Quelling the rebellion of the Barbarians was already a sure victory. Yang Ling submitted the matter of quelling the rebellion to the King of Shu and the capital.
From time to time, there was news from the capital. Liu Jin had already taken control of the court and was constantly expanding his power. At the same time, he was constantly issuing various government decrees. It was as if he was the number one person in the center of power. Yang Ling did not care about this at all. Now, Yang Ling was no longer a novice in the court. A traitor who completely used the favor of the Emperor to create grievances and had no foundation was no longer in Yang Ling's eyes.
His current power was actually growing at the same pace as Liu Jin's. Liu Jin was in the center of power, while Yang Ling's connections and influence were spread all over the country. At the same time, he did not alienate himself from the Emperor. The closeness and trust in the Emperor's heart made his power in the court as solid as a rock, unshakable by others. This made it much easier to deal with Liu Jin.
When Yang Ling delivered the memorial to Zhengde, he also brought along eighty large bronze drums that represented the military power and power of the Barbarians. He also sent the captured Barbarian flags, weapons, and a few important prisoners of the A family to the capital. Along the way, he made a big show of his country's might. When suppressing the Pirates and recovering Manlasaka, he also selected representative trophies and criminals to be escorted to the capital. This was a sign of respect for the central government and also for Emperor Zhengde.
It could be imagined that the arrival of these prisoners and spoils of war, for Zheng De, who loved to fight and rejoiced, was far more meaningful than playing with him or giving him a few rare items to make him happy. Both of these things could gain the little Emperor's favor and closeness. However, although the Emperor was playful, he did not lack brains. After a long time, in his heart, he naturally had a concept of who was an important official he could use in court affairs and who was a close attendant he could accompany for fun and entertainment.
These seemingly unremarkable actions had an indescribable significance in suppressing the local areas, boosting the morale of the army, and establishing the authority of Emperor Zhengde. The war against the pirates started during the time of Great Grandfather, and was completely pacified during the reign of Emperor Zhengde. The Barbarians sometimes submitted, and sometimes rebelled. For more than a hundred years, it had never stopped, and was finally resolved during the reign of Emperor Zhengde. This martial art made the prestige of the newly crowned emperor reach its peak.
When it came to martial arts, Yang Ling was particular about being swift and decisive. As for Statecraft, he was extremely cautious. First of all, he was not a qualified politician. When it came to the national economy and the people's livelihood, especially the people's feelings, productivity, and the development of various places, even if he crammed in now, he would not be able to catch up to those old officials in the court.
His advantage was that he understood the correct general direction of historical development. As long as the general direction was correct, the specific policies must be carried out steadily. Even if there were some mistakes, they must be temporarily tolerated and slowly corrected. He could not use the method of cutting the flesh to cure the sore, which would greatly damage the vitality of the country.
Some of the reforms in history were only recorded in a few sentences in the history books, and those few sentences took ten years, twenty years, or even longer to complete and see results. Thinking about the reforms of the current era, in a more advanced and effective ruling system, a government decree or policy change would often take ten years to implement, develop, and obtain the unanimous approval of all the people. He did not dare to hope that it could be done in one go in his hands. In just two or three years, the world had changed greatly.
If … if it was just a special region, a region that he could control alone, with a relatively small area, a backward culture, and relatively little resistance from the old powers, he would have the confidence to create a miracle in a short period of time. But even with the trust that Emperor Zhengde had in him, would he allow him to do so? After all, Zhengde was also an ancient person who was bound by the ideas of this era.
This thought often popped into his mind, causing Yang Ling's ears to throb. But when he calmed himself down, he gave up on this ridiculous thought. It's difficult. Let's slowly change the direction of this giant ship to correct a major historical error. Perhaps we will only see the significance of some of the actions the imperial court has taken today after a century or two. And in my lifetime, the amount of change I can see is still very limited.
Yang Ling knew that the development of civilization had its basic rules. The changes he made might only be in one or two aspects, not the only means or comprehensive policy to change the strength of the country, but when it spread on a large scale, it would give rise to the emergence and progress of more relevant technologies and cultures.
New technologies and new cultures would still evolve into more categories of technology and knowledge, like a pyramid, gradually perfecting the development needs of the entire country. This process was indeed very long, and it would take a considerable amount of time. If he could be given a place to carry it out in a small range, then the construction of this small pyramid would be quite fast. With this as a reference, the experience and knowledge that he had gained from it would promote the construction of the big pyramid.
But now, the Great Ming Dynasty was an incomparably huge pyramid, and he was standing at the top of this big pyramid. How could he hope to build another small model next to it?
Yang Ling clearly knew that he would not expect to see much change in his lifetime. Perhaps as his power grew, everything he could control became larger and larger, and his desire and appetite would often make him dream of speeding up the development of the historical process. But all this was like a dream. After thinking about it and facing reality, he could only sigh deeply, not daring to do anything too advanced or too unrealistic.
"People's thoughts and desires are always changing. I remember when I first moved out of the Yang Family, my only wish was to earn a fortune for Young-niang so that she could live a good life. Who knew that today, I would actually be racking my brains to think about the fate and future of the country?"
Yang Ling smiled softly and lifted the curtain of the sedan chair to look out. It was still lush, dense forests and wisteria. At first glance, this kind of scenery was pleasing to the eye, but after looking at it for a long time, it also made people a little sleepy.
It was rare to have a sedan chair to sit in in this mountain, and of course, it was not spacious. The space in the sedan chair was very small. Yang Ling leaned back again, and with the frequency of the trembling, he sighed with satisfaction. "Don't think so much. It's almost October. It seems that Taoist master Zhang was right. I don't know what went wrong, but my two-year life limit must have been extended indefinitely.
So far, the military and politics of Sichuan are in my hands, and I have tens of thousands of troops on my side. I don't believe that anyone can take my life. There are many soldiers in the army who are sick and infected, but since I followed Han Chao to practice the superior internal Qigong, my body has become stronger and stronger, and there is no possibility of me getting sick. It seems that my worries were really groundless.
My son is already a month old, and I don't know if he's fat or thin, or if he's good-looking … Well, after returning to the capital, I'll bring Lian 'er and her daughter to stay for a while, and accompany my wife and child to enjoy more happiness! Infatuated son and beloved daughter, lovely wife and beautiful concubines … Hehe … "
Yang Ling swallowed a mouthful of saliva, thinking happily, "After I've defeated Lord Liu, I might as well become an idle marquis. I've told you everything I know, and I've done everything I can. It's time for the Emperor to worry about it himself. It might not be a good thing to forcefully fight for more things …"
* * *
"Your Excellency, we've arrived at the Rong County Command Post."
"Oh?" Yang Ling woke up from his reverie, and the sedan chair also stopped. Someone opened the curtain, and Yang Ling came out of the sedan chair with a bow. He saw that the military and local officials who had arrived earlier were all waiting outside. Zhu Rangjin, Counsellor Feng, Imperial Messenger Su, Li Sen, Song Ai, and the others came to greet him.
Yang Ling smiled as he greeted the officials, and they entered the city together. When they arrived at the county office that had been temporarily changed into the imperial envoy's office, the poor county magistrate was squeezed to the furthest door, which made it convenient for him to serve wine and food.
Yang Ling ate a simple meal, and asked Zhu Rangjin with a smile, "Second Prince, how are the preparations for the battle in Rong County?"
After taking down the Duduzhai, Yang Ling immediately ordered the army to move to Rong County, and began to deploy various preparations for the battle against Jiusi City, while he stayed in place to help Yan Gaocai deal with the aftermath. Consolidating the occupied areas and eliminating all hidden dangers was the most important part of preventing a repeat. Construction was always more difficult than destruction.
The Duduzhai was the headquarters of the barbarians, and their power was deeply rooted here. On the one hand, the government had to break up their original tribal model, ban the rule of the rebellious chieftains, arrange for officials, set up barracks, and build up the people. At the same time, they had to stop the people of other tribes who had been oppressed from retaliating, and distribute the subservient barbarians and the captured men, women, and children to various provinces and counties. There were too many things to handle, and Yan Gaocai had not officially appointed anyone. With Yang Ling in charge, the officials did not dare to be perfunctory, so Yang Ling arrived half a month later than the other officials.
Yang Ling's command of the army had achieved a great merit that had never been achieved in the past hundred years of suppressing bandits. These officials of Shu were now full of admiration for him, especially Yang Ling's decisiveness. Not only did the chaos they had feared not happen, the local people supported and trusted the government even more.
When they were in Xuzhou, they were cursed by the people when they sent relief grain to their doorstep. But when they led the army to Rong County, the people actually lined the streets to welcome them, especially the chieftains of the Tibetan, Miao, Qiang, and Yi tribes. Not only did they no longer hinder the government, but they also exchanged the old, weak, and disabled soldiers for the truly brave and skillful wolf soldiers to assist the government in suppressing bandits. The chieftains sent to lead the troops also no longer swaggered around and were very polite to the soldiers. All these changes made these officials who had always believed in the policy of appeasement feel deeply moved, and they were even more convinced of Yang Ling.
As soon as he heard Yang Ling's question, Minister Feng immediately said excitedly, "Don't worry, Your Excellency. According to your orders, all kinds of war preparations are in place. The magistrate of Chengdu, Niu Dali, the magistrate of Xuzhou, Feng Jianchun, and the magistrate of Chengdu, Wu Wending, are in charge of military supplies. With so many troops gathered here, it's not that there is no food, but that the food can't be transported here. The reason why we lost in the war in the past is that the mountains are steep, and the transportation of food is difficult.
Now it's great, the government has recruited civilian labor, and many people along the way, especially those who have been oppressed and have land, have come to help. In just half a month's time, the two waterways of Wu Tan and Mu Tan have been dug and widened. The grain can be directly transported here from Nanguang. "
Imperial Messenger Su also said happily, "The six tribes have sent wolf soldiers again, a total of three thousand people. Hahaha, they are now stationed in a large camp, specially in the deep mountains and forests to stop the barbarians from the small tribes in the direction of Muai, Gao Xian, and Dulan. These barbarians are small in number, so they can't fight a battle, but they can disrupt the transportation of food. Two or three of them can stop the food team for half a day. With these wolf soldiers who are proficient in forest warfare, it will be a great help to us."
Yang Ling smiled when he heard that and looked toward Song Ai. Song Ai's marriage had already been decided, and she looked different from usual. Her eyebrows and the corners of her eyes were full of joy, and her eyes were curved as if she would smile at any moment.
When she saw Yang Ling looking at her, she quickly replied, "The psychological tactic that Master mentioned, I have also sent submissive barbarians into the mountains and spread it everywhere. The barbarians in the mountains now think that Master is the reincarnation of Zhuge Wuhou. These fellows are not afraid of anything, but they are afraid of Kong Ming. Now, before the battle even started, more than two thousand deserters have run out of the mountains. Although none of the barbarian generals have surrendered, I heard that many of them are frightened and hesitant."
When everyone heard this, they burst into laughter. This tactic may not be effective against other people, but against the uncivilized barbarians, it was more powerful than swords and spears. The barbarians who entered the mountains did not mean to deceive people, but Song Ai first made people describe it vividly, so that they would believe that Yang Ling was the reincarnation of the invincible and divine strategist Zhuge Wuhou. She then let these brainwashed barbarians into the mountains to spread the news, and it would be strange if the barbarians did not fall for it.
Yang Ling laughed and said, "Xuzhou rebellion, all these strategies and strategies were thought up by everyone. In fact, it is not something that I can do alone. However … … this official will not steal everyone's credit from the Emperor. This Ah Da won't have the chance to issue some Great King's decree to promote everyone's rank. I will be thick-skinned enough to take all the credit for myself. This way, it will scare people. "
When everyone heard this, they roared with laughter. Only Zhu Rangjin frowned and did not look happy. Yang Ling could not help but stop smiling. He quickly asked, "Second Prince, is there something on your mind?"
Zhu Rangjin looked at him and the other officials and sighed, "Master, the more brave the imperial army is, the more worried I am. Although the barbarians are stupid, they should be able to see that with only Jiusi City, they cannot fight against the imperial court. The announcement of surrender has been sent to the mountains three times, but Ah Da has not paid any attention to it. At that time, he was willing to use the imperial brother's life to force us to give up Xuzhou. Will he not try to use the imperial brother to force us to retreat? I am worried … "
When he said this, the joy on everyone's faces disappeared. Yang Ling was silent for a while and softly said, "I have overestimated the wisdom of the barbarians. I thought they would not harm the Crown Prince's life. Now it seems that the Crown Prince is in danger. This is my fault."
Zhu Rangjin hurriedly smiled and said, "Master, please do not blame yourself. Master Yan was right to reprimand. Ming Destiny's country cannot be violated. Even when the emperor was captured, he did not bow his head to the barbarians. How can I use the imperial court to make a deal for the imperial brother's life and my own selfishness?"
He hesitated for a moment and suddenly stood up, saying, "I only have one thing to ask of Master. I hope the imperial envoy can agree to it."
Yang Ling was very surprised. He hurriedly stood up and said, "Second Prince, please do not be polite. Please speak."
Zhu Rangjin said, "This time we are going to Jiusi City, I beg Master to let me lead a group of soldiers to personally kill the enemy leader and avenge the imperial brother!"
Before Yang Ling could say anything, the officials were already trying to dissuade him. Isn't this a joke? The Crown Prince is dead for sure. Zhu Rangjin is currently the only candidate to inherit the King of Shu's throne. On the battlefield, swords and spears have no eyes. If anything happens to him, it will be like smashing an iron pot into a clay pot. The King of Shu's faction will not be able to work together anymore.
The officials continued to dissuade him. Zhu Rangjin sternly said, "Masters, there is no need to dissuade me. On the public side, as the son of the King of Shu, Rangjin is duty-bound to suppress the rebels of Bashu! On the private side, my imperial brother was killed. As his biological brother, how can I cherish my body when I avenge my brother? Moreover, I, Zhu Rangjin, am not a weak scholar. I have practiced martial arts since I was young. It is more than enough to deal with a few barbarians! "
Seeing his resolute attitude, the officials did not continue to dissuade him. They all looked to Yang Ling for help. Yang Ling pondered for a while and suddenly had a plan. There is no harm in asking him to follow them. As long as he is not allowed to participate in the battle, it will be fine. The Crown Prince is most likely dead. If he can make a contribution, he can be promoted to the Crown Prince of Shu.
Thinking of this, Yang Ling smiled and nodded, "Good! The land of Bashu is originally under the rule of the King of Shu. Let the Second Prince pacify Jiusi City on behalf of his father! "
* * *
Jiusi City was located in the depths of Jiusi Mountain, about a hundred miles southwest of the county. The mountain was high and steep. The cliffs were steep. The forest was deep and the paths were covered by weeds. The terrain was very dangerous. The barbarians were kings of the mountain. They built a city on the mountain. It was said that after they repaired the castle, they did not know how big it was. They used ropes to measure the size of the castle. When the ropes were used up, they could only encircle half of the castle. After thinking for a while, they decided to use silk to measure the castle again. They used up a total of nine taels of silk, so the barbarians named the castle Jiusi City. It was also said that the city was named after the nine surnames of the barbarians.
Jiusi City was easy to defend and difficult to attack. People said that the barbarians were poor. However, it was said that there were herds of cattle and sheep in Jiusi City. The grain was piled up in mountains. Grazing and hunting could be found everywhere in the mountains. There was also fertile land. If such a place was surrounded but not attacked, it would not be a problem to defend for hundreds of years.
In Jiusi City, there was a palace built by the barbarian Ah Da who called himself the King. In front of the palace was the Great Stockade Gate, the Small Stockade Gate, the Great Stockade Gate, the Great Stockade Gate, and the West Gate. Since Lingxiao City and the Great Stockade Gate fell one after another, Ah Da dug trenches and bunkers around Jiusi City. The defense was very tight. He, his brother Ah Er, and his trusted barbarian general Fang San guarded the city. They were known as the Three Great Barbarian Generals.
In order to enter Jiusi City, there was a long valley in the middle. If the army entered the valley, the barbarians would attack from both sides of the rocky mountains, leaving no place to escape. When Yang Ling arrived at Rong County, he began to organize troops to try to attack the mountain. He even built many wheelbarrows with slanted wooden roofs as umbrellas to cover the troops as they entered the mountain. But even this couldn't deal with the huge rocks the size of millstones thrown by the barbarians from the top of the mountain. After several days of continuous attacks, they suffered heavy losses. Seeing that this was not a solution, Yang Ling stopped attacking and personally went into the mountain to survey the terrain.
Yang Ling stood on a high peak and looked at the precipitous mountain surrounded by clouds and mist in silence for a long time. After a long time, he sat down on a huge rock and said with a frown, "This mountain is dangerous, it's not suitable to set fire. If we want to attack by force, the difficulty lies in the narrow and long walls of Jiusi City. I don't know how many troops we will have to sacrifice before we can enter. If we surround the mountain but don't attack, the mountain has an endless supply of provisions and the weather is unpredictable. Not to mention that the army has no place to camp, just the rain and miasma alone can cause a plague. We've been unstoppable along the way. Don't tell me we can't get through this last barrier? "
Song Ai said, "That's right. The total number of barbarian soldiers in Jiusi City is only about four thousand. If we really fight, we won't be a match for the seventy thousand soldiers of the imperial court. The problem is, how are we going to attack Jiusi City? We can't really dig the walls out, can we?"
Hearing this, Yang Ling smiled bitterly. It was hard for Song Ai to remember his heroic words. But looking at the narrow walls of Jiusi City, it would not be easy to flatten them even with the explosives of the future, let alone dig them out.
At this time, Zhu Rangjin led a beardless, ruddy-faced man up from the foot of the mountain. The man was agile and could climb the mountain as if he was flying. Surprisingly, Zhu Rangjin's face was not red and he was not out of breath. It seemed that what he said that day was true and he was really proficient in martial arts.
Seeing Yang Ling, Zhu Rangjin cupped his fists and asked, "Daren, have you thought of a way to break through the mountain?"
Yang Ling stood up to welcome him and shook his head, replying, "It's difficult. Jiusi City is like a walnut. It's hard to break through the outer shell. If we can break through, there's nothing to be afraid of. Yesterday, the Japanese officials sent men to Ah Da to surrender but Ah Da did not reply. Instead, he sent more troops to defend the two walls. It seems that he has decided to resist to the end. "
Zhu Rangjin understood the meaning of Yang Ling's words and his expression darkened. After a long while, he pulled himself together and said, "Daren, this is my good friend, a brother of the Yi tribe. His name is Ji Pan. He used to do business with the barbarians and used to drive cattle and sheep to trade for the bronze drums made by the barbarians. He has walked this road many times and told me that apart from this road, there is a small path in the mountain that leads to Jiusi City. I wonder if it will be of any help to Daren. "
Yang Ling's spirits were lifted. He quickly invited Ji Pan to sit down and inquired about the situation in detail. Given the current developments, Jepan's father had already greatly increased his support for the imperial court. Originally, Jepan Wasi had only followed him here because of his good friend, but now, he sincerely wished to assist the army and make a contribution to his clan.
He then explained in detail what he found when he entered the mountain. Finally, he said: "This small path is also in the valley. The bronze drums of the barbarians are of excellent quality and are extremely valuable treasures among the tribes of the southwest. To exchange for a good bronze drum, one needs to use cattle and sheep. I once drove a large number of cattle and sheep into the mountain to trade, but the cattle and sheep did not follow the path and wandered aimlessly in the grass. That is how I found this small path.
Although this small path is hidden and it is difficult to see people coming and going from the top of the wall, it is extremely difficult to travel. I am afraid that two to three hundred people will inevitably be exposed. Even if they enter, they will not be able to take the pass. "
Hearing this, Yang Ling could not help but feel a little discouraged. However, this is still a glimmer of hope. He asked Ji Pan to pick up a stone and draw a diagram on the ground. He repeatedly explained it until he was familiar with the terrain. Only then did he nod his head. After thinking for a long time, he slowly shook his head.
Zhu Rangjin saw that he still could not think of a feasible solution, so she said: "Brother Ji Pan and I will go down the mountain and see if we can think of another way."
"Alright, bring more people and be more careful." After sending them off, Yang Ling sat back on the rock. He propped up his chin and looked at the valley in a daze: "Entering the mountain through the main path is not feasible! Entering through the Taoist Pass, even if we are not discovered, there is a limit to the number of people. There are at least a thousand barbarians guarding the pass. Even if we launch a surprise attack, it will be difficult to take them down. Both sides are steep and we cannot turn back and cut off the thousand barbarian soldiers on both sides of the wall to ensure that our army passes through. Ai! It still won't work! It won't work, it won't work … Ai! "
Yang Ling frowned and sighed. When he turned his head, he suddenly saw Song Ai sitting next to him. She was also propping up her cheeks with her hands, her big round eyes staring at the valley in front of them in a daze. Her hands were propping up her face and lips, making her look a little childish.
Yang Ling was lost in his thoughts, but it was obvious that Song Ai had nothing to do and was sitting there in a daze. Yang Ling could not help but laugh.
"Hmm?" Song Aixue squinted and looked at him strangely with her sparkling eyes.
Yang Ling laughed: "If you think it is boring to stay here, go and walk around. I have so many troops around me, I don't need you to accompany me. Where is Han Chao?"
Song Ai patted her butt and jumped off the rock. She said with a smile: "I don't have anyone left. Ever since Deputy Commander Li arrived, I handed over all my troops. The troops I brought are experts in traversing the mountains and forests, so I let Xiao Wu split them into hundreds of groups and brought them all to explore the terrain. I am alone now, where can I go?"
An idea flashed through Yang Ling's mind and he suddenly jumped off the rock. He stared at Song Ai, his eyes sparkling. He approached her step by step and said with a smile: "What did you just say? You divided your troops into hundreds of groups and sent them all out? You have no one left? "
"This … this is not a perverted smile, right?" Song Ai was a little scared. Her heart was beating fast as she asked in a trembling voice, "Yes … yes, Your Excellency, what are you going to do?" As she spoke, her hand involuntarily reached for the hilt of her sword.
"Hahahaha …" Yang Ling's wild laughter came from the top of the mountain.
His laughter echoed in the mountains, a little like a wolf's howl …
* * *
Five days later, General Li Ze led his troops out of Rong County and out of Mount Yingrao to the west to cut off the routes of Lüwu, Wumeng, and Cheng 'e. General Lin Yingyuan led his troops out of the valley and rushed to the south, stationed at Dangmang and Yuexi. General Cui Gui led his troops from the northeast to cut off the retreat route of Mount Jiusi. Commander Jiao Hong led his troops to the northwest, and Golden Chicken Ridge was left to the wolf soldiers of the six tribes. Yang Ling, Li Sen, and Song Ai led their troops to the Black Hat Mountain. The five armies were linked together, supporting each other and cooperating with each other. They were ready to attack from all directions at the same time.
The three Barbarian generals also deployed their troops and stationed them at the important passes, pretending to defend against the enemy outside of Mount Jiusi. Yang Ling's troops, who were the main attackers, had already clashed with the Barbarians before they even reached the vicinity of Nine Threads City. Jin Guoying, who was in charge of guarding the city, led his troops as the vanguard, attacking the mountain with all his might.
After the soldiers retreated from the mountain, dozens of mountain fences fell back into the hands of the soldiers. The barbarians once again retreated to the two sides of Mount Jiusi. When the soldiers attacked the mountain, the barbarians used their strong bows and crossbows and shot thousands of arrows at the same time. The soldiers then changed to wooden carriages, while the barbarians changed to throwing rocks and burning grass. The soldiers then retreated and the two sides entered a stalemate again.
By this time, the soldiers who took a roundabout route to attack from afar had arrived near Mount Jiusi. Nine Threads City sent out all its elite soldiers to guard the main roads. One against a hundred, the soldiers had to pay with their lives even if they advanced an inch. There were many casualties. The soldiers were once again surrounded and unable to attack. Ah Da heaved a sigh of relief but he dared not be careless.
In the last two days, it suddenly rained again. After the rain came the miasma. Ah Da knew the officers and soldiers were not used to this kind of weather. As long as they could hold on for another two days, the officers and soldiers would definitely retreat. Thereupon he sent his men to deliver meat and wine to the garrison at each pass, to reward the three armies. It looked as if victory was in sight.
As soon as the rain started, the soldiers indeed retreated and built their tents on higher ground. They did not attack for the next two days.
That night, it was raining heavily. Yang Ling selected seven hundred men from Song Ai's Wolf Army. They were led by Wu Hanchao and Jepan Wasi. They had ropes around their waists and swords on their shoulders. They wore straw sandals and held beads in their mouths. They quietly disappeared into the night.
It was foggy and rainy at night. If they wanted to attack the mountain, they would be courting death. The barbarians slaughtered cows and goats and drank without worry. However, they still sent many guards. However, the night was foggy and there was no movement from the soldiers.
Jepan Wasi led the seven hundred Wolf Army and climbed up the mountain. Under the cover of the night and the foggy rain, they quietly passed through the Taoist between the two walls of Mount Jiusi. Before the sun rose, the seven hundred warriors had already arrived at the foot of Nine Threads City. They hid in the forest and rested quietly, waiting for the appointed time to come and make some preparations.
Now Nine Threads City had really become a walnut shell. Yang Ling's seventy thousand soldiers were divided into five groups and had attracted the main force of the barbarians away. They were distributed at each pass. Apart from the old, the weak, women and children, there were not many warriors left to defend the city.
The sky was just beginning to brighten. It was the time when people were the most sleepy, and there was no sound coming from outside. The guards on the city wall were sleeping soundly. Hundreds of flying hooks were thrown onto the city wall at the same time, and the Wolf Soldiers climbed up like agile apes.
Battle cries sounded and the barbarians jumped up in panic. They did not know where the large number of enemies came from. What was more frightening was that they could not tell where these people came from. They were dressed in strange green patterned clothes and wore strange hats. Their faces were painted with stripes, and they looked very much like the Frog Gods played by shamans when they prayed for blessings.
The Frog God had a sacred position among the barbarians. The barbarians, who did not understand the situation, dared to fight against tens of thousands of soldiers, but they did not dare to fight against the gods. By the time they realized that these gods could also use knives to kill, and that they could bleed to death, they realized that these people were probably soldiers disguised as gods. By the time they realized that the gods could also use knives to kill, and that they could bleed to death, it was already too late. The remaining three hundred elite barbarian soldiers guarding the pass were all killed, and the rest of the old and the weak scattered.
The Wolf Army was not in a hurry to give chase. They set fire to the stronghold and looted everywhere. The soldiers on the periphery attacked together at the appointed time. This time, not only did they attack with all their strength, but they also used the big bronze drums of the barbarians to boost their morale. The bronze drums that represented the spirit of the God of War sounded in the enemy's camp, causing a lot of panic among the barbarians.
The soldiers had learned a few barbarian words in advance. They shouted in unison, "Marquis Zhuge has cast a spell, the gods have abandoned you. Quickly throw away your weapons and surrender. Nine Threads City has been breached!"
Looking back at the direction of Nine Threads City, there was indeed a thick cloud of smoke rising into the sky. The bronze drums that were supposed to boost the morale of the soldiers were now making people panic. The Han people had invited Zhuge Liang and Nine Threads City had been breached. How could they still fight? The barbarian soldiers no longer listened to the commands of the barbarian generals and fled. Out of ten dangerous passes, at least eight had been breached. The mountains and plains were filled with pursuing soldiers and fleeing barbarians.
The barbarian soldiers on the Nine Threads Double Wall only resisted for a moment. The bronze drums in front of them sounded and the rear camp was set ablaze. Only a few boulders and logs were thrown down from the mountain. The soldiers rushed over the Nine Threads Double Wall and killed their way to the Nine Threads City camp.
The barbarians were defeated. The soldiers entered Nine Threads City. They set fire to the houses and ordered their troops to kill. King Ah Wang was shocked when he heard the report. He put on his self-made dragon robe and crown, waved his saber and personally led his trusted subordinates out of the Great Hall to meet the enemy. Although his men were brave, they could not withstand the swarm of Ming soldiers.
From dawn to noon, King Ah Wang had retreated to the Western Pass. At this time, the city was on fire everywhere. The soldiers also set fire to the Great Granary, which was filled with mountains of rice and millet. Once the granary was on fire, even if King Ah Wang invited the Frog God to take back Nine Threads City, he would not be able to defend here.
At this time, King Ah Wang's crown had already disappeared, the dragon robe on his body had also been shredded into pieces. Seeing that King Da Wang's warehouse was ablaze, King Ah Wang's face was covered in tears. He had no choice but to lead his remaining soldiers to abandon the city.
When Yang Ling, the Second Prince, Li Sen and the other generals arrived at Nine Threads City, the Great Granary was still on fire. There were not many rebels left in the city. The soldiers were collecting the prisoners. Nine Threads City was King Ah Wang's lair for many years. There were many gold and silver wares in the Great Hall, which were collected by the soldiers. Although they were bathed in blood and had just finished a war, their bodies were much bloated.
There was even good porcelain from Jingdezhen in the Great Hall. Although King Ah Wang was a barbarian, he knew his stuff and knew how to enjoy life. It was a pity that while the barbarians knew their stuff, the soldiers did not. Most of the precious porcelain, which was as thin as paper and had the color of jade, had been smashed in the chaos.
Standing in the empty Great Hall, Yang Ling ordered, "Ah Da, Ah Er, Fang, and San have not caught any of them. Immediately order the soldiers to search and kill them. Tighten the checks at all the checkpoints. Don't let any of them escape."
Zhu Rangjin followed, "Bring the captured barbarian generals from Nine Threads City here and interrogate them immediately. We must find out the whereabouts of my royal brother."
Yang Ling felt ashamed. He had forgotten about this. So he hurriedly asked Wu Hanchao and Song Ai to bring the prisoners. After a round of interrogation, Wu Hanchao brought a long line of captives into the Great Hall. Yang Ling wanted to sit down and interrogate them, but when he turned his head, he saw that King Ah Wang had imitated the Emperor very well. Other than his throne made of stone, there was not even a small stool in the Great Hall.
Taking a closer look at the stone chair, there were many marks of prying. He guessed that it was originally inlaid with gold, silver, and jewels, but they were all pried away in the chaos. However, there was a dragon carved on the chair. Although the craftsman who carved the dragon was not very skilled and the stone dragon looked a little ugly, Yang Ling did not want to leave any evidence that could be used against him. He could only stand in the Great Hall and ask his men to interrogate them one by one in the barbarian language.
Hearing this, all the barbarian generals shut their mouths. Yang Ling ordered his men to interrogate them twice, but to no avail. Zhu Rangjin was furious and shouted, "If you don't tell me where my royal brother is, I will drag you all out and behead you!"
One of the older barbarians said a few words, then closed his eyes and turned his head away in disdain. Yang Ling asked, "What did he say?"
The soldier who understood the barbarian language opened his mouth for a long time before stammering, "He … he said that the imperial court wants to take this opportunity to destroy them, so they found an excuse to attack the mountain. The Crown Prince has long been secretly rescued by the Han Zhuge Liang, but he still insists that he is in their hands."
"What?" Yang Ling and Zhu Rangjin's faces changed at the same time. They rushed forward at the same time, scaring the soldier into taking two steps back, "Rescued? When? "
The soldier asked a few more questions and after some coercion, the barbarian general finally replied, "When the news of the capital's stronghold being breached came, King Ah Wang wanted to use the Crown Prince in exchange for the safety of Jiusi City, but … you Han people rescued him and then sent people up the mountain to ask us for him. Isn't it obvious that you are looking for an excuse to destroy us?"
Hearing this, Yang Ling and Zhu Rangjin looked at each other. After a long time, Zhu Rangjin stammered, "Si … Daren, did you really save my Brother Wang?"
"No!" Yang Ling was puzzled. Suddenly, he saw Song Ai's face full of worship. Yang Ling couldn't help but feel angry and amused at the same time. He stamped his foot and said, "What are you looking at? I can't fly, so how can I sneak into Jiusi City to save him? "
"But … it has been almost a month since the capital's stronghold was destroyed. If Brother Wang was rescued, why didn't he come to us? Why didn't the government send any news? Daren, you must help us find Brother Wang. "Zhu Rangjin was both happy and anxious.
Yang Ling nodded. Suddenly, he remembered that there was something strange about the ground just now. He looked down and immediately crouched down. Everyone looked at Yang Ling's movements curiously. They saw Yang Ling push aside the messy things and broken porcelain on the ground. After carefully examining it for a long time, he suddenly exclaimed, "Gold bricks! These are gold bricks! "
Hearing this, a soldier at the side immediately closed his eyes in pain. "How much are those two silver necklaces worth? If I knew that they were gold bricks, I would have taken a piece and hidden it. Would I still be a soldier? "
"Gold bricks?" Song Ai also squatted down curiously. She pulled out her saber and used the hilt to knock on the ground. She said, "It's neither gold nor wood … It doesn't look like gold, Daren."
Yang Ling stroked the smooth and smooth surface of the huge brick. His eyes were lost in thought as he murmured, "That's right, these are gold bricks! These are imperial bricks that can only be laid on the throne room. So it's here, so it's here … So it's like this … This Dawang really learned it well. "
No one knew what he was muttering, but they all understood what these gold bricks meant. To dare to use imperial bricks that could only be used by the emperor, this Dawang really thought of himself as an emperor.
The soldier who was in indescribable pain suddenly went from hell to heaven. He touched the two thick silver necklaces in his arms in satisfaction and sighed softly. "It's good to be content."
"So these gold bricks were bought by this Dawang who wholeheartedly wanted to be an emperor in the mountains. So, the King of Shu's rebellion was actually a lie? That's right, if the guards heard that someone in Sichuan was buying gold bricks, the only possibility they could think of was that the King of Shu was rebelling. Who would have thought that it was actually a small chief of the barbarians who was buying gold bricks? Now that this problem has been solved, I can finally return to the capital and report to the emperor. "Thinking of this, Yang Ling couldn't help but feel happy.
But when he stood up and looked up, it was obvious that none of the officials in the hall cared about the issue of the gold bricks. Carrying a large sedan chair, wearing a yellow umbrella and wearing a python robe, and claiming to be a king. These were already enough to cause a rebellion, so what if they added the fact that they were good at laying gold bricks? The question was: where did the heir of the King of Shu go?
Only now did Yang Ling remember the question that everyone was concerned about. He smiled awkwardly and was about to order his men to search the entire city when suddenly Jiao Gui brought a few Han men into the hall and said loudly, "Reporting to Daren, these fellows are bandits who have attached themselves to the barbarians. After we caught them, they said that they have an extremely important matter to report to Imperial Envoy."
As he said this, he lifted his leg and kicked one of the men's buttocks. He scolded, "This kid even f * cking threatened me, saying that I can't afford to delay this important matter. I'll bring them here for Daren to take a look. If there's nothing important, I'll definitely chop these sons of b * tches."
Yang Ling looked at the few Han men. They were dressed like barbarians, but their facial features were clearly Han. His heart was suddenly moved. He walked forward and said, "I am the Imperial Envoy you want to see, Yang Ling. What do you want to tell me?"
The captured people looked up and down at Yang Ling, then looked at the large group of officials surrounding him. Only then did they believe him. The leader quickly knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "Imperial Envoy, I am a commoner, Wang Er Gou 'er. We were enlightened by the young prince of Shu and decided to rely on the imperial court. Therefore, we secretly saved the young prince and hid him. It's a pity that the barbarians kept a close eye on him and couldn't send him out. We …"
Before he could finish, all the officials had already surrounded him. Zhu Rangjin rushed to the front, her face flushed red. She shouted excitedly, "What did you say? My brother Wang was saved by you? Where is he? Quickly take us to see him! "
Wang Er Gou 'er also didn't know who this person was. In any case, he had to listen to whoever was talking in this room. He hurriedly agreed and led everyone out of the Great King's Hall.
Along the way, listening to these people, everyone had a rough idea of what was going on. It turned out that the Crown Prince Zhu Rangxu had been tricked by the Great King into negotiating with him. After tricking him into the mountain and holding him as a hostage, the Great King actually attached great importance to this criminal, hoping to reap a large sum of money from the Crown Prince's body. He sensed that most of the barbarians guarding the prison did not understand Chinese, so he specially found these few Han criminals who went up the mountain to serve him.
According to what they said, Xiao Wangye was very knowledgeable, he was very good at educating people, he often talked to them about how to conduct oneself and how to deal with the world, which made them deeply moved. When Ling Xiao Mountain was lost, then the capital and the stronghold were lost, these people panicked, they felt that what Xiao Wangye said made a lot of sense, thereupon they were enlightened by Xiao Wangye, they used wine to knock out the barbarian soldiers guarding the prison, rescued him, and then killed the barbarian, throwing away his corpse.
Although the barbarians were respectful and submissive, they did not know how to flatter and flatter the Great King. These few people, on the other hand, were eloquent and often flattered the Great King until he was on cloud nine. Therefore, the Great King trusted them very much. After their sophistry, the Great King did not suspect them at all. Moreover, he sent people to search their residences and there was indeed nothing suspicious.
At this time, the news that Yang Ling was Zhuge Kongming descended to the mortal world spread to the mountain through the mouths of many people. Comparing the two, the few Han people took the opportunity to urge them. Thus, the matter of Yang Ling using the 'Five Ghosts Transporting Great Spell' to rescue the Crown Prince of Shu was confirmed.
Seeing that no one was suspicious, the few fellows were afraid that the young Prince would hide on the mountain and be eaten by wild beasts. They hurriedly brought him back and hid him in the cellar of their house.
Yang Ling and the others listened as they hurriedly followed them. When they reached the place, the few Han people hurriedly lifted a piece of dirty animal skin and pulled up the wooden plank. They called out, "Young Prince, we have brought the Imperial Envoy, please come out quickly."
After a moment, the foot of the ladder shook and a pale face appeared at the entrance of the cave. He squinted his eyes and looked at everyone. Zhu Rangjin looked carefully and with a face full of joy he called out, "Royal Brother! Royal Brother, you are indeed alive, the Heavens have taken pity on you! "
That person's face was delicate and pretty, very similar to Zhu Rangjin's, but his complexion was a lot worse. At this time he also saw Zhu Rangjin clearly and could not help but call out happily, "Brother Jin, you really came." Zhu Rangxu rushed out of the cave. The two brothers hugged each other and could not help crying.
* * *
"I heard that the Crown Prince in prison tried many ways to influence those Han vassals before they suddenly came to their senses and sacrificed themselves to save the Crown Prince. I wonder what method did the Crown Prince use to enlighten these vassals to lay down their butcher knives and become Buddhas?"
As they walked down the mountain, Yang Ling asked Zhu Rangxu who was beside him.
It was already the third day. Ah Wang escaped to the Jade-Crown Ridge behind the Jade Screen Block and was captured by the Wolf Soldiers. To prevent any accidents, Yang Ling did not escort the prisoner to the capital. He directly beheaded the prisoner and sent his head to the capital. Fang San fled to the Sow Village to resist stubbornly and was shot dead by the soldiers. Out of the Three Barbarian Generals, only Ah Er was missing.
Yang Ling set up the residence guards in Nine Threads City. The soldiers and captives were withdrawn from the mountain in batches. They were the last batch to leave the mountain.
The Crown Prince had already changed into a set of scholarly clothes. This time, not only his appearance, but his expression and temperament were also very similar to Zhu Rangjin's. It was just that he looked more mature. Although he was not very old, he always had the air of an elder. Perhaps it was because he was the eldest son of the family and often handled official affairs on behalf of the King of Shu. Therefore, Yang Ling had not asked about him until now. Now that they were about to descend the mountain and everyone was in a relaxed mood, Yang Ling pretended to casually ask this question that he had always been curious about.
Zhu Rangxu still had a serious look on his face. He gently rubbed his chin and said lightly, "It's nothing. Speaking of which, I have to thank the Imperial Envoy. The things I used to enlighten those bandits were nothing more than money, beauty and fame. They were a little hesitant at first, but after Your Excellency took down the Commandery Camp, I added another life to my bargaining chip. So they were enlightened. "
Yang Ling was stunned for a moment, then he laughed loudly. It turned out that the Crown Prince of Shu was also such a charming person.
※ ※ ※
The matter in Xuzhou was over. When the last of the Three Great Barbarian Generals, Ah Er, escaped to Guizhou's Dapankou, he was also captured by the garrison troops and beheaded on the spot. The rebellion of the Barbarians was completely crushed by Yang Ling. From then on, it was difficult to form a large-scale rebellion again.
The various troops had been rewarded according to their merits and had already returned to their encampments. The imperial court's decree had also been issued. Yan Gaocai was officially appointed as the Inspector of the six counties in Xuzhou. He would be in charge of the local military, political, legal and academic affairs. Yang Ling had an agreement with him: for three years, Yan Gaocai would be in charge of one area. After three years, everything would be sorted out and another official would be appointed to take over his position and recommend him to the capital to become an official.
Yang Ling, Zhu Rangxu and Zhu Rangjin followed Song Ai's troops back to Chengdu. Inspector Yan escorted them to the foot of a high cliff. Yang Ling stopped his horse and turned around, saying, "Official Yan, even though you have escorted me for a thousand miles, we will still have to part ways. The affairs in Xuzhou are very busy. Everything requires Official's attention. Please stop here. "
With a smile on his face, Yan Gaocai clasped his hands and said, "Yes. Your humble servant respectfully sends off the Imperial Envoy, Crown Prince, Second Prince, Commander Song and all the other officials."
Yang Ling smiled and turned his horse around. He raised his whip and shouted, "Go!"
The large entourage walked for about a mile. Looking back, Inspector Yan was still standing at a high place to send them off.
As they were walking forward, Song Ai suddenly pointed to a smooth and precipitous stone wall on the opposite side of the river. She exclaimed in surprise, "Official, look!"
Yang Ling raised his head and looked. On the mirror-like bluestone surface, there were rows of large red characters. The cursive characters were strong and forceful:
Barbarian Pacification Monument!
In the first year of Zhengde of the Ming Dynasty, in the tenth month of the Ming Dynasty, the Imperial Envoy Inspector Yang Ling, the Prince of Shu Zhu Rangjin, the Commander-in-Chief Li Sen, the Administrative Commissioner Shen Zhan … Feng Wang Mountain, Tong Gong Ridge, Ling Xiao City, Du Du Zhai City, Du Du Zhai City.
The great victory of the Heavenly Army was a grand plan to govern for ten thousand generations. Only when the wind rolled the long clouds, the sun opened the Yin Valley. Looking down at the Ten Thousand Stove Star Settlement, the Man's Nest turned into scorched earth. Looking at the Yi E Fortress in the southwest, everything is in sight. It is a wonder of the ages. Using a stone to make it immortal.
The Xuzhou Inspector Yan Gaocai recited poems to record the events.
The Divine Army of Bandits came out of the cliff. Together they looked down on the hook.
The Sun rose from Fusang and the Heaven and Earth split. Jade piled up in the clouds and tigers and leopards.
The fertile land returned to the God Yu Gong. The Ghost Fang Bin was revived.
Joyful and harmonious, the civil and military officials gathered. The victorious army returned in the spring of ten thousand gullies.
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