Chapter 391: Hedong Affairs (End)
Shuliduo left the side tent where the meeting was held, and then went to inspect the military camp and meet some generals. Then he returned to the main tent and thought alone while comparing it with the scribbled map of the Central Plains.

She really couldn’t stay in the Yinshan area for long. The Mobei army set out from the royal court two months ago, and the troops from various units were summoned hastily. Although she did make each unit make a fortune in Yinshan at that time, it was a huge robbery.

But later, when Li Cunxu led his troops out of Yunzhong, the various tribes retreated frantically like mice seeing a cat. Not only did they abandon a lot of wealth and goods, but they were also chased and killed by Li Cunxu, which was a very embarrassing situation.

After staying here for another month and not returning to the grassland, the tribes were already dissatisfied. If they did not see any definite benefits, they were not in the mood to continue waiting here with Shuliduo.

But Shulido couldn’t refuse this wait.

The main force of the royal court had been killed or wounded a year ago. When Yelu Abaoji’s 20,000 elite cavalry were trapped in Yuyang, most of them were lost, and the others captured by Xiao Yan were not completely returned to her. Later, when Yelu La Ge gathered seven tribes to the south to besiege Shuliduo, the main force he used was also the royal court’s troops, but they were also slaughtered by Xiao Yan. From the southernmost grassland to the northernmost royal court, countless resistance tribes instigated by Yelu La Ge were all defeated by Xiao Yan. It was a bloody scene.

After the battle a year ago, the royal court was completely empty. The only thing used to maintain Shuliduo’s majesty was Yuan Xingqin’s two thousand Dingbadu. Although Shuliduo tried his best to draw troops from his mother’s clan and the Yelu family to re-establish the main force of the royal court over the past year, its combat power was completely incomparable to the royal court army founded by Yelu Abaoji.

Therefore, in this battle with Li Cunxu, it was the armies of various tribes that were fighting each other. Each tribe had its own ulterior motives, and the royal court’s control over them was no longer strong, so no one was willing to fight to the death. It seemed that they were all hoping that Shuliduo would defeat the newly formed royal court army once again. Only then did Shuliduo retreat all the way from Yinshan Mountain to the north of Yinshan Mountain.

At the most critical moment, Shuliduo was even ready to let Yuan Xingqin lead Dingba to come to the rescue. Fortunately, Li Siyuan suddenly showed up and Li Cunxu also took the initiative to withdraw his troops, so the various tribes did not attack and force the emperor to abdicate.

That’s why Shulido was moved by Li Siyuan’s offer to cede Yinshan Mountain.

After all, Yuan Xingqin is Xiao Yan’s man. He is only responsible for guarding the grassland on behalf of Xiao Yan. It is impossible for him to really risk his life for the royal court.

If Shuliduo could gain control of the vast territory of Yinshan, not only would her prestige increase greatly, she would also be able to support and win over a group of tribes to serve the royal court through rewards and fiefdoms. Not to mention that she could also draw troops from the various tribes in Yinshan to form her own force. In this way, the various tribes would bow their heads and obey her again, instead of just being forced to obey the royal court because of Yuan Xingqin and Xiao Yan behind him.

Shuliduo has always known that she is an ambitious woman, and the interests of Mobei are always above all else.

This was the case when he was Xiao Yan’s enemy, and also when he seduced him in order to gain Xiao Yan’s support.

She relied on Xiao Yan’s power, but also wanted to get rid of this power.

She knew very well that if she followed this young commander from the Central Plains to the end, Mobei would never rise.

That’s why she was moved by the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun promised by Li Siyuan.

At the same time, Li Siyuan’s reasoning was also very clear. The reason why Xiao Yan continued to rely on Mobei and was still willing to let Shuliduo continue to hold power in Mobei was because Xiao Yan’s own strength was not enough to overthrow the entire Central Plains. And Mobei could only survive and develop in the cracks of the chaos in the Central Plains.

The State of Jin cannot perish.

The Central Plains must be in chaos.

Shuliduo was very clear about this. If Xiao Yan took time off from the struggle for hegemony in the Central Plains to interfere in Mobei, she would definitely lose more.

This was a very complicated dilemma. If she surrendered to Xiao Yan, she would never be able to get involved in the Central Plains, let alone occupy the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun. But if she became an enemy of Xiao Yan, the price she would have to pay would be extremely cruel. She was not sure that her ally, Jin State, would really win the battle in the Central Plains.

Shuliduo moved her finger slowly on the map. The Sichuan-Shu region was sketched very sloppily on this map. She had never even set foot in the Central Plains, let alone Hanzhong. It was hard for her to imagine how dangerous the Qinling Mountains were… If we were to talk about danger, the mountains in the clouds were already very dangerous. Could Hanzhong be even more dangerous?

If what Li Siyuan said before, “A cave leads to hell,” was true, Shuliduo would not be optimistic about Xiao Yan’s attack on Shu.

Shili Qixiang was complaining beside him, her tone was very dissatisfied: “I have seen that Li Siyuan is cunning and disgusting.”

As she spoke, she carefully asked, “Empress Dowager, is it true that Xiao…Xiao the Great Khan will suffer a great loss in Sichuan and Shu as Li Siyuan said?”

Shuliduo pondered for a moment and was actually willing to talk to her about this matter: “The coup to power and the suppression of political enemies, these two events happened only two months apart. If Xiao Yan really intends to attack Shu, he is not well prepared and may indeed be too hasty. I am afraid that he will not achieve much results…”

She said, “According to the intelligence provided by Li Siyuan, Shu Kingdom is also prepared this time. The famous Shu general Wang Zongkan led nearly 100,000 troops to attack Qi. Not only did he besiege Fengxiang, he was also able to threaten Guanzhong. Moreover, Shu Kingdom is not weak in national strength, and its ruler and ministers are not mediocre. They dared to send troops this time, and they may not have no intention of competing with Liang Dynasty.”

Shuliduo moved his finger across the Qinling Mountains on the map. “The Qi Kingdom is between Shu and Liang. The transportation of supplies is not guaranteed, and crossing these mountains is even more difficult. It would be fine if Xiao Yan returns without success, but if the army is buried in Qinchuan, there is indeed a risk of losing all the previous efforts.”

Shili Qixiang smiled coldly, but couldn’t help but speak out her true feelings: “Anyway, Xiao Yan is not a good person…”

After saying this, she realized that she was wrong and quickly kept silent. However, she found that Shuliduo, who would have scolded her in the past when hearing such words, did not show any angry reaction this time.

Shili Qixiang secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but before she could say anything, she heard Yelu Zhiwu, who had been meditating in the tent and paying no attention to what was happening outside, suddenly ask, “Will Xiao Yan die?”

Shili Qixiang thought: It would be better if he died… But this guy is too good at fighting, even the king was defeated by him, it may not be easy to kill him.

Shuliduo was a little surprised why Yelu Zhiwu suddenly asked this question, but after thinking about it, he just said: “Emperor Liang abdicated, and Yang Shihou in Guanzhong was annihilated. If Xiao Yan mobilized the troops in Guanzhong to start a war, once the troops went to the battlefield, they would definitely have merits and demerits. If my guess is correct, Xiao Yan must want to use this war to win over the generals in Guanzhong, reward or punish them, so as to establish a foundation and gain real benefits. Perhaps this war is just a conservative use of troops, so there will be no great defeat, and there will be no danger.”

But after she thought about it for a while, she said, “However, Xiao Yan is very good at taking risks when deploying troops. He emphasizes the word ‘unexpected’. No one can predict how he will fight.”

Shili Qixiang snorted and laughed, and couldn’t help but said: “Once this man succeeds, if he gets carried away and uses his troops recklessly, he might really fall into danger…”

Yelu Zhiwu listened to what the two said, and his brows frowned behind the wizard mask.

At that time, she was fighting against Xiao Yan, but Xiao Yan had Ying Gou as his helper, which was really unfair. This guy still owed her a fight, and if he died in the south, it would be meaningless. Shuliduo frowned and continued to think.

If Xiao Yan loses, it will actually be good for everyone. Mo Bei doesn’t have to worry about being kicked out by Xiao Yan. In fact, Xiao Yan will rely more on Mo Bei’s power to consolidate his position. In this way, she won’t be suppressed by Xiao Yan everywhere and rely on him.

But if Xiao Yan really achieved great feats, and there was no rival or constraint on him in the Central Plains, then Mobei would no longer be qualified to bargain with Xiao Yan.

This step is really difficult…

——

Yanmen Pass.

The north wind was very strong, and the flag with the word “Jin” on it on the city wall was making a rustling sound in the wind.

Li Cunxu took off the headband on his head, and rode back to the pass sweating all over. The generals behind him also looked hot and sweaty, each holding a wild animal in their hands. It turned out that they had just returned from hunting.

“Welcome, Prince.”

Jing Xin Mo led a few actors to greet them outside the government office with their hands crossed and salutes.

The generals, who were originally having a good time, now became cold. Many of them disliked the actors kept by Li Cunxu. Not only did these inferior figures have no lower status than them in Li Cunxu’s eyes, but also because Jing Xinmo and others sometimes made Li Cunxu lose his fighting spirit and indulge in opera.

This time, Li Cunxu went on the expedition, in order to achieve greater success, he also listened to the advice of his staff and set an example himself to correct the morale in the army, so he left Jing Xinmo and others in Taiyuan. Unexpectedly, the latter and others actually came to Yanmen Pass today.

“Mirror Heart Demon, why are you at Yanmen Pass?”

Li Cunxu was not too angry, but asked on his horse: “Didn’t I tell you that you can’t leave Taiyuan without permission until the war ends?”

“Prince, there is urgent news.” Jing Xin Mo bent his waist, then walked to the side of Li Cunxu’s mount with a letter in both hands, and handed it to Li Cunxu on tiptoe.

Li Cunxu opened the letter and read through it quickly. He narrowed his eyes, turned back to dismiss the generals, and did not give them any explanation. He just led Jing Xinmo and a few others into the government office.

Fortunately, Li Cunxu always did things his own way, and the generals were used to it. They just cursed the inner demon in their hearts a few times and went back to the camp to roast game.

“Li Cunli is stationed in Luzhou… Zhou Dewei is moved to Jinzhou?” As Li Cunxu went deeper into the government office, he asked directly: “Li Cunli is also qualified to be stationed in Luzhou? Does he have the ability to do so?”

Jing Xin Mo followed closely behind Li Cunxu. Because his legs were much shorter than Li Cunxu’s, he walked very fast. “The King of Jin suddenly issued such an edict, and no one knows the reason…”

He raised his head and glanced at Li Cunxu’s back, and reminded him in a low voice: “But according to my guess, the King of Jin may be planning to reuse the Holy Lord…”

Li Cunxu’s steps obviously paused for a moment, and then he turned back and stared at Jing Xinmo: “Where did you get the news? Isn’t Big Brother still injured?”

“I haven’t received any news.” Jing Xin Mo said hurriedly, “I’m just guessing… The last time the Holy Lord was called back from Hebei, wasn’t it because the King of Jin planned to use him to lead the Western Route Army to conquer Qi? The Holy Lord has been very respectful in recent years and has received support from other guardians. It’s not surprising that he is given the sole command of the army. In fact, compared to the Holy Lord’s qualifications, he got the military power a little late.”

“But…” Jing Xin Mo said this, and then hesitantly added: “But I am just worried that you, Prince, were defeating Mobei last month. If you want to go deep into the enemy, it is not impossible to rush thousands of miles to destroy the Mobei royal court.

If it succeeds, you, the prince, can not only reverse last year’s defeat, but also expand the territory for Jin State and regain control of the military power in Taiyuan and Luzhou. But just when this great achievement is about to be achieved, the King of Jin suddenly issued an edict to ask you to withdraw your troops… and now he has asked Li Cunli to garrison Luzhou, which really makes people think deeply. I wonder if the King of Jin has other ideas?”

Li Cunxu frowned and said in a deep voice: “Tell me.”

“Your Highness has made great military achievements. When Zhu Wen personally attacked Luzhou, it was you who defeated him and lifted the siege of Luzhou. You have won countless battles, both large and small. With such military achievements, the new and old generals in the army only know the Prince and not the Prince of Jin. As the saying goes, a person’s achievements are greater than his master. Although you are the blood of the Prince of Jin, there was a story about the Li Tang royal family killing three sons in one day. The Prince of Jin may not think much about it, but the key is that such a thing cannot withstand the instigation of others.”

The Mirror Heart Demon followed behind and whispered, “This time the King of Jin recalled you, the Crown Prince, to garrison at Yanmen Pass, ostensibly to guard Hebei and the grasslands, but in fact it was just idle. And now he has let Li Cunli take over the military power of Luzhou. Even if the King of Jin has no other intentions, won’t the ministers think too much? Everyone knows that Li Cunli is particularly close to the Holy Lord, and his relationship with you, the Crown Prince, is just a superficial brotherhood, with almost no friendship. If the ministers realize that the King of Jin wants to make the Holy Lord the Crown Prince, won’t the situation in the court be divided again? The several great guardians of the Tongwenguan wholeheartedly support the Holy Lord. If he also gets the loyalty of some ministers, then how will you deal with it, the Crown Prince?”

Li Cunxu had his back to the Mirror Heart Demon, so the Mirror Heart Demon could not see any changes in his expression. He only heard Li Cunxu say in a deep voice: “My father has done nothing wrong in maintaining the balance between the government and the country.”

“But you, the prince, are the biological son of the King of Jin. You are the one who has made countless contributions to the State of Jin!” The Mirror Heart Demon was particularly indignant: “For example, this time, when Mobei heard that you, the prince, were personally leading the troops out of Yunzhong, they almost retreated at the sound of the sound, and even abandoned countless looted goods and fled in a hurry. They were like frightened birds! Not to mention if the Holy Lord came, even if the King of Jin came in person, I am afraid that Mobei would not be as afraid of the King of Jin as they are of you, the prince!”

Li Cunxu walked into the hall, sat in the upper seat, raised his chin involuntarily, and said in a calm voice: “That’s right.”

“If that’s the case, what qualifications does the Holy Lord have to divide the Crown Prince’s power!?” The Mirror Heart Demon was very dissatisfied: “This time, the King of Jin asked the Crown Prince to withdraw his troops, I’m afraid he was deceived by the Tongwen Pavilion!”

As he spoke, Mirror Heart Demon said directly: “I have a plan that can make the prince’s position as stable as Mount Tai. Even the King of Jin will be powerless to change it…”

Li Cunxu narrowed his eyes and thought for a while, then asked, “What’s the plan?”

“At present, Xiao Yan of the Liang Dynasty is trapped in Qishu, and Bianliang is empty…” Jing Xinmo said slowly: “If the prince attacks the Central Plains with a swift surprise attack, Bianliang will surely fall!”

(End of this chapter)