Chapter 159 Counterattack
It rained heavily.
In Yongchang Guard (now Yongchang County, Gansu Province), Yan Minwang looked up at the sky at the tent, his face darker than the dark clouds hanging above his head.
This rain has been falling for more than twenty days. Not fighting on rainy days was a common practice in this era. It's not superstition, but it's just that it's really impossible to attack - the crossbow is completely useless. In such a heavy rain, even the most powerful crossbow can't fly twenty steps away, and its lethality is zero. After being exposed to the rain, all bows and crossbows are useless: the bow string loses its elasticity and is scrapped, the limbs and crossbow will expand, and will shrink again when they dry out. When they expand and contract, they can only be used as firewood. Iron armor will rust when exposed to rain, and precious life-saving items will turn into garbage in an instant. Moreover, the thick padding inside adds more than ten pounds of weight after being exposed to rain. Most of the Tibetan soldiers were unarmored, but their loose robes absorbed more water and made it difficult to move. How could they fight?
What's more, the water in Shuimochuan River ahead has surged. Even if the rain stops, it will take at least seven or eight days for the water to recede.
Zhang Hu had already run to the vicinity of Shandanwei (today's Shandan County, Gansu Province), and it seemed that he could not be chased away. However, in more than a month, after digging new graves and catching stragglers, Yan Minwang had more than 600 beheadings in his hands. The thieves had already reached the northern boundary of Xingdusi, Shaanxi Province, and he chased them over a long distance. The entire Lintao Prefecture is more than halfway into Shaanxi Xingdu, which is enough to make sense.
Shaanxi Xingdusi, as you can tell from its name, is an administrative region with a military significance, full of forts and villages. Logically speaking, they should be able to easily deal with the mere thousands of fugitive bandits themselves - don't forget, when setting up the Shaanxi Xingdu Division, the imaginary enemy is the northern bandits who often number more than 100,000 invading invaders! Unexpectedly, let alone solving it, we couldn't even intercept it! Well, it doesn’t matter if it can’t be blocked, at least it can be delayed for a while. This is good. Every fortress and every village is only filled with old guys who can’t walk safely on some roads. Zhang Hu took them down without any effort. Those strongholds and fortresses were all used by Zhang Thief against him, causing death and injuries, all for nothing! Moreover, we have already penetrated deep into the hinterland of Shaanxi Xingdusi, but we have not received a single soldier or grain of support from Gansu Town. What are we trying to do? So Commander Yan decided not to pursue him and returned to Taozhou Guard.
Capital.
The Holy Emperor, who had recovered a little, came to court and was listening to the report from the Ministry of War: Taozhou Guards sent 5,500 troops. When troops are dispatched, they will receive food and salary, as well as various reimbursements such as pensions. You reimburse your expenses in real terms, what do you guys eat? So the first time I reported it, the document was sent back by the Ministry of War. There was an advantage to be had, so the Taozhou guards naturally had no time to thank him. After blending, the number of troops sent was more than doubled. This is still a stubborn Taozhou Guard who dare not go too far. In most other military towns, it is normal to report a troop dispatch of 20,000 to 30,000 - the beheading skill is level 613. After inspection, it is level 559. It meets the imperial court's acceptance criteria and is "certainly the leader of a strong and strong thief"...
Dragon Heart is delighted!
Beheading 1% of the reported soldiers is a first-level skill. Although compared with the number of all soldiers registered in the Taozhou Guard, more than 600 levels are less than a first-level skill, but there must always be enough guards left at each camp level. The camp troops cannot move, only more than 5,000 troops have gone out to fight. More than 5,000 people handed over nearly 600 heads. This level 10 skill is more than enough. No, level 20 skill - because it is a guest army, it must be doubled!
"Rewards! Heavy rewards! I can't treat the soldiers badly!" The Holy Emperor has not been so happy for a long time.
"Long live the memorial! I have something to say." The one who stood up was to address Qiao Nanxing, who was involved in the matter. "The Taozhou Guards made a big mistake by being infiltrated by thieves. Chasing the bandits is the only way to make up for the crime and make up for it!" I think a little praise is enough to show the great grace of God!"
Hearing this, Emperor Sheng's heart skipped a beat: Someone has jumped out to cause trouble again!
"I second my proposal." Gu Benben was the supporter. "The merits and demerits are equal to each other, so we should not be overly arrogant and indulgent warriors. Yin Jian, the vassal town of the Tang Dynasty, is not far away. The chaos of the Five Dynasties is vivid in our eyes. I am begging the Holy One to see clearly."
The smile froze on Sheng Tianzi's face, and he thought to himself: Can't you guys calm down a little? It was indeed an oversight for the thief to enter the country secretly. However, with so many barbarian tribes and snow-capped mountains stretching for thousands of miles, who can completely block everything? After discovering the culprit, he immediately pursued him for a long distance, and with so many beheadings reported at once, could it be enough to just balance the merits and demerits? Why, like those people in Shaanxi and Henan provinces, who stared and told lies, insisting that the thieves fell from the sky and suddenly appeared from the cracks in the ground, can they be rewarded just because they don't admit it?
However, come to think of it, you can't puncture the window paper even in the court - in that case, these people will definitely tear up their faces and make a fuss like shrews, and the court meeting will turn into a swearing meeting. The Holy Emperor sighed secretly, and was about to say a few words of defense when another person stood up.
"Long live my minister Qi. Failure to reward him for his great achievements will not only trap His Majesty in being mean and unjust, but will also lead to endless disasters!"
After hearing this, the Holy Emperor perked up and looked down. A young and unfamiliar official came out of class to perform. Chaohu covered his face, but looking down from the Holy Emperor's high position, the upper half of his face was very pretty.
Just listen to what this young official said: "I heard that King Xiang's seal was broken when he entrusted people with meritorious service to be knighted. I couldn't bear to do it, which would eventually lead to disaster. It is clearly written in the history books that Han Xin, the Marquis of Huaiyin To sum up Xiang Yu's failure, the most important thing is that the rewards and punishments are unfair. The seal was worn away in his hand and he was reluctant to reward the meritorious officials. In the end, he lost his country. This is a lesson from the past! It is puzzling for the officials not to reward such great achievements. This is Where did you end up reading the books of the sages!"
"Well done!" Sheng Tianzi praised sincerely in his heart and turned his face slightly to Li Shizhong behind him.
This is an inquiry signal. Li Shizhong, who had a tacit understanding for a long time, took two steps forward and whispered in the ear of the Holy Emperor: "Prime Minister of Guanglu Temple, Ma Quan." Then he gently stepped back again. Li Shizhong still had no expression on his face, but he was already elated in his heart: Well done!
This compliment in Eunuch Li's heart was not only for Ma Quan, but also for himself. In the past, those talkative gangs made trouble for nothing. Although people from other factions would stand up to refute, in most cases, there was no deep grudge and no one wanted to form a deadly feud with those gangsters who would not fight to the death. It's a matter of time. But these guys who don't talk about Wood are always being unreasonable and unreasonable, and they are always getting more and more arrogant. Now, Xiao Ma has a deep-seated hatred with you that will last eight lifetimes, and he is also full of knowledge - well, he can read better than you! It’s the perfect way to deal with you! Not long after Xiao Ma returned to the Hanlin Academy, Eunuch Li moved him to Guanglu Temple, which was in charge of sacrifices, court gatherings, and banquets. Embarrassing, on the other hand, even though Si Cheng has a low and inconspicuous official position of the sixth grade, he can attend court meetings openly! No, no need for any hints from our family, Xiao Ma has already taken the initiative to step forward and open fire!
Qiao and Gu, who were suddenly robbed of their prize, and almost had their noses pointed at and scolded into the dog's belly, were both startled. They were about to use their special skills of scolding, when they saw that it was Xiao Ma who stood up, especially with his The two stern eyes that could kill like icicles piercing into the seams of the bones made everyone feel shocked, and they involuntarily swallowed back the words on their lips. The signature tactic of this group of so-called Qingliu is to hold high the banner of "righteousness" and stand on the moral high ground to criticize everything unscrupulously. In this way, it will be difficult for you to fight back. At best, you can only protect yourself by holding on to the right and left - as long as you If you fight back, you will inevitably touch the banner of "righteousness", which will put you in a desperate situation! And Xiao Ma is a well-known "victim". It would be best if he runs away shyly, and can continue to act as a moral gentleman as if nothing happened, but this guy has no regard for his integrity (I don't know who really doesn't want it) He ran back with a shameful face, and if he was the person involved, he would reveal all the things that many people had done... There would be no moral high ground to take advantage of, and his reputation would be ruined in the blink of an eye! Who dares to talk nonsense?
"Your Majesty." Wang Qing realized that the momentum was wrong and wanted to smooth things over first. "Everyone has his or her own reasons for this matter. I think we might as well consider it in the long term."
"Ahem," Ma Quan signaled to the official of Honglu Temple who was responsible for supervising the court ceremony. After receiving permission, he bowed respectfully to the Holy Emperor, stepped back a few steps and walked a little further away, "Ahem, I'm bah. !" He forcefully coughed up a mouthful of phlegm and spat heavily on the ground. The sound was so loud that not only Emperor Sheng, but also the official standing at the end of the team could clearly hear it. Everyone knew that Masicheng was making excuses, but no one could find fault. The court meeting clearly stipulated that in the event of phlegm, cough, three emergencies, etc., the relevant officials could temporarily leave work after reporting and getting approval. Returning after the matter was done would not be regarded as a breach of etiquette. Ma Quan was clearly taking a sidestep to express his disdain - -This is still in front of the king. If the Holy Emperor was not present, this spit would probably not be spit directly into Lord Wang's face! However, as long as the Holy Emperor does not have an attack, others will have nothing to say - and the Holy Emperor, a smile flashed across the corner of his mouth, and it was too late to be happy, so how could he be dissatisfied?
After Wang Qingyuan finished speaking, he didn't wait for the Emperor Sheng to express his position, but instead he heard a "bah". He was neither advancing nor retreating. His face turned red and white, and he froze on the spot.
"Long live Qi Xiu." Ma Quan, who deliberately took small steps with only inches apart - this is called "trending", which means extreme respect - waited for a long time before returning to the court and spoke again, "I heard that empty talk is a mistake." The country must work hard to rejuvenate the country. It is obvious that it is a great military achievement and has a dignified ancestral system, but some people have ignored their conscience and obstructed it in every possible way. I don’t know what their intentions are! On behalf of the Holy Emperor, he patrols the world to eliminate evil and recommend talents to the country. The responsibility of the censor. Who would have expected that the person he recommended would be defeated in one battle, and could not be recovered once he was defeated. He was ashamed and had no place to speak, but he still spoke nonsense. I knew that the ancients said that "the skin is thicker than the city wall" and this was true. The merits of Yan's command The reward thing, the root cause is Lu Guangyu's collapse. Dare I ask if this is true? The recommendation was not observed, the general lost his master, the crime was not punished, and the merit was not rewarded. ', the sound of a dog barking), barking, barking, I know a little bit about the meaning of a vegetarian meal in the corpse position, but I really don't know what kind of conscience it is!"
Wang Qingyuan was dumbfounded: Ma Quan was right! Regardless of whether Yan Minwang was rewarded or punished, the root cause was Lu Guangyu's defeat, which led to Zhang Thief's escape, and Lu Guangyu was recommended by his own censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate! Not only did the accomplice not help a few of his comrades, but he got himself involved, and was asked where his conscience was - why did this ultimate move look so familiar? Which ancient person once said that one's skin is thicker than a city wall? In which book was it written? Why can't I remember it at all?
"Okay, okay." The Holy Emperor concluded with a smile, "I have heard all your opinions. Ma Aiqing's words are reasonable, 'The most important thing for the country is to sacrifice Nairong'. Since you have made military achievements, you should be rewarded. Hand over. Let the officials discuss it appropriately..."
After retreating from the court, the Holy Emperor could no longer suppress his excitement and burst into laughter. Li Shizhong and others were also sincerely happy. After hearing Eunuch Li tell the whole story about Ma Quan, Emperor Sheng praised him: "You did a good job in this matter." Eunuch Li became even happier, so he took the opportunity to add: "I thought this A direct minister who is both knowledgeable and daring to speak is a little, a little, um, old slave in Guanglu Temple. Isn’t it a bit arrogant to be humble?"
"Well, it is indeed true. Later, you can let him enter the palace and serve as my attendant. You can arrange the official positions in the outer court. You don't have to worry too much about the rank. It doesn't matter if you jump up a few ranks. Wei and Wu can be meritocratic. That’s right, when employing people, the imperial court should make the best use of their talents.”
"Yes." Li Shizhong had already had an idea about Ma Quan's future position, and now there was no obstacle to realizing it. Moreover, he actually won another jackpot - the Emperor's Attendant was originally an errand of the Hanlin Academy, with a low rank, but the title of "Emperor Master" is not only a supreme honor, but also has great potential: challenge Which book and section to start with, how to interpret it, and how to guide the Holy Emperor’s thoughts are all under the control of the attendant/speaker! There is so much to write about here - what are the controversial topics in the court? If the Holy Emperor can hear similar cases in the subsequent sutra banquet lectures... the Holy Judgment can be imagined!
"By the way, ask Ma Aiqing later, in which book was the phrase 'The ancients said that the face is thicker than the city wall'. You can tell the whole story at a glance. I have never read such an interesting book. I will give it to you when I have time. Have to read it."
"Yes." Li Shizhong agreed with his hands lowered.
Upon hearing the dual appointments of "Emperor's Attendant" and "General Affairs Secretary Zuo Tongzheng", Ma Quan knelt down with a "pop" and kowtowed to Li Shizhong sincerely: "My father-in-law's kindness is the same as my parents'. I will never forget him. Ma Quan is willing to recognize his father-in-law as his adoptive father and repay him in the next life with a ring made of grass!" A few tears from the bottom of his heart fell on the floor tiles.
"Okay, okay! Our family will recognize you. Don't forget that the Holy Emperor's kindness is to give our family strength!" Li Shizhong rubbed his hands happily and was overwhelmed with joy. "By the way, the Holy Emperor asked you that 'shameless' Which book does the allusion of "Before the City Wall" come from? Your Majesty finds it interesting and wants to read it."
"Ah? My foster father, I made that up on the spur of the moment!" Ma Quan was frightened.
"Ah?" Li Shizhong was stunned when he heard this, and then burst out laughing, "Hahahaha, you are a scholar after all, and you are telling lies like this with your eyes wide open. Hahahaha."
"Father, help me." Ma Quan couldn't laugh out loud - the crime of deceiving the emperor is much more serious than the crime of disrespecting the emperor. This is not difficult to understand.
"It's okay, it's okay. Hahahaha, your Majesty will feel relieved after hearing this. Haha, don't worry, I will make sure that you are okay as a father! You are really good, hahahaha!"
*Reading and speaking.
Serving lectures, serving readings, and giving lectures at sutra banquets were important ways of education for ancient monarchs. Courtiers went into the palace to teach Confucian classics or state governance in front of the emperor or prince. The emperor and his ministers explained the classics to each other and debated political affairs, which not only provided opportunities for Confucian ministers to get close to the emperor and exert political influence, but also enabled the emperors and princes who lived in the deep palaces to regularly receive Confucian education and improve their moral character.
Strictly speaking, the ministerial lectures were more focused on the Holy Emperor himself, while the subjects of the ministerial lectures were not only the Holy Emperor, but also the prince, crown prince, etc. Customized in the second year of Tianshun, every day after the court retreats, the crown prince comes out of the pavilion to ascend the throne. There is no need for guards and other officials, only the attendants and lecturers are on duty. After the lecture, the scribe attended to the prince to learn how to write. Whenever you read, warm up after three days and recite proficiently. On the day of warm-up, no new books will be given. When writing, you should write a hundred words in spring, summer and autumn, and fifty words in winter. During the holidays, strong winds, rain and snow, severe cold and severe heat, the service can be suspended.
The ministers and lecturers were mainly selected from the Hanlin Academy, and some were appointed to serve as academicians and important ministers in the imperial court. However, in order to limit the power of the Crown Prince of the East Palace and avoid colluding with powerful officials to make his father "retire early", these official ranks are very low: the bachelor's degree and the bachelor's degree are both from the fifth rank; the scholar and the lecturer are only from the sixth rank. ——This is also the characteristic of the Ming Dynasty's "low position and weight, using the small to control the big".
