Of course Yang Zhitang knew that a lion should fight a rabbit with all his strength, and Liang Jun was by no means a weak rabbit.

However, without a national edict, the soldiers of the various states would not accept the mobilization, let alone conduct a comprehensive mobilization of the garrison military government.

Among the standing troops on both sides of the Yangtze River, the duty of the bodyguards was to defend the capital. Especially when Liang Jun's southern front was pointed directly at Jinling City, it was impossible to leave Jinling and cross the river to fight.

In addition, it belongs to the Forbidden Army system. In addition to the Youlongque Army stationed in Lingnan with Zheng Hui, there are also the Left and Right Wuxiang Army, the Left and Right Longwu Army, the Left and Right Wuwei Army, and the Left and Right Shenwu Army, totaling 120,000 troops deployed along the Yangtze River.

.

Yang Zhitang and the others bypassed the Privy Council and could directly mobilize the soldiers and horses, including the 30,000 Chuzhou soldiers and horses organized into the left and right Shenwu Army under the direct control of Wang Yuanyan, the Youwu Xiang Army stationed in Suiyang in the north of Jing Dynasty under the command of Zhao Zhen, and the

Youlong Wujun, a direct descendant of Prince Shou's Mansion.

Zuo Longwu's army, which had been stationed in Yongjia, southern Zhejiang, has been gradually transferred to Jiangdong for garrison following the end of the war in eastern Fujian.

Although Gu Zhilong was transferred to Beijing and no longer served as the commander-in-chief of Zuolongwu Army, the commander-in-chief of Zuolongwu Army is currently vacant, and all the princes and princes of the capitals are direct descendants of Gu Zhilong.

Zuo Wuxiang's army apparently believed that Huang Lu was the commander of the capital, and Zhang Feng, Zhang Feng's son, was the deputy commander of the capital. However, without a letter from the Privy Council, Huang Lu wanted to bypass Zhang Feng and other generals and pull Zuo Wuxiang's army up against Liang.

The battlefield is undoubtedly an idiot's dream.

The Youwu Guards are still controlled by Zhang Wei and are currently stationed in Xiangyang to defend the Liang Army in Liang, Jin and Dengjun. The Zuowu Guards, stationed in Yuezhou and Langzhou to defend the Liang Army in Xuzhou, are Zhou Nanren, the son of Zhou Wubing.

All commanders.

Zhang Wei, Zhang Feng, Zhou Bingwu, and Zhou Nan's father and son may say that they acted according to the wind, or that they were weak in character. They never participated in court disputes. They would only express their allegiance to the winner who grasped the justice of the court after the situation became clear.

No one expected them to risk participating in any conspiracy, so Zhou Bingwu was widely expected to take charge of the military affairs of the Privy Council after Yang Zhitang, and Zhang Pei could remain standing for so many years.

At this time, Zhang Peiyuan was in charge of Xiangyang and was getting along quite harmoniously with Liang Jun on the north bank. Zhou Bingwu was already old and had asked to go there many times. He wanted to hand over his seat in the Privy Council, and it was impossible to bother with anything at this time.

.

Yang Zhitang hoped that he could use all his strength to attack the defenseless Huaixi in the early stage, and at least open up a beautiful situation. In addition to secretly sending envoys to contact the Sima family, the focus of the work was still mainly on the newly returned center, which had not yet established a stable footing.

On Gu Zhilong.

"There are still many voices in the imperial court. They hope that after Zhou Shufu, Zhang Wei will be in charge of the imperial military aircraft. They think that Gu Hou will be appointed as the Ministry of War. However, Prince Shou and Prince Xin think that Zhang Wei is old and has nothing to do with the Li family.

He was involved, and even more concerned that Marquis Gu was in charge of the important military affairs of the imperial court!" Zhang Xian once again visited the Gu Mansion and directly stated the conditions to Gu Zhilong, hoping that he would make up his mind to participate in this military conspiracy.

It seems that both the Minister of the Privy Council and the Minister of War are from the second rank, but since the late period of the previous dynasty, all military matters have been decided by the Privy Council. Even Shen Yang and Yang En have taken the lead in checking and balancing the Privy Council in recent years, and will be stationed in the camp.

The jurisdiction of the Military Government is vested in the Ministry of War, but this cannot change the fact that the Ministry of War is subordinate to the Privy Council.

Gu Zhilong's face was serious. He realized that Prince Shou's Palace and Prince Xin's Palace were about to act, but it was impossible to give Zhang Xian any reply on the spot.

"Prince Shou will hold a banquet in the palace in three days for intimate friends. I hope that Marquis Gu will be able to attend." Zhang Xian saluted, said goodbye and left.

Although Zhang Xian was only a guest of Prince Shou's Mansion, Gu Zhilong still got up to see him off, and then led his direct relatives back to Mingtang to discuss matters.

"Gu Hou, Zhang Xian's words are right. The main force of the Liang army is trapped in southern Shanxi. This is the best opportunity for Chu to take back Huaixi. It is also a good opportunity for Gu Hou to establish greater achievements for Chu. This opportunity can be used a little.

It is too late to delay." Xi Shepeng and his brother Xi Shesheng decided to join Gu Zhilong's family. They were eager to prove themselves to the Chu court officials again in this war in Huaixi.

Brothers Xi Shepeng and Xi Shesheng were clear-cut, and could even be said to be eager to express their stance. Fu Gengwen noticed that Xi Ying, who had white hair and beard, had a hesitant look on his face.

Xiying had ten sons, and he once dominated Chenzhou. At this time, only two brothers, Xishepeng and Xishesheng, were left in front of him.

Except for the second son who died of illness, the other six sons of Xiying died on the battlefield. Four of the six sons who died on the battlefield were directly killed by the Wuling Army together with Fan Yong from Shangwanchenzhou.

Under the front.

To say that Xiying's hatred towards the emperor is of course very deep, but it is also true that Fu Gengwen secretly feels that Xiying's fear and fear towards the emperor are also very deep, otherwise he would not have simply decided to do so a few years ago.

He quickly abandoned Chenzhou and moved his entire family inland.

"Master Fu, what do you think?" Gu Zhilong asked after noticing that Fu Gengwen was pondering for a long time, seeming to be thinking about something.

"Does Marquis Gu insist on joining the Privy Council?" Fu Gengwen asked.

"It's naturally good to be in the Privy Council." Gu Zhilong doesn't need to hide anything in front of his immediate relatives. If his attitude is still ambiguous in front of his immediate relatives, how can he expect them to make suggestions?

"If Marquis Gu wants to enter the Privy Council, he should stay put. The Privy Council is what Gu Hou has in his pocket; otherwise, Gu Hou is afraid of not having a chance with the Privy Council." Fu Gengwen said calmly.

"How come you can get the position of Privy Council without working hard, but you can't get it if you work hard?" Gu Zhilong's youngest son Gu Xiongchang is over thirty years old. He has been living in Jinling for these years. He has no role and has a rather impatient temper. Hear Fu Gengwen say this

, he was the first to question out loud impatiently.

If there is a fighting faction in the Gu Mansion, Gu Xiongchang can be said to be the backbone of the fighting faction.

"Why do you say this?" Gu Zhilong also asked quite strangely.

"General Shepeng also said that the main force of the Liang Army is stuck on the northern front and cannot escape. It only has 20,000 defenders in Chuzhou. Prince Shou and Prince Xin have joined forces, and the Sima clan is ready to move and send troops to the west bank of Fanliang Lake. In the early stage, they can still achieve certain military exploits.

, but whether we can truly recapture Huaixi and drive Liang Jun to the north bank of the Huaihe River, the next battle is crucial,"

Naturally, Fu Gengwen would not mention the Shou Prince's Mansion. He believed that the Prince's Mansion would be frustrated if he sent troops. This would not only expose his intentions and arouse Gu Zhilong's suspicion, but might also prompt Gu Zhilong to take a risk and target the Privy Council that Gu Zhilong desires most.

Authority, analysis of the Tao,

"And Gu Hou also said what happened in Changxin Palace today. It can be expected that once Prince Shou and Prince Xin use troops and gain a foothold in Chuzhou, they may even regain Tangyi City and solve the most direct problem in the north of Gyeongsang Province.

Threats, with the full support of His Majesty and the Huang family, Da Chu will inevitably choose to launch an all-out war against the Liang Kingdom. At this time, Queen Mother Changxin, Prime Minister Shen, and Marquis Yang can only comply with the will of the Sacred Heart. Geng Wen will

I have to ask Marquis Gu. If Empress Dowager Changxin, Prime Minister Shen, and Marquis Yang all choose to comply with the public opinion of the Holy Heart and support an all-out war against the Liang Kingdom, it is certain that Prince Shou will return to the center, but Prince Shou will really be able to do so.

Will Prime Minister Shen and Marquis Yang be driven out of the central government? By then, will the Queen Mother Chang Xin really have no weight in the court?"

"..." Gu Zhilong patted his head and understood what Fu Gengwen meant.

"How do you say that Queen Mother Chang Xin, Shen Yang, and Yang En will be forced to support an all-out war against the Liang Kingdom? What does it have to do with whether my father can enter the Privy Council?" Gu Xiongchang still didn't understand and asked.

"..."

Fu Gengwen couldn't criticize Gu Xiongchang for being stupid, so he could only continue to explain,

"According to Zhang Xian's words, Gu Hou participated in their conspiracy to send troops, and the Queen Mother Chang Xin must turn against His Majesty. Shen Yang, Yang En and others were expelled from the central government, so that Gu Hou could enter the central government. However, Chang Xin must The Queen Mother and Your Majesty are mother and son after all. Even after Prince Shou's Palace and Prince Xin's Palace dispatched troops, Your Majesty was in charge of government affairs personally, and it was impossible to truly turn against the Queen Mother Changxin. His Majesty was young and energetic, and he was eager to personally handle government affairs and promote the war against Liang Guo. To use troops, there is no way His Majesty can completely ignore the vigilance against King Fu and the Queen Mother Mingcheng. If Gu Hou participates in the conspiracy to send troops at this time, he will definitely be believed by the Queen Mother, and will be considered by Your Majesty to be involved with the Huang family. When the time comes, the Queen Mother Changxin , Your Majesty would rather invite Zhang Wei to Jinling to be in charge of the Privy Council, than to use Gu Hou. Gu Hou is holding back at this time, and has long believed in the Queen Mother. When the time comes, Your Majesty will prevent people who are involved with the Huang family from taking charge of the Privy Council. Zhang More or less, it is difficult to save the fire from afar, so Gu Hou is naturally the only candidate to replace Zhou Bingwu in the Privy Council? If not, the Queen Mother and Her Majesty can even use the more trustworthy Du Chongtao to take charge of the Privy Council, and Gu Hou will replace Du Chongtao. It’s probably not a bad choice to lead the Guards and Military Division as the Commander-in-Chief, right?”

"..." Xiying thought for a while and had to admit that what Fu Gengwen said was very reasonable. At this time, he also stood up and expressed his position, "What Mr. Fu said is very reasonable. According to my experience with Prime Minister Shen, Marquis Yang and others, Their understanding is that when they have to use troops against Liang, they will support sending troops against Liang. And when His Majesty, Prime Minister Shen, and Marquis Yang go against the grain, they may be induced by Prince Shou, but His Majesty, Prime Minister Shen, and Marquis Yang may be tempted to do so. The Marquis agrees, so there should be no way to drive a wedge between them."

Gu Zhilong nodded and said: "I will be ill and unable to attend the private banquet at Prince Shou's Mansion in three days. When the time comes, Xihou, Geng Wen, you can attend on my behalf..."

…………

…………

It is already snowing heavily in Shanxi in October. Although the rivers in Jianghuai River are not frozen yet, there is still white frost all over the fields, and the cold wind blows hard, making the water of the river clear and clear.

In late September, Huainan Province issued a war warning to all shipping companies and gangs, and gradually withdrew manpower from various border trade points in Chu State.

Feng Yi and Han Jianji repeatedly protested against the frequent mobilization of the Yangchu garrison. The scouts repeatedly violated the Liang-Chu peace agreement and entered the buffer zone agreed by both parties for reconnaissance. They violated the Liang-Chu peace agreement and drove civilians into the buffer area to build roads and bridges. Their military intentions were obvious.

Although the Chu Privy Council repeatedly reprimanded the Yangzhou garrison and asked Xin Wang Yang Yuanyan and his generals to restrain the generals and not violate the peace agreement between Liang and Chu, the Yangzhou and Chuzhou garrison ignored them. Almost every day, courtiers and state and county officials wrote to them. Please recover Huaixi and ask the young emperor to take charge of the government personally and handle state affairs.

The imperial students of the Imperial Academy also made noise all day long, denounced Zheng Yu, Zheng Chang, Shen Yang, Yang En, Zhou Bingwu and others who promoted the peace talks as traitors of Liang and Chu.

Although the Young Emperor issued an order, the Jingzhao Mansion also patrolled with secret spies, and it was strictly forbidden to criticize the palace affairs in the streets and streets. However, the more strictly forbidden the erotic things were, the more interested they were in applauding the good things. However, the private transmission of many messy news became more secret. , but also even more unbearable.

In the streets and alleys, some people also drew a book about the Empress Dowager Changxin disguising herself as a man and traveling privately to the Chu Kingdom with the Emperor Liang, and how the Emperor Liang robbed the Empress Dowager Changxin to Xuzhou. It was even said that the late emperor had caught the Emperor Liang having an affair with the Empress Dowager Changxin. Only then did he finally turn against the Liang Lord, and the death of the late emperor that year was also unclear...

Zhou Qinian, who was the Yin of Jingzhao, also arrested one or two people every now and then and punished them with "disrespect". In the name of resuming the order, he bypassed the Ministry of Secretariat and directly submitted the trial files to the imperial court.

The young emperor's temper became more and more irritable. Looking at the court ladies around him, if he didn't like it, he would drag him down with a big stick and serve him. Within half a month, there were five court ladies, and the palace maids were killed by the stick, so that Zhang Ping stood in front of the young emperor. They couldn't help but feel frightened.

Power is like a cutting edge, handed into the hands of a young, energetic and hot-tempered young emperor by someone who is willing to do so. Once his power is revealed, people around him will inevitably be hurt.

Shen Yang and Yang En also deeply felt the harm of advocating for the two palaces to be respected at this time. Empress Dowager Mingcheng obstructed them at every turn, so that they could not temporarily take this "sharp blade" away from the young emperor.

Cai Chen, who had always been regarded as a direct descendant by the Empress Dowager Changxin and was appointed minister of Honglu Temple to deal with Liang envoys, was reprimanded by the young emperor for a trivial matter, so he simply reported illness and rested in the house; the Empress Dowager Changxin also Didn't come forward to save it.

This was also regarded as a key signal by the government and the public, who believed that Queen Mother Naganobu would soon fall into a situation of betrayal and separation from relatives, and she also intended to hand over power and no longer interfere in national affairs.

Under the auspices of the Empress Dowager Mingcheng, the Young Emperor began to directly bypass Shen Yang, Yang En and others to meet with the officials of the Young Zhuang Sect, and even summoned the longevity king Yang Zhitang to the palace in early October.

Seeing that the situation was getting increasingly out of control, in early October Feng Yi and Han Jianji initially led the Liang Guoguan personnel to withdraw from Jinling and crossed the river back to Tangyi to wait and see how the situation would develop.

After crossing the river, Han Jianji rushed directly to Luoyang to report on his work, and reported the Jianghuai situation to the various government officials and Han Qian in person; Feng Yi and Wen Ruilin met Gao Shao, Yang Qin and others in Tangyi and stopped in Tangyi. One day, he rushed to Shiliang County to meet Zhao Wuji, who was supervising the war in Shiliang County.

Shiliang County is located south of Hongze Pun and west of Fanliang Lake, across the Fanchuan River from Dongyang County in the south of Chuzhou.

The waters of Hongzepu and Fanliang Lake are wide, and the Chu army's navy does not have an advantage. The most convenient way for Yang Yuanyan to lead the Chuzhou army to dispatch troops is to cross the Fanchuan River from Dongyang County and enter Shiliang County.

To the west of Shiliang County and intersecting Yongyang, Chuzhou Prefecture, is the mountainous area in the northern section of the Wujian Mountains.

At present, the largest coal and iron production base in Daliang is located in the north mountain of Wujianshan, accounting for nearly 40% of the current coal and iron production in Daliang.

Yang Yuanyan led the Chuzhou army across the Fanchuan River and marched eastward. Zhao Wuji wanted to ensure that the coal and iron production base on the west side was safe. He would not be able to shrink his troops into the city and defend the stronghold as a last resort, and indulge the Chu army. Vigorously penetrate and penetrate westward.

The first battle between the Liang and Chu armies will take place in an area thirty to forty miles deep between Shiliang City and the Fanchuan River. This is something that both sides could have anticipated before the war.

Although Daliang has a total of more than 20,000 troops on the east line of Huainan, in the eastern region of Huainan Province, in addition to the five counties of Chuzhou Prefecture, there are also the three counties of Tangyi, Wushou, and Tingshan in the south that belong to Donghu Prefecture. There is a vast area that needs to be defended. . Especially Tangyi City, which is across the river from Jinling City, not only has to defend against the possibility of a sudden attack by the navy guarding the pro-army forces, but also against the Yangzhou Chu army that will advance westward along the north bank of the Yangtze River. It is necessary to deploy a certain amount of troops to prepare. Don't suffer.

In addition, a small number of garrisons must be left in Yongyang, Puyang, Wushou, Tingshan and other places. In the end, Zhao Wuji gathered the available elite troops, and only Cao Ba, Li Qi, and Lu Ze had more than 12,000 troops.

The infantry and cavalry were concentrated in Shiliang County to meet the Chuzhou Army who might cross the Fanchuan River and invade at any time.

Although Cao Ba, Li Qi, and Lu Ze's troops were the most elite combat forces in Daliang, considering that Yang Yuanyan could recruit a large number of military households and Yu Ding to guard the city in Chuzhou, he personally led the entire Chuzhou army out.

, which means that 30,000 well-equipped and well-drilled elites will come to Shiliang County to fight, and their strength will be more than two and a half times that of the defenders.

Feng Yi and Wen Ruilin were still worried about the outcome of Shiliang County.

Of course, in addition to being at an absolute disadvantage in terms of the size of the troops and horses, the defenders also had other advantages.
To be continued...