Zhu Xiuniang returned home and plunged into the small study to read.
Zhu Que came to ask, and the answer was still about studying knowledge. Zhu Que saw that although she was not bullied by Zhao Tao, she seemed to be a little confused in reading, and she couldn't help but feel worried, but there was nothing she could do.
Zhao Tong summoned Yao Pingzhong and Zhang Xian to discuss the matter, which lasted for half a day. Finally, Yao Pingzhong went out sweating profusely, and Zhang Xian's face turned pale.
There are over 10,000 nobles in Jiangning City, not counting the servants, maids, and guards. If all are included, there are tens of thousands.
The Xu and Gao families who left the city before were not from Jiangning's local clans and had a slightly smaller population. However, Jiangning's local gentry families had hundreds or even one to two hundred members, or even more.
Zhao Tong sat quietly behind the desk with no expression on his face...
More than ten miles south of Jiangning City, in an open-air tea shed next to the official road, Fang Qifu was reading a letter written by Li Fei, the right envoy of Guangming.
Fang Qifu carefully read the seal of the Light Order on the letter and found it to be genuine. He also read the opening paragraph and confirmed that it was written by Li Fei, because there are many things that only the Light Order is qualified to know, and this cannot be faked.
But what Li Fei said next was so shocking that even Fang Qifu couldn't help but change his expression one after another, and remained silent for a long time after reading the letter.
Shi Qian secretly looked at Fang Qifo from the front. This was the left envoy of the Ming Cult, the second-largest person after the leader Fang La, one person below him and above ten thousand people.
Shi Qian thought this Fang Qi Buddha was very strange, with an indescribable peculiar temperament. When he first looked at him, he seemed to be only in his twenties, and when he continued to look at him, he seemed to be thirty or forty years old. If he looked carefully, he might not be fifty, but he could turn around. With his eyes, he looks like a teenager in his teens.
It was strange, very strange. Shi Qian was a little nervous, but he was not afraid. The nervousness was because of the weirdness of the Seven Buddhas, and he was not afraid at all of what he was doing.
Just like the song he sang, his grandfather was born in the mountains and had no land or money. His comfortable life in Suiyulou in the past two or three years was better than the previous ten or twenty years, and his life has not been in vain since then.
In the past two or three years, he followed Ouyang Bei to Jiaofangsi to watch a lot of plays, listen to a lot of music, and gained a lot of knowledge.
Knowing that Lord Mengchang had three thousand guests, many of whom were roosters and dog robbers, he knew that his own family had no ability, so he also called himself a rooster and dog robber. He only hoped that one day he could use this meager means to repay the kindness of the two kings. The feeling of reinvention.
As for life and death, what does it matter? A scar as big as a bowl fell off his head, but eighteen years later he was a good man again, living in the world. He was just eating with his head tied to his belt. Life comes and goes, which is better than being trapped in filthy ditches.
Shi Qian was not afraid in his heart. He was calm and collected in Fang Qifu's eyes. He nodded secretly and said, "Brother Shi, I see what Li You said in his letter that there are still a group of disciples of the Holy Cult outside the city?"
Shi Qian stretched out his hand and pointed to the west: "Marshal, there is a Qingliang Mountain just over there. There is a Qingliang Temple in the mountain. About a hundred brothers have settled there. They also worship Ming Zun and worship every day. Dare to forget your roots.”
Fang Qifu was overjoyed when he heard this. What Li Fei said in the letter was too shocking. If he only looked at Shi Qian without any reference, and did not know whether the other party was reliable, it would be difficult to make a decision for a moment. If there were more people Only by comparison can we judge whether Li Feixin's strategy is feasible.
"Okay, brother Shi, can you take me to watch?" Fang Qifu said.
"It's all right, and my subordinates didn't hide it from the marshal. Just two days ago, the brothers at Qingliang Temple killed two groups of gentry who fled out of the city. I heard that they were all famous wealthy people in Jiangnan, so they killed them. Wait for the marshal to come and ask for credit." Shi Qian said.
"Is this happening?" This was beyond Fang Qifu's expectation. He led his army south. Like Fang La, every time he fell into a city, he would definitely kill all the gentry. However, many times the gentry and gentry in the city would just run away, stupidly. There were not many people waiting to be killed. For this reason, he also made a special roster, which recorded the names and characteristics of famous noble families in Zhejiang and Jiangjiang. He searched by name every time he entered a city.
"That's true. The brothers from Qingliang Temple killed hundreds of dog thieves that night. They also intercepted two boxes of gold, silver and jewelry. They were all waiting to be presented to the marshal after seeing them." Shi Qian read. Fang Qifu was surprised and hurriedly added fuel to the fire.
"Okay, okay!" Fang Qifu said with a smile: "I didn't expect that Li You made the brothers below so brave. I will definitely write down the great achievements. After we capture Jiangning City, we will discuss the merits and reward them together!"
"Thank you Marshal for the compliment!" Shi Qian saluted.
"Brother Shi, don't be polite. Go to Jiangning with me as soon as possible. First surround the city, and then go to the Qingliang Temple to visit the brothers!" Fang Qifu said while giving the order, and the army continued to move forward. Shi Qianzi also Get into the team.
After a journey of more than ten miles, it didn't take long to see Jiangning. I saw this majestic city with majestic and vast walls and strict fortifications. Flags and colorful flags were fluttering on the top of the city. The soldiers guarding the city had bright helmets and cold swords and guns.
Shi Bao said: "Marshal, what a great city!"
Fang Qifu nodded and said: "This is not my first time coming to Jiangning. I visited the city once a few years ago to visit old friends. It was so prosperous inside that I almost got lost."
Shi Bao scratched his head and said: "The marshal is making fun of his subordinates, but with the marshal's skill, how can he get lost?"
Fang Qifu sighed: "This has nothing to do with martial arts. The bad officials and evil gentry in this city have built countless palaces, towers and pavilions, which are extremely luxurious and decadent. If you don't know the way, you won't know where you are going."
Shi Bao suddenly said bitterly: "They are all looted from the people, and they all deserve to be cut into pieces by a thousand swords!"
Fang Qifu nodded: "The army is marching all the way north. The news cannot be concealed. I don't know how many dog officials and gentry in Jiangning City have run away after hearing the news. I saw what Li You mentioned in the letter that Jiangning now belongs to Zhao Song. King Qin is in charge of the city, but he is a powerful person, so be careful."
Shi Bao wondered: "King of Birds? The emperor of Zhao and Song Dynasties is such a bastard. Why did he give his own child such a title?"
Fang Qifu glanced at him, remained silent for a few moments and said, "He is the Qin of the Qin Dynasty, not a beast."
Shi Bao blushed and said with a smile: "It is more appropriate for me to see you as a beast. The Zhao and Song Dynasties are all corrupt officials, and the royal family is no different. They are no different from beasts."
The other generals nearby heard the words and applauded one after another, saying that it would be more appropriate to call him King of Birds. Fang Qifu could only shake his head helplessly and let them go.
After observing the city for a while, Fang Qifu saw that there was no movement inside, so he began to mobilize his troops and generals to arrange their troops. The soldiers and horses at the outpost began to surround the city, while those in the rear set up camp on the spot.
Jiangning City is huge, and the moat area outside is extremely wide. Normally, it would not be easy to encircle such a large city.
But Fang Qifu's soldiers and horses had reached 200,000 at this moment, and the siege could be easily accomplished. As he issued the military order, he saw a stream of iron flowing, people shouting and horses neighing, and they surrounded Jiangning on both sides.
Zhao Tong had already received the news from the Xuanfu Division. At this time, he stood at the top of the city and watched. Wang Zhen stood aside and said: "Your Majesty, there are so many enemy troops. For the time being, we can only defend!"
Zhao Tong nodded and said: "Wear them out. They are just a mob. If you want to surround them, surround them. Guard the city tightly and don't leave the city."
Wang reported: "My lord, in my opinion, with the majesty of Jiangning City and the abundance of food and grass, as long as we defend it properly, even if it takes a year and a half, the bandit army will not be able to make a single cent."
Zhao Tong said: "The rewards will be distributed, and the Jiangning garrison and the Imperial Guards will receive the same rewards without distinguishing between the three systems of Jinxiang Township."
Wang Chen heard this and said that it was true that the rewards for meritorious service by the Forbidden Army were different from those for the Xiang army and rural soldiers. The difference was probably several times greater. Zhao Tao brought 30,000 Forbidden Army and integrated 20,000 Forbidden Xiang Army from Jiangning, which equaled 50,000. There are more than 10,000 local soldiers left. These people have different organizational structures. Now Zhao Tao has ordered the same merits and rewards, which is an unprecedented event.
Then Zhao Tong stood at the top of the city and watched for a while. When he saw that the opposite side was building camps and digging fortifications, he was in full swing. However, there was nothing new in the back and forth. They were all conservative and old-fashioned siege methods, so he lost interest and shook his head. Sleeves went straight to town.
Outside the city, Fang Qi Buddha's army and horses were busy in full swing. Camps, fortifications, and cooking pots were all being carried out at the same time. The Chinese army's tent was set up first, and then Fang Qi Buddha brought people in to eat. After the external matters were settled little by little, But the Jade Rabbit has already been promoted.
Originally, Fang Qifu planned to visit Qingliang Temple in Qingliang Mountain today. After all, he also wanted to familiarize himself with the terrain around Jiangning. However, seeing that it was getting dark outside, he gave up the idea. After all, he had just arrived at the city and there was no room for any mistakes. It's not good for him as a coach to leave the army on the first day, and it's still at night.
Early the next morning, Fang Qifu got up and inspected the camp. Then he ordered a few generals, took a thousand men and horses, and headed west under the leadership of Shi Qian.
In Qingliang Temple, some believers from the mountain had already heard the news and reported back. Wu Song and Luo Jinshui already knew about Fang Qi's Buddhist soldiers besieging Jiangning City.
However, because the two of them had not communicated with Shi Qian, they could not determine whether Shi Qian had contacted the seven Buddhas above. At this time, they could only wait carefully.
Before noon, some believers patrolling outside came into the temple to report that a team under the banner of the holy character was coming at the foot of the mountain. After hearing this, the two guessed that the team of Fang Qifu had arrived, so they hurried down to greet them.
After a while, Fang Qifu and others were brought into the temple. After a while of greetings, Wu Song and Luo Jinshui presented the heads of the nobles. Two more boxes of gold and silver jewelry were also carried into the temple. When they were opened, they were radiant and attractive. eyes.
Fang Qifol ordered his men to compare the characteristics of the heads, and also asked the accents of the nobles who were robbed and killed, and whether they had mentioned their last names. After finally confirming their identities, they couldn't help but feel extremely happy. They turned out to be two big families in Hangzhou, and there was no longer any doubt in their minds. He looked at Luo Jinshui and said with a smile: "Brothers Luo Wu and Ambassador Li, are you on any mission in the army now?"
Luo Jinshui revealed his identity as a forbidden soldier when he first met Fang Qifu. As for Li Fei, the Right Envoy of Light, he was registered in the Mingjiao General Altar as a native of Longyou. He had known the Uighur Mingjiao saint Liya Nazha for many years. He traveled with him when he came to the Central Plains, and later participated in the Luzhou Challenge and broke into Wang Qing's army to recruit Mingjiao believers. When Wang Qing was defeated, he took the opportunity to infiltrate the Song army and obtained a military position.
There are actually flaws in this background, but they are not big. And with Liya Naza, a saint from the Uighur Ming Cult, talking about this matter, no matter how big the flaw is, it will be covered up, and no one will doubt Li Fei's identity and origin.
As a saint of the Uighur Mingjiao, Liyanaza had no reason to harm the Central Plains Mingjiao, and Liyanaza did not know that the Central Plains Mingjiao was going to rebel. Therefore, even if Li Fei was in the Central Plains and his heart was with the Uighurs, he would never fight with Zhao What hook did the Song court have?
There is also the fact that the relationship between the Uighurs and the Song Dynasty is not good. The Song Dynasty attacked the Qing and Tang Dynasties twice, and there were several conflicts with the Uighurs in the middle. Especially the second time when they went deep into Longyou, they determined the first line of Longyou border. When the Longyou Protectorate was established, it directly opposed the Uighurs. The Uighurs had a good relationship with the Liao Kingdom. There were also people in the country who believed in the original shamanism of the Liao Kingdom, so they became even more hostile to the Song Dynasty.
No matter how careful Fang Qifu was, he would not doubt Liya Nazha. He read what Li Fei said in the letter and found that although the matter was shocking, it was generally feasible, so he asked about Li Fei's official position. After all, what was written in the letter was... If the official is young, it will be difficult to do it.
Luo Jinshui replied: "Marshal, the right envoy is now the deputy commander of the First Army."
The establishment of the Forbidden Army is generally composed of fifty people per team, two teams for one capital, five capitals for one command (battalion, small army), five commanders for one army, ten armies for one compartment, and two compartments for one large army. .
The chief officer of the army, Xiang and Dajun is the capital commander, and there are two deputy capital commanders below him.
Fang Qifu naturally knew about the establishment of the Forbidden Army. One army consisted of 2,500 people. The Deputy Commander-in-Chief was not a small official, but there were also Commander-in-Chiefs above him. In a real war, words might not count.
He pondered slightly, and Luo Jinshui added: "But when I came out, the right envoy happened to be in charge of a gate in the west city, with a thousand soldiers under his command, including disciples of my holy religion."
Fang Qifu's eyes couldn't help but light up when he heard this, but it was better to be in charge than to be an official now. He asked: "Which gate in the West City?"
There are thirteen city gates in the surrounding city of Jiangning, not counting the water gate, and eighteen including the water gate. The west city has three gates, and there are two more water gates.
Luo Jinshui hurriedly said which city gate, and Fang Qifu began to think about it. He had come to Jiangning because he had some calculations at that time and carefully observed the gates in Jiangning. At this moment, the calculation in his mind couldn't help but get better and better. Li Fei The city gate they guard is perfect for sneak attacks.
After a moment, he nodded and said: "What else did your envoy say to you two? Although I have read your letter, I still have some doubts in my mind. Can your envoy explain the complications in the plan?" "
Luo Jinshui hurriedly said: "The right envoy did give a detailed explanation. Marshal, please listen to my subordinates and explain slowly..."
Zhao Tong spent the whole morning reading in his study, wishing Xiuniang the future. He thought that this woman must have been shocked by his words and could not think of a reason to refute. Moreover, Fang Qifu was at the gate of the city with troops, so he did not come to the door in time.
He called Ding Daxie, and after explaining a few words, asked him to go to Zhu Que's house to invite people.
About half an hour later, Ding Daxie invited people over. Although Zhu Xiuniang's calm temperament remained unchanged, she looked a little haggard. After entering, she said politely: "Why did the prince call the girls here? But we still want to talk about knowledge?"
Zhao Tong glanced at her, shook his head and said: "Now that the bandit army is approaching the city, how can I, the king, still think about studying?"
Zhu Xiuniang said doubtfully: "Then the prince is..."
Zhao Tong said calmly: "I feel that there are dangers inside and outside Jiangning City at the moment, and your Zhu family may not be safe, so I took Xiuniang to live here for a few days."
ah? ! Zhu Xiuniang was stunned when she heard this. Are you going to keep her here? This is not possible, what is this? How will her reputation survive like this? How can I go out to meet people in the future?
"Your Majesty, this is absolutely impossible. How can a civilian girl stay..."
Zhao Tong waved his hand impatiently to interrupt her, and said: "I ask you to stay here as long as you want. There are so many words. Someone, please send Xiu Niang to the back to rest!"
(End of chapter)
