Plan to cut off the nine states

The crowd dispersed, and the Chanyu left two advisers. He didn't like sitting on the blanket for a long time, so he called in a soldier and wrestled in the open space while talking to the two people standing next to him, without delaying each other.

Facing the Chanyu, the soldier had no intention of being humble. He hit hard and fiercely, and threw the Chanyu to the ground several times. The Chanyu became more and more courageous, and also threw the soldiers to the ground. Gradually, he was panting while talking, and had to focus his energy on wrestling.

Xu Chu suddenly thought of the Emperor of All Things who rode a horse and danced with a spear.

The Chanyu first talked with Kou Daogu and asked the people in the Central Plains about wrestling.

Kou Daogu also had no intention of being humble. He claimed that wrestling was a minor skill in the Central Plains. Soldiers in the army practiced it to keep fit, Jianghu artists practiced it to win rewards, and market scoundrels practiced it to compete for strength and victory. Scholars did not do it, officials did not do it, and emperors especially did not do it.

Shanyu laughed, not feeling humiliated, but fell even harder, "The people of Herong are different from the people of the Central Plains, they need me to... what's the word?"

"Change the customs."

"Yes..." Shanyu got up from the ground, "Xu Chu, you don't plan to speak today?"

Kou Daogu stared at Xu Chu coldly, to see if he dared to advise.

"Judging from the Shanyu's intention to deploy troops, it seems that he still wants to attack the Huaizhou army." Xu Chu got straight to the point.

"That's right." The Chanyu held back his strength and twisted his opponent, and waited for a while before answering, "It has nothing to do with you. I didn't break the agreement. I will wait until tomorrow morning to attack."

"What about the hostages?"

"I came to the Central Plains to compete with the heroes. Which battle... is not without injuries? Pingshan and the others know my plan and will find a way to escape. If they can't, it will be considered a meritorious service."

"Old General Sheng Xuan has experienced hundreds of battles. When he led the troops out of the city, the formation was not chaotic. I guessed his intention and must be prepared."

"Haha, since I led the troops into the pass, the Herong people have not fought a hard battle. It is necessary for the enemy to be "prepared". Don't be like the previous few times, and be defeated at the first blow."

"Yecheng is not too far from Mengjin..."

The Chanyu signaled the soldiers to pause, turned to Xu Chu and said: "I will not watch an enemy army leave. You don't need to say anything more. What you said is not to my liking. Leave."

Xu Chu was driven out, and Kou Daogu stayed and continued to talk with the Chanyu.

Chang Yanzhi had been waiting impatiently, "Sir, something seems to be wrong. Everyone in the camp is sharpening their knives. It looks like we have to fight another battle."

"Well, the Chanyu has decided to attack tomorrow morning."

"But then... your reputation will be ruined."

Xu Chu smiled, "My reputation has been ruined. Let's rest. I am really tired today."

"I have prepared some clean water."

Xu Chu washed up, but Chang Yanzhi was still worried, "The Huaizhou army has more than 100,000 soldiers. They can always fight He Rong's people, right?"

"The Huaizhou army does not have more than 100,000 soldiers, and they are eager to return to their hometowns. They have no intention of fighting. They can still maintain their composure when leaving the city. Once attacked, they will surely collapse."

"Ah..." Chang Yanzhi was not concerned about the Huaizhou army's defeat, but that the young master was actually smiling.

"Go to sleep. There may be unexpected news tomorrow."

Chang Yanzhi went out to get water. He fell asleep very late after returning. He kept thinking about whether he should stay if the young master really wanted to be loyal to the Chanyu.

The next morning, Chang Yanzhi got up and went out to check the situation.

The camp seemed much emptier. Most of the soldiers went to chase the Huaizhou army, and the other part went to occupy Yecheng. Only some servants and women and children were left to pack up their things. Everyone was discussing enthusiastically how much reward their masters would get after winning this battle.

Chang Yanzhi couldn't walk around, so he chatted with the servants nearby for a few words, but didn't get much news, so he had to go back to the tent.

Xu Chu was still sleeping soundly.

At noon, Xu Chu still didn't wake up. Chang Yanzhi heard constant noises outside and went out to check again. He saw teams of He Rong cavalry entering the camp. The servants were caught off guard and quickly packed up their tents.

He Rong was used to living in tents and didn't like being bound by the city walls. Although he captured Yecheng, he still camped outside the city.

A large number of cavalry rushed back to the camp with cold expressions. They kept scolding their servants and were obviously not very happy, but there were no wounded people.

Chang Yanzhi was puzzled and did not dare to ask. Suddenly, he remembered what the young master said. Isn't this an "unexpected news"? Just as he was about to report to the tent, he saw more than ten riders galloping in. The leader shouted: "The Chanyu wants to see Xu Chu, now!"

In the tent, Xu Chu had already gotten up, walked out to take a look, and smiled at Chang Yanzhi: "Sure enough, there is an unexpected news."

There were only a few people in the big tent. The Chanyu's face was gloomy, and there were beads of sweat that had not been wiped off. As soon as Xu Chu came in, he stared at him closely, and did not take his eyes away until Xu Chu came close.

"What do you know?" the Chanyu asked.

"Well... it seems that the Chanyu did not attack the Huaizhou army. That's what I know."

"No, no, you advised me not to attack last night."

"Yes, I did."

"You also said that the Huaizhou army would be prepared."

Xu Chu smiled slightly, "I just said it casually, did I really get it right?"

Kou Daogu came in from outside and saluted, but the Chanyu did not look at him, "It was not the Huaizhou army that was prepared, but the King of Liang. He set an ambush on the road, but we saw through it."

"So the Chanyu stopped the attack in time." Xu Chu nodded, as if he had just realized it, and then said: "Strange, how could the King of Liang know that the Huaizhou army retreated and expected that He Rong's people would pursue?"

"I was just about to ask you." The Chanyu said coldly.

"It's hard to say, let me guess. May I ask the Chanyu, how many soldiers did the King of Liang lead?"

"Does it matter?"

"It matters a lot. If the King of Liang leads a large army, he must be well prepared. His previous escape must have been to prepare troops. The Huaizhou army abandoned Yecheng, ruining his plan. On the contrary, if the King of Liang leads a small army, it means that he met by chance. He came to check the situation in Yecheng, but saw the Huaizhou army retreating, so he bluffed."

The Chanyu was silent for a moment, and when he spoke, his tone was slightly slower, "The King of Liang is an ambush, with flags everywhere, and it is impossible to tell from a distance how many troops there are."

"Well, we can wait a little longer. If the King of Liang is If the King of Liang came prepared, he must have more soldiers and generals, and joined the Huaizhou army, his strength would be greatly increased. He must not want to return empty-handed. He Rong's men retreated, but he wanted to advance. "

The Chanyu also thought so, so he led his troops to retreat and meet the enemy in a wide area, "What if it was a coincidence?"

"Escape, I'm afraid I won't be able to escape."

The Chanyu's face was livid. He would rather the King of Liang came prepared and fought a real battle with real swords and guns, rather than just a coincidence, which would make him lose a good opportunity and make him lose face in front of his own soldiers.

Kou Daogu stepped forward and said, "The Chanyu was deceived by Xu Chu."

"Huh?"

"The King of Liang did not come prepared, nor did he catch up by chance. He had been in the army and followed the Huaizhou people out of the city. He just changed the flag halfway and showed his true identity. The Chanyu didn't know the details and thought that the King of Liang came from somewhere else with his troops and fell into Xu Chu's treacherous plan. "

The Chanyu looked at Xu Chu, and Xu Chu smiled and shook his head, as if he felt it was not worth arguing.

"Do you have evidence?" Chanyu asked.

"No, but it's definitely not wrong." Kou Daogu glanced at Xu Chu, "He obviously expected Chanyu to pursue the Huaizhou army, so he planned it in advance. He stayed in the city for a long time. If it wasn't for King Liang, who would he talk to?"

Chanyu looked at Xu Chu again, half believing and half doubting.

Xu Chu sighed, "When I entered the city yesterday, the Liang people refused to admit that the King of Liang had left. They tried every means to delay time, passing messages back and forth, pretending that the King of Liang was still there. It was not until I saw the real person that I realized that I was fooled. Mr. Kou thought too highly of me, as if I knew everything, and thought too lowly of the Chanyu, thinking that nothing could be hidden. When the Chanyu also took the King of Zuo Shenwei as a hostage, I never thought of anything else."

Kou Daogu wanted to continue, but the Chanyu raised his hand to stop him, "Don't talk about things without evidence. Whether to fight or retreat is my decision alone, and it has nothing to do with others."

A Lord He Rong hurried in, "Chanyu, the hostages are back!"

The Chanyu was surprised and happy, "Did they escape back? How many are left?"

"All ten are here."

The Chanyu strode out of the tent to greet them. Although he was willing to use these ten hostages in exchange for a great victory, he was still happy to see them back alive.

There were only a few servants and guards left in the big tent. They did not understand the Central Plains language. Kou Daogu said, "I do not have evidence, but my guess is right. King Liang is in the city. It was you who designed to intimidate the Chanyu."

"Alas, Mr. Kou said the day before yesterday that he would not take revenge on private matters."

Kou Daogu's face flashed with anger, "This is not revenge on private matters... Hey, you can conceal it for a while, but not forever. Even if King Liang is willing to keep it secret for you, there are people around him who do not know the depth of the people, and the truth will soon be revealed."

"With Mr. Kou always watching, the 'truth' will indeed be revealed."

Xu Chu hinted that the other party would fabricate the "truth", and Kou Daogu laughed in anger, "I don't have to focus on anything. Mr. Xu has too many conspiracies and many loopholes, so he can't stay in the same place for too long. He always has to change places before being exposed. It's the same here with Chanyu. I just need to keep an eye on you and prevent you from escaping again. Sooner or later, Chanyu will see through your true face."

Xu Chu smiled and said, "You want to keep watching me?"

Kou Daogu nodded slightly.

"Okay, if I lose anything in the future, I will ask you."

A group of people came in from outside. Shanyu held He Rongpingshan's arm and asked, "What did the Huaizhou army say when they released you?"

The ten hostages galloped all the way, all sweating profusely. He Rongpingshan said, "Huaijiang Shengxuan said that he thanked Shanyu for seeing them off. To show his sincerity, he released the hostages first. I hope Shanyu will keep his promise..."

"Hey." Shanyu loosened his palm and stopped, saying, "Just ten hostages, let them go. So, King Liang and the Huaizhou army didn't chase us. Haha, it was really a bluff. Well, King Liang has some tricks. I underestimated him in the past. It's all my fault for mobilizing so many troops and returning empty-handed."

The adults and Shanyu repeated it in their native language, rushing to confess.

The Shanyu said a lot more, gradually becoming passionate and reawakening morale. He Rongpingshan and others were surprised and excited, and cheered continuously.

As a leader who had just made a misjudgment, the Chanyu minimized the loss of prestige.

All the adults left one after another, and the Chanyu said to the two advisers: "The time has passed. It is too late to chase the Huai people and the King of Liang. There is no need. I will divide the troops to stay in Yecheng. Tomorrow morning, I will personally lead the troops to attack Bingzhou."

Xu Chu and Kou Daogu were both shocked. Kou Daogu advised: "The Chanyu doesn't seem to be so anxious."

The Chanyu smiled and said: "It's not that I'm anxious. This is a plan that has been set long ago. The Tiancheng army should have entered Feihukou today. If I don't take action, it will be too late."

Xu Chu suddenly understood that the Chanyu attacked Yecheng in the south and brought the emperor with him all the time, in fact, in exchange for the King of Jin's peace of mind and providing Princess Huanyan with an opportunity for a sneak attack.

I wonder if the King of Jin would have thought of this earlier.