The tree was full of blooming flowers and lush leaves. On the small stone path under the tree, a few fat pigeons leisurely walked back and forth. As Yang Ling walked past, they flew up lazily and landed on the fake rocks in the fish pond.
In the back hall, the wives and concubines were chatting together. Young-niang was lying on the bed, leaning against the tall brocade quilt. She cracked open some melon seeds and chewed them until they were soft, sending them to her son's mouth. The little fellow grabbed onto his mother's clothes and tried his best to climb over. Unfortunately, that short body of his was like an insurmountable mountain ridge to him.
The little fellow spent a lot of effort to climb up a little, but as soon as he let out a breath, he slid down the slippery mat again. The little fellow was flustered and exasperated. Just as he was about to open his mouth and cry, his mother's sweet kiss arrived. Mr. Yang accepted the chewed melon seeds and continued to struggle to climb up.
Gao Wenxin couldn't stand it anymore. She hugged her son and said to Han Youniang angrily, "Look at you, why are you always teasing him? Look at how tired he is."
Han Youniang supported her chin with her hand and giggled, "Jiejie, he's a child, he's very active. If you don't let him use up all his energy, he won't be able to rest at night. He'll wake up in a while. "
At this time, Yang Ling walked in. All the beauties in the room stood up and said with a smile, "Master."
Yang Ling grunted. Seeing that Cheng Qiyun was also in the room and looking at him, he couldn't help but chuckle, "You guys are so free. If you have nothing to do, go out for a walk. Our family has very few rules. "
He sat on the edge of the kang and the beauties also returned to their seats. Yang Ling took his son from Wen Xin's arms and kissed him on the cheek. He said, "Oh, your face is full of saliva. Aiya, my baby, are you washing clothes? The front of your shirt is soaked. "
Han Youniang sat up and tidied up her hair. She said coquettishly, "It's all because of that group of people, kissing each other all day. Children tend to drool when they are kissed too much."
Tang Yixian laughed, "Hey, Young-niang Jiejie, it's your first time being a mother. Wen Xin Jiejie is a divine doctor, tell me."
Han Youniang glared at her and said, "You still say that you're kissing too much. My son will soon become your son."
Tang Yixian moved in front of Yang Ling and caressed the baby's little face. She smiled proudly and said, "He has always been, hmm … He will be my godson sooner or later." She smiled like a flower as she teased Sir Yang, "Little fellow, tell aunty, did I kiss you until you drool? You must say no, otherwise you'll be a pervert and and and you will be. "
All the women in the room burst into laughter. Yang Ling glared at her unhappily.
Cheng Qiyun knew that Hong Niangzi had a place in Yang Ling's court. Duke Yan was driven to the capital by Hong Niangzi. Now that he knew the exact news of Hong Niangzi, he must be worried. She asked, "Has Duke Yan made the arrangements?"
Yang Ling retracted his smile and nodded. He then laid down on the bed, letting his son rest on his chest. The little fellow struggled for a moment, then rolled off the bed, grabbing onto his mother's shirt and struggling to get up.
Yang Ling used one arm as a pillow and looked at the ceiling thoughtfully. He said, "Ministry of Rites Official Wang and Hanlin Academy's Chancellor and Chancellor of the Crown Prince went to pick him up. Now the Ministry of Rites has arranged a place for him to stay. He will see His Majesty tomorrow. Strange, he is the descendant of Sage Kong, but these officials don't seem to be too respectful. "
Gao Wenxin smiled and said, "The scholars revere Sage Kong. How can his descendants have such great prestige? The Headmaster is already a god-like existence in people's hearts. The descendants he left behind in the world are not so important. "
Yang Ling shook his head and said, "This is what I don't understand. In the imperial court, if there is disrespect for the sages and disrespect the Sage, the officials would rather die than give in. Sometimes, they are so stupid. But now that the White Shirt Army has occupied the residence of Confucius, why don't I see any anger from the scholars?"
Yutang Chun said, "They are thieves, robbers. If robbers also know etiquette and respect the Sage, are they still thieves? It would be strange if they didn't do so. Why would the scholars lower their status and reason with the robbers? "
Cheng Qiyun knew that he was worried that Hong Niangzi would get into trouble. She smiled and said, "The Sage is supported by the imperial family. No matter who wins the world, they will revere Sage Kong to buy the hearts of the scholars. The scholars respect Sage Kong as a god and also to raise the supreme status of scholars.
If there is any disrespect in the imperial court, every word and action is of great importance. Every word and action was of great importance. It affected the status and welfare of the scholars, so they had to fight for it and not give in. As for the actions of the bandits, they say that they don't care about it. Isn't it because they are not a threat to them and will not shake their status? To put it bluntly, no matter what they do, there will always be a purpose. If it is not for fame, then it is for profit! "
The incident with Hong Niangzi did not lead to the serious consequences of the scholars gathering and condemning him. Yang Ling's heart was relieved. Whether Cheng Qiyun's words were extreme or not, he was too lazy to care. While Yang Ling was thinking, his hand subconsciously stroked Young-niang's round thigh. He said in a low voice, "Shandong is now completely under the control of bandits. The imperial court's power can only be used to protect some big cities, Dafu. Basically, they are defending. They are basically unable to carry out an effective attack, not to mention encircling and suppressing them.
Although the number of Bazhou's Ringing Horse is much less than Shandong's White Coat Army, they are more refined and their battle power is much higher. Moreover, they move faster with fewer people. Although Xu Tai and Jiang Bin are brave, they can only follow behind them to clean up the mess. In this way, the bandits are becoming more and more arrogant. Don't think that other places are still peaceful, but I'm afraid the flames of war will soon spread. Boyan Meng can lead troops to invade the frontier fortress. Although his actions are not big at the moment, since he has come, it will not be for such a small fight. We cannot underestimate him. Ai, thinking about it, it is really worrying. "
It was one thing for Yang Ling to be intimate in front of his wife and concubines, but Cheng Qiyun and Tang Yixian were also present. Han Youniang immediately became embarrassed. She blushed and pushed her husband's hand away. She said, "There are Grand Secretary and various officials in the imperial court. They will definitely think of a way. Xianggong, don't worry too much. You are now a Duke, it is not good for you to interfere too much in court affairs."
However, Yang Ling did not answer the question and said with a smile, "Have you started practicing martial arts again? Oh, your thighs are much stronger. "
All the women giggled. Tang Yixian raised her nose and said, "See, I said he is a big pervert because I am concerned about this. But Young-niang Jiejie, this is not right. The Duke is also paid by the imperial court. When the country is in trouble, how can he ignore it? His Majesty is also worried about this matter recently. When Dage goes into action, he has always been victorious. I think those officials in the imperial court are all doing nothing. Dage, you should help him come up with some ideas. "
Yutang Chun curled her lips and said, "A grown girl cannot be kept at home. She hasn't even married yet and she is already leaning towards him. Ever since Master entered the imperial court as an official, he has been running around outside all day. Could it be that he has to lead the troops and not go to battle? However, I also feel that the officials in the imperial court are too useless. "
Yang Ling shook his head and said, "Not so. Since ancient times, the most difficult thing to exterminate are the roving bandits. The best time to exterminate them is when they have just started their rebellion. If there is a good general at that time, we can exterminate them in one fell swoop and we can quickly pacify them. It's a pity that at that time the internal strife in the imperial court was very urgent, there was no time to take care of other things. This gave them the opportunity to take advantage of the situation to expand.
Now their wings have already formed, they do not have any strongholds, they do not occupy any cities, they are roaming all over the place and they do not need any logistical support. Therefore, their marching speed is extremely fast. Moreover, there are almost no weak points that they can take advantage of, and there are also no vital points that they must defend.
These roving bandits are strong and I will evade, you are weak and I will attack, they basically have no worries. Their advantage is the weakness of the imperial court, and the imperial court does not have any advantage. Even if they are all foot soldiers, they can come and go unpredictably by taking small paths and mountain streams. Moreover, the rebels have a large number of troops and horses. Their main force comes and goes like the wind, their light cavalry swift and agile. The imperial court's army cannot even predict the direction they are going to attack. Even if they are all cavalry, they are completely powerless. "
Cheng Qiyun knew that what he said was the truth. From ancient times until now, whenever a rebel did not care about a stronghold and only attacked without defending, even the most brilliant general would not be able to quell the rebellion in a very short period of time. This was because it was impossible to find their main force and force them to fight. The country is yours, so it is destined that you must first defend before you can attack. If you follow the bandits and attack with all your might, giving up on defense and responsibility, and allowing the country to rot away, it will only cause more dissatisfaction among the commoners, who will then join the rebel army and strengthen their strength.
As expected, Yang Ling said slowly, "Analyzing from the general situation, the commoners are more or less dissatisfied with the imperial court. When there is a rebellion at the beginning, this kind of venting mentality will make them feel very happy. They can't even wait for others to cause trouble, so that the imperial court will pay attention to their existence. This will encourage the arrogance of the rebels.
However, as the damage done by the rebels increases, the commoners will be annoyed and oppose them. The rebels are like a flood in the long river, and their unstoppable momentum will gradually weaken. As long as the imperial court does a good job of pacifying the people, they will not add fuel to the rebels' arrogance. At the same time, they will strengthen the walls and clear the fields, defend the major cities and pass, encircle and annihilate them. They will have their own responsibilities and not let the rebels lead them by the nose. Only then will they be able to divide their forces and gradually annihilate them.
Therefore, the imperial court must not be in a mess. Firstly, they cannot be anxious for quick results. They have to take it step by step and calmly dispatch. Secondly, they must not neglect the pacification of the disaster areas, otherwise it will be a new source of disaster. They will not hate the scourge of bandits, but will vent their anger on the imperial court, thinking that the imperial court does not care about them, and thus will become the staunch supporters of the White Shirt Army. Thirdly, they must not only focus on the local areas. If the imperial court does not pursue them, they will need food supplies and will inevitably expand outwards. If the heavy troops are deployed in Shandong, the Central Plains will be empty, and they will take the opportunity to invade. But Shandong does not have enough troops, and we cannot try our best to annihilate them. We must have a good sense of propriety. "
Tang Yixian carefully repeated what he said to her, and after making sure that she remembered eighty to ninety percent of it, she smiled happily and said, "Ah, he asked me to go to the leopard garden, I forgot. Dage, I am leaving first." Finished speaking, she suddenly flashed out.
Yang Ling sat up and looked at her back with a faint smile. Cheng Qiyun saw it and couldn't help but shake her head lightly. She thought faintly, "He can't help it, he is involved again. Ai, once this plan comes out, since it came from his mouth, I'm afraid … I'm afraid His Majesty will carry it out again. Looking at the overall situation, dividing the troops and dispatching them, it is easy to say but if the commander-in-chief's prestige is not enough, his authority is not enough, how will the feudal officials be willing to bow down to him? When the time comes, he … will have to lead the troops into battle again. "
※ ※ ※
In Bazhou, the army was gathered but the city was already in ruins. When the soldiers left, the bandits came in, when the soldiers returned, the bandits retreated. Like the ebb and flow of the tide, the city had long been looted clean.
Jiang Bin led the troops back to Bazhou, there were not many people left in the city, Wang Mantang and his family had also escaped to god knows where. Jiang Bin was furious but he had nowhere to vent his anger and could only join forces with Xu Tai and Miao Kui to encircle and annihilate the bandits.
Liu Liu and Liu Qi's troops had already grown to more than thirty thousand men, a few leaders each led an army, moving unhindered in Hebei, advancing and retreating at the same time, it was hard to catch them. Xu Tai was delighted to have such a brave general like Jiang Bin, so he discussed with him to adopt the strategy of a pincer attack from the north and south. Xu Tai and Miao Kui would lead the troops to attack Gu An, while Jiang Bin would lead the troops to attack Xin An.
Xu Tai's army had just left Bazhou halfway when he received news that Liu Liu had led his troops to bypass Xu Tai's main force and was already attacking Bazhou. Xu Tai immediately turned back, abandoning the main force and only led light cavalry to reinforce Bazhou. He fought with Liu Liu and Liu Qi for half a day outside Bazhou and defeated Liu Liu.
Liu Liu led his troops to retreat, but unexpectedly, there was news that Qi Yanming's troops suddenly appeared and seized the opportunity when Xu Tai returned to reinforce Bazhou. Xu Tai took back the city but lost the supplies and was frustrated. Fortunately, a large amount of supplies were still in Bazhou, but this time, Xu Tai dared not leave Bazhou. If he wanted to send troops again, he would have to leave a team of elite soldiers to guard the city to prevent the enemy from taking advantage of the situation.
Jiang Bin's army attacked Xin An and won a great victory. Xing Laohu and Zhao Sui had no intention of defending and retreated after the battle. Jiang Bin seized an empty city, so he led his troops to attack Gu An. When he reached Gu An, Zheng Gezhuang was stopped by the bandits, Feng Lei. Both of them were strong generals and after a fierce battle, there were casualties on both sides. When Qi Yanming completed his mission of stealing the supplies and led his troops away, Feng Lei led his troops to retreat. When Jiang Bin heard the news of the battle at Bazhou, he flew back to reinforce Bazhou, making one round and returning to the starting point.
When Liu Liu's army retreated to the Eight Li Bridge, they happened to run into the Commander of the Tongzhou Guards, Jin Shengzai and the General of Hejian Prefecture, Yuan Biao. Caught off guard, they were attacked from the left and right by the two armies. This time they suffered heavy losses. As a result, Liu Liu ordered his army to flee southward. Jin Shengzai and Yuan Biao's movements were not as fast as Liu Liu's. Moreover, Liu Liu's cavalry was at the front and the foot soldiers were at the back. If someone was surrounded, there was no need for reinforcements. Hence, they could only brace themselves and continue to ask the imperial court for reinforcements.
Jin Shengzai and Yuan Biao came to see Xu Tai with over a thousand captives. All the armies gathered and discussed the plan to suppress the bandits. However, what worried them the most was that they could only follow behind the bandits forever. Their supplies were stored in Bazhou, so they had to defend Bazhou. When the counties were occupied, they had no choice but to send reinforcements. However, the bandits did not have these concerns. Hence, although Xu Tai, Jiang Bin and the rest were brave, they could not put their martial skills to good use in the face of an enemy that would leave easily. They could only bite the bullet and continue to ask for reinforcements from the imperial court.
At this time, the bandits also started to gather in Xiong County and Anxin. Madman Zhao was the first to reach Xiong County. Xiong County Magistrate He Shizhen organized the villagers to fight against the bandits. In the end, they were defeated and He Shizhen was captured alive.
Madman Zhao leaped his horse into the city, followed by the carriages of his relatives. He saw the commoners hiding here and there, crying for their parents, so he said loudly, "Men, inform the commoners in the county, tell them that I, Madman Zhao, will not harm the good people, as long as they submit to us, we will not offend them. Gather the gentry and celebrities. Only half of the money and rations will be taken from each household. No one is allowed to harm or kill them. If there are any rapists in the army, kill them on the spot! "
Zhao Gao obeyed and left. Madman Zhao made arrangements for his family and strode into the Seventh Rank Main Hall with his horsewhip in hand. Both sides of the hall were lined with bandits. Madman Zhao slammed his gavel and shouted, "Come, bring in the bold County Magistrate He who dares to fight against my army with just three teams of bailiffs and a group of strong people!"
County Magistrate He was a frail scholar with a fair and clean face. From his appearance, he looked like he was only in his thirties. His whole family was tied up and brought into the hall. Madman Zhao looked at them from head to toe and laughed, "Good one, County Magistrate He. You are too stupid. You dare to stop a chariot. Now that you have seen me, Madman Zhao, you are not going to kneel?"
Although County Magistrate He was scrawny, his courage was not weak and he did not kneel down. Instead, he spat on the ground and cursed angrily, "Zhao Sui, you traitor! What a waste of your scholarly reputation and knowledge! How dare you rebel against the common people! You are just a bunch of clowns! You can only be arrogant for a while. Once the army of the imperial court arrives, everything will fall apart! I am Ming Destiny, a Seventh Rank Main Hall. How can I kneel to a traitor like you? "
Feng Lei roared, "You bullsh * t County Magistrate! How dare you talk to my Brother Zhao like this! I will chop off your dog head!" As he was saying, he raised his sword and charged forward.
Zhao Sui quickly waved his hand and said with a smile, "County Magistrate He, look at us. It has only been two months since we started our army. Now, our army is strong and our followers are as numerous as the clouds. It is clear that we are the people's heart and the trend of the times. Ming Destiny's time has come to an end. The imperial court is corrupt. One Zhang Pipi has caused countless families in Bazhou to lose their families. Now, there is another Liang Hong. Although the imperial court has toppled the traitor Liu Jin, does that mean that the world is clear? I can see that you are a man. Why don't you join us? In the future, you will make great contributions and be conferred the title of Marquis. You are also one of the founding fathers of the empire! "
He Shizhen raised his head and laughed, "Madman Zhao, no matter how glib your tongue is, I am a loyal official of Ming Destiny. It is not difficult for you to take my head. But if you want me to join the bandits and rebel, that is impossible!"
Feng Lei sneered and said, "Brother Zhao, there is no need to argue with him. I will escort his entire family out of the hall and kill them as a sacrifice to the flag."
He Shizhen was not afraid at all. He raised his head and said coldly, "If you want to kill, just do it. There is no need to say more."
Madman Zhao said, "Men, go to the streets and capture a few commoners. I will ask this County Magistrate He about his character."
Immediately several soldiers rushed out, and in a short while they brought several people from the street. Those people had just heard the bandits shouting that they would not harm or pillage the common people, so they were half believing and half doubting. Now that they were suddenly arrested, inevitably their faces turned pale with fright. Zhao Sui pointed at He Shizhen and asked the commoners about his character. The few commoners who were captured were trembling with fear but their answers were mostly the same. The County Magistrate was an honest and fair official who cared about the commoners.
Madman Zhao smiled and said, "This man is loyal and honest. He loves the people like his own children. He is a good official. Let him and his family go and do not make things difficult for them."
He Shizhen looked at him in shock. Madman Zhao cupped his hands and smiled, "I am a bandit now. Whether I can succeed or not is uncertain. Since you are not willing to follow me, I will not make things difficult for you. When we conquer the world in the future, for the sake of the commoners, I hope that Brother He can step forward and become an official."
He Shizhen looked around and saw that Madman Zhao was really going to let him go. He snorted coldly and left with his wife and son without saying a word of thanks. Feng Lei said angrily, "Brother Zhao is too kind to this bastard official!"
Madman Zhao smiled and said, "To achieve great things, you must win the hearts of the people. You can't just kill and kill. We are now a volunteer army and no longer a raging horse. Brother Feng, remember this!"
Feng Lei may be brave but Madman Zhao is also skilled in martial arts. What's more, he is outstanding in both literature and martial arts. The raging horse army fought a few battles and lured Xu Tai and Jiang Bin to follow behind but they could not hurt him at all. It was Madman Zhao's idea to split up the army to attack Bazhou City and steal their rations. Therefore, Feng Lei respected him very much and did not say anything after hearing Madman Zhao's words.
Madman Zhao said, "Brother Feng, mobilize the army into the city and restrain your subordinates. Do not burn, kill or loot. Do not violate the commoners. Ask around the surrounding commoners. Those who are heartless and bully men and women will have their houses confiscated and beheaded. Those who are kind will only ask for money and food. Do not violate them! "
Feng Lei accepted the order and left with a group of people. Madman Zhao went to the backyard and not long after, Zhao Gao hurried back and said, "Brother, Brother Liu has massacred Ding Xing and Xushui. He is now at An Xin. His vanguard has entered the west gate of Xiong County. They just entered the city and started to burn and kill. I stopped them. Qi Yan attacked Lang Fang and passed through Tianjin. He also burned and killed along the way. Wen An is Brother Liu's hometown so he did not harass them. He took a detour and came here today. "
Madman Zhao heard this and said unhappily, "How can they win the hearts of the people with such actions? If this goes on, no matter how many soldiers there are, they are still bandits. Even if the soldiers can't do anything to them, they will lose sooner or later. Before we left, I reminded them again and again but they did not listen. "
Zhao Pan said in a low voice, "Brother, since our family has boarded the pirate ship, we can't go back. But if we want to do something, we must do something big. In my opinion, although Liu Liu and Liu Qi are brave, they are not people who can achieve great things. How can we win the hearts of the people with only strict military discipline? Brother's righteous deeds have been wiped out by them. "
Zhao Sui glared at him and did not say anything.
Zhao Gao looked around and saw only two bodyguards at the door. They were originally the servants of the Zhao family. He said in a low voice, "Brother, Second Brother is right. Although we were forced to join them, the soldiers are useless now. When we started, we only had about a thousand men. But in just two months, we have gathered tens of thousands of elite soldiers. If we manage carefully, we may really take over the world. But Brother Liu's actions have caused the hearts of the people to be lost. We …"
"Silence!" Zhao Sui solemnly waved his hand to stop his brother. He did not say a word and sat back in his chair. He was very dissatisfied with the corruption of the imperial court but never thought of starting a rebellion. It was only for the sake of his family's life that he had to submit to Liu Liu. But when he really joined the bandits, he realized that the imperial court was not as powerful as he had imagined. Looking at the trend, it was not impossible for them to take over the world.
But the actions of Liu Liu and the others did not have a long-term vision. Wherever they went, they only burned, killed, and looted. This act had caused them to lose the hearts of the people. How could things go on like this? To achieve great things, scholars and gentry had to be treated differently. When their forces grew stronger, there would be no lack of opportunists, ambitious people, or those who were forced to join them. Now that they were robbed and killed, they could only force these people to stand firmly on the side of the imperial court and fight against the Revolutionary Army. If this went on, the current momentum would be nothing more than a flash in the pan.
But his brother's suggestion was definitely not feasible. The Revolutionary Army had just started, with only tens of thousands of men and horses. If they were to start having thoughts of betrayal and suspecting each other, there would be no need for the imperial court to fight them. Just by killing each other, they would be reduced to ashes. But accommodating Liu Liu was not a solution. He was not willing to listen to his advice. What should they do?
Zhao Sui stood up and paced slowly in the room for a while. His eyes flickered slightly. After thinking for a while, he slowly said, "I have my own plans for this matter. Both of you must remember, you must never say such words! Never, ever, understand? "
* * *
The White Coat Army of Shandong launched another surprise attack on Xia Town. They seized more than forty grain ships and burned more than three hundred ships big and small. They then led the army north, passing through Zaozhuang, Linyi, Fei County, Pingyi, Mengyin, Xintai, and headed straight for Tai 'an.
At the same time, the Ringing Horse Bandits of Hebei gathered in one place. They avoided Xu Tai's main force and led the army south to attack Cangzhou. The two sides fought fiercely for nearly ten days. The imperial court urgently transferred troops from Tianjin and Shanxi. At the same time, Xu Tai's army also left Bazhou to reinforce them.
Liu Liu's army had no hope of breaking through the city. With strong enemies approaching from all sides, Zhao Sui suggested to split his army into two groups. Tiger Xing and Zhao Sui led Feng Lei and Liu Twenty-Seven, leading eight thousand elite cavalrymen. They galloped for more than two hundred miles in one day and night. They weaved through the gaps between Xu Tai's army, passed through Qing County, Yue Jinghai, and killed their way back to Gu 'an, eyeing the capital.
The capital was shaken. Emperor Zhengde decreed martial law. Zhang Yong urgently ordered the Twelve Battalions and the four armies to deploy their troops inside and outside of Beijing. Xu Tai was shocked when he heard the news and quickly returned to his army. Unexpectedly, Zhao Sui only pretended to attack the capital. When he arrived at the Heavenly River, he did not even touch the vanguard of the capital. Instead, he turned northwest and killed his way down Zhuozhou. While the imperial court's troops were gathered between Cangzhou and the capital, Zhao Sui launched a surprise attack on Baoding City.
Along the way, Zhao Sui killed generals, burned down government offices, broke into prisons, released prisoners, opened warehouses, and recruited soldiers. His military discipline was strict, and he did not offend the common people. Even the aristocrats who had been blackmailed by him said that he was a lunatic, but not a lunatic.
When Zhao Sui attacked Baoding, he appointed Tiger Xing as the Grand Marshal and appointed himself as the Deputy Marshal. Tiger Xing was brave in battle, but he was not as smart as Zhao Sui. Therefore, he was the real leader of this army. Zhao Sui divided the army of fifteen thousand soldiers into five camps. Feng Lei of the frontline, Guan Si of the rear, Liu Twenty-Seven of the left, and Ma Wu of the right. Two banners were erected side by side with the words: "Three thousand tigers, straight to the land of Youyan; the dragon soars to the nine and five, reopening the sky of chaos."
This was the banner used by Taizu when he rebelled against Dayuan. However, Zhao Sui replaced the words' Great Song 'with' Chaos'. His ambition could be seen from this. Li Hua of Shanxi was originally a mountain king. When he saw this scene, he was envious and thought that the world was about to change. Urged by his subordinates, he wanted to be a founding minister and become a king. Therefore, he rose up, attacked the county, robbed the treasury, and declared that he was rebelling. When Zhao Sui heard the news, he immediately led his army to Shanxi. Liu Liu, Liu Qi, Qi Yanming and the rest led another army east to Shandong. They bypassed Cangzhou and went straight to Dezhou, coordinating with Tai 'an's Yang Hu. Ji' an City was stuck in the middle and was in danger.
Xu Tai's battle was futile, and the bandits were getting stronger. Xu Tai was busy running around, but he rarely had the chance to fight. He was so angry that he could only report, "The bandits' horses are from the people. They can travel hundreds of miles in a day and night. The imperial army has few horses and cannot catch up with the enemy. Please prepare them in Shandong and Zhili."
Were there still horses in Zhili and Shandong? The horses in Zhili that could be seized were all seized by Liu Liu, and the horses in Shandong were all in Yang Hu's hands. The Great Ming's border army and the Jingdou's camp did not lack healthy horses, but these two armies were guarding the capital and the border. They could not afford to lose these two places.
When Emperor Zhengde read the memorial to the throne, he was so angry that his nose almost went crooked: 'What kind of useless account is this? It's been several months, yet it's so noisy. Turns out the officers and soldiers have been following behind the horse's buttocks eating dirt, they haven't fought a proper battle at all.'
The Rattling Horse Bandits finally left Hebei. They attacked Henan first and then Shanxi. The war had spread. Liu Liu's army was heading towards Dezhou. If Dezhou was lost, Jinan would be in danger. If Jinan was lost, Shandong would fall into the hands of the White Coat army. If Zhao Sui returned from Shanxi, Shanxi and Shandong would be blocked in Henan. The capital would be choked by the throat and become isolated, cut off from the rest of the country.
In the beginning, the Great Ming used the phrase 'the Son of Heaven guards the gates of the country' to build the capital here, in order to defend against the Tartars in the north. They did not consider that this kind of situation would occur. If Shandong, Shanxi and Henan were to fall into the hands of the White Coat Army, then the general trend would be lost. No one expected that the bandits, who were initially looked down upon, would have such power today.
Lu Wan discussed with the cabinet to send troops and rations to Dezhou through the canal. It was already June and July, the rainy season, so the water flow was very fast. This allowed Dezhou's troops to be replenished quickly.
Compared to Zhao Sui's 10,000 troops in Shanxi, Shandong was undoubtedly the most important. Once Shandong was lost, the water transport between the north and south would be cut off. Shandong's Rattling Horse Bandits could take the initiative and invade the capital in the north, the Central Plains in the south, and join forces with Zhao Sui in the west. With Dezhou repelling the Rattling Horse Bandits in the north and Jinan resisting the White Coat army in the east, they became the focus of the world.
By now, Li Dongyang had resigned from his post as the Grand Secretary of the cabinet. However, due to the urgency of the war, he did not leave the capital. The cabinet invited this old official back to study the war situation together. Although Yang Yiqing was the Minister of Personnel, he was also invited due to his proficiency in the art of war. His strategy to suppress the bandits was similar to Yang Ling's, but it was based on the overall situation and coordinated adjustments to completely eliminate the rebels. The urgent matter at hand was the tense situation in Shandong.
After listening to the military report, Yang Yiqing frowned. After a while, he said, "The bandit chieftain may not have the foresight to come up with a strategy to coordinate the east and west, to lock the river and the boats, and to seize the capital by the throat. They were running around without any long-term plans. However, this time, they have unintentionally created a situation that is advantageous to them.
Now that Madman Zhao has gone to Shanxi, Yang Hu and Liu Liu have sent their troops to Dezhou and Taian respectively. They have been attacking the cities day after day. This is different from their previous habit of not attacking the fortified city of Dafu. I think the bandit chieftain has also noticed this situation that is advantageous to them. Therefore, they must take down Dezhou and Taian and attack Jinan together.
This is very dangerous for us, but it is also an opportunity. The Rattling Horse Bandits and the White Coat Bandits have not fought with us head-on. We want to fight but can't. Now that they want to take down Dezhou, they must fight to the death here. This gives us a chance to destroy the White Coat Army and the Rattling Horse Bandits. Whether it is to protect Dezhou or destroy the Rattling Horse Bandits, the court must immediately send a highly respected general to Shandong to take charge. This battle is of great importance. If we win, it will be a good opportunity to reverse the situation! If we lose, the Emperor will be in danger. "
Yang Tinghe thought for a while and then said in a deep voice, "Then, who in the court … can take on this responsibility?"
* * *
The rain hit the water surface and the sky and earth were connected. The water level of the canal had increased again. Fortunately, otherwise, the Rattling Horse Bandits would have thrown many obstacles in the canal and inevitably obstructed the waterway. But even so, the number of ships coming and going from the court through the waterway had greatly decreased because the Rattling Horse Bandits had moved south from Dezhou and had already occupied Wuqiao, Jing County and other places.
Dezhou was the last big port of the Grand Canal in Shandong and the largest city in the northwest of Shandong. East of Dezhou was the Acropolis, where the Dezhou Guards and Dezhou Left Guards were stationed. The An Yi Pier in the south of the city was now mainly used by ships going north from the south. Further north was the territory of the Rattling Horse Bandits and they had basically stopped.
This was not only the hub of the north-south waterway, but also the hub of the land route from Jinan to the capital. It was a large water and land port. Although there were soldiers everywhere and a tense atmosphere, one could still see its prosperity.
The city of Dezhou was well-fortified and had strong soldiers and horses. Yang Hu's army had attacked Dezhou but returned without success. Now, Liu Liu had led the Rattling Horse Bandits in Bazhou to attack the city again. There was an endless stream of soldiers patrolling the city. All the main roads were under military control, and the army had replaced the local government to manage everything.
At this time, a group of soldiers entered the city from the west. This group of soldiers were all cavalry. Each of them was sturdy and valiant, and all of them were armed with long sabers. This meant that this group of soldiers was specially responsible for fighting on the battlefield, and not for defending the city.
They wore bright yellow battle robes over their armor. Just this was enough to attract everyone's attention and make them feel deep respect. Bright yellow could only be used by members of the royal family and the Emperor's imperial guards. What kind of army was this? Had the current Emperor come to Dezhou? But it didn't seem like it. If the Emperor had come, he should have gone to the Emperor's temporary imperial residence in the north.
The tasseled hats of this army were also different from the others. The soldiers all had a swan feather on their helmets. Occasionally, there would be people with two or even three feathers on their heads. They were all high ranking generals and deputy generals. The commander of the Dezhou Guards and the generals who had rushed over as reinforcements were all gathered together. They stood at the city gate and waited respectfully.
Finally, dozens of horses that were especially tall and strong could be seen. The warriors on the horses were also more muscular, and they were even equipped with short muskets at their waists. These people looked murderous, and they were definitely warriors who had been on the battlefield for a long time and bathed in life and death battles. They weren't major generals, but every one of them had two feathers on their heads, indicating that they had a different identity from the others.
At this time, a white horse appeared in the middle of the group. There was a young general on the horse. He was wearing a bright silver chain armor and looked valiant and formidable. His eyes were like bright stars, and a Green Edge Sword was swaying gently under his ribs. The three swan feathers on his head were swaying in the wind, and he looked like a distinguished person.
The commander of the Dezhou Guards, Luo Guangquan, became spirited and immediately led the generals to welcome him. He bowed and saluted, "This lowly officer has been waiting for Duke Wei's arrival for a long time."
The young general on the horse was startled and hurriedly steered his horse to the left. Luo Guangquan couldn't help but be startled. He immediately saw another young general in a white robe behind the young general. This young general was wearing a bright light armor and had a scimitar under his ribs. He had red lips and white teeth, and his facial features were like a painting. He was 70% more handsome and 10% more charming than the previous young general. He also had three spotlessly white feathers on his head.
Luo Guangquan thought to himself, Could this be the real Duke Wei? Isn't he too handsome? No wonder His Majesty likes him so much. "
Just as Luo Guangquan was about to salute again, the young general also turned his horse and flashed to the left. Behind him, a young man riding a black horse appeared. This man was dressed in a black robe embroidered with golden pythons, and on his head was a golden silk and jade crown of loyalty. On the crown were five snow-white swan feathers. This person had a jade belt around his waist and wasn't equipped with a weapon. However, when he looked around, he had a dignified bearing.
When Luo Guangquan saw this, he let out a long sigh, "This … must be Duke Wei. I can't be wrong."
Yang Ling rode on the horse and held onto the crown. He was afraid that the strong wind would blow the feathers away. He smiled and ordered the generals to stand up. At the same time, he cursed in his heart, "The Emperor's Imperial Army is indeed the Imperial Army. Can't they just wear bright yellow robes? Why are they wearing swan feathers? What am I, a General with five feathers? "
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