Turkic cavalry set off from the southeast of Chang'an without hindrance, but when they arrived outside Ping'an Town, they encountered a hard point.

Xie Shi, the governor of Shangzhou, sent people to ambush on both sides of the valley outside the town, and prepared sharp swords and boulders early. He still insisted on moving forward, and finally passed through the valley at the cost of losing thousands of people, and came to Ping'an Town.

The people of Ping'an Town had already been evacuated into the city by Xie Shi, leaving an empty town with nothing left.

The Turks captured Chang'an. Logically speaking, the people in the Central Plains should have been scared out of their wits long ago. In addition, now that the localities are in their own way, many people heard the word Turks and turned around without saying a word, let alone attacking them head-on.

But Xie Shi dared.

The governor of Shangzhou is a strange person. Since He Rong and his family were still in Fangzhou, Xie Shi has been the governor of Shangzhou. Because he did a good job, when the imperial court wanted to transfer him to the capital, the local people were even reluctant to let him go. He even asked the court to keep Xie Shi in ten thousand words. Xie Shi himself didn't seem to have any interest in being promoted and made a fortune, so he took the initiative to ask the court to stay in his post. This stay lasted for more than ten years, which was against the rules, but Xie Shi was an exception. He has no children and no children. For him and his old wife, Shangzhou is equivalent to a second hometown. Emperor Jiayou was especially kind, and Xie Shi became a wonderful flower in this dynasty.

When the Turks invaded Chang'an, Xie Shi originally wanted to lead troops to rescue him, but Emperor Jiayou ran too fast and did not leave Shangzhou at all. With the strength of Shangzhou's troops, he could not compete with the Turks, so Xie Shi had no choice but to stand still , defend Shangzhou and wait for the opportunity.

The people of Shangzhou also had an inexplicable trust in Xie Shi. When they heard that the Turkic people were coming, the people in many places fled with their families. Much less.

Xie Shi thought that he should be worthy of the trust of the people, and he was even more determined to defend the city. He thought to himself that even if this old life was placed in Shangzhou, the Turkic people must not let the Turks pass half a step from here.

However, the development of the matter was far beyond Xie Shi's expectation.

The Turkic people did not attack Shangzhou by force, but passed by directly, bypassing Shangzhou, and went straight to Dengzhou.

Dengzhou is not far from Xiangzhou, and further south is Jingzhou on the banks of the Yangtze River. Li Kuan is staying there with the nine princes and a group of veteran court officials, and has not yet crossed the river.

Did the Turks go after Li Kuan?

Xie Shi thought it was.

But in fact, the Turks and another group of people met in Songlingang not far from Dengzhou.

That was He Zhan and others after crossing the river.

Dengzhou's water transportation is smooth, and it doesn't take much time for He Zhan to enter Hanshui from the Yangtze River and then enter Dengzhou from Baihe.

There are few hills and many hills here, and the terrain is flat, which is somewhat similar to the Turkic. Here, the Turkic cavalry can exert the greatest advantage. He Zhan knows very well that if he fails to stop the Turkic people here, then the opponent will continue to go south. Many people in the hinterland of the Central Plains There are not so many guards in the city, and the city wall is not very strong.For the Turkic people who took Jinzhou and Chang'an, they have already accumulated a certain amount of experience in siege. If this continues, the whole north will be very dangerous.

In fact, Songlingang is more like a gentle hillside, covered with greenery, lively and active children climb from the bottom to the top, at most it takes a while. In this kind of terrain, it is difficult for the enemy and us to hide. It is a real head-to-head battle.

The sky was overcast, completely covering even a little bit of sunlight.

But on the ground, the killing sound was already shaking the sky, and the blood flowed like a river.

The horse was stabbed in the front hoof by the spear, and accompanied by a shrill neigh, the front half of the horse fell forward. The knight was caught off guard, and was also thrown to the ground. Then a few spears stabbed his body, and there were several blood holes in his body. The soldier widened his eyes. Eyes, as if unable to believe that death came so hastily.

In this kind of terrain, long-range arrows could not be used at all, and the soldiers had to put aside their bows and arrows, draw out their swords, and engage in close combat with the enemy.

The cavalry met on a narrow road, and during the chaotic battle, many people were overturned and dismounted, kicked or trampled by horseshoes, and died of serious internal organs injuries on the spot.

He Zhan took the lead, clamping the horse's belly with his legs, and rushed towards the enemy with his sword in hand. He raised the sword in his hand and fell, cutting off the heads of several enemies in an instant.

However, this kind of good luck was only at the beginning of the preemptive attack. When the Turkic people reacted, seven or eight horsemen immediately surrounded him with the intention of killing He Zhan.

The reflection of the long knife reflected the ferocious face of the Turkic man, and the clothes on his face were stained with blood, and he couldn't tell whether it was the enemy or his own.

He Zhan took a breath. He searched for Fu Nian's figure in the crowd, but he couldn't find him. The battlefield was changing rapidly, and he couldn't allow him to be distracted for a moment. Seven or eight knives swung over, and He Zhan had to roll over from the horse's back. Come down and do hand to hand combat with the enemy in the siege.

He didn't bring out all the soldiers and horses this time. After all, there still needs someone to guard Lingnan. He Zhan's original plan was to settle in Dengzhou first after crossing the river, and then use Dengzhou to defend the city, and then move forward step by step. North, regained Chang'an, and drove the Turks out of the Central Plains.After he crossed the river with Tan Jin, Tan Jin escorted the grain and grass behind, and he went to Dengzhou first, but he encountered a Turkic army outside the city.

It's not that He Zhan never thought about fighting the Turks, but he didn't expect it to come so soon and so suddenly.

The battlefield was only a few miles away from Rang City, but the city gate was closed tightly, and the defenders in the city seemed to be frightened by the Turkic people. They never thought of opening the city gate to give He Zhan and the others a way out.

Even if He Zhan knew nothing about military affairs, he should have noticed something strange by now, not to mention he wasn't in the first place.

In Rangcheng, someone reported to the Turks, or...?

A more terrifying idea came to mind.

As if to test his conjecture, there was a dull sound from afar, and the door that was tightly closed was slowly opened.

Many soldiers were overjoyed, thinking that reinforcements had finally come out of town to help.

There was indeed a group of soldiers and horses rushing out of the city, but the team did not raise the flag, and the face of the leading general was also very strange...

No, not unfamiliar!

He Zhan found out that he had seen each other before!

That was after King Qi's rebellion, the palace change came to an end, and his father ascended the throne as emperor. He rushed back from Luoyang and went to Nanya to hand over. He is tall and burly, and it is said that he has a lot of experience in spears.

Although He Zhan never saw the other party again, but at this moment, the flash of light in his mind disappeared, and the remaining memory was instantly brought back.

That's right, the other party's surname is Jiang, and he is Li Kuan's confidant and favorite general!

Vice-General Jiang came galloping with a long spear in his hand, and the gun flower swirled like a celestial girl's scattered flowers, stabbing towards this side.

The target was not the Turks around He Zhan, but He Zhan!

He Zhan had been prepared for a long time, he folded his waist, narrowly avoiding the spear, and then turned around and swung his sword, slashing at the opponent's arm.

"These people are with the Turkic people, don't be soft! Kill!" He Zhan roared.

The lieutenant not far away heard it and roared after him.

The voices were repeated one after another, spreading throughout the battlefield.

"kill!"

"kill!"

The matter has come to this point, there is still nothing that He Zhan doesn't understand. Li Kuan clearly reserved this trick before going south, and put some of his troops in Dengzhou. Only the Turks could get the news in advance and come here to intercept him.

This person is not only ruthless, but also shameless, joining hands with people from different races, I am afraid that the reason why the prince was in danger in Yunzhou, and later the emperor abandoned Chang'an, and fled south in a hurry, could not be separated from Li Kuan. Make trouble.

The so-called going south to avoid danger is just to make room for the Turkic people so that they can completely wreak havoc in the north. With the help of the Turkic people, they can wipe out the family and the imperial army in one fell swoop, and then make the various forces split up and rule each other. After robbing enough and killing enough and returning to the pass, he, Li Kuan, can support the young emperor, and with his full strength, go north to recover the lost land, gain both fame and fortune, and gain power all over the world.

He Zhan gritted his teeth with hatred. Now he only regrets that when he learned that Li Kuan was suspected of being involved in the old case of Lu Wangfu, he didn't come to the door to kill him.

But... what's the use of talking about it now, right now, a bloody road must be fought to save the day.

Blood slid down from his forehead, blurring his vision together with sweat, his head felt a dull pain, and he couldn't tell whether it was his own blood or the enemy's blood.

He Zhan wiped his eyes with his non-sword hand, trying to wipe off the sticky liquid, but immediately there was a pain in his arm, which almost made him unable to hold the sword in his hand. He reacted so quickly that he didn't even look at it. Glancing at the direction he came from, the sword had already been swung away, and with the screams of the enemy, he faced the next enemy.

Originally, they were evenly matched with the Turkic people, even if they were slightly weaker, they would not be inferior.

But after Vice Jiang joined this army, he formed a siege with the Turkic people, and the situation suddenly reversed. Even if He Zhan wanted to make people retreat, he couldn't advance or retreat because the retreat route was blocked.

You can't advance or retreat, you can only fight!

The enemies seemed to cover the sky and cover the sky, and he couldn't kill them all. His arms were already numb, but he had to keep swinging, chopping, stabbing, and sweeping.

The opponent's armor has worn down the sword's edge time and time again, so that this good sword is a bit curled, but the enemy is still as mountainous as the sea.

A trace of exhaustion crept up from the bottom of He Zhan's heart, and was immediately suppressed by him.

He knew he couldn't have even the slightest thought of it.

However, not all of his soldiers were as determined as him. As early as the moment when the soldiers of Rangcheng, who were also soldiers of the imperial court, swung their knives at them, the morale of everyone was shaken.

Even the imperial court is attacking their own people, do we still need to fight the Turks?

Why do we risk our lives here and they openly collude with the Turks?

Many people died with doubts and confusion, their eyes were looking at the gloomy sky, and they didn't close them until they died.

However, with their corpses and rivers of blood, the war and killing are still going on.

I do not know how long it has been.

He Zhan felt that his body had reached a limit.

He knew he couldn't bear it any longer.

Could it be that all the hard work I have done is still meaningless in the end?

He suddenly thought of the prince, and his second brother who died under Fu Nian's knife. He didn't know what kind of mood they were holding before they died.

Then he saw a flag.

One side fluttered in the wind, hunting and fluttering the flag.

There is a word "An" written on it.