Xuanyuan Shengcai was doubting whether Xiao Huanzhang would really attack, but Xiao Huanzhang was also doubting whether Chu Huan was really ready to fight to the death with the Beishan Army.

Tea is good tea, it is tea made by Mrs. Xiao herself, which is good for warming the lungs, but Xiao Huanzhang has no intention of drinking tea, and has been thinking about it until Xiao Heng entered the house, Xiao Huanzhang did not turn around.

Xiao Jingsheng is dead, Xiao Jingqian has been dealing with logistics matters, and Luo Dingxi wants to guard the forward position Danyang, so the matter of mobilizing troops and horses to various state capitals and counties has fallen on Xiao Heng.

Beishan has jurisdiction over three states, the area is not small, and it has jurisdiction over seventeen counties in three states, Xiao Jingqian wants to collect money and grain from various states, while Xiao Heng is holding Xiao Huanzhang's warrant to deploy soldiers and horses from various states and counties and rush to the front line.

"How's it going?" Seeing Xiao Heng come in, Xiao Huanzhang asked straight to the point: "Have all the soldiers and horses been assembled in Danyang?" ”

"Uncle, in addition to the four thousand soldiers and horses left behind in the Yutian defense line, the prefectures and counties have reserved some soldiers and horses just in case, and more than 25,000 people have been gathered to Danyang." Xiao Hengyu said: "In another twenty days at most, all the soldiers and horses will be assembled, and the grain and grass that the eldest brother transported to the front line are also being transported in an orderly manner, and he should be able to fully prepare for the attack before the year." ”

Xiao Huanzhang bowed slightly, but his face didn't look easy, and said: "Today I received another military report from Luo Dingxi, Xuanyuan Sheng built a large number of fortifications on the other side of the Liangzi River, look at that, not only did not let us go to the Qingtang City, but even the Liangzi River did not let us pass." ”

Xiao Heng reluctantly smiled: "Maybe the troops on our side are too strong, which frightened the Xiguan side, so we reacted like this." ”

"Heng'er, I have already ordered you to send a secret letter to Chu Huan to inform him of our strategy, didn't he receive it?" Xiao Huanzhang touched his beard and frowned, "Our purpose is to pretend to attack the territory of Xiguan, lead out the Tianshan Army, and then secretly transfer the army back to the Western Front, taking advantage of the emptiness of the Tianshan Mountain to attack the Tianshan Road...... If Chu Huan really knew our strategy, he and Zhu Lingyue would be intolerable, and they should actively cooperate with our strategy, but the current situation seems to be a little wrong. ”

"Uncle, are you saying that the Xiguan Army is really ready to fight us?" Xiao Heng also frowned.

Xiao Huanzhang looked at Xiao Heng and said, "I should ask you, I sent you to contact Chu Huan, didn't he see your secret letter?" ”

"Uncle, the secret letter must already be in Chu Huan's hands." Xiao Heng said: "It's just ...... Didn't Chu Huan believe in our intentions? Or is he already cooperating with us? ”

"Already cooperating with us?" Xiao Huanzhang sneered: "He transferred almost half of Xiguan's troops to Qingtang, what is this called cooperation?" I think he's going to break the net with my Beishan fish. ”

Xiao Heng hurriedly smiled and said: "Uncle, my nephew doesn't think it may be the case, if my Beishan army presses the border, Xiguan will turn a deaf ear, and there will be no big reaction, but it will make people wonder." Chu Huan has always been a tough person, when Jinhe Erzhou first raised troops, he immediately sent troops to pacify, and the reaction was also very fast, this time I Beishan Army Chen Bing border, if Chu Huan can't react quickly, Zhu Lingyue's side is probably even more suspicious. ”

When Xiao Huanzhang heard this, he was thoughtful, and after a while, he nodded slightly and said, "What you said is not unreasonable. Heng'er, what do you say will happen to the Xiguan army once we send troops over? ”

"This ......!" Xiao Heng hesitated for a moment before he said cautiously: "What does Uncle think they will do?" ”

Xiao Huanzhang shook his head and sighed: "I don't know either." Beishan and Xiguan compete, the cheapest one can only be Zhu Lingyue, and there is no benefit to me Beishan and Xiguan, presumably Chu Huan can also understand this. I'm just worried now, Chu Huan is young and vigorous, thinking too much, if he doesn't understand our intentions and puts on a position to fight with us, that's not what I want to see. ”

Xiao Heng asked softly: "Uncle, why don't you write a secret letter in person and send it over, Chu Huan may consider it separately when he sees his uncle's handwritten letter." ”

"Heng'er, I asked you to write a secret letter a few days ago, and I asked you not to sign it, do you know the reason for the Dao?"

"Please ask my uncle for advice."

"Although Chu Huan is young, he is by no means an ordinary person, and he is very scheming." Xiao Huanzhang frowned, "Of course, he and Zhu Lingyue are incompatible, do you think we are his friends in his heart?" In the conflict of interests, there are never any friends or enemies, I wrote a letter, of course, it is effortless, but have you ever thought that if our handwritten letter falls into Chu Huan's hands, will he use the secret letter as a trick? ”

"Uncle means ......!" Xiao Heng groaned and frowned, "Does my uncle think that he will use the secret letter to provoke a dispute between Tianshan and our Beishan?" ”

Xiao Huanzhang's eyes showed appreciation, and he bowed his head and said, "Not bad." You have to understand that what Xiguan lacks now is time, they have the method of salt production, and they have implemented the Juntian policy, it is said that they also built a trading field outside Yanmen Pass, this kind of means down, as long as the northwest remains deadlocked, it will not take three or two years, Xiguan will inevitably rise rapidly, I am afraid that when the time comes, we Beishan and Tianshan will not be Xiguan's opponents, so in Chu Huan's heart, it is impossible to ask for without fighting, he only hopes to win time for development...... Our secret letter has reached his hands, and Beishan's strategic intentions will be substantiated, in case it ......! The corners of his eyes twitched slightly, "If he hands over the secret letter to Zhu Lingyue, what do you think will be the result?" ”

Xiao Heng sighed: "Zhu Lingyue already regarded us as a thorn in the flesh, if he really knew that everything we did was to lure them into sending troops, Zhu Lingyue would naturally be even more hostile to us." After a pause, his eyebrows locked slightly, "If Chu Huan reached an agreement with him in private, Zhu Lingyue might not send troops to attack us first." ”

Xiao Huanzhang stared at Xiao Heng, "Do you think Zhu Lingyue would send troops to Beishan if he knew our intentions?" ”

"Uncle, Zhu Lingyue didn't move because he was afraid that we would join forces with the West. If Chu Huan reached an agreement with him, he would not interfere in the war between Beishan and Tianshan, and Zhu Lingyue would definitely use troops against us. Xiao Heng said solemnly: "Zhu Lingyue's purpose is naturally to expand his power and occupy our North Mountain, while Chu Huan sits on the mountain and watches the tiger fight, gaining time and developing himself...... It's not impossible. ”

Xiao Huanzhang nodded and said: "That's why I said that we can't write the secret letter, that can only let Chu Huan seize our handle, people's hearts are unpredictable, once Chu Huan grabs the handle, the initiative is completely in his hands." ”

"But ......!" Xiao Heng smiled bitterly: "If my uncle didn't write a secret letter, Chu Huan was afraid that he would doubt what we wanted to do, and if he really wanted to put up a position and fight with us, the result would definitely be a lose-lose situation." ”

Xiao Huanzhang nodded and said, "So this matter still needs to be discussed secretly with Chu Huan." We only need the Xiguan army to retreat to Qingtang first, let go of the Liangzi River, and after we feint to Qingtang, they pretend to be invincible and retreat to Jiazhou City, we don't need to capture Jiazhou City, as long as we arrive under Jiazhou City, Zhu Lingyue's side will definitely not be able to bear it, and will definitely send troops. ”

"Uncle is saying that he will discuss with Chu Huan in secret so that the Xiguan army will finally retreat to Jiazhou City?" Xiao Heng said softly: "As long as they make such a cooperation, they will be able to lead Zhu Lingyue?" ”

"Not bad." Xiao Huanzhang said: "You can tell Chu Huan that as long as he cooperates so far, the two armies can make the illusion of a stalemate under the city of Jiazhou, at that time Zhu Lingyue will inevitably attack Xiguan from the western front, and we will also secretly transfer troops to attack the territory of Tianshan from the rear, and then Xiguan will gather heavy troops, and the two armies will attack before and after, and Zhu Lingyue will be broken." After breaking Zhu Lingyue and laying down the Tianshan Mountain, we can discuss the distribution of the territory, and when the time comes, we can occupy one with each of them, or in other words, the two Tianshan Mountains belong to our Beishan, and our Beishan will cut off the northern area of Qingzhou and hand it over to Xiguan, Chu Huan has salt in his hand, and he needs to sell it in the pass, and cede the northern area of Qingzhou, so that he can have a channel to enter Xiguguan directly, I think this condition must be very tempting for him. ”

"Uncle, do you mean to let someone go to Chu Huan for a secret meeting and tell him what we are thinking?"

Xiao Huanzhang nodded and said, "Although you have already gone to the secret letter, I am afraid that Chu Huan still can't fully understand our intentions, so ...... We still need to discuss it with Chu Huan. ”

"Uncle, who do you see going?"

"Naturally, this matter is going to be very confidential." Xiao Huanzhang said solemnly: "The fewer people who know the Tao, the better, Heng'er, you are the person I trust the most, I can't trust others, and you have been in contact with Chu Huan, if you go in person, you will definitely be able to get Chu Huan's trust." ”

Xiao Heng said: "But...... Now that the soldiers and horses have not been assembled, the nephew has ...... things at hand! ”

"You don't have to worry about that." Xiao Huanzhang has already said: "Even if all the soldiers and horses are assembled, but you can't discuss the details with Chu Huan, everything will be in vain." The most important thing now is that He Chuhuan secretly reached an agreement, our common enemy is Zhu Lingyue, as long as Zhu Lingyue is eliminated, we can discuss the rest of the matter. ”

Xiao Heng thought for a moment, nodded and said, "That nephew will explain the matter at hand, and then secretly set off for Shuoquan." ”

Xiao Huanzhang sighed: "Heng'er, this is going to be hard for you. There are not many people I trust anymore, and now the only one who can be in charge is you, you...... Hey, work harder! ”

Xiao Heng said yes, said a few more words, and then asked to dismiss.

Xiao Heng went out, and immediately turned out from behind, with a tiger's back and a bear's waist, and suddenly it was Xiao Jingqian, Xiao Huanzhang's eldest son.

Xiao Jingqian stepped forward to lock the deadbolt of the door, and when he turned around, Xiao Huanzhang was holding a teacup and sipping warm tea, Xiao Jingqian approached and said in a low voice: "Dad, do you think he will talk about Chu Huan when he goes to Shuoquan?" ”

Xiao Huanzhang put down the teacup and sneered: "Although I am not completely sure, but ...... There's always some hope. ”

"This eats something inside and out." Xiao Jingqian clenched his hands into fists, "I can't wait to kill him with a knife." ”

"It's not time yet." Xiao Huanzhang said lightly: "When that day comes, I will definitely let him survive and not die!" ”