Chapter 1013
: The Concern of the Duke of Zhenguo
Chapter 1013: The Concern of the Duke of Zhenguo
Beijing,
Still bustling and noisy,
Large groups of people gathered at street corners and market towns, divided into two groups and quarreling with each other. Especially the scholars and students from colleges, the quarrels were so intense that many onlookers were amazed. They didn't care about the massacre in the city, as long as the rebellion was quelled, their lives would be much better.
This time, it was lively after all, but the people in the various mansions in the capital and the noble families were all on pins and needles. The situation had changed so drastically, and the attitude of the palace was so ambiguous. It was really hard to see the situation clearly.
At the Zhenguogong Mansion,
It was quite lively tonight. After reaching the age of seventy, he had almost retired from the court. Unfortunately, since the new emperor ascended the throne, there has been no younger generation to lead the way, so only these old guys are left.
In the pavilion in the backyard, several old men were wearing fairly thick clothes. After the late spring cold snap, the weather in early summer was sometimes good and sometimes bad, which was too much for these old bones to bear.
"You old fellows, are you still strong?"
Duke of Zhenguo Niu Qing sat on a soft chair with a cup of hot tea in his hand. He carefully took a sip of the tea, rinsed his mouth, and then swallowed it. Seeing the other old dukes, they looked disgusted. Duke of Liguo Liu Biao started to curse;
"You old fool, you're still wasting the best Yunwu Tea. You drank it like a cow, wasting these good things I gave you."
He was so angry that he picked up the tea bowl and took a big sip. The other two smiled and shook their heads. Duke Chen Yi of Qi touched the tea bowl in his hand and praised it as fine Jiangnan Ru kiln porcelain.
"You can drink tea in any way you want, but the tea bowl has to be good, otherwise it will be uncomfortable when it touches your lips, which is not appropriate. I knew that Luo Yunhou was good at fighting, but I didn't expect him to be so good at it. News came from the palace that Linshan County City was captured in less than four days. I wonder how they did it?"
Although there was a joke in his tone, the wrinkles on his face were tightly knitted, and it was obvious that he was not just joking. Ma Kui, the Duke of Zhiguo, who was sitting next to him, put down his tea bowl and murmured;
"I have fought in wars all my life, but this is the first time I don't understand. The soldiers in the Beijing Camp are nothing more than the same soldiers as before. There are some elite soldiers, but I heard that Wang Ziteng mobilized half of the elite soldiers in the Beijing Camp to garrison in order to guard the important grain and grass area. It was a good move. Then the remaining elite soldiers were divided and went south, and they were almost all lost. Therefore, the combat power of the Beijing Camp was not overestimated. Didn't Marquis Luo Yun attack the city at the cost of human lives?"
This is what puzzled Duke Zhiguo. Logically speaking, if the soldiers' fighting capacity was average, they could not necessarily capture the city successfully by just besieging it or sacrificing their lives. Therefore, unless there was an insider, it would be a sudden idea to open the city gates and let the army into the city.
The other old dukes seemed to have the same idea, but Duke Niu Qing shook his head.
"You old bastard, just because you can't defeat them doesn't mean others can't. The Taiping Sect is no worse than the White Lotus Sect back then. It can be said that it is even worse. The number of soldiers and horses is hundreds of thousands, which is not comparable to that of the White Lotus Sect back then. However, the officials of Linshan County have an unclear relationship. It is still unknown what that old bastard Yu Shiyuan is thinking."
Several old dukes suddenly fell silent and dared not say more. What happened back then had nothing to do with right or wrong, it only mattered about one's life and property. The old Prince Yi Zhong burned himself to death, and it was his own fault. It was a pity that the Su family was so safe when they thought about the eldest princess's visit to the capital this time.
"You still talk about me, you jinx, you dare to say anything. What happened back then has long been settled. Why bother talking about it? It is still unknown whether it is a blessing or a curse that Luo Yunhou is good at fighting. He is young, but he is a master at leading troops. No matter what others say, no one can match him in leading troops to fight."
Duke Liguo Liu Biao sighed deeply. Now the border army is in decline, the military forces within the Great Wall are in a state of decline, and with the expansion of power of the vassal kings, the situation of the border army is even more precarious. If it weren't for the emergence of Marquis Luo Yun outside the Great Wall, the border army might have eventually fallen into decline.
"Yes, for such a talented person to emerge from the border, smoke is coming out of the graves of his Zhang family. We old guys should say that we miscalculated the road back then. Although the border troops are elite and large, a border garrison will firmly lock everyone's experience. The Donghu and Xianbei people have been blocking the border every year, and almost all the family savings have been used up. I don't know how that kid Luo Yunhou raised all those soldiers."
Duke Chen Yi of Qi was joking. In fact, they all understood that the so-called elite troops were nothing more than soldiers who had fought hundreds of battles and were piled up with silver. Although there were four cities in the bitter and cold land outside the Great Wall, Marquis Luo Yun occupied three of them. If he could take Pingliao City, the most fertile land outside the Great Wall would be in his hands. At that time, even the Gong family would not be able to compete with him.
"Tsk, you're late. The Jurchens in Pingliao City have withdrawn their troops. Now everything outside the Great Wall has fallen into the hands of that kid. As for the money, you old guys, have you forgotten about the good stuff outside the Great Wall? Plus, this kid is ruthless. He doesn't lack money, but only people and food. The plan made by the civil servants is an open conspiracy."
Duke Zhiguo Ma Kui shook his head. Many things might not be known to the whole government and the public, but it was not easy to hide it from the court. After all, Marquis Luo Yun was in charge of transporting so many refugees by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the details could not be concealed. Fortunately, this boy submitted a secret report to His Majesty. The key point was that not only did he recover the city, but he also made a secret move.
"Oh, is this true? When did the news come out? What are the Jurchens thinking? If they withdraw from Pingliao City and then want to attack Luoyun Lake, that would be a foolish dream."
Duke Chen Yi of Qi still had some doubts. How could the Jurchens retreat so easily after losing so many lives under the city of Pingliao? He did not believe it.
"Don't disbelieve me. I don't know how this guy planned it, but he actually made a Jurchen tribe surrender. Another secret guard reported that the Jurchens were in trouble. The Yuezhi people in the north moved eastward and threatened the Jurchens' ancestral land. So the Jurchen Khan had to lead troops to defend it, which took up a lot of manpower. So, the time for the people outside the Great Wall to catch their breath is not just five years."
Niu Qing slapped the table, and the maidservant outside came slowly over. Then someone came over and replaced the tea and snacks. It is said that the cakes of Yaoji Shop in Beijing are delicious. These in front of him are pleasing to the eye.
She waved her hand to let the maid stand aside, then picked up a piece of cloud cake and put it into her mouth, swallowing it whole. It tasted good, but it was too sticky.
"Try it, it's from Yaoji Store. I don't know when the tea and snacks served to entertain guests can be eaten."
"You old bastard, you're doing these useless things."
The other old dukes rolled their eyes, but their hands were not slow. Each of them pinched a piece, followed the instruction, and swallowed it into their stomachs, filling the air with the fragrance.
Everyone laughed and drank some tea, which made them savor the memory.
"Okay, whether it's inside or outside the Great Wall, we need to have a few years of peace so that the court can take a breather. If we follow the speed of Luo Yunhou, do you think he will continue to march south or turn around and outflank the White Lotus Sect, shifting his attack and defense and winning."
Duke of Liguo Liu Biao disliked those twists and turns the most. He just waited for the battlefield to fight with swords and guns and break them with force.
Several people nodded slightly. The south of Beijing was just a small place. Even if it was in chaos, how many people could there be? Moreover, it was divided into two sects. The Taiping Sect rebels had been defeated in three battles and should not be able to hold on for long. On the other hand, the White Lotus Sect suddenly moved north to the mess in Xihe County. It was really a good move.
"It's good to have soldiers who dare to fight, but we must also consider the lives of our men. If the Taiping Sect has no soldiers available, then they should flee. There is no strategic location to defend south of Beijing. I think they will send a detachment to the south, and the main force should go straight to Runan City. As long as they lock on to Runan City, the White Lotus Sect will be trapped."
The hammer fell to the ground with a firm sound. Duke Niu Qing suddenly felt that if these old guys were not still around, most of the nobles would have exhausted their strength. Most of the younger generations were sensual and decadent people with bad reputations. There were not many who could make a difference. Even if they served in the army, they were just filling in the numbers.
If they leave one day, those civil servants who have been exploiting them will let them go.
"That's good. If the rebellion is quelled sooner, the interior of the country will be more stable. As for Wang Ziteng, the defeat is not his fault. The government troops have suffered heavy losses. With the current financial resources of the court, I'm afraid they can't be replenished in time. Therefore, the Beijing camp is the top priority. Bai Guangju, the Marquis of Xiangyang, has been appointed as the Supervisory Envoy, which can be regarded as a way to shut up those civil officials."
Chen Yi replied helplessly, the Beijing Camp has always been controlled by the Jia family. Although the two old guys left, the disciples did not leave. It's a pity that none of the younger generations have a promising future.
"That's enough. There will be a birthday banquet for the emperor in a few days. Those princes are not being honest."
A trace of fatigue flashed across Niu Qing's face. He was indeed old and useless. He had only been sitting for a short while, but he already looked much less energetic.
"Hmph, a bunch of clowns, they have the intention but not the courage. Don't worry about them. It's better to prepare some gifts. I've finished my tea. I'm going to go back and take a nap. I'm leaving now."
Liu Biao didn't even think about it, almost dropped his tea bowl, stood up, patted his hem, and left. The other people did the same, unrestrained and unrestrained. But they didn't know that every move in the capital was under the eyes of the secret guards. Not long after, a secret letter was sent to the palace.
"Report, eunuch, a secret letter from the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion."
Jingnan,
Outside Qinzhou City,
The large army did not stop, but headed north along the official road. Behind the team, Qin Yunjiang led 10,000 government troops and left in a fork road, heading straight for Qinzhou.
The smoke and dust rolled all the way.
Covering the sky and blocking out the sun,
Zhang Jinyu was sitting on the carriage in the central army, staring outside. The ground was all withered and yellow, with occasional green shade, which was also reflected under the distant mountains. Although there were tender buds, they were barely showing their teeth.
"Pass the order, let's move the frame forward,"
"Yes, Lord Marquis,"
Ning Bian's words were heard outside the carriage, and the carriage sped up a lot, and then it actually went in front of the army to clear the way. In this way, there was no smell of dust, and the vision was wide. Zhang Jinyu directly lifted the curtain and looked around.
There are endless mountains in the distance, standing in the north, like a jungle, and the road is not clear. No wonder the south of Beijing is dry. With these things blocking the water vapor, it would be strange if it is not dry.
"My Lord, what are you looking at?"
The Prince of Jin, who was standing behind him, saw that the Marquis was looking outside and couldn't help feeling curious. He looked around, but the scenery was monotonous. There was only the dust raised from the official road. There was no beautiful scenery at all.
"Look at the mountain ahead,"
"Huh? The mountain ahead?"
The King of Jin exclaimed, and then he leaned over and looked outside the carriage. The mountains, piled up one on top of the other, were majestic and magnificent.
Isn't that the territory of Xihe County? What's there to see? It's a poor, mountainous and water-scarce place.
"My Lord, these mountains are also within the boundaries of Xihe County. There are dense rivers under the mountains, and there is not much land that can be used."
"Your Highness is right. Those are just ordinary mountains ahead. But think about it, it is because of these mountains that the water from Xihe County cannot come. The terrain in the south of Beijing is flat and there are many plains. If water can be brought here like a canal, the south of Beijing will immediately become a treasure land with fertile fields for thousands of miles, connected to the heartland of the Central Plains. At that time, as long as the Central Plains and Jiangnan are stable, the world will be at peace."
These are also what Zhang Jinyu felt. No matter which dynasty, those who can compete for the throne of the world only have enough money, food, weapons and armor. Even a beggar can be pushed to the throne. Outside the Great Wall, one can only dominate. If the Luoyun Plain is well managed, it can also be a place of kings and hegemons. As for the Little Ice Age, no one knows when it will come.
King Jin looked at the mountains in the distance, and his mind became more distant. Perhaps what the Marquis said made sense, but now, the south of the capital was in ruins, and the court simply did not have the financial resources to govern this place. Even if the rebel army was still there, most of the cities were abandoned in the war, and it was useless.
"My Lord, although what you said makes sense, the court currently does not have the energy to do so. If we have that much money, we might as well govern Xihe County well, which may be better than wasting time in Jingnan."
However, in the past ten years or so, Jingnan has rebelled twice in succession. Perhaps in the future, the imperial court will no longer put any effort into it.
Not to mention the King of Jin, even Zhang Jinyu and his group understood this point clearly. If the court really had that much money, it would be better to train a new army to intimidate the world. There are plenty of people and land inside the Great Wall.
"Your Highness's words are reasonable. Just now, the Qinzhou scouts reported that General Yin and General Duan have already gone ahead and are expected to arrive in Runan City within three days. I think the evil people of the White Lotus Sect should change. If my guess is correct, the White Lotus Sect will either return to Runan and defend the city, or lead the army north and enter Xihe County. I don't know what the evil female leader will choose."
No matter what, we just need to follow behind and recover the lost territory. This is what is meant by "waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out".
The King of Jin lowered the curtains and nodded frequently. Although the view from outside was a bit boring, the mountains with a hint of lush green on them made him feel much more comfortable. Now he was almost certain of victory. The King of the North was defending the county town in Xihe County, while he and the Marquis would lead the army northward. With one in the south and one in the north, they would coordinate on both sides and the enemy army would surely be defeated.
"My Lord, don't worry. As long as the White Lotus Cult doesn't stir up trouble in the martial arts world, no matter how cunning they are, they are just turtles in a jar. I think the Prince of Beijing should be able to think of this."
Seeing the nonchalant look on King Jin's face, Zhang Jinyu touched his chin, somewhat puzzled. What did it mean to stir up the martial arts world? What could those sects that were not much stronger than peasants do?
He lowered the curtain, returned to the car, leaned back on the quilt, touched the tea bowl on the square table in the car, took a sip, and asked;
"Your Highness, the so-called Jianghu disciples are nothing more than a small force in the Jianghu. What great use can they have? They just have more disciples. If you fight alone, the soldiers under your command may not be able to defeat you. However, as long as you put on armor and line up, those Jianghu disciples will be like trash."
It's not that Zhang Jinyu is bragging. The battle formations and armors rely on the skillful method of killing people. The martial arts sects are just a bloody and brave spirit. The court has strictly ordered that the possession of armor is like treason. As long as there is solid evidence, the person will be killed without mercy.
"Haha, what the Marquis said makes sense. The people of Jianghu don't have the advantage of wearing armor in battle formations, but we can't underestimate those strong people with internal strength. They can assassinate and ambush. Their methods are comparable to those of the people in the Imperial City Bureau. In addition, these sects have many servants and children. If they surrender to them,
A trace of solemnity flashed across the face of King Jin. If the White Lotus Sect gathered these people, it would be really troublesome.
"Your Highness, please do not worry. If you surrender to that side, you will be charged with treason. If Your Highness finds it troublesome, you might as well take this opportunity to lead the army to quell the chaos in Xihe County and kill them all."
What big sects in the martial arts world? There are so many twists and turns in them. Zhang Jinyu doesn't have the energy to get involved in them. If there really is a master who can easily practice to the point of flying, he will stay as far away from him as possible. Ever since he met those old Taoist priests with big noses, he never thought that their heights are limited. In this case, it is better to wipe them out all at once. After killing all the people, who would know what happened.
King Jin and the two women in the car were stunned by such shocking words. King Jin swallowed his saliva and waved his hands repeatedly.
"My Lord, please don't joke. The martial arts world has its own rules, and the imperial court has its own laws. Some things are mutual. Although there are some martial arts sects in Xihe County, they are all famous and upright sects. They have been registered with the Imperial City Bureau. Besides, the martial arts world is so big and involves so many people. My Lord, please don't act recklessly. When we arrive in Runan City, I will send someone to pass on the message."
King Jin gave a bitter smile, and after much persuasion, Zhang Jinyu finally gave up these thoughts. Okay, when we get to the underworld, we will meet these so-called famous sects again. I wonder if there are any people from the magic sects, or some witches or something.
"Okay, I'll follow your instructions. Someone, hurry up and find a place to set up camp. Then check how far we are from Runan."
"Yes, Lord Marquis,"
Zhang Jinyu suddenly lifted the curtain of the carriage, and then gave an order to the team in front. After walking for a long time, they felt a little hungry. The personal soldiers outside the carriage responded, and then waved their hands. A sentry quickly waved the whip in his hand, squeezed the horse's belly, and galloped forward quickly.
In front of the team, clouds of dust were raised, and the road ahead was unclear. This time, the sun was setting and gradually it was getting dark, but like the colorful clouds in the sky, it suddenly turned pale, and someone shouted;
"Look, the sun is gone!"
(End of this chapter)