Datang: Rebirth of Li Chengqian, the beginning of the treason interrogation

Chapter 194 Zhang Liang's Ambition and Conspiracy
On the Xiheng, Zhang Liang stood there quietly, staring ahead, watching the smoke and dust gradually dissipate.

In the distance, tens of thousands of figures slowly disappeared below the horizon like the receding tide until they were completely out of sight.

He slowly turned around and looked at the Xueyantuo camp not far away. The tents were endless and the war horses were neighing.

For a moment, an extremely heavy pressure came towards him like a mountain, almost suffocating him.

Zhang Liang is very clear about how capable he is, and he naturally has a clear understanding of his own strength and ability.

The current situation is tantamount to forcing people to do something they are not prepared for.

Just looking at the endless dark Xueyantuo camp in front of him, his legs began to tremble involuntarily.

At this moment, a voice suddenly came: "Congratulations, General! Congratulations, General!"

Immediately afterwards, several generals walked up quickly and bowed to Zhang Liang with smiles on their faces to congratulate him.

These people are all Zhang Liang's adopted sons. Over the years, Zhang Liang may not have achieved anything particularly outstanding in other aspects, but he is quite good at forming gangs and factions.

In total, he actually accepted and adopted more than 500 adopted sons.

However, facing the congratulations from everyone, Zhang Liang was not happy at all. His face, which was already full of clouds of worry, was now even gloomier, as if water could drip out of it. He did not show any joy at all, and murmured:

"Why should we be happy? The Xueyantuo army is at the gates of the city. We are in imminent danger and will be destroyed in a matter of seconds."

As the leading general, he was afraid before the battle even started and said words that shook the morale of the troops.

"General, may I have a word with you?"

Another person walked straight up to Zhang Liang and said in a flattering manner.

Birds of a feather flock together.

"Master Cheng, do you have any good strategy to ward off the enemy?"

As soon as he saw the person coming, Zhang Liang's originally slightly listless expression instantly became energetic.

This person is not just his ordinary adopted son, but his distinguished guest of honor!

There has always been a tradition of keeping retainers in the mansions of dukes and marquises.

And Cheng Gongying was Zhang Liang's most trusted and trusted confidant, and he was also a sorcerer who was proficient in the art of numerology.

Relying on his good mouth, he was doing very well in Zhang Liang's mansion.

Cheng Gongying lowered his voice and said slowly: "The general's luck has arrived. As the saying goes, a dragon will rise to the sky and become a dragon."

Hearing this, Zhang Liang's eyes suddenly widened, his face full of disbelief, and at the same time, he was overjoyed:

"Master, do you mean that I can successfully defend Xiheng Pass this time, and thus achieve great military exploits, and thus be promoted to a higher position?"

Cheng Gongying smiled and gently took Zhang Liang's hand, and the two walked slowly forward side by side.

Along the way, Cheng Gongying always had a faint smile on his face.

"Has the general forgotten his previous remarks?"

After getting away from the crowd, Cheng Gongying suddenly asked.

"Comment?"

Zhang Liang was slightly stunned when he heard this, and then he fell into deep memories as if falling into a cloud of mist.

After a while, his expression changed several times, sometimes gloomy as water, sometimes ecstatic, appearing to be moody and uncertain.

After a long while, Cheng Gongying said again:

"The hexagram showed that the master of Gongchang should establish a separate capital, which means that the Zhang family should establish a new capital."

"And from what I've seen, General, your figure is as majestic and powerful as a dragon. Isn't this referring to you, General?"

"Now the time, place and people are all ready. If you can't take off now, General, then when will you take action?"

Once the matter was accomplished, he, a man without any achievements, immediately became a powerful follower of the dragon.

He doesn't care whether he is in dragon form or not. Now that Zhang Liang holds the power, he has every chance to give it a try.

Moreover, Zhang Liang had long harbored rebellious intentions, which was why such a prophecy appeared.

"If the general does not take it, I will be guilty of sinning before the gods!"

Cheng Gongying continued to persuade him that since Zhang Liang did not refute him at the first time, it meant that he agreed.

However, at this moment, Zhang Liang's expression suddenly changed, his brows knitted tightly, and he said worriedly:

"But now the Xueyantuo army is approaching us with great force. We are afraid that we will not be able to contend with them. I am afraid that this matter cannot be accomplished easily."

Zhang Liang then fell into deep anxiety. He paced back and forth, rubbing the corners of his clothes with his hands, and a layer of fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

This is indeed an opportunity, but it can only be accomplished if we get rid of the Xueyantuo army.

The huge gap made Zhang Liang extremely agitated.

It seemed as if the throne was within reach, yet it seemed as if it was about to be lost.

Cheng Gongying, who was standing nearby, smiled slightly when he saw this, and stepped forward and said:

"Don't worry, General. The favorable time and favorable location I mentioned are exactly the Xueyantuo army. Why don't you use clever tactics to deal with it, take advantage of the Xueyantuo's momentum, rise straight up, and take the throne in one fell swoop?"

After saying this, a cunning look flashed in his eyes.

Zhang Liang was stunned at first, then suddenly realized something, nodded slightly, and said thoughtfully: "Master, do you mean to divert the trouble to others?"

Cheng Gongying shook his head and chuckled:
"It can't be said that we are diverting trouble to others, but we are taking advantage of the situation. We can cooperate with Xueyantuo."

"What Xueyantuo needs is just material supplies, while the general wants the throne. Each of them takes what they need."

"As long as we can reach a cooperation, it is not a bad idea for the general to pay tribute to Xueyantuo every year in the future. In this way, we can resolve the current crisis and achieve the general's grand ambitions. Isn't it the best of both worlds?"

Hearing this, Zhang Liang's heart was moved, but then he hesitated: "Although this plan is brilliant, once the Xueyantuo army enters the pass, the Central Plains will surely be devastated. Will this arouse public anger?"

Cheng Gongying snorted coldly and said disdainfully: "General, why should you worry so much? Since ancient times, those who have accomplished great things have not been particular about trivial matters. Those common people, in our chess game, have never even been considered chess pieces, so why should we care about them?"

These words were like a cold wind that chilled Zhang Liang's heart. But in the face of the temptation of power, he compromised and made up his mind.

He was just a peasant, so he had this little bit of compassion.

"Master is truly my son's wife. With Master giving advice and suggestions, great things can be accomplished." "This general will never forget Master's contribution. After the success, Master should be credited with the first merit."

"Thank you, General!"

From the top of the city wall, there were two people laughing loudly.

They didn't know how many people would be drawn into the conspiracy and lose their lives.

"General, it's bad! The Xueyantuo are attacking the city again!" A soldier came running to report in panic.

The smug smiles that had originally appeared on their faces disappeared without a trace in an instant, and were replaced by solemnity and tension.

They hurriedly looked into the distance, and saw that above the boundless field in front of them, dust rose into the sky like a giant yellow dragon, covering the sky and the sun; and the crisp sound of horse hooves resounded through the sky like thunder, coming from far away and being deafening.

"Quick! Pass the order quickly, order the soldiers of each camp to prepare for battle immediately!"

Zhang Liang gave the order with a slightly trembling voice, but he still tried to maintain the dignity of a general.

Cheng Gongying on the side seemed calm and composed. He stroked his gray beard gently, looking confident, and slowly said:

"General, don't worry too much. In my opinion, this is just a tentative attack by Xueyantuo. Judging from the formation they have shown so far, they do not have the strength to launch a full-scale attack."

Zhang Liang frowned slightly, a trace of anxiety flashed in his eyes, and he said in a deep voice:
"That being said, the general offensive will come sooner or later. We must implement the big things we have planned as soon as possible to avoid more trouble. If the Xueyantuo breaks through the city before we reach a cooperation agreement with them, all our efforts will be wasted."

Cheng Gongying stepped forward and said in a loud voice: "If the general trusts me, I am willing to go to the Xueyantuo camp in person! With my eloquent tongue, I will definitely be able to convince those barbarians and make them serve us."

The corners of his mouth rose slightly, revealing a confident smile.

Zhang Liang was overjoyed when he heard this, and immediately bowed and said:

"If an immortal master comes forward, this matter will surely be accomplished!"

Cheng Gongying nodded with a smile, then turned and left.

They are a bunch of simple-minded barbarians. As long as they are promised huge profits, there is nothing they cannot negotiate with.

Although Zhang Liang was timid and cowardly, the soldiers of the Tang army were brave and fearless.

From a high position, they shot down rounds of arrows, causing countless casualties among the Xueyantuo cavalry before they even reached the city.

Soon, Xueyantuo called back his troops.

"Khan, the Tang army is now very powerful. If we attack by force, it will not be an easy task. It may even cause our soldiers to be consumed in vain."

A general said worriedly.

Duomi Khan Bazhuo stood quietly under the general's tent, his originally resolute face now covered with a gloomy look.

Many days had passed, but the attack still made no progress, which made his anger more and more difficult to suppress.

The cavalry they led have always been good at galloping and fighting on the grasslands, but they are not very good at siege tactics.

What's more, they didn't carry any effective siege equipment. Continuing with the current siege method would undoubtedly be tantamount to committing suicide.

"The damn Tang army is just a bunch of cowards! They just hide in the city and don't dare to come out and fight us head-on!"

Domi Khan roared angrily, and the sharp scimitar in his hand kept flying in the air with his violent movements, flashing a terrifying cold light.

It was this indestructible city before him that blocked his army outside the city.

It was precisely because of such a long delay that the Tang army's reinforcements were able to arrive smoothly.

Now, there are tens of thousands of Tang troops stationed in Xiheng Pass on full alert. It is almost hopeless to attack it directly from the front.

"Khan, in my opinion, why don't we find another way and take a detour?"

Next to Duomi Khan, an armored general clasped his fists and bowed, speaking in a sincere tone.

This man's name was Mukena, and he was Duomi Khan's most trusted and beloved general.

Since Duomi Khan ascended the throne, he has severely suppressed and excluded the old ministers from the Yinan period, and instead vigorously promoted and appointed his own trusted confidants.

As the saying goes, a new emperor appoints new ministers, and personnel changes during power transitions are quite common.

"Take a detour? Humph! Look at the damn Great Wall built by the Tang people. It's winding and endless, just like an insurmountable natural moat, blocking our cavalry outside! Even if we want to take a detour, we must pass through the checkpoints. Now that the Tang army has discovered our tracks, how could there be no one guarding the other checkpoints for you?"

Upon hearing this, Duomi Khan became furious, his eyes widened, his face flushed red, and he started to scold and curse Mu Kena.

The Khan was always hot-tempered and easily angered. Because of this, when he suffered a disastrous defeat in a battle with Li Ji, he took his anger out on his generals, accusing them of being incompetent and useless, which eventually led to his own death.

"Khan, please calm down and listen to my explanation. I don't mean that the army should avoid the Great Wall directly. Instead, we can send some elite warriors to abandon their horses, travel light, and try to climb over the Great Wall, so as to sneak into the inland quietly."

Facing the Khan's rage, Mukena seemed calm, or perhaps he was used to it. He spoke again calmly and elaborated on his ideas in detail.

After hearing this, Duomi Khan began to worry about the outcome. He frowned and said worriedly:

"It sounds good, but once our soldiers lose their horses, their combat effectiveness will be reduced by more than half. If the Tang army finds out, I'm afraid we will be in great danger of being wiped out."

Mu Ke Na responded calmly:
"In fact, I don't advocate letting our warriors go to plunder rashly. My strategy is to let them sneak into the inner city and try to break through the Xiheng Pass."

"At the same time, our main force is still as usual, deployed at the pass, ready to launch an attack at any time, so as to firmly attract the full attention of the Tang army and provide effective cover for the warriors who have already entered."

"When the time is right, the warriors who have sneaked in will suddenly launch an attack, which will inevitably cause chaos in Xiheng Pass. At that time, we can command the entire army to charge forward in one go and break the Tang army's defense line in one fell swoop."

It must be said that it was no coincidence that Mukena was respected and appreciated by Duomi Khan.

After all, no matter which monarch it is, there will always be a group of resourceful advisers around him to give him advice.

Even in a tribe like the Xueyantuo, which was regarded as a barbarian country, there were many smart and resourceful people.

Hearing this, the tense expression on Duomi Khan's face finally relaxed gradually. He nodded slightly, indicating that he was very satisfied with the plan.

As everyone knows, although the Great Wall is extremely steep and can effectively block galloping war horses, it cannot prevent people from climbing up.

Therefore, the strategy carefully planned by Mu Ke Na has a great chance of being successfully implemented.

"Mukena, go down immediately and select the bravest warriors from the army and let them carry out this great mission."

"At the same time, order Zamutuo to continue besieging the city, attacking it from time to time, and harassing the Tang army soldiers from time to time to make them run around in exhaustion."

Duomi Khan gave the order. At this time, they had taken the initiative.

Such a combination of real and fake will definitely paralyze the enemy.

(End of this chapter)