Chapter 311: Negotiation Again
Chapter 311: Negotiation Again
Prince of Jin Yang Guang bid farewell to his father in the morning. In the afternoon, he left Chang'an City with his family under the escort of three thousand private soldiers and headed towards Jiangdu.
Yang Zhao and his family also followed their father eastward. The army was led by Yang Ling, who was actually Yang Guang's three thousand family soldiers.
Yang Feiyan also followed her parents, but Xiao Zhurong did not go because he was going to take the imperial examination in mid-February.
Xiao Xia sent her father out of Chang'an City. Yang Guang said to Xiao Xia, "According to your royal grandfather's intention, you will be listed as a member of the royal family and will be sent out after a while. Take good care of yourself!"
Xiao Xia asked in confusion, "What does it mean to be listed as a royal family member?"
"There is a very formal ceremony for returning to the royal family. It is held in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, including worshipping ancestors, etc. All royal family members must be present to witness it. There is no such ceremony for being listed as a royal family member. Your name will be added to the royal family book, and your nameplate will be hung in the Imperial Ancestral Temple. In fact, it is a more low-key return to the royal family."
"Or is it the name Xiao Xia?"
"No! It's Yang Xia. This is the name given by your grandfather."
"Then do I need to change my name?" Xiao Xia asked.
"It's up to you. You can change it or not. There will be a note in the clan book that Yang Xia is Xiao Xia, and they are actually the same person. I won't force you to change your name."
Xiao Xia nodded silently. Xiao Xia was his name in later life and he didn't want to change it for the time being.
"Go back! I believe we will see each other soon."
"Please take care on your journey, Dad. Please take care, everyone!"
Xiao Xia waved to everyone and watched them go away to the east.
Prince of Qin Yang Jun and Prince of Shu Yang Xiu also left Chang'an today. They left in the morning, two hours earlier than Yang Guang. Prince of Jin Yang Guang's team was the last to leave the capital.
Although the four Qin kings left Chang'an within the specified time, Crown Prince Yang Yong was not happy. The King of Jin, the King of Qin, and the King of Shu all left with their family soldiers, but the King of Han, Yang Liang, left with three hundred warriors to guard him, while his family soldiers remained in Guanzhong.
What does the King of Han mean by this? Is he planning to launch a coup, or is he planning to seize Chang'an through internal and external cooperation?
Although Yang Yong was unhappy, he had no way to deal with Yang Liang's family soldiers. He had no military power, and the only ones he could mobilize were a thousand guards.
Although he also had three thousand private soldiers, he didn't want to use them.
He was afraid that when his father was dying, and he had not yet obtained military power, Prince of Han Yang Liang would suddenly launch a coup. How would he respond?
Zhang Yunqiu advised him, "Your Highness, the situation is clear now. The generals will support your registration. Even if he wants to stage a coup, it won't be that easy. The palace is not without military guards."
Yang Yong sighed and said, "I know the truth, but his 6,000 troops stationed in Guanzhong are like a poisonous sting in my back, making me unable to sleep or eat."
Zhang Yunqiu pondered for a moment and said, "Actually, there is a way to remove this sting. It depends on whether Your Highness is willing to accept it."
"Tell me first, what's the solution?"
"The troops guarding Chang'an can only be mobilized with the emperor's tiger talisman, but the two armies guarding the imperial palace can move within Jingzhao Prefecture. I'm afraid Yuwen Chengdu's 10,000 Niuwei cannot be mobilized. He is loyal to the emperor and will not accept orders from anyone except the emperor.
Then there are the Left and Right Wuhou Guards. The two generals of the Left Wuhou Guard are also loyal to the emperor, so only the Right Wuhou Guard is left.”
Yang Yong immediately understood what Zhang Yunqiu meant, "Are you referring to Xiao Xia?"
Zhang Yunqiu nodded, "Your Highness, please talk to him and ask him to eliminate the King of Han's soldiers in Guanzhong."
Yang Yong walked to the steps with his hands behind his back and looked at the yard outside. He received a piece of news this morning that Xiao Xia led the army to surround Yang Liang's Wanshan Manor last night. He didn't know what they did specifically, but Yang Liang must have hidden some secrets in this manor.
Yang Yong didn't care about what Xiao Xia got, but the matter of sending troops. Yang Liang had just left in the afternoon, and Xiao Xia took action in the evening.
This shows that Zhang Yunqiu's suggestion was correct. In the entire Chang'an, the only general who dared to send troops on his own was Xiao Xia. Moreover, he surrounded Yang Liang's Wanshan Manor last night, so it was completely possible for him to send troops to kill Yang Liang's 6,000 private troops.
It's just that the cost of asking Xiao Xia to send troops is too high, and Yang Yong is reluctant to bear it. What's more, the third son Yang Jun has repeatedly asked him to fight. He wants to lead the army to destroy the King of Han's stronghold. This opportunity should be given to his son!
Yang Yong sighed and said, "The third brother also wants to send troops. He has been telling me about it for a long time. Although he has 3,000 private soldiers, I can still gather some for him. It won't be a problem to gather 6,000 to 7,000 people. The main thing is that I also want the third brother to exercise his ability. If the third brother can take action, there is no need to trouble Xiao Xia and agree to his conditions. I don't think it's necessary. What do you think, sir?"
"Your Highness has not seen the key point here!"
Zhang Yunqiu sighed, and then slowly said: "If Your Highness does not want Xiao Xia and the King of Han to form an alliance, then the best way is to make them enemies. This is the real intention of my suggestion to Xiao Xia to send troops."
This sentence flashed through Yang Yong's heart like a ray of light, prompting Xiao Xia and the King of Han to become enemies, which was equivalent to making the King of Jin and the King of Han become enemies.
After figuring this out, Yang Yong finally nodded, "Then let him send out the troops. I'll talk to him today, still at the old place, you make the arrangements!"
"I humbly obey my orders!"
In the afternoon, Xiao Xia was listening to the report from his new aide Pei Wen'an in the military camp. Pei Wen'an was the magistrate of Yique County. Later, he was recommended by Xiao Xia to be the magistrate of Luoyang County. However, he could not escape the purge during the court's purge of officials involved in the Maitreya Sect.
After all, the Maitreya sect's nest was in Yique County, and he was the county magistrate, so he could not escape blame. Although Li Yuan tried his best to intercede for him, Pei Wen'an was eventually dismissed by the court. This was already a face given to Li Yuan by the court, otherwise he would not only be dismissed but also punished. Li Yuan wrote him a letter and recommended him to Xiao Xia.
At the end of last year, after Xiao Xia took on the role of general of the Third Army of Wuhou Guard, he asked Pei Wen'an, who had just become his aide, to handle the military affairs of the Third Army for him, just like Liu Wenjing.
Xiao Xia also knew that his time in Wuhouwei would not be long, but he needed to use this time to train his subordinates, including warriors and staff.
"That's it! The law does not punish everyone, each of them will be punished with thirty sticks. If these soldiers dare to go out of the camp to have fun again, they will be severely punished!"
"I understand the humble position!"
Pei Wen'an bowed and left.
At this time, a soldier reported at the door of the big tent, "A scholar named Zhang Yunqiu wants to see you, saying that he is an acquaintance of the general!"
Xiao Xia immediately smiled and said, "Please ask him to come in!"
Soon, Zhang Yunqiu entered the tent, bowed and said, "Greetings, General!"
"Sir, there is no need to be so polite. Is there something the prince wants to see me about?"
Zhang Yunqiu handed the invitation to Xiao Xia and said with a smile, "It's still Wencui Restaurant Baiyutang. Your Highness invites the general to dinner!"
Xiao Xia smiled and said, "My father just left in the afternoon, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince invited me to dinner. Is it a coincidence?"
"It is indeed a coincidence. The prince invited the general to dinner. It has nothing to do with your father. He wants to discuss something with Your Highness."
"What kind of thing is it? Can you tell me a little bit, sir?"
"It's related to King Han!"
Xiao Xia nodded, "Please tell His Royal Highness the Crown Prince that I will be there on time!"
At dusk, Xiao Xia arrived at Wencui Restaurant and went directly to the third floor and into the Baiyu Hall.
Crown Prince Yang Yong is already waiting here.
"We are uncle and nephew, no need to be so polite, please sit down!"
Xiao Xia sat down. This time, there were not only the two of them in the room. Xiong Kuohai stood behind Crown Prince Yang Yong, and Zhang Yunqiu sat next to him.
Yang Yong pointed to a plate of steamed buns on the table and said with a smile: "Did you make this?"
Xiao Xia nodded, "Does Your Highness like it?"
Yang Yong smiled and said, "I like it very much. I once had a dream that I was a scholar in another world, and my breakfast every day was a strange kind of pasta. Now that I think about it, it seems to be this bun."
Xiao Xia laughed, "What a coincidence, I also invented it in a dream!"
The two looked at each other and laughed together.
Only the two of them understood this kind of dream talking, and the people around them could only laugh along or be confused.
Yang Yong smiled and said, "Let's talk business first! We'll eat later."
"Your Highness, please speak!"
Yang Yong hesitated for a moment and said, "I would like to ask the general to help me destroy all of Yang Liang's private troops!"
"I don't have the authority to send troops outside the city!"
Yang Yong shook his head. "I know very well what happened at Wanshan Manor last night. You don't have to say such things. Just tell me what conditions you want."
Xiao Xia had actually guessed what Yang Yong wanted to talk to him about, and he already had an idea in mind.
Xiao Xia said calmly: "I can wipe them out, but everything I get belongs to me, people and property, I'll be frank! I want to turn all the captured prisoners into my private army, and the second condition is that after I become the local governor, the military salaries of these 6,000 people will be borne by the court!"
Yang Yong winked at Zhang Yunqiu, and the two went to the terrace to discuss for a while.
Soon, Yang Yong came out and said, "I can agree to your conditions, but I also have three restrictions. First, you cannot deploy your private army in Jingzhao Prefecture. Second, when you leave Guanzhong, you must take them with you. Third, the military salaries can be paid by the court, which is my special approval, but the number of soldiers cannot exceed 6,000."
(End of this chapter)