Chapter 920
: No Drinking in the Army
Chapter 920: No Drinking in the Army
"Hurry up, hurry up,"
Luo Yunhou's army marched southwards, and the vanguard general Yang Shixiong personally led a cavalry to clear the way. He sent out scouts to explore the area meticulously. After finding out the route, he urged the army to speed up.
On the official road,
Just as Zhang Jinyu said, the army was in a long snake formation, with smoke and dust billowing, and the army was in high spirits. In front, about a day's journey, the cavalry baggage led by Hu Shoucheng arrived at the open space beside the river first, waved his hand to stop them, and shouted,
"stop,"
The marching team immediately slowed down and stopped there. The wing guard Sima Shan Changyong rode over and asked;
"General, have we reached the front node?"
"Well, it's almost done. According to the cavalry's progress, it's enough for the infantry to walk for more than a day. Send someone to go ahead and see if there is a flat piece of land where General Wang Jie will set up camp."
Hu Shoucheng thought about the distance, running for half a day, marching slowly, the distance of the infantry for more than a day, and calculating the marching distance, that is, setting up camp here,
In front, Wing Guard Sima Shan Changyong led his troops to the front. On the west side of the official road, on the open space by the river bank, there was indeed a flat area with traces of camping. He got off his horse, squatted down, and touched the pit with his hand. It was full of horse manure. It was obvious that a large number of military horses stopped here. He immediately jumped on his warhorse and rode back, saying;
"General, the camp is ahead. There is a river to the west. There is a lot of horse manure and earth pits on the ground. It must be right."
"Okay, in that case, Wing Guard Sima, you lead 5,000 soldiers to camp here, cook and garrison here, and I will continue to march south with the baggage and the army. Do you understand?"
"Yes, General, I will obey your order."
After Hu Shoucheng finished his delivery, if the army rushed, they could reach the next node in the middle of the night and quickly shout;
"The first team will stay behind, and the rest of you will continue south. Go."
"drive!"
The rumbling sound of horse hooves rang out, and Hu Shoucheng's 30,000 cavalry, together with the endless baggage convoys, continued to move south. The remaining 5,000 troops quickly set up camp on the west side of the official road, while the baggage soldiers set up pots and cooked, and a lot of dishes were carried down from the carts.
On the northern official road, the front was led by the Right Guard of the Imperial Guard, led by He Xiaocheng, who constantly sent out scouts, especially to report on the movements of the army behind.
"Report, General, a large number of cavalry and baggage trains from the Beijing camp have advanced fifty miles away."
"Report, General, the main force of the Beijing camp is more than 30 miles behind us, and the speed is very fast, and it is closing the distance."
After a while,
The scouts in front and behind came to report one after another, and He Xiaocheng, who was riding on horseback, looked much better. They originally thought that they were the only ones who went first, and Marquis Luo Yun would wait until tomorrow to set out again. In this way, if something really happened during a day's journey, by the time reinforcements from the rear arrived, no matter how big the fire was, it would have been extinguished.
"Okay, tell the brothers to speed up the march. When we get to the front camp, have a good rest and a good meal, and then set out early tomorrow morning."
"Yes, General,"
The messenger clasped his fists and left. Only Deputy General Chen beside him asked cautiously:
"General, according to Marquis Luo Yun, the next resting place is a day's journey away. In this case, it will take half the night to get there. If the brothers walk this way, I'm afraid there will be complaints."
No wonder Deputy General Chen Shang said so, because the imperial guards only practiced once a day, and it was always in the morning.
In the afternoon,
Everyone can rest after eating. There is no need to march so quickly. Just now, many people in the team complained and groaned. If Luo Yunhou heard them, it would be difficult to explain.
"Hmph, you still dare to complain. You usually look down on the Beijing Army and say they are useless. You must have heard what I just reported. The troops following us are also marching fast and getting closer to us. If we walk slowly and get caught up, we will have no explanation. And,"
He Xiaocheng looked a little gloomy. Actually, he had his reasons for heading south quickly. After all, the commander of Daliang City was Wang Ziteng. It was much better to be under his command than to stay with Luo Yunhou. Besides, defending a city was always better than fighting in the field. With the right people, the city would be easier to defend.
"Don't you think that if we enter the city first and go up to the city wall to defend it, the battles that follow will not be ours to deal with. We can even serve under General Wang Jie. It is better to defend the city than to go out to fight."
Chen Shang's eyes lit up. It turned out that the general had already thought of a countermeasure. When he set out, he was thinking, what if Luo Yunhou issued an order to let the imperial guards be the vanguard and charge first? Now that he had this idea, it was a pity that the distance was too close.
Chen Shang's eyes turned, and he suddenly thought of a good plan. He rode his horse closer and said;
"General, if that's the case, then we should increase the distance. Let's go faster and eat at the front. After dinner, we will continue on the road. We can walk two more hours every day. When we reach Daliang City, we can save a day. We have all the baggage and tents we need. We can just set up a camp and rest."
"That's a good idea. You lead the way, and I'll have the baggage camp follow you. We'll also set up camp this way, and we need to move quickly."
After thinking it over with Xiaocheng, he decided that this method was really feasible. The Right Guard had not been training for three days and was resting this morning. As soon as they received the imperial order, they immediately organized the army and set out. It didn't matter if they walked a few more hours, so he nodded and agreed.
After Chen Shang received the order, he knew that the general had borrowed Luo Yunhou's marching strategy, so he quickly took his men to the back of the team, separated the baggage train, and led 10,000 soldiers to escort them ahead.
The main force of the Beijing Camp following behind was still moving at the same speed. Marquis Luo Yun was bored, so he jumped off the horse and pulled Lan Yue'er into the carriage of His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin. It must be said that the prince is the prince. This carriage is not only big but also spacious. There is a cashmere carpet at the back of the carriage, and the backrests of the surrounding benches are all covered with the finest bedding. Such conditions are unmatched.
As soon as I came in,
His Royal Highness Prince Jin was full of curiosity. Why did he come in with a personal soldier who was so thin? When he wanted to ask, Xia Yu beside him stopped him and whispered in his ear;
"Your Highness, the person who followed in is a disguised woman. I think she is the Marquis's man."
"The Marquis knows how to enjoy it."
King Zhou Ding of Jin was full of doubt. It was said that Marquis Luo Yun was very strict in disciplining his army and leading by example. How could he bring women with him on the march to war? He remembered what was written in the military books. No, the generals in the army said that bringing women with him on the march to war was a taboo and would bring disaster. How could it be like this?
Zhang Jinyu didn't care and stood outside in the wind for half a day, then he opened the curtain and went in. Fortunately he was not wearing armor, as it was too heavy to take off.
Lan Yue'er, who was behind him, followed him and walked in wearing a warrior's uniform. She sat down next to Zhang Jinyu without blushing or breathing heavily, and said nothing.
"Master Hou, what are you doing?"
"Ahem, I came in to talk to Your Highness about something. Please come in and have a seat. We still need three days of marching outside. Please take care of yourself, Your Highness."
There was also a square table in the car with a lot of tea and snacks on it. Needless to say, this treatment was arranged by the Grand Palace. Zhang Jinyu was not polite and picked up a plate of cloud cakes on the square table and shared it with Lan Yueer beside him. He stretched out his hand and pinched a few pieces and put them into his mouth. Zhou Ding was a little stunned. Xia Yu was still okay, but there were two eunuchs serving him closely opposite him, and they didn't dare to look up.
"My Lord, you are really honest. Who is this person beside you?"
King Zhou Ding of Jin didn't know what to say, so he changed the subject and asked.
"Your Highness, I am your concubine. I need to take care of some of your affairs on the way, just like Xia Yu by your side."
He did not dodge and said it openly. It was indeed inappropriate to bring women with him during the march, but he brought them with him. Outsiders could not see it. Besides, Hua Mulan had been in the army for so many years, and no one could tell.
"Well, my Lord, please be at ease. I have no other intentions. In this case, my Lord, I have brought a few jars of good wine and some snacks. If you don't mind, you can drink with me."
Zhou Ding pointed to the place where he was sitting, and there was a cabinet inside. Zhang Jinyu understood, wow, it was indeed the prince's trip, and he thought of it very carefully. He quickly stood up and opened the wooden chair under the seat. He saw that there was a place like a cabinet under the seat, which contained a lot of good wine and cooked food wrapped in oil paper, and even a lot of naan bread. This was just one seat, and there must be a lot of others.
"Your Highness is too polite. What do you mean by disgust? Come on, clear the table and have a couple of drinks to relieve your fatigue."
As he said this, he took out the wine and meat and placed them on the square table. He also placed two bowls on top and was about to fill them with wine when Zhang Jinyu suddenly sighed and stopped.
"Forget it. Drinking during a march is a taboo. It is better to drink tea instead of wine and accompany His Highness."
Zhang Jinyu finally put down the wine, took the teapot, filled two bowls, and placed them on the table. This behavior made King Jin a little confused. He looked happy just now, but now he seemed extremely cautious. He didn't know which one was the true face of Marquis Luo Yun.
"My Lord, do you think the wine is bad?"
"That's not the case. Your Highness's wine is Jiangnan sake, a top-grade wine. If this kind of wine is not good, then there will be no good wine in the world," Zhang Jinyu shook his head. As soon as he opened the lid, he smelled the aroma. Jiangnanchun, brewed with water from Jinghu Lake, is popular all over the country.
"If that's the case, why did the Marquis open the jar and not want to pour it out, and put the jar of wine back to its original place? What's the reason?"
Jin Wang Zhou Ding felt strange. The people here were all his confidants. It was harmless for just the two of them to drink a little. However, Zhang Jinyu shook his head.
"Your Highness, drinking is taboo in the army. Even if you hide in the car, no one outside will know. However, heaven and earth know, you know and I know. They know that the commander of the army can do nothing, can be lazy, but must not neglect his duties. Drinking will cause trouble. If something goes wrong, you can command with a clear mind and a knife. If you drink and get drunk, you will think of all kinds of ways to win when no one is around. I was reckless just now."
Although he was reckless, Zhang Jinyu was actually testing him. Since Prince of Jin Zhou Ding moved out of the palace and lived alone, there had not been any major changes. But during the court meeting, he seemed to have come to his senses. He spoke beautifully and did things in a comprehensive manner. This showed that someone was his ally. Among all the people around him, the only one who could be their ally was the Empress. The one who delivered the message was naturally the female historian Xia Yu. He really underestimated her.
"Lord Luo Yun has acted magnanimously, and I feel ashamed. I don't want to drink this wine, so I'll drink tea instead. Cheers."
"Dry,"
The two of them picked up their teacups, clinked their glasses, and then chatted inside the carriage. Outside, Ning Bian's personal soldiers followed closely around the carriage.
In the capital,
Youlai Restaurant,
Captain He and his men were downstairs, drinking tea and eating naan rolls with crispy meat. It's no wonder that almost all of the people who served him liked the way the Marquis ate.
After waiting for a long time, the shopkeeper did not come out. Captain He was getting impatient and wanted to catch up with the prince outside the city. He shouted at the counter,
"Boss, where is the person? Is he ready? I still have things to do."
"Hey, General, please be patient. Waiter, come here and give us some more tea."
"Okay, boss,"
The waiter came out of the back kitchen with a teapot in his hand and poured tea and water for the guests in a very familiar manner, which made He Baihu unable to find fault with it.
"Well, how long will it take?"
"Military, you have to wait a little longer. The meat has been roasted, and according to your instructions, one more has been roasted. I don't know why there are so many people here today. Usually, we have to wait until the evening to see so many people."
The shopkeeper was thin, but his response was sophisticated. With just a few words, he calmed down Captain He's anger.
"Okay, hurry up. Remember, pack some eight-treasure pickles before you leave. Also, are those students here arguing again because they have nothing better to do?"
Captain He asked casually. After all, the matter His Highness had given him could not be left without any progress.
What I just heard was the random discussions of the people, with no topic to talk about. If I go upstairs, my official uniform will be too conspicuous, so I want to ask the shopkeeper.
"Oh, General, you asked the right person. Before you came, many people were talking about the notice posted by the nobleman, saying that it was about the widow of a border soldier, whether she had remarried or not. I didn't understand what was going on, but they just started arguing, and a few people even started fighting."
The shopkeeper slapped his thigh. It was just a small matter. Some students upstairs actually fought each other. It was rare.
"Oh, this actually happened. It's true. Ah, ahaha."
Captain He was embarrassed but happy inside. The news had spread so quickly. It was one thing to quarrel with, but he had never expected that there would be fighting. He wanted to go up and take a look, but he thought it was too conspicuous, so he winked at a flag bearer beside him and asked him to go up and take a look.
Xiao Qi nodded, put down the knife, and went up to the attic with bare hands. He saw that the attic was full of guests, and they were all scholars, talking freely and happily.
suddenly,
Just as Xiaoqi was about to go back, the area in the southeast corner seemed a little quiet. Several tables next to him were like this, which was strange.
When I was still trying to take a closer look, the waiter who was delivering food downstairs said in the corridor;
"Military, please make way. The waiter is here to serve food to the distinguished guest upstairs."
Xiao Qi came back to his senses, stepped out of the way, leaned sideways, thanked the waiter, and went upstairs. Following the waiter's voice, he found that the dish was from the table in the southeast corner, a top-grade roasted whole lamb. This dish could not be eaten without hundreds of taels of silver. Who could it be?
With curiosity in his heart, he walked behind the pillar on the second floor, hid his body, and looked over carefully. Several noblemen were chatting there, and the guards around them were very capable, and their clothes were of different styles. The key point was that there was another person serving, and the clothes he wore were from the Honglu Temple. He knew this person, so how did he come here?
After taking a closer look, he did not see what those people behind him were saying. In order not to attract attention, he could only turn around and leave. However, he had a guess in his mind, so he went down the attic and walked quickly to Captain He.
"Sir, there are more people upstairs. It's full of scholars and students. I'm sitting at a few tables in the southeast, but I see people from the Honglu Temple serving. Several nobles are sitting inside drinking, and the people at the next table are all guards."
"What, you mean those princes are up there?"
Captain He's eyes lit up. It was His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin who asked them to pay more attention to these masters. They didn't expect them to come here to drink.
"Can you see clearly?"
"Sir, it's almost right. That kind of temperament can't be faked."
Xiao Qi shook his head. In their line of work, they could tell what kind of person they were at a glance. So, they could tell who those people were from aristocratic families at a glance. They would never make a wrong guess. After all, this was their job.
Captain He nodded. Since his men were so sure, they must be right. So, the princes were drinking upstairs, so how could they not know what happened today?
Thus,
I can explain this to the King of Jin and the Marquis, so it won't be a wasted trip.
"Boss, are you ready? We are all full."
"Oh, sir, I'm chopping it up and wrapping it for you. The oil paper is scorching hot. I'll wrap it up for you so you can hold it."
The shopkeepers quickly took a clean brocade cloth, put a dozen oil-paper bags of different sizes in it, tied them with ribbons, and then handed them to the people. Captain He nodded with satisfaction and asked;
"Shopkeeper, how much silver?"
The corner of He Baihu's mouth twitched. This bag is not a small amount of money. Unexpectedly, the shopkeeper smiled and replied;
"Oh, General, I've troubled you to wait for so long today. I'll make the decision. This is free. Just take it."
Seeing the shopkeeper's cordial farewell, Captain He's expression was slightly moved, and it was difficult to refuse.
"Okay, you know how to do business. So, let's keep the mutton. We brothers don't have much money, so how about giving us a deposit first?"
After saying that, he took out two taels of silver and put them on the table, then asked with a smile.
"Okay, when the general has money, he will send it to me. Please take it."
The shopkeeper nodded, agreed, picked up the two taels of silver on the table, put it in his sleeve, and said something nice. Captain He then got up with the package, walked out of the restaurant, immediately got on his horse, and went straight along the street, bypassed Qiu Lake, and headed straight for the South City Gate.
Looking around along the way, the matter that His Highness had instructed had already been hotly discussed in the capital, so the goal had been achieved. However, those princes had not made any move, so they must have had other hidden tricks.
"Gee, gee, get out of the way, this is official business, get out of the way."
There were too many people on the street, so Captain He could only show off his power and shout at people to leave.
(End of this chapter)