Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 494 Who can lead the army south?
In the Hall of Mental Cultivation,

Dai Quan answered respectfully, walked to the table carefully, poured a bowl of hot tea for the emperor, and then whispered,

"Your Majesty, drink some hot tea, warm yourself up, and take a rest,"

"Well, I'm a little tired."

Emperor Wu Zhou Shihong put down his imperial pen, took the tea bowl and tasted it carefully to moisten his throat. The Jinghu tea from the south of the Yangtze River still had the same taste. It was just that although it was good to stay in the capital, the smell of fireworks was very strong and was not beneficial to the country, so he wanted to move the capital. The Central Plains is used to control the world. Although the world seems to be peaceful now, there are countless people in the feudal towns who have different intentions. As long as the court is weak at all, there will be dangers everywhere, so I must not slack off.

in addition,

It is about military power. Although the military power of the government army lies in the imperial court, the shortage is too huge. There are many old, weak, sick and disabled, and there are more officials and generals attached to the government army. It is really impossible to take action, even in the cities around the important place of Jingshu in Zhongzhou, right under your nose. It's also a way of deceiving the superiors and concealing the truth from the inferiors, which is inappropriate.

If we can get in bit by bit, will the government army be able to make a difference? Just like the border government army, they still have some combat effectiveness in defending the city against the soldiers on the grassland.

Thinking of this, many thoughts came to Emperor Wu's mind. However, the government army was also under the control of local generals and officials, so it was difficult for the court to do anything. Unless they were unified together and directly formed an army, who would lead the army? .

Emperor Wu sighed again, it would be better to consider the long term.

Then he raised his head,
Looking at Dai Quan in front of the imperial table, something must have happened. Those noble disciples in the capital were even more dissatisfied and asked,
"What were you doing in a hurry just now? What happened in the capital?"

"Your Majesty has a keen eye. I can't hide anything from your Majesty. The great blessings you receive from your Majesty are not something that happened in the capital."

Just as Dai Quan was about to say something, he suddenly remembered that there were other people in the hall. He paused and turned around and said,

"You four, go down first,"

"Yes,"

The four eunuchs saluted and walked quickly out of the study one after another. After everyone left, Xiao Yunzi, who was guarding the door, walked in and closed the door, and then stayed there to watch.

After waiting in the study room, he retreated from the chamberlain.

Seeing this situation, Emperor Wu was shocked and wondered. Since it was not a matter of the capital, it was a matter of the border. The Donghu people could not be so unwise. Nowadays, they are recuperating and recuperating, and they are attacking Shanbei Pass on a large scale. The gains outweigh the losses. , there is no way to sustain food and grass. It is impossible for King Youxian, Marquis Qiti, not to know the pros and cons. Could it be that he is from Xianbei? He asked,

"Since it's not a matter in the capital, could it be that outside the Shanxi Pass, Qitihou has made a comeback? Or maybe it's in the northwest!"

Dai Quan shook his head solemnly,
"Your Majesty, it's not the case. The secret guard sent a secret report that there is trouble in Linshan County in the south of Beijing."

"what!"

Zhou Shihong paused for a moment while holding the tea bowl, and then looked over in disbelief. Linshan County in the south of Beijing is the southernmost plain in the hinterland of the Central Plains. If it were not for the lack of water, it would be the granary of the Central Plains. In the past, this place was poor and unknown. When he was still the prince, what remembered him was not the turmoil in his father's later years. The disaster of the White Lotus Sect shocked the whole world. The army of chaos was almost approaching the capital. If it were not for the two old princes of Ning Rong's second mansion, they would The Beijing camp was near Daliang City. They defeated the main force of the White Lotus Sect's rebels in one fell swoop and killed the senior leaders of the White Lotus Sect, including the deputy leader. I am afraid that the world has long been corrupted. Now that the land south of Jing is mentioned is in chaos, my heart suddenly tightens. Although I haven't asked yet. , but the hand holding the tea bowl can no longer hold it.

Suddenly I remembered what the former prince said, the chaos in the Central Plains caused chaos in the south of Beijing, and the chaos in the south of Beijing caused chaos among the hungry people. Together with the hungry people, even if there is no White Lotus Sect, there is still the Red Lotus Sect and the Black Lotus Sect, so the rebels must be wiped out. Thieves are trying to save the hearts of the people. At that time, Jingnan General Jingnanhou led troops to suppress it. But after the prince rebelled, there was no one to guard this place. This led to a catastrophe. Now it has passed. It has been ten years. Could it be that the past is about to happen again?

He gently placed the tea bowl on the imperial desk, and finally touched it, whether intentionally or unintentionally. The lid of the tea bowl touched a corner and slipped down.

"Tell me, what trouble could have happened? Could it be that the White Lotus Sect is back?"

Although the emperor's mood could not be heard in his voice, Dai Quan, who was following Emperor Wu, did not know his majesty's habits and knew that his majesty was extremely concerned about this matter. The secret letter was placed on the table with the secret letter from Lin Yue Mansion's secret guard, and he replied,
"Your Majesty, the land south of Beijing, especially Linshan County, has been suffering from severe drought for the past two years. People are hungry everywhere, and thieves have emerged in droves. In the past few months, people have gathered and rebelled. The White Lotus Sect has not noticed it, but the Taiping Sect has not noticed it. The people mingled among them, and now they have arrived at Linyue Mansion. The city was besieged, and Dingzhou City and Zhaozhou City were captured by the thieves. However, the general of the government army gathered all the troops to wait for help, and Gu Ping, the general of Jingnan in the county, quickly arrived. We have assembled 3 troops to go south for rescue. I think we should be able to arrive in the next few days and the news will be sent."

"Haha, okay, very good. Everything is done. Come and inform me again. What a group of good ministers. What kind of chaos and rebellion? Isn't it just that the hungry people have no hope of survival and are mixed into it by the Taiping Cult? Huh, one call and hundreds of answers, they rose up. I remember that the White Lotus Sect seemed to have taken advantage of the situation in the same way back then. Counting the time, it has not been 20 years, and all those local officials deserve to die!"

Emperor Wu Zhou Shihong laughed angrily and swept everything on the imperial desk to the ground with a wave of his arms. With a "bang", even his most beloved tea bowl was smashed to pieces. Dai Quan was so frightened that he immediately bowed his head and knelt down.

"Your Majesty calm down, Your Majesty calm down!"

"Calm down, how can I calm down? Those corrupt officials really don't take the court or me seriously. Dai Quan, tell me the truth. Did you know about this kind of thing in advance or not?"

suddenly,

Emperor Wu looked over with sharp eyes, stared into Dai Quan's eyes and asked. Dai Quan was so frightened that he immediately knelt down on his knees and worshiped,

"Back to Your Majesty, this old slave swears to God that he never knew about it. He just received the secret message today. After interrogating the messenger, he immediately entered the palace and did not dare to neglect it. Please take a closer look at it, Your Majesty."

"Okay, get up. I hope what you said is true."

"Your Majesty, you must not dare to deceive Your Majesty,"

After saying that, he kowtowed again, then stood up shivering.

At this time, Emperor Wu obviously had doubts about the cabinet and even the Chief of Ceremonies. The court and himself did not hear any news about such a big matter. It didn't feel right. As for the civil unrest in the south of Beijing. , seems to be Dawu's demonic barrier. As long as this place is unstable, the Central Plains will inevitably be in turmoil. I felt a little uneasy and asked,

"As you just said, how long has it been since Jingnan General Gu Ping led his army south?"

"It should take no more than five days to get back to Your Majesty. We should be close to Lin Yue Mansion now. If the time is right, General Gu will lead his army to make a surprise attack and cooperate with the defenders of Lin Yue Mansion from inside and outside. I am afraid that the rebel army will be defeated by then. At once."

"So what?"

Dai Quan wanted to say a few words of comfort, but was interrupted by Emperor Wu in a rather angry tone.

"You still want to win a battle. Since you dare to rebel, you must be confident. Think about what happened back then. If it was so easy to suppress, there was also the disaster of the White Lotus Sect. In addition, where was Yu Renze, the governor of Jingnan? What are you doing? Let the secret guards check it out."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I have arranged for capable people to go to the south of Beijing to investigate. However, it is currently rumored that after passing through Daliang City, the refugees from south of the capital have already crowded the official roads, and there may be a tendency to spread." Looking at Wu The emperor's anger was still lingering, so Dai Quan had no choice but to report the situation of the expedition sent south to investigate. He always felt that something big was going to happen.

Emperor Wu sat on the soft cushions of the dragon couch, his face stiffened, and he pondered for a while. In Daliang City, Lu Daiyuan, the military governor, was his father's former right-hand man. This place was also the place where the rebels were eliminated. With him here, it would be a while. There is no need to worry, but Linshan County cannot be lost. This place is the hinterland of Jingnan. If it is lost, Jingnan will also be lost.

"Dai Quan, please quickly ask all the cabinet ministers, Wang Ziteng, the governor of the Beijing camp, Kang Mengyu, the commander of the imperial army, and the Marquis of Luo Yun to come to Yangxin Hall quickly, and tell me what you think of Gu Ping's 3 troops. Going south, how sure are you of suppressing civil unrest?"

"This, your Majesty, I dare not speak nonsense,"

Dai Quan immediately knelt down. How could he dare to talk nonsense about this matter? He didn't know the specific situation. He had no idea how the Taiping Sect got through. As for how many rebels there were and how many dared to fight against the rebel army, he didn't even know.

"If I ask you to tell me, just tell me, what is the approximate percentage?"

Emperor Wu asked again impatiently. As a last resort, Dai Quan could only reply with a grimace,
"Your Majesty, it stands to reason that no matter how many people there are in a group of rioters, they cannot be a match for the [-] soldiers in the south of Beijing. However, I am afraid that someone will get involved. The White Lotus Sect has learned from the past, and now there is cholera from the Taiping Sect. This old slave is actually worried in his heart. There is no bottom line, so I really don’t dare to say anything about the outcome, so please forgive me, Your Majesty.”

After hearing Dai Quan's answer, Emperor Wu closed his eyes and confirmed his suspicion. What does not dare mean is that there is no hope of being able to suppress it. Suddenly he felt that his body was really weak and he waved his hands.
"Hurry up, go down and summon all the ministers,"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Dai Quan kowtowed, stood up and walked out of the imperial study room in a hurry. Xiao Yunzi followed him out and closed the door.

Emperor Wu was left alone to sit quietly in the study, looking at the mess on the ground, and sighed. Most of the officials in the dynasty were doing nothing. They said they were invincible, scolded Fang Qiu, and were unable to do anything. These are some Beijing officials who can boast and have high ambitions but low ambitions are not bad. Those who are capable are greedy and bring trouble to the people, which is the reason for today's disaster.

If local officials lose their morals, the court will lose their morals. If the court loses their morals, the people of the world will lose their confidence. When encountering great chaos, they will inevitably respond to everything.

However, Marquis Luo Yun was the only one who saw the imperial court's national shortcomings, gave advice and suggestions, and put it into practice. In the eyes of Emperor Wu, he became more and more honest, down-to-earth, and dedicated to the imperial court. He was really a role model for ministers. Even though he was young, he was a little impulsive and lustful. It's harmless.

But looking at the world, there are a few Luo Yunhou, especially those who hold heavy troops, follow him and listen to orders conscientiously. Earlier, there were officials who reported privately. If Luo Yunhou's military power is not restricted, I am afraid there will be another one. King Xi, how could those officials who only talk nonsense know that without him, the land outside the pass would have fallen into the hands of the Jurchens long ago. Without the pass, there would never be peace in the northern land of the pass. Where could we mobilize troops? Support Guan Nei.

Nowadays, Dawu is a civil servant of the imperial court, and there is a conflict between the northern and southern township parties. Although he has bridged the gap with force, it is just a matter of face and heart. Last year's imperial examination is a precedent. If we want to check the number of official positions in the world again, , the gentry and bureaucrats who have benefited from it are bound to rebel. If ambitious people join forces again... the country is in danger!
Furthermore, if things remain unchanged, the civil unrest is just around the corner. If it is not put out, it may happen again. The White Lotus Sect has left and the Taiping Sect has come. Then what kind of sect will come after the Taiping Sect has left.

It will inevitably fall into a cycle of repetition, and there will be no peace. If the Northland becomes unstable again, how will the country and the dynasty respond at that time?
After all, it is still military power, the four princes and the eight princes...

Emperor Wu Zhou Shihong's eyes were uncertain, and he was thinking in his mind that the Beijing camp now has 3 sailors, 20 infantry, 2 cavalry, and [-] elite battalions left over from Ningrong's second mansion. A total of more than three hundred thousand.

As for the Forbidden Army, in addition to the 3 people guarding the imperial city, there are 20 Forbidden Army. Thanks to the horses sent back by Marquis Luo Yun, there are also 16 cavalry and [-] infantry. This is the strength in my hands.

Although there are 20 people on Marquis Luo Yun's side, in addition to the guards, they still have to leave enough troops to guard against the Jurchens. In total, they can support [-] infantry and cavalry from outside the pass, but it is too far away from the capital, and it is far away from the water. As for the border troops, they must not move lightly unless they are close to thirst. The Donghu people stared at the pass eagerly and could not relax in the slightest.

In the end, we can only continue our father's strategy at that time. If something happens in the south, the Beijing camp will lead the army south, and the imperial army will stay in the capital. He is just the commander, who can lead the army south!
Is there any other way, such as gathering the government troops to form a large army? This matter has also been discussed with the Minister of War. It is feasible, but there is no chance. Nowadays, it is a rare opportunity.

Emperor Wu had all kinds of thoughts in his mind, but he couldn't express them. He glanced at the candlelight in the hall,

Then I thought about Wang Ziteng, the Jiedushi of the Beijing Camp, and the noble sons of the capital, and I had a headache. I wanted to let Marquis Luo Yun lead the army, but this was quite difficult. The Beijing Camp was not a frontier army, and besides, , the three princes are about to leave the palace, and the capital still needs his protection. This matter will be discussed by the cabinet again.

harem,

Kunning Palace.

Queen Jiang sat in the main hall, looked at the three sons in front of her tenderly, and explained,
"Since I will be in charge of the palace in the future, I must first take charge of the money. The expenses of the palace, the salary of the servants, and private expenses all need money. This is the salary of the three of you over the years. I will I will give you some compensation, 10 taels of silver notes per person, and for the others, each person will have an imperial village, and the others will be gone. This is what your father specially told you."

"What, there are too few queens."

"That's right, Queen Mother, I'm afraid these are just enough for the expenses of the palace. What can you do with this little money?"

The eldest prince and the second prince were both a little confused. They thought that the money given to each person was only a few million taels, but they didn't know that it was just this. If they were extravagant, they would be gone in a few days. The third prince also knew that the money was of great use. Also speaking out,

"Mother, is it really too little? The salary of those servants is probably too much."

"Yes, my mother also thinks it is less, but that's what your father told you. As for the imperial guards, the maids in the palace, and the royal guards of the imperial city, you can only find a way to negotiate with your father about their salaries."

Empress Jiang looked at the miserable faces of the three people and couldn't bear it. She reminded her that this matter was arranged by the emperor and she couldn't interfere, so she still intervened. The three princes' eyes lit up and they understood what the empress meant. , each nodded.

"Listen, the three of you. Tomorrow you will start preparing to leave the palace and build a palace. From now on, when you live in the palace, be careful about everything. If anything happens, just tell the female historian who accompanied you there. The queen mother has specially arranged it for you. A great leader."

The eldest prince Zhou Ding was a little puzzled. The commander-in-chief had made special arrangements. It was said that the people in the imperial army were all showmen.

"Mother, who are you arranging? Is it the Kang family of the Forbidden Army?"

"Yes, Queen Mother, she can't be that cold-faced guy Kang Mengyu, right?"

Only King Zhou Long of Chu did not speak. He stood there laughing and wondered why. Queen Jiang's face straightened.
"How are you talking, second brother? From now on, when you go outside and leave your mother's side, you have to be more careful with what you say. You must not do this. Don't talk nonsense. Remember."

"Yes, Queen Mother, I am sorry for you. I was just joking just now. Then who is the commander arranged by Queen Mother?"

Queen Jiang smiled mysteriously and said,

"It's Zhang Jinyu, Marquis of Luoyun, but I still remember him."

The expressions of the three princes changed and they looked at each other. It was him who was broken!
(End of this chapter)