819 Palm: retreat as advance

Zheng Qiu also rose and fell in the Sui Naval Army for many years. He was once the fourth-ranked outstanding talent when the Yanwu Academy graduated. He was the person who wrote his name into the Chucai Record by Emperor Zhenzong, but his career was quite bumpy. During the Zhenzong period, he was the beginning of his success. He accumulated military merits from the position of a fifth-rank general and was directly promoted to the fourth-rank general. However, because he was not in harmony with the previous naval general, his military achievements were suppressed and he was also criticized for his disdain for the head coach's offensive. After destroying Shang, he was transferred from the navy to take office as a general in the local government.

According to the official system of the Great Sui Dynasty, the general of the Taoist government was the first person under the governor of all the ranks. From the third rank, he was almost at the peak of the military general's official position. However, during the Taiping period, the general of the Taoist government was a false position and had no real power under the governor of all the ranks. He was mediocre and idle every day, and he acted as he looked at the look of the governor.

Zheng Qiu originally thought that his official career would end here. In another twenty years, he might have the opportunity to be promoted to governor, but the chances were slim.

But after Emperor Tianyou Yang Yi ascended the throne, his fate changed again.

Yang Yi reappointed the navy general and promoted Wang Yiqu. Together, he recommended Zheng Qiu to Emperor Tianyou. Yang Yi immediately issued an order to appoint Zheng Qiu as the commander general of the Tenglong ship. You should know that there is a convention among the navy that anyone who commands the Tenglong ship will definitely be the first candidate for the navy general in the future. This is how Wang Yiqu went up, and this is how Wang Yiqu took office.

When receiving the order, Zheng Qiu was ecstatic. Although he had been transferred from the general of the Taoist government to the commander general of the Tenglong ship, he had been reduced by half in terms of level, from the third rank to the fourth rank, but everyone knew which one was more heavy. The general of the Taoist government might not be able to advance another step even if he had to survive for another twenty years. However, the commander general of the Tenglong ship was equivalent to the deputy commander of the navy, and had at least tens of thousands of soldiers under his command, who were real combat soldiers.

Zheng Qiu waited for more than ten years, and saw that Wang Yiqu was about to reach the age of having to ask for an order to retire and return home, but the Sui Dynasty was in chaos. Wang Yiqu rebelled in the northwest, intercepted Emperor Tianyou, and forcibly took the Navy and Gao Kaitai troops to occupy Hedong Road. Zheng Qiu knew that he had no chance to become a general of the Navy again.

Later, when Luo Yao invited him to the Yong army, he hesitated. Although Luo Yao was strong at that time, he had the word "rebel" on his back. For people like him, as long as he relied on the past, he would be a mark of eternal life. Historical books would leave a stroke about him, which would never be erased.

In the end, he decided to surrender to Luo Yao because of his disappointment in the court.

When Luo Yao was still alive, Zheng Qiu's status among General Luo was actually quite good, and he seemed more prominent than the ten masters of Romon. At least Luo Yao gave him enough face and deliberately showed his status everywhere in front of others. Zheng Qiu was quite grateful to Luo Yao for this.

Later, Luo Yao died inexplicably, and Luo Tu inherited General Luo. From that moment on, the future of the navy became confused again.

The Dahong River is 160 miles away from Liuzhou, but four days is enough to make news to come from Liuzhou. Luo Tu set up an ambush on Tengnuo Mountain and annihilated more than 10,000 troops from Muli's troops. This incident was only spread to the Navy yesterday afternoon. Who would have thought that Muli would dare to appear outside the Navy today?

Zheng Qiu glanced at Mu Li, and after a while, he said, "General Mu... It is rumored that you have died in battle. This may be a good thing for you? Since you are dead, why do you have to appear again? Taking advantage of this, you almost go away from home, whether you live in seclusion or seek refuge with others, it is much wiser than when you come to see me today."

Mu Li smiled and said, "Thank you, General Zheng, for being so direct. If I have taken any turns, I will not be able to speak."

He took a sip of tea: "General Zheng knows why Luo Tu killed me?"

Zheng Qiu shook his head: "I don't know, nor do I want to know. If General Mu comes to seek help, I am willing to sponsor General Mu and give you a good horse. I will pretend that you have not been here, and the people below me will not reveal your whereabouts. I still have this confidence in the people of the Navy."

"Even if I'm down..."

Mu Li shook his head and smiled, "I'm not so brave that I come to you to ask for a few taels of silver. My martial arts are not very good, but I won't be stumped by silver. I'm not here to save myself, but to save General Zheng, you."

"oh?"

Zheng Qiu couldn't help but smile: "It's already reached this point, why should General Mu pretend? If you come to persuade me to betray the prince, then you should save your saliva. I didn't take you down and send you to Liuzhou immediately, thinking about the friendship of my colleagues in the past. If you say something randomly, it's hard to guarantee that I won't change my mind."

"General Mu... let's go."

Zuo Mingchan, who was sitting under Mu Li, couldn't help but shake his head: "You have the intention to save him, but he is begging for death by himself. Such people cannot save him. You and I are in vain here, so it's better to set out earlier to rush back to Huangyang Road. In comparison, other people's lives are not as important as their own future. If we go quickly, we can reach Xinyang City in one and a half months."

"Huangyang Road?"

Zheng Qiu's face changed suddenly. He glanced at Zuo Mingchan and said, "What's this person... what's the name?"

...

...

Zuo Mingchan stood up and hugged her fists: "Since General Mu has told you bluntly, I will not hide anything. I am a small scout captain in the Black Flag Army. I was responsible for discussing the surrender with General Mu at the order of my lord. Unfortunately, because some things were exposed, there was the bloody battle a few days ago."

He glanced at Mu Li, and this was a statement that the two of them had discussed. If Zuo Mingchan said that he had just passed by and happened to save Mu Li, then Zheng Qiu might not believe that he was a member of the Black Flag Army. Even if he believed it, he would not believe that Mu Li had already had contact with the Black Flag Army. If someone like Zheng Qiu wanted to convince him, he had to pretend that he had already had some contact with the Black Flag Army.

"I blame me for this, too."

Zuo Mingchan sighed and said, "I underestimated Luo Tu's ambition. I thought that as long as I could hide it, I could take advantage of the opportunity of training outside the city to lead General Mu's troops to Huangyang Road. Unfortunately... Luo Tu had long been determined to kill General Mu, which was not enough, but this also reminded me and General Mu, so I rushed to the navy to ask General Zheng."

He asked: "General Zheng may have guessed, what did General Mu and I remember?"

Zheng Qiu was shocked, and he guessed something but didn't say it.

Mu Li said: "Did General Zheng not see that Luo Tu killed a lot of people these days? The old people in the army are basically dead. Luo Tu has already started killing in order to completely control the army. Yesterday was someone else, today was me, who will be tomorrow? As far as I know, Luo Tu seems to be not very at ease with General Zheng in charge of the navy, right?"

"It's not good to guess other people's thoughts like this?"

Zheng Qiudao.

"I only know!"

Mu Li shouted: "If I had understood these things earlier, more than ten thousand erlangs under my command would not have died tragically! If I hadn't been hopeful for Luo Tu, I would not have fallen to this point today!"

Zheng Qiu opened his mouth but said nothing.

Zuo Mingchan pulled Mu Li, smiled and said, "We are just here to remind General Zheng with kindness. Don't offend people because of kindness. Since we have already mentioned this matter, even if we have done our best, General Mu, let's go. While Luo Tu has not found this place yet, we will take the road from the Dahong River to the north and enter the Yangtze River, and then take the water route to Xinyang City. Less than a year ago, my lord had already broken Xinyang, and it is safe now."

He pulled Mu Li and said, "My lord is planning to build a naval army, and General Duan Zheng is responsible for this matter in the Black Flag Army. But I am a little helpless... My lord should have destroyed Nanyan at this time. Before I came, General Duan Zheng was ordered to go to Nanyan to take over the naval army and then take over the shipyard in Nanyan. But Huangyang Road also built a shipyard, and no one is watching it yet..."

Mu Li nodded, then hugged Zheng Qiu and said, "I'm too anxious, let's stop this matter. Actually, I still ask General Zheng for help. Can I give us a small boat? Luo Tu arranged manpower in the west, so it's hard for us to get through by land."

"this……"

Zheng Qiu's face changed constantly, and he subconsciously glanced at Zuo Mingchan, but Zuo Mingchan didn't look at him, and lowered his head and played with the cup in his hand.

"The boat is not a problem."

Zheng Qiu was silent for a while and said, "But, since General Mu is leaving, I still have to give it away. I will send someone to prepare a banquet first. It is not too late to leave after I have enough, right? I will order someone to prepare a fastboat and arrange dozens of agile sailors to send you to the Yangtze River Ferry. Can you hire a boat to travel west?"

“Not good…”

Zuo Mingchan pulled Mu Li and said something softly in his ear. Mu Li nodded: "I won't bother General Zheng anymore, let's say goodbye now."

After saying that, he turned around and was about to walk out, Zuo Mingchan got up and followed behind.

Just when the two of them walked to the door, a person rushed in from outside almost bumped into him. The man looked a little bad. He subconsciously glanced at the two of them, then quickly walked over to Zheng Qiu and said, "General... Luo Tu sent someone to come and ask to see you!"

Zheng Qiu's eyes sterned and his eyebrows leaped twice.

...

...

Zheng Qiu personally sent the person sent by Luo Tu off the boat, hugged the man and said, "Go back and tell the prince that I must enter the city early on Mid-Autumn Festival night. At that time, I will ask for the prince's wine. I have also prepared some small things for the prince."

The man said goodbye with his fists and seemed to have found something when he got off the boat, looking at the boat with a puzzled look in his eyes.

On the bow of the boat, Mu Li smiled and said, "That person is Luo Tu's confidant, named Scarface. I just shook it on purpose just now. This person must have seen it. This person is the most careful. Although I just shook it in a daze, he will definitely be suspicious. Luo Tu has been unable to catch me these days and cannot see my body, so he will definitely feel uneasy. After this person returns, he will definitely mention this matter to Luo Tu."

Zuo Mingchan thought that this man named Mu was also cruel enough, so he could take Zheng Qiu to his boat as the word "sincere".

"However, I suspect Scarface is not kind."

Mu Li said: "You heard it too. He invited Zheng Qiu to Liuzhou and said that he shared fine wine to enjoy the bright moon... Of course, eight out of ten were the intention of killing people."

Zuo Mingchan said, "I see that Zheng Qiu is already moved, it's just a little bit short!"

As he was talking, Zheng Qiu sent someone to invite them. The two of them walked into Zheng Qiu's study again, and Zheng Qiu had sent someone to prepare the meal.

The three of them were chatting while eating. Zheng Qiu led the topic to the Black Flag Army several times. Zuo Mingchan pretended not to understand and said that he was talking about him. The more he did this, the more itchy Zheng Qiu felt.

Just as the three of them were drinking, someone in the water quietly approached the Tenglong ship. The man was breathing with a thin reed tube in his mouth, and the man kept sneaking under the water. After arriving at the side of the ship, he carefully poked his head out and pressed his hands on the ship, and he climbed up like a gecko!

After getting on the boat, he avoided the guard and went to the outside of the study. He listened with his ears and happened to hear Mu Li talking. The man's eyes changed and a sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth.

Then he left immediately, his movements were so light that it made no sound.
Chapter completed!