Yan Shifan's excitement only lasted for a day and a half.
I thought that if Xiao Feng was deprived of the prince's tutor, King Jing would be able to return to his arms. Maybe even King Yu would allocate it to him. Then won't you just blow the black whistle casually?
So the next day, Yan Song, under Yan Shifan's instruction, went to see Jiajing and expressed his concern for the two princes' conduct.
"Long live the two princes, they are still young. Without the supervision of the master, it may not be safe. We should confirm the candidates as soon as possible."
Jiajing nodded, saying that Yan Song's concerns were correct, and then he chose a bad old man who couldn't walk on a road to temporarily serve as their teacher, without considering Yan Shifan at all. However, an explanation was given.
"Xiao Feng and Yan Shifan are both good candidates, but both of them have lost their official status. It is against the rules to serve as the prince's mentor. Let's wait until spring."
This reason is very reasonable, but it is actually just an excuse. Because if Jiajing deems it appropriate, Yan Shifan can be given a reasonable position in minutes so that he can be King Jing's teacher.
It can only be explained that although Jiajing punished Xiao Feng, his anger towards Yan Shifan was not completely gone. In the past, it was all about your father's face, but now it's all about your own abilities. If you have the ability, prove yourself in the spring with real swords and guns. Otherwise, just stay here and wait for me to calm down.
However, what came earlier than spring was the Tatar cavalry.
Like wolves that had been hungry all winter, the Tatars followed the spring breeze and pounced on the various defense lines of the Ming Dynasty.
burn! kill! Rob!
Last year, because of Zhang Tianci's sorghum, the cavalry gathered on the Xuanda line and fought a rare victory. However, it was difficult to maintain cavalry. After the battle, they had to go back to their respective homes. At this time, the number of cavalry on the Xuanda line returned to the regular number.
Therefore, Qiu Luan persisted and his strategy was both realistic and consistent with his character.
It's just that after Hu Zongxian was transferred, Qiu Luan has been feeling very unsure. He sleeps in fear every day with half his eyes open. After this scene was secretly spread by his concubine, it became quite popular in the army, saying that General Qiu was the reincarnation of Zhang Fei!
Qiu Luan cursed in his heart, can I be the same as Zhang Fei? Zhang Fei is so good at fighting. If I could fight like Zhang Fei, I wouldn't have to huddle in the city and watch these Tatars running around every day.
This is like not having Zhang Fei's life, but getting Zhang Fei's disease!
In order to protect Datong City and his name, Qiu Luan desperately asked the court for supplies. How about adding another three thousand to the cavalry? Not three thousand? A thousand is fine! How about adding another thousand carts of food and grass? five hundred? Five hundred is fine! Military pay, military pay, who would fight a war without military pay!
Along with the food and grass, there are two thousand earth trumpets. Qiu Luan didn't care. He didn't think this thing was very useful at first, but he just used the court's money to repay Xiao Feng. However, the messengers and patrols felt like they had found a treasure and came up to take advantage of it.
The general responsible for escorting military supplies came to Qiu Luan mysteriously and winked. Qiu Luan understood this and led him into his room.
When he arrived at the house, Qiu Luan took out a bag of silver and said politely: "If you have money, let's spend it. Everyone is very helpful in this batch of military supplies. This is for your brother. I will arrange it for the others." .”
The general did not refuse, accepted the money with a smile, and took out a bundle of things wrapped in oil paper from his arms.
"General Qiu, thank you for the reward. These are the things given to the general by the imperial court's secret order. It is not easy to take them out outside, so I asked the general to come into the house before giving them. There are only three in total. The general must keep them well and do not use them except for those who are close to him. .”
Qiu Luan opened the oil paper in confusion, revealing three brass sticks inside. He picked one up and looked at it carefully.
"What's the use of this thing? Is it a new type of musket? It doesn't look like it?"
The general picked one up and showed Qiu Luan how to use it. Qiu Luan raised one eye suspiciously.
"Ah, so miraculous! It is indeed a treasure! Where did you get it?"
"The latest product of WTO, the quantity is limited, and it is only for the use of border defense generals for the time being!"
At dusk that day, Qiu Luan climbed to the top of the city. He held a bright copper stick in his hand, put it to his eyes, and looked into the distance.
The generals around him didn't know why, they all looked at Qiu Luan and listened to Qiu Luan's mouth constantly making some sounds of admiration.
"Report! Sir, there are dozens of people outside the gate requesting to enter the city! No Tatars have been found at the lookout post. General, please give me permission!"
The guard captain who came to ask for instructions had a sense of routine fatigue in his voice. Because these days, there have been eight or not ten waves of people coming to check the gates, and not once did the Commander-in-Chief order the city gates to be opened.
Naturally, the endings of these people were two different. One was that they dispersed helplessly and went into the ravines to hide from the Tatars. The other was that they were snatched away by the Tatars who arrived and used as slaves before they had time to escape.
"Open the door, let them in, and then close the door immediately!"
"Yes, sir, the door is closed!...What? Open the door?"
The captain of the gatekeeping team was tongue-tied. Has the sun come out from the west? Has General Qiu suddenly become so brave? Isn't he afraid that the Tatars will rush in and chop off his head?
"Stop talking nonsense, open and close quickly! There are no Tatars around now."
The city gate opened, and the people who had heard that it was hopeless and were just trying their luck in desperation were shocked, and then rushed into the city crying and shouting.
"I heard that the city gate has never been opened this year. We are so lucky!"
"Yeah, if it weren't for the fact that we couldn't find anything to eat in the mountains, we wouldn't have come here to die!"
"Master Jun, you have done good deeds. God bless you!"
Naturally, the captain of the gatekeeper did not dare to be ashamed of receiving these thanks, and quickly pointed to the majestic image of Qiu Luan hanging on the tower with one eye.
"These are all orders from General Qiu. If you want to thank General Qiu, please thank General Qiu!"
The people were excited and shouted one after another.
"Bodhisattva, General Qiu, bless you!"
"General Qiu, Lord Bing, Lord Wandai!"
Qiu Luan was stunned and slowly put down his telescope. As a general, he traveled from Gansu to the capital and then to Datong. All he heard was praise in front of his face, insults behind his back, and the ridicule of the enemy, but he did not stop the common people. of praise.
Why is this feeling so similar to the feeling when collecting money? They are all equally intoxicating. I wish I could listen to them every day... Oh no, I can listen to them every day!
At night, Qiu Luan called in four people from the lookout team. These four people are all special talents selected from thousands of miles away, possessing two major talents.
First, he has excellent eyesight. If you get it today, it will at least be a pilot's standard. No, it's higher than the standard for pilots.
Second, the voice was so loud that it shook the house. There is a person with a slightly smaller voice. When he is on duty, he must be accompanied by a partner with a loud voice to help him shout.
Only with these two characteristics can one become a member of the lookout team. If you stand at the highest level, you will get the highest military pay. You don't need to train to fight and kill the enemy. You can just stand on the watchtower at the highest point of the tower and look around every day.
Since Qiu Luan came to Datong, the treatment of these four people has been higher. Because among all the former commander-in-chiefs of Datong, Qiu Luan was definitely the one who was most afraid of death. So he doubled the military pay for these four people, telling them not to take it lightly.
After all, if they lose heart, Qiu Luan may lose his head, so this matter must not be taken carelessly.
Therefore, these four people are absolutely loyal to Qiu Luan and can be called national warriors. At this time, seeing Qiu Luan's serious expression and his attitude of asking for help, they all expressed their opinions: Even if you let me wait for the sword mountain and the frying pan, you will not hesitate!
Qiu Luan carefully took out a telescope, handed it to them, and said affectionately:
"Everyone, from now on, the lives of the people outside the city depend on you. Whether we can avoid being attacked by surprise also depends on you! From today on, the military salary I will give you will be doubled!"
The four people were surprised and happy, and they all swore an oath.
"I, Hu Da, swear allegiance to you! Until death!"
"I, Miao Er, swear allegiance to you! Until death!"
"I, Tian San, swear allegiance to you! Until death!"
"I, Fan Si, swear allegiance to your lord! Until death!"
History was rewritten at this moment. Qiu Luan relied on the combination of four lookouts + binoculars to firmly control the situation in the city defense battle. He was not able to attack but was able to protect himself. This year, Anda Khan did not receive gifts from nature outside Datong City, and left angrily.
Since Qiu Luan did not bribe Anda Khan, he naturally did not need to lie about the military situation, and the subsequent series of events would go differently. It turned out that Qiu Luan was later exposed in a scandal and was deprived of all his glory during his lifetime, and even the people he promoted were implicated.
As high-paid talents who received special subsidies from Qiu Luan all year round, these four brothers were naturally implicated and sent to remote places. With hatred for the Ming Dynasty and longing for Qiu Luan, they lived for several generations. people.
During the Chongzhen period, Li Zicheng launched an army. When the descendants of these four families saw Li Zicheng, they couldn't help but burst into tears - they looked so similar to the portrait of General Qiu passed down by my family! Say nothing, we support you!
Then they became Li Zicheng's four bodyguards. Later, Li Zicheng was defeated, and the four bodyguards became anonymous and even killed each other. The descendants left behind were written into "Flying Fox in the Snow Mountain" by Jin Yong.
Returning to the book, at this time Ananda Khan was staring at the city wall of Datong very angrily, puzzled.
"Didn't you say that Qiu Luan is a idiot? How come he was already prepared for my several sneak attacks? Could it be that he still has the ability to anticipate the enemy?"
Xiao Qin beside him was wearing a blue robe. Although he was sitting on the horse, he was still as steady as a rock and looked at the city wall with a smile.
"It's not Qiu Luan who can do it. My spies in the city shot a message arrow out of the city, saying that he found that the people at the lookout post had something in their hands.
My people are inquiring in the capital and there is news. It is something made from the capital's view of the world, but it is not clear what it is exactly.
According to my speculation, since this object appears on the observation post, it should be an object to assist the observation. We have always fought together slowly, and our troops have been quick.
Now that they can see further, they can naturally prepare in advance, which is not surprising. I've offered a large reward for my people to get one. As long as we have it, we have a way to solve it. "
An Dahan frowned: "Then what should we do? Having this thing in the city defense battle is quite disadvantageous to us. Even if we have one, distance is distance, and the speed of horses is limited. Charges and surprise attacks are not possible." So easy.”
Xiao Qin smiled faintly: "In war, strength always has the final say. Ingenious strategies may be useful for a while, but to truly conquer the world, it depends on who is stronger!
It doesn’t matter if they can see far away. Datong is difficult for us to attack from the front because of its high city walls and sufficient troops. Where else?
No matter how far they look, it takes time to rescue each other. As the Khan said, the speed of horses is limited, not to mention how many horses they only have? "
"So what Mr. Xiao means? Let's withdraw our troops and attack Taiyuan? The original plan was to attack Taiyuan."
"No, Taiyuan has Hu Zongxian, and it is more difficult to defeat than Qiu Luan. Let's go directly to Gubeikou!"
Some people died, but not completely...
