Chapter 112: If This General Does Not Die, the Border Troops Will Not Survive

Tan Li, one of the garrisons of the four Anxi towns and the lieutenant general of the Yanqi City Frontier Army, was a loyal and courageous man.

His willingness to use his own head to guarantee the garrison of the Anxi Frontier Army in Shule City made Chen Huaian look at him with some respect.

But Chen Huaian was determined to win this Shule City no matter what.

This time, he personally led the army to the Western Regions. He not only wanted to conquer the thirty-six countries in the Western Regions headed by the Huihe, but also to win the hearts of the people in the four Anxi towns and along the Silk Road, and prepare for his enthronement as emperor in the future.

And Tan Li also did what he said. In order to avoid the situation of the Anxi Frontier Army fighting against each other and killing each other, he went to the Shule City again alone, risking being shot by cold arrows.

This time, he neither wore armor nor carried a sword.

He wore a coarse linen shirt and walked to the gate of Shule City with his head held high.

Unexpectedly, Deng Yucheng, the commander of the garrison on the city, did not order the unarmed Tan Li to be shot, but opened the city gate and let him in.

That night, at the general's mansion.

Deng Yucheng, the commander of the garrison of Shule City, ordered the kitchen to prepare a sumptuous dinner for the first time, and invited Tan Li, the garrison commander of Yanqi City, who came to the city alone to lobby, to have dinner together.

Tan Li looked at the table of sumptuous food and wine, and said with a somewhat playful expression: "General Deng, are you planning to invite me to a meal before execution?"

Humph!

Deng Yucheng snorted coldly and said: "General Tan, as long as you don't talk about asking me to submit to the traitor Chen Huaian tonight, I guarantee that your life will be safe."

"Come, take your seat!"

As he said, Deng Yucheng made a gesture of invitation and invited Tan Li to take his seat.

He also said: "General Tan, we haven't seen each other for two years since we parted in Chang'an Prefecture, right?"

Tan Li smiled and said: "Yes, it has been two years."

Deng Yucheng said: "Come, let's drink. Tonight we will only talk about the past, not state affairs!"

"Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

As they said, the two began to drink at the table.

Tan Li really followed Deng Yucheng's request and never mentioned that he led the border soldiers of Shule City to surrender to Jin Wang Chen Huaian.

But he also knew that Tan Li's invitation to him to the banquet must have a deep meaning.

After three rounds of wine and five dishes, Deng Yucheng's words also obviously increased.

He seemed to be speaking to Tan Li, or to himself: "I, Deng Yucheng, followed the late emperor to start an army when I was fifteen years old. I started as a groom in the imperial camp and now serve as a third-rank lieutenant general in the imperial court."

"It took me thirty years to walk this road!"

"A full thirty years!"

As he spoke, Deng Yucheng drank the strong liquor in the wine cup.

Still feeling unsatisfied, he simply picked up the wine jar in front of him, tilted his head back, and gulped down most of the jar of wine.

Under the influence of alcohol, Deng Yucheng's face suddenly turned red, and he continued with a burp: "The world only knows that I, Deng Yucheng, was once a member of the prince's party and a die-hard lackey of Emperor Jian'an."

"But no one knows that in the battle of Hulao Pass, if it weren't for the prince's life-saving, the captain Deng Yucheng would have been trampled into a pool of rotten meat by the Turkish war horses, and there would be no Deng Yucheng, a third-rank lieutenant general of the court today."

"In that battle, the prince was shot by two Turkish arrows for me, an unknown captain in the imperial camp, and one arrow was less than half an inch away from the prince's heart. If it was just a little bit off, the prince would have died on the spot."

Haha!

Deng Yucheng smiled bitterly and said, "I admit that after the prince ascended the throne, he was addicted to women and favored flatterers, causing the loyal officials of the previous dynasty to suffer repeatedly. This is a fact."

"But, isn't this also the way emperors throughout the ages have controlled people?"

"A new emperor has his own ministers. This is a natural and eternal thing!"

Gulp!

Deng Yucheng picked up the wine jar again and gulped down a few big mouthfuls.

On the side, Tan Li, who was accompanying him, seemed to have realized what was going to happen next. He also silently picked up the wine jar beside him and gulped down a few big mouthfuls of wine with Deng Yucheng, letting the alcohol burn his internal organs.

Deng Yucheng said as if no one was around: "The traitor Chen Huaian was able to raise an army with 8,000 Po Lu troops in his fiefdom Longcheng, first destroying 300,000 Yunhui troops; then destroying the Turkic royal court; and then rushing thousands of miles with more than 10,000 cavalry, defeating the more than 200,000 troops led by Emperor Jian'an in person at Tumubao;"

"It must be said that this boy's military talent is far better than his father Chen Po Lu;"

"He also implemented benevolent policies in the occupied areas, exempting taxes for five years and halving taxes for ten years, which is enough to show Chen Huaian's talent."

"Hey——"

Deng Yucheng sighed and said: "To say something extremely treasonous, in less than three years, the country of this great Xin Dynasty will definitely change from the surname Zhao to the surname Chen."

At this time, Tan Li on the side finally saw the opportunity and interrupted: "General Deng, can you listen to me?"

Shh!

Deng Yucheng put his finger to his mouth, made a silent gesture, and said to himself: "Chen Huaian may be a good emperor;"

"This general also fully believes that he has the ability to make the Western Regions submit to the Han nationality completely, and dare not invade our Han border and slaughter our Han border people for a hundred years, or even three hundred years;"

"But-"

Deng Yucheng changed the subject, helplessly but unwillingly said: "All this has nothing to do with me, Deng Yucheng, and this general does not want to have anything to do with him."

"In my opinion, whether Chen Huaian can become an emperor who is as great as the Qin Emperor and Han Emperor, or a hypocritical person who is two-faced, it cannot change the fact that he killed the emperor and betrayed the country."

"Historians in later generations will not record in history books that Chen Huaian's throne was legitimate!"

Clang!

Suddenly, Deng Yucheng pulled out a ring-headed knife from the wall of the room and threw it in front of Tan Li.

The cold blade hit the floor and made a series of clanging sounds.

Clang!

In the blink of an eye, Deng Yucheng pulled out a short sword again and held it tightly in his hand.

Then, the sword pointed directly at the solemn-looking Tan Li, and said sternly: "Tan Li, pick up the knife. If you defeat this general, all the Anxi border troops in Shule City will be under your command!"

"If you are unlucky and die tragically under this general's sword, this meal will be regarded as a meal that this general invites you to eat!"

In this situation, even if Tan Li is stupid, he can understand what Deng Yucheng meant.

With tears in his eyes, he finally picked up the ring-headed knife on the ground, holding a glimmer of luck and asked: "General Deng, do you have to do this?"

"Stop talking nonsense, look at the sword!"

Before he finished speaking, Deng Yucheng rushed towards Tan Li with his sword, slashing and stabbing, each move was fatal.

Tan Li had to instinctively react to the muscles, raised his knife to block and provoke, and resolved Deng Yucheng's fatal attacks one by one.

But he knew very well that Deng Yucheng did not use his full strength, he was clearly seeking death.

Otherwise, why would Deng Yucheng, who was good at using short knives, give up his ring-handled sword and choose a short sword to duel with him?

Puff——

The next moment, the sound of a sharp blade piercing flesh was heard.

Deng Yucheng, who was holding up the short sword and was about to chop Tan Li, slipped and bumped into the blade in Tan Li's hand.

The sharp ring-handled sword instantly pierced Deng Yucheng's body.

Under the influence of inertia, Deng Yucheng fell on Tan Li.

He leaned close to his ear and said with a smile: "As long as this general is alive, the soldiers of the Anxi Border Army in Shule City will not live!"

"Promise me to treat them well!"