Chapter 279: The Iron Horseman Goes Down to Jiangnan in Wind and Snow (I)

Because Hezhou is adjacent to the Northern Liang Road, after that man-tu sealed the king as a vassal of Northern Liang, it is like a little daughter-in-law who has been suffering for more than twenty years, now that the little daughter-in-law has changed her husband’s family, it seems that she finally feels that she can raise her voice a little bit to speak up. So the two Huai Festival Minister Cai Nan personally led the army under his command, in the border of Youzhou Hezhou array, made up his mind this time to stop the unauthorized departure from the feudal king’s jurisdiction of the iron horsemen, due to the last time the eight hundred phoenix word battalion unimpeded border crossing, impeachment of his general of the Liyang border has been as much as a snowflake, Cai Nan knows very well that, for the eight hundred White Horse Boxers, they can turn a blind eye, but this time the mighty 10,000 iron horsemen, if again long drive, let it straight to the Central Plains, not to mention the temple hall of the Liyang officials refused to stop, I’m afraid that even the Zhao family Prince of Heaven will have to question his loyalty as a border official. In addition, this time to send troops to block, the Secretary General Han Lin also nodded, even this in the local position of people’s courtiers, elegant civil officials, also dare to put life and death at risk, wearing the official uniform personally came to Cai Nan army, to accompany him Cai Nan together to block a, obviously the foundation of this in the capital of the new Secretary General Lord, not hesitate to risk his life, but also to pose a vow not to avoid the North Liang front.

On the border, General Cai Nan is clad in heavy armor, holding a spear and looking into the distance.

Cai Nan’s side of the Secretary Han Lin complex eyes, many years have not ridden a big horse of the second grade officials, do not care about the two legs hot pain, full of anxiety. When he heard that the Northern Liang mobilized the Guanwai cavalry, Han Lin and Cai Nan were equally shocked, but there are some subtle differences, Cai Nan is to think that the unruly young feudal king will finally rebel, while Han Lin, who secretly has a hidden liaison with Qingliang Mountain, is to think that Xu Fengyen has lost his heart and madness. In the capital officialdom has always been gentle Han Lin, two days ago in the study, like ants on the hot pot, did not sleep a night, in addition to submit to the court to be able to reach the Prince of Heaven’s case of the secret folding, to poetry and elegant brief public documents known in the temple literary world of the Lord Secretary, but also wrote a slightly rambling letter, when Han Lin understood that the so-called letter of the family, in fact, with the suicide note is no different, regardless of whether Xu Fengyen is crazy or not, as long as their own Whether Xu Fengnian is crazy or not, as long as he is blocking the way, the previous point of poor incense love will not stand up to scrutiny, a knife of scrutiny will not stand up to scrutiny. But how can he Han Lin not come here? Elders, children, relatives, the whole family is in the city of Tai’an, are at the foot of the son of heaven, under the roof of the Zhao family, the honor and disgrace of the family hangs on a body, he Han Lin can not not be in this place ah.

Han Lin as the capital came out of the Qingliu civil officials, Cai Nan such in the eyes of the Beijing officials long in the local muddy pond mixing in the “turd”, although it will not be hateful disgust, but it is true to talk about the proximity of this time, so the release, Han Lin and Cai Nan deal with only a slapdash, in addition to that the two Huai high officials out of the nest of the reception of the dust, Han Lin did not have any private meetings with Cai Nan, this is the first time that he has been in a private meeting. There was no private meeting with Cai Nan, this is not only afraid of the court will suspect a civil and military leaders officials collude with each other, in the bottom of Han Lin’s heart, compared to the gravelly breath of the big old man Cai Nan, the young king of the young and unrestrained young, to be associated with the word of flirtation a lot of many many times. Just today and Cai Nan and driving, about to have a few points of great difficulties but life and death together, Han Lin found Cai Nan this person, may not be really as bad as the official circles in the capital said that.

It seems that in just twenty years, Liyang has changed from honoring the military and devaluing the military to respecting the military and suppressing the military ah.

Cai Nan turned his head and asked with a smile, “Lord Han, the King of Han doesn’t have an argument?”

Han Lin smiled bitterly and said, “I made a special trip to visit the King of Han’s residence on the second day of the first month, and saw with my own eyes that the King of Han was lying on the couch, his face was bloodless, and he fell back to the bed after struggling to get up several times.”

Cai Nan, who usually keeps his joy and anger to himself, tsked and laughed, “To have such a loyal frontier vassal king who serves his country is truly a blessing for the two Huai provinces, as well as for the imperial court.”

Han Lin counseled, “General Cai, things have come to this, there is no point in talking more.”

Cai Nan laughed, “A man’s about to die, and you’re not allowed to whine a few times?”

Han Lin looked at the white earth and sighed, “If I had known this, I should have drank a few cups with General Cai, meeting friends on a windy and snowy night, I thought that even bad wine can have the taste of mellow wine.”

Han Lin realized that Lord Sectional Minister was staring intently at himself, and asked in confusion, “What’s wrong with that?”

Cai Nan suddenly said softly, “There is nothing wrong, I just hope that after today, the women, children, old and young of the Cai family, Lord Han can take care of them.”

Han Lin couldn’t figure it out, and was about to ask, when he fainted in a flash of darkness.

Cai Nan looked at the guard who hit the back of Han Lin’s head with the sheath of his sword, and only when the guard jumped up from his horse and sat behind the Minister of Economy and Strategy, supporting Han Lin, did Cai Nan say, “Take Han Lin back to his residence.”

The guard, who was no longer small in years, wanted to speak again.

Cai Nan laughed: “Old Song, back then when I was in Xu Snapdragon with 10,000 iron horsemen patrolling the south, as the main general led the kneeling, causing you guys also can not raise your head in the imperial court side, I know you a bunch of old brothers in the heart have grievances, the first two years every time to pay a visit to the New Year’s Eve, my Cai Nan’s home chairs are as if they have nails, you quickly go away, this is no big deal. ”

Cai Nan did not turn his head, just raised his horse whip and pointed in the direction of Youzhou, “This time it is just right, I just want to tell you gang of old brothers, not Xu Snapdragon with 10,000 iron horsemen I Cai Nan just wimped out, it is not, it is me Cai Nan as a sand field martial arts person, heart and soul respect that great general, not only me, our great general Gu actually also the same admiration. So this time, Xu Fengyen is leading 10,000 Northern Liang cavalry, also the King of Northern Liang, and even more so the 10,000 Great Snow Dragon cavalry, of course I won’t be a grandson again. Old Song, among the old brothers, your old Song family has the most branches and leaves, and also relies most on you to serve the rice bowl, this time you don’t accompany us, besides, this year’s Qingming is not a few months away, by then a large group of old brothers don’t have a living acquaintance to go to the good wine, unlike the words.”

That follow Cai Nan also follow Gu Jiantang half a lifetime of fighting in the north and south of the stout guards, open mouth, but can not say a word.

Cai Nan said sternly, “Get lost!”

The guard lowered his head and turned his horse around, viciously raising his whip and steering his horse away.

Behind him came Cai Nan’s flirtatious words, “Remember at Qingming time, you iron rooster that even General Gu has heard of don’t buckle down and bring good wine!”

The pro-guard did not turn around, but just suddenly hissed, “Don’t bring! I’ll bring you two cents of silver for a jug of shitty wine, and when the general has the ability to do so, he’ll bring his brothers up from the ground!”

Cai Nan, who had his back to the pro-guard’s ride of two, gently exhaled a breath and collected his laughter.

Xiangfu three years since the beginning of spring, endless heavy snow, the sky is so, today the distant ground is also so.

The Great Snow Dragon Cavalry, is here.

The Northern Liang Iron Horsemen are the best in the world, and the Great Snow Dragon Riders are the best in Northern Liang.

Cai Nan angrily shouted, “Beat the drum!”

As early as in the white horse righteousness from the time to leave the state city, above the city, Beiliang civil and military are together to send off, more distant that 10,000 iron horsemen have long been hidden from the sky and sea from the outside of the customs quietly into the customs, in the outside of the city of a resident waiting for a long time, just waiting for the second generation of the king of Beiliang, after nearly two decades, once again galloped in the Central Plains.

Vibration of the world’s Xu family iron cavalry, spring and autumn war, the front of the army pointed out like a bamboo, all the way from the north to the south, and then from the south back to the north, this time again to hoof south.

In fact, this time Xu Beihao and Chu Lushan started the tandem, not without resistance, including He Zhonghu Chen Yunzhui Gu Dazu three weighty veterans, are reluctant to see the Northern Liang army at this time to break into the Central Plains, but Yuan Zuozong and Yan Wenluan’s common nod, played the role of the final word, especially Yan Wenluan unexpected firm stance, successfully persuaded a large group of meritorious veterans.

Large and bloated as a small mountain of Beiliang capital guard Chu Lushan, standing in the body of thin Yan Wenluan side, outsiders how to see how to feel awkward.

Chu Lushan gently stomped his feet, cupped his hands and poured out his breath, lowered his head and smiled and said: “I really did not think that Yan old general will also nod, originally thought that I have to personally run a trip to Youzhou, the thought of this kind of ghostly weather to run from Huaiyang Pass to Xiaguang City, then it was really a little bit of false ah.”

The old state of the dry and thin old man did not have a good mood: “At that time, the Lord Protector led eight thousand trailing river iron horsemen to block Dong Zhuo private army, do not mind the horse back bumps fall autumn fat?”

Chu Lushan hemmed and hawed and laughed, “The good thing of making a splash and the bad thing of being an evil person can’t be compared in general.”

Yan Wenluan skimmed his lips, for the infamous Chu Lushan, Beiliang’s local old-school military generals, almost no one likes this fat man.

Northern Liang generals of domineering brutality, not to mention Chu Lushan, there are such as Li Mo Fan Cao Xiaojiao stream, in fact, all inherited the same lineage, the war to death, no two words, but in terms of human behavior, to the people, really called good people? The answer is naturally negative.

This is actually the great general Xu Snapdragon left to the new Liang King Xu Fengnian a difficult to solve the dead end, the territory of Northern Liang has been peace for more than 10 years, will kind of gateway as many as hair, how many evil things to do? Far not to mention, just say at this time standing on the high wall of the former infantry vice marshal Liu Yuan Ji, the old man’s three sons, how many good children killed? If it is not Lin Doufang this quit the army for many years of close friends, in the Guanwai that storm with scolding a lesson Liu Yuan Ji, I am afraid that the old commander of a lifetime will be kept in the dark, mistakenly believe that the three sons just did not make some. In fact, Yan Wenluan these relatively upright style of the old man, for those robes descendants of the young sons of the pandemonium, is not without slanderous complaints, just when the general was alive always feel indebted to the old brothers who fought together, from the idea of killing, and the new Liang Wang early years is also a hangdog scoundrel look, the general would be more to “compare heart to heart! The general should be more “heart to heart”.

Yan Wenluan opened the door and said: “New Year’s Eve this thing, do quite beautiful, but even so, I Yan Wenluan on you Chu Lushan still do not like.”

Chu Lushan rubbed his hands and turned his head and laughed: “Yan old general ah, you are not what beauty, a bad old man like my words, there is nothing to be happy about it.”

Yan Wenluan snorted coldly and stopped talking.

Above the crowded city head, no one nearby Gu Dazu appeared to stand out, Jin Partridge Zhou Kang hesitated for a moment, or left Lin Doufang and others, walked alone to the side of Gu Dazu, but the two were still separated by a body position.

Gu Da Zu showed no signs of opening his mouth to speak.

Zhou Kang hesitated several times, but in the end, he still didn’t leave in indignation, his tone was slightly hard, sneering, ”Vice Commander Gu, hasn’t your old man always been very hard-headed? Beforehand, it is obvious that you are also not happy with the king leading the army south to the Central Plains, how come you willingly became a mute last night?”

Gu Dazhu smiled, “Lord Zhou, then what reason do you want to hear? Do you want me to admit that I’ve been a wallflower by detecting words and being a wallflower in order to be happy?”

Zhou Kang was also straightforward, nodding his head and saying, “If you say so, I’ll go looking for a drink when I get off the city.”

Gu Dazu said flatly, “That would have to disappoint Lord Zhou, the reason why I didn’t stop the king, although I don’t have any great righteousness to say, but I don’t have a nasty and unpleasant mind, I, Gu Dazu, am a man of the world, and I don’t need to prove anything in Northern Liang anymore.”

That Jin Partridge cocked his head, reached out and pulled out his ears, and snorted, “That’s what Vice Commander Gu should say, but unfortunately, His Majesty has already left the city.”

Gu Dazhu muttered to himself, “Which old man hasn’t been young? Who hasn’t had one or two women of his choice that he couldn’t get enough of? I, Gu Dazu, had one, only I missed her back then, so I’ve lived to this age today, and I still don’t know if I really wasn’t right for her back then, or if I only missed her because I was timid and cowardly. You, Lord Zhou, are known to be a husband and wife who are devoted to each other, so I’m sure you wouldn’t understand.”

Zhou Kang was silent for a long time, heavily puffed out a mouthful of mist, and whispered, “Old husband and wife, since they should respect each other, in fact, when they were young, there was also a dry fire.”

Gu Da Zu sighed with emotion, “At least there was a dry spell, that’s better than me.”

Zhou Kang suddenly turned his head and shouted at the top of his voice, “Lin Dou Fang! Isn’t it rumored that your old man eloped with a certain Southern Tang princess back then? Our Commander Gu said that he actually adored that princess, and listening to Commander Gu’s tone, the two of them still had a bit of an unspoken relationship in the early years, or else you two would nag at each other?”

Lin Doufang glared: “What? Surname Gu, you give me a clear explanation!”

Liu Yuan Ji was immediately happy, scowling with Wei Tieshan, “Now there’s a good show to watch.”

Gu Dazu was confused.

By the time Gu Da Zu regained his senses, the Jin Partridge that had victimized him had already wiped out his feet and was only seen as a backdrop in the distance.

Seeing Lin Doufang aggressively trotting all the way over, Gu Dazu without saying a word also ran down to the top of the city in a puff of smoke, shouting, “Surnamed Zhou, if I don’t beat you to death today, I’ll be surnamed Gu!”

When both of them ran away, Lin Doufang stopped and laughed heartily.

Lin Doufang wasn’t stupid, where would he really believe Zhou Kang’s nonsense.

Yu Luan knife stood beside Hu Kui, similar to have stepped down and will soon step down the post of assassin Tian Peifang, Hu Kui his assassin of Youzhou will soon have to give up his position, different from Xu Beihao’s out of the big picture and Tian Peifang’s push the boat into the water, Hu Kui has always been on the ambition is not in the official, the line of sight has always been put in the Guanwai sands, Youzhou not only his Hu Kui, even the Youzhou General Huangfu Ping seems to be starting to move, like wanting to move the ass to Xiaguang City over there. The Hu Kui, together with the old marshal Chen Yunzhui, came to Liangzhou, and the old man’s words also revealed some clues that the Youzhou soldiers do need a young and strong general who is in his prime. Although Chen Yuntui did not say the words through, but obviously the old man is hoping that he Hu Kui to serve as the No. 3 of the foot soldiers in Youzhou, and even more so, hope that Hu Kui can take this opportunity to open up with the king once, do not be Huangfu Ping seize the opportunity to take the lead. But in the end, Hu Kui still did not open his mouth, for which the old man did not give him half a good face today.

Today’s Northern Liang border army still has large and small mountains, but not as clear-cut as in the early years, with the end of the first Liangmang war, there are some natural and subtle changes, for example, Chen Xiliang and the whole Longxiang army is quite close, but also more by the He Zhonghu Zhoukang and other veteran generals, that this young man is one of the few iron bones of the readers, that is, not to be a civil official to do the Confucian generals can also be done. Xu Beihuan and Lingshu general Han Laoshan vice general Wang Zhi and other people closer, it can be said that the entire Lingshu system military, are happy to take Xu Beihuan as their own mother’s family. The Yu Luan knife in the Youzhou really made a fortune to start, and Hu Kui most say, for the king’s beloved Huangfu Ping’s friendship, on the contrary, is very unattractive.

Not far from the two, standing side by side of Huangfu Ping and Kou Jianghuai, although now are a state general, but no matter the origin or reputation, there is a world of difference.

Huangfu Ping actually do not understand, why Kou Jianghuai willing to approach their own notorious officialdom “loner”.

Kou Jianghuai smiled as he leaned on the arrow, and said, “General Huangfu, the Northern Liang border army has countless capable people, but I think it’s still the most similar between us, not only dare to gamble, but also not a small fight, to gamble on the big one.”

Huangfu shook his head and said, “I’m a reckless man from the jianghu, I can have a few pennies from my family’s fortune, I can’t compare to General Kou, who was originally expected to be a vassal and a prime minister of Xichu.”

Kou Jianghuai also shook his head and said, “I dumped my family to pull out a thousand taels of gold, willing to slap a thousand taels of gold on the gambling table, you are going to starve to death tomorrow, there are only ten pennies in your pocket, as well as put all ten pennies on the gambling table, the size of the gambling addiction is actually the same.”

Huangfu Ping said something inexplicable, “Maybe the gambling addiction doesn’t distinguish between high and low, I just don’t know how Kou Jianghuai’s gambling skill is?”

Kou Jianghuai twisted his head to look at this Youzhou general with a mixed reputation in Northern Liang and asked with a smile, “What, is the general worrying for His Majesty that if I am a two-name slave today, I might defect to Northern Mang to be a three-name slave tomorrow?”

Huangfu Ping’s face was as normal, “General Kou, I didn’t say that, nor did I dare to say that.”

Kou Jianghuai laughed it off and asked, “After hearing General Huangfu’s story, I’m very curious as to why you would really die for Xu Fengyin, can you tell me?”

Huangfu Ping said with a smile on his face, “General Kou, I don’t speak well, don’t be offended, we two ah, our feelings are not to that extent, but if we have the opportunity to go into battle together one day to kill the enemy, then we will say a few words from our hearts.”

Kou Jianghuai laughed: “What, General Huangfu wants to go to Liuzhou Dragon Elephant Army as a vice general?”

Not waiting for Huangfu Ping to reply, Kou Jianghuai already asked himself, “Youzhou General and the vice general of the Dragon Elephant Army are considered to be on equal footing in terms of official positions, except that in Northern Liang, the Liangzhou border army’s cavalry army looks down on the infantry army, the Liangzhou border infantry army looks down on the Youzhou army, and the Youzhou army in turn looks down on the Lingshou army that doesn’t even have decent borders, and the Dragon Elephant Army, as an elite army drawn from the Liangzhou cavalry army, the actual vice general of the Longxiang Army, of course, is a powerful vice general. Army’s actual vice general, of course it’s not something that can be compared to the Yuzhou general who has his hands tied, then I’ll first congratulate General Huangfu here on his high promotion, it seems that you don’t have to wait too long to hear General Huangfu’s words from the bottom of his heart.”

Huangfu Ping unobtrusively glanced at Hu Kui, the corners of his mouth hooked up, “General Kou is indeed quick-witted.”

Kou Jianghuai smiled and said, “I love hearing this, it’s been a long time since I heard someone praise me to my face.”

Huangfu Ping nodded, “In advance, when I arrive in Liuzhou to assume my duties, perhaps it will be difficult for General Kou not to hear it.”

Kou Jianghuai laughed, “Just let your horse come over.”

Suddenly, is talking with Huangfu Ping stinks like a happy Kou Jianghuai heard someone shouting him, is that he is regarded as called life long enemy of the Yu Luan knife, compared to in the Guangling Road Kou Jianghuai Xie Xijian’s nonchalant, the same is the noble valve son of the Yu Luan knife, the same is the young fame of the world’s elite, Kou Jianghuai Yu Luan knife is very unpleasant, must be the latter of the similar to him, a mountain can’t be two tigers, it should be that he Kou Jianghuai and the Yu Luan knife. Kou Jianghuai and Yu Luan Dao. Only two people of the fight, only in the dark, never in the face, heard Yu Luan knife shouting, Kou Jianghuai smiled and turned his head to ask: “Yu general what is your business?”

Speaking is not Yu Luan knife, but Hu Kui, the latter approached a few steps, softly asked: “Kou Jianghuai, about the next north south and west of Western Chu and the three policies, I think about it for a long time, I do not dare to jump to conclusions, after all, is not the Western Chu people, coupled with more than 10 years away from the Central Plains, far less than the situation of General Kou you grasp the situation of Western Chu, I do not know if it can be solved one or two?”

Kou Jianghuai didn’t hesitate for a second, and simply said, “If I were in charge of Western Chu, I would naturally go north and fight Lu Shengxiang to the end. On a side note, I’ve been guessing that Cao Changqing has reached some kind of consensus with Gu Jiantang of the two Liao and even Wang Sui of the Northern Mang. If Xie Xijian sits in Cao Changqing’s position, then it is estimated that the south crossing the Guangling River, do their best to defeat the southern border army that has been rebelled by Wu Chongxuan, and then strive to rule the river, if even the Guangling River can not be defended, then retreat again and again, retreat to the miasma of the hundreds of thousands of mountains, wait until the North Mang Liyang fights half-dead, and then look for an opportunity to run out of the day to pick up a little sesame tomorrow to nibble on some watermelon rinds, so poorly! But in the end, in the end, whether it can be accomplished or not, no longer rely on people, can only rely on life. As for how Cao Changqing himself thinks, I can’t figure it out, and I don’t want to think about it. Anyway, I always feel that this big official son, has gone crazy.”

Hu Kui is the kind of martial artist who was born for the battlefield, giving Kou Jianghuai the pick of the addiction, subconsciously began to point on the palisade, “Western Chu is now wrapped up in a dumpling, to the east is Song Kasa, who has taken over the nest, to the south is King Zhao Bing of the Yanzhi who has just personally stepped out, as well as the Nalan Yuci who is standing behind this old vassal king, and in the west there is the Grand General of the South, Wu Chongxuan, under his command, who is detached from the Southern Border. The 100,000 elite, not to be underestimated, not to mention that now do away with the Yang’s Ministry of War Secretary, food and grass soldiers pay have a great tilt, along with Jing’an Wang Zhao Xun, the Secretary Wen Taiyi and Festival Ambassador Ma Zhongxian, are like the western line Wu Chongxuan’s Ministry of household officials, as for the northern line, Lu Shengxiang began to look like the earliest of the Spring and Autumn period, not according to the rules of the war, and there are Chen Zhi Bao and the 10,000 godless West Shu foot soldiers echoed, so the north of the Western Chu line Therefore, the northern front of Western Chu is the most painful. General Kou, in your opinion, if we go north, how should we fight? Should we look for Chen Zhi Bao’s foot soldiers or Lu Shengxiang’s cavalry first? If we take Xie Xijian’s waving division to the south, wouldn’t we be hitting the Liyang court’s desire to drive tigers and swallow wolves ……”

Said half a day, waited until Hu Kui raised his head, the result is to see a violent rolling eyes young face, quickly laugh to himself, Hu Kui will no longer hot face to cold ass.

Kou Jianghuai laughed heartlessly, “Lord Hu, Lord Hu, I’m a Chu subject who hides his head in your Northern Liang, and now I don’t even care about the Guangling Road war, what kind of worry do you, Lord Hu, have?”

Hu Kui didn’t get angry either and laughed frankly, “General Kou, I guess I’m the one who is salty about carrots.”

Yu Luan Blade frowned.

Kou Jianghuai raised an eyebrow and both gave Yu LuanDao a provocative look.

In Northern Liang, among the civil officials, there were Song Dongming and Bai Yu, and then there were Xu Beihao and Chen Xiliang, and it seemed that nowadays, there was another pair of enemies among the military generals, Kou Jianghuai and Yu Luanjie.

Xiangfu three years of spring, perhaps all over the Central Plains after the sound of those firecrackers, broken red in front of the house full of red has not yet had time to clean up.

Ten thousand Great Snow Dragon Cavalry went down to Jiangnan.

In addition to the eight hundred phoenix word battalion, there is that Wu family hundred riders and hundred swords.

There is Yuan Zuozong, Yu Luanjie, Hong Piao, Hong Shuwen.

There is the King of Northern Liang.

Xu Fengnian.