36 The beginning of the war
"...order Quyang Jun Mi Liang to rush to Yingdu to meet the king immediately! Our troops and horses are concentrated and ready, waiting for the king's order!" The envoy from Yingdu read out the order of the King of Chu.
Xiong Wuliang, Zhong Hua and others all raised their hands and accepted the order: "I, I respectfully obey the king's order."
After sending Zhao Hua away, Xiong Wuliang began to prepare for war intensively.
If the predictions are correct, this should be an easy outing-style march, and there won't be any big battles.
However, Xiong Wuliang still did not relax his preparations. The two armies of Quyang Army and Shaohu Army quickly armed themselves, set up camp, and were ready to dispatch at any time.
Shi Er's processing factory was also very busy. Bundles of arrows were lifted off the assembly line and neatly stacked on the cart.
Zhong Hua was very excited. He listened to Xiong Wuliang's report and learned about the current situation of the Yue Kingdom. As a general who has been on the battlefield for many years, Zhong Hua knows very well that if what Zhao Hua said is true, then the country of Yue today is already a piece of fish belly.
"Do you have any relatives in Yue?" Xiong Wuliang asked Siyi.
Si Yi bowed deeply and said with a little hope: "My father is shocked. I wonder if he is still alive. If the young master finds my father..."
Xiong Wuliang waved his hand: "I understand."
Siyi knelt down and bowed: "I thank you, Master."
Xiong Wuliang nodded lightly. Both he and Siyi knew that the Yue Kingdom was in such chaos that it would be difficult to find Siyi's family - even her family members were all royal nobles of the Yue Kingdom.
After receiving the royal order from Yingdu, Xiong Wuliang immediately packed his luggage and drove straight to Yingdu with Zhong Hua and several soldiers.
…
Xiong Wuliang and a group of people drove into Yingdu, only to find that the city gates were heavily guarded with soldiers patrolling back and forth. The city walls were covered with sentries and arrow towers, and the whole city had a chilling atmosphere.
"It seems that the news of Zhao Hua has been sent back. This war is imminent, but it's just a Yue country... There is no need for the king to be so cautious. Even Ying has imposed martial law." Xiong Wuliang squinted his eyes and secretly He clicked his tongue, but instead of panicking, he became even more excited.
The carriages and horses were driving slowly. On the way, Xiong Wuliang saw that the storefronts on the roadside were closed, there were very few pedestrians on the road, and the whole city was filled with a depressing atmosphere.
Finally arriving at the inn, Xiong Wuliang got off the bus and immediately noticed that the place was also heavily guarded. There were also sentries patrolling at the entrance of the inn. Seeing their arrival, the sentries immediately raised their Chang Ges in vigilance.
"Stop!" Two sentries moved forward to stop Xiong Wuliang and his party. The other sentries raised Chang Ge high, as if they were facing a formidable enemy.
"No idlers are allowed in here, everyone get out of the car quickly, lest you become too close to the enemy, hurry up!"
Xiong Wuliang turned his head and glanced, feeling a little tempted to laugh. Behind him sat a tall and thick-waisted general, with several soldiers standing next to him. It was no wonder that the city guards who had received the martial law order were so nervous.
He turned around and wanted to take out his token to prove his identity.
at this time!
Wow!
More than twenty soldiers holding long swords and wearing armor came out again. In an instant, the carriage was tightly surrounded.
Behind the team was a middle-aged man in official uniform, striding over and asking.
"Whoever is coming, please tell me your name!"
Xiong Wuliang clicked his tongue. He didn't expect that a small inn would be interrogated like this.
He took a deep breath, then got out of the car and said in a deep voice: "Xiong Wuliang, Lord Quyang, came to Yingdu on the order of the king."
When the official heard this, he breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It turns out to be Mr. Qu Yangjun - the prince has given instructions. You don't need to live in the inn, you can go straight to the palace."
After saying this, the official bowed deeply and led the group of people to leave the inn and go straight to the palace.
It is also heavily guarded here, with officers and soldiers patrolling everywhere.
After asking the official on the way, Xiong Wuliang learned that soldiers and horses from all over the Chu Kingdom were gathering recently, and nobles and lords from all walks of life were on their way.
Normally, they are all high-status, arrogant and domineering nobles. Now that they are gathered in Yingdu, it is normal for them to have conflicts among themselves. But at this juncture, we really didn't dare to make any mistakes.
In order to avoid any accidents, King Huai of Chu ordered to strengthen the vigilance of Yingdu to ensure the safety of Yingdu.
"Soldiers are the land of life and death, and the path to survival must be observed." Infected by such a solemn atmosphere, Xiong Wuliang became serious, but he also put away his previous relaxed thoughts of just making money in Yue.
Xiong Wuliang secretly made up his mind to understand the specific situation clearly this time. "
He walked into the palace with familiarity and went straight to the prince's palace.
The palace is splendidly furnished, with brilliant golden walls and colorful silks. Huge curtains hang on the palace and lanterns hang toweringly.
There are also various flowers and bonsai dotted among them. The air inside the palace exudes a faint fragrance, making people feel comfortable and happy.
"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has given an order early. When Qu Yangjun arrives, you can come in directly. Please come!" The guard at the door also knew Mi Liang, smiled at Xiong Wuliang, and then led the way.
In the center of the hall, the prince was sitting on a high throne, wearing a brocade robe. Seeing Xiong Wuliang come in, he laughed and walked down, patting the latter's arm.
Behind the prince, Huang Xie looked at Xiong Wuliang and frowned, obviously still unhappy.
Xiong Wuliang stepped forward and saluted the prince.
Prince Mi Heng smiled and said, "Brother Wang, it's hard work coming from afar, please sit down quickly!"
"I'm a little surprised that Qu Yangjun came here so early!"
The prince suddenly calculated carefully: "The journey from Quyang County is long, uneven and mountainous. However, the king's brother arrived in only two days. He must be thinking about state affairs. I am very relieved!"
After hearing this, Xiong Wuliang really didn't refute. After receiving the king's order, he walked non-stop and came in a hurry.
Speaking of which, the two horses under the crotch are really powerful enough.
After all, they are here to make war achievements and make money. Who wouldn’t be active?
But Xiong Wuliang still talks nicely——
"I am a minister of the king and an official of the country. Now that the war is imminent, I will definitely do my best. This is my duty."
"Hahaha, that's because I offended Brother Wang's sincere heart!"
"Then I will drink a glass of wine first to express my welcome to you."
As soon as the words were spoken, a cup of wine fell into my stomach.
Seeing this, Xiong Wuliang did not hesitate and drank a glass of wine too. However, he was keen and noticed that the wine jars were arranged in a messy manner on the long table in front of the prince. He must have been drinking before he came.
In addition, now that the war is coming, the two merge into one, Xiong Wuliang immediately thought that the prince was worried about the war.
"Your Highness, there is no need to worry..." Xiong Wuliang was still thinking of comforting himself.
"Hahahaha... What are you worried about? The Vietnamese country's chickens and dogs can be determined in one battle! You and I are about to show off our talents!" Prince Mi Heng opened the wine barracks with a loud voice!
Xiong Wuliang was speechless.
I almost forgot, this guy has a stupid temper and was excited when he heard that there was going to be a war.
After one drink, the general Zhong Hua kept drinking. As for the few Quyang Army soldiers he brought, they were standing guard outside. They were not qualified yet.
Next, the prince asked a lot about a series of things Xiong Wuliang had experienced recently, all of which were about Quyang County.
Since coming back from Quyang County, I have looked at those mediocre towns and counties along the way.
Mi Heng's mind was filled with the prosperity of Quyang County.
Xiong Wuliang answered one by one, somewhat proudly.
With the five thousand gold sponsorship from the Prince's Palace, Quyang County now needs food and troops, and the weapons are not bad, and they are almost omnipotent.
"Okay, that's great. Brother Wang will definitely be an important minister of my great Chu in the future!"
The prince laughed, but soon, the smile gradually disappeared, and the conversation suddenly changed——
"The war is coming, and we need good generals. Although the country of Yue is just a weakling, we still need a good enough general to lead our army."
Xiong Wuliang and Zhong Hua looked at each other and saw the smile in each other's eyes.
Finally come to the topic!
"This is so true! I wonder if Brother Wang knows anything about the so-called bravery of an army?" Xiong Wuliang became energetic instantly!
He came here just to learn about the war. It was certainly a good thing that the prince was willing to talk to him about this.
"Zilan or Qu Ping, who do you think is more suitable?" the prince asked abruptly.
"Uh... this." Xiong Wuliang thought to himself, why did he provoke himself?
Prince Mi Heng snorted lightly and did not hide it: "These two people are having a heated argument in the political palace."
Xiong Wuliang and Zhong Hua looked at each other, feeling a little uneasy.
…
Zilan and Qu Ping were both ministers of the Chu State, and both sides had their own positions - Qu Ping was the younger brother of Qu Yuan, the Sanlu official, and a general with great achievements. This man was highly valued by King Huai of Chu, and his ability to command troops was second to none in Chu State.
The only pity... this person belongs to Qu Yuan's group.
As we all know, King Huai of Chu now favors Zhaoju and neglects Qu Yuan.
As for Zilan, who is in charge of military and political power and is a die-hard fan of Zhaoju, only Zhaoju follows his lead.
It is an open secret that these two factions do not deal with each other very much. They are the two major undercurrents within the Chu State.
A war is imminent and there are still internal disputes, which is not a good sign.
And if Zilan is allowed to lead the army, Qu Yuan and Qu Ping may be dissatisfied. If Qu Ping is chosen, it will be difficult for Zhaoju to explain.
But Xiong Wuliang has a God's perspective.
"Qu Ping must lead the troops in this battle."
Xiong Wuliang said firmly.
"Oh?" Mi Heng was startled, but he didn't expect that his clan brother would start prophesying again. Huang Xie stood behind the prince and snorted again noncommittally.
Xiong Wuliang looked at Huang Xie and grinned.
The prince pondered for a moment and nodded, "Qu Yangjun is right - when it comes to ability, Qu Ping is even better."
After several times of Xiong Wuliang's predictions, Mi Heng was already convinced by Xiong Wuliang's words.
At the beginning, Xiong Wuliang made it clear that Qin soldiers would attack Yiyang in a large scale, and now it is indeed the case.
Now Qin Prime Minister Gan Mao, leading an army of hundreds of thousands, is fighting fiercely with the allied forces of Han and Wei in Yiyang. It was only after receiving this exact news that the indecisive King Huai of Chu felt relieved and decided to take advantage of this god-given opportunity to engulf the country. country.
"No matter what, you have to be brave and quick." Xiong Wuliang suddenly said -
