Chapter 472 Fengyang Alliance
This picture is indeed a good thing.

It is difficult for ordinary people to find such a detailed map. Even for local areas, it is difficult to draw one without great effort.

However, Zhou Xu must have a map of Jiangbei. It may not be as detailed as Li Yun’s, but it is not much worse. Therefore, this map does not seem to be that useful.

However, Li Yun’s sending out of this map and saying these words meant that after he occupied the six states in northern Jiang, he was absolutely sure that he could hold on to them.

Saying this in front of General Zhou made him feel somewhat depressed.

After all, today’s meeting in Fengyang was nominally an alliance, but in reality it was a helpless compromise for Zhou Xu, and could even be said to be a “capitulation under duress.”

And Li Yun chose to take out the map, which seemed to be a sincere attempt to provoke him.

However, General Zhou’s cultivation was quite good, and there was no strange emotion on his face. Instead, he slightly turned sideways and said with a smile: “I have come an extra day, and I have asked people to prepare wine and food in Fengyang City to welcome you. After drinking today, you and I will formally sign a letter of alliance and become brothers tomorrow.”

Li Yun looked General Zhou up and down, then looked around, but did not see the figure of the junior general Zhou Chang. He smiled and nodded, saying, “Okay, brother, lead the way.”

Zhou Xu walked in front of Li Yun with his hands behind his back, while Li Yun walked leisurely behind him with his hands in his sleeves. The two of them entered Fengyang City together.

After entering the city, a table of food and wine had indeed been prepared. At this time, Li Yun’s people had come to test it in advance, so there was no need to worry about poisoning. After the two of them sat down, General Zhou looked at Li Yun and smiled, “Now, the entire southeast is mostly in your hands, brother. In a few days, I will submit a memorial to the court, requesting that the court appoint you as a Jiedushi.”

“The position you hold now is totally unworthy of your status.”

Li Yun glanced at him again, then smiled and said, “Brother, what you said is not right. Whether it is the prime minister of the court or the postmaster of the local post, they are all doing work for the court.”

“It’s just a difference in position. In my eyes, there is no difference between high and low.”

General Zhou smiled dumbly: “Since there is no distinction between high and low, can the postmaster be surrounded by people when he goes out?”

Mr. Li lowered his head to drink and said calmly, “That’s all due to the job requirements.”

General Zhou laughed: “My dear brother, you are funny.”

“Come, I’ll give you a toast.”

The two men clinked glasses, and General Zhou finally got down to business. He looked at Li Yun and said slowly, “Brother, there are no outsiders here, so there is no need for us to talk about these twists and turns. You have taken advantage of the six states in Jiangbei.”

“Firstly, I have to guard against the Fanyang Army in the north, and secondly, I want to establish a good relationship with you. Now that the world has become like this, the strength of you and me is not as good as those of the big vassal states. At this time, we need to help each other.”

Li Yun put down the cup in his hand, looked at Zhou Xu, and did not answer directly. Instead, he asked: “General, what do you think the situation will be like in the future?”

“The feudal lords ruled the country and the princes were united.”

General Zhou said without hesitation: “In the future, the world may be divided into several or even more forces, and no one can do anything to the other, just like more than 500 years ago, fighting for dozens or nearly a hundred years, and finally unified.”

The Great Zhou in this world was called “Jin” in its previous dynasty. Before the unification of the Jin Dynasty, there was an era of numerous warlords and separatist regimes. That era lasted for seventy or eighty years before the country was reunified.

The current situation is quite similar to that time. In the view of these Jiedushi, the situation will definitely evolve in this direction.

At this point, General Zhou looked at Li Yun and continued, “My dear brother, you have already squeezed into the ranks of the princes, but in the end, who will be able to unify the world…”

He shook his head and said, “I’m afraid I won’t be able to see it.”

General Zhou looked at Li Yun and said, “My dear brother, you are so young, maybe you will be able to see the day when the world is reunited.”

Li Yun did not comment, just smiled and did not respond.

He is twenty-four years old this year and will be twenty-five next year.

If what Zhou Xu said is true, he has spent his whole life in this chaotic world, which is absolutely impossible.

Regardless of whether he can achieve great things or not, Li will keep trying instead of standing still and staying in Jiangdong to enjoy the fruits of others’ labor.

“later.”

General Zhou poured Li Yun a glass of wine and said, “In the future, if there is anything happening in Qingzhou.”

“Please help me, brother.”

Li Yun raised his glass, clinked it with his, and said with a smile, “Of course, of course.”

The two of them toasted each other for a long time, until General Zhou’s face turned red. Only then did the banquet end and the two of them left.

Zhao Cheng had been guarding outside the restaurant with his men. When he saw Li Yun coming out, Zhao Cheng hurried forward and supported Li Yun: “Envoy, are you not drunk?”

Li Yun shook his head and said with a smile: “How can I drink too much with him?”

Zhao Cheng then let go of his hand and said with a smile: “I just saw that General Zhou seemed to be staggering.”

“He won’t drink too much.” Li narrowed his eyes and looked in the direction Zhou Xu left, as if thinking about something.

Zhao Cheng followed behind him and suddenly asked, “During the day, the envoy kept staring at General Zhou. Did he want to…”

Li Yun smiled and said, “I can’t help it. We were too close. I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if I caught him up close.”

Throughout the whole day today, the distance between Li Yun and Zhou Xu was no more than ten feet, and when they were closest, they were almost touching each other.

At such a close distance, if Li Yun turned against Zhou Xu directly, he was confident that General Zhou would definitely not be able to escape from his control.

Several times, he almost couldn’t hold back.

However, Zhou Xu’s son was not there. Even if Zhou Xu was captured now, it would be impossible to surrender the Pinglu Army, and the situation might even escalate to the point of a fight to the death.

Even if the Pinglu Army was subdued through this method, a large number of Pinglu Army would have to be reunited with the Jiangdong Army later, and the discipline of the Jiangdong Army that Li Yun had worked so hard to build up might be destroyed.

There were too many uncertainties, so Li Yun had to give up the idea.

This is the side effect of having too much personal strength. Even during the political negotiations, Li Yun subconsciously wanted to solve the problem through personal strength.

Zhao Cheng couldn’t help but smile: “In the afternoon, Yang Xi told me this. I didn’t quite believe it at the time, but now it seems that the envoy really thinks so.”

Li Yun smiled dumbly: “Yang Xi has been with me for too long.”

He changed the subject, looked at Fengyang City, and asked, “How is this city?”

In the future, and perhaps for a long time, Zhao Chengdu will lead his troops to be stationed here, so naturally he has to ask him how he feels about Fengyang.

Zhao Cheng thought for a moment and replied, “Sir, this city is in a great location and is a good place to set up a military town, but the city walls are not high enough and are far inferior to those of Yangzhou.”

“Then fix it.”

Li Yun said calmly: “After the New Year, I will arrange for someone to come and do this.”

“Once the Pinglu Army leaves, General Zhao will bring all his men to Fengyang to station there. From now on, your army will be renamed the Fengyang Army.”

He looked at Zhao Cheng and said, “General Zhao is the first General Fengyang of Jiangdong.”

Among the four generals under Li Yun now, only Su Sheng has the official title of General Qiantang. The other three have the title of general but no actual title.

Now, Zhao Cheng also has his own title.

Zhao Cheng bowed his head deeply and said, “I obey your command!”

…………

The next day, Li Yun and Zhou Xu formally held a meeting outside the city. Zhou Xu even had an altar built to make it quite formal.

The two men each signed a covenant, then went up to the altar together, threw the covenant into the brazier in the middle of the altar and burned it, reporting to the heavens.

They agreed to cease fighting and not offend each other.

At the same time, the two of them also swore brotherhood on the altar and invited a local scholar to preside over the ceremony, making it quite formal.

In the end, even Li Yun’s expression seemed a little strange. He couldn’t help but look at Zhou Xu, secretly suspicious in his heart.

Does this old fox really want to become brothers with me?
General Zhou did not give Li Yun time to regret. After the ceremony, he smiled at Li Yun, clasped his fists and said, “My dear brother.”

Li Yun forced a smile on his face and called him “brother”.

General Zhou looked very happy. He turned to look at the audience and waved his hand.

“Arrange a banquet.”

The banquet in Fengyang lasted for three days. Three days later, General Zhou really led his men to leave Fengyang and Haozhou, crossed the Huai River to the north, returned to Qingzhou, and handed over the six states north of the Yangtze River to Li Yun.

At the same time, the Fengyang Alliance in Jiangbei quickly spread to all directions, especially to the capital. The news reached the capital at almost the fastest speed.

In the capital city, after hearing the news, the three military governors’ faces turned dark and looked unhappy.

In the Chongde Hall, Pei Huang and the Emperor read the news together. After reading it, the two looked at each other and saw the emotions in each other’s eyes.

Mixed joys and sorrows!

(End of this chapter)