"It's rare to see a captive like you behave like this!"
Fei Mo walked over and saw Yang Fan's carefree expression. He couldn't help but find it both funny and annoying. He mocked him and sat down next to Yang Fan. He handed over a grass leaf larger than his palm that contained a handful of mulberries. Some of them were ripe and dark purple, emitting a sweet fragrance. Some were even bright red.
"It's bad enough being a captive. Do you want to torture yourself every day with a bitter expression?"
Yang Fan smiled and sat up. He threw away the green foxtail grass and took the mulberries wrapped in the grass leaf. He picked one up and threw it into his mouth. The flesh was thick, slightly sour, and extremely sweet. It was indeed delicious.
Yang Fan asked Fei Mo, "You've already sent people to the capital?"
Fei Mo nodded. "Yes! They've already been gone for two days. When the Grand Marshal was a hostage in the Central Plains, he had several guards with him. They are all very familiar with the situation in the Central Plains. This time, he sent one of them. "
Yang Fan shook his head. "I don't think it'll be very effective."
Fei Mo glanced at him. "What do you mean?"
Yang Fan threw another mulberry into his mouth. "That's right! You have won many battles, but the Imperial Court has never paid any attention to you. The more battles you win, the less the Empress will be able to lower herself to negotiate peace with you. If it was the Tubo or the Turks, there might be room for negotiation, but you … "
Fei Mo said, "We've captured more than ten of your generals. If that Wu woman doesn't agree, none of you will live!"
Yang Fan sneered. "Old Fei, do you think this is a war between your two tribes? You've captured a few of their leaders, and you want them to use cattle, sheep, and pastures to redeem them? This is the Imperial Court. Whether it's for the dignity of the Empress or the Imperial Court, they will never lower their heads to you! "
Fei Mo's dark face turned red. "All along, when the Imperial Court wants us to fight, we will send troops. We will prepare our own food, weapons, and horses. We will first fight with Emperor Taizong, then listen to Emperor Gaozong's orders! When the Imperial Court wants us to pay tribute, we will pay. Every year, we will choose the best furs and fattest cattle to pay tribute. But how does the Imperial Court treat us?
Your border armies are not guarding our outer perimeter to protect us, the subjects of the imperial court. Instead, they are guarding our inner perimeter. The Turks are relying on us to defend, but you are guarding against us as if we are thieves. We are exchanging our cattle and sheep with the Han people in the border regions for some rations, but your border generals are still collecting heavy taxes!
We don't want much right now. We are still willing to respect the imperial court as our master. We only want to be treated less harshly, less oppressed. Allow us to trade cattle and sheep with you Han people on equal terms, and withdraw your so-called border armies! Is. to be. "
"This is too much!"
Yang Fan said, "From your point of view, it's certainly righteous and confident. But you must understand that you are not the Tubo or the Turks, you are not a country. You do not have the right to rebel first, kill the soldiers of the court, capture the generals of the court, and then negotiate with the court, haggling over the terms!
With regards to your actions, the only option left for the Imperial Court is to strike down harshly and kill one to serve as a warning to others. If the imperial court agrees to your request, it won't just be a matter of face. The imperial court's territory is huge, and there are many tribes like you. If they make an exception for you today, others will follow suit. What will the imperial court do then? "
Fei Mo went silent for a moment before she sneered, "If there's nothing to talk about, then let's continue! However … since the imperial court has abandoned you, you are no longer of any use. When our messengers bring back bad news from the imperial court, the Khan will definitely execute you! "
Yang Fan placed the mulberries on the grass and lay down facing the sky. Using his arms as a pillow, he sighed and said, "I did not die in the midst of thousands of horses and horses. I am already very lucky to be able to live this long. If I can't avoid death in the end, I have nothing to regret. However, if I die, I won't be lonely on the road to hell. Anyway, it won't be long before you come to accompany me! "
Fei Mo spat out a mouthful of saliva and scolded, "Don't talk about bad luck! I won't die. Is your imperial court's army very powerful? An army of one hundred and sixty thousand was still swallowed by us in one gulp. "
Yang Fan raised a finger and leisurely wagged it. "You can't say it like that. This time, the imperial court suffered a great loss because they were too arrogant. From the generals to the soldiers, not a single one of them took you seriously. Next time, do you think the imperial court's army will still be so careless?"
Fei Mo sneered and didn't say anything. She thought to herself, Do you think we placed all our hopes on the imperial court to sue for peace? We didn't just prepare one hand for this. " However, this was an extremely confidential matter. Even though Yang Fan was already a prisoner and she wasn't afraid of him leaking it, Fei Mo still couldn't say anything.
Yang Fan continued, "You were also a soldier, so you must know some stories from ancient times. Look at those roving bandits. Which one of them can stir up the slightest wave? Regardless of the final outcome, those who once had glory must grasp two points! "
Fei Mo's expression changed. She hurriedly asked, "What two points?"
Yang Fan said, "First, there must be a stable base. There must be people to control and food to gather. Those who roam everywhere without a base won't be able to last more than a few days."
Fei Mo was silent for a moment. "What about the second point?"
Yang Fan said, "Second, there must be a clear position. You must let the world know what you want and what you are fighting for. Moreover, what you want is what the world wants. Only then will a just cause be supported by many. Chen Sheng and Wu Guang are just two bumpkins, but they both know to shout 'Slay the tyrannical Qin, slay the tyrannical Qin' to rally the world.
Shang Tang rebelled against Xia, saying 'Time is lost, I will die with you!' Fan Chong of the Red Eyebrows Army, an illiterate man, also knows to shout 'Those who kill shall die, those who injure shall suffer'. Zhang Jiao said 'The heavens are dead, the yellow sky shall rise. The year is sixty years old, the world is prosperous!' Wang Mang forged the heavenly mandate. Emperor Guangwu of Han said 'The Liu family will rise again, the Li family will assist'. As for our dynasty … hehe, let me ask you, what do you have? "
Fei Mo retorted, "All nonsense! Do you think we, the Khitan tribe, can become an independent country or even overthrow the Tang dynasty? If we say that, it will really be considered a rebellion. The imperial court will not rest until we are annihilated! "
Yang Fan said, "Do you think that because you have not shouted the slogan of independence or overthrowing the Great Zhou, your actions are not considered a rebellion? During the rebellion of the Seven Kings of Han, although they did not dare to shout the slogan of rebellion, they still shouted 'Purge the Emperor's side, kill Chao Cuo' to tell the world that their intention is Chao Cuo, not the Emperor, so that the world will not join forces to punish them. "
Fei Mo fell into deep thought. After a while, she slowly said, "We … what slogan can we shout?"
Yang Fan said, "Wu and Zhou are in power, but the common people still think of Li Tang. If you can shout the slogan of supporting Li Tang, supporting Prince of Xiang Li Dan, and supporting Prince of Luling Li Xian, then you will be able to comply with the will of the heavens and the people. The common people will not oppose you so strongly, and if the imperial court wants to deal with you, it will also cause all kinds of criticism."
Fei Mo's eyes brightened. Slapping her thigh, she exclaimed, "Wow! It really is a good idea. If we do it this way, we will have a good reason to attack and will instead make the imperial court look unjust. If the imperial court sends an army, the officers and soldiers who are determined to restore Li Tang will not go all out to suppress us. "
Yang Fan smiled, "Exactly!"
Fei Mo said excitedly, "I will go talk to the Khan and the Grand Marshal!"
Fei Mo jumped up and walked away. Yang Fan secretly let out a sigh of relief. After getting along with Fei Mo for a few days, he knew that Fei Mo's mind wasn't as rough as his appearance. He was afraid that he wouldn't be able to convince him.
Seeing Fei Mo leave, Yang Fan picked up the bag of mulberries. Blowing away a few ants that had crawled onto it, he picked up a mulberry and tossed it into his mouth. It tasted very sweet.
After a while, heavy footsteps came from behind him. Yang Fan turned his head and saw that Fei Mo had returned and was once again in front of him. Yang Fan raised his eyebrows in surprise. Fei Mo's face was gloomy. Emphasizing each word, she said, "You are using me, aren't you?"
Yang Fan's heart skipped a beat. Pretending to be calm, he asked, "Why do you say that?"
Fei Mo said, "You are a former subordinate of Great General Hei Chi Chang, and Great General Hei Chi Chang was harmed by the Zhou imperial court. You must hate Zhou and hope to restore Li Tang. You gave me this idea because you hope to use us Khitans to exert pressure on the imperial court and force the Emperor to not dare to tamper with the Crown Prince selection, am I right? "
Yang Fan's goal was too obvious. He and the Khitans were enemies, so there was no reason for him to help them think of an idea that would allow them to gain a foothold in the name of righteousness. As long as Fei Mo changed her mind, it would be hard not to guess his intentions.
Yang Fan made up his mind and straightforwardly said, "That's right! I am using you to work for the two princes of Li Tang. I don't like this imperial court, and I also don't like a woman becoming the Emperor. In order to protect her power, she wantonly kills! But my idea isn't harmful to you, is it? "
Fei Mo chuckled. "That's right! As long as it can cause trouble for that woman, it is a good idea! I came back to tell you not to treat me as a fool! "
Fei Mo turned around and left with a hearty laugh.
After these few days of interaction, Fei Mo had long understood Yang Fan's attitude. This Zhou general clearly loathed his Emperor and the Zhou imperial court, so he was not surprised that Yang Fan would help him come up with this idea.
This slogan could obviously improve their awkward situation. Although the Han people would not join them because of this, they were Khitans and not Li Tang's imperial court. But if that woman wanted to recruit troops to quell the rebellion, there would not be so many people who would join.
Seeing Fei Mo leave laughing, Yang Fan secretly heaved a sigh of relief. This was an excellent opportunity. The forces loyal to the Li Tang Empire were gradually recovering and secretly seizing power. If the Khitans were used as pressure to force the imperial court to adjust its policies, the Li Tang Empire's forces would undoubtedly further recover and develop rapidly.
However, to achieve this, it was not enough to just rely on the Khitans to shout this slogan. Someone in the imperial court had to cooperate. Now that Yang Fan was in the hands of the enemy, he could not play a leading role in this matter. But he believed that the old fellows of the "Heaven Observation Division" would keenly grasp this opportunity.
Old Great Grandfather Li and the other old foxes of the seven sects and five families would not let go of this opportunity. Di Renjie and the other exiled prime ministers and important ministers would not be indifferent when they heard this slogan. Taiping, that cunning little fox, would also not let this great opportunity slip from his grasp.
Thinking of this, Yang Fan could not help but sigh softly. Being captured by the enemy as a captive could have an unprecedented impact on the imperial court. This was really unexpected.
But, how could he escape with his life? This was not something that could be done with a pair of sharp tongues.
…
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
