Chapter 958
: King Jin Has No Secret Decree
Chapter 958: King Jin Has No Secret Decree
"Hurry up, move the stone away,"
"Come here, call all the soldiers in the back, move all the huge trees under the city gate, open the gate for the army, and also go to the city to report to the commander-in-chief that the imperial reinforcements have arrived."
"Yes, General."
On top of the city,
The people who spoke were none other than the defenders of Hedong and Hexi, Peng Shiying and Dong Dawang. When they saw the army attacking outside the north city gate, they knew it was the imperial court's reinforcements, and they hurriedly ordered their few soldiers to start moving the huge logs and stones under the city gate.
Although the Taiping Rebellion troops from the north city were not many in number, the two of them successively served as the rear guard of the army, and finally lost the two camps on the left and right. The original troops on their hands were almost wiped out. The remaining troops, the two of them together, were no more than 6,000 people, including many young and strong people in the city. They thought it would take some time for the court to send troops south, but they never thought it would be so soon.
"Brother Peng, reinforcements have arrived, and we can sleep well tonight,"
Dong Dawang looked haggard, his armor was covered in blood, and the scales had fallen off in many places, which showed how fierce the fighting was. There were only a few of his personal soldiers left, and only a few veterans were left.
"Yes, I can sleep peacefully, but Brother Dong, the imperial army has returned, but the soldiers you and I brought from Hedong and Hexi counties are now few and far between. How can we go back with dignity? My eldest brother, hey."
Peng Shiying had a sad face, thinking back to when his elder brother had told him to retain his strength before he left. Now he only had over 3,000 old brothers left, and he felt extremely ashamed.
After hearing this, Dong Da Wang lost his relaxed look. Without saying a word, he looked at the imperial army approaching from the north and smiled bitterly.
"Haha, Brother Peng, can't you see clearly? The court may be taking this opportunity to consume the strength of the local government troops. If the local government troops really make contributions, we will also be rewarded and leave our homeland. If it is like now, the merits and demerits will offset each other, and the remaining soldiers brought back will not be a big deal. The court can use them with confidence in the future, and perhaps everyone will be happy."
At this point, they were not the only ones who suffered heavy losses. General He and Commander Hu only had their personal guards left. Even Commander Wang and Governor Lu were seriously injured. There was no point in saying more.
"It's enough for you and me to know. I'm just complaining here. You must not say another word in the future. Now it depends on whether General Wang Jie can find a reason for us to withdraw. The civil unrest in the south will cost lives."
Peng Shiying shook his head. He had long given up the idea of making meritorious service. It was good enough that the court did not punish him for the disastrous defeat of his army of more than 100,000. Now he just had to find a way to bring back the remaining old brothers.
"These are not for you and me to decide. It depends on what Marquis Luo Yun wants. As for the commander, I think he can return to the capital."
Dong Da Wang was a little dazed. On the northern official road, dust was flying, covering the sky and the sun. Dense figures appeared in the distance. How many people were coming? How could there be so many?
"Report, General, General Peng from the north of the city has come to report that the imperial court's reinforcements have arrived and have already attacked the east and west camps."
"Report, General, the two large businesses in the east and west have been burned down. The enemy camp in the south has been evacuated and set fire to the camp to stop them."
"Report, General Jie, Jia Lian, the commander of West City, sent a message that the bandit camp in West City has been burned down, the remaining bandits have been captive, and they are organizing soldiers to clear the city gates."
inside the city,
At the residence of the governor of Daliang City,
The messengers came one after another, reporting the situation outside the city, their voices filled with uncontrollable excitement.
"General, the imperial court's reinforcements are here,"
Sitting on the side seat at the east end, General Lu's body trembled, and his eyes flashed with surprise. It was the reinforcements from the imperial court that arrived. Even Wang Ziteng turned around suddenly, sat up straight, and asked;
"Did you see clearly? They are really reinforcements from the imperial court?"
"Reporting to the commander, General Lu, it is absolutely true that the one leading the troops here is Marquis Luo Yun. I have seen the iron armor of the elite cavalry outside the pass at the martial arts training ground of the Beijing camp. There is no doubt about it."
The messenger nodded vigorously and replied, "I can't be mistaken about the flag of Marquis Luo Yun.
Wang Ziteng sat in the main seat, his tense nerves relaxed instantly, it turned out that he was here, almost a feeling of fatigue after relaxation, a wave of dizziness rushed to his head, muttering to himself;
"It's here, it's finally here,"
immediately,
He put his hands on the armrests of the chair and shouted;
"Quickly, have Meng Yu and Wang Ren lead the troops to tidy up the camp. Also, have all the camps prepare food to welcome the Marquis into the city."
"Yes, Commander-in-Chief."
The messenger nodded excitedly, stood up and ran out the door.
Only two people were left sitting there, looking tired. Lu Daiyuan was still worried and asked;
"General, since the court has appointed Marquis Luo Yun to come to our aid, do you think he will come with the court's order? How should we, the defeated generals, respond?"
He was still worried about the Lu family. They had finally managed to get the position of Jiedushi. If the court punished them this time, it was still unknown whether they could keep the position.
The Lu family had their roots here for generations. If he lost his post as Jiedushi, he would be a sinner of the Lu family.
Wang Ziteng remained silent. He knew the old general's concerns. He was also worried about his own future. But at this point, he was not as skilled as his opponent. No matter how much he said, it was useless. Did he really not have talent in the art of war?
After this great defeat, he spent a long time alone in the room pondering, but he could not figure out where he had made mistakes in command, why the battle line collapsed at a critical moment, and why he had been defeated again and again. He had no clue.
"General Lu, rest assured. This defeat was caused by my improper command and the enemy's scheme. The blame lies with me alone. The old general, rest assured. I have already written a letter of apology. I will never forget your contribution."
After a few words, Lu Daiyuan blushed and lowered his head in shame, but he didn't know how to reply.
Outside the city at this time,
The army had already gathered. The officers and soldiers on the city walls were crying with joy. The reinforcements below the city were setting up camps on both sides of the official road. In other directions, raging fires had already been ablaze. If viewed from high above, Daliang City looked like it was being roasted on fire.
"My Lord, there are not enough barracks in the city. I will set up two large camps on both sides of the official road in the north of the city for the soldiers to rest. If it is not appropriate, please give me your instructions, Your Highness."
Not far from the north gate, the late Prince Jin looked at the blazing fires in the east and west in the distance with eyes full of curiosity.
He lifted the curtain of the car and asked;
"My Lord, why did you burn down such a large camp?"
Obviously, the King of Jin had a preconceived idea. Looking at the cavalry of the Marquis outside the tent, carrying kerosene crossbows, he must have used rockets, but he was secretly puzzled in his heart that they were so powerful.
Zhang Jinyu had already ridden to the outside of His Highness' carriage. He looked at the pity on Prince Jin's face and Song Da's fat figure, and found it a little funny.
"Your Highness, you have wronged me. One of these two camps was set on fire by the enemy themselves, and the other was set on fire for them to avoid an ambush. A mere rocket might not have set it on fire. The enemy army planted sulfur kerosene inside, waiting for us to rush in. It was a trap."
"Is there any loss?"
Since it was a trap, the imperial court's troops would certainly rush in. They must not bring bad luck to the great victory they had just won.
"There are losses. It is estimated that 3,000 cavalry are trapped inside. Fortunately, they are cavalry and can run fast. If infantry entered, it would be disastrous."
Zhang Jinyu did not hide the fact that even the wisest man can make mistakes. General Hu Shoucheng of Dingbei was too impatient.
"How could this be? The cavalry commander must be General Dingbei Hu Shoucheng. How could he be so careless?"
The King of Jin was obviously unhappy. The good situation had been distorted. The clerks in the army recorded the merits.
Looking at the Marquis and His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin chatting as if no one was around, Song Da was embarrassed. He couldn't leave, and he couldn't stay. He didn't dare to listen to the generals' affairs.
Perhaps seeing Song Da's uneasiness, Zhang Jinyu waved his hand.
"Song Jia Dalang, how to set up camp is still up to you. Look for the local water source and set up two large camps, one on the left and one on the right, to protect both sides of the official road and form a corner with Daliang City."
"Yes, sir, I will go right away."
After hearing this, Song Da was overjoyed and left in a hurry with his men.
It was a little funny to see His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin with a confused look in his eyes.
“Your Highness, victory and defeat are common in the military. We won by a long way before, so it’s no big deal if we lose a little now. How can we guarantee that we will not lose every time? In addition, there are the generals of the government army in Daliang City. Hundreds of thousands of government troops were defeated here. Your Highness must also consider how to appease the soldiers.” To be honest, the reason why he decided not to let the soldiers enter the city was that Zhang Jinyu felt something was wrong. The soldiers who had won a great victory were in high spirits.
The soldiers defending the city had been trapped for more than ten days and had lost all their morale. If they were to gather together and destroy the morale of their own soldiers, that would be a serious problem. To be on the safe side, it would be better for them to set up their own camps.
However, Jin Wang Zhou Ding still hadn't understood what the Marquis meant, and asked in confusion,
"My Lord, what do you mean by this? How can we appease the troops?"
Shouldn't the Marquis be in charge of these military affairs? He is only a nominal military supervisor and he doesn't know how to appease the soldiers.
Now it was Zhang Jinyu's turn to be a little confused. What did it mean to appease the army? Could it be that Your Highness tried to ask;
"Your Highness, after you left the city, did the palace give you any secret instructions or anything?"
"No, my father only said one sentence, to save Marshal Wang Jie's life, and did not say anything else, nor did he give any secret orders. Maybe he gave it to the Marquis."
Prince Jin widened his eyes and thought that this seemed to be all. Could it be that he had missed something? After thinking about it, it seemed that his father had only said this one sentence. As for the secret decree, he left in a hurry and did not have time to ask.
Staring at the face of Jin Wang Zhou Ding, it didn't seem like he was lying. Zhang Jinyu was a little dumbfounded. What was going on? The emperor didn't even give any secret orders!
I left in a hurry, and the emperor only gave me those instructions. He really didn't say how to deal with Wang Ziteng and others, whether to stay or withdraw. Of course, some soldiers still had to stay behind, but as for those palace army generals, it would be difficult to deal with them.
"Ahem, Your Highness, if there is really no secret order, I wonder if Your Highness has considered those palace army generals?"
Zhang Jinyu was also a little hesitant. There were many generals in the government army, and it seemed that Jia Lian from Rongguo Mansion was among them. He just didn't know how they were doing now. In addition, there was He Yong, the garrison commander of Hongnong City, and Hu Le, the governor of Sizhou. It was said long ago that these people's names were not good. How could they be called Bai Yong and Hu Shuo? He muttered to himself,
King Zhou Ding of Jin also came back to his senses at this moment. He knew that the Marquis had not received the order either, and was a little confused for a moment.
"My Lord, since the court has no order, my father once said that all the troops heading south will be commanded by you. Naturally, you will follow your orders. I will fully support whatever you do."
It was rare for the King of Jin to say this, Zhang Jinyu nodded in agreement, and then said what he was thinking.
"In this case, I suggest that General Wang lead the army back to the capital, leaving the troops of the Beijing camp behind, and all the troops of the capital army go back together. Envoy Lu will still be stationed in Daliang City. How do you think?"
This was considered as everyone going back to their own homes. If there was anything, they would discuss it with the court. The Beijing Camp Cavalry kept some of the newly recruited soldiers to supplement Gu Ping's troops, and the rest of the generals were not left behind.
"Okay, I'll listen to you, sir."
The King of Jin was a little hesitant, wondering if it would be a bad idea to return to the capital like this, but the Marquis had already made a decision, so he did not mention it.
Seeing that His Highness had agreed, Zhang Jinyu looked at the north gate and saw that it had been opened. The soldiers inside had already come out. It seemed that they had received the news, but they would not go into the city. He ordered Ningbian to send someone to pass on the message.
"Ningbian, send a message to all the commanders in the city to come to the central army tent to discuss matters immediately."
"Yes, Lord Marquis,"
"Hold the lamp."
In the capital,
The Hall of Nourishing Heart,
Following Eunuch Yun's shout, many of the serving eunuchs carried lanterns and walked carefully inside, lighting candles on the palace lanterns in various parts of the Hall of Mental Cultivation. After a while, the entire hall was as bright as day.
In the warm room,
Emperor Wu was still sleeping on the bed with his clothes on. Dai Quan led people to serve outside the screen. If there was any movement in the inner hall, he would take people in to check.
After an unknown amount of time, there was a noise from the bed. Dai Quan heard it and hurriedly led a few eunuchs into the warm room.
"Your Majesty, I am sorry to bother you."
"No, what time is it?"
Open your eyes slightly,
He lifted the blanket, sat up, and looked around. The lights were already on. Dai Quan came over to support Emperor Wu, and prepared toiletries for him, and helped him change his clothes.
"Your Majesty, it is time for dinner. I have specifically asked the Imperial Kitchen to postpone the dinner."
"You slept well today. You have been tossing and turning these days. Your headache has recurred. It has been a while since I felt so relaxed. Do you have any news from Marquis Luo Yun?"
Emperor Wu washed his hands, changed into a slightly thick dragon robe, sat at the table and drank a sip of tea. He felt much more energetic. In the past few days, he was worried about Wang Ziteng's blood letter asking for help and the defeat in Jingnan. His headache recurred.
I couldn't review memorials every day, and could only recuperate in the warm room. I don't know how it went today, but my headache didn't come back, and I felt much better.
Dai Quan's eyes were sharp. Seeing that His Majesty was in good spirits, it was obvious that Doctor Wang's medicine had taken effect.
"Your Majesty is blessed by heaven, and Marquis Luo Yun is also your lucky general. I think good things have happened to you. Your Majesty has sensed it. According to the secret report from the Imperial City Department, Marquis Luo Yun had already set up camp yesterday. It is expected that he will arrive in Daliang City this evening, or tomorrow at the latest."
Although the Imperial City Department reported the news urgently, the news would be delayed for one or two days due to the distance. Tonight, I have not received the letter yet, so I can only repeat the news from this morning.
"You are the most insightful old fellow and the best at talking. Let's set the table."
"Yes, Your Majesty,"
Dai Quan responded and waved his hand carefully.
"Go to the imperial kitchen and serve the meal,"
Several eunuchs were in charge of the matter, bowed their heads and left. Only Emperor Wu and Dai Quan were left in the room. They drank some tea and
Feeling relieved, Emperor Wu stood up and went to the imperial study. In just two days, he saw that the imperial desk was already filled with memorials. There was a hint of displeasure in his eyes.
"Has the cabinet submitted any memorials in the past few days?"
"Your Majesty, there is no urgent memorial from the cabinet, only letters of thanks from several princes. The Ministry of Internal Affairs has already received silver from various princes. I took the initiative to transfer this silver into the treasury."
Dai Quan stayed by his side carefully. He had sorted out all the memorials on the imperial desk and was just waiting for His Majesty's approval.
"That's right. The 60th birthday of the Emperor Retired needs to be celebrated in a grand manner. I have decided to host a banquet for all the ministers and the princes in the Palace of Heavenly Purity. There are still more than 20 days left at the end of the month. You will be in charge of arranging the layout of the palace yourself. The expenses will be paid from the money collected."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I will obey your order."
Emperor Wu sat on the dragon throne, took a memorial in his hand, and read it carefully. It was nothing but a trivial matter. He frowned, thinking of what Marquis Luo Yun said. The cabinet was to help His Majesty review memorials. If some trivial matters were to be presented to His Majesty, wouldn't it be redundant?
Thinking of this,
Emperor Wu was a little hesitant. The right to approve documents was a rule left by the retired emperor. Only by checking all the details could the whole world be clear. However, with so many memorials, he was really unable to review them.
"Dai Quan, from now on, you, the seal holder of the Imperial Household Department, must also gather people together and set up a meeting room on the west side of the Imperial Study in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. The Imperial Household Department will review the memorials sent by the Cabinet. They will approve trivial matters, but will submit important matters to the imperial desk. They will rebuke these fabricated auspicious signs."
After saying that, he threw the memorial in his hand on the ground. Dai Quan was stunned for a moment, then his face became overjoyed, and he quickly knelt on the ground and kowtowed.
"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty. I will certainly help you to share your worries."
After bowing, he quickly took the memorial from the ground and opened it. It turned out to be written by the governor of Changyun County. It said that a colorful cloud suddenly floated in the county and fell into the inner city, like a fairyland on earth. It only dissipated at noon. It was indeed a good omen.
Dai Quan glanced at it and twitched his lips. Since the beginning of June, there have been continuous auspicious congratulatory messages from all over Dawu. Even if it is really rare, it will not be rare if there are too many. How can it be reported like this? Fortunately, His Majesty has given the Imperial Household Department the power to approve it. It is really a great joy. This person has been noted down.
After pondering for a while, I stood up and heard a report from outside.
"My Lord, the imperial kitchen has served the meal."
(End of this chapter)