Qin Qiong, courtesy name Shubao, was one of the twenty-four heroes in the Lingyan Pavilion. He was known for his bravery and ferocity. He was originally a general under Lai Huer of the Sui Dynasty, and later followed Zhang Xutuo to attack Li Mi. After the defeat, Zhang Xutuo died in the battle, and Qin Shubao became a subordinate of Pei Renji. He then surrendered to Li Mi with Pei, and was highly valued and appointed as a cavalryman in the account. After Li Mi's defeat, he surrendered to Wang Shichong, and later surrendered to the Tang Dynasty with Cheng Zhijie and others, and was assigned to the account of Qin Wang Li Shimin.
Luo Shixin, a general under Zhang Xutuo, was extremely brave and famous for defeating the peasant uprising army led by Wang Bo, Zuo Caixiang, Meng Rang and others in Changbai Mountain, Qi County, and was highly regarded by Zhang Xutuo. Later, he followed Zhang Xutuo to suppress the Wagang Army led by Li Mi. After the defeat, Zhang Xutuo was killed. Luo Shixin surrendered to the Wagang Army along with Pei Renji and others and was appointed as the general manager. Soon after the defeat of the Wagang Army, he led more than a thousand troops to surrender to the Tang Dynasty and was appointed as the general manager of the Shanzhou Road.
Zhang Xuanning immediately remembered this information. He had never thought that he would meet these two generals here. According to history, both of them were brave generals under Zhang Xutuo. After Zhang Xutuo died in battle, they surrendered to Pei Renji and joined the Wagang Army together. How come they came here?
Thinking of this, Zhang Xuanning immediately said, "So Brother Shubao is in the city. No wonder I suffered such a big loss. Pass the order down. If there is a general named Qin Qiong, don't kill him first."
The sound was clear and immediately reached the ears of everyone around.
Li Chunfeng certainly knew what to do. He said respectfully, "Yes, I will do it myself right away."
After saying this, he went down the city gate and headed inside with several riders.
Sure enough, under the moonlight, after hearing this, Luo Shixin's expression relaxed. Luo Shixin and Qin Qiong were both from Licheng, Qizhou. They were from the same hometown and had fought under Zhang Xutuo at the same time, so of course their relationship was different.
Seeing this, Zhang Xuanning smiled, then went down from the south gate and had the city gate opened. After he got out of the city gate, he faced them on the flat ground. The army was waiting behind him, and only twenty personal soldiers came forward. Zhang Xuanning smiled and bowed, "Brother Shixin, wait for Brother Shubao to come over. There will be some time. Why don't you come over to talk? This way we can understand more clearly."
If there were no defenses, Luo Shixin's 1,000 cavalry could indeed cause great trouble. But at this time, there were defenses, and there were city defenders, more than 700 cavalry, and 1,000 armored soldiers following with crossbows. If Luo Shixin's 1,000 cavalry really rushed forward, it would only be a dead end.
His eyes swept over the soldiers and saw the crossbow. Luo Shixin's face changed slightly and he snorted coldly. He also came forward with twenty personal soldiers, brought two wooden stools, and asked the two men to sit down.
When he got closer, Zhang Xuanning sighed and said, "Brother Shixin is very brave. I have always admired him, especially when you intercepted Lu Mingyue's 100,000 troops. You and Brother Shubao only brought a few hundred soldiers, but you dared to raid the enemy's camp. The camp gate was closed, and the two of you jumped onto the enemy's watchtower, killing several enemies each, causing chaos in the enemy camp. The two opened the camp gate, led the troops to attack the camp, set fire to more than 30 enemy camps, and the smoke and fire went up to the sky. Lu Mingyue was defeated because of this. Brother Shixin and Brother Shubao are rare young heroes in the world!"
At this time, Luo Shixin was only twenty years old, maybe sixteen or seventeen years old, but he accomplished such a great thing, he deserved the title of young hero!
As he said this, he casually took a sheepskin pot from his personal soldier, drank a few sips, and handed it over: "The winter rain is very cold, Brother Shixin, have a few sips!"
Luo Shixin looked at him carefully and found that Zhang Xuanning was indeed only about eighteen years old. He even looked a little younger because of his fair skin. However, just sitting there , he had an extraordinary, profound and unfathomable demeanor that was really impressive.
More importantly, his eyes were as bright as lacquer, and his expression of nostalgia and admiration when he spoke just now left no doubt that it was truly sincere. The sheepskin pot he handed over was also extremely calm and at ease. His every move was so flawless that it will be unforgettable forever.
Luo Shixin was greatly shocked, knowing that Zhang Xuanning was indeed a first-rate master. He immediately discarded all thoughts that had restrained him. Moreover, Zhang Xuanning even possessed a dignified and imposing demeanor that even Zhang Xutuo could hardly achieve. His appearance, demeanor, and spirit were all impressive.
Luo Shixin took the sheepskin pot and drank it in big gulps, letting the hot wine flow into his stomach, but his eyes were like the sharp edges of knives: "Speaking of young heroes, who else in the world can compare to Captain Shi? His literary talent and poetry are well-known throughout the world, and he has made great achievements and was personally awarded by the emperor. He became a fifth-rank captain at the age of seventeen. This year, he has captured four counties in a row and has tens of thousands of soldiers. No one can compare to him!"
When he said this, he couldn't help but get emotional and his voice became stern.
Zhang Xuanning was silent for a long while, his face was calm, his eyes were shining, revealing a look of sadness and injustice, and he whispered: "I know you blame me. You are blessed by the emperor, but you don't surrender to him, but you don't know the inside story."
Luo Shixin's eyes flashed coldly, and after carefully examining him for a while, he said, "Captain Shi, what is the inside story? Tell me. With your current status as Captain Shi and your strength, if you can turn from evil to good, I believe that the emperor will never pursue the matter, but will reward you. We are willing to serve under Captain Shi."
He was such a smart man that he certainly knew Zhang Xuanning's intention to recruit them secretly. In fact, in terms of official position, the two of them were only sixth rank, both below Zhang Xuanning.
Zhang Xuan's eyes shot out a sharp and terrifying light, and he said in a deep voice: "When I was the acting county magistrate of Anchuan County, Li Judao accumulated weapons and assassinated my superiors. I killed him, and thus offended the Li family. When I was in Yanmen, I was loyal to the country and killed hundreds of Turks in a month. I was promoted to the rank of fifth-rank commander. But in the blink of an eye, I was ambushed and killed by the Li family. The emperor actually let it happen. Doesn't it make me feel chilled?"
Luo Shixin also heard about this. He said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty may not know about this. Besides, the Li family was very powerful at that time. Even if Your Majesty did something wrong, it was because he had no choice. How could he harbor resentment?"
This time it was Zhang Xuanning's turn to smile bitterly: "If it was just this matter, I would have tolerated it, but do you know who my father is?"
Without waiting for his answer, he said, "My grandfather is Yang Su, and my father is Yang Xuangan. When I was on the verge of death, it was because of my father's old friend Li Bo who saved me that I was able to escape. With the help of my old subordinates, I was able to occupy four counties within a year. The emperor knows the truth. Do you think he will tolerate me?"
"Even if His Majesty tolerates it, what about my ministers and subordinates who have helped me? Should they wait for settlement in the future? Besides, I now control four counties and have tens of thousands of soldiers. It is really time for me to accomplish something. How can His Majesty give me such a status?" Zhang Xuanning said it bluntly.
"After all, it's nothing but wolfish ambitions!" To put it bluntly, Luo Shixin was speechless. He didn't know about this, so these two names immediately made him feel oppressed.
At this time, Yang Su was in a very high position, almost equal to the prime minister, with unparalleled achievements and prestige, almost overwhelming the four major clans. Even Luo Shixin could not help but think: "No wonder Zhang Xuanning is so successful, he is actually Yang Su's grandson!"
In ancient times, family background was extremely important. Once such a thought came to mind, even though he was a great hero, he was affected and his perspective suddenly changed completely. He wanted to yell at him, but he couldn't say anything. He just said this.
"Not only that, the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties lasted for a thousand years, the Qin and Han dynasties lasted for five hundred years, and the Five Barbarians invaded China during the Jin Dynasty. Our Chinese clothing and customs were almost lost, and the barbarians were in power. Now the world is in chaos, it is really time to put things right. I will inherit the bravery of my second ancestor and must do this. I have always kept these words in my heart and never confided them to anyone. Today, when I saw Brother Shi Xin, I couldn't help but say them out loud, and even I felt strange."
Luo Shixin was silent. He felt a wave of warmth and a wave of coldness in his heart, because his keen sense told him that when Zhang Xuanning said this, she was expressing her true feelings and there was no falsehood. But it was precisely because of this that it was scary, as he could not tell whether it was true or false, real or fake.
This meeting was really beyond my expectations.
After a pause, Zhang Xuanning continued, "You two were originally General Zhang's subordinates. Why are you here?"
Since Qin Qiong was defeated, it would be known sooner or later. This was no secret. Luo Shixin said casually: "You occupied three counties. When General Zhang (Zhang Xutuo) attacked the Wagang Army, he transferred the two of us to Dongyang County. Qin Qiong came first, and I was escorting a batch of food and grass. I came later. I didn't expect that in just one month, the general would die in battle, and the county city would be captured."
At this point, he already had a sad tone. Seeing this, Zhang Xuanning knew that he was wavering, so he said, "At this moment, the emperor has trapped Jiangdu. The Wagang army is powerful, with 500,000 people approaching Luoyang. The north and the south have been cut off. General Zhang is dead. Who can save the situation? You know, the Li family has also recruited soldiers and started an uprising recently. The north and the south are in chaos. The emperor has actually lost the world at this moment. You two are heroes in the world, but now you are only sixth-rank officials. If you can help me, I will definitely appoint you two as county garrisons. I hope Brother Shixin will consider it."
Luo Shixin said unhappily, "I have received the grace of the court, how could I be such a person?"
Zhang Xuanning sighed, "I understand how you feel, but in fact, the one who has done you a favor is General Zhang, not His Majesty. Besides, you have been following General Zhang since you were fourteen, fighting in the south and the north. Since the sixth year of Daye, you have been fighting with the rebel forces in various places and defeated countless enemies. But don't you think that the more you encircle and suppress, the more enemies you will encounter? This is really a loss of virtue for His Majesty, and God will hate you!"
Luo Shixin stood up suddenly, his body straight, his eyes flashing coldly, staring at Zhang Xuanning, and said in a deep voice: "I already know what you mean, but what if I don't agree?"
"The world today is torn apart and wars are endless. In the end, it is the common people who suffer. People like us with lofty ideals must reunite the world. This is the great justice of the world, and personal feelings should be put aside. If brother Shixin insists on not doing it, I have nothing to say. To fight for hegemony over the world, we have to swim against the current and ignore life and death. If we are divided into two camps, we can only fight to the death. However, brother Shixin is a young hero, and I don't want to be hostile to him today. I can only send him out of the city and fight again in the future." Zhang Xuanning showed a regretful look. In fact, at this time, the 30,000 troops were exhausted and could not take it at all. This was just a favor.
"Where's Qin Qiong?"
"Brother Shubao, since you are my prisoner, I should ask you whether you surrender or not. If not, I will have to kill you. You and Brother Shubao are both heroes in the world. For the sake of the world, I cannot let a tiger go back to the mountains. This is the only way to deal with you. The fight for the world is like this. Brother Shixin, please do not blame me!" Zhang Xuanning said lightly, but everyone knew that the word "kill" was not false at all.
After hearing this, Luo Shixin's eyes fell on the county town behind him, his eyes flashed coldly, and after a long time he sighed and said: "Although the general manager's words are ruthless, it is indeed a necessary means to seize the world. I can't even feel resentment. However, please allow me to meet Qin Qiong first."
Zhang Xuanning said happily: "Of course."
Not long after, Li Chunfeng arrived as expected, with two of his personal soldiers carrying a door panel and placing a man on the panel. They stopped ten meters away. Luo Shixin knew that the other party would never allow him to snatch the man on the spot, but he strode over and took a look. Sure enough, the man lying there was Qin Qiong. His back was covered with a piece of clothing that was soaked with blood, and he had already fainted. Luo Shixin gently lifted it up and looked down, only to see more than a dozen wounds on his body. Although he had taken medicine, it was still shocking.
"Captain Qin Jianjie is indeed a brave man. Even when the city was broken and the situation was hopeless, he still held the prefectural mansion and fought to the death. If I had not arrived early, I am afraid he would have been hacked to pieces." Li Chunfeng said.
After hearing this, Luo Shixin burst into tears. He wiped his tears, took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and opened them after a while and said, "I understand what the steward meant. I have something to ask the steward."
"Brother Shi Xin, please go ahead and tell me."
"The steward is the grandson of Duke of Chu (Yang Su). I wonder if he has obtained Duke Yang's treasure?" He asked without blinking, with a cold light in his eyes.
“This is top secret, but since Brother Shi Xin asked, I naturally won’t hide it. Yes, Yang Gong’s treasure is already in my hands, so I can organize an army to fight, and we are not inferior to any other family.” Zhang Xuanning said in a deep voice.
After hearing this, Luo Shixin's face darkened. It has been said in the world that whoever can obtain the Heshi Bi or Yang Gong's treasure will become the future emperor. Although he did not know that the imperial seal had also fallen into Zhang Xuanning's hands, he was already surprised to have obtained Yang Gong's treasure. Not only did it have practical use, but it also had irreplaceable symbolic significance.
As long as it is announced under appropriate circumstances, those small rebel forces and the weaker counties nearby may surrender without a fight. The significance of this is enormous and can cast a halo of destiny over Zhang Xuanning.
As for Zhang Xuanning, in the past two years, he has proved with ironclad facts that he is not only a martial arts prodigy of his generation, having reached the level of a first-class master at the age of eighteen, but also a monarch who is proficient in both civil and military affairs. Now that he has successfully taken possession of Yang Gong's treasure, there are indeed not many people who can rival him.
At this time, Li Chunfeng stepped forward and said, "Brother Shixin, the lord has not only taken Yang Gong's treasure, but also seized four counties. In terms of military strength, although it is not as good as the Wagang Army, Luoyang City is tall and strong, and Wang Shichong is also a great general. It will be difficult for the Wagang Army to take it. Now, how many people in the world can establish an official and claim the throne? Moreover, did you know that we have already established contact with the Song clan, and the lord is planning to ask Song Que for marriage!"
At this time, the Li family had not yet risen, so it can be ignored.
The Wagang Army was still led by Zhai Rang, and Li Mi had not yet seized power. Without Li Mi, the duke from an aristocratic family of the Eight Pillars of the State, to lead the army, the Wagang Army could not escape its positioning as a bandit army, and therefore was not an easy target to join.
After much calculation, it is true that only Zhang Xuanning has the potential to rule the world, especially the words of the Song clan, which completely shocked Luo Shixin. The Song clan is one of the four major clans and claims to be the orthodox Han nationality. It is very likely that they will support Zhang Xuanning. In this case, their power is really strong.
Li Chunfeng was very satisfied with his reaction and said, "Besides, Dongyang County was lost and Qin Qiong was captured by us. Even if Brother Shixin goes back, he can't escape the crime. It's better for him to return to the lord. The lord needs people right now. Brother Shixin will be crowned as a duke in the future and leave his name in history!"
Zhang Xuanning stepped forward and bowed deeply: "Brother Shixin, please help me!"
Luo Shixin looked at the two of them. He was hesitant at first, but now that he had this opportunity, he said, "How dare I refuse such a kind offer from the general manager? I, Luo Shixin, pay my respects to my lord!"
Suddenly, he knelt on the ground like pushing a mountain and knocking down jade, performing the great ceremony of kingship and subjecthood with three bows and nine kowtows.
When he did so, the thousand cavalrymen behind him looked at each other in bewilderment. After a moment's hesitation, they also dismounted and bowed, "Greetings, lord!"
Zhang Xuanning was overjoyed and quickly reached out his hand to help him up, saying, "With Shi Xin's help, the world can be settled!"
After a pause, he continued, "It's cold outside the city. Since you've been handed over to me, let's go inside. However, the city is still being reorganized. Shi Xin's cavalry are all wearing Sui clothing. I'm afraid of causing misunderstandings. They should stay in the South Gate Tower with my personal army. As for Shubao, he is seriously injured and can't stand the cold. I'll send him to the prefectural governor's mansion for recuperation. What do you think?"
Of course he would not trust Luo Shixin immediately. If he let them into the city at will, something terrible would happen. So he released these thousand men together with his 1,800 troops and kept them on guard. Even if Luo Shixin wanted to launch a surprise attack, he would not be able to gain the upper hand. Once daybreak, the city would be reorganized, and his 25,000 troops would have recovered some combat effectiveness. Then these 1,000 cavalrymen could be controlled, and Qin Qiong must be sent back to the prefectural government for custody and treatment.
Now that he had already paid homage to the lord, the relationship was immediately different. Luo Shixin said respectfully: "Since this is the lord's intention, I will follow it without error."
After saying this, he ordered the thousands of people behind him to take off their armor to show their sincerity.