These seven people were, without a doubt, the most influential figures in the Lianyang Ministry of War in the past five years. Other than Lu Baijie, who had to resign because of the Guangling War, Gu Jiantang led the military and politics of the two Liao provinces. Chen Zhibao was given the title of King of Western Shu. They were all well-deserved promotions. Wu Zhongxuan was like the sun in the sky. Among the assistant ministers, Tang Tieshuang was the latest to enter the capital. However, compared to Xu Gong and Lu Shengxiang, who were at the top of the city walls, he was more of a late bloomer. Everyone in the court gradually viewed Tang Tieshuang as the best candidate for the next Minister of War. It was clear that Xu Gong had lost a lot of "people's hearts" when he led his troops south to stop the Beiliang cavalry.
At this time, there was a large group of people galloping out of Wutong Town. There was no lack of high-spirited young people sitting high on their horses. Guo Dongfeng lay lazily on the arrow mound and looked at their figures. He twisted his mouth and his face was full of disdain.
Xu Gong stood beside Lu Shengxiang and smiled. "It seems that the King of Jing An is quite popular."
Lu Shengxiang smiled playfully and said, "Who in the world doesn't know that the King of Jing An is loyal to the court? Everyone says that he is the role model of the vassal kings. In the past four to five years, the court had not given him the title of King. Among the vassal kings, Hsu Fengnian of Beiliang was famous for being a playboy. Zhao Zhu of Nanjiang was famous for his bravery. Zhao Yu of Guangling was known for his ruthlessness. Zhao Yi of Liaodong was relatively unknown. At that time, Zhao Xun was only a little famous in the literary circles of Jiangzuo, but no one thought that he could inherit the title of vassal king. No one thought that in a short two to three years, he would first shake the capital with his thirteen strategies. Then, he would save the Duke of Huainan Zhao Ying and fight to the death. He was praised for being both intelligent and brave. The group of young nobles who followed General Yang Qiang to Wutong Town probably came because they admired their peer, the King of Jing An. Guo Dongfeng, what's the saying? "
Guo Dongfeng, who suddenly heard Lu Sheng Xiang's question, was stunned for a moment. He was at a loss.
Xu Gong softly said, "Along the way to the south, I have indeed heard of the saying, 'The northwest has Xu, Chu, and Song, it's a pity that our Central Plains has Xun'."
Guo Dongfeng, who heard this for the first time, flew into a rage. "He is just a 'suicidal vassal king' who knows nothing about military affairs. How can he deserve to be called 'Zhongyuan Yuan Xun'?! That guy surnamed Xu at least blocked the iron hooves of Beimang's million-strong army. I, Guo Dongfeng, am somewhat convinced. As for that Song Maolin, who is brilliant in literary talent, is only famous for his beauty. I, Guo Dongfeng, disdain to compare myself with him. But who is this Zhao Xun?! "
There were no soldiers near the city wall where the three of them were standing, so Guo Dongfeng's arrogant words did not matter.
Xu Gong smiled faintly. "What a pity."
Almost at the same time, Lu Sheng Xiang said, "What a 'my Central Plains'."
The two famous generals who had been friends for a long time and met for the first time in the small town looked at each other and smiled.
Not long after, the King of Jing An, Zhao Xun, dressed in the official robes of a vassal king, withdrew from the Guangling River Navy and headed north. He only brought a small group of elite riders to Wutong Town. Next to him were the children of the eunuchs in Jing who had come out of the city on their own to welcome him. After they met, Zhao Xun was gentle and courteous. All of them felt regret that they had not met sooner.
The large group of people and horses surged into the small town. When Zhao Xun saw the two people on the city wall, he quickly smiled and cupped his fists in greeting. Xu Gong and Lu Sheng Xiang also cupped their fists in greeting. Zhao Xun did not feel that the two generals of Li Yang, who had been assistant ministers of the Ministry of War, were lacking in manners. However, the group of young people who had been able to call the wind and summon the rain in Great An City when they were young felt injustice for the King of Jing An. They felt that Lu and Xu were only people of "high status but little power" and should not be so restrained. Not to mention coming out of the city to welcome him, at the very least, they should have come down the city wall to greet this vassal king. However, something that made these people even angrier appeared. On the street, three riders suddenly appeared. Facing their cavalry army, almost all of whom were of noble status, they were not willing to give way. If not for the King of Jing An and Zhao Xun taking the lead to give way, the two sides would have collided. The domineering three riders directly exited the city in the middle of the road and did not even look at the people.
When someone was about to get angry, someone would quickly remind them in a small voice and then everything would be calm.
The three riders of Xi Shu were Che Ye, Dian Xiongzao, and Wei Fucheng.
Dian Xiongzao and Wei Fucheng had been the "Four Fangs of Beiliang" outside the northwest pass. Later on, the two of them followed Chen Zhibao into Shu without bringing a single soldier. This was like thunder in the ears of the Li Yang court.
Xu Gong looked at the backs of the three riders with a calm expression. In reality, if it were not for the twenty thousand Shu soldiers retreating at the last minute, the Beiliang cavalry would not have been able to enter Guangling Road so easily. However, the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of War, who had lost the support of the people in court because of this, did not seem to hold a grudge.
Lu Sheng Xiang calmly glanced at Xu Gong.
About fifteen minutes later, the three riders exiting the city turned into four riders entering the city.
The leading rider was a man dressed in white. He held a long spear at an angle and was as handsome as a god.
Lu Sheng Xiang and Xu Gong moved their feet at the same time. They no longer stood in their original position and looked down. After walking down the city wall, the two of them stood near the inconspicuous city wall.
The four riders did not stop, but the man in white nodded slightly at the two of them.
Guo Dongfeng's eyes were burning as he muttered, "I will be like this in the future."
The two great generals of the court, who did not feel that they had been neglected, quietly watched the four riders leave.
Moreover, at this time, the small Wutong Town was filled with dragons crossing the river. There were many eyes and eyes. If the two Assistant Ministers, who were not successful on the battlefield and had lost their official career, stayed together, it could be explained as human nature to stick together for warmth. However, if they were to interact with the feudal lords who held authority at the border, then they would be asking for trouble.
However, toward this person called Chen Zhibao, whether it was Lu Sheng Xiang, who had long been famous throughout the Spring and Autumn Period, or Xu Gong, who had risen to prominence in the Liyang army, they both felt a sense of admiration and longing from the bottom of their hearts.
No matter how high the civil officials in the Liyang imperial court would be in the future, or how low the military generals would be in the future, in their hearts, Chen Zhibao would always be a romantic figure worthy of mutual admiration. Logically speaking, on the battlefield, there would only be piles of corpses, and there would never be romantic affairs. However, Chen Zhibao was undoubtedly the only master of the art of war after Ye Baikui's death who could command troops like a deity. So much so that the two emperors of Liyang were willing to see him as the country's barrier. The previous emperor, Zhao Dun, even wished that Chen Zhibao could become the spring lake and stone mountain in his Zhao family's backyard. Not only could it be pleasing to the eye, it could also set the feng shui.
Xu Gong and Lu Sheng Xiang stood in the shadows of the city wall. Xu Gong laughed in a low voice and said, "I think that General Lu need not worry about temporary gains and losses. General Lu's wind rises outside the Great Wall, not in Guangling, and certainly not in the capital."
Lu Sheng Xiang smiled but did not speak.
Xu Gong took the lead and left.
Guo Dongfeng was surprised to find that the commanding general, Lu Sheng Xiang, had a faint murderous aura.
Guo Dongfeng looked at the somewhat unfamiliar Great General Piao Yi and began to feel uneasy.
Lu Sheng Xiang took a deep breath and sneered, "You are indeed worthy of being called Xu Longxiang. It seems that in the future, the person who will compete with me for the number one military merit in the expansion of the border will be none other than you."
Guo Dongfeng was baffled. For the first time, he restrained his curiosity and did not dare to ask half a question.
Lu Sheng Xiang exhaled a mouthful of turbid air and slowly walked forward.
He only felt some murderous aura toward Xu Gong, who had seen through his scheme, but toward Cao Changqing, who had changed his mind at the last moment, he was extremely angry.
In Lu Sheng Xiang's view, if Cao Changqing followed the previous arrangement and deployed troops, then Gu Jiantang would be the new dynasty's Xu Xiao. And as long as he took the initiative to open the door when the West Chu army moved north, then he would be the new dynasty's Gu Jiantang.
Regardless of whether the new dynasty's surname was Zhao or Jiang or any other surname, Lu Sheng Xiang only knew that at that time, in the imperial court, there would no longer be people like Yang Qiang lying on the merit book, and there would no longer be vassals with the surname of Zhao in the local area. Xie Xi, Pei Sui and the others were still young, and had the natural flaw of not being familiar with the geography of the north. Once the vast territory of Beimang became a place to deploy troops, then it meant that countless military merits would be easily obtained. It would not be like the Battle of Guangling, where it was like a snail's shell, and there was no need to pay attention to the old powers with intertwined roots. As long as he, Lu Sheng Xiang, succeeded in supporting the dragon, he would be able to jump below Gu Jiantang. Later on, he might be able to rely on a series of battles in Beimang to rise above him. But Cao Changqing's inexplicable self-destruction and Lu Sheng Xiang's forbearance before and after the Battle of Yulu Pass would become the best evidence that he would be attacked as mediocre in the future.
Lu Sheng Xiang's face was gloomy. He muttered to himself, "Cao Changqing, you deserve to die!"
— —
On the official road outside the town, dust was flying everywhere. It was particularly spectacular. If it wasn't a cavalry of more than a thousand riders, it wouldn't have such momentum.
On a carriage, because of the bumpy road, the shoulders of the three men and women in the carriage rose and fell. The young woman's face was beautiful, and her figure was tall and well-proportioned. She was obviously not a southerner. A long sword hung from her waist. She was full of heroic spirit and had a knight-errant spirit. The young man was sloppy, and at this moment, he was flattering the last person, "Teacher, you don't know how rude and unreasonable Tang He and Li Chunyu are. Back then, I didn't even dare to go near Wu Zhongxuan, who betrayed the Southern Border. I really didn't even dare to let out a fart. I was extremely aggrieved. This time, it was thanks to Teacher that I had the courage to go to Wutong Town."
The person who was called Sir was extraordinarily handsome. It was hard to tell if he was male or female. What was romantic? He was romantic.
Nalan Youci.
He glanced at His Royal Highness Zhao Zhu from the corner of his eyes. "Wu Zhongxuan is not a good thing. You borrowed a few thousand riders from him and didn't return them. Is that a good thing?"
Zhao Zhu smiled mischievously and said, "Sir is right. You scolded him well."
Nalan Youci pointed at His Royal Highness, who was now infamous. His eyes looked at the woman surnamed Zhang. He teased, "Zhang Gaoxia, Zhang Gaoxia. You are blind to fall for this idiot and coward."
Zhang Gaoxia, the daughter of the blue-eyed Zhang Julu. She dismissed it with a smile.
Although Zhao Zhu was thick-skinned, he still blushed with shame when Nalan Youci called him an idiot and a coward in front of Zhang Gaoxia. He lifted the curtain of the carriage and poked his head out. He could already see the low city walls of Wutong Town. Nearby were Southern Border's Great General Zhang Dingyuan and his men, as well as Forest Crow and Gong Banque, Wang Xianzhi's two disciples.
Nalan Youci closed his eyes. He put his hands on his knees and gently patted them.
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