The Grandmaster Strategist

When Yong's army retreated, Zhe's sacrifice to his mother in Jiaxing came to light, and everyone knew about it. Everyone spoke of Zhe's suggestions for plundering Wu and Yue, and blamed him for killing his hometown. However, although Yong's army robbed and captured the people, they did not torture and kill the Li Shu people, which may be attributed to Zhe. The elders in Jiaxing were afraid that Yong's army would advance again and their wings and flesh would return, and they did not dare to take an inch of Jing's land.

——"The Biography of Jiang Suiyun, the History of Chu in the Southern Dynasties"

While the Nanchu navy and the Dayong navy were confronting each other at sea, I had already enjoyed the infinite scenery on Zhenze Lake. As the culprit who intensified the situation in Wuyue, I had no regrets. The war was already an inevitable outcome. The more intense the battle between Wu and Yue is, the more attention it can divert from the Southern Chu government and the public, and it will also facilitate the progress of the Shuzhong and Xiangyang battles. As for me escaping from the battle, ahem, the East China Sea doesn't need me now.

Turning the folding fan gently, I sat in the front cabin of the boat, rolled up the bead curtain, wore a brocade robe, sipped the fragrant tea, and squinted my eyes comfortably to enjoy the spring sunshine. I showed off the style of a noble son of Southern Chu. If it weren't for the boat, There are no singing girls and dancers, but I look very much like a child of an aristocratic family on a spring outing. I also dyed my gray hair black and slightly modified my appearance to prevent others from identifying me because of my beautiful hair and beautiful face. Although Wujun has been plunged into war, it has not yet affected the state capitals around Zhenze Lake. The docile nature of the Wujun people has also kept the place in peace and tranquility. After all, General Lu has already arrived in Wuyue, so they naturally don't have to worry. I lived on the lake for three days, covering 800 miles of swamps and 36,000 hectares of lake surface. There were lakes within the lakes and mountains outside the mountains. The spring was bright and full of tourists, and there was no sign of the imminent war.

The bead curtain moved slightly, and Hu Yanshou walked in. He had a very bad look on his face. He walked up to me and bowed his head and said: "Young Master, we cannot stay in dangerous places for too long. Please tell me when we are going to leave?"

I raised my head and glanced at him, with a smile in my heart. He had a simple and honest appearance. Although he had held a high position for many years, he did not have a bossy temper. However, he was nearly eight feet tall and had a handsome figure that was really eye-catching. In addition, with his piercing eyes and tangled hands, he looked like a majestic general, but he was forced to wear the clothes of a servant, which was really weird. It's no wonder that Hu Yanshou is the deputy commander of the Tiger Guards. He is a dignified first-class general, but he doesn't look like an ordinary servant. Even the five guards he brought with him looked nothing like domestic servants to me. However, as long as they don't stand together, they don't stand out too much. Although the Northland accent is thicker and they don't speak on weekdays, there is always a way to get through it. However, if Hu Yanshou hadn't been the emperor, I didn't want Li Zhi to be dissatisfied with him, so I wouldn't have kept him by my side. As for him urging me to hurry up, it is not surprising. You must know that the longer I stay in Nanchu, the heavier his responsibility will be. What's more, when we came to Zhenze Lake this time, we passed by Lu Can on the way. When the Jiujiang water camp was rushing southward, I was on the tributary and took a leisurely look at the Nanchu navy. I didn't. What, but Hu Yanshou's face was ashen, for fear that Yong Jun would discover my presence. It's a pity that although he has good intentions, I can't fulfill him. Staying in Zhenze Lake is not just making trouble for nothing, I came here with a purpose.

Smiling and taking a sip of the fragrant tea, I said lazily: "Huyan, don't be so anxious. It's so rare to come to Zhenze Lake and not appreciate the beautiful scenery of Dongshan and Xishan. Wouldn't it be a pity? What's more, the Southern Chu Army is now coming from The Yangtze River is moving towards Yuhang. Instead of setting off now and risking encountering the Southern Chu Army, it is better to wait a few days and then rush on the road after the waterway is relatively calm."

Hu Yanshou was stunned for a moment and felt that it made some sense, but it was not appropriate to stay in the Chu Kingdom for too long. Thinking that he failed to stop Jiang Zhe's actions this time, he would inevitably be accused after returning. If Jiang Zhe had another accident, he might be I didn't have the face to return to Chang'an. I thought of this place and was about to persuade him again. There was a sound of pipa playing on the lake. The sound became clearer and lingering, echoing the waves of the lake, and the sound reached my ears.

As soon as the sound of the pipa played, my heart moved. I closed my eyes and listened carefully. The music sounded like weeping, complaining, resentment and admiration, almost close to my ears.

A piece of pipa played can move people's hearts and souls, just like a piece of Zhaojun's resentment. Halfway through listening to it, I opened my eyes and sighed softly. Although Zhaojun's resentment is a word of farewell, it also has the hidden meaning of "missing the Han Dynasty". In the lingering sadness, it is the deep pain of leaving the country and homesickness, and the prosperity has faded away. He sighed. Although the person who played this piece of music evoked a soft artistic conception, he still had a vaguely relaxed and generous demeanor. He must have been a talented person who was worried about national affairs. In the prosperous Southern Chu, there are countless talented people among the smoke and water in the south of the Yangtze River. However, the imperial court of Southern Chu tests talents with poems and songs. Even if you are a master of classics, you will inevitably fail. Moreover, even if you enter an official career, if there is no important family to value you, you will not be able to succeed. There is also no possibility of developing talents. Even Lu Can, who was known for recruiting talented people, could not escape this influence. Most of his army's lieutenants, generals and counselors had a close relationship with the Lu family. It is not easy to gain a foothold in Southern Chu by relying on one's own talents. This master who plays the pipa must also be someone who has no way to serve the country, so he contains a lot of grief and indignation in his music.

I accidentally glanced at Hu Yanshou and saw Hu Yanshou standing there, listening intently. I couldn't help but wonder, when did he start to appreciate the pipa? Everyone knows this. Since Hu Yanshou is her husband-in-law, he must be able to understand it through his ears and eyes.

At this time, the sound of the pipa changed and became passionate and heroic, like an iron cavalry protruding and a silver vase suddenly broken. Amidst the sound of the pipa, I felt my heartbeat speed up, my energy and blood surge, my face suddenly lost all color, and the bead curtain flew up, Xiao Shunzi, who was meditating in the back cabin, suddenly appeared, flew behind me, pressed his palm on my vest, and a ray of true energy flowed in. After a while, I took a deep breath and calmed down. Hu Yanshou's face turned cold and he walked out, apparently to check for the enemy.

Xiao Shunzi's eyes were filled with cold light, and he looked towards the direction where the pipa was coming from. There was a faint murderous aura all over his body. At this time, a man's voice singing loudly came from the lake: "I was drunk and looked at the sword by the light of the lamp, and I dreamed about the horn-blowing camp." Eight hundred miles away, his subordinates are burning, and fifty strings are roaring outside the Great Wall. Autumn brings troops on the battlefield. The horse is flying fast, and the bow is as frightened as a thunderbolt. It ends the king's affairs in the world, and wins his reputation both before and after his life. This pity happened in vain."

I was slightly stunned. This was originally a poem I wrote when I saw Lu Xin training in Jiangxia. Later, it was acquired by Prince De. He loved it very much. Every time I sang it in the army, my style of lyrics was not mainly heroic. This song But it is vigorous and vigorous, but after the death of Prince De, I voted for Dayong again. Although my poems are still circulated in Nanchu, few people sing this one, or they think that I am not worthy of writing "The King of the World" "Things like this will win you fame both before and after your life." Especially now that I have openly led the army to attack Wu and Yue, it is rare for anyone to dare to sing this line loudly. Thinking of this, the annoyance of being almost taken advantage of by the sound of the piano gradually dissipated.

Before the song ended, Hu Yanshou had already returned to the cabin to report: "Sir, there is a cruise ship three miles away, and the music is coming from there."

After hearing this, I looked out through the bead curtain. With my eyesight, I could see a small boat without a hood undulating with the waves on the lake. There were only two people on the boat. One was a man in cloth clothes and the other was a yellow man. The Taoist priest in the crown was holding the bamboo pole that supported the boat. He was standing in the wind at the stern of the boat, with his arms relatively long. The man was leaning against the bow of the boat, holding a pipa in his hand and a long sword on his back. He was looking up at the Taoist priest. What are you talking about? I can only see their profiles from my direction, but it can also be seen that their popularity is extraordinary. Wuyue is a prosperous place in the south of the Yangtze River, with outstanding people and talented people, but they can't all be used by Nanchu. That’s all. Moreover, these two people can move people's souls with their music and music. If Xiao Shunzi hadn't been there to protect them, I would have been injured.

Thinking of this, I said excitedly: "Such a man with both civil and military talents cannot be ignored." As soon as I finished speaking, before Hu Yanshou could object, a cold snort came from behind me. I shuddered and turned to Xiao Shunzi. He smiled and said, "I won't do it next time. This is just this time." I looked at him eagerly, fearing that he would object. I spent a lot of effort to convince Xiao Shunzi to leave this time. After giving various reasons for a long time, I finally let Xiao Shunzi. Zi reluctantly nodded, but he was also unhappy along the way. I stayed at Huafang for a while, and he was always in meditation in the back cabin, just to fight with me, otherwise he would always be by my side.

Xiao Shunzi was originally very unhappy and didn't want Jiang Zhe to cause trouble again, but when he saw the young master in high spirits and his behavior became more indulgent and carefree, he also thought that the young master was in Yongdu, even in the bustling depths. , family happiness, but it can't hide the slight tiredness. Only after temporarily getting rid of the trivial matters of the world can you be so happy. I couldn't bear it in my heart, and sighed: "See you when we see you."

I was overjoyed when I heard this, and ordered Hu Yanshou to go out and give the order. He moved the boat close to the cruise ship, raised the curtain and walked out of the cabin. He raised his voice and said, "This dear friend plays the pipa very well. The Taoist priest's high-pitched song also shocked the world's idle gulls and herons. Yun Wuxing, Jiaxing, would like to invite you two to come over for a cup of tea. I wonder if you two would appreciate it?"

The Taoist priest Huang Guan turned his head and looked at me, and sneered: "We are poor people, and we are not worthy to be guests of the children of aristocratic families. Since your ancestral home is Jiaxing, you should know about the disaster in Jiaxing a few days ago, but I don't see how sad and angry you are." He said that, but in this mid-spring time, he was playing on the lake. He is really a heartless person. How can such a heartless and unrighteous person deserve to talk to us."

Hu Yanshou was furious when he heard this. He looked at the Taoist priest with bright eyes. He clenched his hands tightly and cracked his knuckles, as if a tiger was about to choose someone and devour him. The Taoist priest smiled coldly, his sharp eyes met Hu Yanshou's gaze without any sign of weakness, and there was a concentrated murderous aura around him.

The commoner scholar frowned slightly, put down his pipa, and looked towards the painted boat. A wisp of sword energy rose from his body into the sky, but it did not merge with the murderous aura of the Taoist priest, but blocked the secret fight between the two. Even so, the call was Yanshou was also pale and seemed to have been hit hard. However, he was determined and often faced with the overwhelming momentum of master-level masters (Xiao Shunzi's special training). His brows did not show weakness at all, but instead showed hostility. The Taoist priest was blocked by his companion's sword energy. He always respected this companion but did not feel annoyed. However, seeing that Hu Yanshou could not lose his power, he admired him in his heart and his brows softened a lot.

The Confucian scholar in civilian clothes said gently and honestly: "Your Excellency, please do not take offense. My friend is straightforward and may offend me a lot. However, it is inconvenient for me, a barbarian, to associate with a wealthy family. Please forgive me." His words were gentle, although there was a hint of alienation and rejection. It sounds less harsh.

While speaking, the commoner scholar also looked at the young master in brocade clothes on the boat across the way with sharp eyes, secretly exploring the origin of this man. This painting boat is owned by "Jie Embroidery House", the largest embroidery shop in Wuzhou. "Jie Embroidery House" almost monopolizes 50% of Su embroidery in the south of the Yangtze River. "Jie Embroidery House" invited four of the seven disciples of Gu Xiu Niang, a famous embroiderer in Southern Chu. The name of the proprietor of "Jie Embroidery Workshop" is unknown. It only emerged in the past ten years. It is said that the owner is just a young man who is less than 30 years old. Could this young man in Jinyi in front of him be the owner of "Jie Embroidery Workshop"? However, this man has an elegant appearance and a free and easy manner. Although his companions are hurling evil words at him, he does not have a trace of anger. Instead, his expression shows tolerance and understanding. He is calm and calm, and does not look like a fussy businessman. What's more, There is no majestic attitude of the proprietor of the embroidery shop.

At this time, the young man in Jinyi smiled slightly, and looked away from the Taoist priest Huang Guan, and turned to look at the Confucian scholar in commoner clothes. The Confucian scholar was shocked. The eyes of the man in Jinyi were a little dim, and it was obvious that he did not have much energy, and he just looked like an ordinary person, but Looking at it carefully, I felt that his eyes were as deep as the sea, calm and cold, and revealed a calm look that could see through the world. As his eyes moved, this man's face suddenly became vivid. Combined with his delicate and fair appearance, it made it difficult to tell his true age.

This commoner scholar was originally an outstanding figure in the martial arts world of Southern Chu. He had outstanding swordsmanship, rich knowledge and resourcefulness. There were only a few people who could compare with him in Southern Chu. His far-reaching knowledge is unparalleled by ordinary people. When they looked at each other, he already felt the extraordinaryness of this man in brocade clothes at a glance. Looking out of the corner of his eyes, his companion didn't seem to notice, with a look of impatience on his face. Affection. The civilian scholar became more and more shocked. His companion was much older than him, and he had experienced the world. He didn't even see the man's true expression. If it weren't for the man's hidden light, it would only be revealed when he looked at him. What comes out is the weathervane of this person's aura. Unless he has experienced a certain level of wisdom, he cannot understand it at all. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel apologetic in his heart, feeling that it would be a bit rude for him to refuse categorically.

Just as hesitation and struggle flashed across his eyes, the Taoist priest Huang Guan had already said impatiently: "I've said it before, you can go now. It's such a pity that all the good fun has been disturbed by these dandy boys."

The commoner scholar frowned, and was about to say something to stop his companion from speaking harshly, when the young master in brocade clothes on the boat suddenly raised his voice and laughed, "Wait a minute!"

The Huangguan Taoist priest raised his eyebrows and was about to speak, but was stopped by the Confucian scholar in civilian clothes. He bowed to the painted boat and said: "My companion is reckless and has been rude. Please forgive me." This time, there was sincerity in his eyebrows. There was no hint of indifference and alienation just now.

At this time, the appearance of both of them fell into my eyes. The Taoist priest was about thirty-six or seven years old, with a strange appearance, but there seemed to be a deep sadness between his eyebrows. The commoner scholar was over thirty years old, with sharp eyebrows and starry eyes, handsome and elegant. Both of these people have extraordinary grace and grace. Even if they are rude to such people, I would not hesitate to accuse them and kill them. The "wait a minute" just now was not to stop these two people from leaving, but to stop Xiao Shunzi in the cabin behind me from taking action. Xiao Shunzi had always respected and loved me, but when he saw the Taoist priest repeatedly resisting Ni, he already had the intention to kill, but He has long been able to restrain his murderous intention, and if there is even a trace of murderous intention leaking out, it is probably difficult for others to detect it except for me, who is very familiar with him.

Taking a step forward, I said calmly and calmly: "But I was rude and invited you rashly. There was no name or introduction, but I love the most heroic and romantic people in my life. The sound of your pipa is full of concern for the country." Concerning the people, this Taoist priest sang the favorite words of Prince Gude. When the country is in trouble, we miss our good generals, so we know how to have a big heart. Although I am a mediocre person, I admire the two people's heart, so I came to see you. Invitation, but I didn’t expect the two of them to refuse so sternly. From the Taoist priest’s tone, it seemed that he was dissatisfied with Ya’an’s arrogance, a son of a family, but now it seems that among the three of us, Ya’an’s arrogance is the two righteous men who are worried about national affairs. Not me, a worldly person who loves peace and quiet."

The two people listened in silence. The Taoist priest's face was full of embarrassment, shock and anger, and then he became a little discouraged. On the contrary, the civilian scholar's eyes shone strangely, with a look of admiration on his face. He cupped his fists and said, "Your Majesty, you are right." Yes, we are too rigid. However, my friend is excusable. Recently, the mainland general wanted to train the rebel army in Wuyue and consolidate coastal defense, but he lacked military resources. I and this brother intend to persuade the Wuyue family to donate to the rebel army. Yesterday, we came from Wuxi When I came back, everyone refused and retreated. After all the hard work, I only raised 30% of the money. So my brother was troubled and wanted to express his anger when he saw you painting the boat and the brocade clothes."

I was a little surprised when I heard this. I didn't expect that these two people were Lu Can's helpers. Will hanging around with them reveal my identity? My mind changed, and I smiled and said: "I see, you two are indeed chivalrous, serving the country and the people. It seems that the two of you are preparing to go to Wuzhou to raise funds, and I will meet with the richest man in Wuzhou, 'Jie Embroidery Fang' Boss Zhou is an old friend, and he always listens to what I say. If he is willing to take the lead in donating funds, it will definitely be helpful to you two. In this way, you two will not refuse my kindness, right? "

The eyes of the two people who spoke warmly flashed with joy, and the Taoist priest even blushed and bowed: "If this is the case, I would like to apologize to the young master. The young master has the heart to serve the country. On behalf of the general, I would like to thank you for your generous donation."

I smiled and said, "Thank you, forget it. If you two think highly of me, please come over and talk to me."

This time, neither of them refused, and there was no need for a springboard. They both jumped onto the boat. After the boatman went to tie the boat to the boat, I extended my hand to greet the guests, invited them into the front cabin, and followed behind. Give Hu Yanshou a wink and tell him to go back to avoid exposing his flaws.