Chapter 583 Fan Yang's Choice
Xuzhou, Guangling County, Dongtai County
In a pavilion, two people sat facing each other with a chessboard in the middle and a steaming teapot sitting on a small red clay stove beside them.
Guo Chong placed his white piece on the chessboard and said to Fan Yang, "I never expected you to come to me on your own initiative."
Fan Yang smiled and placed a piece on the table. "What's the big deal? Even if the mountains don't move, the water will. There will always be a day when the mountains and the water will meet again."
Guo Chong glanced at him and made another move, "I don't believe you."
At this time, Fan Yang brought up something else, "Governor Lu has no intention of expanding the battlefield in the East China Sea, right?"
Guo Chong raised his eyebrows. "Want to know? Join us in Pingzhou."
Fan Yang didn't respond to his words, but smiled and said, "Isn't it obvious? Your East China Sea Expeditionary Force has been very restrained in the East China Sea. You haven't sent troops to launch surprise attacks on the surrounding imperial territories, nor have you attacked the imperial court's rear supply lines or strategic locations. Secondly, Pingzhou has not provided more support to the East China Sea, whether it's supplies or personnel."
Guo Chong thought that if they did so, the result would be the expansion of the battlefield in the East China Sea, and Pingzhou and the imperial court would continue to send troops to the East China Sea. This was inconsistent with their strategic goals.
Fan Yang is a smart guy.
Fan Yang felt a pang of regret. It was clear that General Xie was far more powerful than the Prince of Jin, and this encirclement had even caught him off guard. Logically, this battle should have been over at lightning speed.
Unexpectedly, due to Pingzhou's intervention, the war tended to be protracted.
Fortunately, Pingzhou was concerned about the Xianbei and had no intention of expanding the battlefield in the East China Sea.
The two continued to make moves.
Fan Yang pondered the Pingzhou expeditionary force's actions in the East China Sea. Watching Guo Chong contemplating the chess game, he took a sip of the tea beside him and suddenly asked, "Does Governor Lu have a request for the court?"
Guo Chong raised his head with a fake smile on his face, "Haha, guess?" But in his heart he sighed that Fan Yang was indeed one of the few smart people in the world.
"The battle in the East China Sea is about to end." Fan Yang asserted.
"Really?" Guo Chong asked again with a fake smile.
"Governor Xie has his own ideas. He won't allow the East China Sea War to drag on any longer. Governor Lu has his concerns. Prince Jin can't hold out for much longer."
Guo Chong simply threw away the chess piece in his hand, not bothering to pay attention to the half-played chess game in front of him. "Fan Yang, in this world of great contention, I believe you have already chosen your side, right?"
"Let me guess, you chose the imperial court and Xie Zhan?"
Fan Yang glanced at the chessboard and thought that this game could not be completed for the time being.
"The Buddha said, it cannot be explained."
Guo Chong snorted coldly, "You don't dare to admit it, are you worried that you won't be able to leave Dongtai County?"
Fan Yang did not answer directly, but said, "The imperial court and Pingzhou, Governor Lu and Governor Xie each have their own advantages."
Guo Chong said sarcastically, "Humph, you don't have to be mean."
The next day, when Fan Yang successfully left the territory of Dongtai County, he couldn't help but look back at the Pingzhou Expeditionary Force's base. A strange color flashed across his eyes. He thought to himself that Xie Zhan and Lu Songli had different personalities. One would rather kill someone by mistake, and the other would rather let someone go by mistake.
After Fan Yang left, Guo Chong thought about it and decided to write a letter to the governor to tell her his guess.
When Lu Songli received the letter, he was not surprised by Fan Yang's choice.
Fan Yang came from a prominent family. As a vested beneficiary of the Dali Dynasty, the cost of switching sides was too high.
For many people of this era, nothing is easier than believing in a successful hero and believing in his descendants who share the same surname.
This is actually the herd effect. Since they have eaten fresh grass before, other sheep will follow them without thinking, hoping that the leader will lead them to find fresh grassland again.
Prince Cheng and Prince Jin are not expected by the world, but some people will have expectations for the descendants of the Song family. If this generation is not good, then the next generation will be. What if a good seed appears in the next generation?
Chang'an, Sun Mansion
Grand Marshal Xiao Qun came to visit and was received personally by Old Lady Sun.
At this time, most of the properties of the soldiers under Sun's army had been sold.
Xiao Qun looked at the empty Sun Mansion and said, "Old Lady, aren't you being too impulsive? These things that are meant to be passed down to your descendants, are you just going to sell them off like that?"
Old Lady Sun said sadly, "My son and the others are gone, what's the point of having these yellow and white things?"
Xiao Jun earnestly advised, "Old Lady, what's the difference between you and your own death? Although General Sun Ming and his men are gone, your grandchildren are still young. Can you bear to deny them a chance to live?"
Old Lady Sun spoke excitedly, "Sir, my sons and their men died tragically. Although as military commanders, their fate was to die on the battlefield, the remains of one hundred thousand soldiers were gone. Not ten, not a hundred, but a thousand!"
"My grandchildren are still young, but their fathers and brothers died at the hands of the Xianbei. If they don't avenge their fathers and brothers, they are unworthy sons!"
"I also know that this new army of the Sun family army cannot defeat the Xianbei army. But these things have to be done by someone. Only by doing it can there be hope. If you don't do it, there will never be hope."
Xiao Qun advised again, "Old Lady, please don't be impulsive."
Old Lady Sun wiped away a tear and said, "Master Taiwei, don't worry. The Sun family's new army is the continuation of the Sun family army. I won't let them die in vain."
"Isn't General Yang stationed in Xinxing and Zhongshan? After the Sun family's new army arrives, any battle will definitely be led by General Yang. If there is a chance, let the children recapture Yanmen to comfort the spirits of their fathers and brothers in heaven."
The Sun family army's number is still there, so they can have a base there when they go there.
At this point, Old Lady Sun's argument was well-founded. Xiao Qun knew that nothing he said would persuade her. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Are you leaving Chang'an too?"
There was suspicion in his eyes. Are all of them, young and old, going to leave Chang'an? This is not the way to die.
"Yes, we will all leave Chang'an. Chang'an has made us so sad." Old Lady Sun said, and began to cry.
After crying twice, she suppressed her grief and said, "The children are still young, so we will go and see them off. In addition, we, as parents and children, want to pay tribute to the 100,000 soldiers of our Sun family army who died in Yanmen Dai County. As for when we will return? I can only say that the return date is undetermined."
As Old Lady Sun spoke, she wiped the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief.
Xiao Qun heard that this was a grudge against the emperor.
Old Lady Sun's words were a mixture of truth and falsehood, true and false. There was anger driven to the extreme, but also compromises made out of necessity...
There are no flaws.
After Xiao Qun left, Old Lady Sun breathed a sigh of relief.
At this time, Wang Dong came over from the secluded guest house, "Old Lady Sun, things are going smoothly. In two days, we can leave Chang'an openly."
Old Lady Sun warned him, "The closer we get to the final moment, the more cautious we should be."
Wang Dong was impressed. As expected, the old ones were the wisest. "Okay, I'll do the finishing touches."
After Wang Dong left, Old Lady Sun patted her chest, and with the help of her trusted nanny, she slowly sat back on the couch.
When the bad news came, she really felt like she could hardly breathe.
Not long after, Wang Dong came up to her and took out a token. After gaining her trust, he slowly told her about the plan for Pingzhou. After listening to it, she agreed.
Since the son and grandson have made their choice, the entire Sun family should follow suit.
Governor Lu was right when he said that the best defense is offense. The Emperor's reactions during this period have proven this point.
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