"Otherwise, why don't the two of us meet him and try to gauge his intentions?"
After a long hesitation, Tong Guan could only grit his teeth and say.
"At this juncture, it seems there's no other way..."
Compared to the responsibility of completely ceding Yanjing to the Jin Dynasty, Cai You clearly leaned more towards the latter.
After all, even if this fellow rebelled, the two of them would at most be held accountable for misjudging people, but if the Yanjing affair were to get out, they would become traitors!
The severity of these two matters was simply incomparable!
"Someone, send for Guo Yaoshi to come to the main camp!"
With Cai You having said as much, Tong Guan finally stood up and shouted towards the door.
"Yes!"
Regardless of anything else, this matter was finally about to have a conclusion, and Tong Guan's heart was filled with trepidation.
This was almost the last resort he could think of. If even this didn't work, he truly didn't know whom he could trust next.
The people around him, who usually boasted loudly, were all unreliable when it came to action.
Especially Liu Yanqing, that guy was utterly incompetent, only capable of ruining things!
At this moment, he truly regretted it. If he had known the Liao was this difficult to conquer, he should have brought Zhong Shidao along!
If Zhong Shidao were here, there would at least be someone to take the blame!
"Where is Tan Zhen?"
As he thought of this, Tong Guan suddenly shivered and quickly asked.
"You mean to have him come..."
Hearing his words, Cai You immediately understood his intention.
"May my fellow daoist perish, but not this poor monk! I think it's time we brought up the matter of the Yisheng Army!"
After hearing Tong Guan's words, Cai You's face revealed a long-lost smile.
One had to admit that Tong Guan might be a poor strategist, but he was certainly adept at devising crooked plans.
Although both were eunuchs, Tong Guan and Tan Zhen were not aligned.
In fact, to be precise, their relationship was not harmonious; instead, it was akin to that of rivals.
After Tong Guan's successive defeats, Zhao Ji transferred Tan Zhen to Hedong, making him responsible for retaking the nine prefectures of Shanhou.
Who would have thought that just as Tong Guan was about to fall, at a critical moment, Guo Yaoshi surrendered.
It was precisely with this merit that Tong Guan managed to stabilize his basic position. Seeing the cooked duck fly away, Tan Zhen was more than just angry.
To spite his old rival, and also to guard against Guo Yaoshi's Changsheng Army,
Tan Zhen, following the advice of his strategist Zhang Fu, directly assembled an army of 50,000 men called the Yisheng Army.
Furthermore, he provided these men with several times the treatment of ordinary soldiers!
These soldiers were originally poor people from the Liao Dynasty. Coupled with the current chaotic times, when they heard about such a good opportunity, even the soldiers under Guo Yaoshi began to flee in large numbers.
At its peak, over eight hundred people deserted in a single night.
Upon hearing this, Guo Yaoshi immediately sought out Tong Guan to complain. However, he himself was a recent defector, and with Cai Jing's return to power, Tong Guan did not dare to approach the emperor over such trivial matters at that time. The matter was eventually dropped.
To prevent his soldiers from deserting, Guo Yaoshi, having no other recourse, angrily branded all his soldiers on their faces.
Previously, bringing this matter up would have been of little use, but the situation was completely different now.
As long as Guo Yaoshi did not defect, even if he suffered another defeat, Tong Guan could use this matter as an excuse.
In any case, when this matter was finally settled, it would undoubtedly be a muddled account. Even if the emperor decided to punish them, it would be a fifty-fifty split, and they couldn't possibly dismiss both of them at once, could they?
With Tan Zhen covering their backs, the crime that should have led to their dismissal would at most result in a reprimand!
"This is a good idea. We'll give him the best weapons, the best soldiers, and the best warhorses. After a defeat, there will still be someone to take the blame. I really can't imagine why he would defect!"
With his worries resolved, Cai You became excited.
"Indeed, if he were to defect to the Jurchens again, wouldn't he become a turncoat serving three masters?"
"Reporting to the high official, Guo Yaoshi is seeking an audience outside the tent!"
Just as the two of them were congratulating themselves, a junior officer came to report from outside.
"Let him in!"
After the two exchanged glances, Cai You finally spoke.
"Guo Yaoshi pays his respects to Duke Tong and Scholar Cai!"
As soon as Guo Yaoshi entered the tent, he directly prostrated himself before Tong Guan and Cai You.
Seeing Guo Yaoshi kneeling on the ground, Tong Guan exchanged a silent glance with Cai You.
"Rise! This is Da Song, and you are in your armor. There is no need for such a grand salute!"
With a light chuckle, Cai You stepped forward a few paces and helped him up.
"Thank you, my lord, thank you, scholar!"
After cupping his fists towards the two of them again, Guo Yaoshi straightened up.
"A true tiger general! It's a shame to keep him under Liu Yanqing!"
Strictly speaking, this was Cai You's first time meeting Guo Yaoshi.
Although this fellow was a Liao person, his nearly seven-foot height truly impressed Cai You.
"Scholar praises me too highly. Your subordinate is but an unknown soldier, how can I contend with General Liu!"
"Is it fear, or unwillingness?"
"Uh..."
Hearing his words, Guo Yaoshi didn't know how to answer.
Wasn't this a death trap?
To be afraid would imply a lack of courage, while unwillingness would imply resentment in his heart!
"Hahahaha, Ju'an, he's an honest man, don't scare him! Someone, prepare wine and food. We'll talk while we eat!"
Seeing Guo Yaoshi's troubled expression, Tong Guan stepped forward with a hearty laugh to smooth things over.
"Thank you, Grand Councilor!"
After hearing Tong Guan's words, Guo Yaoshi finally let out a long sigh of relief.
He himself was a surrendered general. Even if he wasn't blamed for the Yanjing incident, he had still suffered a defeat. If Cai You decided to scheme against him, he might very well die here inexplicably.
"Very well, you don't need to be so constrained. The responsibility for the previous incident lies entirely with Liu Yanqing and has little to do with you. The two of us have summoned you today simply to hear your thoughts on retaking Yanjing!"
"Retaking Yanjing?"