Chapter 145: West first and then East

The fall of Youzhou occurred at the beginning of the fourth year of Tiance. Li Congke decided to marry Tiance in the summer of the fourth year of Tiance. At the same time, the situation on the Western Front: it was not until May and June of the fourth year of Tiance that Zhang Maitou had arrived in the Hezhong area. In the same month, Samarkand surrendered to Satuk. The situation in the river turned into a disadvantage to the Tiance army, and the Western Front became difficult.

After Li Congke asked for marriage to be sent to Liangzhou, the senior executives of the Tiance Army were embarrassed. Guo Fen did not look down on Li Congke very much in his heart, and Li Congke's daughter was much older than her eldest son, and he didn't know what kind of character she had. After all, she was a woman, and in private she didn't want her son's lifelong happiness to become a victim of the two *** politicians, not to mention that Guo Fen knew Zhang Mai's personality very well.

"The Marshal will not agree." Guo Fen said: "He cannot agree to this matter."

As Zhang Mai’s wife, she is naturally the most qualified to say this.

Yang Dingguo said, "In such a chaotic era, national affairs are the most important, and the love between children is nothing more than that! I heard that Shi Jingtang's vanguard had already reached the Yellow River, and Zhao Dejun forced Shandong again. If it was just an internal strife, it would be fine. The little Tang master would not be in danger. But what is worrying is that the Khitans don't know when they will take action! Shi and Zhao have already opened a door for the Khitan. Once the Hu cavalry goes south, the Central Plains will inevitably be shattered!"

Although Yang Dingguo had never been to the Central Plains in his life, it was the root of his dream. After he arrived in Liangzhou and handed over to people from the Central Plains, he called himself "I am a Huaizhou person" - Huaizhou in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Han and Wei Dynasties, and it was the county of his old Yang family. How many times have they dreamed of returning to his hometown in Central Plains and he would burst into tears and miss his hometown hundreds of years ago - so he never regarded the Central Plains as a foreign country in his heart. The rise and fall of the Tiance regime is naturally the first priority in his heart, but the blessings and misfortunes of the Central Plains also have a very important position in Yang Dingguo's heart.

Guo Fen knew about Yang Dingguo's feelings and was silent. She remembered herself - although the relationship between herself and Zhang Mai was sincere, she also speculated that if there was no emotion between herself and Zhang Mai, and their marriage could help Anxi Tang Jun get out of the predicament, then the older generation would probably preside over the marriage!

For those who came out of the bitter and cold land in the northwest, the personal relationship between children and the happiness of small families are all optional, and the survival of the entire group is the most important! Guo Fen understands that in the hearts of Yang Dingguo and others, family affairs must always obey the needs of state affairs.

Seeing Cao Yuanzhong nodding, Zheng Wei was speechless, Lu Jialing pondered, Guo Fen was also a little shaken, but said: "Although national affairs are the priority in troubled times, just relying on this marriage may not affect the overall situation. The Khitan will not stop going south just because of our marriage with Li Congke."

Yang Ding Guodao: "The marriage between the two families is a gesture. Although we cannot stop the Khitan from going south, if we refuse to marry, everyone in the world will think that we will give up the Lord of Tang, which will put him at great disadvantage!"

Xue Fu took a step forward and said: "The situation in the Central Plains may not be so dangerous."

"Oh?" asked Yang Dingguo.

Xue Fu said: "Although Youzhou is lost, the entire Hebei is indeed flat! However, in the Hebei area, since the Anshi Rebellion, all the towns and vassals have strong strength in the secrets. Even though the terrain is flat, the various vassal states have soldiers and food, and are deeply rooted in the local area, which cannot be suppressed by Shi Jingtang and an outsider. Moreover, according to the latest news, the Hebei prefectures have not completely fallen, and Shi Jingtang can control them, but when the troops move south, they

The line he took was not able to really control the entire Hebei within a month or two, and its rule was limited to the cities he had obtained, and he could not go deep into the counties under his jurisdiction. The only one who arrived by the Yellow River was only a small group of racquets, not a large army. The atmosphere of the transformation of the tripod in the Central Plains was a panic caused by the news that Shi Jingtang's soldiers forced the Yellow River. From the fact that Li Congke had not yet urgently transferred Zhang Jingda back to the rescue, we can know that the situation in Hebei may not be as critical as the rumors."

Guo Fen hurriedly asked: "Then Governor Xue means..."

Xue Fu said: "Now, Li Congke and Shi Jingtang are competing with each other in the Central Plains. The shrinkage of the towns in Hebei is half to preserve their strength and half to wait and see. At the moment, Li Shi has not decided on the outcome, and Li Congke has not formally asked for help. He just wanted to take advantage of our power. If he heard that Li Congke had married us in Hebei and Shandong, he would inevitably tend to be the Li family. At that time, Li Congke's momentum rose sharply, or could he calm the Central Plains without much effort. In this way, although we ourselves have no benefits, Li Congke may not sell us any favors afterwards. This is a matter of neighboring home. They have not promised us any benefits, but why should we surrender to others?"

Unlike Yang Dingguo, Xue Fu had no deep feelings for the Central Plains. In his mind, the orientation of judging the situation was simply to benefit the Tiance regime, so his thinking was simpler than that of Yang Dingguo.

Yang Dingguo frowned, but could not refute for a moment, and said, "I am just afraid that the Central Plains will be in chaos. If we promise Li Congke today, it would be just a small task, but we can achieve great success with a shout. But if we ignore it and let Li Congke lose his power, we will all become sinners when it is out of control."

Xue Fu said: "These two sentences of the country are too much. If the Central Plains are ours, we will naturally have to plan for the long-term. But the Central Plains shepherd's lord is now Li Congke, not us. If he can pacify the Central Plains, the credit will not be ours. But if he loses the world, the crime of losing the country will not be blamed on us."

Seeing that the two families' vocabulary became more and more successful, Zhang Yi and Xi Ni said, "Since this matter is difficult to decide, it is better to write to the marshal to tell the decision. We are just left-behind ministers. When the marshal is not here, we can help deal with state affairs, but this is a family matter, a major marriage matter, a parents' order, a matchmaker's words, and a son's marriage, we must ask our father."

Guo Fen was about to agree, but Lu Jialing said: "The Marshal is now far west. First, the Marshal may not be able to know clearly what the situation is in the East. Second, the east and west are thousands of miles away. One comes back and forth, and the road is delayed. I am afraid that when the Marshal's echo arrives, the situation in the East will have changed long ago. Moreover, if Lord Li can't get our reply for a long time, he will definitely think that we are willing to shirk responsibility. The Central Plains vassal states will also think that we are unwilling to help the Little Tang Dynasty."

Zhang Yi said: "Supreme Lu means..."

"I think the biggest hidden dangers in the Central Plains are not Shi Jingtang, but Khitan." Lu Jialing said: "In the battle between Li, there is no difference between whoever wins and who will defeat us. Even if Shi Jingtang is finally allowed to occupy the Central Plains, he is newly lord and his internal emptiness will definitely come to please us. At that time, we will get more benefits from him. But the problem is that if Li takes Shi lightly, the Central Plains will be stable. If the Central Plains are stable, the Khitan may not dare to go south. Once Li Shi is evenly matched, the Central Plains will inevitably be in chaos. How could the Khitan sit and watch at that time? Now Shi Jingtang has already forced the Yellow River, but Yelu Deguang has not yet taken action. In my opinion, the reason why the Khitan still remains in control of the troops is because of the tiger and wolf, not in the Central Plains, but in Hexi!"

Guo Fen said in surprise: "Hexi! You said the Khitan was going to deal with us?"

"Yes." Lu Jialing said: "Since the rise of the army, the Khitan has been galloping and almost invincible, but it was defeated by our army in Beiting. Governor Yang's troops were forced to do so, even Mobei was almost shaken! Yelu Deguang not only cut off the Longyou arm, but also had a great prestige in the south of the desert. The desert is not like the Han area. There is a main Chinese race as the foundation. They have always led dozens of hybrids with one clan. If the ruling clan has reduced its prestige, it will inevitably arouse the covetousness of the ruled clans - this is the safety of the Khitan country! If Yelu Deguang still wants to strengthen this country, he must regain his prestige. To regain his prestige, it is not enough to defeat Li Congke. He must challenge our army again and win a great victory to appease the hearts of the people."

He paused and said, "And the Marshal's ambition will never allow Hu Zong to be the dominant. Now the troops are heading west, so the east is temporarily alleviating. But once the western front is pacified, think about what will the Marshal against the Khitan?"

Everyone in the hall looked at each other and knew that Zhang Mai's ambition would not allow the Khitan to continue to be strong. Even if they did not exterminate their species, at least they would have to take back all the lands of the Tang Dynasty, collect the south and the east of the Mo and suppress the north of the Mo. This ambition of Zhang Mai was not a secret within the top leaders of Tiance.

Lu Jialing continued: "The ambition of the marshal. If Yelu Deguang was still unclear before the Battle of Beiting, then after the Battle of Beiting, the knowledgeable people in the country were more aware of it. Therefore, the Khitan and the Lord of the Little Tang can coexist, but they are incompatible with us! Therefore, I judged that the Khitan's actions today were all directed at Hexi!"

Yang Dingguo nodded repeatedly when he heard this, Zhang Yi and his son also showed concern. Guo Fen frowned and said, "Can things really be so critical?"

Yang Ding Guodao: "What Lu Zhumi said is very reasonable! Even if the Lord of Tang can pacify Shi Jingtang, he will not be able to threaten the Khitan in the short term. However, once the marshal returns to the east, it will be a great threat to the Khitan! Therefore, it will be very likely that they will advance to Hexi due to the rebellion in the Central Plains."

Guo Fen asked Xue Fu again, and Xue Fu said: "With our army's current military strength, manpower and material resources in the east, if there is something wrong with the Central Plains, it will be difficult for us to send troops across the Yellow River to support us. Fighting on both sides is a taboo! But..."

"But how?" Guo Fen asked hurriedly.

Xue Fu said: "But there are mountains and rivers in Hexi that are blocked by the mountains and rivers and deserts. We have good governance of the country and the people are extremely dependent. Once something happens, the wife will speak, and every man in the countryside will take a hoe to defend his home! Therefore, the soldiers who stayed in the East are not enough to attack, but I have more than enough to defend myself in Hexi. No matter what happens in the East, we will support the marshals to return to the east. That is no problem. I am more than 90% sure to defend the enemy outside the Yellow River!"

He paused, and seemed to be reluctant to say something, but he still said it: "And I think the Khitan would not enter the Central Plains. If he dared to invade the Central Plains, the day when the Marshal returns to the east will be the time when the Khitan perishes!"

Zheng Wei's brows jumped, and Lu Jialing's heart was shocked, as if he immediately understood the terrifying hidden meaning of Xue Fu's words.

But Yang Dingguo was still unhappy and said, "Now there is a chance to calm the disaster thousands of miles away without any effort, why do you still have a problem that may burn to your doorstep?"

Both sides held their own opinions. Yang Dingguo was the old man and had the highest status. Xue Fu was the number one figure in the entire Eastern military. After hearing Xue Fu's words, Lu Jialing was also shaken. Guo Fen was unable to make a decision, so he asked Zheng Wei, Cao Yuanzhong, and Zheng Wei again: "This is a big deal, but it is not an urgent matter. Since that's the case, why not ask the marshal's meaning first?"

Cao Yuanzhong had just returned from the East and was not under Lu Jialing's situation. He said, "If you ask the marshal first, as Lu Shumi said, it will definitely be delayed. People in the Central Plains will definitely think that we are not sincere in marrying Li Congke."

Yang Ding Guodao: "Yes, yes."

Guo Fen said: "Then the general means..."

"I mean, let's ask the marshal first." Cao Yuanzhong said.

Yang Dingguo was stunned. Cao Yuanzhong said: "As far as I know the marshal's temperament, he is most likely unwilling to use his son's marriage to help the military and political affairs. Besides, even if the marshal is willing, he has to wait for him to nod. As for what the people in the Central Plains think, what does it have to do with us? Li Congke steals Luoyang, which is not orthodox, and our army has the upper reaches of the Yellow River, just like being above the high house. If there is something wrong in the Central Plains, isn't it a good opportunity for our army to go east?"

When Yang Dingguo heard this, he shouted: "If the Marshal wins the world, it is certainly a blessing for the country, but if the Central Plains is in chaos, it is a difficult situation for the people of the world! How can we sit down and see the world decay for the prosperity of our family? Such unkind and unrighteous things are not what we do! Even the Marshal, I believe that he will never put all the people in dire straits for the sake of his own success!"

Cao Yuanzhong smiled faintly and said, "The Marshal is naturally kind and righteous, and he is selfless, otherwise he would not have been unwilling to ascend the throne to the throne. But how can he achieve the world by relying on benevolence and righteousness? A benevolent saint will be the Marshal. As for his bad reputation, we will naturally bear it!"

After hearing this, Yang Dingguo raised his eyebrows and was about to scold him. Guo Fen quickly snatched his mouth and said, "The internal affairs are all for the public! Why should we be excited!"

Her prestige has increased day by day in recent years, and Yang Dingguo did not dare to be too reckless in front of her, so he held back. Guo Fen pondered for a moment and said, "The theory of taking advantage of the situation and robbery will not be mentioned from today onwards and behind others. But this matter is as Zheng Xiang said, it is a big event, but not an urgent matter. Since this is the case, let's ask the marshal's meaning first."

Yang Dingguo was very disappointed when he heard her decision, but Zheng Wei, Xue Fu, Cao Yuanzhong and others agreed. Zhang Yi did not object. Even Lu Jialing changed his mind. He could not speak out, so he had nothing to say.

Guo Fen immediately ordered Zhang Zhongbe to draft a letter. In addition to asking Zhang Mai, he drafted two more copies, one for Yang Yi and the other for Guo Luo. At the same time, he informed the two generals outside the town. Obviously, Guo Fen did not think that this was a family matter.

After the news reached the Central Plains, Li Congke was indeed very disappointed, but Shi Jingtang was overjoyed and secretly sent someone to secretly go to Hexi, in an attempt to win the Tiance Army to tilt towards him.

It was already July when the letter was delivered to Yang Yi. After Yang Yi read it, he summoned Murong Chunhua and Xi Sheng to tell him. Murong Chunhua said, "First the west and then the east are the first priority of the current military strategy! The East has no mistake in this decision, but in this way, it may cause trouble to the people of the Central Plains."

Xi Shengdao: "Can we send a surprise soldier into the northern desert to harass the Khitan, perhaps it can distract the Khitans from their attention. As long as the Khitans are unable to go south, then no matter how powerful Li and Shi fight, it will be just a civil strife, and they will not let the Hu horses set foot in the Central Plains."
Chapter completed!