Kaifeng Prefecture, Tokyo City.
The Ningyuan Hou Mansion located on Ningyuan Street is still peaceful.
In the main hall of the Hou Mansion, Gu Yankai stood with his hands behind his back, looking outside the gate and looking towards the south. After being silent for a long time, he still said: "I have gone to my hometown in Xiangyang to ask my uncles and brothers to select suitable children from their clan. Go to Erlang's tent and listen to him!"
When Xiao Qin heard this, no matter how good her acting skills were, she couldn't suppress the shock in her heart, and there was a look of shock in her eyes.
The Gu family of Ningyuan Marquis was originally from Xiangyang, but they did not have much influence in the local Xiang army. The Gu family's influence in the army was mostly distributed in Tokyo and Hebei. Gu Yankai also spent several years in the Western Army and had many aunts. , in the past, most of the promotions of one's own sons, nephews and descendants were in the Western Army and the Hebei Forbidden Army.
In terms of combat effectiveness among the official armies of the Song Dynasty, the strongest was the Imperial Army, followed by the Xiang Army, and then the local Xiangyong.
There are also superiors and inferiors among the Forbidden Army. During the founding emperor Taizong's time, the most elite Forbidden Army was the one located in the camp in the western suburbs of Tokyo. However, as time went by, there was no war in Beijing for a long time. Instead, it was the border area. , there were many conflicts with the Khitan and Xixia, and wars broke out frequently. The border troops gradually became the most elite among the Forbidden Army. To this day, the most elite soldiers and horses among the Forbidden Army are those stationed in Shaanxi and Qinfeng. The Western Army has been at war with Xixia all year round, and its combat effectiveness is impressive.
Next are the Forbidden Army in Hebei and Hedong, and then the Forbidden Army in Tokyo.
Gu Yankai is now working as an errand in the western suburbs camp, leading an army and holding a high position of authority.
"My Gu family started out with military exploits. If your sons and nephews are willing to study, they can study hard and take part in the imperial examinations. However, you must never forget that the foundation of the Gu family lies in the military!"
Although Gu Yankai doesn't say anything on weekdays, he has always been like Ming Jing'er in his heart. Otherwise, he would not have personally taught Gu Er martial arts and military arts when he was a child. First, it was for the sake of Gu Er's future. , and the second is for the future of the Hou Mansion.
Although Xiao Qin was unwilling to give in, Gu Yankai had already made a decision by killing first and then telling the story later. No matter how unwilling she was, she could only grit her teeth and accept this reality.
At the same time, the Sheng family located in Jiying Lane, Xicheng City is also not peaceful.
Old Mrs. Sheng and Minglan are not here, so Wei Shuyi only concentrates on teaching Changdong in his own courtyard. Now the housekeeper of the Sheng family has changed from Wang Ruofu to Changbai's eldest wife, Haishi, and Molan lives with Rulandu. In your own yard.
As night fell, everyone had already had dinner, but Changbai today was different from the past. He held a letter in his hand and frowned slightly.
It has been several days since this letter reached Changbai, but Changbai still has not made a decision.
After hesitating for a while, Chang Bai went to find Sheng Hong.
In Wei Ruixuan, after reading the letter sent by Chang Bai, Sheng Hong's eyes flashed with some thoughts. He looked up at Chang Bai, his son who had high hopes for him and never let him down, and asked: "What do Bai'er think?"
Changbai cupped his hands and said: "My son thinks what Zi Hou said is quite reasonable. Now the official family is seriously ill, the position of the crown prince has not been decided yet, and there are rebels in Huaixi. We really can't put all our eggs in one basket." inside!"
"Then there's no need to go to Huaixi!" Sheng Hong frowned and said, "Now that the rebels are raging in Huaixi, it's very dangerous!"
"Although Haozhou and Shouzhou are now occupied by rebels and all officials have been killed, these rebels are just a mob. Zhonghuai used the weak to defeat the strong and the small in Shen County. There are many, and the rebels are defeated.
Moreover, the imperial court has also sent out a large army. It is only a matter of time before the states and counties occupied by the rebels are recovered. Now the two states have just been ravaged by the rebels. After they are recovered, it will be a time when everything is in ruins and it is easiest to make achievements! "
Sheng Hong looked at the son in front of him who always had a right mind, and couldn't help but said: "So, you have made your decision?"
"This opportunity is rare, and my son wants to give it a try!" Changbai nodded and said, "And Zhonghuai is in Haozhou now. If my son goes there, he can also help."
"But the war is dangerous. As the saying goes, a gentleman does not stand behind a dangerous wall. In the future, the Sheng family will have to rely on you to support it. As a father..."
"Father! Mencius said: When Heaven is about to entrust this man with a great responsibility, he must first strain his mind, strain his muscles and bones, starve his body and skin, and deplete his body. He has benefited from what he could not do. My son has studied hard for more than ten years, and now although He has entered the official position, but he is still young and has little experience. He has no achievements in political affairs and lacks experience in governing the local area. Although there is great chaos in Huaixi now, it is also an opportunity. If you wait until the dust settles before going there, the difficulty will be only It will be bigger!”
No one is plowing the thin fields, but many people are fighting to cultivate them!
Huaixi is now in chaos, the rebels are ferocious, and the war is getting intense. Although this group of rebels will eventually be wiped out, no one can predict what will happen tomorrow until this group of rebels is completely wiped out. Those in the DPRK who are waiting to fill the vacancies The officials also avoided it like snakes and scorpions, fearing that they would follow in the footsteps of their colleagues in Huaixi who were killed by the rebels.
But if we wait for the rebels to be put down, Haozhou, which is full of waste and waiting for prosperity, will definitely become a good place for those officials and scholars who are preparing to be candidates to compete for it.
Although everyone understands the truth, not many people are willing to take the risks involved.
After all, becoming an official means that the prosperity and wealth for this life are already guaranteed, so who is willing to risk his life?
Changbai naturally understood his father, so he took advantage of the situation and continued: "Besides, Bianjing has become a whirlpool now. I only have a false position in the Hanlin Academy. Even if I stay in the capital, it will be of no use. It is better to take advantage of this opportunity." , go get some merit and come back, which can also be used as a resource for future advancement."
"Is it too dangerous to go to Huaixi at this time?" As a father, Sheng Hong still loves and cares about his children, especially Chang Bai, his eldest son who has high hopes for him.
"My son is a civil servant, and he doesn't have to lead troops to fight on the front lines like Zhong Huai, so what danger can there be!"
"Don't miss the opportunity. If you lose it, you will never come back. When walking in officialdom, looking forward and backward, hesitating is a big taboo!" Changbai said with a serious expression.
Seeing that Chang Bai had made up his mind, Sheng Hong knew that he could not convince Chang Bai. If the old lady was still at home, he could still drag Chang Bai to discuss with the old lady. After all, the old lady was used to wind and rain. , had eaten more salt than the father and son had eaten, and the ideas he took proved to be correct. Over the years, whenever Sheng Hong was indecisive, he always turned to the old lady for advice.
It's just that now the old lady Sheng has gone to Quanzhou with her daughter and son-in-law, not in Tokyo. It takes a month or two for letters to come and go. The situation on the front line is changing day by day. How can it be in time? Moreover, now the old lady is with Wang Zhong. In Quanzhou, since Wang Zhong wrote a letter to suggest Chang Bai to go to Huaixi, he might have told the old lady Sheng in advance, and the old lady had already agreed.
"Let me think about it again!" For such a big matter, Sheng Hong naturally needs to consider it carefully and does not dare to make a decision easily.
"Father, do you still remember what happened during the Lantern Festival this year?" Changbai suddenly changed his voice and mentioned the past.
Sheng Hong was stunned for a moment and asked doubtfully: "Why did Bai'er suddenly mention this matter?"
"Father doesn't think that what happened to Rong Feiyan is really the work of rebels, right?" Chang Bai suddenly said.
The look on Sheng Hong's face changed. He was not a fool. How could he not see something fishy? But what could he do if he knew it? Even the Kaifeng Mansion couldn't do anything to find the culprit behind the scenes, not to mention that he was only a fifth-grade official. Neng sighed helplessly: "Hey!"
"Now that King Yong is not yet the crown prince, he is already so arrogant and domineering. He openly attacks the noble daughter of the prince's family and humiliates him so much. I think he does not have the appearance of a wise king. Today's officials are generous and benevolent, and they are only afraid of the prince's objections. There will be another misfortune, and then Tokyo will really become a dragon's den and a tiger's den."
Sheng Hong only felt that his mind was in a mess, his thoughts were all in a mess, and there was no clue. He couldn't help but look at Chang Bai: "What Bai'er means is that this country will really fall on King Yan?"
"The emperor's heart is unpredictable. Who knows until the last moment!" Chang Bai shook his head and said solemnly.
Although Changbai doesn't talk much on weekdays, Sheng Hong knows that this son has always had the right ideas. Not only is he his father the one who decides the matter, but even with Wang Ruofu, a pig teammate, it will be difficult. Change Changbai's mind.
Just when Changbai decided to ask Sheng Hong to help with the ups and downs, seeking to go to Huaixi, a piece of good news quickly spread throughout Bianjing. Qi Heng, the young prince of the Duke of Qi, who was well-known in Bianjing, also The head of Jiacheng County of the Yongwang family is engaged and will be getting married soon.
Today's Duke of Qi's palace seems to be full of flowers, but in fact it has long been empty. Among the Duke of Qi's generation, only Duke of Qi is an official. He used to have a salt affairs job, but it disappeared since the year before last. Now he only has a job with no power and no real achievements. , a false position that only received a salary, and it was only because Princess Pingning had some dignity in front of the officials and the Queen Mother that she could maintain the dignity of the Duke of Qi.
But Princess Pingning's surname is Chai, not Zhao. This is the most important thing.
Today's officials are kind and kind, and they are very kind to the descendants of the Chai family. They even brought Princess Pingning into the palace when she was young and lived with the princes and princesses. Eye, then he was canonized by the princess.
Nowadays, the official family is approaching its twilight years, and the queen is also getting older.
In the eyes of some people, the marriage between Qi Heng and the head of Jiacheng County is a sign that the Qi family has completely turned to King Yong. Some people even overestimated whether Princess Pingning was so favored that she had obtained it from the palace in advance. What news did he let his son get married to the daughter of Prince Yong's family?
After all, Princess Pingning has always set her sights on others, and this is something everyone recognizes.
Suddenly, the undercurrent in Bianjing City surged again, and countless people began to communicate privately, and some even took the initiative to approach King Yong to express their willingness to surrender.
Sheng Hong was a well-rounded man, very good at observing people's emotions and socializing with others. Although he did not dare to get involved in the matter of establishing a prince, he was in officialdom and could not notice the change of situation.
Before Qi Heng's wedding, Changbai filled the vacancy of Dingyuan County Magistrate. He was also a member of the Hanlin Academy. He set off south on the same day and rushed to Dingyuan County, Haozhou to resettle prisoners, appease the people, and raise food and grass for the counter-rebellion army. , to support the front line.
Coincidentally, just as Sheng Hong was helping Changbai move up and down, the news that Gu Er led the Wuwei Army to regain Dingyuan County spread back to Tokyo, so Changbai naturally filled the vacancy of Dingyuan County Magistrate, and he became the magistrate of Dingyuan County on that day. He said goodbye to his family, took Khan Niu and about ten guards with him, and quickly left the capital and rushed to Haozhou.
When Changbai arrived at Dingyuan, Gu Er was leading the army, and he and the troops on Huainan East Road had just recaptured Zhongli County and returned in triumph.
At the north gate of Dingyuan County, Gu Er looked at Changbai, who was wearing the robe of a magistrate and waiting for him at the city gate. He immediately got off his horse and hugged Changbai firmly.
"When did you arrive?" Gu Er looked at Chang Bai and couldn't help but ask.
Changbai also smiled and said: "Three days ago!"
"Are you still used to it?" Gu Er asked as he pulled Chang Bai towards the city.
When it comes to Dingyuan County, Gu Er is much more familiar with it than Changbai. After regaining Dingyuan, he repaired the city walls, repaired fortifications, appeased the people, etc. All of this was done by Gu Er himself. Changbai just arrived yesterday and he hasn’t even sat down yet. hot.
The two hadn't seen each other for a long time, and naturally they had endless things to talk about. Gu Er was filled with joy and told Changbai with great interest about his experiences in the past few months, how he used ingenious strategies to regain Shen County, how he sent people to sneak into Dingyuan, and how to cooperate inside and outside. , taking advantage of the darkness to capture the county seat, how to use a majestic force to cooperate with the troops of Suzhou and Chuzhou to forcibly break through Zhongli County.
This lasted for most of an hour.
"Now that Zhecheng is here, I can lead the troops to fight with peace of mind, and finally don't have to worry about anything else!" Gu Er also felt this, although Luzhou Yiying officials were very grateful to Gu Er for rescuing them. Cooperate, but now that Gu Er's army has arrived in Haozhou, it is naturally not easy for officials from Luzhou to go over and come to Haozhou to handle logistical matters for him.
"I'm new here, and I'm not very familiar with the situation in Dingyuan, so I can only do my best!" Changbai always spoke steadily and never boasted.
Gu Er said with a smile: "It doesn't matter, just take your time! Now there is only one Haozhou city left in Haozhou that is still in the hands of the rebels. I have stationed a thousand soldiers and horses in Yong'an Town on the east bank of Luoshui, Dingyuan There are still 500 defenders in the city. I have made an appointment with General Liu, who is currently stationed in Zhongli County, to send troops to Haozhou in three days! Suzhou will also send troops by then, and the recovery of Haozhou will be just around the corner!"
Changbai nodded and asked, "How is the situation in Shouzhou?"
Gu Er said: "Only Lu'an County is still in the hands of the imperial court!"
Changbai said: "To the east of Shouzhou is Yong'an Town. Zhonghuai is stationed in Yong'an. Is he worried that the rebels from Shouzhou will attack Dingyuan?"
Gu Er nodded solemnly and said: "This group of rebels is not simple. They were just a mob at the beginning. But now, it has been more than half a year since the rebels started fighting. They have fought dozens of times with the government and the army. Now The rebels have many veterans who can be said to be elite, and among the rebels there are also those who are experienced in military affairs. I am afraid that the future war will not be so easy."
Now that Dingyuan has just been liberated, the people in the countryside have been robbed by the rebels, and their houses are already empty. All the wealthy gentry's houses have been looted, and no one has been spared. Fortunately, there is still some left in the treasury, which was originally used by the rebels. , now it is much cheaper for Gu Er and Chang Bai.
Three days later, Gu Er led his troops to attack Haozhou, while Changbai stayed in Dingyuan to guard the rear for Gu Er.
(End of chapter)
