Chapter 1007
: The Assassination at Yanchun Tower
Chapter 1007: The Assassination at Yanchun Tower
The long trumpet sounded,
The imperial army marched southward,
The army had already stopped its march southward. Following a military order from Ningbian, the army immediately turned and marched towards a village in the northeast. When they arrived near the village, Ningbian sent scouts into the village to investigate. After a while, someone came to report that
"Report, General Ning, there is water in the well in the manor, and there is also a spring at the back, so there should be enough water."
"Okay, let's set up camp here,"
"Yes, General."
Subsequently,
The troops of the army heading south set up their camps under the command of the camp commander. It took a while to build the tents.
Zhang Jinyu and his party were still enjoying dried fruits and snacks in the car. Only King Jin Zhou Ding was eating absent-mindedly. Seeing that the army had already started to set up camp, it seemed that they could not go south to Weizhou. Wouldn't the Weizhou defense line and the carefully arranged strategy mentioned by the Marquis be wasted?
"My Lord, if the cities of Weizhou, Linzhou, etc. are burned down, what will happen to the defense line of Weizhou that you have set?"
Zhou Ding couldn't help it. He pondered for a moment, but had no idea. He simply asked. Everyone in the car was silent. Xia Yu and Lan Yue'er's eyes also moved over. Zhang Jinyu was not in a hurry. He ate some dried fruits and drank some tea to moisten his throat.
"Your Highness, it is said that there is no fixed situation in war and no fixed shape in water. No matter how good the strategy is, it must be changed at any time. I did not expect that those villains of the Taiping Sect would dare to burn down the city wantonly. It is obvious that they have no intention of coming back. If we lead the army south again, we will only get an empty city. Further south is the edge of the mountain range of the three Lingnan counties, which is even more troublesome for the court. It is not something that can be settled overnight, so I can only turn back."
Actually, there is no other way. If they want to run, you can't just keep chasing them. Besides, the cities in the south are poor and have bad waters, and the people there are unruly. If they come, it will be a burden. Since the Taiping Cult really likes them, the mountain tribe is not a pushover.
King Jin seemed to understand a lot, nodded, and replied;
"Your Majesty is right. The mountain tribe rarely interacts with other tribes. Although they have been canonized by the imperial court, they are still wild and difficult to educate. We can just leave them alone. However, the defense line of Weizhou has been lost. I wonder if your Majesty has any other clever ideas to stabilize the south of Beijing."
What Zhou Ding was asking about now was, of course, the future situation in the south of Beijing. After the bandits were wiped out, there would be many refugees in the world, and the people in this area could fill their lives again. This was also a way for the saints to teach them. However, he didn't know that these words made Zhang Jinyu look a little weird. It was really difficult for him.
"Your Highness, I think that the land south of the capital has been severely damaged after this turmoil, and the people are almost all dead or injured. Even if Your Highness wants to move the refugees in, there is a shortage of water in the south of the capital. If there are too many people, they cannot be fed, and the situation will be the same as it is now. Therefore, I would rather restore the governance of Xihe County and Runan than come here. But Your Highness is not unreasonable. I will think about it."
Zhang Jinyu touched his chin. Although Jingnan was not worth cultivating, it was also the face of the court. Even if it was a garrison city, some people had to stay. In this case, Gu Ping seemed to have quite a few soldiers and generals. They all said that they should adapt to local conditions, so he was the only one.
"Your Highness, Gu Ping will lead 40,000 troops to garrison the county city and Chenzhou City, while the Linyuefu garrison commander Qin Yunjiang will lead 10,000 troops to garrison Qinzhou. This way, although they are farther apart, they can take precautions in advance. As for Weizhou and other places, we will talk about it later when the court has money."
That's enough. If the court had money, it would be no problem to build ten cities, not to mention one. If the court had no money, it would be a matter of saving the court's face if it could repair the existing cities.
When King Jin Zhou Ding heard this, his face turned red, but he did not object. He had many questions in his mind, but it was difficult to speak. He felt a little annoyed. At this time, Ning Bian knocked on the window outside the car and said;
"My Lord, the tents have been set up. General Gu has led his troops back to the camp. General Hu has sent someone back to deliver a message saying that Weizhou City has been burned to ashes. He has also sent cavalry to Linzhou and Lin Yuefu to check. We can talk tomorrow morning."
"Okay, let's rest here for a day. The Taiping rebels will not come back. We will head straight to Qinzhou tomorrow and march quickly to Runan City within three days."
"Yes, Lord, I know."
As the two talked, the atmosphere in the car became a little solemn for a while. Jin Wang Zhou Ding knew the Marquis's strategy, but he always felt that something was wrong. As the saying goes, wildfires cannot be extinguished, and spring breezes will bring new life.
Beijing,
Inside Yanchun Tower,
It was a place full of laughter, lewd talk, and many guests from all over the world were holding prostitutes in their arms, listening to music and drinking, feeling very comfortable. In particular, many officers and soldiers from the government army who had returned gathered together and drank until they were drunk.
Even the soldiers, who had always received very little military pay, gathered together, pooled their money, had a banquet, ordered a prostitute, and three or five of them told each other about their hardships, and many of them burst into tears.
This scene not only attracted the attention of many frequent visitors, but also many secret agents from the capital city. How the battles were fought in various places south of the capital, why the imperial army was defeated in one day, and the inner situation were unknown to others.
Therefore, if we could learn some secrets from these soldiers, perhaps we could do something about the Beijing camp.
But they didn't know that there were many people doing this, so the atmosphere in Yanchun Tower became even more heated.
Indeed,
Still at the east end of the second floor, Zheng Wang's son Zhou Zhengbai led the other sons and slowly went up to the second floor. They found their old place and sat down. Looking around, they saw that the room was full of guests and it was very noisy. They were moved. It was a rare happy atmosphere.
"Sir, the group of people over there should be the soldiers of the Imperial Army who returned from the south. There should be many officers among them. I heard from the spies that after Wang Ziteng was reprimanded, he has been staying in the Imperial Army camp and has not left the house. There has been no movement from the Beijing camp either. It is said that Wang Ziteng's position as Jiedushi is no longer secure, but I don't know if it is true or not."
"Well, what is true cannot be false, and what is false cannot be true. Wang Ziteng is quite talented. He was able to save Daliang City under the siege of the Taiping Sect, which is a great achievement. If anyone wants to replace Wang Ziteng, the position of Jiedushi is too attractive."
The civil officials have long been eyeing the opportunity, and there are many people eyeing this position on the military side. Wang Ziteng must be aware of this. After seeing the result, the palace will not really want to change the person, right?
While the two were talking in a low voice, the prince of Wu, Zhou Lianghao, came up quickly, found his old seat, sat down, and then shouted to the madam behind him;
"You, go get a table of good food and wine first, and then get a few singers to sing a few songs outside the screen to cheer you up."
"Yes, my lord, you see, today is the day when Xiao Taohong starts to practice her music. You lords are really blessed."
The madam smiled on her heavily made-up face and waved her hand to send the steward downstairs to make arrangements. Seeing several distinguished guests sitting around, surrounded by guards, she knew they were not simple people. Who wouldn't want to have fun when they could come to Yanchun Tower?
"Gentlemen, would you like to find some good friends to serve you? We have many prostitutes in Yanchun Tower, all of whom were trained by Rong Mama herself."
After saying that, he twisted his waist and came to serve with a fragrant smell. He took the tea bowl on the table and poured a bowl of tea for everyone. Although he didn't say how much tea there was, it was rare to see it. Zhou Yewen, the prince of Song, had a playful look on his face. He picked up the tea bowl and sniffed it at the tip of his nose, and then took a sip of the tea. The fragrance was overflowing. It was the best Jinlan tea.
"Yes, the tea is really good. It's really thoughtful of your building to be able to taste the Jinlan tea from the Western Regions here. I wonder if that Rong Madam is precious?"
As if asking something, the expressions of several people at the table changed, and their eyes fell on the madam in front of them. Could it be that Rong Madam had some extraordinary qualities?
"Oh, you are truly noble people. This Jinlan tea is specially prepared for you. Although it is not a top-grade tea, it is also extremely rare. Let's talk about this Rong Mama."
The madam smiled, found the maid outside, and walked up with the tray, but was stopped by the guards outside the screen. Seeing this, she waved her hand.
"My dear, here comes the cakes."
"Well, come in,"
Zhou Zhengbai glanced at him and nodded. The guards behind him let the people in. The maids waiting to be served moved in one after another. The madam smiled and personally arranged the cakes on the table and said;
"Gentlemen, this Rong Mama is quite famous. She came from the Summer Palace at the foot of Beishan Mountain. She was said to have been a nanny serving the eldest princess. She was trained according to the standards of the palace. Tell me, is she rare?"
This smile was like a spring breeze. Speaking of madams, Yanchunlou's is the best. Zhou Zhengbai finished his tea and looked at the few people, all of whom seemed to be thinking about something. Zhou Xingshan, the prince of Han, smiled and asked, "Isn't this nothing to be surprised about? She is just a maid from the palace. It's not an isolated case. Every year, there are many maids released from the palace who have reached the age to serve. Why is she so precious?"
"Oh, my Lord, that's what you say, but how can serving people be the same as managing the people who serve them? Rong Mama manages a lot of palace maids, so the people she teaches are naturally different."
The madam was all smiles, with a hint of pride on her face. This reaction aroused the curiosity of several people. Zhou Zhengbai shook his head slightly, took out a silver ingot and placed it on the table.
"Thank you very much, mother. We brothers will not be here today. We will definitely order a few people next time. Please leave first."
"this,"
The madam's face changed, she was a little suspicious. When you come to a brothel for pleasure, you must order some girls. But seeing the power of these gentlemen, she knew they were nobles, so she nodded unwillingly, took the silver and put it in her pocket, bowed and left.
"That's fine. If you need anything, you can send someone to look for me."
Then he slowly stepped back. After a while, a waiter came up with his waiters, placed the best dishes on the table one by one, bowed and stepped back.
See here,
Zhou Zhengbai picked up the tea bowl and looked at the few people, feeling a lot of emotions at once.
"Everyone, it's a rare occasion for us to get together. As your elder brother, I will serve tea instead of wine. Let me drink first as a sign of respect."
After saying this, he drank it all in one gulp, showing his heroic spirit. The rest of the people also had a hint of emotion on their faces, and they all raised their glasses and drank.
"Dry."
After putting down the tea bowl, Zhou Xingshan did not pick up his chopsticks, but instead expressed his feelings;
"Everyone says that we, the princes, live a carefree life, but who knows the hardships inside? I think you are all the same. Everyone is watching this position, and we are walking on thin ice."
After some self-mockery, the faces of several people were dim, and under the illumination of the swaying lights, they looked even more depressing. Zhou Yunfu, the son of Chen Wang, pursed his lips, a grim smile flashed across his face, and said;
"So what? Who can retreat now?"
"My dear brothers, it's a rare opportunity for us to get together. Don't talk about unhappy things. Tonight, we should eat and drink well."
Seeing the atmosphere becoming increasingly depressing, Wu Wang's Prince Zhou Lianghao quickly made some nonsense. There was no point in talking about these things. Besides, it seemed that he was the only one who didn't have these troubles. He didn't know why, but there was only one Prince of Wu Wang's Palace, and the rest were all women.
As if sensing something, everyone looked at the Prince of Wu. Zhou Yewen sighed.
"Brother Hao is still lucky,"
Just as he sighed, several singing ladies came in from outside. They walked closer with swaying figures and gentle steps, bowed and said,
"Gentlemen, what song do you want to listen to?"
"Sing your best song to liven up the atmosphere,"
"Yes,"
Zhou Zhengbai's mind was not on this at the moment. He just said it casually, thinking about the information from the palace. His second brother was not honest and kept asking his father to take him to Beijing. Fortunately, his mother stopped him and the second brother's plan failed. However, this time, it was also a reminder to himself that his brothers were not easy to deal with.
Just as I was thinking about it, there came a burst of passionate piano music from outside the screen, like autumn wind sweeping fallen leaves, sonorous and powerful, it was a good song.
"Everyone, be careful about some things. It is said that a country has its own laws and a family has its own rules. The royal palace is still in your hands. Even if some people want to make some moves, they can only make some moves. For now, the birthday banquet of the retired emperor is approaching, and all the royal palaces have also set off. However, the situation in the south of the capital has changed. I wonder what you think."
This is just a drop in the ocean. Since it's so rare for us to get together, there are some things we can say and some things we can't say. I remembered what my teacher Fan Wenhai said: the affairs of the palace are internal, and the affairs of the court are external. Only by taking care of both the internal and external affairs can we stabilize ourselves. After all, the prince still wants that position in his heart.
Several people were moved and fell silent. The situation in the south of the capital changed three times a day. Marquis Luo Yun didn't know how to use his troops. Judging from the current momentum, he had not been defeated, and he didn't know whether it was true or not.
Zhou Lianghao wanted to speak, but at this moment, there was a great chaos outside the window, as if cavalry were passing through, and many people were chasing behind and watching. This movement was transmitted to Yanchun Tower one after another, and it was at this moment,
From downstairs,
A guard from the palace came up, and after entering, he bowed and
"Prince, there is a letter from the south."
Then he raised his head and looked at the nobleman at the table. He was silent, obviously not in a position to speak. Zhou Zhengbai understood and beckoned. The guard stepped forward and whispered in a low voice;
"Sir, a messenger just came from the south, saying that Marquis Luo Yun and Prince Jin have besieged Linshan County City. After two days of bloody battles, they have not been able to capture it and suffered heavy casualties. Marquis Luo Yun was injured and His Royal Highness Prince Jin has also caught a cold. They have temporarily stopped attacking the city and switched to a siege."
"what?"
Zhou Zhengbai was extremely surprised, with a look of disbelief on his face. He had received good news a few days ago, so how could this happen? This movement also made the others curious. At this time, the guards of each palace came up one by one and reported to him.
After everyone left, they fell silent again, each pondering their own thoughts.
"Brothers, I am a little hungry. Let's pick up our chopsticks first. The banquet at Yanchunlou has several signature dishes. Come and try them."
Perhaps he was really hungry, Zhou Lianghao picked up the chopsticks, unceremoniously picked up a large piece of meat, put it into his mouth, and ate it with his mouth full of oil, feeling very comfortable. The others seemed to be relieved and followed suit, eating without talking or sleeping. After eating three dishes, Zhou Zhengbai put down his chopsticks and said;
"We are all brothers. You all received the message just now. I don't know what you think. I don't believe it. Luo Yunhou is the commander-in-chief of the army. How can he go out to fight without authorization? But for the rest, I believe it for the time being. After all, Linshan County City is a strong city."
With Zhou Zhengbai's words, the others had to speak up. Zhou Xingshan put down his chopsticks, picked up the tea bowl and took a gulp, sneering;
"Hmph, I don't believe it either. The government troops just returned to the city, and bad news came from here. Maybe it's to disturb the capital. The court has hundreds of thousands of troops besieging the county city. If you say that the soldiers suffered heavy casualties, that's understandable, but Marquis Luo Yun and the King of Jin had accidents at the same time. How can it be such a coincidence?"
"Yes, maybe it's true, but it's interesting that it can be spread at this time."
Zhou Yewen was even more gloomy. He heard that a court official had submitted a memorial to impeach Wang Ziteng today. Before nightfall, the letter from Luo Yunhou had arrived. What a coincidence.
"My dear brothers, don't worry about whether the news is true or not. Since it has been spread, the court officials will be quiet for a while. Wang Ziteng is so quiet, I think the palace will be reluctant to let him go. Besides, the intentions of Changle Palace are hard to figure out. You have to know what is going on in Rongguo Mansion."
Zhou Yunfu, the son of Prince Chen, pointed to the east. The Jia family was now flourishing like a raging fire, and everyone knew that there was a noble lady in the family. In addition, the two old dukes were ignorant in the past. Even if Jia Zhen of Ningguo Mansion committed a crime, he would still have kept his title.
Everyone suddenly realized that it was true. In this case, Wang Ziteng's position could not be moved, but he did not know how to appease the civil and military officials. There was no news about the palace's plans.
suddenly,
Outside the screen, the music was lively, and the clear sound of the piano suddenly became low. Then, whether it was because the guards were alert or the people were moved, they almost instantly lowered their heads. There was a "clang" sound, the sound of bowstrings noose, and six short crossbows shot in instantly, landing on the table, smashing the dishes and bowls on the table, and the fragments flew out, leaving several bloody marks on the faces of several princes.
Liu Zushan, the guard commander beside Prince Zheng, tensed up, then drew his sword and shouted,
"Quick, protect the prince, there is an assassin!"
"Quick, protect the prince, there is an assassin,"
Almost in the blink of an eye, the guards from all the surrounding royal palaces drew their swords and surrounded them!
(End of this chapter)