The Grandmaster Strategist

Chapter 7 The clouds are gathering

The continuous sound of the piano like flowing water came from a gorgeous pavilion in Longting Fei Mansion. The sound of the piano was like the sound of nature, echoing in the still cold breeze. Xiao Tong hurriedly walked over and saw the black figure through the window lattice, and couldn't help but feel... Sigh. More than a month ago, he accidentally found some ancient and almost annihilated information, and found that Qingdai had been missing in the Northern Han Dynasty for a long time. Feeling wrong in his heart, he immediately came back and prepared to detain Qingdai. However, they learned that Duan Wudi had gone out with Qingdai, and their whereabouts were unknown. While he was busy, Ling Duan revealed the overheard news. Xiao Tong felt uneasy and asked Qiu Yufei to go with him to find Duan Wudi and Qingdai. In front of the quartz tomb, what the two saw were the killed guards and the unconscious Duan Wudi. Duan Wudi was poisoned by a poison specially prepared by the Great Yong Secret Agent. Although this poison is not strong enough to kill people immediately, it is very difficult to cure. People who are poisoned will find it difficult to recover within a month or two. Health is often used by Dayong spies to capture targets alive. After Duan Wudi woke up and told what Qingdai had done. Xiao Tong was greatly stimulated. Who made him not realize that Qingdai was actually a secret agent of Dayong?

In order to make up for his mistake, Xiao Tong asked Qiu Yufei to go after Qingdai. After all, he could see that Qiu Yufei's martial arts had improved greatly. But Qiu Yufei actually declined his request. Xiao Tong had always known that this junior brother had no interest in war and power and almost never got involved. However, this time Qiu Yu flew to Dayong to assassinate Jiang Zhe and the fact that he came forward to relieve Duan Wudi's cheek made Xiao Tong forget this. . As a result, an unpleasant conflict occurred between the two, but in the end, out of the kindness of his fellow apprentices, Qiu Yufei took action personally. Moreover, during the hundreds of miles of pursuit, Qiu Yufei personally killed and wounded most of the secret spies. If it had not been for the timely response of Dayong's military, I am afraid that even Qingdai, whose martial arts exceeded everyone's expectations, would not have returned alive. Qiu Yufei was very unhappy when he returned to Qinzhou, and even wanted to return to Jinyang immediately. If Long Tingfei hadn't tried every means to persuade him to stay temporarily, I'm afraid Qiu Yufei would have left long ago. Xiao Tong vaguely felt that in addition to being unwilling to get involved in military affairs, his junior brother might even resent him for forcing him to hunt down Qingdai, because he learned from Ling Port that Qiu Yufei seemed to be quite fond of Qingdai.

Thinking of Qingdai, Xiao Tong gnashed his teeth with hatred. After many years of hunting geese, a wild goose pecked his eyes out. This woman pretended to hate the Northern Han Dynasty, but she did not suspect that she was really a spy of the Great Yong Dynasty. According to Duan Wudi saw that this woman's identity was extremely important. She could take over hundreds of moves from her junior brother. With such martial arts skills, she was probably Dayong's general outpost in the Northern Han intelligence network. It was a pity to let her escape. Although Long Tingfei did not blame himself, Xiao Tong felt uneasy, so he wanted to find a way to keep Qiu Yufei. This junior martial arts had improved rapidly. If he helped, he could let go.

The sound of the piano finally stopped. Xiao Tong coughed lightly and walked into Huaxuan. Qiu Yufei gently stroked the strings of the piano and did not get up to greet his senior brother. There was no obvious status between them. In the Demon Sect, , martial arts and talent determine many things, Qiu Yufei, who has now advanced to the innate realm, is fully qualified to ignore Xiao Tong, even if Xiao Tong is his senior brother.

Xiao Tong hesitated and said: "The general needs to go to Donghai alone to prevent the Marquis of Donghai from surrendering to Dayong in the near future."

Qiu Yufei said calmly: "How to stop it? The Marquis of Donghai is a relative of Dayong, and Jiang Zhe has been in Donghai for several years. I think it is only a matter of time before Donghai surrenders to Dayong."

Xiao Tong said helplessly: "You are right, but we need supplies from Donghai. Although we have tried our best to hoard supplies in the past few months, it is still not enough. If Donghai surrenders to Dayong, it will be a big blow to us. We I hope the East China Sea can still remain neutral."

Qiu Yufei raised his eyebrows and said, "I'm afraid this won't be easy. Does the general have any countermeasures?"

Xiao Tong said coldly: "Donghai and Dayong were enemies back then. Without our country's secret support, they would have been doomed long ago. Now we don't ask him to support us.

As long as he remains neutral, if they don't agree to this, then the Jiang family and his son are ungrateful and deserve to be sent down from heaven. "

Qiu Yufei said coldly: "Do you want me to threaten them with assassination? The East China Sea is their sphere of influence. Are you not afraid that I will die at sea?"

Xiao Tong said: "With your current martial arts, you can at least escape from Donghai, and with Master as your backing, Donghai will never dare to embarrass you easily. Our request is not excessive, I think they will agree."

Qiu Yufei stroked the strings lightly, seemingly hesitant. Xiao Tong knew that Qiu Yufei was not worried about danger, but hesitant about whether to intervene in these matters. Xiao Tong was not sure how he would reply, and felt uneasy. At this time, Ling Duan, who was standing aside, whispered: "Fourth Master, under the overturning of the nest, there are no eggs left intact. Will Dayong still regard Fourth Master as a harmless person now?" Qiu Yufei's heart was filled with confusion. Rin, thinking of the assassination at Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple and his pursuit of Qingdai, finally sighed and said, "Okay, I'll just go."

Xiao Tong said with great joy: "Thank you so much, Junior Brother, for understanding Brother Yu's difficulties. This is also what Master meant. I hope Junior Brother will take more care."

Qiu Yufei was indifferent, looking at the book of music scores next to the piano, and couldn't help but think of the love that the man in Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple had for him, and his expression of grief and anger after learning that he was an assassin. Thinking of that delicate and elegant figure with gray hair and frosty temples, Qiu Yufei felt indescribable sadness in his heart. It is rare to have a close friend in life, but I can only meet him life and death.

Above the festival hall of the Marshal's Mansion, Long Tingfei said coldly to his generals: "You don't need to say anything anymore. I know that the morale of the army is unstable now, but now is not the time to be soft-hearted. The King of Yongqi is already eyeing Qin and will raise troops to attack Qin at any time. State. The generals and soldiers under Shi Ying must be reorganized without leaving any hidden dangers. Now our Northern Han Dynasty is in danger. If we don’t use extraordinary measures and don’t wait for Dayong’s iron hoof to enter Qinzhou, we will be finished. Send me an order, Qinzhou All men over the age of fifteen are called into the army. After this battle, I will naturally provide you with generous rewards and pensions. If you lose this battle and the country is gone, how can you live in peace and contentment?"

After waving his hand to dismiss the generals under his command, Long Tingfei leaned tiredly on the handsome chair. He had been working too hard during this period. Quartz committed suicide, Duan Wudi was poisoned, and he lost his arms, and the news of Quartz's betrayal and Duan Wudi's smuggling spread like wildfire. In order to appease the military morale and deal with the court, Long Tingfei spent almost all his energy. Despite this, Duan Wudi was demoted one level, and Shi Ying's old army department was also implicated. Long Tingfei was forced to carry out a purge. Now facing the generals below, Long Tingfei always felt that their silence contained dissatisfaction and resistance. , but there is nothing you can do. Opportunities are needed to reunite the separated military spirit.

His eyes fell on a document on the handsome case, which contained all the information about Hou Jiangzhe of Dayongchu Township. Long Tingfei picked up the document and read it again. After reading to the end, Long Tingfei felt hatred in his heart. Since then, it has been this person. Ever since he appeared in the East China Sea, all his plans have encountered setbacks. He couldn't help but tear the document into pieces. Long Tingfei sighed feebly, could this person be my nemesis? ? Feeling depressed, Long Tingfei returned to the back house, ordered his servants to get some food and wine, and started drinking alone. The wine made him feel even more sad. Long Tingfei drank for a long time. Even though he had a good capacity for alcohol, he was still very drunk. .

"Hey." When Long Tingfei woke up from a severe headache, it was already noon, and the guards brought hot water towels. A guard said carefully: "General, General Duan has been waiting outside for a long time. "

Long Tingfei was startled and did not bother to tidy up his appearance. When he walked out of the bedroom, he saw Duan Wudi in military uniform standing at the foot of the stairs with a cold expression and a pale face. Long Tingfei quickly stepped forward and said eagerly: "Wudi, you What are you doing here? Your injuries haven't healed yet." Then he scolded the guards: "You don't know that General Duan has a poisonous wound, so why don't you invite him to rest in the flower hall next to him? You are really a waste."

Several guards were as cold as ice, Na Na did not dare to defend themselves, but Duan Wudi said calmly: "General, don't blame them, it is the last general who insists on waiting here."

Long Tingfei said guiltily: "Wudi, it was all because of my drunkenness. I can't help you. Come and sit down in my room." A glimmer of light flashed in Duan Wudi's eyes and he said: "The last general has something to do with the general. discuss."

Long Tingfei personally led Duan Wudi into the bedroom, drove the guard out, washed his face randomly, and said: "Wudi, if you have anything to say, just tell me."

Duan Wudi stood up and said seriously: "The general came to report military affairs to the general today, but the general did not show up. After the general asked, the guards found out that the general was drunk, so the general came to remonstrate with him. , Now that the Northern Han Dynasty is in danger, the general is the heart of the army, how can he be greedy and ruin things? If it spreads out at this time, wouldn't it be chilling, the general will be arrogant and outspoken, please don't take offense, general."

Long Tingfei's face turned red, then he sat down slumped and said: "Wudi, you are my confidant, I won't hide it from you, I really feel powerless in the current situation. In terms of military strength, Dayong is several times more powerful than me, and in terms of money and food , Dayong can fight for years and months. If we fight for a few months, we are afraid that the baggage will be exhausted. In terms of generals, Dayong can be a famous general if he chooses one, but the general I trust most is a dead man. If you rebel, you will die. Even you have been poisoned, and I really can't hold on anymore. Dayong has a wise king like Li Zhi, a general like Li Xian, and a counselor like Jiang Zhe. Do you understand the pressure on me?"

Duan Wudi solemnly said: "The general confides in Wudi, so Wudi doesn't dare to hide it. Wudi is aware of our army's predicament, but no matter what, the general cannot reveal such feelings. Nowadays, except for the general, there is no one else in the army. No one can control the morale of the army. If the general gives up, how can we build confidence in the soldiers under his command? General, if this is your intention, then we might as well not fight, lest the soldiers die in vain."

Long Tingfei was so aroused by Duan Wudi's words that he looked at Duan Wudi who looked pale and had sweat on his forehead. Now Duan Wudi was guilty of a crime and was in a difficult situation in the army. Quartz's subordinates were very unforgiving of him. , many junior sergeants did not understand the sacrifices he had made, but he remained so unswerving. Looking at Duan Wudi like this, Long Tingfei's heart gradually grew heroic. There were all such heroes in the Northern Han army. So what could Dayong do no matter how powerful he was? Long Tingfei bowed respectfully to Duan Wudi, but Duan Wudi quickly avoided it. Long Tingfei said loudly: "General Duan's advice, Tingfei must remember it. Even if you are broken into pieces, you can't be so discouraged anymore."

Duan Wudi was pleased to see that Long Tingfei had returned to his former glory and said: "The general's army is unparalleled. Our Qinzhou is easy to defend but difficult to attack, so the general does not need to worry too much." Long Tingfei had already regained his confidence and said: " Don’t worry, General Duan, unless Ting Fei is killed in battle, we will never let Dayong’s army capture Qinzhou.”

Looking at the high-spirited Long Tingfei, Duan Wudi felt relieved and said: "General, please change your clothes first. I will retire now."

Long Tingfei smiled and said: "Wait for me first. I'll see if you can get up. I have to discuss some things with you. If you can't hold it anymore, just rest in my house. It would be too much for you to lie down and recuperate." Pity."

Duan Wudi felt warm in his heart and said, "I will obey your orders."

At the same time, in an ancient temple in the eastern suburbs of Nanzheng, Li Kang stood in the Main Hall, looking at the solemn Buddha statue and lost in thought.

Although it is not yet February, Chang'an is still very cold, but Nanzheng is much warmer than Chang'an. In the prosperous land of Dongchuan, Li Kang can be said to cover the sky with one hand, not to mention that he has now wiped out the spies of the generals arranged by the imperial court. There was no one holding back Kong, so Li Kang should be very happy and proud, but Li Kang was burning with anger in his heart.

Just now, the imperial edict from Yong Emperor Li Zhi arrived, but it was not sent by the imperial envoy. Li Kang sent his capable men disguised as bandits to kill the envoy before he entered Dongchuan, but he still took the imperial edict. Come. The imperial edict ordered him to strictly guard Jiameng Pass and not to slack off. After reading the imperial edict, Li Kang should have been happy, because it seemed that the court did not know that Dongchuan was completely controlled by him, but Li Kang was still very angry. Why could Li Zhi boss him around.

Li Kang has always felt that he was unfortunate. He came from a humble background and was not favored by his father since he was a child. Apart from his mother, Li Kang never received any tenderness. How many times had he watched Li An, Li Zhi, and even Li Xian and Li Zhen wantonly favor him in front of his father. He was clearly the third prince, but he did not dare to come forward because his mother was just a low-status concubine. If that was the case, Li Kang might tolerate it, but the only mother who loved him was killed by Ji Xia, that bitch, and his father just pursued the matter, and Li Kang fled the palace in anger.

But after escaping from the palace, Li Kang realized that his life was already what many people dreamed of. It was not easy for a prince who knew nothing to survive in troubled times. How many times had he been insulted and beaten, and how many times had he been hungry. With a little martial arts and Cruel and ruthless, he finally survived, but revenge was far away. How many times he couldn't stand the suffering outside and wanted to give in and return to the palace, but the scene before his mother died made him finally persist. And it wasn't until he met the mysterious man who changed his destiny that Li Kang felt for the first time that God was treating him well. Then he practiced advanced martial arts and went back to assassinate Ji Xia, but was defeated and captured. If Zheng Xia had not spoken out for justice, he, the prince, would have been convicted and imprisoned. If so, that would be all, but Li Yuan sent him there. In Dongchuan, Li Kang was not allowed to return to the court without an imperial edict. This move, which was clearly derogatory but secretly protective, made Li Kang even more aggrieved. Even though he is a member of the Tian family, he wants to bow to Fengyi Sect. Li Zhi is not blatantly opposing Fengyi Sect, but with his army, no one dares to embarrass him. With this mood, Li Kang tried his best to organize the army in Dongchuan, and finally mastered a considerable force. However, even so, Li Kang had no chance to participate in the battle for the throne related to Dayong Sheji. The emperor and The prince, King Yong, and King Qi seemed to have the same view on this point, so Li Kang's power could not gain a foothold in Yongdu at all. Even the mildest Li Zhi once wrote a letter to prevent him from intervening in Chang'an. Am I not a member of the royal family? This kind of humiliation made Li Kang determined. Even if Dayong overthrows him, he cannot be allowed to be dominated and oppressed by others. Therefore, beyond the expectations of the Northern Han Demon Sect, Li Kang decided to rebel, and the first step in the rebellion was to eliminate the spies around him.

After several years in Dongchuan, Li Kang had successfully gained his own power, and the remnants of the Shu Kingdom also boarded their own ships for the sake of the illusory restoration of the country. Coupled with the secret support of the Demon Sect of the Northern Han Dynasty, they finally eradicated the spies around him in one fell swoop. and undercover agents. These people had been monitored by Li Kang for a long time. Now that they were all captured, Li Kang finally felt more relaxed than ever before. Then he replaced the lieutenant generals and officials, and Li Kang's plans for many years were finally put into practice. Dongchuan was already his own, and as long as he found the right time, he could leave the Xie Valley and attack Chang'an. The Yong court is under his control. Of course, the timing of sending troops must be chosen carefully. Only after the military forces around Chang'an are mobilized by Li Zhi to rescue the Zezhou front line and the Jingxiang Yangtze River area can he directly pierce Dayong's heart like a dagger. Li Kang knew in his heart that although he had 100,000 soldiers and horses in his hands now, these soldiers and horses were Dayong's army after all. If Dayong's court discovered his rebellion, then this army would probably be divided and surrendered by the court, so Cutting off the connection between Chang'an and Dongchuan and concealing the fact of his betrayal became the most important thing. It is very difficult to achieve one's own goals by relying on one's own strength. If one cannot get the support of the forces of the original Shu Kingdom, one will only fail. As for the forces of the original Shu Kingdom, in addition to those old families who wanted to restore their former glory, the Jinxiu Alliance, which was still secretly resisting Dayong, became the force he wanted to recruit the most. After many negotiations, today was the meeting between the leader of the Jinxiu Alliance and himself. In those days, Li Kang was impressed by Huo Jicheng's caution. He had to go back and forth many times before he finally learned that he was meeting Huo Jicheng here. For safety reasons, except for Ye Tianxiu and a few trusted guards, Li Kang did not bring more people with him. I believe Huo Jicheng is also very sincere. The Jinxiu Alliance has recently assisted him in cutting off the access routes between Chang'an and Nanzheng, which is proof of his sincerity.

Near dusk, the door of the Main Hall suddenly opened without any wind. Two men in black stood in front of the door. One of them was Chen Zhen, who had met with King Qing many times, while the other one was wearing a sun-protecting bamboo hat. The yarn hangs low and its shape cannot be seen. Li Kang stepped forward happily and said: "Deputy Leader Chen, this must be Leader Huo. Xiao Wang has been famous for a long time. It is truly a blessing to meet him today."

The masked man in black stepped forward and saluted: "Your Highness, Corporal Huo, has been famous for a long time. Huo is not talented. He only has the thought of restoring the country. He has done nothing for many years. I am really ashamed. I heard Chen Zhen say that His Highness's Mansion The identity of the surviving son of the King of Shu has been verified correctly. The surviving people of Shu are all grateful for His Highness's kindness. Huo came today. In addition to expressing his gratitude, he also wanted to discuss cooperation matters with His Highness."

Li Kangdao: "The alliance leader is too modest. When the alliance leader assassinated the leader of the Southern Chu Kingdom and caused Li Anhu's affairs to leak, even the Fengyi Sect was severely beaten by the alliance leader in the arena. With all these great achievements, Xiao Wang But I dare not forget, especially the incident in Luoyang. The young Yingjie of the Unionists almost turned the two major families in Luoyang upside down with the power of one person. The influence of Fengyi Sect in Luoyang was also weakened to the extreme. This incident has long made Xiao Wang angry. And sigh, I wonder if I will have the opportunity to meet this young hero."

The man in black chuckled softly and said: "The kid's nonsense made the prince laugh. Huo Li is my favorite general and my adopted son. I have always loved him. It's a pity that this son has heavy responsibilities and cannot get away. If The prince likes young heroes, and my other adopted son Huo Yi is very strong in martial arts and can handle things with confidence. If the prince does not give up, please allow him to work for the prince."

Li Kang said with a smile: "Okay, there are many talents in your alliance. I am really envious of it. Let Huo Yi come to my side as a personal guard. If he has extraordinary talents, I will naturally reuse him. Leader Huo, about us I wonder what the alliance’s plans are for cooperation?”

The man in black was silent for a moment and said: "Your Majesty is right, this is the business. I'm watching with cold eyes. Your Majesty is resolute, so Huo is not afraid of the possibility of traps and comes to Nanzheng to meet the Prince. But after all, the Prince is Prince Dayong, how can I believe that your prince will restore the country of Shu? Although there is no problem with the identity of the surviving son of the King of Shu, this trick of using puppets is also very common. The former overlord Xiang Yu also supported King Huai, but in the end King Huai He died at the hands of Xiang Yu. Why does the prince make me believe that the Shu Kingdom will really be restored?"

Li Kang was well prepared and said calmly: "The little king doesn't say any high-sounding words. Such a good thing will not happen in the world. I raised an army to fight, but let my son inherit the throne. Therefore, this power must be in the hands of the little king." The establishment of the King of Shu is just a pretense to get the survivors of Shu to support Xiao Wang's strategy, but I can also guarantee that I will not burn bridges across the river. After all, without the support of the Shu people, I will not be able to separate one side. Therefore, I must definitely support the Shu clan. Preservation, I can even change it to the ancestral temple of the King of Shu, but if I can achieve something, I will decide the position of the King of Shu. You all want only glory and wealth, don't I, Li Kang, have nothing to offer you? Yes, the leader of the alliance is not a foolish and loyal person, and the position of King of Shu is not his family's property."

Although the man in black could not clearly see his expression, he could only see a slight tremor in his body and knew that he was excited. After a long time, the man in black said: "Your Majesty is right. The one who can take the position of King of Shu will hold the position. Your Majesty needs to rely on the people of Shu." , so as long as they plan carefully, in twenty years, the people of Shu will regard the prince as one of their own. The prince is so sincere, and Huo is grateful. If the prince says that he has no second thoughts, Huo will look down on him. Well, if the prince is If you are willing to agree to one more condition from Huo, the covenant between you and me will be reached today."

Li Kang was overjoyed. After careful consideration, he found out that the leader of the Jinxiu Alliance who could do such unimaginable things was definitely not an old man. Therefore, he expected that Huo Jicheng would not be concerned about the surviving son of the King of Shu. As he expected, he felt a little relieved and said: " Alliance leader, please tell me, as long as it is reasonable and reasonable, I will definitely agree."

The man in black said categorically: "I want power."

Li Kang was a little strange. He wanted to form an alliance with the Jinxiu Alliance, and naturally he had to give him the power and wealth. Why would Huo Jicheng specifically propose it? He was about to ask. The man in black waved his hand to silence him and said loudly: "There are many kinds of power, but there are only two kinds of power that cannot be easily taken away, namely military power and power of supervision. The reason why the imperial power is supreme is because the royal family controls everything. We, the Jinxiu Alliance, are not interested in the military power and do not have the ability to control the secret spies under the supervision of the ministers. Therefore, I want the power of espionage. The Jinxiu Alliance can become the prince’s eyes, ears and killers. Only in this way can the Jinxiu League and the prince form a solid alliance. Alliance. If the prince is unwilling to agree to this condition, then the Splendid Alliance will never cooperate with the prince."

Li Kang was shocked. Huo Jicheng was really powerful. Although he intended to absorb the power of the Splendid Alliance, if he let them take over the supervisory power, it would be impossible for him to be separated from them. Although he hesitated, Li Kang thought about it again. Didn't he just fancy the Jinxiu Alliance's ability in this area? It's just that Huo Jicheng asked for more power. After all, the military power was in his hands. As long as he had military power, the Jinxiu Alliance had nothing to fear. And in this way, the alliance between the two parties will be indestructible, and it will be possible for him to achieve his goal of completely controlling the survivors of Shu. So Li Kang stretched out his palm and said, "It's settled."

An excited look flashed in the eyes of the man in black, and the two clapped their hands and swore an oath to reach an alliance. After high-fiving, the man in black was about to leave and said: "I have a bad reputation, so it would be safer not to show up in public. The prince doesn't want to attract too much attention now. Chen Zhen is my confidant, so let him discuss it with the prince. Let’s work out the details of cooperation.”

A cold light flashed in Li Kang's eyes, and he said: "That's fine, but I have a merciless request. I have admired the alliance leader for a long time. When we meet today, the alliance leader refuses to reveal his true face in Lushan. I don't know if it is possible. How about taking off the hat and being honest with each other?"

The man in black was silent. Chen Zhen had been standing behind him. At this moment, his body seemed to be moving and he was a little uneasy. However, there were unhurried footsteps outside the palace door, and a faint murderous aura came in, and Li Kang's body was even more... Standing tall like a mountain, bloody murderous intent rose into the sky, showing that Li Kang was not just a military general, but a master of martial arts with his hands stained with blood. The atmosphere in the palace suddenly became cold and solemn, and murderous intent lurked.