As soon as Fang Xuanzao finished speaking, Bing Yuanzhen sneered continuously, "Shangshu Fang, you think things too simple. Wang Shichong and Yang Yuanqing were originally an alliance. Will he turn against us and Yang Yuanqing? You...?"

Before Bing Yuan finished speaking, Li Mi waved his hand to stop him, stared at Fang Xuanzao and said, "Sir, please continue."

Seeing that Li Mi looked solemn, it was obviously Fang Xuanzao's suggestion that he moved him. He remembered that he had been talking hard for a long time just now, but Li Mi was unmoved. Then he suddenly realized that Li Mi had actually wanted to cease the battle.

He didn't see such an important change in his lord's mentality. Bing Yuanzhen felt regretful and was also full of jealousy towards Fang Xuanzao. Fang Xuanzao actually grabbed the lord's mentality. He didn't dare to say more, and just glanced at Fang Xuanzao with a contemptuous look.

Fang Xuanzao ignored Bing Yuanzhen and continued: "I am not optimistic about the alliance between Yang Yuanqing and Wang Shichong. I just think they are just using each other. Yang Yuanqing needs Wang Shichong to resist Li Yuan's eastward expansion for him, and Wang Shichong also needs Wang Shichong to destroy the Sui Dynasty in Luoyang for him, especially the latter. In order to support Wang Shichong to take office, Yang Yuanqing lent him 100,000 stones of food. As for Wang Shichong...."

When Fang Xuanzao said this, Yu Guang quickly glanced at Li Mi. Seeing that he was concentrating on his hearing, he was secretly proud of himself, and he had already touched the lord's pulse.

"Wang Shichong did not really defect to Yang Yuanqing. He knew very well that Yang Yuanqing was just using him. Once the use was over, Yang Yuanqing would be the first to destroy him, so he also kept a kind of vigilance. Did the lord forget about Lu Chu?"

A sentence reminded Li Mi that a few days ago, an official from Luoyang came to surrender to him and brought a message that Wang Shichong had promised Yang Yuanqing to hand over Lu Chu to him. But in the end, Lu Chu was killed by Wang Shichong himself, which shows that Wang Shichong's bones were both ends.

Li Mi took a few steps behind her back and turned around and said, "Saying this way, Yang Yuanqing may also attack Luoyang first, not us."

Fang Xuanzao narrowed his eyes and said, "The idea of ​​Bei Zhi is that Yang Yuanqing is actually waiting for Wang Shichong to usurp the throne and oust Emperor Tai. Before that, Yang Yuanqing will not attack Luoyang."

Bing Yuanzhen next to him could no longer help and said, "Since Yang Yuanqing will not attack Luoyang for the time being, then his target should be us, right?"

"No!"

Fang Xuanzao vetoed Bing Yuanzhen's idea without hesitation, "I thought Yang Yuanqing would not move troops again for the time being. Hebei is not Hedong, Hebei is devastated. There are thousands of miles of red fields. Yang Yuanqing needs to spend a lot of effort to relieve disasters and treat the trauma of war. His resources should be inclined to people's livelihood. If he fights continuously, his resources will be exhausted. In the future, he will be unable to fight the Tang Dynasty again."

Seeing that Li Mi had believed in him, Fang Xuanzao once again urged: "Your Highness, our top priority now should be to cease war with Wang Shichong as soon as possible, and use some of the treasures seized from Yu Culture and his hands to redeem the families of the soldiers in Luokou City. I think Wang Shichong should agree."

Li Mi finally nodded, "Then please ask me to go to Luoyang to negotiate with Wang Shichong for my special envoy."

.........

After entering spring, the deadly Luoyang City finally began to recover a little vitality. With the capture of Luokou City, the food crisis that had been plaguing Luoyang was finally relieved. Wang Shichong obtained 500,000 stones of stored grain from Luokou Warehouse. In addition to returning 100,000 stones of grain from the Sui Dynasty, the remaining 400,000 stones of grain gave Wang Shichong a sudden confidence.

Although the war in Hulao Pass was fierce, it did not affect the recovery of Luoyang City's vitality. The price of grain dropped from ten thousand yuan to three hundred yuan. The past cloth money and rotten money gradually disappeared, which made Wang Shichong gain a great reputation.

Of course, the year-long famine also suffered an extremely heavy blow to Luoyang. This capital of the Sui Dynasty, which once had a population of one million and was once prosperous, became devastated. In the past, Yang Guang spent tens of millions to build the 200-li Xiyuan, which had long become a grain field and vegetable field for Luoyang people. The exquisite buildings were looted, burned or collapsed, and the rest were dilapidated and desolate, becoming the home of crows and jackals and foxes.

More importantly, Luoyang has only a population of more than 100,000, and most of them fled to Guanzhong and Hedong. The streets became deserted, and less than 20% of the shops in the prosperous Fengcheng City are still open.

That morning, a team of Wang Shichong's soldiers guarding Fang Xuanzao's carriage drove into Luoyang City. Wang Shichong's prince Wang Xuanying was already waiting by the city gate.

"On behalf of my father, I welcome Shangshu Fang to Luoyang!"

Wang Xuanying was about thirty years old, but he was gentle and elegant, without the strength and coldness of Wang Shichong. He had sincere smiles and joy bursting from the bottom of his heart. Although Wang Shichong held the power of government affairs, in fact, most of the government affairs were handled by Wang Xuanying, and Wang Shichong was mainly responsible for military affairs.

Wang Xuanying firmly agreed to the ceasefire with the Wagang Army. He knew very well that the court and the people urgently needed rest and recuperation. It was Wang Xuanying's strong push that Wang Shichong finally agreed to negotiate with Li Mi.

Fang Xuanzao opened the curtain and returned the gift and said with a smile: "Thank you for being here in person for picking me up. I hope that this peace talks will start with happiness and end with satisfaction."

"As the envoy said, I hope so too!"

Wang Xuanying and Fang Xuanzao looked at each other and laughed together. The carriage accelerated and drove towards the palace city.

...........

Although Wang Xuan should actively promote peace talks with Li Mi, not everyone was willing to reconcile Zheng and Wei. There were also fierce opposition within Wang Shichong, mainly due to the opposition of the military headed by Wang Renze. Wang Renze led his army to fight at Hulao Pass. The heavy casualties of the soldiers made him unable to face this reality.

In Wang Shichong's government office, Wang Renze was heartbroken and persuaded Wang Shichong to change his course and withdraw. "Second uncle, more than 20,000 brothers were killed in battle to defend Hulao Pass. The soldiers' bodies were not cold, but today they were having fun with Li Mi. How can the brothers accept this? This will greatly damage morale. Second uncle, you are also a soldier. You should understand better than your nephew."

Wang Shichong sighed and said, "I know the military will not accept it, but you have to consider the overall situation. Do you think Li Mi is willing to give up Luokou City? He made this decision more painful than us, but there is no way. Yang Yuanqing has already taken Hebei. His next goal must be Central Plains. If we continue to fight with Li Mi, we will only lose both sides and end up getting a better deal. Do you understand?"

"But the Sui Dynasty and I are allies, and we will still deal with the Tang Dynasty and the second uncle. The crisis is just for Li Mi, what does it have to do with us?" Wang Renze still distinguished unconvincedly.

"Don't be naive. Yang Yuanqing is a tiger. How can he allow others to sleep soundly on his couch? He will kill us sooner or later, and even earlier than Li Mi. His so-called alliance with us is just using us. Do you think he is really so stupid, let us go for the so-called face?"

Wang Shichong stood up and patted his shoulder, and said with a smile: "Reconciliation with Li Mi will only benefit us. Don't object anymore. I have decided on this matter."

Wang Renze said helplessly for a while: "But how do I explain to the soldiers?"

Wang Shichong smiled slightly, "Just see what you said, just tell the soldiers that Li Mi is no longer able to fight with us and beg for peace from us. You want to portray this as our victory, do you understand?"

"But victory requires rewards." Wang Renze knew that it was inevitable, so he could only try his best to bargain and get something substantial.

"There will be one, I will reward all the soldiers participating in the war, especially you. I will grant you the prince. I will reward you half of the property sent by Li Mi. In addition, you can choose any fifty palace maids in the palace. Even if you choose the imperial concubine, you will follow you!"

Wang Shichong narrowed his eyes and smiled. Wang Renze was his most trusted nephew and would take control of military power for him in the future. He would never be stingy with the rewards of Wang Renze.

Wang Renze was moved and bowed and said, "Thank you for the second uncle's reward. My nephew will not disappoint me."

"Go! Give me your brothers and tell me, Wang Shichong, will not treat everyone badly."

.........

Wang Renze left. Soon, Wang Xuanying hurried into the government office and said excitedly: "Father, Li Mi's special envoy has arrived."

"There is no need to be so happy!" Wang Shichong glared at his son with great displeasure.

Wang Xuanying was startled and his smile disappeared from his face immediately. He didn't know why his father was unhappy, so he had to tremble: "Li Mi's special envoy is waiting outside the palace. Will his father want to see him?"

Wang Shichong stood in front of the map with his hands behind his back, staring at Hebei and Hedong for a while. After a while, he slowly said: "I'd better avoid this peace talk to avoid annoying Yang Yuanqing. Just talk to Li Mi on behalf of me! Tell them my difficulties and ask them to understand."

"But...If I told them like this, will my father reveal his intention to get rid of the control of the Sui Dynasty? The child thinks that his father is better off claiming to be sick."

Wang Shichong laughed, "Don't think they are stupid. They understand in their hearts, just like a mirror. But your caution is not wrong, so I told the envoy that I was not feeling well and could not meet him."

"The boy understands."

Wang Xuanying turned around and wanted to leave, but Wang Shichong called him again, "Also, I can let their family members go away, but I don't think the sincerity of the goods they sent was enough. I still need 200,000 stones of food."

.........

Anyang City, Wei County, was once the capital of the Northern Wei Dynasty and the largest city in Hebei. Although Dou Jiande captured the entire Hebei area south of Youzhou, the only two cities, Anyang City and Liyang City, were not captured. Liyang City was Li Mi's foundation in Hebei, and Dou Jiande did not attack.

However, Anyang City was the most enclave of Luoyang's Sui Dynasty in Hebei. It was guarded by the prefect of Wei County Yang Shanhui and Changshi Yao Junsu, 10,000 Sui troops. After dozens of attacks by Dou Jiande's army, the city was still towering. However, with the end of the Hebei Battle, the ownership of Anyang City also became a problem.

That afternoon, more than 100 Sui army guards had just been transferred to Hebei. Yang Xuanzhao, who served as the prefect of Hejian County, arrived at the city of Anyang.

"Please report to the prefect Yang, and say that the clan brother Xuan Zhu is here to visit!"
Chapter completed!