Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 821: Hasty Siege of the County City
In the Qingshan Courtyard of the County City,
The governor Yu Da Ren sighed, and the atmosphere was somewhat heavy. The former crown prince Zhou Yongxiao's eyes flickered. Things had to be done, and they had to be fought for. Now the arrow was on the string and had to be shot.
"Teacher, please be at ease. I know what is going on. I have waited for more than ten years for this day. I don't mind waiting a little longer. But teacher, my mother is weak and I don't know how long she can last. As a son, I would be ashamed if I don't fulfill my filial duty."

This is also what Zhou Yongxiao finds hard to let go of. His name contains the word "filial piety", but in his life, his father and son fought against each other, and he could not fulfill his filial piety to his mother. He hid all his life, like a dog that had lost its home. How could he be born noble?

"Your Highness, there is no need to be sad. Nothing in the world can be perfect. Who can really know what fate will lead to? It is nothing more than the cycle of days and months. Success or failure depends on man's planning and God's disposition. Just take it one step at a time."

At this age, Yu Shiyuan has nothing to be sad about. However, as the prince's teacher, he feels guilty for seeing the prince fall to this state. He has wasted his life without any achievements. He is sorry for his father and the common people. As a saint, he feels guilty for his ancestors and can only atone for his sins after his death.

"Teacher, I won't hesitate any longer,"

Zhou Yongxiao had a determined look on his face. He could only make the mistake once and never make it again, otherwise he would be doomed. He looked at Kou Zijing beside him and ordered;

"General Kou, immediately assemble the troops in the city, control the east gate, and keep watch at all times. Also, drive all the new troops to the city walls and defend the city. Anyone who dares to retreat will be killed!"

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Kou Zijing clasped his fists and left, and the courtyard returned to its former tranquility.
The camp on the north side of Daliang City,
In the simple tent, many generals gathered here, all in silence, just waiting for a moment.

After a while,
Jiedushi Lu and his two sons hurried into the central army tent.

As soon as I entered the tent, I saw Wang Ziteng's face was solemn.

"I, Lü Daiyuan, pay my respects to the commander-in-chief,"

The three of them saluted in the tent. When Wang Ziteng saw that it was Lü Jiedu's men, his expression eased a lot. He stretched out his hand and said;

"It's not too late, take a seat."

"Thank you handsome."

Lu Daiyuan clasped his fists in thanks, and took his son to sit down.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Wang Ziteng finally spoke.

"Everyone, we have arrived at Daliang City. It is less than a day's journey from Linshan County City. It is very close. Governor Lu, how is Linshan County City?"

As Wang Ziteng asked the question, all the generals in the tent looked over. After all, Jiedushi Lu had arrived in Daliang City first and was responsible for investigating the enemy's situation.
Lu Daiyuan did not dodge, he clasped his fists and said;
"Reporting to the commander, I have already investigated everything. After I came back, I sent out scouts to check. Linshan County City is currently safe, and the soldiers guarding the city are still from the imperial court. But there is one thing that is a little strange."

He paused for a moment, as this was something he hadn't figured out.
"Oh, something's a little strange,"

Wang Ziteng frowned, somewhat puzzled. He could tell at a glance whether the city was in the hands of the imperial court. Why was there something fishy going on?
Lu Daiyuan thought carefully and found that four scouts had come back and described the same situation, but no enemy troops were seen outside the city.
"General, after we sent people there that day, scouts came back the next day and said that the gates of Linshan County were tightly closed and no one was going in or out. On the contrary, we found many defensive fortifications in the north, and there was no sign of the enemy on the local official road in the south. The previous and subsequent waves of troops all gave the same excuses. I am worried, so I have left people there to keep an eye on them."

Wang Ziteng was stunned. What was so strange about this? Linshan County City was just preparing for defense in advance. After all, when they came here, they heard that Chenzhou City was lost. It only took a day for the enemy army to reach the city. How could they not be alert?

"Why is Jiedu Lu so confused? Chenzhou City has been lost. If Linshan County doesn't stay alert, then it's all over."

Hu Le explained impatiently that the most important thing now was to go into the city, not to think about these things.

"That's right, General Hu is right, Jiedushi Lu, you are always too cautious. If it were me, I would lead the army directly over and seize Linshan County City. Even if they have some conspiracy, the soldiers we lead are not vegetarians."

He Yong echoed the voice and complained that Jiedushi Lu was too cautious and missed the opportunity to fight, which made Lu Daiyuan's son behind him glare at him.

"You don't know the rules. This is a meeting. Let's listen to General Lu finish his words."

Wang Ziteng scolded the two of them, but his scolding was not decisive and obviously there were some doubts in it.

Lu Daiyuan snorted coldly and looked at the two of them coldly. They were just brave men. It was obvious that something was different about Linshan County. Although he couldn't tell what was wrong, it was just a hunch.
"General, it is better to be cautious. Since Linshan County is fine, you can wait until we have rested and send troops there tomorrow. If that doesn't work, you can send an army there first, station them in the city, and make sure they are safe."

"Well, Jiedu Lu is more reliable. In that case, who will go first?"

As soon as he inquired, he turned his eyes to General He and General Hu. The two of them looked nervous. How could this matter fall on them? However, when they thought that the city was still there, they just had to be more careful. It was not a big deal. When General He hesitated,
Hu Le stood up and walked to the center of the tent, bowing;

"General Jie, I will follow your orders today and take control of the city's north gate. If anything changes, General Jie can rush to help quickly."

Hu Le did not mention the matter of taking control of the city. As long as they could defend a city gate, it would be a great achievement.
This proposal is more prudent. Wang Ziteng thought about it and thought that if the number of people is too small, it will not work. But if the number of people is too large, it will not work either. The more than 10,000 elite troops under General Hu are enough.
"Well, in that case,"

Just as he was about to agree, an urgent report came from outside the tent;

"Report, General Lu, the governor, a scout has come to report that there has been a change in Linshan County City."

When this voice was shouted, everyone in the tent was a little surprised. How could it be such a coincidence? Only Lu Daiyuan's face changed slightly and he shouted;
"Quick, let him in,"

"Yes,"

As soon as the messenger went out, he heard footsteps. Several scouts with blood all over their faces hurried in. When they saw Jiedushi Lu, they all knelt down and shouted;

"Sir Jiedushi, Linshan County City has been besieged. The Taiping Sect has nearly 300,000 troops and has set up camp outside the north city. The remaining troops have already begun to attack the city. It was very tragic. The brothers fought bloody battles all the way, but only three of them escaped. The rest of the brothers all died. We returned to Daliang City and found that the Jiedushi was not there, so we went straight to the camp."

As soon as he finished speaking, a person beside him couldn't hold on any longer and fainted on the ground.

The generals in the tent were in an uproar.
Lu Daiyuan looked grim, and turned his head to look at Wang Ziteng who was sitting in the main seat. His face was so solemn that it seemed as if water was dripping out of it.
"Come here, ask the military doctor to treat him. Also, is everything you just said true?"

The leading scout captain kowtowed on the ground.

"General, everything I said is true. It only takes half a day to get to the county town by fast horse. You can send someone to check. The enemy troops are not just some bandits. They have all kinds of weapons and equipment. Moreover, their marching formations are neat and uniform. They are all elite troops."

This is also what the scout captain feared. They were clearly a group of bandits, so how could they suddenly turn into elite soldiers wearing imperial armor? If you hadn't seen it with your own eyes, it would have been hard to believe.

But his words made all the generals present look unconvinced. The imperial court's weapons were all in fixed numbers, so how could they be lost? That would be a life-threatening business. In addition, the so-called elite troops were so worthless that a group of bandits could be called elite troops.

"Are you confused by fear? If a group of bandits can be called elite troops, then what are we, the people under my command, called elite troops?"

He Yong's face was full of disbelief. He believed that the bandits in southern Beijing had a large number of people, but the rest were just rumors.

Hu Le stared at the side, he never thought that he, who was about to mobilize the troops, had not even lifted his buttocks, and the plan was ruined. He was so angry that he asked;

"Since they are elite troops, and you just said that they have already attacked the city, then can the defenders of Linshan County City still hold on?"

The scout captain wiped the blood off his face and replied, "General, all the generals, what I said is absolutely true. If you don't believe me, you can immediately send troops to investigate. When I came back, the main force of the Taiping Sect's army moved north and didn't seem to care about the county city behind them. If a part of the troops attacked the city, it might be able to hold out for a few days."

After saying this, he looked towards Jiedushi Lu.

Lu Daiyuan, who was standing at the east end, was also secretly shocked. How could it become like this? Could it be that they already knew his arrangement? He quickly turned around and bowed;

"General, we should send out cavalry to investigate first. We need to send a large number of people to find out what is going on. If it is true, Linshan County City is in danger. We must move."

Wang Ziteng was in a state of confusion at this moment. According to the previous arrangement, he was to rest here for a day and go south tomorrow to directly control the county city and wait for the attack. Now that the attack and defense had shifted, he was a little flustered in his heart. However, Lu Jiedu's words were also a reminder. He stood up and gave the order,
"Stand in the main camp for now. Move the whole army forward and set up camp on the east and west sides of Daliang City. They will support each other. This place will not be demolished and will be used as the cavalry camp."

Then, he looked at the two generals at the back and gave orders;
"Wang Ren, Jia Lian, you two, lead your troops immediately to Linshan County City to investigate. Make sure you find out everything. Then, turn back and do not stop. Understand."

Wang Ziteng did not trust anyone else at this time, so he could only let his trusted confidants go in person, and warned the two of them not to act rashly during the investigation.

Wang Ren and Jia Lian were moved when they heard this, and they each clasped their fists and accepted the order.

"General, take your orders."

After saying this, the two of them left the tent at the same time.
The rest of the people did not wait any longer, but went out, assembled their troops, and headed south.

Linshan County,

There was a dirt slope ten miles to the north. The leader of the Taiping Sect, Chu, saw that this place was open and the terrain was elevated. There was also a lake to the west, so he thought it was a good place to set up camp. With this as the center line, he divided the camp into three camps on the left, middle and right, which supported each other and gave him a bird's-eye view of the overall situation.

So he sent out a messenger, ordering them to set up camp here. After a while, the Ti cavalry went around.
Then, Li Jiming, the leader of the Five Elements Banner beside him, was still a little worried and asked;

"Master Chu, if we really want to fight a bloody battle with the imperial army here, I don't believe what His Highness said."

It is said that government officials and bandits cannot coexist. Now these bandits have teamed up with the former crown prince. If they are sold out here and attacked from both inside and outside, these 300,000 troops will probably disappear in an instant.

"That's a good question, but we don't have enough time. We only have enough food and grass for a week. Whether we retreat or not, we will be defeated. We can only survive by taking the official warehouse of Linshan County. In addition, that person is not a prince. He should be a rebel. He only has one chance, and he cherishes it more than us."

Chu Yiyue's heart was heavy, and he might not be without these worries, but now that the matter was done, it was useless to regret. Following so many people and teaching them, if he didn't consume some energy, he would not be able to hold on.
"Then Master Chu, do you think Wang Ziteng's army will arrive within three days? According to a letter from Master Pan in the capital, Wang Ziteng is extremely cautious in deploying troops. What if he doesn't arrive by then?"

Li Jiming swallowed his saliva. The battle was imminent, and Master Chu was putting everything on the line. It was too risky.

"Haha, good question. He has to come whether he wants to or not. In three days, those people will give up Linshan County City. Wang Ziteng will not watch us take over this city. Even if he doesn't come within three days, he will definitely come after three days. You just need to stabilize the central army and never attack at will."

"Yes, Master, I will obey your orders."

Li Jiming's eyes were determined and he clasped his fists to accept the order. According to the plan, they would rely on the defense of the camp to consume Wang Ziteng's army and avoid his cavalry. Afterwards, they would send troops from the left and right wings to contain the enemy and fight a decisive battle in the open area between the county town and the camp.

While both sides were arranging their troops,
Wang Ren and Jia Lian returned to the rear army, each of them selected 5,000 cavalrymen, and rushed south at an accelerated speed.
The sound of horse hooves rumbled across the official road.

The cavalry galloped,

In less than half a day, we found the outline of Linshan County City, and after another half an hour, we arrived.
But before the two of them could speed up, the soldiers in front of them stopped. Looking forward, they saw that the two men were pale and looked at each other in silence.

Although the county town could not be seen clearly, the sounds of shouting and killing were incessant. Tents had already been set up on both sides of the official road. On the official road, there were about 50,000 armored infantrymen lined up in neat and uniform order. If it weren't for the Taiping Sect inscribed on the flag, one would have thought they were the elite troops of the imperial court. Where did these people come from?

"Brother, what should we do now?"

Jia Lian was unsure. Although he had fought hard during the martial arts performance, it was all fake after all. Now that real swords and guns were right in front of him, the fear in his heart instantly surged up in his heart. He felt his feet go weak, and his nimble legs and feet became uncontrollable, so he asked this question.

The eldest brother Wang Ren also had a serious expression on his face. He looked around and saw that the intersections of the demon roads were all guarded by soldiers. If they charged with cavalry, these soldiers would not be enough to fill the gaps between the enemy's teeth. They could only feint with cavalry and send out cavalry to raid and conduct reconnaissance. However, that would result in many deaths. However, it was still worth it to check the situation of the county city.
"Brother Lian, you and I should be ready. I will lead the army to charge, and you will attack from the flanks. Then send a small group of rangers to penetrate. After holding out for a quarter of an hour, when the rangers have seen through everything, we will retreat. What do you think?"

When Jia Lian heard this, he was stunned. They had already completed the reconnaissance, so why did they have to charge? He looked at the infantrymen on the left wing official road who had already deployed their troops, with their spears pointed forward. How many lives would be lost if they charged?
"Brother, we are only here to check the situation in Linshan County City. Now the enemy army is right in front of us. What the scout captain said is true. We should go back and report immediately. If we charge into the battle, wouldn't that mean our brothers will die? Look behind us."

Jia Lian's face turned pale, and then he pointed. Behind the shield formation in front, there was actually a large army gradually forming a battle array. It was estimated that there were more than 40,000 people. There were so many people on the flank alone. With less than 10,000 cavalry, they would be trapped and unable to get out. After all, the army was in the rear.
Wang Ren stood up on his horse and looked around. It was indeed the case. However, there were shouts and screams coming from the county town. It was obvious that the fighting was fierce. Could they withstand it?
"Brother Jia is absolutely right. There is no time to hesitate. We should withdraw now. Otherwise, it will delay the military operation and the county city may be lost."

After the two men finished their discussion, they did not linger there, but turned their horses around and led their troops to retreat, without any delay.

Beijing,

Luoyunhou Mansion,

Zhang Jinyu had been busy all day. Seeing that it was almost noon, he asked the housekeeper to bring lunch to the west yard for him to enjoy alone. In the past few days, there were a lot of things to do, which inevitably made him feel dizzy. In addition, he didn't know if there was any news about the matter of that Miss Xu, and what the people from the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion were doing in Shuoyang County.

"My Lord, the food is here. Madam asked why you didn't go to Dongyun Tower for dinner. She must be worried."

"Just leave it here."

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

The steward waved his hand, and the maids behind him came in one after another, put several tables together, took out the food boxes, and placed the plates, bowls, chopsticks and other items on the table.

Zhang Jinyu looked up and saw a table full of dishes, all of which were her favorites. It was hard for them to do that.
"Go back and tell Madam that she has been busy with trivial matters these days. It is possible that there will be no imperial decree from the palace. It is better to keep it simple."

"Yes, sir, I know what to say."

The steward bowed and replied. Zhang Jinyu nodded and waved his hand, then drove the man out. He picked up the chopsticks and started picking up the dishes, eating slowly. He felt a little emotional in his heart. The entire capital city and officials were doing business, and each business was bigger than the other. Although there was no money involved, the amount was considerable.

Especially in the Jiangnan area, even the position of county magistrate was vacant, and the eldest son of Prime Minister Li had to prepare 100,000 rolls of raw silk himself. It was obvious that the conversion of farmland to mulberry trees in Jiangnan had encountered resistance. The inspector general Jing Cunliang was said to be a man of Prince Zhongshun, but he looked like a man of Mr. Li.
In other words, who was blocking Jiangnan, causing Eunuch Yang, the seal holder of the Ministry of Construction, to rush south in such a hurry? The Suzhou Weaving Bureau took the tofu directly without fear of choking to death. He raised his hand and picked up a piece of tofu. It looked familiar. When he was in Jiangnan, wasn't it Lord Zhuang, the governor of Jiangnan, who treated him to tofu? Could it be that he was blocking him?

After putting the tofu into his mouth and eating a small bowl of rice, Ning Bian hurried in from outside the door.
"My Lord, there is an order from the palace, summoning you to the palace. The eunuch is outside the door."

Zhang Jinyu's heart skipped a beat, and the chopsticks in his hand froze, his face still smiling bitterly, how come it's like this, good things don't work, but bad things do, just now I was talking about entering the palace, and now it's here,
"I know, after finishing this meal,"

He quickly ate a few mouthfuls of rice to fill his stomach, drank some tea to help himself, then stood up and gave the order;
"Prepare the carriage, no, prepare the horses, and enter the palace quickly."

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

I don’t know what’s going on, but Zhang Jinyu feels a little uneasy. I haven’t seen the emperor in the past few days. I wonder if something unexpected has happened in the palace!

(End of this chapter)