Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 849: Tiekan Temple Shuiyue Temple
"Quick, all troops, listen up and continue marching south."

"The commander-in-chief has ordered the army to march south."

On the official road south of Daliang City, a huge army marched forward. The cavalrymen who had come out were on alert. Wang Ziteng's army was heading south, and the whole army was ready to go. Not far behind him was the Daliang City garrison, who had taken over the left and right camps.
The central army is located.
Wang Ziteng and Lu Daiyuan looked solemn as they rode on their horses and followed the army. They kept the map in their hands with them at all times. It was estimated that they would reach the designated location in half a day.
"General Lu, it will take us three hours to reach the southern fork in the road. Once we get there, we will be not far from Linshan County. Do you have any suggestions, General?"

When asking these questions, Wang Ziteng was obviously wary. After all, if they went further, they might encounter scouts from the Taiping Sect. If the Taiping Sect led their troops north, they would have to fight. In his heart, Wang Ziteng also wanted to confirm the safety of Linshan County City and whether it was still in the hands of the court, and then consider how to fight.

But Lu Daiyuan didn't think so. The army went south to intimidate the enemy and draw the enemy's main force to break the siege of Linshan County. If they avoided the enemy and didn't move forward, the enemy would think that the court was afraid of them, and then Linshan County would be in danger.

So he returned.
"General, we can set up camp or camp at the same time. When we reach the fork in the road, go south for another ten miles and set up camp. Perhaps we can see the county town from afar."

He touched the long sword in his hand and spoke with some determination. He had been in the army all his life and had never backed down.

"General, when we get there, if the Taiping sect bandits lead their troops, I will take Generals He Yong and Hu Le with me to fight them first and kill their spirit first."

The murderous words also made Wang Ziteng a little worried. He was exhausted from the march, so how could he fight again?

"The old general is still as majestic as he was in the past, but our army must be tired after marching for half a day. We just need to be alert to the south and guard it steadily. After setting up camp, we can rest for a day and then make plans."

Wang Ziteng was determined to be stable, and he always kept in mind to take steady steps. Although the enemy had a large number of troops and was suffering heavy losses, they were the ones who were anxious. If the county city had not been surrounded, they would have been a step slower and appeared to be somewhat passive.

General Lu did not refute it. The enemy situation was unclear, so it was not appropriate to act rashly.
"Listen to the commander. We don't know the enemy's situation, so we shouldn't be too reckless. In this case, we should go south six miles from the fork in the road. There is a river near the river, which is a good place to camp. There is no shortage of water. We can rest here for a day. Tomorrow, we can have a small battle. After finding out the enemy's strength, we can go straight into the enemy's main camp."

Lu Daiyuan stroked his beard and nodded seriously. He didn't know whether it was because he was old, timid, or a little cowardly. If it were in the past, he would have led the army to charge forward.

When Wang Ziteng saw that the old general agreed, he said no more. Since the strategy had been decided, it would not be changed unless there was an emergency.
Seeing that the army was marching at a fast pace, he led his personal soldiers and rode to catch up with them.
Only the army on the official road was left, moving slowly.

Linshan County,

There were constant shouts and cries of killing, and the dense piles of corpses under the city were horrifying, but there were still so many people, like a tide, desperately attacking.
The new troops on the city wall,
The troops have been changed three times. Even the elite troops in the main camp in the city have been sent out to supervise the battle at the four city gates. Anyone who retreats will be killed immediately.

It is in this state that we can hold on.

Standing in the attic on the hill in the backyard of the Governor's Mansion, the former Crown Prince Zhou Yongxiao's face changed a little. He didn't expect that the refugees of the Taiping Sect who had been hungry for a long time, or even starved to death, would have such a strong explosive power. He really didn't expect that.
"Zuo Feng, how many soldiers of the new army are left to defend the city?"

"Your Highness, there are less than 20,000 new troops left in the city. I didn't expect that even some refugees would be so crazy. Kou Zijing has already led the elite troops in the city to supervise the battle. It should be no problem to hold on for three to five days. Your Highness, don't worry."

At this time, although Zuo Feng's face was also not good, he thought that there was an agreement, but unexpectedly, the people of Taiping Sect did not seem to be lying at all. Fortunately, General Kong would send 30,000 elite troops to support in the East City, and the 50,000 troops ambushed in the north would come back to support, ensuring that His Highness was safe and secure.

"I am not afraid of these. The Taiping Cult did nothing wrong. If the war is not real, Wang Ziteng will not be fooled. In addition, today, the next day, at the latest, tomorrow night, the county city will change hands. Therefore, tomorrow, even if Wang Ziteng hesitates, he will definitely fight. So, we need to prepare to leave the city today."

"Yes, Your Highness,"

As Zuo Feng agreed, Zhou Yongxiao's face looked much better. He did things prudently, but he also had to maintain a balance and do his best to weaken both sides at the same time so that he could benefit from it.
At this time,
The new army's garrison commander, Wu Shiming, looked exhausted as he came down from the tower on the city wall and brought his personal soldiers to report.
"Your Highness, the enemy's three attacks have all been repelled. All the new troops have already fought in rotation and have consumed a lot of physical strength. I wonder how far you need to defend, Your Highness?"

Wu Shiming, who had been leading the troops fighting on the front line of the city wall, was covered in blood and exuded a murderous aura. The ends of his hair were stuck to his forehead with sweat. The hand holding the hilt of the knife was trembling slightly, and his words were trembling. He had wanted to just play along with the people of the Taiping Sect, but who would have thought that it would be a real fight. Did the Taiping Sect have any ulterior motives? So, for the safety of His Highness, he had to come back and report.

Seeing Wu Shiming looking a little impatient,
The former crown prince Zhou Yongxiao's pupils shrank. He was forced into such a situation. Could it be that the main force of the Taiping Cult was attacking the city?
They can't regret it!
"General Wu, according to the agreement, we need to defend for three days, but you can withdraw at noon tomorrow and join the elite troops in the city to break out through the east gate. There are people outside the city to support us. Has the Taiping Cult sent out its elite troops at the north gate?"

The north gate that Zhou Yongxiao asked about was also the gate that the Taiping Sect attacked, because the Taiping Sect leader Chu had instructed that the more brutal the fighting at the north gate of the county city, the better, while the west and south gates were just for show, and the east gate was left empty as agreed. If the Taiping Sect sent out its main elite forces, it would mean that they had ulterior motives, and the city could not be given to him!

Therefore,
Du Shaoqing, the right protector, only took those useless refugees with him to attack the city, and made a bold statement that whoever climbed to the top of the city first would be appointed as the deputy leader of the Five Elements. Even the people who were almost starving to death fought to the death.

This is why the soldiers defending the city felt overwhelmed.

"Reply, Your Highness, there are only a few archers to support us, and the rest are all refugees. However, there are countless people who are fearless and died together, so our troops have lost a lot of men."

Wu Shiming was also somewhat astonished that the untouchables whom he had looked down upon in the past actually had such fighting power. Even though they were unarmed, they could pull the armored soldiers off the city wall and die together. Many officers were frightened and became cowardly. If Kou Zijing had not led the government troops to the city to supervise the battle, perhaps the city would not have been able to be defended.

After hearing General Wu's explanation, Zhou Yongxiao was somewhat silent. Yes, they were just some peasants, but they beat the imperial army so hard that they had no power to fight back. Was it because the officers and soldiers were too incompetent, or was it because the imperial court had run out of luck and lost the support of the people?
"General Wu, we have to defend even if we can't. Although we have an agreement, if we can't even defend the city within three days, we will only be laughed at. The so-called agreement will be dispensable. Remember, even if all the soldiers in the city die, we must die on the city wall."

Although Zhou Yongxiao was touched, his response was cold and heartless.
"Yes, Your Highness, we will defend until noon tomorrow and then we can withdraw our troops."

Wu Shiming calmed down, then clasped his fists and repeated His Highness' words, as if he had recovered his breath and was no longer as nervous as before. Zhou Yongxiao nodded, and regardless of the blood stains on Wu Shiming's armor, he patted General Wu's arm and said,
"It's good to know. Kindness does not command the army, and righteousness does not command wealth. No matter what, since you have already started, don't hold back. Go ahead."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Wu Shiming straightened his expression, grasped the long sword in his hand, and returned to the north gate with his soldiers.
Zuo Feng stood behind His Highness, seeing the blood on His Highness's hand, and quickly took out the brocade cloth and handed it to him.

"Your Highness, wipe off the bad luck,"

"Well, that's thoughtful,"

Zhou Yongxiao took the brocade cloth and wiped the blood off his hands. Although it seemed to be back to normal, it was still full of blood.

"Zuo Feng, it seems that we need to prepare in advance. Inform General Kong that the army must meet outside the city tomorrow morning. There must be no mistakes. We must be on guard against others."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

"Ohh Ohh ohh!"

A sad horn sounded,
There was another commotion in the Right Protector's camp. On the hillside in front of the camp gate, Right Protector Du Shaoqing squinted his eyes and stared at the attic of the north gate of the county city. He saw the officers and soldiers being rotated in and out. He didn't know which batch of troops it was. It seemed that the nobleman had hidden a lot of soldiers in the city. He was so afraid of death.

Even so,

It seems that they can't make any progress in the county city just by relying on these refugees. It is said that the shadow of a person is as famous as the name of a tree. The prince, who has a good reputation, is indeed a man with a solid foundation. No wonder the court has not found even a single person in more than ten years.

"Protector, we have already launched two attacks today. There are only a few survivors among the three 10,000-man troops. It is almost noon. Should we continue the fight?"

Just as the Right Protector was thinking secretly,
Han Douming, the leader of the Five Elements Banner, who was a little irritable, complained loudly that the food and grass in the camp were getting less and less, but the number of refugees they collected was increasing, and they could not hold out for a few days.
Seeing that all the people in front had died, the guardian did not give any orders. Isn't this just wasting food by keeping people alive?

"You are just impatient. The agreement is for tomorrow. Today is just an appetizer to reduce the number of refugees. However, this test is still too slow. Let's also give the nobles in the city a sense of urgency."

"Uh, Guardian, why do you feel a sense of urgency?"

Han Douming was confused. They had been beaten so badly. Could he mobilize his elite troops? To kill their spirits, as if they had no spirits at all!

"You just don't use your brain to think about it. Today, you must attack the city without stopping, and send out three teams of 10,000 people at a time. You are not allowed to come back until all of them are killed. Go."

Du Shaoqing sighed, somewhat helpless. Hundreds of thousands of refugees were dragged behind the team. Even if they didn't die under the city, they would starve to death. In this case, it would be better to let the siege be more tragic and save some food.
"Yes, protector."

Han Douming received the military order and prepared to go down to deploy troops. When he reached the bottom of the hill, he suddenly realized that if they all died under the city, how could they come back?
Beijing,

Shilipu outside the city,
Turning a corner, we entered the mountains.
The number of people in the Jia family's convoy had decreased since they left the city. Most of them were members of the clan, and the young people followed on foot. After they reached the top of the mountain, their speed slowed down a lot.
Although there were still a few cries from time to time, most people were smiling secretly and talking to each other in private, discussing how much reward they could get this time. The Second Mistress said that anyone who came to Ningguo Mansion to help out every day would receive an extra month's salary, which was two taels of silver.

After a while,
The convoy reached the middle of the mountain, and no one knew what had happened ahead.
I saw a lot of people coming from the other side, not far from Sister Feng’s car, and they all jumped down, holding the car and said:
"Second Madam, there is a place to rest here. Please rest and change your clothes."

Sister Feng hurriedly asked Mrs. Xing and Mrs. Wang for instructions, and the man came back and said:

"The ladies said there was no need to rest, so they told grandma to do as she pleased."

After hearing this, Fengjie ordered him to rest before leaving.

After hearing this, the servants led their horses, left the crowd, and flew north.

But Jia Baoyu, who was sitting in the carriage, could not sit still. Seeing Fengjie leave, he asked Mingyan to find some young people from the clan school. After a while, the people who were still joking in front suddenly saw Baoyu's servant running over and invited them to have a meal.

The few of them looked at each other and saw that the Second Lady's carriage was heading north, with Baoyu's horse with a saddle and cage behind it. They knew that Baoyu and Fengjie were riding in the carriage. They hesitated for a moment, but did not dare to go, so they followed the carriage into the gate of the village.

Halfway up the mountain,

The family had already driven away all the farmhands. The farmers didn't have many houses, and the women had nowhere to hide, so they had to let them go. When the village girls and women saw Feng Ji, Bao Yu, and even the servants' personalities, clothes, manners and etiquette, how could they not be pleased?
Feng Ji, who came in first, was in a hurry to go to the thatched cottage, so she told Baoyu and others to go out and play first. Baoyu and others understood and went out with Jia Qing, Jia Fang and others, and took the servants to play everywhere. They had never seen any of the things used by the farmers.

Baoyu was very curious. When he saw the shovel, hoe, plow and other tools, he did not know what they were used for or what they were called, but he touched them and followed the younger generations of the clan. The servant beside him told them the names and reasons one by one. Baoyu listened and nodded and sighed:

"No wonder the ancients said in their poems, 'Who knows that the food on the plate is the product of hard work?' This is exactly what it means." As he spoke, he came to a room with a locked door. He saw a woman in the room, who was still sleeping without any clothes on. Her snow-white breasts were faintly visible. For some reason, she hadn't woken up yet. He was not the only one. Several people behind him were also jealous, but it was difficult to watch because there were too many people.

Baoyu's face flushed as he watched, and a warm current rushed up his body. He suddenly felt a sense of hunger and thirst in his heart. He didn't know why. The other people opened their eyes wide and squeezed together, leaning against the window to look inside, wanting to see more clearly.
I don't know if it was because of the noise made by several people, or for some other reason, but the woman in the room turned over, revealing her white and plump back, and the only sound was the sound of her swallowing saliva.

Suddenly, there was another shout at the entrance of the village. Seeing that the team was about to leave, several people were reluctant to leave. They didn't expect that there would be such a charming woman in the countryside.
After a while,
As the waiters came back one after another, the second wife was about to come out from the thatched cottage. Jia Qing coughed and said,
"Second grandma is out, go back quickly,"

After saying this, everyone left reluctantly. Baoyu also looked a little reluctant. Only Jia Fang muttered quietly,
"The person in this room is a widow,"

“How come you see?”

Jia Qing didn't believe it. How could a person who had never left the city say that she was a widow? Although the woman was a bit of a womanizer, how could he dare to say that without knowing her background?

"Don't disbelieve me. Didn't you see there were no men's clothes in the house? If she could be so romantic, she must be a widow."

Jia Fang was not convinced and grumbled. In fact, there was another one, who was like a brothel girl, living in the countryside, but Uncle Bao was here, so he couldn't gossip.

"Well, Uncle Bao is still here."

Seeing that the two were still arguing, Jia Qin hurriedly tried to smooth things over, but he didn't know that Baoyu, who was walking in front, was feeling disappointed and bored. In his heart, he actually missed the two maids, Xiren and Sheyue.

It was at this time that Fengjie came out of the thatched cottage, washed her hands, and waited for them to finish packing before getting in the car.

The funeral procession set off again, heading back toward the mountain.

After walking for a short while, they caught up with the funeral procession. In front of them were the sounds of golden drums and cymbals, as well as banners, pennants and precious canopies. The monks from Tiekan Temple had all arrived to receive the coffin. After a while, they entered the temple, performed other Buddhist ceremonies and set up the incense altar again.

Jia Jing's coffin was placed in a side room of the inner hall.
Outside, the clan members had another banquet. Jia She and Jia Zheng first greeted the servants and entertained the relatives and friends, and also urged them to take a rest.

It is said that this Tiekan Temple was originally built by the two Lords Ning and Rong. Today, there are still donations of incense and land, so that the elderly people in the capital can be deposited here at a low cost. The Yin and Yang houses have been prepared to accommodate the deceased. By the way, a farm has been built, and there are still many fields at the foot of the mountain for living.

I didn't expect that the population of the younger generation would be so large, with different levels of wealth and temperament. Some of them had difficult and contented lives and lived here.
As for the rest, those who valued pomp and wealth said that it was inconvenient to stay here and that they would definitely look for another place, perhaps in a village or a nunnery, to stay after the banquet.

But all the clan members temporarily stayed in Tiekan Temple, except Feng Ji, who thought it was inconvenient, so she sent someone to talk to the nun Jingxu in Mantou Temple and asked them to vacate three rooms for them to stay, one for the wives, one for the female relatives, and the last one for Baoyu and his friends.

It turns out that this Mantou Temple is Shuiyue Temple, which was given this nickname because of the delicious steamed buns made in the temple. It is not far from Tiekan Temple. Opposite to the outer mountain is the Xuanzhen Temple where Master Jing is. How is it going inside? Second Madam has been busy for several days and doesn’t know the latest situation there!
(End of this chapter)