Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 681: The Army Heads South
Anhu Camp in the capital,

The flags are flying everywhere,

Hundreds of thousands of foreign troops had gradually packed up their baggage, food and fodder, and the last batch was escorted south, waiting only for the commanders of each unit to do a final check before they could set out.

Wang Ziteng was dressed in iron armor, with his hair tied up and a red cape hanging behind him. His beard was carefully trimmed, and he looked radiant. He led his personal soldiers, Jia Lian and Wang Ren, and they did not stay in the general's tent.

In the camp,

After patrolling around and keeping an eye on every corner of the military camp, Wang Ziteng was extremely surprised to find that the entire camp was in order and the soldiers were in high spirits. It was obvious that the combat effectiveness of these guest troops should not be underestimated.

He instructed Wang Ren behind him;

"Wang Ren, when the army marches forward, you will be the last one to leave and be responsible for the rear guard. You must not move forward rashly. Do you understand?"

He glanced at Jia Lian again and said at the same time;
"Jia Lian, you lead your troops and guard my central army. No matter when, you must not go into battle without orders. What you want is peace of mind."

"Yes, uncle."

The two men were very excited. They had been feeling lonely and bored staying in the camp for a long time. They could neither fight nor leave, nor could they go back to the city. They were both almost unable to endure it any longer.

Now, they can finally go south to show their skills. Even if they cannot capture the enemy general alive, defeating the enemy army is no problem. After all, the army is not a pushover. Of course, the interests of their own people are the most important. They both know this.

"Report, General, outside the camp, Marquis Luo Yun has been ordered to come and see the army off."

Just when Wang Ziteng was still thinking about how to march, Zhang Jinyu's troops also arrived, followed by the imperial guard Kang Mengyu's 10,000 troops. From a distance, the 10,000 cavalrymen blocked out the sky and the sun, and equipped with the imperial guards' unique iron-faced helmets, it was indeed scary at first glance.

"Oh, it turns out he is here. His Majesty must have something to ask for."

Wang Ziteng muttered, his face was overjoyed, knowing that Luo Yunhou must have come here on the orders of the emperor, so he did not dare to neglect him and said in a hurry;
"What are you still standing there for? Let's go and welcome them. The 10,000 imperial guards led by Kang Mengyu are also extremely important. Wang Ren, you will lead them together and be responsible for the rear guard of the army and responding to any situation."

"Yes, uncle."

Wang Ren was obviously extremely surprised. His uncle actually put 10,000 imperial guards under his command and told him to adapt to circumstances. It seemed like he was being too considerate to that kid. But it was okay. He didn't have to drag him behind all the time. In case there was a war, he could at least have a good time. But he would forget about fighting himself.

Jia Lian didn't care. The so-called flexibility of staying in the rear army was just to save face for the imperial guards. Only after staying in the military camp did he realize that the role of the rear army was very important and it could not be moved randomly. In case the war went badly, the army would be needed to open the way for escape. As for himself, if he met someone who could fight on the battlefield, he would never go there himself.

Just thinking,

When the group arrived at the gate, they saw Luo Yunhou coming forward and went to meet him.
At the gate,
Zhang Jinyu looked annoyed and was not happy walking. It was such a hot day and he had to go out to catch a cold. When he looked up, he saw Wang Ziteng and his group coming towards the gate from a distance.

Especially Jia Lian, whose face was a little dark, seemed like a different person, full of energy and spirit. After thinking about it, Wang Xifeng must be convinced.

Looking at the camp from afar, the entire camp has a vast parade ground, and hundreds of thousands of troops are assembled in an orderly manner. Endless tents can be seen connected together, divided by signs of various colors, dust is flying into the sky, and the hot war horses are moved out of the stables, and the neighing of the war horses resounds through the sky.

Looking at the central venue, Jiedushi Wang Ziteng's flag was also raised, everything was ready for today.

Facing the newcomer, Zhang Jinyu sighed and spoke.

"Meet General Wang Jie,"

"Lou Yunhou is too polite,"

Wang Ziteng rode on his horse, but he didn't say much. He wanted to say something but couldn't. Now the Wang family was walking on thin ice in Jingjing City. There were so many spies around. Now that the army was marching, there might be spies from the Imperial City Bureau around. He could only handle the matter impartially.

"No need to be polite. Marshal Jie should know that the reason I came here is because of His Majesty's order. Before the army sets out, do you have any difficulties?"

Zhang Jinyu glanced at the camp, and found it in perfect order. Although he was not the one who trained the soldiers, he was able to arrange the soldiers in the camp in such an orderly manner. His military management was impeccable. If Wang Ziteng had really participated in the battle, his ability in military management would have been top-notch.

"Please tell His Majesty that I, Prince Teng, have no difficulty. Once the rear army is assembled, we will set out immediately. Your Majesty, please wait for the victory report. I will definitely defeat the enemy army and repay your kindness."

Wang Ziteng was full of confidence at this time. He thought that this might be the only time in his life that he would have the opportunity to lead troops. With an army of over one hundred thousand, even if everyone spitted, they could drown those rebels. What's more, this time, he was leading 40,000 trusted cavalrymen from his own army, and combined with the imperial guards, there were 50,000 cavalrymen. No one inside the Great Wall could match him. It would be useless if they couldn't stop the cavalry's charge. This was his confidence.

"Okay, what the commander said is inspiring. If so, I will report it to His Majesty and wait for the commander's good news."

Zhang Jinyu also clasped his fists and bowed in the direction of the capital. After finishing the official business, he talked about personal matters.

"General, have the troops in Tongzhou been reinforced? This is an important place for food and fodder, and we must defend it!"

"Don't worry, my Lord. The 20,000 elite troops in the Beijing camp are stationed there. You don't have to worry about the army's food and fodder. The army will go south along the official road and have Daliang City behind them, so there will be no shortage of food and fodder."

Although Wang Ziteng sent troops to reinforce Tongzhou, it was only to be on the safe side. He wanted to keep those elite troops, so he did not take them with him when the army marched south. But he had to appease them, so he sent them to guard Tongzhou. After all, how could the rebel army break through the city of Daliang and enter the important capital?

"General Jie, you'd better be careful. The most important thing now is to control Linshan County City and make sure it doesn't fall into the hands of thieves. In addition, General Jie needs to find a way to contact General Jingnan Gu Ping's troops and ask what the situation is before making a decision."

Zhang Jinyu was still a little worried when he saw Wang Ziteng's nonchalant look. Wars are fought for logistics and money. In Zhang Jinyu's view, military strategies are nothing more than assessing the situation and how to fight. Those things like burning and flooding the army must have special terrain and a specific time. It can't be raining. You burn the camps, and when the weather is dry, you flood the army. Isn't this nonsense?

Another most important point is that the officialdom in southern Beijing is incredible and like a fog. Could it be that all the people in the Imperial City Bureau have died?

Wang Ziteng carefully pondered Luo Yunhou's words, and found that they made sense, but the overall situation was more important. He would contact the people from the Imperial City Bureau to ask after he got there.

"Don't worry, my Lord. I know what I'm doing. This time, I'll take it step by step and never rush. No matter how cunning they are, there's nothing we can do to them."

Wang Ziteng's strategy has been decided, and it is useless for others to say anything. Zhang Jinyu thought about it and said no more. Everyone has their own strategy, and their own may not be suitable, so it is better not to interfere.
"Then let's wish Marshal Jie a triumphant return."

"Haha, OK, please tell the emperor, I'll be there right away."

Wang Ziteng laughed, lifted his cloak, rode away with his men, and had the demeanor of a veteran.
Zhang Jinyu silently saw him off. The consequences of this trip were unpredictable. A bad premonition always lingered in her mind, but she couldn't express it.

"My Lord, shall we go back now?"

"Don't worry, find a place to take a look, and then go back and report after they leave."

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

Done.

Zhang Jinyu led his men and rode back the same way. They found a higher slope to look out. The desolate horn sound of the Beijing camp resounded through the sky.
"Ohh Ohh ohh!"

The flags were waving, the cavalry were stepping over the gravel, and the soldiers walked out of the camp with heavy and determined steps.

One by one, they were dressed in iron armor and lined up in neat rows. With a solemn and murderous look on their faces, they set foot on the official road and headed south. With an army of more than 100,000 soldiers covering the sky and blocking out the sun, they looked very imposing. I guess there was no need for me to worry.
just,

Zhang Jinyu suddenly felt gloomy.
In the distant sky, dense swarms of crows were circling, as if carrying an ominous sign.

The Hall of Nourishing Heart,
Emperor Wu was still sitting behind his desk, looking at the memorials handed over from Jiangnan. After Jing Cunliang went to Jiangnan, he began to organize staff for the government office on a large scale. Now that the men and horses were ready, they were just waiting to survey the number of acres of land, and then merge the weaving workshops, and then convert the fields into mulberry trees to increase the output of raw silk.

The memorial was well written, and the Emperor Wu was in a good mood, writing in red ink. However, privately, the court and His Majesty did not know that after Jing Cunquan checked the number of acres of land, he was disappointed. There was no extra land in Jiangnan.
"Dai Quan, it seems that there has been some movement in Jiangnan. Jing Cunliang has submitted a memorial regarding the conversion of farmland into mulberry trees, and requested that farmland be reclaimed in places with abundant drinking water to supplement the land used for Liang. I am pleased to see this."

"Your Majesty is wise. Jiangnan has always been an important place for grain tax. Lord Jing is also prudent in his work. We should not be too hasty in converting farmland into mulberry trees. Shen Wanhe also wrote to the Weaving Bureau, saying that it has been rebuilt and can fully meet the needs of raw silk weaving." Dai Quan was also very happy. In this way, the money of the Ministry of Internal Affairs could be doubled, and he also received a lot of filial piety from Shen Wanhe.
"Well, they are sensible. How is Yangzhou's salt administration going? Has Wang Mengshan said whether the salt tax can be increased this year?"

Emperor Wu stroked his beard and tapped his fingers slowly on the desk. Dai Quan's eyelids jumped and his heart skipped a beat. Could it be that His Majesty still doubted Lord Wang?

"Your Majesty, after Lord Wang took office, he wrote a letter saying that this year's salt tax is the same as last year. He wants to issue more salt permits and strictly prohibit the sale of private salt in other places. In this way, the salt tax can be increased by at least 30%."

"Thirty percent is too little,"

Emperor Wu Zhou Shihong now knows the huge profits of salt merchants. Only 30% is too little. However, it is even more impossible to ban other places from producing salt. The official roads in Shu are difficult and it is difficult to send materials in. If it is banned, it will inevitably cause resentment among the people, and the same is true for Jingnan.

"Tell Wang Mengshan that you can increase the salt voucher, but the salt tax, next year, I want to see eight million silver coins enter the treasury."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Dai Quan responded tremblingly, how could he accomplish the task with eight million taels of silver? Wouldn't it be necessary to ban all private salt sales in all the eastern counties?

"Just remember, the expenses of the army going south to suppress the rebellion will be paid directly with the silver confiscated from the wealthy merchants in the capital. The silver in the Ministry of Revenue cannot be touched yet. I will keep it for great use. For the expenses of grain and fodder, send someone to coordinate with the Ministry of Revenue and transfer it from the stock in Tongzhou."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I understand. They will not dare to delay the army's expenses. I think General Wang Jie has already led the army south. Those traitors of the Taiping Sect must be scared to death."

"You old fellow, you are just trying to find something nice to say."

Looking at Dai Quan's smiling face, Emperor Wu shook his head. If that were the case, how could those people rebel? I really want to take a look at the people from the Taiping Sect.

As the two were talking,
Xiao Yunzi walked in from outside the door and knelt on the ground.

"Your Majesty, Chief Eunuch Xia from Changle Palace is here."

Dai Quan's face changed. Why did he come in without informing the other party in advance? He looked at Xiao Yunzi kneeling on the ground with a questioning look.

The latter kowtowed immediately upon seeing this and continued,

"Your Majesty, I wanted to stop you and ask you a question, but Manager Xia said that the matter was urgent."

"Oh, things are urgent. Could it be that the emperor?"

Emperor Wu immediately stopped talking.
"Call him in."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Xiao Yunzi quickly got up, turned back to the door, and let Xia Shouzhong, the manager, come in.

Xia Shouzhong was wearing a red eunuch's uniform. He didn't even take the Buddhist whisk that he usually carried. He walked in empty-handed, bowed, and knelt on the ground.
"Your Majesty, long live the emperor, long live the emperor,"

"Stand up, what's the emergency?"

Emperor Wu had a gloomy face. Changle Palace had always been a thorn in his heart. Although the retired emperor was recuperating, many secret guards reported that the retired emperor had sent people to convey his orders to the imperial guards and many generals in the Beijing camp, but no one knew what he said specifically.

Xia Shouzhong's heart was beating fast, and he stood up tremblingly, lowering his head and not daring to speak loudly.

"Your Majesty, the Emperor has asked me to tell you that he has been in better health lately and is missing Princess Yueru, Zhou Xiangxue, who has been living in seclusion in the Northern Palace for ten years and has sincerely repented. Your Majesty may consider pardoning her and allowing her to return to the capital. In addition, Princess Yongcheng and her husband Zhou Ying are both sincere and filial. The Northwest is poor and cold, so they should also return to the capital to show their filial piety. Your Majesty may also consider this.
In addition, the emperor wants to renovate the Changle Palace for the sake of his health.”

After saying that, he secretly swallowed his saliva. After all, the two princesses were not easy to deal with. They had caused unrest inside and outside the capital back then. What's more, it involved the affairs of the former crown prince, Marquis Jingnan and others. The remaining renovation of the palace was a trivial matter, which was nothing more than spending more money. But the strange thing was that the emperor had all the luxurious things in the palace removed and even bought some black and white brocade. Why?

I always feel that the emperor's temperament has changed drastically since that day. I don’t know whether it is good or bad, and I feel uneasy!

Emperor Wu Zhou Shihong and Dai Quan's faces changed drastically when they heard this, and they immediately became alert. What was the retired emperor doing? Two princesses who were already married were going back to the capital at this time. What did they want to do, or what was the retired emperor's purpose?

"I understand. Tell the emperor that I will consider this matter. As for the construction of the palace, you will be responsible for it. If you need anything, just report to the Ministry of Internal Affairs."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will take my leave."

Xia Shouzhong slowly stepped back, reached the door, and walked out quickly. Suddenly his body relaxed, and in a daze, his back was wet.

After people leave,
Dai Quan hesitated as he wanted to speak. Emperor Wu's fingers tapped the tabletop faster and faster. He didn't know when this had lasted for a long time.

"Dai Quan, tell me, now that the capital is peaceful, the two imperial sisters want to return to the capital at the same time. What is the reason?"

"Your Majesty, please forgive me for being so nosy. The eldest princess has been a widow in the northern palace for many years, and it is really strange that she suddenly returned to the capital. As for why, it may be because of the matter of the Jingnan Marquis Mansion. In addition, the Princess Yongcheng and her husband also want to return to the capital. I guess that the northwest is indeed bitter and cold, so they must want to come back."

Dai Quan thought a lot in a hurry, but how could a servant like him speak to the royal family? However, as he followed the emperor and knew his emperor's temper well, he had to speak, so he said the above words.

Wu Huang Zhou Shihong suddenly withdrew his hand and laughed;
"On the surface, the capital seems peaceful, but secretly it may not be so. My sister wants to return to the capital, and it just so happens that she will return after the empress dowager has paid homage. As for Yongcheng, she got the news much faster than I did. Where are the tribute teams from the vassal kings from all over the country?"

Suddenly,
Emperor Wu thought of the memorials submitted by the vassal kings a few days ago, in which they offered tributes almost at the same time. He thought that they were showing filial piety to the emperor. It seems that there must be something fishy about this. Was it the King of Han or the King of Wu, or the King of Song? In addition, what roles did the two imperial sisters play in it?

Zhou Shihong has been on the throne for many years, and he knows how unwilling the other kings were when they were sent to vassal states, especially the King of Zheng. At that time, the throne was most likely to go to them, but unfortunately, the least likely person sat on the throne. The old stories could not help but come to his mind.
"Your Majesty, the post stations have reported that they are halfway there, and it will take another half a month."

Dai Quan has already realized what is going on here. He is afraid that the princes from all over the country have started to have thoughts that they shouldn't have. In this case, the Imperial City Bureau will be the first to be affected, so it is time to prepare early.

"A little over half a month is enough time. After the provincial examinations are over, have the Imperial City Department send more people to check for unusual movements by the princes in various places. Do not make it public."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I obey your command."

Beijing,

The army heading south had just left, and seeing the farewell scene, Zhang Jinyu was still unhappy. As the saying goes, if there is a crow on your head, it is either a coincidence or a disaster. It is so damn unlucky.
Riding gloomily, he walked back hesitantly.

The people around him saw that the Marquis was unhappy, so Ning Bian asked;
"My Lord, what's troubling you?"

"What could have happened? Didn't you see crows flying around in the sky just now?"

Zhang Jinyu replied unhappily. Ning Bian turned around and looked around. There were indeed many birds flying in the sky in the distance, but they were too far away to see clearly.

"My Lord, it's nothing more than a coincidence. The army took the official road, and there were scouts on guard all the way. Besides, the vanguard was led by Lu Jiedushi, so at least there would be no problem getting to Daliang City."

Ning Bian pondered over it carefully and felt that the Marquis's worries were not unreasonable. After all, this battle was related to the battle at the border in the autumn.

"It's just a coincidence. Even if hundreds of thousands of pigs were standing there to be slaughtered, they would be exhausted to death, let alone people. Let's go back to the palace and report back. By the way, we will go to Rongguo Mansion to check it out. It's been a while since I last saw it."

"Yes, Lord Marquis, once the imperial examination begins, Lord Marquis will have no time to spare."

That makes sense.

Zhang Jinyu calculated that he only had time today and tomorrow. No, tomorrow he had to go check the examination venues, so he didn't have time. Thinking of this, he suddenly felt nervous and kicked his horse's belly, speeding into the capital.
(End of this chapter)