On the 16th of November in the first year of Longwu, Mao Wenlong, who had been stripped of his position in the Liaodong Army, was sent to Changde Prefecture, Zheng Ying's station, to accept Zheng Ying's appointment.
When Mao Wenlong saw Zheng Ying, Zheng Ying was bending over a desk to deal with military affairs.
As the saying goes, before the troops and horses move, the provisions and fodder come first. Fighting a big battle with hundreds of thousands of people may last for a long time, so it was very important to arrange the marching route and food distribution of the troops, as well as the scheduled implementation date of the plan and so on. The complicated affairs needed him to deal with them one by one.
Messengers constantly came to him to take orders and then passed them on. After leading troops to fight thousands of miles for a long time, he had become very skilled in the business.
"I, Mao Wenlong, pay my respects to Zheng Shuai."
Mao Wenlong thought for a while and said decisively.
Zheng Ying did not respond to him.
Mao Wenlong felt a little strange and a little embarrassed, but since Zheng Ying didn't say anything, he didn't dare to say anything.
After a while, Zheng Ying finished writing a military order and slowly said.
"Mao Wenlong, now you are just a man without a military position. Why do you call yourself I?"
Zheng Ying raised his head and looked directly at Mao Wenlong with his sharp eyes. Mao Wenlong was stunned and then said embarrassedly, "I … I know I was wrong. I didn't react for a while. Please forgive me, Zheng Shuai."
"Well, that's more like it."
Zheng Ying put his hands on the table and put his chin on it. He slowly said, "I heard that you are very good at taking credit? In the battle in Liaodong, you took the biggest credit by yourself and let the tens of thousands of Liaodong Army and Jiang Dahai's navy go on a sightseeing tour? "
"This …"
Mao Wenlong looked embarrassed and couldn't say a word.
"In the military, the most taboo is those who snatch merits. In the former Ming Army, the custom of snatching merits was prevalent. The current Emperor abhorred this, so he set a rule for everyone to follow and not to violate it. Once violated, they would be dealt with according to military law without mercy. From the commanding general to the lowest officer, they would all be implicated.
Once the war started, all the armies had to act according to the established plan of the General Staff Headquarters and the Staff Committees of each army. In case of an emergency and no time to ask for instructions, they could make a decision on the spot under the witness of the military judge. Afterward, they had to make a report and explain the reason. Wasn't this rule implemented in the Liaodong Army? Is your Liaodong Army so arrogant? "
"This … it's not that there aren't any. It's just that the situation is urgent. Slave Jian is right in front of me. This … this commoner has no choice but to act."
"I had no choice … Alright, alright, you don't have to say anymore since you're here. I don't do that here. You should know why His Majesty sent you here, right?"
Zheng Ying looked at Mao Wenlong.
"This … this commoner can't repay His Majesty's love for me even if I'm crushed to pieces. This commoner doesn't hesitate to climb a mountain of swords or plunge into a sea of fire for you. This commoner …"
"Stop, stop, stop. You'd better not say that in front of His Majesty. His Majesty hates to hear people say that. You, don't say such meaningless words. This time, His Majesty stood against the opinions of the masses and protected you because he likes your talent.
That's why he sent you here. I don't recruit generals who are good at fighting. If you want to stand out, you have to be down-to-earth. If you do the same thing as your Liaodong Army here, don't blame me for being merciless. "
Mao Wenlong felt a chill in his heart. He cupped his fists and said, "This commoner knows."
"That's enough. Don't call me commoner all the time. In the army, you should be called commoner. I don't have any vacancies under me. You can be a staff officer by my side. His Majesty said that you are educated, literate, understand the art of war, and have been to the battlefield. You have actual combat experience. You are a rare staff officer."
"Adviser … adviser?"
"The previous dynasty's painting of praise, the current dynasty's adviser. Don't you understand?"
Zheng Ying's eyes widened.
"No … it's not that I don't understand. Well, Zheng Shuai, I is … is from a combat unit. I may not be very good at being an adviser."
"It doesn't matter if you don't know how to do it. Just learn it. If you stay with me, I can see your ability and see if you deserve His Majesty's love."
Mao Wenlong was speechless by Zheng Ying's words, but he still wanted to fight for it.
Only on the battlefield could he have a dream, a goal, and the faith to move forward. What was the point of being an adviser? He was neither military nor literary, and he didn't know what was the point of being in an awkward situation. He talked all day and lived by talking. What was the difference between him and those who liked to talk?
Mao Wenlong's blood was full of fighting genes. Apart from that, there was nothing else!
If he was asked to be an adviser, he couldn't go to the frontline to fight with the enemy. What was the point of that?
"Zheng Shuai, I is really …"
"I've already made up my mind. There's no need to say anything more. If you're not willing, you can go back to His Majesty and ask him to rearrange you."
As Zheng Ying spoke, he picked up the documents and started to deal with them. It was obvious that he didn't want to talk to him anymore.
Mao Wenlong was depressed, but he didn't dare to say anything. He could only leave the camp with a dejected expression. After he left, he followed Zheng Ying's bodyguard to the quartermaster's office.
After reporting his name and position, he received his armor, sword, and daily necessities. He was assigned to the Black Tortoise Camp's adviser team and should report to the adviser team. His future actions would be arranged by the chief of staff.
Just like that, Mao Wenlong began his new military life in depression.
Far away in Beijing, Xiao Ruxun had no time to pay attention to him. In fact, he didn't even have time to pay attention to him.
Because the Empress was about to give birth.
The last time Caiyun was pregnant for ten months, Xiao Ruxun was fighting in Korea and couldn't accompany Caiyun. Although he came back in the end, he always felt that it was a pity.
This time, he didn't want to miss it again. He accompanied Caiyun in her pregnancy for ten months. When the news came from the Imperial Hospital that the Empress was about to give birth, he was so nervous that he directly left Wang Xijue and Li Tingji, who were discussing matters, and rushed to the Empress' Kunning Palace.
Wang Xijue and Li Tingji didn't know what to do. They didn't know whether to leave or stay.
But the Empress giving birth was definitely not a small matter.
The current Emperor had always been unwilling to let go of the concubine selection. The Empress was the only woman of the Emperor in the six palaces. Giving birth to a child was related to national affairs, and it couldn't be treated lightly.
Whether it was Xiao Ruxun or Yang Caiyun, they were both under a lot of pressure.
After all, as the Emperor and the royal family, it was very dangerous to not have a lot of children. It wasn't that Xiao Ruxun hadn't considered taking a concubine selection, but when he thought of the endless harem that would follow, he felt a headache.
Establishing a country and establishing a dynasty, there were so many things to do. He didn't even have time to sleep, so how could he have time to manage the harem? This was bound to give birth to endless disasters.
Moreover, because of his promise to Caiyun, Xiao Ruxun didn't plan to take part in the concubine selection. With only Caiyun, there naturally wouldn't be a fire in the harem, and he could also devote himself to the construction of the country.
But not having a lot of children was indeed a big problem. Previously, many ministers had used this matter as an excuse. The Emperor's family matter wasn't a family matter. The Emperor sleeping with a woman and giving birth to a child were all national affairs, absolutely not a small matter.
Although the Emperor's own desires were at play, the most fundamental reason was the high mortality rate of young children. If the royal family didn't have a lot of children, once something happened, the country would be in danger.
Therefore, it was necessary for the Emperor to take concubines and give birth to more children for the stability of the country's political situation, especially for a founding Emperor like Xiao Ruxun. Once something happened, the country would fall apart in an instant, and everyone would suffer.
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