unclear

Chapter 690 Another Handsome Talent

But the fleeing Mongolian cavalry soon found that it was too late to run. Whether they went west or east, they would run into a familiar ditch after walking a short distance, and the people huddled in the ditch looked even more familiar.

When the sky began to turn pale, the fierce fighting in the south of Xinghe City gradually subsided. Then the strange scene made everyone present tremble in their hearts and look up at the sky.

The morning mist still covered the land, and all around was white except for the battlefield. It was as if some mysterious power had deliberately pushed aside the mist and was looking down at this tragedy.

"Your Majesty, why do I feel a little cold on my back..." Wang Chengen's hand holding the umbrella was shaking a little. His eyes kept scanning the surroundings vigilantly, and he moved closer to the emperor little by little.

"If you can go back to the carriage and change your wet clothes, and bring me another set, maybe the evil spirits will stay away."

Hong Tao glanced back and knew why Wang Chengen was cold. He had been holding an umbrella to protect himself from the rain, and then the rain flowed down the umbrella and dripped onto his back, soaking it all. How could he not be cold?

The so-called wonder is nothing more than a temperature difference. The heat emitted by muskets, cannons and tens of thousands of people makes it impossible for the water vapor here to condense, and naturally no fog can be formed.

But obviously no one would like to listen to the natural science talk at this time. After fighting in the rain for most of the night, everyone from the soldiers to the officers felt excited about escaping death. At the same time, they were also exhausted due to excessive nervous tension. For a short period of time, they did not want to eat, drink, talk, or even sleep.

"Your Highness Sun Chengzong has followed your orders and led his troops to protect you. We have arrived as scheduled and trapped the enemy here. We have fulfilled our mission!"

But some people did not mind the effort. A group of people came galloping from the west in the distance. After their identities were checked, they were allowed to enter. They crossed the third trench, dismounted, and walked quickly to the boxcar. They knelt on one leg, raised their right hand to salute, and reported loudly and in an orderly manner.

After not seeing each other for two years, Sun Chengzong had changed a lot. His face, which was not white to begin with, became even darker, and he looked no different from the craftsmen who worked at the iron smelting furnace all year round. He also shaved off his long beard, which had no good temper, leaving only a small tuft of his chin, which was still straight and unruly.

"The war is not over yet. Is it appropriate for you as the commander to leave the central army?" Facing his subordinates who had come from thousands of miles away to rescue him, Hong Tao frowned and started to blame.

"Your Majesty, I am in charge of training and deployment, and my command and repulse of the enemy on the battlefield are not as good as the six commanders and the staff. After leaving the pass, I have explained your majesty's will in detail and made careful arrangements.

At this time, all the guards are following the procedures meticulously. I have no troops to command and no baggage to allocate. I will also be a burden to the soldiers for protection. It is better to meet the emperor in advance to listen to his good advice. "

If you say that a cultured person becomes a soldier, that is a bad thing. If he is well-versed in the classics, he will be a successful candidate in the imperial examination; if he is just a liar, he will be corrupted even if he has been in the military camp for many years.

Sun Chengzong already had rich life experience and was quite talented. After entering the officialdom, he also worked in the Hanlin Academy and the Ministry of War for several years. After being beaten up by a general like Du Song, he could be said to have become a wise man. He was able to handle the situation at that time very well and without any mistakes.

"Listen carefully, this is what it means to be a good official. When you get credit, don't rush to take it all for yourself, but share it with your subordinates. Put yourself in their shoes. Who can remain indifferent when encountering such a boss?"

Hong Tao never disliked people who were good at speaking, as long as they didn't just talk. Sun Chengzong's performance was very good, so he naturally had to praise him, and at the same time help him establish his authority in front of the staff and officers. "I have only learned the superficial knowledge of your majesty, and I really don't deserve it."

"Okay, enough of the polite words. Tell me about your journey here. Did you encounter any trouble in the army or on the road?"

Wang Chengen had already set up the horse stool and folding table, and neatly arranged the maps, compasses, squares and other tools, and was ready for the meeting. Hong Tao also climbed down from the van, took off his wet clothes and waved to the officers to find a place to sit.

“Since I received the order from Your Majesty, I have sent a staff officer to lead a guard northward on the pretext of long-distance march training, and took control of the Wubao Ferry so that the army could cross the river.

After entering Shanxi, the army would first explain the situation to local officials and generals with reason and emotion wherever they passed, occasionally use imperial edicts to intimidate them, and then cut off the post roads for at least three days to prevent the news from leaking.

Fifteen days later, they arrived at Datong and learned that Zhang Bingzhong had mobilized three guards to leave the pass a day ago, so they left one guard to arrest his family members and generals, and more than a hundred people were killed or injured in the resistance. Then the army immediately left the pass, divided into two parts, east and west, bypassing Zhang Bingzhong's troops and encircling the north.

Oh, yes, Lieutenant General Xiao Ruzhi of Xuanfu was ordered by General Ma Chengen to lead troops to patrol the border. After seeing the imperial edict, he took the initiative to lead the way, which enabled me to sneak around behind the Mongols without alerting Zhang Bingzhong's troops. He should be credited with a great achievement!"

Talking about his experiences along the way, Sun Chengzong used the writing style of the Spring and Autumn Period again, glossing over the difficulties and troubles, avoiding mentioning the local officials and garrisons, and finally not forgetting to give part of the credit to the general of Xuanfu.

"General Sun is loyal, brave and resourceful. Du is convinced." These descriptions may not mean much to the staff officers, but they deeply touched Du Wenhuan.

As a former deputy general, he knew very well what Sun Chengzong had done on this trip. No matter how lightly he described it, controlling local government, stationing troops, cutting off post roads, and arresting generals and their families, any one of these would be a serious crime punishable by the confiscation of property and the extermination of the entire family.

Imperial edict? Sorry, that doesn't exist. At most, it is the emperor's decree. This kind of decree can be useful or useless, depending on whether the situation is beneficial to the emperor.

If the emperor was not saved during this trip, then his Sun family would be the culprit for regicide and national disaster. Even if the emperor was saved, such an act would easily lead to disputes in the court, and it was unclear whether they could escape unscathed in the end.

But Sun Chengzong not only did it, but also did it thoroughly, leaving no room for maneuver, and did not take the initiative to show off his achievements in front of the emperor. This may be called vision and pattern, others can see more clearly and long-term than oneself, and once they see the right thing, they will act without any hesitation.

No wonder my uncle always speaks with admiration when he mentions Governor Sun. He is not just trying to flatter the emperor, he is really talented and knowledgeable. Such talents who dare to think, dare to do and can accomplish things are extremely rare in the court.

Li Zhi counts as one, Yuan Keli counts as one, Yuan Yingtai counts as one, and the current Sun Chengzong counts as at least half of them. Almost all of these people entered the officialdom in the previous dynasty, either outliers, retired, or remained unknown.

Then the question arises, why did they suddenly become capable ministers under the emperor, and so far there has been no suspicion or fear of each other due to their achievements surpassing the emperor.

(End of this chapter)