Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 656 Zhou Yongxiao’s Thoughts
Linshan County,

Several streets in front of the chief envoy's residence had long been blocked by troops sent by Wu Shiming, and they were completely surrounded.

He even sent his confidants to lead the troops and monitor the major officials in the city, especially those from the Imperial City Department, who had long been surrounded.

at this time,

Outside the house,

The chief envoy to the south of Beijing, Yu Shi, was in tears. His face was full of disbelief. He actually knelt on the ground and cried bitterly, wailing,

"Your Highness, I am ashamed of myself. What qualifications do I have to be your teacher? In times of crisis, I was not by your side and did not lend a helping hand. After your accident, you were left hanging and living in vain. Be a teacher."

A cry,
All the confidants behind Yu Shiyuan knelt down and worshiped on the ground. Everyone knew that the noble person in front of them was the Crown Prince Zhou Yongxiao, the person he had followed.

Worship with one voice;

"I (the last general) see His Highness the Crown Prince, His Highness is a thousand years old!"

"Thank you very much, teacher. The students feel comfortable today, as if they have received a new lease of life."

Thinking of this, he said again;
"Your Highness, I have come here with a perfect plan. Half a month ago, I received a report from the court that the troops heading south have been assembled. I think the day of marching south is not far away."

Without going to the hall, he was directly on the kang in the back hall. Yu Shiyuan had already asked the maid to prepare a soft cushion for the bed, put a thick quilt on it, and asked the prince Zhou Yongxiao to lie on the kang. He also had someone make ginseng soup and bring it to him. ,

A group of people, with their clothes on and their armor on, looked indifferent,

"Get a life, Gu is no longer a prince. All that's left is residual, struggling to live. Today, for the first time in many years, I walk under the sun and see how the world has changed."

"Your Highness, what are your legs?"

"Your Highness, you can't do this again. You're embarrassing me. As long as people are still there, there is hope. I have always advised you to endure it. But I was wrong as a teacher. The anger of an ordinary man will cause blood to splash five steps. Sometimes Tianyu will not go away unless Due to the chaos, if the Jia family of Ning Rong's second house had not rebelled, His Highness would have been on the throne long ago. I have been thinking, why did the Jia family rebel that night? "

After speaking,
Moving his legs and feet with difficulty, Zuo Feng saw this and hurriedly stepped forward to help him, and then limped out of the carriage. His thin figure made people feel worried, but the gleam in his eyes, that kind of temperament, No one can compare.

Silently, he followed the two of them into the mansion.
In the inner hall of the backyard,

"You, it's still like this, Shi Jia, you have a motive. The eldest son of Baoling Hou and his wife were both killed. The second son inherited the family business and married the second daughter of Wang Lang's family in Nan'an County. Thinking about it this way, I figured it out.

"Teacher, don't worry. I'm always injured. When I was escaping from the East Palace, I broke my leg. I didn't see a doctor in time. It was delayed. Later, I broke the bone again and reattached it. Some of the root causes of the disease have been removed."

Yu Shiyuan's face was sad, his eyes were filled with tears, and his guilt was self-evident. He thought that he would still be able to see His Highness in his lifetime. God would be so kind to him. He thought of the previous report from his confidants about the unknown soldiers and horses outside the city. If his guess is correct now, Even His Highness, I don’t know if His Highness really wants to meet the world this time?

Zhou Yongxiao didn't beat around the bush, it should have been caused by the historian leaking secrets. It's an old matter, so it's okay not to mention it. He stared at Yu Shiyuan's eyes and said.

After everything was settled, Zhou Yongxiao felt a little emotional. He had been hiding in hiding for so long. Although he had no worries about food and clothing and the expenses were comparable to those in the palace, it was a pity that he could only live in seclusion in one place. Today, he could finally see the light of day again.

"Haha, the teacher understands me. The student had already planned and asked the teacher to help me. As for what happened back then, I investigated it for a long time and finally got a clue. The teacher remembers the Shi family. The wife of Rong Guofu is the legitimate daughter of the Shi family. How did a pair of princes come to be?"

Even Kou Zijing looked excited. His Highness was back. Brother Zuo looked up at the general who had dismounted. As if he felt something, he actually turned back and looked at each other, full of relief.

"Teacher, please come too."

Zhou Yongxiao was used to it. He had been going through this for so many years. The pain in his body was nothing compared to the heartache. He had been facing it with patience, but hearing it in Yu Shiyuan's ears was particularly harsh. The prince had experienced so much suffering, and he had to suffer like this. torture,
"I'm useless. Your Highness, hurry up and go inside to rest."

Yu Shiyuan was shocked when he saw this, looked at His Highness's legs worriedly, and asked urgently;

By the way, I have already made preparations. In Linshan County, the granaries are full, the treasury, money, and armor are all there. There are 30,000 soldiers, 50,000 new soldiers, 10,000 guards to defend the city, and cloth. The political envoy has 10,000 hidden troops, totaling more than 100,000 people. Today, I will hand them all over to you. But, Yongxiao, is this the right time? "

Even so, Zhou Yongxiao was gentle and gentle, without losing the etiquette of a master and a disciple, which made the people around him feel ashamed.

The people around were shocked when they heard this. Even Zuo Feng looked at the old man in disbelief. How could it be possible that the old man had such courage? With so many soldiers and horses hidden in front of him, how could he avoid the eyes of General Gu Ping of Jingnan? Woolen cloth.

"Of course it's not the right time, teacher. As the saying goes, one learns from one's mistakes. Now the world is in chaos, and the feudal towns are ready to move. Students also know that any tree that is beautiful in the forest will be destroyed by the wind. Now it still needs to lie dormant. The student made a mistake once "Why don't you keep it in mind? Now, the disciple is still wearing the banner of the Taiping Sect. The first move, the imperial army marching south, is his son who will be eaten."

Zhou Yongxiao looked at the old man in front of him steadily and murmured.

Who knows,

There was a look of relief on Yu Shiyuan's face. Although those who are the first to cause chaos in the world may have a reputation, they may not succeed. They are dormant, waiting for the opportunity to act, and they will declare defeat before they win. They need to have a complete strategy.
"What a secret to Chencang, what a Taiping Sect. Your Highness, I am in the imperial court today. I have been the emperor for eight years now. The end is done. It is a foregone conclusion. Although the Queen Mother is still there, the harem is not allowed to interfere in politics and is unable to do anything anymore. to lend a helping hand,
The one who is the first to cause chaos in the world, no matter how high he jumps, is just a pioneer for the king. He accumulates food widely, slowly becomes the king, chooses a place as the foundation, and waits for the right time to have a chance of survival. Otherwise, Yongxiao will have no chance. The south is short of water and is not the land of kings and hegemons. Zijing, is there any movement in Daliang City in the north? "

These words,

Yu Shiyuan had thought about it for a long time before he finally figured out that the throne was just a dream. If one or two counties could be crowned king, it might be a good result. The worst thing is to fight for one place and settle in a corner.

After saying those words, it was as if the all-powerful Crown Prince Taibao and the think tank teacher of the East Palace were back again.
Everyone in the room was silent and understood the underlying meaning of Yu Shiyuan's words. Kou Zijing and Wu Shiming were almost disciples and disciples. How could they not know these things? Seeing that His Highness the Crown Prince was safe and sound was still so convincing. Just like the spring breeze, we have to brave the ends of the world.
I was even more excited,
After hearing his mentor's question, Kou Zijing cupped his fists and replied;
"Go back to my mentor, return to your highness. Lu Daiyuan, the military governor of Daliang City in the north, is leading the army. He has already led the army north to the capital. According to the time, he has arrived in the capital long ago. The imperial court's army is marching south. The leader is Wang Ziteng, the military governor of the capital camp. I want reinforcements from the imperial court. No. The sun is heading south, and the first one to bear the brunt is Linshan County. I don’t have much time to wait!”

Kou Zijing's words are also a reminder that Linshan County is not a good place. The place of the Four Wars and the main transportation road are battlegrounds for military strategists. Every force wants to monopolize this place. This shows the importance of Linshan County.

"Teacher, what do you think?"

Zhou Yongxiao thought for a long time and felt that his previous ideas were somewhat flawed and his plan was not changing fast enough. To be on the safe side, he asked,
"Haha, Your Highness, it's not what I think, but how you plan? Should you strike first or strike later!"

Yu Shiyuan stood up and laughed, then made a pot of tea himself, poured a bowl of tea, brought it to the kang, put it on the table, and pushed it in front of Zhou Yongxiao.

"Teacher, my disciple's previous thoughts were not to take root in the southern part of Beijing. He also thought that he would let Linshan County go and concentrate his efforts on Weizhou first, waiting for the opportunity. The teacher may not know that the White Lotus Sect has now returned to the world. , they gathered most of them in Linzhou. After settling down, they will go north to Qinzhou to capture the important town of Runan in the northeast. After capturing this place, they can enter Jiangnan. They can advance, attack, retreat or defend. Then the opportunity will be coming."

Zhou Yongxiao's previous idea was to arrange it in this way. He would join the main force of the Taiping Sect to severely damage the imperial army's southward march. Then he would move to the northeast and cooperate with the White Lotus Sect to capture the important town of Runan. Finally, he would gather an army to enter Jiangnan and use Jiangnan as his hegemony and a land of money, grain and taxation. , with Jiangnan, there is enough money to recruit troops,
As for the court, there is no hope at all, even if the Supreme Emperor issues an imperial edict to punish himself, otherwise, how will the new emperor handle himself after he returns? If he had been more decisive in the early years, perhaps Su Yuankui's tragic death would not have happened.

For a moment, I felt nostalgic, and some memories were even cruel. If Su Yuankui was still there, there would be one more commander to lead the army, one in the south and one in the north, and great things could be accomplished.

unfortunately,

Yu Shiyuan, who was supposed to be somewhat comforting, immediately roared and exclaimed after hearing the prince's words;
"I'm confused, it's really going to happen then! Your Highness is the way to death. The White Lotus Sect is just a bandit who brings trouble to the world. They go to the south of the Yangtze River to plunder and plunder. Sooner or later they will be destroyed.
Your Highness, you should know that the important land south of the Yangtze River is a place that the imperial court, your Majesty, and even the Supreme Emperor must protect. If Jiangnan is lost, the imperial court's tax revenue will be reduced by half. At that time, the imperial court will definitely send troops to suppress it with all its strength. The army, the soldiers outside the pass, the Beijing camp and even the imperial army will fight back crazily. At that time, who can block their front. "

Yu Shiyuan continued with a calm face,

"No one can stop it! Your Highness, you have to know that the four kings and eight princes, as well as the vassal towns and military governors all over the world, all want to pursue their own interests. But if the court loses control of the world and is even replaced by others, many people are unwilling to do so. What I want to see,
Because, whoever moves first before the time comes is just a person who is messing up the world, and everyone will punish him. Although I am old and cannot see the general situation clearly, my eyes have not yet become dim. What does the court value and what does it not care about? I am an official. After ten years, I can still see clearly. "

These words from the bottom of my heart make sense.
Let everyone in the room be convinced.

Zhou Yongxiao lay on the kang and thought about what his teacher said. It was indeed true. The imperial court could not leave the important land of Jiangnan alone. There had always been rumors that the one who conquered Jiangnan would conquer the world. He really wanted to occupy the tax land of Jiangnan. The military meeting suppressed by the imperial court They keep coming, and there is no room to breathe and recuperate, and defeat is only a matter of time.

But what should we do? To the south are the barren East and West Ridge counties, to the west is the hinterland of each vassal king, and to the north is the important capital of Beijing. South of Beijing is short of water and cannot stay for a long time. Where to go?

Could it be Sichuan and Shu, too far away!

Zuo Feng, who was beside Zhou Yongxiao, was a general under the command of the former prince. Hearing the old man’s analysis, he asked eagerly;
"Sir, since the south of the Yangtze River is not advisable, there is no other way. The south of Beijing is not a permanent place, and you can't go to the south of the Yangtze River. To the west, the fiefdoms of the vassal kings in various places are still there. Is it possible that you have to go south to the Xiling and Dongling The county is not successful? It is a barren land, shrouded in miasma and moisture, the food is tasteless, and it is a pity to abandon it."

Zuo Feng's words made Zhou Yongxiao frown. It was indeed true, and his foundation for decades had been in Jiangnan and Beijing. The others were just some secret spies and had no foundation. How could he act stably?
Only Yu Shiyuan chuckled, shook his head, and asked;

"Dongling County and Xiling County have many mountains, rivers and dense forests. Although the products are not abundant and the population is sparse, one thing is that it is easy to defend but difficult to attack, and the water source is sufficient. With a little care, it can be settled in a corner until His Highness establishes Stepping down, Your Highness looks again. To the west is Jingnan County, and to the south is Changyun County. They are all major grain-producing provinces. Your Highness, after you gain a foothold, aren't these the things you need to look for?"

Yu Shiyuan touched his beard. People in the world only know how to strive for the best, but they don't know how to retreat in order to advance. The best is what you get in your hands. What is in front of you is always the moon in the mirror, which can be clearly seen but cannot be touched.

Zhou Yongxiao suddenly realized something, and he suddenly had an idea. Fortunately, he met his teacher. He only thought about "revenge" on the court, and did not think too far. He looked at Zuo Feng and asked urgently;

"What is the current situation in Xiling County and Dongling County?"

"Back to Your Highness, Xiling County is better. Although it is mountainous, the county still has large areas of fertile valleys and fertile fields, rich in minerals. Most of our weapons are smuggled into Xiling County. As for Dongling County, one-third of the world's medicinal materials are Once it is taken from there, miasma poisonous insects will overtake it, and the Taiping Sect’s nest is right there, making it difficult to shake.”

Zuo Feng quickly recalled that the two counties over there were not valued by the imperial court. If it were not for the medicinal materials and other supplies, the wealthy families had established chambers of commerce there. How would they have been known to the world? It was just that corrupt officials were rampant and gave the Taiping Cult an opportunity to take action. The imperial court's The majesty has long been lost.

"Thank you teacher for your guidance. If I hadn't met with the teacher today, I'm afraid I would have made the same mistake again. Starting today, Zuo Feng will organize a large army, transport food and supplies, store them in Weizhou, and then notify General Zheng to lead his troops and attack Linshan County. Thirty thousand new troops will march directly towards Xiling County. After taking this place, they will station it on the spot and collect it. After it is stabilized, all Weizhou's baggage will be transported there. As for Dongling County,"

The corners of Zhou Yongxiao's mouth curled up, as if he had an idea.

"Jingnan can win once, twice, but not three times. Dongling County is the retreat for the Taiping Sect and needs to be left to them. Don't forget, there is also the White Lotus Sect. Maybe they also have a retreat. I guess , Xihe County is their retreat,"

"Yes, Your Highness."

Zuo Feng's voice was firm as he accepted the order, as if he had a goal. Lord Yu's face was filled with relief. Your Highness has changed so much. It's really valuable to be able to listen to your advice now.
"Your Highness, all the soldiers from the county and city are available. Kou Zijing and Wu Shiming, these two are familiar with the art of war. Unfortunately, I am dying and cannot use my talents for him. Please don't be stingy, Your Highness."

Yu Shiyuan actually stood up and bowed, causing Zhou Yongxiao to quickly reach out to stop him.

"Teacher, I have broken my disciples. General Kou, and General Wu, don't you remember? It's just that we have to put on a big show to show the world and the court, so we need two generals to perform together."

Zhou Yongxiao returned to his previous calm demeanor. He sat up and pointed to the guide.

"Chenzhou is now in Gu's hands. The main force of the Taiping Sect in the south, their leader Chu, is coming soon according to the agreed time. Gu is thinking, how can we attract the imperial troops to besiege Linshan County?"

It seemed like he was asking a question to both of them,

Kou Zijing and Wu Shiming pondered for a moment, but Kou Zijing spoke first,
"Your Highness, do you mean to let the court know that Linshan County City has been lost?"

"It was lost when the imperial army marched south!"

Wu Shiming, standing by his side, also added that because when going south to quell the chaos, Linshan County would be the first to bear the brunt, and the court could not leave it alone.

"What you guys said is right and wrong!"

Zhou Yongxiao shook his head gently,
He looked at the two of them and said;
"The leader of the army going south this time is Wang Ziteng, the military governor of the Beijing Camp. Although this man is a noble man, he has rarely led troops and fought in battles. Although Wang Ziteng is cautious, his generals are eager to perform meritorious services. How can they be mobilized? Only the generals’ determination to perform meritorious deeds can be achieved.”

After a pause, he continued;

"If Linshan County had been captured by the Taiping Cult earlier, Wang Ziteng would have been a little frightened. At that time, he would not have come directly to attack. What do you think would have happened if the County had been captured before he arrived? ?”

Zhou Yongxiao looked at the two of them with a smile, the corners of his mouth raised. This was Zhou Yongxiao's gift to the court. Linshan County was the burial place of Wang Ziteng.

Kou Zijing and Wu Shiming seemed to suddenly realize it. They looked at each other and bowed;

"Your Highness is wise. If he knew that the county city was besieged, Wang Ziteng would have rushed to the rescue. When he was about to arrive, he heard that the bandit army had broken through the city. Whether it was his generals or himself, he would have taken advantage of the bandit army to break through the city not long ago, and his foothold was not stable. When the time comes, we will lead the army to recapture the city. At that time, our soldiers and horses, who are waiting for work, will surely inflict heavy losses on the imperial soldiers and horses. "

"Ah haha, the two generals are really talented, that's what you mean. At that time, Wang Ziteng's men and horses suffered many casualties, and it was even more impossible for him to give up attacking the county. However, Linshan County was strong and had sufficient food and grass. At that time, Wang Ziteng We are in a dilemma, and we have already been waiting for the opportunity. "

As soon as Zhou Yongxiao finished speaking, all the generals in the room took a breath of air-conditioning. His Highness actually had such great talent and strategy.
"I will follow His Highness to the death."

(End of this chapter)