Soon, a soldier from Xu's army came to report: "General... a large army is coming from the southwest. Judging from their flags, they are the Xuanzhou garrison!"
Upon hearing this, Xu Zhengye clenched the sword in his hand which he had not yet unsheathed.
This news was not surprising enough for him, because he had already learned about the military movement in Xuanzhou...
That is why he personally led his troops here just in case.
But before this moment, he still had some uncertainty in his heart, because he really couldn't think of the reason why Xuanzhou would send troops to rescue Hezhou...
Even at this moment, he still had a puzzled feeling in his heart - why did Xuanzhou want to get involved in this mess? This was not the style of the Grand Princess Xuan'an at all! Regardless of how he felt, the facts were already before him.
The Xuanzhou army approached quickly.
What shocked Xu Zhengye even more was the person who led the army.
The army came from the southwest and merged into the direction of the Hezhou army. The leader then appeared in everyone's sight. In addition to the two generals, there was also a female figure.
The woman who came on horseback was wearing armor and a cloak. At this moment, she raised her hand to take off the hood of the cloak. Under the light of the torch, a graceful and relaxed face was revealed.
Xu Zhengye's expression changed slightly: "...Grand Princess?"
Princess Xuan'an actually came in person!
The eldest princess has not left Xuanzhou for many years, but today she put on armor and led her troops to personally provide assistance to Hezhou!
Xu Zhengye felt that this made little sense, or... was there some hidden secret that he didn't know about? He frowned tightly.
Princess Xuan'an looked at him and said, "General Xu, long time no see."
Looking at that face and listening to that voice, Chang Kuo was no less shocked than Xu Zhengye. He was even startled - why was she here!
Seeing the sudden appearance of reinforcements, Lieutenant General Jin was excited and subconsciously looked at his own general's reaction, but saw Chang Kuo frowning and glaring with an expression that was hard to describe.
After careful consideration, Lieutenant General Jin felt that the general's reaction at this moment was just like how he felt when a guest came with gifts but he didn't want to cook to entertain him - too polite, it's enough for the food to arrive, why bother coming?
Xu Zhengye was trying his best to remain calm and probe: "I wonder if Princess Xuan'an has any advice for you since she has led her army here in person?"
Princess Xuan'an sneered and said, "I should ask General Xu, have you ever asked for my opinion before you extend your hand to Hezhou?"
Xu Zhengye frowned slightly: "Xu doesn't understand the meaning of the Grand Princess's words, please explain clearly--"
He was not willing to be an enemy of Princess Xuan'an, whose identity was different from that of ordinary princesses of the royal family. She was the biological sister of the late emperor. She was favored by her father, Emperor Qingfeng, when she was young, and was granted Xuanzhou as her fiefdom when she came of age.
Among the 18 prefectures in the Western Jiangnan Road, Xuanzhou has the largest jurisdiction and the largest population, with more than 120,000 households. It is also the richest place in the entire Western Jiangnan Road.
Moreover, there was no military governor in the western part of Jiangnan. Over the years, most states had tacitly accepted Xuanzhou as the leader.
Granting Xuanzhou as a fief to a princess shows how much Emperor Qingfeng favored this daughter. When the late emperor was alive, he also doted on his only sister from the same mother. Even though she had some faults, he never criticized her.
In the eyes of the world, perhaps it was because of this that Princess Xuan'an developed such an arrogant and reckless character.
After the death of the previous emperor, the throne changed and the political situation was turbulent for a time. From the establishment and dethronement of a new emperor to the ascension of a empress, countless court officials and royal family members asked the eldest princess to take charge of the situation, but she refused them all.
No matter how turbulent the political situation was, she just stayed in Xuanzhou and drank and enjoyed herself.
However, he had occupied Xuanzhou for a long time and his power was deeply rooted, comparable to that of a vassal king, so he should not be underestimated.
Therefore, when the deposed emperor was still in power, he appointed a chief secretary to go to Xuanzhou, under the pretext of helping the Grand Princess relieve her worries, but in reality, he was trying to interfere in and control Xuanzhou's internal affairs.
But when the chief clerk first arrived in Xuanzhou, he was rejected by Princess Xuan'an, who said: The new chief clerk is very ugly and it is hard to swallow food. I had wanted to work with him, but he vomited three times a day. I was worried about his life and could not keep him.
The chief secretary suffered such a great humiliation that he attempted suicide after returning to the capital. He actually came to the capital to take office and returned by hanging himself.
In short, although the eldest princess never asked about the affairs of the court, she would never allow others to touch her bottom line.
Afterwards, when the empress ascended the throne, he did not raise any objection. For many years, he and the empress adhered to the consensus of not interfering with each other and lived in peace with each other.
Even though the bureaucrats of the Empress's party were wary of her, apart from keeping some male favorites, they could not find any other faults in her and she had never shown any signs of ambition. Even if they wanted to deal with one or two of them, they could not find a reason.
At the beginning of Xu Zhengye's rebellion, he also thought about winning over the Grand Princess to join him. He asked Luo Guanlin to write a letter, appealing to the princess's emotions and explaining the reasons to her. It was written in a sincere and earnest manner, and he had someone send it to Xuanzhou.
But the other party lit the letter on the candle without even looking at it in front of the messenger and threw it lightly in front of the messenger.
Then he sent his male favorite to drive the messenger out.
When Luo Guanlin heard about this, he was furious. He felt that his efforts had been in vain. What if the other party opened it and took a look? He didn't believe that the other party would not be tempted!
Therefore, Princess Xuan'an had rejected Xu Zhengye first.
But in Xu Zhengye's view, a refusal does not mean that the other party will become his enemy - although Princess Xuan'an is unwilling to work with him, she is not subject to the control of the court and the empress.
Since he is not being punitive against by the imperial court, then why are he here today?
What does "reaching out to Hezhou, have you ever asked her opinion?" Hezhou does not belong to her Jiangnan West Road! Princess Xuan'an said in a dignified and cold tone: "Hezhou is adjacent to my Xuanzhou, only a few hundred miles away. You dare to kill people and plunder the city in front of my Xuanzhou today, how do you know that you will not invade my Xuanzhou territory in the future?"
She angrily shouted, "General Xu, you must know that when you beat a dog, you have to consider the neighbors!"
Xu Zhengye: “…”
I have heard of beating a dog to see its owner many times, but this is the first time I have heard of beating a neighbor! Yun Hui: "..."
Well, as long as you are willing to help, it can be a dog.
"Xu has always respected the Grand Princess, and has been loyal to Li Dasheng. As the sun and the moon can attest, how could he offend Xuanzhou?" He said solemnly, "We want to take Hezhou now, but we are forced by the current situation."
Speaking of this, he looked at the Hezhou army, and even felt a little distressed: "If Hezhou is willing to take the righteous path and allow Xu to lead the army into the capital to support His Royal Highness, why would Xu be willing to hurt innocent people?"
Princess Xuan'an didn't buy it at all and sneered, "You can just use these words to deceive the world, but don't tell me about them."
"I don't care what you are planning. I only know that since you started the rebellion, countless refugees have entered Xuanzhou, causing unrest in the entire Jiangnan region!"
Her eyes were filled with anger, and her pressure was even stronger. "Besides, Xuanzhou has always relied on commerce to survive. Because of your rampant rebellion, the trade routes from Xuanzhou to other places are almost paralyzed. The businesses established in Jiangnan have also been forcibly plundered by your army. Even now, you still dare to say that you have never dared to offend Xuanzhou?"
After being scolded, Xu Zhengye's face turned pale and blue. He could only say: "My subordinates may have done something wrong. I hope the Grand Princess will forgive me. Xu will strictly discipline them in the future..."
Princess Xuan'an was still furious: "Every city you pass through will destroy the livelihood of that city. Hezhou is adjacent to Xuanzhou. Over the years, one tenth of the paper and ink produced in Xuanzhou has been sold to Hezhou. Now there are mountains of paper and ink in Xuanzhou. Can you buy all of it or eat it all?"
"It's time to eat it. I'm full of black water anyway! I should eat ink!"
A young girl's voice was heard, and Chang Suining looked over and saw that it was Li Tong riding a horse from behind.
Li Tong's eyes quickly found Chang Suining and he hurried over.
Princess Xuan'an had already thrown down her last words in a resounding voice: "You want to go to Huainan Road? If you have the ability, I don't care whether you fight from Li Yi's men or swim across Chaohu Lake. In short, if you want to move to Hezhou, I will never agree! If you want to fight, then just come and try!"
Xu Zhengye's face darkened.
It seems that Princess Xuan'an is determined to protect Hezhou...
What trade route and financial route? Even if it was true, it was too overbearing to talk to him about it in such a situation! Soon, a scout returned and the deputy general whispered to him the news he had found out: "General, the scouts have found out that Princess Xuan'an only brought 30,000 soldiers..."
According to the deputy general, since the other side only has 30,000 soldiers, this battle is not impossible! But Xu Zhengye can't think so simply.
Thirty thousand soldiers and horses were the fixed number of soldiers for the garrison in Xuanzhou. Any more would be suspected of privately hoarding troops. This woman's actions seemed absurd, but she had never been able to find fault with them...
But this is probably just the surface. She has been operating in Xuanzhou for many years. How could it be as simple as it seems? Moreover, if he breaks off relations with her today, it will be equivalent to offending the entire Jiangnan West Road. If they attack together, how will he deal with it?
Furthermore, the other party's slogan today is not to attack him on behalf of the imperial court, but to come for the private interests of Xuanzhou, not to hinder his great cause. If he becomes an enemy of the other party for this reason and the news gets out, wouldn't it be contrary to his reputation of supporting the Li family?
By then, some people would doubt his loyalty to the Li family and his true intentions of starting a rebellion, and he would not be able to explain himself to the scholars, gentry and bureaucrats who sincerely supported the Li family...
He has no way of fighting this battle!
If you are not careful, all your previous efforts will be wasted.
Faced with the arrogant words of Princess Xuan'an, the deputy general beside her could no longer tolerate it and asked with a fist: "General...!"
This slut relied on her surname Li and some power to act so rampantly. She was really too much! During the confrontation between the two sides, Xu Zhengye suppressed his resentment and raised his hand to the Grand Princess Xuan'an: "Today, I am willing to retreat to Jiangning for the Grand Princess and Xuanzhou! I hope the Grand Princess can remember what happened today and understand Xu's loyalty to the Li family!"
Princess Xuan'an raised her chin slightly and said without comment: "General Xu, please go away."
Xu Zhengye said patiently: "Retreat!"
Even though his subordinates were dissatisfied, they dared not refute and could only do as they were told.
When Xu Zhengye turned his horse around, his face was as gloomy as water and his eyes were sinister.
Today, he is considering the overall situation and taking a step back... When he achieves his great ambition in the future, he must first tear off the fat piece of meat of Xuanzhou!
Xu's army retreated like water.
"Don't worry, they dare not come again!" Li Tong turned around and said to the Hezhou soldiers.
The soldiers seemed to come back to their senses at this point, and finally someone cheered loudly.
Chang Kuo ordered his troops to return to the city.
Behind the army, the city gates were wide open.
The soldiers who were responsible for the relief work found their familiar companions from among the snow and piles of corpses, and brought them back with tears in their eyes.
It’s snowing heavily tonight, and we can’t let our fallen comrades lose their way home.
The city was brightly lit, waiting for the triumphant return of the soldiers. The lights of hundreds of houses emitted warm colors in the snow, expressing the joy after repelling the enemy, the relief for having their homes saved, and the indescribable sorrow.
Chang Suining immediately turned his head and looked at the battlefield that was gradually receding behind him, just like countless times after the end of wars in the past.
It is easy to start a war, but it is difficult to repair the damaged cities and people's hearts after the war.
Hezhou City is both unfortunate and fortunate. It is unfortunate to be caught up in this unexpected disaster caused by the ambitions of others, but fortunately, it still has the opportunity to recover and rebuild.
When Chang Suining was looking at the battlefield behind her, Chang Kuo was also looking at her.
As Chang Kuo's eyes were sore, a crisp and curious voice suddenly rang in his ears: "You must be General Chang!"
Chang Kuo looked over and asked thoughtfully: "You are..."
The girl wrapped in fox fur had bright eyes: "My name is Li Tong!"
Chang Kuo said "Oh" and suddenly realized: "It's you, you've grown so big!"
The little girl looks very pleasing to the eye.
Probably because she doesn’t look like her mother.
Li Tong stared at him: "Have you seen me?"
Chang Kuo looked ahead, as if thinking: "It seems so, maybe I have seen it somewhere... I can't remember!"
Li Tong grinned: "I know you, I often hear my mother mention you!"
Chang Kuo raised his thick eyebrows barely perceptibly: "Really..."
Can you tell me about it?
Li Tong was about to continue speaking when he heard his mother's unhappy voice calling from the side: "Li Tong, come here!"
Li Tong responded and drove his horse to Princess Xuan'an.
Chang Kuo: “……!”
Why did you mention him? Why don't you finish talking before you leave? He glanced at Princess Xuan'an.
Chang Suining also rode his horse and followed Li Tong to the Grand Princess to express his gratitude.
At the beginning, she wrote the letter to the Grand Princess. Xuanzhou and Hezhou are adjacent to each other, so there is still time. Moreover, the identity of the Grand Princess Xuan'an has a natural suppressive effect on Xu Zhengye, making her the best candidate.
So she chose to borrow troops from the other side.
This good fortune was put to good use as soon as it was established. Although it was all thanks to her brother, she was truly grateful that the other party was willing to send troops and come in person.
"...Look at all the injuries you have. Stop talking. If you have anything to say, you can talk when you get back!" Princess Xuan'an looked at Chang Suining with eyes full of heartache.
Looking at Sister Chang like this, Li Tong also sighed. She wanted to say, why not stay in the city and why have to go to the battlefield in person, but when she thought of the tragic scenes everywhere she saw, she couldn't say this.
Even if she had no other idea, how could Sister Chang, who had no connection with Hezhou City, go to such lengths to defend the city?
But she also suddenly realized that there really are people in this world who care about the life and death of others without caring about their own life and death.
If she only liked him before, now Sister Chang is worthy of her admiration.
Li Tong, who seldom left Xuanzhou and had never witnessed such great righteousness, was moved for the first time.
Snowflakes fell on her eyelashes, making her eyes a little sore. She took off her fox fur coat and wrapped it around Chang Suining without saying a word.
Chang Suining said that it would dirty her fur coat. With red eyes, she put on the hood for Chang Suining, covering it tightly, and said with a smile: "It is an honor for it to be stained with the blood of heroes."
Grand Princess Xuan'an said, "The Chang family's ancestral tomb is really emitting smoke."
He was clearly born a rough man in the mountains, but he had such a pair of good children, and she treated him differently despite her blindness. Isn't that a smoke? This smoke has been rising for so many years, and his family's ancestral grave must have been exhausted.
Chang Kuo squinted at them talking here, and shouted like Princess Xuan'an just did: "Ningning, come here!"
Princess Xuan'an glanced over and sneered.
Chang Suining drove his horse back and asked, "What happened?"
Chang Kuo suddenly shuddered: "......!"
Sorry, this reunion is between Lao Chang and the Grand Princess... Do you miss Xiao Cui so much?
However, the country is more important than beauty (Xiao Cui, wait a little longer, I will make up for it later, hehe). Today I updated 4,300 words, good night!
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