Chapter 372: Yan Chonggu Arrives in Beijiang

At this moment, the Lu Mansion in the capital was a completely different scene.

The back door of the Lu Mansion opened quietly, and several carriages with plain exteriors drove towards the gate of the capital under the cover of night.

The guards at the city gate had long been taken care of and would not intercept them at all, and would even open the city gate in advance to let them leave.

The Lu Clan had long been prepared. The gold, silver, and jewelry in the capital had been transferred in batches through the Lu family's secret industries in the capital and the "special" trade routes leading to Western Liang and Beijiang months ago.

Sitting in the carriages now were the core of the Lu Clan.

Lu Wenchang's younger brother, several capable nephews, and several trusted old servants who managed the family's core accounts and connections.

Lu Wenchang himself remained in the mansion; he had to complete the final scene.

In the study, Lu Wenchang faced a bronze mirror and carefully tidied his court robes.

He picked up a "memorial to request retirement due to illness" that had been written long ago, with earnest words and self-reproach, and looked at another letter sealed with fire lacquer and marked with special symbols.

That was the letter of surrender presented to the Western Liang King Wei Wenlie, indicating the Lu family's willingness to abandon darkness for light and serve as dogs and horses, as well as a meeting gift containing the reality of the capital's defense, the distribution of the Imperial Court's remaining forces, and a list of officials who could be won over.

"Old Master, everything is arranged properly. They have left the city, and the people who are to receive them are waiting outside the city. The joints along the way have all been taken care of, and they will definitely be able to arrive in Luoyang safely."

An old housekeeper who had followed him for more than twenty years entered silently and said in a low voice.

Lu Wenchang nodded and handed the letter of surrender to the old housekeeper.

"You take this thing yourself, follow behind the carriage, and be sure to hand it to the Western Liang King personally. You just say that Lu will come to Luoyang in a few days to discuss the great plan with the King."

"Yes, Old Master, rest assured."

The old housekeeper hid the letter close to his body and hesitated, "Old Master! You stay in the capital alone, in case that muddled monarch..."

"Him?"

Lu Wenchang was very disdainful, "He can't even protect himself now, what can he do to me?

I stay, one to stabilize the final situation, so that the capital does not fall into chaos too early, interfering with the retreat of the clansmen.

Secondly, I also want to add a handful of despair to those foolishly loyal people in the court who still have fantasies about Da Qian.

When they argue out a result and find that the granary is empty, the military equipment is not repaired, and the hearts of the people are scattered, it will be the time for our Lu family to completely break away. You go."

"Old Master, take care!" The old housekeeper bowed deeply and turned to leave.

Lu Wenchang's purpose was not just this. He was the last to surrender to the Western Liang King, and ordinary gifts were naturally not enough, so he had to give a heavy gift, and only then would he have a place in the Western Liang King's place.

And he stayed in the capital for this heavy gift, which was also a certificate of surrender to go to Western Liang!

Lu Wenchang sat alone in the study for a while, carefully thinking about every detail, until the watchman knocked the fourth watch, and then he slowly fell asleep.

At the same time, thousands of miles away, at Guansongling in Beijiang, in a quiet but strictly guarded courtyard.

Yan Chonggu, who should have been lying in bed in the capital, was now leaning on the kang covered with thick fur, his spirit still good. He was covered with a brocade quilt, and on the small table in front of him were a few exquisite Beijiang snacks and a pot of hot tea.

Jiang Jinshi did not come in person, but Xiao Chunqiu and Feng Chunsheng, as representatives, were sitting by his side.

"Yan Gong has worked hard all the way, the journey was exhausting, can your body still hold up?" Xiao Chunqiu asked with concern.

The Yan Chonggu in front of him was older and thinner than when he was in the capital, but his eyes were still sharp.

"Cough, cough... trouble Mr. Xiao and Mr. Feng for your concern. This old bone of mine can still withstand the tossing."

Yan Chonggu cleared his throat, "To be able to leave that place of right and wrong alive and see the new sky of Beijiang is already a great fortune. A little cold is not worth mentioning."

Feng Chunsheng stroked his beard and said: "Yan Gong is far-sighted, beyond the reach of ordinary people. I just don't know what the scene in the capital is like now? What are people like Lu Wenchang planning?"

Yan Chonggu shook his head: "The capital? Now it's just a graveyard waiting to be harvested.

Wei Xi Yuan is sick with fear and cannot get out of bed. The government almost stopped. Nine out of ten government offices are empty, and those with a little bit of connection ran away with their families long ago.

The remaining ones are either small officials who can't leave, or... foolish people who really engraved the four words 'loyal to the monarch and die for the country' in their bones."

He paused and continued: "As for Lu Wenchang... this scoundrel is cunning and ruthless.

He is calm on the surface, but he has long transferred the family core and wealth.

Before I left the capital, I noticed that he had frequent contact with the Cui Family's messengers in Western Liang.

He stayed in the capital just to close the net at the end, and by the way... scrape another layer of land, and pay another certificate of surrender to the new master.

In this old man's opinion, when the last bit of value of the Imperial Court is squeezed out, he will be 'seriously ill and unable to get up', and then 'quietly die of illness', shed his golden cicada shell, and go to Luoyang to be his new dynasty relative."

Xiao Chunqiu and Feng Chunsheng looked at each other, and they understood in their hearts. Yan Chonggu's judgment was basically consistent with the intelligence sent by Wang Hou.

"What is the situation of the 300,000 garrison troops at Tongguan?" Feng Chunsheng asked the key point.

Even if the Imperial Court is crumbling now, it still has more than 100,000 Forbidden Army and 300,000 garrison troops at Tongguan.

If Wei Xi Yuan really goes crazy and holds the mentality of burning both jade and stone, and comes to attack Beijiang or Western Liang, then being bitten by this mad dog will also be very painful!

Yan Chonggu's expression became solemn when he heard this: "The garrison general at Tongguan has a stubborn personality, and towards the Imperial Court... perhaps he is still somewhat foolishly loyal, but the generals under his command may not be of one mind.

300,000 large armies sound frightening, but the grain and pay are not enough, and the military heart has been floating for a long time.

The Imperial Court previously exhausted its financial resources to support Yang Jiye, and the Tongguan military pay had been in arrears for several months.

After Lu Wenchang took charge of the Ministry of Household, he went from bad to worse, intercepting most of the last batch of grain and fodder that should have been sent to Tongguan in the name of 'preparing for the defense of the capital'.

Now the Tongguan large army is facing Western Liang from the outside and has no grain and fodder support from the inside, and is in imminent danger.

The garrison general has repeatedly memorialized to urge for pay, but all have sunk into the sea like a stone.

Before I left the capital, I heard that there were complaints in the army, and even small groups of soldiers fled.

If there is no change, this large army... I fear it will collapse without fighting, or be taken by others."

"Yan Gong thinks, how will Western Liang treat Tongguan?" Xiao Chunqiu asked.

"Western Liang's Wei Wenlie must want to take Tongguan. Once Tongguan is broken, he can point directly at Chang'an. It's just that a forced attack will inevitably result in huge casualties. With Si Wushuang's wisdom, he will definitely use threats first, and then use benefits to lure.

If the Imperial Court cannot be protected, the garrison general will be unable to support himself alone. By then, whether forced by the situation or to find a way to live for the soldiers under his command, it is not known whether he will open the pass and surrender."

Yan Chonggu analyzed, "It's just that... the variables in this are still in the Imperial Court, in the 170,000 Forbidden Army remaining in the capital, and... whether Wei Xi Yuan can wake up and make the final decision." ===== CHAPTER 373 =====