Chapter 205 Undercurrent (Part 1)
More than twenty days later, Yongning Guards (now Xuyong County, Sichuan).
Five days ago, Sun Jie met his sister-in-law Qin Liangyu in Luzhou. Although there are still many remnants of the She Chong Ming tribe, they were all driven into the mountains after the First World War in Longquan. They lived on wild vegetables, snakes and rats every day. After more than half a month, they were all so hungry that they were half humans and half ghosts. The counterattack is overwhelming and invincible. Even his home base of Yongning was climbed up the wall by Qin Liangyu's white-pole soldiers the day before yesterday, and the two battalions of Hu Yi and Hu Ben who followed him easily took it down with a single charge. The She army had no fighting spirit, and the combined forces of Sun and Qin suffered very little damage in the battle. Only more than forty people were killed or injured in this battle. Luo Qianxiang's native soldiers were deployed on the periphery to pursue and blockade, and more than 300 people were beheaded. According to the prisoner's confession, She Chongming had fled to Chishui, while She Yin stayed behind in the universal post - saying it was a cut off, just to buy She Chongming a day or two to escape...
Shi Ding's white-armed soldiers are currently resting in Yongning. Sun Jie and General Luo (Master Zhu has actually awarded Luo Qian the official military position of General Xiangming*) have just cleared the hills around Yongning, preparing for tomorrow. The main force raided the world and eliminated all worries. At this moment, the two of them were walking side by side to Yongning Xuanfu Si Yamen in high spirits. They were talking and laughing along the way, and they were very happy. Before he could reach the door, Master Shang Wenchang, who had been waiting here for a long time, lifted up the hem of his gown and walked out quickly, shouting: "Young Marshal."
Sun Jie saw him and asked hurriedly: "Sir, is there anything urgent?"
Master Shang said: "Young Marshal, Master Zhu has arrived. He is waiting for you inside."
Sun Jie was startled when he heard this: Victory is in sight, Master Zhu should just sit back and wait for the victory in Chengdu Mansion with peace of mind. Why did he come all the way to Yongning in person?
Looking at each other with Luo Qianxiang, they both walked quickly to the Yamen.
In the second hall of Xuanfu Division, Qin Liangyu was chatting with Zhu Xieyuan. When Sun and Luo came over to meet Zhu Xieyuan, Qin Liangyu said: "Brothers of the Luo family, long time no see, why don't you accompany me for a walk." - Of course she was very familiar with Luo Qianxiang, and she didn't know him well either. Talking about the Lao Shizi Confucian etiquette that men and women should not be intimate with each other, Luo Qianxiang was dragged out without explanation.
Only Zhu and Sun were left in the hall. Sun Jie asked doubtfully: "Sir, why did you come here in person?"
Zhu Xieyuan sighed and said slowly: "Guodong, I am leaving Sichuan. Someone came from my hometown to deliver a letter. My mother has passed away. I have written a letter to return to my hometown to observe the rules."
Sun Jie was shocked: "My lord, my condolences."
Zhu Xieyuan waved his hand: "It's okay. I'm almost ninety years old, and I'm mourning. The Holy Father also gave a memorial ceremony and a posthumous decree. I can't worry about you, so I came here specially to say a few words to you. .”
Sun Jie was moved and said: "Sir... Don't worry, sir, now the luxury thieves have fled to the Chishui Guards. The thieves are discouraged and frightened. In less than two days, Universal City will be captured. The remaining thieves have become frightened birds. The boy takes advantage of the victory to pursue them. In ten months In a short time, we will surely capture the extravagant thief alive, and I will definitely live up to your trust!"
Zhu Xieyuan stared at Sun Jie blankly for a long time, shook his head, and sighed: "Oh, what a pity!" Sun Jie was surprised to see two old muddy tears falling from Mr. Zhu's eyes, and said anxiously: " grown ups……"
Zhu Xieyuan shook his head: "I'm fine. I'm sighing for the imperial court!" After a pause, he continued, "When Chengdu was surrounded by hundreds of thousands of thieves and was in danger, you didn't wait for the imperial order and took so few people with you. You rushed to the rescue and were surrounded in the city for more than a month. You resisted all the thieves' various attacks, including water attacks, fire attacks, ambushes, use of time, and combined attacks. Although I am your backer, at this moment you have not asked who will replace me, but you are still focused on destroying thieves... Guodong, you are really worthy of the name I have chosen for you. A good general like you is truly the pillar of the country! "
Sun Jie blushed, lowered his head and responded in a low voice: "You are so complimentary, sir, but I don't dare."
Zhu Xieyuan said: "Guodong, after spending these days together, I regard you as my nephew. So I came here specially to give you a few words before returning to my hometown."
"Young man, please obey your orders."
"Well. Do you know who took over the post of governor of Sichuan? It's Zhang Yuanping (Zhang Heming's courtesy name Yuanping)." Zhu Xieyuan said softly.
"Ah? Is it Zhang Jinglue?" Sun Jie was a little surprised.
"It seems you have heard of him." Zhu Xieyuan nodded, "You have to be careful."
Sun Jie was a little puzzled: "Master Zhang once made a military expedition to Liaodong, so he should know a lot about military affairs. Sir, what do you mean..."
"He knows a lot about military affairs! If it weren't for him, how could Liaodong be so corrupt?" Zhu Xieyuan was a little moved, "That Xiong Heizi (Xiong Tingbi has a hundred words, and occasionally writes non-white words. This old classmate Xiong's emotional intelligence and temper are not It can be said that there are almost no people I know who don’t hate him, so he is called a black man by some colleagues. He does have a bad mouth, and I have had many quarrels with him. But his knowledge is definitely not bad. If you follow If he failed to follow his advice, the group of slaves should have starved to death in the ice and snow! Wang Xiaoqian (Wang Huazhen) was capable of causing trouble, and he was very happy with his achievements, but his skills were not good. Zhang Yuanping also always had a dislike for Xiong Heizi, so he blindly favored Wang Xiaoqian. This That's why Liaodong was out of control! When we were planning to conquer Liaodong, we had high hopes from the saints, and the burden on our shoulders was the wealth and lives of millions of soldiers and civilians. How could the state affairs be like this!" Zhu Xieyuan said, getting more and more angry.
"I have heard a little bit about this, but I don't know much about it. Every time I think about it, I feel angry. I have also sent letters to Liaodong many times, vowing to exterminate this beast for the imperial court. But no one always pays attention to it... Sigh. "Sun Jie sighed.
"It's okay if no one pays attention to it." Zhu Xieyuan said.
"Ah? Sir, how do you say this?"
"Do you think no one in the court has thought of you? Wrong! As far as I know, there have been at least seven or eight memorials for you to go to Liaodong if not ten! It's just that all the memorials have been retained by the Holy Emperor. Even that Zhang Yuanping He also wrote a letter recommending you as 'General Ping Liao', and said that as long as you can lead the army out of the customs, he will personally supervise the army to go out. Huh!"
"Ah? Then... Your Excellency..." Sun Jie was completely confused. He knew nothing about the turbulent undercurrents under the calm surface of these imperial centers, and he didn't know what to say for a moment.
Zhu Xieyuan looked at his beloved general lovingly: "Don't be anxious. Listen to me and tell you slowly. I came all the way from Chengdu to come here to find you. That's why I came here."
Sun Jie was so moved that he wanted to say something, but Zhu Xieyuan waved his hand: "Just listen. It is the wisest thing for the Holy One to keep all the memorials asking you to be transferred to Liaodong. Don't think that every recommendation you make is because of Good intentions, the Holy Spirit seems to have a clear mind about this, so he stayed in the middle of the attack. I recommend you to lead the army out of seclusion. If you win, the people who protect you will certainly have suggestions. If you lose, what will they lose? ? From Sarhu to today, the courtiers have recommended so many people. They have been defeated repeatedly, and so many generals have died. Have you seen anyone who has been punished for recommending someone who is not a person? No, not one of them. No! On the contrary, if the person you recommended loses the battle, that group of people will always be the first to jump out and accuse, shirk all the responsibilities, and then say "I am dedicated to the country," and then say "I am dedicated to the country." I misbelieved people's words and caused such a big mistake. Please be punished by the Holy Spirit.' Then, hum, it's okay! Yes, he originally did it for the Ming Dynasty, how can you punish him? If you punish him, who will make suggestions for the court in the future? The truth behind this is all clear! Remember: whoever recommends you does not necessarily mean that he really knows you, trusts you, or even... Well, this time I returned to my hometown to stay in the system for three years, it is true I can’t worry about you, so I’ll just tell you clearly—it doesn’t even mean it’s really for Ming Dynasty!”
"Huh?" Sun Jie's words made the hairs on his spine stand up and he broke out in a cold sweat.
"I haven't finished talking yet!" Zhu Xieyuan continued, "Let's talk about Zhang Yuanping first. He passed up the Liaodong Economic Strategy, but did he ever step out of the border? Everything was handed over to Wang Xiaoqian with his eyes closed. When the Liao Dynasty was completely defeated, he could no longer do anything. What did he do to clean it up? Put all the blame on Wang Xiaoqian and Xiong Heizi! His disciples and cronies echoed each other, and the final unanimous conclusion was: Xiong Heizi was capable but did nothing, so he was sent to prison. Wang Xiaoqian was well-intentioned but was hopelessly stupid, so he lost his official position. Then Zhang Yuanping reported again, asking you to go to Liaodong and he would personally supervise the division! Huh, does this mean he trusts you? Have you ever had any dealings with him? "
"I've never met Mr. Zhang." Sun Jie answered honestly.
"You don't need to tell me, of course I know!" Zhu Xieyuan interrupted Sun Jie, "He wants you to go to Liaodong, not because he believes that you can defeat Jiannu, but because he is bargaining with the Holy Emperor! He knows what the Holy Emperor is thinking in his heart !So many people recommended you in the past, why didn’t the Holy One agree? Your Sun family is a dog raised by the Holy One! Don’t be unhappy when I say this, court eagle dog, isn’t that what everyone says? The eagle is a factory guard, is this a dog? There are various military towns, and the most powerful one is of course your Sun family! When Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty sealed Xiao, many generals who had risked their lives on the front lines for many years were dissatisfied. What did Emperor Gaozu say? 'The prime minister is a meritorious man, and you are meritorious dogs.' .I didn’t mean to belittle you.”
Sun Jie hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, your words are serious."
"Hmm. Where did you say that? I'm getting older, alas. Oh, by the way, Kung Fu Dog. Zhang Yuanping won't let you go to Liaodong if he knows the Holy One. No matter how much trouble those wild boar skins make, they are still suffering from ringworm and scabies—— As long as Shanhaiguan is guarded, they will not pose any substantial threat to the Ming Dynasty no matter how much they do outside the customs. The same is true for the Xilu. Whether it was Ye Xian or Naiqian Khan, they all invaded the capital, and then they were not Get kicked out! Our real threat lies within the pass, in the heart of the empire! The Holy One wants to keep you to deal with such serious troubles, how can he throw you into the ice and snow and leave you to fend for yourself? So don't talk to them, you can take the tassel yourself, Holy One All I can do is give him some kind words to encourage him and give him some royal rewards. That Zhang Yuanping has completely guessed the Holy One’s thoughts, so he brought it up - the Holy One naturally doesn’t allow it, so of course it will be fine for him!”
"Oh my god! There are so many twists and turns here. If it weren't for an adult's guidance, I would never have thought of it." Sun Jie felt a little stupid.
"Of course you can't think of it. Having said that, where did this happen? This pool of water is deep, deep and muddy, and you can't fully understand it for a while. I'm here, so you don't have to worry about it. I'm naturally sensible; right now, I You are about to leave, and you will have to rely on yourself for the next few years, so I must make it clear to you. Don’t worry about other things. Just remember two things to ensure that you will be fine: First, only think about the Holy One in your heart and only see in your eyes. Your Majesty! Although the Holy Majesty is the imperial court, sometimes, there are some small differences. At this time, don’t think about it and focus on the imperial court. You must stand firmly on the Holy Majesty’s side! I may feel differently. choice, but you are not me, you can only choose the Holy One. Second, you must have soldiers in your hands! With the soldiers, the Holy One can protect you, and you can also protect the Holy One. If you defeat all your soldiers, You are a dog without claws. Even if the Holy One wants to protect you, sometimes he may not be able to do so, not to mention those children who have followed the Sun family for two hundred years, you must also think about their descendants."
Sun Jie knelt down and kowtowed heavily: "Adults love you, I will never forget you."
"Get up. Let's continue talking about war. This is business. What do you think of the current war?"
"The luxury bandits are gone. The boy asked General Luo Shen to take charge of Yongning to clean up the mess. The headquarters and his sister-in-law pursued the victory without giving him a chance to recuperate. They attacked him all the way - the luxury bandits rose up in a hurry. They had been very rampant in attacking the prefecture and the government before. There will not be a very stable rear area. The old nest of Yongning was conquered by the sister-in-law and the boy with one blow. As long as the boy bites his tongue and does not let go, the chaos in Sichuan Province will be decided at the latest in ten months. The boy and the sister-in-law will directly send troops into Guizhou. . During this month of suppressing the extravagant thieves, Yongning should be fully recovered. Brother Luo is free to lead the backup to join our army. The other officers and soldiers in Guizhou Province will cooperate and support. Don't teach thieves to escape in these places, and protect our army's food route at the same time. Shuixi will not be more difficult to fight than the extravagant thieves..." Sun Jie said while thinking in his mind, "Almost half a year, it won't be more than eight or nine at the latest. In a few months, I will definitely be able to capture Thief An and offer him as a prisoner to the palace!"
After hearing this, Zhu Xieyuan shook his head: "Guodong, you think too simply."
Sun Jie was dissatisfied and said: "Sir..."
*The officer-general awarded by Zhu Xieyuan to Luo Qianxiang was a formal military position in the Ming army. Although the Ming Dynasty valued civility over military affairs, formal military positions were very precious to soldiers from ethnic minorities - unlike "Tatar officials", some Tatar official titles sounded Not small, some sort of deputy general, but similar to a militia rank and not part of the country's regular official ranks, so it doesn't count. The conferment of this formal military rank represented the recognition of the imperial court.
