Chapter 254: A Man from Jiangnan

On the right bank of the Huai River, along the gentle slope towards the south, a group of knights wearing bamboo hats were leading their horses and feeding them.

On the gentle slope, two old men with gray hair were sitting on the ground. The more handsome old man was stroking his beard and marveling at the water mist that stretched for nearly a hundred feet at the junction of Yingshui River and Huaihe River.

"Xiao You, I am increasingly confused about the realm of the captain... Tell me, how did he cultivate? My sixty-year internal energy is not as strong as the sword energy released by the captain's finger. Is this captain not even twenty years old?"

Beside him, You Yi, who was simply called a generation below his station by Gong Yang Zuo, had a blank expression on his face. He just stared at the two figures entangled in the mist.

Gongyang glanced at him from the side, and then suddenly laughed, moved closer, and bumped Youyi with his shoulder: "Are you still angry with me, an old man? It doesn't seem like you to be so petty."

You Yi snorted and didn't bother to pay attention to him.

Gong Yangzuo was a little annoyed when he saw that he didn't answer. He picked up some green grass that was not yet withered at his feet and chewed it. "You can't blame me for that. Who told you old guys to be so loyal to the commander? If you were to get involved, it might be impossible to catch the Twelve Branches of Tiankui. This is a matter concerning the lieutenant, so I dare not be careless."

After hearing this, You Yi sneered: "When you are in a position, you should do your job, shoulder your responsibilities, and do your best. I understand this principle better than you! Since I followed Tian Anxing to the Central Plains, do I need you to teach me what to do and what not to do?"

It was rare to hear You Yi swear, Gong Yang Zuo was instantly amused, and then he belatedly let out a hiss, and asked in surprise: "Then why didn't I hear you talking to me?"

You Yi still sneered: "You old fool attacked me without even saying hello, I can't say anything, who can I tell? Tell your mother?"

Gong Yang Zuo became more annoyed, remembering that he had indeed tricked You Yi into the room that night and suddenly locked him up. He also did not give You Yi a chance to say anything. Only he, Gong Yang Zuo, kept chattering away, looking like he was ready to sacrifice himself.

Thinking about it now, Gong Yangzuo felt a little embarrassed and moved his butt again, a little further away from You Yi by half a foot.

You Yi sneered, not wanting to argue with him. He just pointed at the continuous mist on the river and said, "Tian Anxing's move has gone beyond the scope of the Green Lotus Sword Song, right? It's completely different from Yang Shuzi's move."

After hearing this, Gong Yang Zuo patted his chest and said proudly, "Of course. Don't you see who the captain is? How can a mere Yang Shuzi be able to cheat him? Although that guy had some skills when he was young, he is far inferior to the captain's ability to move freely and control objects in the air. But if this Green Lotus Sword Song is like this, how can we tell it based on Yang Shuzi's fragment?
If we really want to discuss the Green Lotus Sword Song, I'm afraid only the Marshal knows the demeanor of Li Bai, the swordsman back then. You might as well guess how long Zhu Jin can hold out."

After he finished speaking, he couldn't help rubbing his hands: "I bet half an incense stick."

You Yi's eyes were calm, and he shook his head and said, "Tian Anxing obviously held back a trick. If it is as you said before, even Tianyouxing Shi Yao did not take Tian Anxing's sword, Zhu Jin would not have been able to hold on until now. Although Zhu Jin's body is strong and can be compared with Li Cunxiao of Tongwenguan, his strength is definitely not higher than Tianyouxing."

Gong Yangzuo hissed and said thoughtfully: "If Zhu Jin is defeated, won't he send out a few warships? Nearly ten thousand naval forces are not so easy to defeat..."

You Yi did not respond, but just looked at the officials on the official ship who were planning to turn back north.

Gong Yangzuo followed his gaze, sneered disdainfully, and ignored him.

According to the original plan, their group of bad guys accompanied the official ship southwards to deal with any unnecessary troubles as a secret hand. Originally, after entering the Huaihe River Basin, they had to board the ship and travel together, otherwise the horsepower alone would not be enough to keep up with the speed of the waterway. However, they never expected that they would encounter Zhu Jin's troops to intercept and kill them just as they entered the Huaihe River.

They didn't need to think about the details behind this, but the existence of the hidden hand came into play at this moment. The first principle was of course to ensure that Xiao Yan's established plan would not deviate. As long as they arrived at the Changsha Prefecture of the Chu State on time, it would be more effective than killing a few more people.

As for those accompanying officials, their life or death is none of their business. In other words, as long as these accompanying officials stay by Xiao Yan's side, they will be safer. Even if they want to escape, they should not abandon Shangguan. God knows whether the Ghost King has any backup plan. Killing Xiao Yan is one thing, but killing a group of officials is just the right way to put the blame on the State of Wu.
Gongyang Zuo was able to understand the situation, but the accompanying officials were so afraid that they lost their minds.

"It's our turn to take the stage."

Gong Yang Zuo watched from afar as the huge ships without masts began to raise their sails again and sail northward, then he stood up, flexing his wrists.

"Wait." You Yi glanced at him and stared at the mist: "Don't rush to attack."

Gong Yangzuo frowned and looked, only to see that the two figures who were fighting in the mist had now become quiet, which was indescribably strange.

However, based on his understanding of Xiao Yan, he guessed that maybe things could turn around, so he simply listened to You Yi's advice and continued to sit cross-legged where he was. At the same time, he raised his hand to signal the knights at the bottom of the slope to stay calm and wait and see what happened.

------

The mist should have dissipated long ago, but with Xiao Yan's movement, several water swords moved and flashed in the air again, so that the mist did not dissipate, giving the outside world the illusion that the fight was still going on.

In the mist, the slanting water vapor lingered on his face, which was quite comfortable. Zhu Jin stepped on the bottom of his lance, which was completely submerged in the water, with a thoughtful look on his face. At the same time, he had a look of sudden realization: "According to what you said, you were the one behind the sale of the war horses to the south?"

Xiao Yan nodded calmly: "It's exactly what Zhu Dutong thought. The 500 war horses you bought from Zhao Congyi two months ago, as well as the more than 400 pack horses and 300 war horses you bought last month but are still on the way, were all approved by me. Only then did Zhao Congyi sell these two big deals to Zhu Dutong."

After that, he smiled and said, "If my guess is correct, General Zhu is planning to move north after winter comes, right?"

Zhu Jin's face darkened, and he did not answer Xiao Yan's last question. Instead, he wiped a small scar on his face and said in a deep voice, "As a general of that thief Zhu Wen, aren't you afraid that I will sue you for aiding the enemy?"

Xiao Yan laughed indifferently: "If General Zhu wants to sue, then go ahead."

Zhu Jin's frown deepened as he once again sized up the young man in front of him whose true colors he could not tell. He hesitated for a moment, and then, under Xiao Yan's half-smiley gaze, an idea suddenly occurred to him, and he murmured, "According to your Excellency, if you hadn't been to that bastard Zhu Wen..."

Xiao Yan did not avoid the question, but just nodded, but the words he said were reversed: "So, have you thought about my question just now, Zhu Dutong? Do you plan to spend the rest of your life and die in Wu?"

He paused for a moment, then continued, "Over the years, I'm sure Zhu Dutong must have understood that although the Wu Kingdom in the south of the Huai River has the advantage of guarding the Huai River and preventing Daliang from advancing southward, it is impossible for it to advance northward. Perhaps Zhu Dutong has spent a lot of effort in the past two years to purchase more than a thousand war horses and form a cavalry army, and it seems that there is a glimmer of hope, but if it really wants to advance northward, in my opinion, it's just a little too late."

"Nonsense!" Zhu Jin's thoughts were suddenly revealed. He was stunned and obviously a little angry. He immediately jumped into the water to fight again.

Xiao Yan ignored it and continued to speak: "Because Daliang's national strength is there. Liang's territory includes Guanzhong, Henan, Shandong, and Hebei. How can it be compared with Huainan, which is only in Wu? In the past, Yang Xingmi was still a bit of a heroic ruler when he was alive, but now that he has passed away, he has left behind a Wu ruler who cannot control his court officials. The land of Huainan has no future.

Perhaps Zhu Dutong believes that he has the power to save the world and is able to carry out Wu's anti-Liang cause on his own. However, has Zhu Dutong ever thought that the current Wu State is no longer willing to play the game of attacking Liang with you? "

Zhu Jin, who was already furious, seemed to be poured with a basin of cold water and stopped fighting. It was obvious that Xiao Yan's casual words did not calm him down.

As a general commanding one third of the entire Wu State's troops, how could he need Xiao Yan's guidance? It was simply that he had been pretending to be deaf and dumb and refused to believe.

But Xiao Yan was merciless and continued, "Now, Wu's military and political power are controlled by two local powerful officials. The focus has long shifted from attacking Liang to defending Wuyue behind. You are a foreign general isolated and helpless. Even if you insist on heading north, there will be no other reinforcements to support you. On the contrary, the biggest possibility is that you will be dragged down in the battle. If the attack on Liang fails, Wu will be attacked by Qian Liu of Wuyue. All of Zhu Dutong's strategies will fail. What's the point?"

At this time, in addition to the Wu Kingdom founded by Yang Xingmi, there was also a regime in Jiangnan named Qian Liu, who was also canonized as the King of Wu by Emperor Zhaozong of Tang. The former lived in Huainan, while the latter controlled eastern Zhejiang, and they were real neighbors.

However, after Zhu Wen usurped the throne, Qian Liu was named King of Wuyue by him. In name, he respected Daliang as the orthodox dynasty in the Central Plains and paid tribute to it every year, apparently wholeheartedly pursuing a pro-Liang policy.

So in this situation, Wu was actually attacked from both the north and the south by Liang and Wuyue, and because Daliang occupied the natural barrier of the Huai River, the danger to Wu was smaller. Therefore, for more than ten years, it had always regarded Wuyue as the best candidate for expanding territory. It was okay when Yang Xingmi was alive, and it could maintain a certain degree of peace with Wuyue, but now Yang Xingmi is dead, and friction between the two sides continues. Daliang was also happy to see this, and there was no lack of intention to provoke behind the scenes.

Therefore, Zhu Jin's plan to go north to attack Liang at that moment was nothing but a foolish dream. If he really wanted to attack Liang, he would be an isolated army with no strategic significance. Even if he really captured a few cities or conquered a state or a county, he would have to give it up sooner or later, and it would be a useless effort.

Zhu Jin's face became darker and darker. He stared at Xiao Yan and said, "Even if I die because of fighting against Zhu Wen, I am willing to do so! Zhu Wen, that bastard, is not worthy of me bowing my head!"

Seeing that he still didn't understand what he meant, Xiao Yan smiled frankly and said directly: "My idea is to let Zhu Dutong join forces with me."

Zhu Jin raised his eyebrows: "You? What can you do?"

After saying this, he slapped his forehead belatedly, "Forgot, forgot... I noticed that you seem to be at odds with that bastard Zhu Wen, right? So, can you support me when you go north?"

Xiao Yan nodded calmly: "That's what I mean, but the method is wrong."

Seeing that Zhu Jin was puzzled, he continued, "My idea is to let Zhu Dutong temporarily suppress his impulsive strategic intentions and first preserve a little bit of strength in your Wu Kingdom's power struggle. When the time is right, I will contact Zhu Dutong to march north."

"..." Zhu Jin narrowed his eyes and thought for a moment, but did not respond or deny, and just asked: "Power struggle?"

Xiao Yan smiled and said, "Zhang Hao, the commander of the left wing of Huainan, and Xu Wen, the commander of the right wing of Huainan, were entrusted by Yang Xingmi to take care of the emperor. They have the power to decide military and political affairs. The two of them joined forces to make the Wu Lord Yang Wo lose power. Now they are able to monopolize the military and political affairs of Huainan. Even the Wu Lord dares not say anything. After all the obstacles have been dealt with, Zhu Dutong will become the last obstacle for the two to make further progress?"

Zhu Jin did not doubt Xiao Yan's knowledge of these things. After all, since he was able to sell thousands of war horses to Wu under Zhu Wen's nose, he was already an extraordinary person. Moreover, because of the death of Yang Xingmi, the only special agency of Wu, the Black Cloud Long Sword Army, was controlled by Xu and Zhang. It had been rotten like a sieve in a few years, so it was no surprise that it was infiltrated by enemy spies.

The only thing that puzzled him was why Xiao Yan trusted him so much. It was impossible for Xiao Yan not to understand the principle of being close to someone new.

Xiao Yan seemed to see his confusion, so he took the initiative to explain: "I went south along the Huai River this time, and I had the intention of making friends with Zhu Dutong. However, before I could ask Zhao Congyi to make arrangements, Zhu Dutong had already bumped into me, and I had already prepared all the speeches in my mind... Zhu Dutong is the only hero in Huainan, and the late Yang Xingmi is half a hero. As for the rest, there is no need for me to join forces with them."

"What a big tone!" Zhu Jin sneered, but it was obvious that what the 'hero' said touched his heart. Although his face was cold, his tone softened involuntarily: "I will assume that everything you said is true, but who knows if you came up with this excuse just to escape?"

Xiao Yan laughed loudly, and threw the Tang sword in his hand away, leaving it stuck on the shore. Then he pressed his belt and laughed: "Then I will surrender and let Zhu Dutong take me back for a reward, how about that?"

Zhu Jin squinted his eyes and touched his chin, then he leaned on his waist and snorted and laughed: "Well, well, as the saying goes, heroes appreciate heroes. I admit that you are a man. Even if I don't have a blade, I can't capture you. So why humiliate yourself? Today I will give you a favor, and for the sake of the more than a thousand mounts, I will believe what you say!"

After saying this, he drew out the lance at his feet and headed straight south over the water, leaving only the sound.

"I will consider your words. If you are really sincere, I will ask Manager Zhao to bring you here to have a good talk tomorrow. I will also treat you to a table of good wine!"

Xiao Yan hung on the water plant by his belt, following the bold figure for a long time, then shook his head and smiled.

------

Seeing the six huge ships suddenly turn their bows to the east, Ji Ruxue, who had been sitting on the bow with a tense face for a long time, suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, but her eyes were still fixed on the bottom of the ship.

In a moment, a figure flashed back, and a Tang sword floated in the air, following closely behind and landing on the deck.

Seeing this, Ji Ruxue finally relaxed. She looked down and found that her palms were full of sweat.

She suppressed her fear and asked in a low voice, "How did you convince him to withdraw his troops?"

Xiao Yan glanced at the officials who hurriedly turned back and couldn't help laughing. He blinked at Ji Ruxue and said, "Charm of personality, do you believe it?"

The girl spat, but then replied in a low voice: "If it's your words, of course I believe it..."

(End of this chapter)