On March 13th, Zhili was in Xing'an County, and in the early morning, it was the westernmost county in Zhili County.
The huge camp became lively when it was about to dawn in the east. The hot bubbling water in the big iron pot on the fire made a gurgling sound. The cooks washed bags of corn and poured them in.
The bursts of white mist made the restless refugees feel the familiar smell of fireworks.
The children were still sleeping soundly even in the bustling environment. They ate well yesterday and were feeling satisfied in their sleep now.
Guan Cheng led Wu Chengju and Wang Ye around the camp, nodding to the saluting crowd from time to time.
Although not many people were willing to follow him to a strange place thousands of miles away, Guan Cheng still ordered that everyone's bowl should be filled with food that can fill their stomachs.
Wang Ye couldn't help but sigh again: "Your Majesty is truly a benevolent and righteous king."
He has now transformed into a captain of the Suwei Brigade of Jin State, and his status in the army is second only to Sima Wuchengju's group.
Guan Cheng shook his head and said: "It would be benevolent and righteous if the people in the world can be fed."
The world, the whole world is so big.
Yesterday, when Guan Cheng asked Wang Ye to follow him, he mentioned his ambition for the world several times.
Wang Ye couldn't believe it at first. It had been more than two hundred years since Datong was enfeoffed to the princes, and there were less than a hundred counties left. Even these hundreds of counties could not be effectively ruled from all over the world, and the princes often With these enclaves in mind, if it weren't for the fact that Datong is the co-owner of the world, which still makes various princes wary of each other, I am afraid that Datong would not even have the eight counties of Zhili County left.
Wang Ye has always felt that the world will still be in chaos for a long time. As long as the chaos continues, eight counties can still watch the show.
Although the surname of the world is Guan, it has long lost its qualifications. Even Peng, the weakest among the princes, occupies three counties and nineteen counties, let alone one as strong as Zhao Chu.
Why should the former prince of Datong and the current king of Jin be?
Guan Cheng told him that the most capable people in the world live there, and there is no one to blame for Datong's current situation. The ancestors' decision to divide the world, although it made today's descendants lose their power, was indeed a very effective way to consolidate the frontier at that time. , Chase is too big.
The world belongs to the people of the world. The ancestors relied on only three counties with a population of 100,000 and 4,000 soldiers to rise up. In the end, the world has 25 states, more than 600 counties, more than 5,000 counties, and the population of the counties is more than 10 million. Why can't the lonely royal blood still have a reputation for righteousness?
Wang Ye asked how to consolidate the border?
Guan Cheng replied: Consolidate the territory with the people!
Wang Ye asked again why to expand the border?
Guan Cheng replied to expand borders with the people!
Why fight for the world?
Conquer the world with the people!
Wang was tossing and turning at night and couldn't sleep. The three seemingly simple questions and three simple answers were really the most important thing.
This young prince is only sixteen years old but he sees it so clearly.
In the eyes of the princes, only the scholar-bureaucrats can rule the world, but Wang Ye had to seek explanations for more than ten years before he dared to deny this deep-rooted common knowledge.
In the past five hundred years of the world, almost no one remembers that the founding emperor of Datong relied on Wanmin to conquer the world.
Wang Ye was convinced. He was a pure gentleman who didn't understand intrigues. He was repeatedly ostracized in the military camp. If his father hadn't protected him, he wouldn't have been able to reach the rank of brigade leader. His bones might have been buried in an unknown corner. inside.
Such people have a clearer understanding of the world than ordinary people. Without the mentality of being smart and superior to others, it is easy to develop the concepts of empathy and true knowledge.
Such people also hope that the world is clean and everything they see is fair.
After hesitating for a night, Wang Ye decided to join Guan Cheng, and his ambition to leave a name in history burned even more intensely after a night of suffering.
Most of the three hundred soldiers who accompanied him were willing to follow. They were all deserters at the moment. Even if they returned to the army, they would be severely punished. It would be better to follow the Jin King in front of him and try their best to make a career.
Wu Chengju's original intention was that it was inappropriate. There was only a difference between zero and countless times for some things. If you become a deserter today, you can't expect these people to die. The Jin State has a weak foundation and cannot withstand betrayal and any hidden dangers.
But how could Guan Cheng care so much now, so he thought of a sentence and blurted out: Don't be suspicious when you employ people, and don't use them when you don't.
These words moved Wang Ye and others to death.
Soldiers don't care whether their lord can dominate the world. They care more about things like respect, rewards and punishments, and fairness.
Wang Ye said: "I believe in Your Highness."
Guan Cheng looked back and asked with a smile: "It's been more than a day since we entered Peng State. Why have we never seen Peng State's army?"
"I'm afraid it will be difficult for Your Highness to meet you." Wang Ye replied: "Now the armies of Peng and Shu are gathered in the Tangtong County of Yuhang County. If the Jin army breaks through Tangtong County and goes less than fifty miles to the northeast, it will be Peng Kingdom. In Yuhang County, the capital, at the critical moment of life and death, both Peng and Shu have gathered their forces as much as possible. Now the local defense is extremely empty. Let alone one day, I am afraid that His Highness will not be able to see them before the decisive battle is over."
"Oh? I'm not very clear about these things. I would like to trouble Captain Wang to help me clarify my doubts."
"promise."
"The reason was that the Jin State said that several pigs from the Jin State had escaped into Guangyang County of Peng State and demanded tenfold compensation from Peng State. The leader of the Peng State originally planned to settle the matter and there were only dozens of pigs anyway, but the Jin State later said that the pigs had not been sent. He died after a long time. He must have been mistreated by the Peng people and asked to send troops to investigate, but the Peng Kingdom naturally did not allow it, so the Jin Kingdom sent troops to attack."
Guan Cheng was a little surprised, "Because of how many pigs?"
Wang Ye smiled helplessly and said: "The Kingdom of Jin has wanted the two counties of Daliang and Futong in the Kingdom of Peng for a long time. This is just an excuse. The Kingdom of Jin covers five counties and 42 counties and is much more powerful than the Kingdom of Peng."
"What about Shu Guo? Weren't you originally the commander of the Shu Army?"
"The Gaocheng County of Linggao County in Shu Guo is also wanted by the Jin State. The Jin State can use this excuse to attack Peng State today, and it can also use a similar excuse to attack Shu State in the future, such as losing a cow or a few sheep. Therefore, the two countries of Peng and Shu We became allies three years ago, which made Jin Guo have some scruples."
"It's just that at the beginning of this year, the situation was turbulent when the new king of Shu State succeeded to the throne. The Jin State thought that the time had come, so it sent troops."
After hearing this, Guan Cheng sighed and stopped asking.
There was a war between the princes, and he didn't even know about it right next door.
Emperor Datong has a force directly under him called the Secret Guard, which monitors the world full-time. However, now the Secret Guard is only an empty shell. The entire Secret Guard does not even have ten people in total, and they cannot even monitor the situation in Zhili County, let alone The rest of the princes.
"Let's set off after the people have finished eating. We will go to Jindi as quickly as possible."
Naturally, it was impossible for Sima Wu Chengju to go there in person, so Wang Yelue bowed with his fists in hand and retreated.
"Successful move."
"I'm here."
"I have a bad premonition. You need to order people to be ready to fight at any time. Also, find a way to get more carriages. I think they will be useful."
Wu Chengju was slightly startled but still agreed to leave. What he thought was not important was what the leader thought was important.
The morning in March was still a bit cool, but the coolness no longer existed when looking at the steaming corn porridge in the bowl in my hand. Being able to eat a full meal as a refugee was already a dream.
It's just a pity that such a good highness has to go to a place too far away.
When Guan Cheng was on the road again, the original number of more than two thousand people had doubled. In addition to Wang Ye and the two hundred soldiers under his command, there were more than a thousand men, women, and children with their families.
Guan Cheng naturally welcomes them. In his imagination, these people will be the basis for his foothold in Jin. The use of imperial edicts thousands of miles away is about the same as waste paper. Even if there is great righteousness, Guan Cheng is still very doubtful.
The sun was setting, and the air was gradually getting warmer, but the slow marching speed of the large group of people still made Guan Cheng feel very bored. Although compared to those armies that easily numbered in the tens of thousands, more than four thousand people were like children. Jia Jia But this is the first time he has commanded such a large team. Even Wu Chengju, a military commander who can nominally command tens of thousands of people, feels it is a bit difficult.
On the other hand, Wang Ye seemed very relaxed, and the gap between the two people was invisible.
"Wang Ye."
Now Guan Cheng has formed a habit of summoning Wang Ye several times in just one morning, and he has an overwhelming advantage over Wu Chengju, which makes the latter feel a little bit of a crisis.
He naturally knew the reason. Although Wang Ye was a captain commanding two thousand people, he had seen large group battles. The difficulty of tens of thousands of soldiers was obviously much greater than that of four thousand. And as Sima, the former East Palace guard and the personal army, he had commanded no more than 2,000 people at most, and that was in name only.
His Majesty, the Emperor of Datong, is very familiar with the art of balance and power. There are less than 6,000 people in Zhili County and he was forced to form three army commanders. It is a pity that this trade-off is not as big as a sesame seed for the princes of the world.
"Your Highness, what are your orders?"
The sweat on Wang Ye's face mixed with the dust raised by the march of the team turned into streaks of mud. The helmet he found was a bit small, and the armor on his body was still in the same tattered state. He looked a little embarrassed no matter how he looked, but there was always something in his eyes. There was a flash of energy and energy.
"Is there any way to make the team faster? It's too slow now. The sun is about to hit and we only have to walk six or seven miles."
Wang Ye was a little confused: "Your Highness, General, will try his best, but these people have been hungry for a long time. Although Your Highness's kindness and righteousness have allowed them to have a few full meals, they have suffered a lot. The General brought them with them before It only takes six or seven miles a day."
"I know they are not strong enough, but they have traveled thousands of miles to the Western Jin Dynasty. If we get halfway there like this, we will run out of food. And whether they can make it to the Jin Dynasty alive is a question."
Wang Ye lowered his head and pondered for a while and said: "Your Highness, why not recruit the strong and strong soldiers into the army, while the old, weak, women and children will be organized into the rear camp with the gang leaders, horsemen and others. After a few days of getting used to it, they will pick up speed."
Guan Cheng thought for a while and seemed to have no better way, so he nodded in agreement but still asked: "How much do you estimate the army can do in one day?"
"Back to Your Highness, it would be great to be able to travel fifteen miles today, but I am confident that they can increase their speed to forty miles within a month."
There was a slight look of satisfaction on Guan Cheng's face: "Well, very good. I know that haste makes waste, but I still have to put more burden on you. You also know that the Three Kingdoms of Shu Peng and Jin are at war, and our current situation is not good. There are only 2,000 armored soldiers and 2,000 civilians who have no power to resist. If we encounter bandits, we can still fight, but if we encounter a rout or that army, it will be a disaster."
"No matter how difficult this road is, we must get over it as soon as possible. The reorganization you mentioned can only be done as we go. Everything must be fast, but when it is fast, it must be stable."
After Guan Cheng finished speaking, he patted Wang Ye on the shoulder and said, "I know this is difficult, but no matter how difficult it is, we have to do it. Only by experiencing and overcoming these difficulties will the world be closer to us."
Such old-fashioned words once made Wang Ye feel a little confused. Is this really a sixteen-year-old child and not a sixty-year-old man?
But Wang Ye still clasped his fists and accepted the promise, which also represented trust and experience. Didn't you see that the envy and jealousy in the eyes of his immediate boss Sima Wuchengju when he looked at him were undisguised.
Opportunities are unlimited at the beginning of a force. Although I am not as good as a confidant like Wu Chengju, I still have a good chance of becoming the number one person under Lao Wu.
Wang Ye had 200 soldiers in his own army. Guan Cheng did not interfere with his control and command, and fully delegated power and trust to him. Although the 200 soldiers were from Shu Guo and Peng Guo, But fortunately, during the escape days, everyone was familiar with and trusted each other, and the command was smooth.
Wang Ye quickly gathered his men, made simple arrangements and then dispersed.
The team was still moving forward, but the few able-bodied people among the common people were quickly screened out and put into the team to be led by the veterans, while the rest were put into the back camp to help push things on carts.
The team was obviously moving faster.
Guan Cheng expressed that he was very satisfied. It was not easy to achieve such a result after experiencing the initial chaos in a short period of time.
Near dusk, Wu Chengju asked for instructions on a hillside ahead where he could camp and rest, and Guan Cheng naturally agreed.
More than 4,000 people traveled 20 miles in one day, which was much more ideal than initially estimated. Guan Cheng was very satisfied to be able to achieve this speed on the first day of running-in.
He took Cao Linger, Wu Chengju and others to patrol the camp.
Guan Cheng now brings Cao Ling'er to public appearances intentionally or unintentionally, and everyone regards her as the future mistress.
Refugees don't care where you come from, as long as you can fill your stomach, that's all.
Cao Ling'er's heart was filled with emotion. She knew that she was from a humble background, and she also understood Guan Cheng's intention, which could be seen from the expressions of Wu Chengju and Wang Ye.
Guan Cheng brought two elderly people from the palace with him on this trip, and spent the whole day giving Cao Ling'er a surprise lesson in palace etiquette.
A fourteen-year-old girl learns everything quickly, behaves gracefully and decently, and puts on the gorgeous clothes that Guan Cheng specially prepared for her. After a little dressing up, even the picky old lady nodded slightly in approval. .
Although the camp was not very big, there was still some sweat on Guan Cheng's forehead after walking around in such a circle. On the other hand, Cao Ling'er behaved appropriately from beginning to end and did not show any discomfort. This made Wang, who was quite complaining, Yedu closed her mouth.
"Ling'er, you go down and rest first. I have something to discuss with General Wang Xiaowei."
Cao Ling'er's smiling Fu Li exited accompanied by the maid.
"Congratulations to Miss Ling'er."
The two mature men can naturally see that Guan Cheng is determined. He used to be in charge of the capital, but now who can control it? Who dares to do too much about the things in the master's room? If you can't change your mouth, then why not just accept it.
It is unlikely that Cao Ling'er will become a queen in the future, but she is a pillow concubine last time, and she must be the first one. Only a fool would offend such a young girl with unlimited future.
After the three of them sat down, Guan Cheng asked directly without any hesitation: "Our army has marched about twenty miles today. Can we speed up tomorrow? Can we leave Hewei County within three days?"
Wang Ye first saluted and then said: "Back to Your Highness, we should be able to reach twenty-three or even more than twenty-five miles tomorrow. From now on, we can reach Ninghai County, Xintian County, which is more than sixty miles away. It can be done within three days."
"Yes. Chengju, what's the reward for the scouts at the front?"
"Back to Your Highness, the scouts reported that there are many small groups of defeated troops nearby, but our army is more than 4,000 in size. A few small thieves are not enough to threaten our army. It's just that the scouts just reported that there is an army of more than 2,000 people away from here. The place is less than fifteen miles away, and the flag should be that of the Jin Army. I have sent people to negotiate, but no news has been sent back yet."
Guan Cheng frowned slightly. The terrain of Peng State was wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. The three counties were arranged horizontally. Among them, Guangyang County was the widest from east to west and the longest from north to south. Guangyang County was the original country, but because Jin Guobingfeng was a bit overwhelming, he moved there. Yuhang County in present-day Yutang County. And Hewei County is in the southernmost part of Peng State. Meeting the Jin Army in such a place means that the Jin Army has conquered the entire Zhongshu County of Shu State and captured the old capital of Peng State, and the main forces of Peng and Shu are no longer able to stop them. The golden soldiers could only defend the city while plundering.
"This Jin Guogu knows that there are five commanderies and forty-two counties. Although they are fifth-class princes, their strength can compete with some weak fourth-class princes. But how can Peng and Shu together with fifty counties make up five An army of ten thousand was so defeated in less than two months?"
Wang Ye lowered his head in shame.
Upon seeing this, Wu Chengju said: "Your Highness, the Jin soldiers have always been powerful. Originally, the Jin Kingdom was only three counties, but its leader had talents both inside and outside, and had good relations with Chu, Zhou, Song and Liang. Then he went east to attack the two kingdoms of Peng and Shu. With today's situation, among the twenty-eight fifth-level princes in the world, its strength is only weaker than that of Gufei Kingdom."
"Strengthen the strong and attack the weak?"
"It can be considered a success if it can be used like this." Guan Cheng couldn't help but say.
"Go back to your highness, and the scout will report back."
Upon hearing this, Guan Cheng immediately sat upright, raised his sleeves with his big hands and said loudly: "Pass!"
