Under the dim light, Wang Shan frowned and his eyes lingered on Lan Gui. The deputy in front of him knew that his relationship with him was generally okay, and Her Royal Highness the Princess also took great care of him. Although he was a supervisor sent by the imperial court, he was treated with courtesy and he did not show excessive courtesy. The court made a report and said bad things about Her Royal Highness the Princess. Today, he suddenly came to visit and made a shocking proposal for him to surrender to the imperial court. "Lan Douzhi is joking, right?" Wang Shan tried his best to sound calm, but the hesitation in his words could not be concealed. Lan Gui shook his head seriously, "General Wang, our family is under the emperor's orders, how can we joke?" He paused and then added: "This is the official's intention, and it is also for the sake of the general's future." There was a burst of complicated emotions in Wang Shan's heart. He remembered that when he was desperate, Her Highness the Princess took him in and gave him a chance to start over. Now, how could he betray His Highness's trust?
"Master Lan, I appreciate your kindness." Wang Shan said slowly, "But when I wanted to join the imperial court, they regarded me as a bandit. It was Her Royal Highness the Princess who took me in regardless of past grudges, and that made me what I am today. .How could I be ungrateful and betray His Highness?" Lan Gui did not give up. He continued to persuade: "General Wang, Her Royal Highness the Princess can ensure that you have food and clothing, but the court can give you much more than that. Based on your achievements and abilities, the court will definitely reward you with high officials and generous salaries. , let you go straight to the blue clouds and shadow the future generations." Wang Shan was silent for a moment, with ups and downs in his heart. On the one hand, he felt loyalty and gratitude to Her Royal Highness; on the other hand, he felt the desire and pursuit of fame and wealth.
But he did not make a hasty decision, "Master Lan, I am very grateful for your persuasion. But everyone has their own ambitions and cannot force it. Although I, Wang Shan, am not talented, I also know the principle of repaying kindness with kindness. Please come back!" When Lan Gui saw this, he didn't force him too much, so he stood up and said goodbye. Before leaving, he did not forget to turn around and persuade: "General Wang, think about it carefully! This opportunity is rare!" After saying that, he turned around and walked out of the military tent and disappeared into the night. Lan Gui's leaving figure gradually blurred in the night, but Wang Shan's heart was still turbulent. He sat in the military tent with a myriad of thoughts and could not calm down. The idea of surrendering to the court was like a poisonous seed, taking root and sprouting in his heart, but it was tightly bound by the thorns of loyalty and integrity. He thought of Pingyang Mansion, the land that once belonged to him. Now, because of Her Royal Highness the Princess's concession, she gave it to Guo Yan. Every time he thought about this, he felt an unspeakable aggrievedness. Surrendering to the court might really lead to a wife and son, as Lan Gui said, and enjoy endless glory and wealth. But how could he live up to Her Royal Highness the Princess's kindness and expectations? How could he have the face to face those heroes from all over the world who had fought side by side? Wang Shan wavered between surrender and persistence and stayed up all night. His heart seemed to be torn in two, half was the desire for fame and wealth, and the other was the persistence of loyalty and faith. When the sky turned white, Wang Shan finally made a decision and raised his tent to summon the core generals to tell the truth about Lan Gui's visit last night. "Everyone, what do you think about this matter?" Wang Shan's voice was hoarse and low. He knew that this decision was not only related to his own destiny, but also related to the future of these brothers. Pioneer General Zhu Zhenhai was the first to speak, "Everyone, I think we should accept the imperial court's order. We have been serving as Her Royal Highness's private soldiers. If our name is not legitimate, our words will not go smoothly."
Upon hearing this, Captain Zhang Feihu immediately expressed his objection, "General Zhu, how can you say that? Her Royal Highness the Princess is the pillar of the Song Dynasty, but the court blindly surrenders to the Kingdom of Jin. Is such a court worthy of our allegiance?" Liu Rui, who joined the army, took a neutral attitude, "In my opinion, we should maintain the current situation and wait and see how it changes. Today, Her Royal Highness is powerful and has a clear trend of increasing. While the power of the imperial court and the Kingdom of Jin is gradually declining. One will fade away and the other will change. Over time, the forces of all parties have reached a state of balance. Making a choice at this time may not be a wise move." As soon as the three men expressed their attitudes, the military tent suddenly fell into a fierce debate. Other generals also expressed their opinions, some supported accepting the imperial edict, and some advocated loyalty to the princess. Wang Shan sat on the main seat and silently listened to the arguments of the generals. His heart is also full of entanglements and struggles. No matter what decision he makes, it will have a profound impact on himself and the future of this army. Finally, Wang Shan took a deep breath and made a decision, "I decided to adopt Liu Rui's advice to join the army. We will ignore the imperial edict for the time being and continue to maintain the current situation. Wait and see what happens and wait for the opportunity to come." …… The news about sending Lan Gui to recruit Wang Shan was tightly covered up, and Zhao Yingluo, who was in Kaifeng, naturally had no way of knowing. She was still immersed in her own strategic planning, and the successful transaction with Wanyan Zongyi won her 10,000 precious war horses. In the meeting hall of her mansion, Zhao Yingluo and Yue Fei discussed the distribution of these war horses. She frowned slightly and asked, "General Yue, what should I do with these 10,000 horses?" Yue Fei pondered for a long time, his eyes wandered on the map, and finally landed on the location of Luoyang, Xijing. "Your Highness, Xingzhou has strong troops and horses, so no reinforcements are needed for the time being. On the other hand, Luoyang, Xijing, is close to Kaifeng and has an extremely important strategic location. We can consider handing over these horses to General Wang who is stationed in Luoyang." Zhao Yingluo nodded in agreement upon hearing this. She immediately ordered Chief Secretary Li Yan to lead 5,000 elite soldiers to escort these war horses, as well as 100 newly built artillery pieces, 1,000 muskets, and 100,000 stones of grain and grass to Luoyang, Xijing. Before leaving, she specifically told Li Yan to be careful along the way to ensure that these supplies could be delivered safely. Li Yan agreed, "Your Highness, you can rest assured that with these five thousand soldiers and horses, the supplies will be safe." After bidding farewell to Li Yan, Zhao Yingluo stood at the city gate, looking at the team disappearing in the distance, feeling an inexplicable uneasiness in her heart. She shook her head and tried to get rid of this emotion, but found that this uneasiness was as hard to get rid of as a maggot attached to her bones. "Maybe I've been too tired recently." She told herself in her heart. …… Li Yan led 5,000 elite soldiers, escorting grain and grass supplies, and marched westward. At dusk two days later, they successfully arrived at Hulao Pass, the choke point leading to Luoyang. The journey was calm and calm, and Li Yan gradually forgot Zhao Yingluo's serious warning before leaving, and ordered the soldiers to set up camp and let the soldiers have a good night's rest. As night fell, the campfire burned brightly, illuminating the temporary campsite. The soldiers sat around the fire, enjoying a simple dinner and talking about interesting things about their hometown. Li Yan sat alone on a high ground, looking at the looming Hulao Pass in the distance, and couldn't help but think of Zhao Yingluo's parting instructions, "Be sure to be careful along the way to ensure that these supplies are delivered to Xijing without fail." They have gone through most of the journey and it has been going smoothly. There shouldn't be any problems, right?
In this kind of self-comfort, Li Yan gradually let down his guard. After ordering the soldiers to strengthen patrols and vigilance, he returned to his tent to rest.