There is no wind in the quiet night, the weather is quite sultry, and it can be regarded as elegant in the side hall, Xuanyuan Shengcai is wearing a light blue light gown, and is holding a bowl of cold lotus seed porridge in his hand, when the middle-aged man enters the side hall, Xuanyuan Shengcai put down the porridge bowl, got up to meet him, and said with a smile: "Huang Shilang, the journey is tiring, how is the journey?" ”

The middle-aged man Huang Shilang glanced around, and there was no one else in the side hall, lighting an oil lamp, the light was also bright, and he bowed his hand and said: "General Xuanyuan, I haven't seen you for a long time, but you still have the same style!" ”

Xuanyuan Sheng made a look, signaled the soldier who led the way to retreat, and waited until the soldier retreated, then he looked at Huang Shilang, maybe the weather was too hot, and there was still a little sweat on the head of this Huang Shilang, Xuanyuan Sheng shouted, "Someone!" ”

A maid soon appeared outside the door, and Xuanyuan Sheng ordered, "Another bowl of lotus seed porridge!" ”

Huang Shilang hurriedly said: "General Xuanyuan is polite! ”

"Squire-sama, please be seated!" Xuanyuan Sheng motioned for Huang Shilang to sit down, and then smiled: "Lord Shilang is from Hexi?" ”

Huang Shilang was alert, looked around, and then said softly: "Exactly!" ”

"Don't worry, there is no one else here, there is nothing wrong with talking." Xuanyuan Shengcai said with a smile: "I have seen the knife token, it was my cousin who asked you to come?" ”

Huang Shilang said: "Back to the general's words, it is actually the common meaning of the prince and the commander Xuanyuan. ”

"Prince?" Xuanyuan Sheng was stunned for a moment, and then asked, "Is the Holy Lord okay?" ”

Huang Shilang was Wang Xuanyuan Shengcai's side, and said in a low voice: "General, is it really convenient to talk here?" I have a confidential matter to discuss with the general! ”

Xuanyuan Shengcai said: "You entered through the back door and brought a knife token, I know that there must be something secret, it is very secret here, there will be no problem." ”

"If that's the case, I'll be able to tell the truth." Huang Shilang sighed: "It's not a secret, the saint has passed away, and now the military and political affairs in Hexi are all handled by His Royal Highness the Prince!" ”

Xuanyuan Shengcai suddenly changed color, the corners of his mouth twitched, and after a while, he said in a deep voice: "The Holy Lord died, aren't you joking?" ”

"How dare I laugh at such a big deal." Huang Shilang said solemnly: "The general doesn't know, the saint held a birthday ceremony in Hexi, Feng Yuanpo plotted to rebel, and the saint was assassinated and died!" ”

"Feng Yuanpo killed the Holy Lord?" Xuanyuan Sheng clenched his fists, and there was anger in his eyes.

Huang Shilang shook his head and said: "The matter is very complicated, but Feng Yuanpo has now been executed, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has also sat in Hexi, stabilizing the shape of Hexi!" ”

"How can the prince be in Hexi?" Xuanyuan Shengcai frowned and said: "I heard that the Holy Lord was on a tour of the north, and the prince stayed in the capital, how did he go to Hexi?" ”

"Doesn't the general know that the capital has fallen, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has withdrawn from the capital and gone to Hexi?"

Xuanyuan Shengcai said: "I see. The saint died, so in this way, the prince will inherit the throne in the near future? Leaning forward, staring at Huang Shilang's eyes: "The prince sent you to the northwest to find me, what are your orders?" ”

"Since the general saw the knife, he naturally understood the meaning." Huang Shilang said in a low voice: "When Commander Xuanyuan sent me here, he told me that as long as the general saw the knife, he knew that I was here on his behalf. ”

Xuanyuan Shengcai had already picked up the knife on the case, stared at the knife, and said softly: "Yes, this is the token I made an appointment with him back then, seeing things is like seeing people." When I came to the northwest with Chu Huan, I also left Beijing to experience training, but the most important thing was to be by Chu Huan's side and monitor Chu Huan's every move. ”

When Huang Shilang heard this, his eyebrows stretched out, and he chuckled: "The general is lying on his salary and tasting his courage, being in the tiger's den, and being wise and brave, which is really admirable." Now that the general is sitting in Jiazhou, it seems that he has won Chu Huan's trust! ”

"Don't talk about that." Xuanyuan Shengcai's expression was calm, and he waved his hand and said, "Say, cousin asked you to come to see me, why did you come to see me?" But what is the important thing? ”

Huang Shilang hesitated, but at this time he heard the sound of footsteps outside, the previous maid had already appeared outside the door with a tray, Xuanyuan Sheng signaled to come in, the maid put a bowl of lotus seed porridge on the table next to Huang Shilang, Xuanyuan Shengcai then ordered: "You go down first, no one is allowed to come in without the general's instructions!" ”

The maid agreed and retreated, and Xuanyuan Shengcai raised his hand and said: "Huang Shilang, it's hard all the way, drink a bowl of porridge first, relieve the heat, the long night is long, let's talk slowly!" ”

Huang Shilang picked up the porridge bowl, maybe he really felt stuffy, drank most of the bowl in a few sips, then put it down, took out a black silk handkerchief from his cuffs, wiped it, and put it away, then said: "General, now that there is a shortage of food in the northwest, I am afraid it is not easy to drink such a bowl of chilled lotus seed porridge, right?" ”

"The Xigu Pass was blocked, cutting off the trade between the northwest and the Guannai." Xuanyuan Shengcai said: "As far as I know, the New Salt Administration transported a large amount of new salt to the customs a while ago, ready to exchange for grain from the customs, but after the blockade of Xigu Pass, even if the New Salt Administration raised a large amount of grain and grass in the customs, it would be difficult to get out of the customs. ”

Huang Shilang said with a smile: "I came from Xigu Pass, I saw the situation over there, the team blocking the pass and wanting to go to the northwest stretched for more than ten miles, Da Xizhang was ordered to block Xigu Pass, and if he choked the throat of the northwest, he didn't need to use his sword and soldiers, and the northwest was also exhausted." ”

Xuanyuan Shengcai frowned and said, "Huang Shilang, what is the prince's intention to blockade Xigu Pass?" Is it to do something to the Northwest? ”

"Doesn't the general know that Chu Huan suddenly appeared in the Heavenly Palace during the birthday ceremony of the Heavenly Sacrifice, and hijacked the queen mother to flee Hexi." Huang Shilang said softly: "The prince has ordered Chu Huan to be wanted, this person is like Feng Yuanpo, he is the rebel thief of my Great Qin, if he escapes back to the northwest, the consequences will be unimaginable, so the prince ordered the blockade of Xigu Pass early, firstly, to cut off his way back, and secondly, to guard against him If he really escapes back to the northwest, he can not only choke his throat, but also block the Northwest Army from entering the pass." His voice was even lowered, he leaned forward and asked, "General Xuanyuan, do you have any news of Chu Huan here, has this person returned to the northwest?" ”

Xuanyuan Shengcai shook his head and said, "I haven't heard that he has returned to the northwest. However, the prince blocked the Xigu Pass, and the famine in the northwest will be even stricter, and now there are many places in the northwest because of the lack of food, starving to death of the people, this pass is a pass, and the next people are afraid that there will be more! ”

"Those who seek great things are not informal." Huang Shilang said: "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince wants to quell the rebellion, and at this time, it is natural to use some extraordinary means. After a pause, he said: "General, I came this time, why did I come this time, I guess you have already guessed a few points." ”

"I don't know if I'm right." Xuanyuan Shengcai said: "Please also ask Lord Huang to make it clear!" ”

Huang Shilang said: "Your Highness's intention is to let the general raise troops in Jiazhou, cause turmoil in the northwest, and if possible, control the northwest." ”

Xuanyuan Shengcai frowned and said: "The prince knows that there are tens of thousands of elite soldiers in the northwest, and there are only a few thousand soldiers and horses in Jiazhou, even if I act on orders, how can this few thousand soldiers and horses be a big thing?" ”

Huang Shilang said with a smile: "Chu Huan failed to return to the northwest, now the northwest, it can be said that the dragons have no leader, as long as His Royal Highness spreads the banner, His Royal Highness has an edict to inform the northwest up and down, Chu Huan is rebellious, at that time the northwest will inevitably be a plate of scattered sand, a mess." Moreover, although Chu Huan defeated Xiao Huanzhang and Zhu Xuanyue, he had not yet been able to completely control the entire northwest in his hands, Xiao Huanzhang and Zhu Xuanyue must still have the remaining party activities, and these people will inevitably rise with the waves. Raising his hand and stroking his green beard, "And Chu Huan's implementation of the Juntian Order in the northwest has hurt the interests of many gentry and wealthy families, and if the northwest is really in chaos, these gentry and wealthy families will inevitably rebel against Chu Huan." ”

Xuanyuan Shengcai leaned back on the chair, put his hands across his chest, groaned slightly, and said: "The military power in the northwest is in the hands of Chu Huan's righteous brother Pei Ji, and most of the generals in the army are also pulled up by Chu Huan. ”

"The prince got the news that Chu Huan incorporated the Beishan Army and the Tianshan Army in the northwest and carried out military reform, although there are tens of thousands of soldiers and horses in the northwest, they have not yet condensed into a group." Huang Shilang said: "This is also the best time, if the general can control the northwest, it is naturally the best, even if he can't control the northwest, as long as he messes up the northwest, let the northwest be a mess, and have no time to take care of anything else, then the prince can also concentrate on quelling other rebellions first, and then come back to clean up the northwest." ”

Xuanyuan Shengcai said: "What the prince means is to let me raise troops in Jiazhou, control Jiazhou first, and cause turmoil in the northwest?" ”

"Exactly." Huang Shilang said: "The northwest seems to be calm now, but the prince expects that as long as the general raises troops, the northwest will soon be torn apart, and even if Pei Ji is Chu Huan's brother, but Pei Ji is Pei Ji, Chu Huan is Chu Huan, if Chu Huan is here, some people may be afraid, Chu Huan's whereabouts are unknown now, the prince said that except for Chu Huan, no one can stabilize the situation in the northwest." ”

Xuanyuan Shengcai bowed slightly, and said softly: "What the prince said has some truth. The Northwest Army was restructured, the Pingxi Army was changed to the Zhenxi Army, whether it was a general or a soldier, not only the soldiers and horses of Xiguan, but also the soldiers of Beishan and Tianshan were also in the establishment, the factions were clear, if Chu Huan was there, everyone would not dare to mess around, but without Chu Huan, Pei Ji was afraid that it would be difficult to suppress the generals from all walks of life. ”

"Exactly." Huang Shilang said in a low voice: "So now is a good time. Moreover, as long as the general controls Jiazhou, he can advance and retreat freely, and there are thousands of soldiers and horses on the side of Xigu Pass, and he can meet the general at any time! ”