Two more days later, the door to the examination hall was still closed.
In addition, news of the fall of Changsha Mansion gradually spread, and the entire city of Beijing fell into an unprecedented depressive atmosphere.
Xu Song had not returned home for three days. Xu He was worried about his uncle's health, so he followed Xu Peng to wait at the palace gate for two days.
They did not dare to approach the palace gate and could only stay outside.
Finally, on the third day, Xu Song came out of the palace to watch the house with a heavy heart.
Seeing Xu He, he waved and said, "We'll talk about it when we get back."
Xu He followed Xu Song into the carriage, and Xu Peng followed on horseback.
In the carriage, Xu He took out the warm water he had always prepared, moistened a handkerchief and wiped Xu Song's face.
Xu Song's face looked very tired, and one look at it showed that he had not had a good rest in the past three days.
When they arrived at the house, while Xu Peng was arranging meals, Xu Song called Xu He to his side and said, "The results of the exam should be out tomorrow!"
Although the imperial court was isolated from internal and external traffic, the emperor could still contact Wu Xingbang in the imperial court.
It is estimated that the situation has not been good recently, and Emperor Zhizheng also felt that the two people in the cabinet were not enough, so he sent a lieutenant to urge him.
But today is already thirteen days since the end of the general examination. Logically speaking, it’s almost time.
Xu He then asked the question he was most worried about in the past two days: "Uncle, how is the situation in Changsha Mansion now? How are the two Princes Tan and Prince Ji?"
Xu He didn't care whether the two vassal kings, King Tan and King Ji, died or not.
But their identities are too important. If they are captured or killed, the impact will be too bad.
Xu Song shook his head: "He's not dead. I just received the news that the two princes took the whole family and fled to Hengzhou Mansion when the thieves first arrived at Baoqing Mansion."
Baoqing Mansion was Shaoyang, Hunan in later generations, and Hengzhou Mansion was naturally Hengyang City.
Shaoyang is to the west of Changsha, and Hengzhou is to the south of Changsha.
These three places are actually in the shape of an equilateral triangle.
These two princes are also wonderful people.
The thief was still in Shaoyang, so they had a premonition that the thief would not go to Hengyang, but to Changsha.
It has to be said that the two Taiping princes are quite smart when it comes to trouble.
"As long as the two vassal princes are fine, then things will be easier to handle!" Xu He breathed a sigh of relief.
Xu Song nodded.
If two vassal kings really died, then someone in their cabinet would definitely take the blame!
"Is there any countermeasure now?" Xu He asked.
Xu Song nodded: "I suggest that Huguang Governor Che Chun lead troops to garrison Huangmei!"
Huangmei?
Xu He frowned and thought for a moment before smiling: "Uncle, what a wonderful trick!"
It turns out that Huangmei was at the junction of the three provinces of Hubei, Jiangxi, and Anhui in later generations, and was very close to the strategically important Hukou of Jiujiang Fuhe River.
If someone who didn't understand military affairs encountered the fall of Changsha, they would definitely send troops to Changsha to suppress it. However, Xu Song made a first move and cut off the northward route of the Huguang rebels.
Aren't you going to join the Jiangxi thieves at Chalingguan and then go north?
Then I will station troops near the mouth of the lake first. Once I get the news, I will block your way.
But this is not enough.
What if the thieves heard carefully that there were reinforcements from the imperial court in Jiujiang? Then they would either choose to continue northward from the east bank of Poyang Lake, or recruit troops in Changsha and stand still?
So Xu Song first placed his troops in Huangmei.
It is possible to go south to Yuezhou to threaten the thieves in Changsha.
The east can control the entrance of the lake to prevent thieves from entering the Yangtze River from Poyang Lake.
Going north can also monitor the upcoming battle at Lengshuiguan, which can serve many purposes.
"Uncle is really good at using soldiers, my nephew admires me!" Xu He said sincerely.
Xu Song shook his head and said: "I have no choice but to do this. No one else is reliable, but Che Chun is the only one who knows how to fight. I can only use him!"
"Che Chun? Governor of Huguang? Uncle knows him very well?" Xu He asked.
Xu Song nodded: "Che Chun is your grandfather's student!"
"Oh?" Xu He looked at Xu Song in surprise. He really didn't know that Xu Fan's student had now reached the position of a provincial official.
"Well, in fact, he is not considered a student. Che Chun is from Bailou Mountain in Shangyu, Zhejiang. His courtesy name is Bingwen. When he was young, he was excluded by his classmates and instructors from the county school. Although his knowledge is good, he almost loses his qualifications as a county student."
"That year, your grandfather happened to be the deputy envoy for promoting education in Zhejiang. When he was attending Lin County School, he discovered that Che Chun's articles were good. He offered Che Chun a place as a junior student on the spot, and punished three county school instructors, ostracizing Che Chun. Twelve students from the county.”
"From then on, until Che Chun passed the Jinshi examination and became a member of the Ministry of Military Affairs, Che Chun always claimed that your grandfather was his reborn parent and that he would be his mentor for the rest of his life."
"Two years ago, he was appointed as the right deputy censor of the Imperial Procuratorate of Jin Dynasty from the left as the envoy to the left in Fujian Province. He was the governor of Huguang and also in charge of military affairs!"
Xu He nodded. No wonder Xu Song's biological son Xu Feng was appointed as an official and went to Fujian. It seemed that Xu Song also wanted his senior brother to take care of his son.
As for officialdom, that's not all.
To put it bluntly, it is a network of relationships as dense as a spider web.
Xu He also heard from this that Che Chun might be Xu Song's supporter among the officials in Xinjiang.
Thinking of this, Xu He said: "Uncle, you have been placed on the outside, how should you arrange the situation in the game?"
Xu Song said: "I have ordered the Guangxi wolf soldiers to pursue the rebels. As soon as they leave Changsha, they will immediately harass them. They must not be allowed to easily cross Liling to join the rebels in Jiangxi!"
Xu He nodded and said: "The four close military roads of Yuezhou, Chengui, Jingzhou, and Chenyuan surrounded Changsha. They did not seek to capture the city, but only surrounded three and one. The thieves who forced Changsha could not stay in Changsha for a long time, otherwise they would lose their wings. If you are plump and easily cost one or two hundred thousand, you will be in big trouble!"
Xu Song nodded: "I arranged it this way too."
"But now there is a problem. The road between Liling and Chalingguan is the road of defeat we left for the rebels, but I don't know which troops to send!"
Xu He smiled and said: "Of course they are the chieftain soldiers from Yuanzhou Wei, You County and Chaling in Jiangxi Province. As long as they pay a lot of money..."
Halfway through his words, Xu He suddenly stopped.
Xu Song frowned and said, "What's wrong?"
Xu He shook his head and said, "Uncle, where is the map?"
Xu Song knew that he must have thought of something again, so he quickly asked his servants to get the map from the study.
Xu He placed the picture on the table and ran his fingers along the line between Changsha and Liling.
To get to Liling from Changsha, you must first go south through Shanhua, Xiangtan, and Zhuzhou, and then turn east to reach Liling.
There is a waterway available along the way, which is indeed very convenient and fast.
But if according to his own idea, if the thieves go to Chalingguan east of Liling to meet up with the Jiangxi enemy, and finally go north together, wouldn't this... be like taking off his pants and farting?
Thinking of this, he pointed his finger back to Changsha Mansion. Changsha Mansion actually has another river going north...
That is Liuyang Water, also known as Liuyang River in later generations. He went east and then north, and finally passed through the mountains and crossed the boundaries of the governor of Huguang to... Jiangxi Bronze Drum!
And Tonggu... Going north is Ningzhou, Wuning, Ruichang, and Jiujiang!
Or you can take the Xiushui route directly into Poyang Lake.
At this time, the soldiers in Jiangxi are gathering in Yuanzhou. Will they be defeated?
Thinking of this, Xu He's forehead was dripping with sweat!
"It's a pity that Zongheng doesn't have a picture of tomatoes!
Interested readers may need to consult the map themselves! "
