The imperial envoy slowly walked towards the guest house. The common people in the city were used to seeing large groups of soldiers and did not pay attention to this group of more than two hundred people. They were still busy with their own lives, enjoying themselves.
These common people who lived at the bottom of society did not have high expectations. Today the Tartars were a little further away, the wind was a little weaker, the sun was a little warmer, and these were all things worth celebrating and being happy about.
Datong had more than a hundred monasteries, nunneries, and Taoist temples. They could be seen everywhere in the city. It could be said that the monasteries stood in great numbers, the walls of the halls were connected, the incense smoke lingered in the air, and the chanting of sutras did not stop. This was a land of slaughter all year round, just like a Buddhist paradise.
The open space in front of the monasteries and Taoist temples was usually the place where the vendors gathered. Because Datong was the main road from Mongolia to Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong, and Henan, even though the two sides were constantly at war, many of the goods sold in the market were Mongolian furs, medicinal herbs, horse harnesses, and other goods.
There were also many Mongolians in the market. There were no Han people who were hostile to them. Being so close to each other, many Mongolians who could not survive secretly went to the Han people's territory to do hard labor and sell goods. Most of the big families also kept some loyal and strong Mongolian warriors. These people lived here all year round, and their feelings for the Han people were deeper than their own tribes.
In addition, at that time there was no fast and efficient means of communication, so the so-called spies were basically useless. Even if they did find some information, by the time they sent it back, it would have been too late. They were far less useful than the scouts on the battlefield. So the Inspector-General's yamen did not guard them very strictly. As long as there was someone to vouch for them and they did not carry any weapons, their personal freedom was no different from that of the Han people.
In front of one of the monasteries, a grass-headed troupe was putting on a play. Ahead at the intersection there were carriages, horses, and military supplies moving in and out of sight. Emperor Zhengde was in the army, so Yang Ling did not dare to go directly, fearing that he would be taken advantage of in the chaos. So he ordered the whole army to wait quietly.
At that time, the opera had gradually developed into different styles, but this kind of grass-headed troupe naturally sang nothing more than folk songs with local accents, and most of them had some dirty tones.
In the 22nd year of the reign of Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang personally issued an order that any officer or soldier in the army who learned to sing obscene lyrics and folk songs would have their tongues cut off. Unfortunately, there were some things that even the Emperor's order was useless. Over the years, the atmosphere among the people had become even more open and obscene. Zhengde sat on his horse and turned his head to the side, listening to the story with great interest.
The story was about a military governor of the Tang Dynasty, who had hundreds of thousands of troops under his command, but he feared his wife like a tiger, not even daring to take a concubine. Later on, with great difficulty, he managed to hook up with a pretty little servant girl, but because of his fear of his wife's power, he did not dare to cross the final hurdle. The majestic general stood on the stage with a bitter face and sang, "The breeze is light, the moon is clear, the sky is clear, the wife is punished to kneel in front of the bed, the neighbors do not know the pain, and still say that they are slacking off to learn to pay their New Year's greetings."
Zhengde and the guards all held their bellies and were overjoyed. When the scene reached the part where the military governor and the servant girl were having a secret rendezvous in the back garden, as soon as they saw each other, the military governor impatiently threw himself forward and embraced the other's lips, singing, "Pretty servant girl, you want to kill me, this is the third watch of the night, happy, cuddling with my clothes, your whole body is pretty, I can't sleep with you on the same bed, I'll touch you to satisfy my craving." When the performance was over, the actor could not help but move his hands up and down, showing extreme obscenity.
The common people below the stage roared in applause, someone who was counting two copper coins threw them onto the stage. The actor who played the role of a small soldier hurriedly picked them up one by one, winked at the audience below the stage and read aloud, "Little servant girl, she is handsome and charming, fifteen years old and has not had a drink with anyone yet. She only knows that our master is afraid of his wife, otherwise she would think he is a stone maiden in the back garden. Heh, heh, heh, shameful, I don't know how this young maiden in love can endure this itch! "
Immediately the people below the stage whistled and laughed incessantly, more copper coins were thrown onto the stage. These people from the border live on the edge of death all day long, yet they know how to cherish and enjoy life more than the people of the Central Plains.
Listening to the obscene lyrics and songs, Zhang Yong felt that it was somewhat inappropriate. Turning his head to look at Zhengde, he saw that Zhengde was listening with great interest. If he did not remember that he was in the army, he would have already thrown himself off the stage and shouted with the crowd of commoners. He could not help but feel embarrassed as he said to Yang Ling, "Daren, these people's singing is really vulgar, if His Majesty hears it, it will be very inappropriate. Do you think … do you want someone to chase them away?"
Yang Ling turned his head to look and saw that Zhengde was beaming with joy, he was so excited that he even forgot himself and hit the shoulder of one of his personal attendants next to him, laughing loudly without end. Yang Ling suddenly felt very happy in his heart. He looked at Zhengde dotingly, turned his head and said with a smile, "Forget it, it is true that these vulgar songs are not elegant, but they will not lead people astray."
He thought to himself, "Thinking back to the time when I watched the CD, I saw the supreme realm of 'watching all the AV's in the world, there is no code in my heart'. I did not see me become bad. There are those who commit crimes, peasants who have never seen electrical appliances, there are those who are favored by the heavens, there are those who have a problem with their character!
What do you mean watching AV's? When they were caught, they were just trying to find an excuse. They can't even listen to a single obscene song, how can the little Emperor endure the pleasures of the Imperial Harem? "
Hearing him say this, Zhang Yong did not say anything else. Because this story was specially performed for passersby, it was not long. In a short while, it was the part where the military governor's subordinate came up with a plan to overthrow his wife and take the little beauty as his wife. The Great General was fully armed, his hand holding the green dragon crescent moon blade, and walked into the inner room with a murderous air. Behind him, four junior colonels played the role of a magnificent army.
The military governor's ugly wife woke up from her bed. Seeing her husband's appearance, she stared at him and asked, "Shouting about fighting and killing, what do you want to kill?"
The military governor immediately became shorter and knelt down in front of the bed, smiling apologetically, "This … your husband will kill a chicken for you to eat." Seeing this, Zhengde rocked back and forth in laughter, tears flowing out of his eyes.
In front of them, all the carriages and horses had passed by and Yang Ling's entourage began to move forward. Zhengde reluctantly turned his head back, only to see that the fierce wife knew her husband's intention and flew into a rage. The Great General escaped from the residence, got onto the carriage and fled. He even thought that the horse was running too slow and hurriedly took out the flag from his back and whipped the horse's buttocks. Looking at his sorry state, Zhengde could not help but laugh.
So the life of the common people is so fun. Although the food is not good and the clothes are coarse, how carefree is their life?
Zhengde is like a child who came to the city from a remote village, everything he sees is new. The people here do not need to immediately kneel down when they see him, they do not need to keep a straight face and be silent all day long. He himself does not need to put on airs and pay attention to the majesty of the Emperor all day long. This kind of life is something he yearns for.
Zhengde lifted the reins of his horse and rode it to Yang Ling's side. His face still carrying a smile, he excitedly said, "Marshal … Yang, the common people in the 'Normal Alley' are so interesting. Their lives are so hard but they can still find so much fun. "
Yang Ling nodded his head and said, "Yes, that's why I said that the common people are the best to treat. If there are no natural disasters that make it hard for them to survive, if there are no corrupt officials who oppress them and cause their families to break up, as long as they have food to eat, a place to live and a little bit of kindness, the common people are good and obedient citizens."
Zhengde carefully mulled over this sentence and walked for a long time before he finally kicked his horse to catch up with Yang Ling. He smiled at him and solemnly nodded his head, saying, "I understand!"
As the procession passed by the Han's leather shop, Yang Ling turned his head to look at the shop again. He saw a young child standing by the door and could not help but smile when he saw him. The mischievous look warmed Yang Ling's heart and he could not help but think of his beloved wife, Young-niang, who was far away in the capital.
He imperceptibly nodded to Han Mancang and kicked the horse's abdomen, speeding up the journey. The Han's leather shop is not only the livelihood of the Han father and son, but also the most important spy he placed in Datong. Their relationship should not be exposed, and it is not convenient for him to meet his father-in-law in public.
In addition, before reaching an agreement with Duoyan's three guards, the identity of Emperor Zhengde and the real purpose of his visit must be kept secret as much as possible. If he wants to meet his relatives, it seems that he can only wait until after he meets with Great Chieftain Hua Dang.
In a room on the second floor of a restaurant by the side of the road, a burly man wearing leather pants and a leather coat peeped through a crack in the window as Yang Ling's group of horses passed by. He returned to the table and sat down. He took a sip of wine and said with a frown, "Yang Ling is patrolling the borders by imperial decree. Even though he has made a big fuss this time, it is not surprising that he is heavily guarded since he was just robbed in the capital. However, it does not look like the emperor is here."
He smiled disdainfully and stared at the opposite side with his sharp eyes. He said, "Your Han Emperor is like a delicate flower, a canary in a cage. He can only hide in the Forbidden City and give orders, unlike our Khan, who is the eagle of the desert and the hero of the grassland. Is the news from your Hierarch false?"
The opposite side was a white and fat merchant in his fifties. He wore a vulgar brocade cotton robe and had a kind smile on his face. He looked like a Buddha, the Maitreya Buddha.
He laughed and said, "General Qi Kenong, the Maitreya Sect has magical powers. Our disciples are all over the world. We can even find the news of the Emperor. Zhengde must be in Yang Ling's army. It is not false!"
The man called Qi Kenong stared at him for a long time before he clenched his fist and said, "But where will they meet with Hua Dang? When will they meet? Do we even have a chance to take advantage of it? We can't wait any longer.
The Khagan's army is the bravest warriors on the grasslands, but they are not gods. They also need to eat. Now that our rations have been exhausted, not only are the horses killed in battle, but even the weak and injured horses are being killed to eat. If this goes on, we can only eat people! "
The Buddha on the opposite side did not care about his harsh tone. He squinted his eyes and revealed a shrewd light. He leaned forward and said with a faint smile, "General Qi Kenong, think about who you want to kill. It is the Emperor, the Emperor of Ming Destiny! Is this opportunity not worth waiting for?
Today was different from Yingzong during the civil war. Yingzong had brothers, but Zhengde didn't. Once Zhengde died, his favorite people, such as Yang Ling, Liu Jin, and Zhang Yong, who were in charge of the military, would all be executed because they encouraged the Emperor to go on an inspection tour! Li Dongyang, Jiao Fang, and Yang Tinghe, as Grand Scholars, will not be able to protect their master and will be removed from their positions due to serious dereliction of duty.
Our people will take the opportunity to take the throne. When the Kings are ambitious and the Ming court is in chaos, our sect will follow the will of heaven and send troops at the right time. The world will be at our fingertips. At that time … we will naturally need the help of the Tatar cavalry. Think about it, we will help you take down the three Duoyan guards. The land of Liaodong will belong to the Khan, and we will cede Gansu and Qinghai. Is this not worth waiting for? "
He leaned back in his chair with a smile and calmly drank a mouthful of wine and a mouthful of food. He said with drooping eyelids, "We Han people have a saying, a general's success is built on the bones of ten thousand people. To become a famous general, it takes ten thousand lives. If you want to reap such great benefits, why not wait a little longer?
Emperor Ming Destiny will take down the leaders of the three Duoyan guards. It will be difficult for them to hide such a big move. We will definitely get more information. Please tell the Khan that since they have arrived, the time will not be far. "
Qi Kenong gritted his teeth and said, "Okay, Protector Yu, I will pass the message. Help us find out which villages on the Datong front line do not have troops stationed near them and where there are cows, horses, and food. We … must send our warriors to go around the Ming army and get supplies from nearby."
Protector Yu said cheerfully, "We can do this. You must also relax the defense on the Liaodong front line and let the leaders of the three Duoyan guards arrive safely. Hehehe, the Great Ming Emperor and his most trusted generals, the most prestigious tribal leaders of the Hua Dang and Duo Yan Guards, when they are suddenly killed, it will be the time for us to raise the clouds and bring rain. "
When Qi Kenong heard such tempting and provocative words, his eyes could not help but flash a trace of excitement and greed. He gulped down another mouthful of wine and stood up, saying, "Okay! Let us know immediately if there is any news. Also, the matter of provisions cannot be delayed. In order to establish a foothold, we will fight the Ming army again tomorrow! "
He grabbed the dog skin hat and put it on, cursing, "Damn Yang Yiqing. When we retreat, he will not let us go. When we fight, he will retreat into the city and only waste our food. Wang Shouren is a scoundrel, uses poison to trip people, and only knows how to fight bad battles. You Han generals are not good men! "
※ ※ ※
The next day, Yang Ling and Zhang Yong marched out of the city and went to Zhenqiang Fort to reward the army.
There was a war in front and Yang Ling and Zhang Yong did not dare to let the Emperor take the risk. They left the three hundred imperial guards to guard the posthouse. He knew that Zhengde was restless and was afraid that he would run out to go shopping. He simply sent someone to find the grass-roots troupe to put on a show for him, hoping to stall the little Emperor.
The army set off. The earth trembled slightly and the sound of hooves was like thunder. The pedestrians and scattered soldiers on the road tried to move to the sides. Thousands of knights rumbled past, their armor bright and their swords shining.
Yang Ling galloped on the flat road in the city. His personal guards were all ferocious and agile, and they followed behind him with practiced footsteps while maintaining the same pace.
The dark yellow flag of the imperial envoy with a dragon, the blood red battle flag, and the dark green flag of the marshal with the word "Yang" fluttered in the wind. The entire team was made up of elite light cavalry. The formation was vigorous and dignified. Their swords and spears shone with a cold light. For a moment, a murderous aura filled the sky, showing that this team was unusual and good at fighting.
All the soldiers wore light armor. At the very front was the spear throwing team. Each person carried five spears used for land battles. The spear shafts were made of soft and thick wood. They were about two meters long, thick at the front and thin at the back. The iron head was heavy and the center was in front. The spears could not be thrown far, but they could penetrate a person within dozens of steps. Even armor could not block them. It was a great deterrent to the swift and fierce Mongolian cavalry.
Even if this kind of spear could not penetrate a shield, the enemy could not use the shield either. They could only abandon the shield and fight. If they hit a person or a horse, even a huge creature like a warhorse would fall with a bang. The cavaliers behind them would find it difficult to get close quickly, and it would negate the advantage of the Mongolian cavalry.
Next was the fire cannon team, and the crossbow team was the last. They were behind the saber and shield team and the iron rod team. These crossbows were real hard crossbows. They needed to use their feet to open the bowstring, and they could shoot arrows five to six hundred steps away to pierce armor.
It was originally not suitable for cavaliers to be equipped with this kind of strong crossbow, but when Yang Ling left the capital, the main purpose of this team was to protect himself. That was why he was equipped with eight hundred people with long-distance crossbows. Imagine, when the enemy's light cavalry was charging at them, the sky behind them was suddenly filled with sharp arrows whistling through the air, when hundreds of people were pierced and fell to the ground, and when the horses were thrown upside down, the rows of heavy javelins could not be thrown over.
What followed closely were the fire cannons, bows, spears, and daggers. It was enough to paralyze any vanguard of the enemy in a short period of time. By the time the enemy's main force rushed over, their light cavaliers would have already turned around and fled far away.
Inside the imperial envoy's residence, Zhengde sat on a large, thick, velvet chair with a smile on his face. He held a large pile of snacks in his arms and looked so happy that he forgot about his duties. He really did look like an obedient child who had been coaxed to be extremely happy.
In order to keep his identity a secret, he did not tell the troupe who he was performing for, and he did not let them see Zhengde. There were bead curtains hanging in the middle of the hall. He could see outside clearly from a close distance, but the people outside could not see the people inside clearly.
The moment they started singing on the stage, Zhengde chuckled and jumped off the stage. He said to the imperial bodyguards beside him, "Reward them, tell them to sing with all their might. When they come back, there will be more rewards. Let's go!"
The imperial bodyguard was startled. "Your Majesty," he busily said in a low voice, "Where are we going?"
Zhengde glared at him and laughingly scolded, "Idiot, wherever Yang and Zhang Yong go, naturally zhen will go. I can't do anything in the capital, but now that zhen is here, if zhen can't see the army fight with my own eyes, won't it be a pity?"
The imperial bodyguard's countenance changed. "Your Majesty," he said in shock, "Sir Yang has repeatedly exhorted that Your Majesty must not leave the posthouse, the Tatars are fighting on the border. Your Majesty's body is made of ten thousand gold, you must not go."
Zhengde disapprovingly said, "You listen to Yang Ling's orders, but zhen's orders you don't listen to? Do you want to defy the imperial edict? Humph, always saying that you want to assist zhen to be a wise and brilliant Son of Heaven, look at this ostentatious display, minister Yang is also coaxing zhen like a child, how infuriating! "
The imperial bodyguard was used to obeying the Emperor's orders, the two imperial envoys were not present, how could he dare to defy the imperial edict? However, he still muttered, "Your Majesty, your safety must not be careless. If you are injured, even if you cut us to pieces, we won't be able to save you."
Zhengde proudly said, "You can't guess that zhen will go with you, minister Yang can't guess that zhen will go with you. Do you think there are living immortals in the present age who can guess zhen's sudden inspiration? Besides, inside the city of Datong there is an endless stream of soldiers and horses. zhen is just a little commandant, in the midst of thousands of soldiers and horses, plus there is no yellow silk umbrella over my head, who would recognize me?
Besides, outside Datong, there is still the Great Wall. On the Great Wall, there are Great Gift Fort, Zhenchuan Fort, Victory Fort, more than twenty military forts, and more than a hundred beacon towers. There are still a hundred thousand soldiers on the city wall, the Tatars are outside the Great Wall, yet zhen is so afraid that I don't dare to go out? Stop talking nonsense, let's go! "
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