On the first night after Gu Yun left the capital, he had just placed the glass mirror on the frame when the clip suddenly broke inexplicably. It rolled down the bridge of his nose and happened to hit the shoulder armor of his Xuan Tie, breaking it.
The general was about to go to war, so it was an ominous sign for his personal belongings to be damaged. The bodyguard was shocked, afraid that Gu Yun would be afraid.
Gu Yun rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Tsk, did I learn the Golden Bell Shield and Iron Skin Technique by myself?"
The bodyguard cleverly shouted, "This is' Fragmented Peace '. Marshal, wait for me to bring you another one."
The bodyguard took care of his daily life, so he knew that there must be a spare glass mirror in his luggage. However, in the process of rummaging, he accidentally saw a large envelope in Gu Yun's pile of clothes. It was sealed with wax and had the words "To Marshal Gu" written on it.
The Marquis of An Ning was busy every day, so he definitely did not have the hobby of writing letters to himself. This thing was mixed in his clothes, so no matter how one looked at it, there was a hint of "skin-to-skin contact". Naturally, there was an ambiguous intimacy.
Who would pack Gu Yun's clothes for him?
Other than the old white-bearded servants in the marquis's residence, there was probably only his confidante left.
The wax on the envelope was not removed, so Gu Yun probably did not notice it himself. The little bodyguard was quick-witted. He eagerly brought the spare mirror and envelope to Gu Yun and said sneakily, "Marshal, there is an important letter in your clothes. Quickly take a look. Don't forget to delay things."
Gu Yun, who had put on his glasses, looked at the familiar handwriting on the envelope with a subtle expression. When he looked up, he met the little bodyguard's wretched winks. He laughed and scolded, "What are you looking at? Quickly get lost."
The bodyguard laughed and no longer stuck his head out to look. He made a face and ran away.
The envelope was quite heavy in his hand. It was like a thick book when he pinched it. If it was a love letter, it probably started when His Royal Highness Yan Wang was still wearing open-crotch pants. Gu Yun opened the envelope and thought whimsically, "House deed? Land deed? Fire beacon ticket? Silver? Or is it the secret of immortality? "
However, when he opened the contents, he was almost shocked by what was inside.
It was a thick stack of blueprints. They were all soft and tough sea-patterned paper. The sea-patterned paper was impervious to water and fire, but some parts of the paper were yellowed and rolled. It could be seen that it had been drawn for some time...........
What was at the top was a huge map of Daliang. After it was unfolded, it could cover the entire floor of the house. The three rivers and five lakes, the barbarian Jing and Ouyue … Everything was written on the paper. There were also layers of densely packed small characters on the map — where he wanted to open a mountain, where he wanted to set up factories, where he wanted to have green mountains and clear waters, where he wanted to have abundant fish and rice, where he wanted to expand and face the four seas, where he wanted to have a sea serpent that could really fly for thousands of miles, where he wanted to open a special passage for purple gold …
Where he wanted to build an official road, where he wanted to use giant kites and improved eagles to connect with each other, and where he wanted to draw arteries on the paper to cover the entire territory. That was the Western steam car track that Changgeng had mentioned to him. It was like a long winding dragon that could travel thousands of miles in a day.
Attached to the map was another blueprint of the steam car track design. It was accompanied by professional annotations from Duke Feng Han and the calculations of transportation capacity and money and grain that Fortune God Du had written beside it.
In addition, in this thick stack of sea-patterned paper, there was a description of the future official system of Daliang. The "Grand Council" and "Canal Office" had been implemented, but there were also many positions that Gu Yun had never heard of before. The hierarchy was clear and the efficiency was surprisingly high.
And so on and so forth.
If Gu Yun saw these things five years ago, he might have thought that it was the whimsical imagination of some folklore master. But now, although many things had not been completed, they were already on the verge of being completed. Whether it was successful or not was no longer a myth.
And under these fantasy-like blueprints, there was also a painting. The brush strokes were not exquisite. It could be seen that the painter was not proficient in this field, but the artistic conception was straightforward. With just a few strokes, he drew a child playing firecrackers by the roadside. Behind him, there was a fruit tree with an unknown growth. Large patches of bright color were on the branches. It was unknown whether the painting was a flower or a fruit. In the distance, the mountains and rivers were layered on the edge of the painting, making it seem festive and peaceful.
There was no signature or poem on the painting. There was only a title that seemed to be labeled, "River Clear Sea Yan".
The infinite mountains and rivers were like brocade, all in the brush and ink.
Gu Yun's heart warmed. He subconsciously reached out his hand and pressed it. Only then did he realize that he had subconsciously held his breath. He could not help but hold his forehead and laugh silently. The spoiled little Changgeng was pitiful and cute, but Yan Wang, who was in charge of the country, made him emotionally moved.
In the blink of an eye, Gu Yun and Shen Yi arrived at the front line of the Northern Frontier. At the same time, they secretly transferred a portion of the three Xuan Tie troops to the rear of the Northern Frontier City Defense Army. The original commander of the Northern Frontier City Defense Army had died in battle when the barbarians invaded. The Northern Frontier City Defense Army could not be without a veteran general, so General Cai had been temporarily taking over.
Cai Bin was really old. He was getting older year by year. The last time Gu Yun joined forces with him to suppress the bandits, she felt that his waist was not as bent as it was now, and his hands were not as trembling as they were now.
In fact, when she thought about it, how many years of indomitable days could a man have in his life? How much hot-bloodedness could he have that would not be cold at all? When he was in his twenties or thirties, he could move unhindered on the battlefield and accumulate scholarly achievements. When he was old and tired, even if his spirit was made of steel and iron, he could only start to work hard. Wasn't it as difficult as a beautiful woman to last long?
The Northern Frontier battlefield had always been in a stalemate, but it was not like the Yangtze River that was separated by the Jiangbei front line. Although the barbarians did not dare to make any big moves, there was still a lot of daily friction. There would be a medium-sized or small-scale battle between the Central Plains people and the barbarians every three to five days. The entire army had to be on alert and patrolling day and night, not daring to relax. Fortunately, Cai Bin's youngest pair of twins were almost twenty years old. Most of his children were already adults. The "Cai Family Army" was already in shape and could more or less share his burden. In any case, the old general did not die of exhaustion here.
Now, along the way, the villages and towns near the Northern Frontier were mostly empty. It was not a very rich place to begin with, and there were continuous wars and bandits running rampant. If they were unwilling to give up their territory, they could only give up their lives.
"It has only calmed down a little after the barbarian envoys entered the capital for peace talks," Cai Bin coughed twice and said, "The scouts reported that the barbarians are preparing to collect the purple gold for the annual tribute according to the terms of the peace talks. It should be in the next two days. If that's the case, I'm afraid the peace talks this time are not insincere. Did the marshal come for their annual tribute of purple gold?"
The news of the barbarian envoys being detained in the capital was still sealed. Gu Yun and the others were too fast. Even if there was a leak, it had not reached the front line yet. Cai Bin still did not know that there was a change in the peace talks.
Gu Yun and Shen Yi looked at each other. He was in charge of the entire territory, so he knew what was going on. However, to be on the safe side, he still asked about the situation of the 18 tribes in detail.
"That's right," Cai Bin said, "The wind in the north was very serious this year. Many cattle and sheep died. There was not enough meat, and the things planted in the fields were definitely not enough to eat, let alone support the war. After the marshal took over the Western Region, he basically cut off the barbarians' supply lines. However, I heard that the westerners in Jiangnan were not having a good time either. Even if the supply lines were not cut off, I'm afraid that we might not have the ability to control them."
Shen Yi said, "I heard from another source that the second prince of Tian Lang did not usurp the throne out of his own intention. There was a problem with the alliance of the 18 tribes."
Cai Bin thought for a while and nodded, "General Shen's words are reasonable. In fact, at the beginning of winter this year, there were some barbarians who secretly dug up the Purple Gold to exchange for food. From the looks of it, it might not have been done by a single commoner. At that time, I felt that the 18 tribes might be disbanded. Sure enough, not long after, there was news of the second prince imprisoning my father and brother."
Shen Yi looked at Gu Yun. Gu Yun nodded slightly at him.
Cai Bin sensed that something was wrong and asked doubtfully, "Marshal, what's wrong?"
Shen Yi then briefly explained the cause and effect of the barbarian envoys being detained in the capital.
Cai Bin was shocked. After a moment, he shook his head with a dignified expression, "Marshal, General Shen, even if the 18 tribes had internal discord, Calais Yinghou could have led the outsiders to settle the internal conflict. Or he could have simply gone crazy and wanted to destroy everything. Why did he have to go through so much trouble to send people to infiltrate the capital? Even if he came to our Beijiang encampment and set it on fire, the effect would be more direct. Could it be that he only has one bodyguard under his command and no one else? "
Shen Yi shook his head, "Although that would be convenient, the person in charge of the Sirius tribe is likely to push one or two scapegoats and leave this matter unsettled."
The 18 tribes had been unified under the Wolf King's banner for hundreds of years. The Wolf King's family had a high prestige in the hearts of the tribesmen. They were a bit like the royal family of the Central Plains. Those who had disloyal thoughts might not dare to openly touch Calais. Therefore, they tried every possible means to push the second prince to be their puppet. However, if things really went according to the plan of the barbarian envoy Chi Kuyu, Wu 'er Gu would be triggered in the main hall and Yan Wang would be controlled. Daliang would have to go straight to the hinterland of the 18 tribes and ask the Wolf King to hand over the antidote. Calais wanted to force the traitor into a situation where he could either "fight against Daliang" or "shed all pretense of cordiality and hand over the Wolf King to bear the infamy".
Cai Bin frowned, "Calais Yinghou is a mad dog, but not to that extent. He will endure if he can. If he wants to start a war now, what does he rely on? The people who starved to death in the 18 tribes? "
Shen Yi was stumped by his question.
Gu Yun walked to the edge of the sand table and stood for a while with his hands behind his back, "He does have something to rely on — if the westerners in Jiangnan want us to shift our strategic focus to the north."
Shen Yi and Cai Bin were both taken aback.
Gu Yun stretched out his hand and swept across the sand table, "The supply line has been blocked, and the ammunition and food have been exhausted. If we drag this on, we will die. If we don't surrender, we will have to fight with our backs to the river. Unless the north and the south unite and not give Daliang a chance to breathe, we will be caught off guard and go deep into the hinterland. If we are caught off guard, we will be able to force a connection again. If I am Calais Yinghou, I may also take the risk … provided that the westerners are willing to cooperate."
Cai Bin, "Marshal, you mean …"
Shen Yi suddenly realized, "The westerners occupy the fertile land in the southern half of our country. They have been using war to support war, plundering the people's wealth, and capturing a large number of laborers to open mines and transport them back to the country in exchange for domestic support. They also have the idea of 'recuperating'. Recently, General Zhong has been constantly adjusting the deployment of the navy, and the Lingshu Temple has sent a new batch of sea serpents to the Jiangbei front line, which has made the westerners uneasy. Therefore, the Pope tricked Calais into making a desperate move and using the 18 tribes as a shield. Once our strategic focus shifts to the north, we will have no time to pay attention to the south. When the Pope sends a peace signal, the imperial court will have no choice but to accept it. Maybe the south of the Yangtze River will rightfully fall into their hands!"
Cai Bin was stunned, "Marshal, what should we do?"
Gu Yun laughed, "Wait, the westerners are not the only ones who will divert trouble."
Three days later, the secretly assembled Black Iron Battalion brazenly appeared at the Beijiang front line. The atmosphere at the front line, which was originally ambiguous in the "peace talks", suddenly became tense.
The 18 tribes had a bone-deep fear of the Black Iron Battalion. On the same day, they could not sit still and rushed over to ask questions. Gu Yun directly ordered people to tie up the envoy, and with great fanfare, spread the news of the barbarian envoy Chi Kuyu's rebellion. At the same time, the Xuan Tie Tiger Tally ordered the Jiangbei garrison to seal off the waters, stop daily patrols, and withdraw most of the people in the southern part of the Lingshu Temple. In the south, they created the illusion of peace talks between the two sides.
The barbarians had their own informants in the south, and within a few days, news from the two sides of the river arrived.
The 18 tribes were in an uproar. General Cai's informant in Bei Man reported that there were two internal conflicts in the Alliance of the 18 tribes in one day. Calais Yinghou's tent was completely surrounded, and no one was allowed to go near it.
The next day, the barbarians sent two heads and a portion of purple gold to the Beijiang front line in a panic. Gu Yun received the items and threw them out. At the same time, he ordered the Black Iron Battalion to advance by ten miles. It was obvious that he was not willing to give up.
The enemy's internal strife was on the verge of erupting.
Shen Yi was anxious, and directly rushed into Gu Yun's tent, "What about Miss Chen?"
Gu Yun was talking to He Ronghui and Cai Bin. When he heard the question, he calmly raised his head and asked, "Which Miss Chen?"
Marshal Gu naturally had to share this kind of gossip. He Ronghui and Cai Bin were clearly aware of it. He Ronghui chuckled, and Old General Cai shook his head helplessly.
Shen Yi did not care so much, and said bluntly, "Don't pretend! I'm afraid Miss Chen has already arrived at the 18 tribes. They are so chaotic over there … "
Before he finished speaking, he saw a person wearing a bamboo hat walk in from outside.
Shen Yi, "…"
Chen Qingxu lifted her veil and asked curiously, "General Shen, are you talking about me?"
Linyuan Pavilion had its own wooden bird communication system. Chen Qingxu received the news on the way and directly rushed to the Beijiang garrison.
All the generals roared with laughter. He Ronghui's face was red, and he went forward to hug Shen Yi's shoulder, ready to tease him.
Right at this moment, a Xuan Eagle suddenly landed outside. For some reason, it lost its balance when it landed and fell to the ground with a plop. Dust flew high into the air and almost overturned half of the commander's tent. If it weren't for the protective armor in the eagle armor cushioning the fall, it was likely that it would have been seriously injured.
Black Eagle soldiers were all well-trained, and such accidents rarely happened. The generals were quiet for a moment, and then burst into laughter again. They all asked which scout team this recruit was from. This time, He Ronghui's face was red and purple. He let go of Shen Yi embarrassedly and was about to scold him.
Before he could speak, the Black Eagle who fell to the ground raised his head with a dusty face. He Ronghui was stunned on the spot — this person was a veteran of the Third Scout Team and had registered with him before.
"General." The Black Eagle scout ignored the others' teasing. He took out an urgent letter from his chest and quickly said, "An urgent letter from the Grand Council!"
There were three types of urgent letters sent by the Grand Council to the various garrisons. There was a ribbon at the end of the letter tube. Yellow was the monarch's order, green was a copy of the imperial court when something big happened, black was military affairs, and red was urgent military affairs. For example, when foreign enemies invaded, Gu Yun issued the fire beacon orders to various garrisons.
The Black Eagle held a red letter tube in his hand, which made people's scalps tingle. Gu Yun suddenly stood up, and his heart suddenly felt empty — it was as if his originally steady heartbeat had suddenly hit a threshold, and then it began to rise and fall randomly. He felt his mouth dry for no reason, and He Ronghui did not dare to be negligent. He quickly took the red letter tube and presented it with both hands.
It was unknown how many words were written on the red letter tube, but Gu Yun looked at it for a full thirty minutes. Everyone stretched their necks, and for a moment, they all had the thought that the capital was trapped again. Only then did they see him slowly put down the letter.
He Ronghui was impatient and hurriedly asked, "General, isn't this red letter urgent? What's the matter? "
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