Jiuxi

Chapter 490 Chapter 488 [Stay away]

It was already afternoon when Lu Chen left the palace, and he stayed in the palace for nearly two hours.

This long conversation with the emperor not only allowed him to better understand the other person's inner world, but also greatly helped himself.

He didn't know how to describe this feeling. It was as if when he was halfway up the mountain, the road in front of him suddenly broke into a cliff. At this time, the emperor's sincere teachings turned into a tough rope, allowing him to continue upward.

His horizons were further broadened, and he truly understood the path to having the world in mind.

However, Lu Chen has no time to be complacent now. The emperor just set a big framework and assigned the most difficult task to Qin Zheng. However, if you want to implement the strategy on the battlefield, you don't know how much sleepless deliberation is needed, especially considering that Due to the distance between the capital and Jiangbei, it took time to deliver the message. There was not much time left for Lu Chen.

Fortunately, his relationship with Xiao Wangzhi and Li Tianrun was extraordinary, and they trusted each other enough that there was no need for repeated testing.

Thinking of this, Lu Chen suddenly understood the reason why the emperor kept him. Not only did he trust him as a trusted minister and bind him with the righteousness of the emperor and his ministers, but also partly because of his relationship with the two frontier commanders.

Although other military ministers may not necessarily be militarily weaker than Lu Chen, they do not have the unique advantage of being from the frontier army.

He is worthy of being the emperor who endured for more than ten years and finally defeated the Jiangnan clan.

Lu Tong couldn't help but feel a little surprised. In the past few years, he had seen Lu Chen working hard outside. Many times, even if he wanted to help, he was rejected by this kid. At that moment, he said with great comfort: "That's right. I am your father. I will help you." Isn’t it just to help yourself? Tell me, what is it?”

Lu Tong also laughed, walked closer, raised his hand and patted his shoulder, saying: "Thank you, no need. I just hope that you will get married soon and have children. By the way, last time you said you would stay in the capital for a long time, I I asked someone to escort Song Pei over. He just arrived at noon today and is waiting for you in the backyard. "

Lu Tong turned around and stood up, nodded and said: "Yes, I just want to tell you today that I will prepare to leave Beijing and go north in three days."

"I have something to ask my father for help."

Lu Tong did not answer immediately.

After a long time, Lu Tong stopped and said to Lu Chen: "Now it seems that it is really a pity that His Majesty the Emperor is approaching the end of his life."

Lu Tong was teasing a little bird on the corridor in the front hall. When he heard Lu Chen's greetings, he turned to look him up and down and said with a smile: "It seems that the emperor's body can still hold on."

Lu Chen smiled bitterly. He didn't understand the subtext of his old father's words. He mentioned marrying a wife and having children, and then immediately mentioned Song Pei's name. This was no longer a hint but an explicit statement, so he could only explain: "Father, You know that I will be very busy recently and have a lot of extremely important things on my hands. Why did you call her here specifically? "

At this time, Lu Chen remembered what Xiao Wangzhi once said. If his father had not voluntarily left the army to engage in business, his future in the army might not be worse than Xiao Wangzhi's, because among the group of young people who followed Yang Guangyuan, Lu Chen Tong's military talent is not weaker than others.

Although Lu Chen was not afraid, he still shrank his neck and said, "I really don't necessarily have time to eat and sleep."

He paced back and forth on the corridor, mumbling something.

Lu Chen made a rare request.

"Song Pei?"

Lu Chen felt sad in his heart.

Lu Chen still felt this way until he returned to Shanyang Hou Mansion.

Lu Tong widened his eyes and said, "No matter how busy you are, you have to have time to eat and sleep. Wouldn't it be nice to have her take care of you?"

Lu Chen did not answer the question directly, but hesitated: "Father, have all the family's businesses in the south been liquidated?"

Lu Chen looked around, came closer, lowered his voice and briefly recounted the previous conversation with the emperor in the palace, and finally said: "Father, I would like to ask you to go see Uncle Xiao in person and explain this matter in detail. I believe Uncle Xiao can understand your majesty’s good intentions. Of course, I will ask your majesty to send someone with an eight-hundred-mile horse to deliver the request to avoid the war to Uncle Xiao and Governor Li as soon as possible. "

Lu Tong continued: "This plan is very promising. There is nothing wrong with your initial idea. The border army must show weakness now so that the emperor's idea can go forward. So, I will let them prepare now and leave Beijing for the north early tomorrow morning. You first let the border troops avoid fighting and defend themselves. I will go to see Lao Xiao in person and explain to him your and His Majesty’s plan.”

This was the first step of the strategy he decided on the way back. If he wanted to get Emperor Jing to take the bait, the Qi frontier army could not rush into a large-scale battle with the opponent. They had to rely on the city passes to avoid battle and defend, and attract the Jing army over little by little. .

Lu Chen smiled and said, "Thank you for your hard work, Dad."

Lu Tong was really angry when he saw this elm-headed man, and said coldly: "Then when you were in Shazhou..."

This knife could be said to have struck Lu Chen's life. He immediately surrendered and said: "Okay, okay, okay, I will do whatever daddy says."

Lu Tong smiled and snorted, turned around and walked out, saying leisurely: "Don't forget, you are twenty-three years old, you are not young."

Looking at his old father's back, a warm smile appeared on Lu Chen's lips.

The meeting with Song Pei was calm and meaningful. This girl, who was born in a water town in the south of the Yangtze River and was displaced by her parents due to a disaster, was gentle and mature in nature. Now she is becoming more and more graceful.

Wearing a very simple long skirt with a jacket, a hosta pinned to her black hair, and her long and white neck like a swan.

There was a joyful and caring smile on that goose-oval face, and he obediently saluted, "Young master... I'd like to pay my respects to Mr. Marquis."

Lu Chen smiled and said, "Don't be so reserved at home. If you like, call me Young Master."

If it were He Yu or any other maid from Lu Zhai Xiyuan, she would probably call her young master, but Song Pei said softly: "Master Marquis, I said that national rites are greater than family rites." "Okay, you can say it as you like. How to come."

Of course, Lu Chen would not deliberately correct her, and then said: "You first get familiar with the situation at home. From now on, you will be the steward of the back house, and the women and maids will be under your control. Now I have to go to the study to do some work, except for the angels in the palace." Besides, don’t let anyone else bother me.”

Song Pei nodded and said politely, "Yes, Lord Marquis."

Lu Chen stayed in the study until midnight. During this period, Song Pei came in three times. The first time was to bring a food box to deliver meals, and the other two times were to help Lu Chen grind ink and add tea. He was very quiet and considerate, and did not disturb Lu Chen's thoughts. .

After the full moon, Lu Chen simply washed up and returned to the bedroom. He saw the warm candlelight here and the air was filled with a touch of sandalwood.

Song Pei slowly climbed up from the bed. After getting out of bed, he said softly: "Master Hou, the bed is already warm."

In the dim light, the girl's face was facing the sky, her face was slightly wet with perspiration, and her skin was white and rosy, as if carrying a fresh and alluring fragrance.

Since the trip to Shazhou, Lu Chen has been perfect for two lives. This situation is naturally very tempting. After all, he, Lu Tong and Song Pei all know that asking her to come to the capital from Guangling is Finalize the identity of the person in the room.

Normally, for a kid from a rich family like Lu Chen, when he is fifteen or sixteen years old, he will have a personal maid pretending to be the person in the house.

It's a pity that Lu Chen is now thinking about the overall situation of the world and battlefield planning, and he has to go to the palace early tomorrow morning to discuss important matters with the emperor, so he said as gently as possible: "You should go to bed early."

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

Song Pei still spoke softly, without any inappropriate expression on his face.

As she walked past Lu Chen, she suddenly heard another sentence.

"There is ample time."

The girl's eyes suddenly brightened, she turned to Lu Chen and smiled sweetly, and her steps seemed to become more brisk.

……

In just two days, one secret order after another set off from the capital and was sent to various places at high speed by 800-mile-long horses.

Jiangbei, Dingzhou, Ruyin City.

After the fall of Dingfeng Road, Xu Zuo, the censor Zhongcheng and the supervisor of the Dingzhou army, announced the emperor's long-prepared decree. Xiao Wangzhi, Duke of Rongguo and the governor of Huaizhou, took charge of both the Huai and Ding armies. Li Jingda, the governor of Dingzhou, acted as His deputies, the two of them jointly commanded tens of thousands of troops on the eastern front to deal with the menacing main force of Jing's army.

Now that Jing's army is gradually advancing, the banner of the former army commander's bone-killing ground has been erected in Luoshan County, which is more than thirty miles north of Jishan Tun.

This was the place where Qing Yu Zhongwang led more than 10,000 cavalry before they raided Ruyin City.

With Luoshan County as the core, Jing's army accumulated troops at a distance of more than a hundred miles from east to west, aiming directly at Jishan Tun, the barrier to the north of Ruyin City.

Once the Jing army breaks through the Jishan garrison defense line, they can sweep through the entire central part of Dingzhou with superior force just like they did in the northern part of Dingzhou before. They don't even have to rush to attack Ruyin city. They can gradually clear the surrounding area and turn Ruyin into a Jedi strategy.

Now, in the entire northern part of Dingzhou, only the big city Fengqiu is still in the hands of the Qi army, and the main force of the Qi army in the south has lost contact with the Feiyun army in Fengqiu city.

Now that Jing's army is in a decisive battle posture north of Jishan Tun, the opinions within the Qi army are difficult to unify.

The faction headed by Hou Dayong, the commander of the Dingwei Army, believes that it is not appropriate to fight timidly. Now that the two main forces of Huaizhou Zhenbei and Guangling have arrived in Ruyin City, and with the original strength of the Dingzhou Army, they can definitely fight against Jingzhou. The army fought head-on.

If we continue to passively defend Jishantun, it will obviously be a big blow to our own morale. More importantly, we will not be able to rescue the Feiyun Army who is trapped in Fengqiu City.

The faction headed by Pei Sui, the commander of the Zhenbei Army, held the opposite opinion. At present, the morale of Jing's army was at its peak, and it was obviously not in line with military common sense to rush into battle.

In the end, it was Xiao Wang who made the decision: "Jing's army is powerful, our army will avoid fighting for the time being, there is no need to discuss it further!"

The generals did not dare to fight anymore. Hou Dayong wanted to say a few more words, but Li Jingda stopped him with a stern look in his eyes. He could only bow and leave sadly.

After the festival hall became quiet, Xiao Wangzhi looked at Li Chengen, the deputy general of the Dingbei Army who had been left behind, and said solemnly: "You will lead your six thousand cavalry to station in the southwest of Ningling City. You are not allowed to move without the military order of the governor." "

After a long period of training in the military, Li Chengen now has the calm demeanor of a general, and he said without hesitation: "Follow the order!"

In fact, he didn't quite understand why Xiao Wangzhi sent the only main cavalry to the rear when Dingzhou's second line of defense was facing great pressure.

The Dingbei Army is based on the Rui Shiying cavalry. It is an elite division that has followed Lu Chen and has been on the battlefield for a long time. It is not at a disadvantage when facing the Jing Army cavalry. If they stay on the front line, it will naturally help the army.

The content of the secret decree came to Xiao Wangzhi's mind. He looked at the brave and courageous young general in front of him and said in a slow tone: "This is also the order of your Lord Marquis."

Li Chengen's eyes lit up, and he stood up again and said: "The last general takes command!"

(End of this chapter)