As soon as King Jing finished speaking, the sound of horse hooves suddenly came from behind him. As the sound of horse hooves stopped, a cavalryman dismounted, pushed aside the two guards who were blocking him, and rushed in. When he saw King Jing, he didn't care about being rude. He crawled up and down in front of King Jing and cried: "Your Majesty, something bad happened. Last night, a section of the Xiaoqi Battalion took advantage of the best troops of our army and suddenly took a boat down the river. Attack Zhengzhou."
"The main force of our army is at Hulao Pass. There are only some old and weak remnants of the army left in Zhengzhou, which cannot stop the elite of the Xiaoqi Battalion. Zhengzhou and Zhengzhou are now occupied by the Xiaoqi Battalion. Your Majesty, the food and grass we have hoarded in Zhengzhou, The prince's family members are also missing. Our food and grass supply has now been cut off."
After hearing the news, King Jing just glanced at Huang Qiong, but his expression became strangely calm. The expression on his face was calm, as if what fell into Huang Qiong's hands was not his own family. After the messenger left, he said: "I thought that we brothers were only good at fighting among ourselves, but I didn't expect that there were people like Ninth Brother who are proficient in the art of war."
"Use one force to block the main road and slow down our army's advance. At the same time, use one force to circle behind me, seize my roots and cut off my food routes. As the saying goes, if you don't gather your troops without food, your food and grass will be cut off and your family members will be lost. Our army has no food and grass inside, no reinforcements outside, and the troops are stationed under a fortified city with no way to advance or retreat. It will take less than two days for our army to lose all morale."
"When the time comes, Ninth Brother ascends to the top and shouts, I am afraid that the tens of thousands of troops will be scattered. Ninth Brother's move is indeed a good strategy and means. Even that person has never thought that the rebellion can really succeed this time. Even if he had never thought about crossing Hulao Pass, Ninth Brother's attack was enough to make him dizzy."
"Second brother, this is a compliment to my younger brother. Before I left the palace, my younger brother had been studying in Ting Xuexuan and had never taken a single step out of Ting Xuexuan. Not to mention military affairs, I had never even seen a soldier. Although I read military books I have a few books, but it is better to have no books at all. Second brother should not think that he can lead the army to fight just by reading a few military books."
"The only thing I can do is to know people and use them well. What you are not good at, why not leave it to those who are good at it? The Xiaoqi Battalion has always been the leader of the imperial army, and those in the camp are talented and good at fighting. There are many military attaches. Why should I pretend to understand and do things that harm the country and the people?" Huang Qiong shook his head in denial about King Jing's comments.
King Jing acted as if he didn't recognize Huang Qiong's answer. He looked at Huang Qiong again for a long time before saying, "It's quite extraordinary for the ninth brother to have such a big heart. My father is not too interested in the prince wooing the civil servants of the court." I don't care. But if you extend your hand into the military attachés, my father will always be merciless."
"Normally, the princes don't even get a piece of the military power. The local guards can still infiltrate to some extent, but the four major battalions and the border troops don't even think about it. If this opportunity is given to others, they will not be allowed to fight with them. Like a fly seeing blood, he has grasped all the affairs of the general in his hands, and tried his best to install private individuals in the camp? Where will power be delegated, and the original military attachés can be safely used? "
Having said this, King Jing filled up the last bit of wine in the pot for Huang Qiong and himself. He picked up the wine glass and said, "Today is the first time you and I brothers have met, and it will probably be the last time we meet. Your second brother is now the guilty one." Even though we are still alive, our ninth brother can still risk his own life to come and see each other. This friendship is particularly valuable, not to mention that your brother is so heart-to-heart."
"Now the second brother has explained everything he needs to explain, and it can be said that his wish has been fulfilled. Today you and I will drink the last glass of wine, and tomorrow you and I will fight here. The second brother promised to fulfill your great mission, and he will definitely do what he said. Yes. It’s just the posthumous affairs that the second brother entrusted to the ninth brother, and I hope that the ninth brother can keep his promise."
"Today, the second brother calls the ninth brother for the last time. Tomorrow, when you and I meet on the battlefield, we will fight according to our own abilities. At that time, life and death will be determined by fate, and there will no longer be brotherhood." After that, King Jing took the cup. After drinking the wine in one gulp, he threw the wine glass in his hand to the ground and smashed it to pieces as a final sign of breaking up. Without further ado, he walked out.
Huang Qiong raised his glass and drank the full-flavored wine. He looked at King Jing's extremely desolate background under the setting sun and said in a deep voice: "Now that the matter has come to this, my second brother knows that he is doomed to fail, so why bother?" Let all living beings suffer more misfortunes? My younger brother is still saying the same thing. I hope that my second brother can give up his struggle and follow my younger brother to Beijing to meet my father."
"Little brother, even if I risk my life, I will send my second brother to the capital safely. As long as I meet my father in person, I can explain the cause and effect clearly. For the sake of Queen Daxing, my father will not do anything to my second brother too much. Yes. Second brother, are you really willing to let go of your father, sister-in-law, and several children?"
After hearing Huang Qiong's persuasion, King Jing did not look back. Instead, he looked at the setting sun for a long time before sighing: "Ninth brother is dedicated to good deeds and pities the armies inside and outside the pass, but who in this world will pity us? It's too late to say anything now. I don't have your second brother anymore." A way out. If I had known this, why bother fighting in the first place?"
"What about the emperor or the prince? After a hundred years, he will not be a pile of withered bones? If people really have an afterlife, I would rather be a farmer who works hard all day just to have enough food and clothing. I don't want to be reincarnated here even though I enjoy all the glory and wealth. , but there is no trace of family affection, all there is is an imperial family that fights and intrigues all day long."
Turning his head to look at Huang Qiong, King Jing smiled sadly: "Since Ninth Brother is kind-hearted, Second Brother will consider carefully what Ninth Brother just said. Today Ninth Brother can come to see Second Brother and have a heart-to-heart relationship with Second Brother. This Love Second Brother I understand. Tomorrow, the second brother will naturally give an explanation to the ninth brother. I also ask the ninth brother to pay more attention to the matters that the second brother has entrusted."
After saying these words, King Jing walked out of the tent without looking back. Behind him, Huang Qiong watched King Jing go further and further away with his deserted back for a long time, but Huang Qiong still did not leave to return. It wasn't until Liu Hu, who was a little worried about something unexpected, came to invite him three times that Huang Qiong took the reins of the horse handed over by the guards around him, got on the horse, let out a long sigh, and rode back.
Huang Qiong's safe return made everyone who had been waiting for him at the Hulao juncture, including the commander in the capital who had just arrived with the main force of the Xiaoqi battalion, finally feel relieved. You must know that this commander in the capital, after arriving at Hulao Pass, learned that Huang Qiong only brought a hundred cavalry and went to meet King Jing alone under the protection of two guards. He almost didn't mention it in one breath.
Who is this King of England? Now he is not only a prince, but also the envoy of Zhengzhou. Not to mention the rebels on the opposite side, the future of the soldiers of the Xiaoqi Battalion was also in the hands of this young prince. If he has any shortcomings, it would be more comfortable for everyone in the Xiaoqi camp to find a rope and hang them by the neck.
Rao Shi has been an official for many years and has been deeply trained by the city government. After learning that the King of England was in danger alone, the commander in the capital did not care about his kindness and scolded Zhao Wuye and everyone else. It was not until Huang Qiong's safe return that the anger in the heart of the commander in the capital decreased slightly.
Returning to the pass, he saw the pale faces of the people who came to greet him. He looked at the newly arrived commander of Yudu with a hesitant look on his face. Huang Qiong, who knew it well, said to the commander of Yudu: "Master Yu, don't blame me. They are the ones I insist on leaving the seclusion to meet with King Jing, and they cannot stop them even if they want to."
Stopping the commander of Yudu who wanted to say something, Huang Qiong said to everyone: "I am also a little reckless, and everyone is worried about it. But for the overall situation, this risk is still worth taking. If I can make sense, If King Jing gives up the rebellion, we, Da Qi, will lose less energy. It's a pity that my ability is limited and I can't convince my second brother to give up."
Having said this, Huang Qiong turned his head and said to the capital commander: "The rebels invited our army to have a decisive battle tomorrow. I am still saying the same thing. Since you are solely responsible for this war, I will definitely not interfere. Everyone. All officers and men must obey your lord's arrangements. I now grant your lord the power to make decisions on the fly. Officials below the fourth rank can be executed first and then reported."
"For tomorrow's decisive battle, I have only one request, and that is to cleanly and thoroughly eliminate all the rebels in the shortest possible time, and bring peace to the people of Zhengzhou. I am a little tired now, so I will not participate in it, sir." The deployment has been made." After saying that, Huang Qiong ignored the astonished Yudu commander, got on his horse and returned to the Dutong Yamen.
This time's explanation to the commander in the capital was different from the past. This time Huang Qiong did not include himself. Today's meeting with King Jing made him feel extremely tired. It's not just physical fatigue, but I really feel a little tired. The decisive battle is coming tomorrow, and he feels that he needs to take a good rest before he can cope with it.
As for this meeting with King Jing, although he had always been calm on the surface, he was in a state of turmoil in his heart. He still had to think carefully about what King Jing had revealed. It's time for him to discount some things. Therefore, he did not stay in the military camp, but chose to return directly to Dutong Yamen to rest.
As for what the Yudu commander behind him and the soldiers of the Xiaoqi battalion thought, it was not a matter for him to consider. Moreover, he believed that his absence would be more conducive to the arrangements and deployment of the commander in the capital, and it would also be more conducive to the commander in the capital to think about how to fight this battle.
After having a hasty dinner, Huang Qiong returned to the Dutong Yamen's bedroom that was specially prepared for him. It was as warm as ever and was smoked by a brazier. However, Huang Qiong had no intention of resting. King Jing's words made Huang Qiong feel mixed emotions. Although he had expected the rebellion of the two kings before, it was not as simple as it seemed on the surface. But I didn't expect that it was so complicated.
Although King Jing spoke to the end, he did not reveal the true identity of that person. But it is not difficult to guess this person's true identity. But what shocked Huang Qiong was that if Concubine Shen was really his chess piece, how old was that person back then?
It is really unimaginable that a person who only left the palace and entered the palace at the age of thirteen and was not yet married could be so scheming and come up with such ruthless strategies. Huang Qiong asked himself, if he had not been born in two generations, would he have such skill at that age when he was just starting out? This is not about taking one step and looking three steps ahead, but looking too far ahead.
Such a nail was buried, but it remained untouched for many years. It wasn't until his mother was critically ill, and it could be said that the whole situation was about to be revealed, that he revealed it step by step. This was not something that ordinary scheming and means could accomplish. Everyone knows that the queen, who is now doing well, has been the prince's most important support over the years.
It can be said that the emperor kept tolerating the prince, and the queen accounted for a large part of the reason. At the same time, as a mother, the queen, who had shared the joys and sorrows with her sons in the cold palace, was obviously more authoritative in the hearts of her sons than the emperor, who was their father.
With the queen here, the prince and his brothers, even if they fight each other to the death in private, on the surface they can only maintain brotherly love, and no one dares to make a mistake. But if the queen is gone and the greatest authority that suppresses her head disappears, these people may no longer have any scruples. Especially the other kings who are interested in becoming the heir apparent will never show mercy.
