Xu Gong gradually entered a good mood. Once he started talking, he could not stop. He held a cup in one hand but did not drink the tea. He raised the other hand and pointed in the air. "Before Beiliang was absorbed into Liyang territory, there were two paths for the northern nomads to invade south. One was to use Beiliang, which was at the head of the Central Plains, as the first choice. The army occupied the high ground and was usually unstoppable. The disadvantage was that the battle line was slightly longer. Even if they fought all the way to Xiangfan, which was at the middle of the Central Plains, it would be difficult to advance any further. Often, they could only retreat. The second was to go south through the gaps at the border of Ji Province and send cavalry to search in batches to clear out the scattered obstacles outside the pass. On one hand, they would cover the army, and on the other, they would pillage villages and force the Central Plains dynasties to retreat to their strongholds.
"Right now, the Northern Mang seems to have chosen an unwise path, but in fact, choosing short-term troubles and abandoning long-term considerations is a method they have no other choice. The northern barbarians are determined to attack our dynasty, and there is no better plan to speak of. There are only two options to choose from. The Northern Mang can't afford to drag it out, but our dynasty can afford to drag it out. If we wait until the Guangling Path and West Chu are destroyed before the Northern Mang starts the war, then we really won't be able to fight. A Central Plains with a stable interior and a Central Plains imperial court that was eager to make progress was undoubtedly the nightmare of the nomads in the north. If Beimang attacks their western front first, which is the two Liao defense lines that our court built with half of our dynasty's national strength, outsiders may think that this line is closest to Great An City and that Beimang should use their troops this way. However, the truth is that Beimang will not be able to go south at that time because Beiliang's 300,000 border army will definitely respond to the two Liao on the eastern front and initiate an attack on Beimang's southern court. Once the Beiliang cavalry wantonly enters the heartland and enters the grasslands, even if the Beimang army is lucky enough to advance all the way to Great An City, they will not be able to return. Not only will the Southern Court be gone, but even the northern court will be destroyed. "
"Since Beimang has chosen the stubborn Beiliang as their breakthrough point, let's take a step back and say that if Beimang really manages to defeat Beiliang, it is not yet time to take a breather because there will be two fierce battles soon to be fought. The most fatal thing is that these two battles are happening at the same time. Beimang, whose strength has been greatly damaged, has no choice but to fight on two fronts. Western Shu has Chen Zhibao holding the fort, and the eastern front has General Gu Jiantang leading the army. In front of Beimang, they are not soft persimmons. "
"If we take another step back! Chen Zhibao is unable to contain Beimang, and Gu Jiantang's supposedly impregnable eastern front is completely destroyed. So what? Great An City will be given to Beimang. Our dynasty still has the strength to fight! "
At this point, Xu Gong's hand suddenly pulled from north to south. "We can retreat to the south of Guangling River in one go. Don't forget that we still have Zhao Bing's battle-hardened army. With Zhao Bing's army as the core fighting force, His Majesty can easily gather an army of 500,000. It is not a difficult matter."
Xu Gong suddenly laughed self-deprecatingly. "Speaking of which, Beimang can really force us to this point. They are quite capable. If they win the world in the end, I, Xu Gong, will accept it wholeheartedly. The worst that can happen is that we die in battle. "
Chen Wang said softly, "There is a prerequisite to all of this."
Xu Gong was silent for a moment and then nodded. "The prerequisite is that Beiliang is willing to fight to the death."
Chen Wang muttered to himself, "I know that person is willing."
Xu Gong grunted. "There is no other way. He is Xu Xiao's son. Anyone can retreat, but not him! "
Chen Wang smiled slightly and said, "It is very difficult for me to connect the young master who spent money to buy poems from me to the King of Beiliang who dares to fight when he says he wants to."
Xu Gong didn't know how to respond.
Chen Wang muttered, "The snowflakes in Beiliang are as large as a banquet. Thinking about it, if Great An City is already so snowy, my hometown will be even colder."
Xu Gong felt some admiration for this scholar who was more than a decade younger than him. A young man from Beiliang who entered the capital to take the Jinshi exam and passed. In the capital's officialdom, he had never said a single bad word about Beiliang. He had also never concealed his little "relationship" with the then-heir of Beiliang. Even so, he was still in the Emperor's heart and walked step by step to a high position. He even had the hope of reaching the top and fighting for the position of future leader of the civil officials. Xu Gong didn't dare believe this story and didn't expect Chen Wang to tell it of his own accord. Even if Chen Wang was willing to tell it, Xu Gong wouldn't dare listen, no matter how bold he was. Unless, one day, Chen Wang really did remove the prefix of "Prime Minister" and became a second Zhang Julu, and Xu Gong also needed to become a second Gu Jiantang of the Liyang Dynasty.
The conversation between the two was like drinking tea. It was seventy to eighty percent enjoyable, but there was still a lingering aftertaste. If they continued talking, they would probably feel disgusted.
Xu Gong stood up and bid farewell.
Chen Wang also stood up to see him off. He walked him all the way to the door and said with a smile, "Brother Xu will be heading to the northern front tomorrow. I have to be on time to go to the diligent room, so I won't see you off."
Xu Gong nodded. "No matter. You and I will have plenty of opportunities to meet in the future."
Xu Gong sat in the inconspicuous carriage and slowly left in the wind and snow. The tracks left behind by the wheels were quickly covered by the goose feather snow.
Chen Wang turned around and stepped onto the steps. He looked up at the night sky and suddenly ordered the old gatekeeper, "Old Song, prepare the carriage. I want to go enjoy the snow. Also, remember to send someone to inform her. "
The old man was surprised. "Night ban?"
Like Xu Gong, Chen Wang didn't have time to take off his official robes and court robes. He smiled and said, "Just leave the city without changing."
The old man immediately felt proud. He smiled knowingly and said, "This old servant will go right away."
A short while later, a carriage came out of the southern city gates and stopped at a small crossing.
Chen Wang walked down from the carriage. For some reason, he was standing at the crossing to the south, but his gaze was looking to the west.
Chen Wang took out the small item he always carried with him and sniffed it lightly.
When he was young, he had read an old saying: Three lives of good karma, in this life, one can smell the fragrance of Nanmu.
In his hand was a piece of Nanmu worth ten thousand gold.
At that time, he was just a poor youth who had studied hard for ten years and still had an uncertain future. He would often sit at the shady crossing covered in reeds and read. She would often listen to him while she worked on her clothes.
He said that after he became famous in the imperial examinations, he would definitely return home in glory. He would definitely bring her some of this Nanmu incense.
Also.
He would definitely marry her.
Then, he traveled thousands of li to this Great Peace City, the most virtuous city in the world. He successfully jumped the dragon's gate in the imperial examinations of thousands of soldiers and horses.
But in the end, he married. Lifting the red veil, that beautiful face in the candlelight.
Not her.
He only sent the four words, "Don't think about me, don't wait."
After so many years, the person he was most afraid of was not the emperor whose heart was unpredictable, or the Crown Prince who hid his sharpness, or the omnipresent Zhao Gou.
He was most afraid that he would talk in his sleep, afraid that he would call out her name. He was even more afraid that the path he had chosen in his hot-bloodedness would implicate the graceful woman far away in Beiliang.
She had once told him with a red face that if they married in the future, he would not be allowed to do farm labor. Why? Because he was a scholar.
Chen Wang gripped the piece of Nanmu tightly. His lips trembled as he closed his eyes.
The heavy snow in the middle of winter covered his shoulders. Also, he did not pay attention to the falling snow.
Chen Wang.
Wang, the name of the full moon. The sun was in the east, the moon in the west, looking at each other from a distance.
This worthy young Prime Minister slowly opened his eyes and said softly, "Have you found a good family?"
Even if you haven't, don't wait anymore.
If you marry, you should find a scholar who knows how to cherish you more than me. You must hate me, this heartless person, right?
Chen Wang's face was filled with tears.
What he didn't know was that Wataguchi Yoshihiko was still waiting for him. But he used to be standing at the ferry, but now he was lying in the reeds, waiting forever.
The dead do not complain, but those who have not returned do not know.
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