Madman Zhao gave Marshal Li fifteen thousand men to guard the Wulao Peak and lure the imperial army in. Then, Xing Laohu, as the commander-in-chief of the three armies, personally came up with a plan to lure the enemy and attack Feiling Ferry. Yang Ling was forced to join the reserve troops. Only then did Madman Zhao play his last card. Using Red Lady to seize the ferry upstream of the Yellow River and gather a large number of ships from the opposite bank, he made a surprise attack on Taiyuan to force Yang Ling to retreat. Then, he made use of the flexibility of the cavalry and the lack of information from the imperial army to return to the ferry and successfully escape the encirclement.
With more than a hundred thousand troops surrounding Mount Donghua within a radius of three hundred miles, they could only guard the main road. Yang Ling did not expect to be able to wipe out the Mount Zhongtiao bandits, but he did not expect Zhao Sui to use such an ingenious plan to protect the main force of the Rattling Horse Bandits. Due to Zhao Sui's excellent escape plan, almost all of his ten thousand cavalrymen crossed the Yellow River. Then, half of them traveled by water and the other half by land, as if they had descended from the sky, seizing a large number of ferries along the coast of Shaanxi.
Subsequently, thousands of ships majestically went down the South River and split up at Fenglingdu. Red Madame led a group of ships and turned into the Wei River. Following the Xiang Bridge and Ren Liu Bridge, they went all the way west, passing through the heavily garrisoned Tong Pass until they reached the shore at Weinan. The remaining thousands of cargo ships from Weinan Prefecture blocked the entire river. Pedestrians and children only needed to walk along the bow of the ship and they could easily travel between the east and west sides of the Wei River.
Madman Zhao led hundreds of merchant ships of all sizes and under the dumbfounded eyes of the officers and soldiers at the ferry, the pontoons swaggered past them and anchored at the shore of Caijia Gully. He picked up Xing Laohu who had been traveling east along the river and transported him to the south bank.
Zhang Yin's troops took the wrong path in pursuit. It was the soldiers who escaped from the ferry who reported to them that they led their men to intercept them. After a series of battles, Xing Laohu's two thousand troops were once again buried, leaving less than one thousand eight hundred men to cross the river.
On the way, Yang Ling received the news that Madman Zhao had escaped to the ferry. By the time he led his troops back, Madman Zhao's troops had already crossed the river. The merchant ships carried people down the river and attacked the ferry along the way. Along the way, they successfully robbed the ships and rations.
Upon hearing the news, Yang Ling flew into a rage. Zhang Yin, who was rushing back with his troops, advised: "Duke, please do not be angry. This matter cannot be blamed on the river guards. The guards along the banks of the Yellow River are guarding the river, but their soldiers are land troops. Only a few small boats of the Inspection Office can travel on the Yellow River. There is no navy at all. How can you talk about fighting the enemy on water?"
Yang Ling was also infuriated by Madman Zhao's deceitful tactics. Upon hearing Madman Zhao's words, he realized that Zhu Yuanzhang was the one to blame. With a bitter laugh, he sighed and said, "I have underestimated Zhao Sui. This man is full of wisdom and he is indeed a talented general."
In his heart, Miao Kui felt a little comfortable. It was not that he wanted to see Yang Ling make a fool of himself. It was just that he had been attacking the mountain for two months without any results. If Yang Ling were to win the battle in one go, it would be even more embarrassing for him. Now that Madman Zhao's main force has escaped, he has more confidence in front of the Emperor.
Xu Tai consoled him: "Duke, please do not be angry. According to the statistics of the battle results that have just been reported, of the Rattling Horse Bandits guarding Mount Zhongtiao, except for Li Hua who saw the opportunity to escape and led a thousand men to Mount Wangwu to become bandits again, we have killed more than seven thousand Rattling Horse Bandits and captured twelve thousand. Xing Laohu's troops only managed to escape. Out of the fifty thousand Rattling Horse Bandits, only eighteen thousand managed to escape. This time, with a hundred and fifty thousand men surrounding the three hundred miles of Mount Dong Hua, the result is already very fruitful. "
Yang Ling nodded, then shook his head and said: "Be that as it may, but even though the number of Rattling Horse Bandits has decreased, their movements are more flexible and their supplies are easier to deal with. It will not be so easy to exterminate them."
He thought for a moment, then laughed coldly and said: "Xiao Wu, go and compile the detailed battle reports from each division. Reward and punish the men and horses who participated in the encirclement and suppression, then rearrange the deployment. Arrange the captured Rattling Horse Bandits properly and choose their leader to interrogate and see if there is any valuable information. "
Watching Xiao Wu and Xiao Ai hurriedly leave, Yang Ling said to himself: "Madman Zhao, heh heh, this is a good move. Since you are going to meet up with Liu Liu and Yang Hu, I will deal with the two of you together in Jiangnan. "
Zhang Yin's eyes flashed and he hurriedly asked: "Duke … you want to completely deal with the stubborn White Uniform Army bandits in Jiangnan? Have you already made the arrangements? "
Yang Ling gave him a cold stare, and Zhang Yin hurriedly lowered his head and said: "Pardon me for speaking out of turn."
Yang Ling lightly said: "You have led troops for many years and are not familiar with the local terrain. When pursuing, you should have brought along a local soldier to lead the way, but in the end, you went the wrong way. If it were not for the deserters at the ferry who found you and informed you, all of Xing Laohu's men would have crossed the river. Considering that you have pursued with all your might after receiving the news and did not spare any effort in attacking and annihilating the men left behind by Xing Laohu, I will not pursue this matter this time. Quickly reorganize your men and horses and return to Taiyuan. The defense troops in Shanxi do not move, in case Zhao Sui returns and attacks. "
Zhang Yin dared not say another word and hurriedly retreated.
Yang Ling vaguely remembered that there were a few times in history when reinforcements got lost in important battles and delayed the military. This was a common occurrence in ancient times. He had just killed Garrison Xia, and now it was obvious that his military judgment was wrong, causing the whole army to be in a passive position. He could not blame Zhang Yin any further, so he only reprimanded him for a while and then said to Xu Tai: "Have your men rest for a while and then find a boat to cross the river. At the same time, send someone to quickly investigate the whereabouts of the Rattling Horse Bandits."
Xu Tai received the order and hurriedly left. Yang Ling saw that Jiang Bin's face was covered in white cloth, revealing only a pair of bull's eyes, standing there in a daze. Yang Ling could not help but reveal a warm smile and teased: "Go and take a rest. You have fought bravely and bravely, and the country's military leader will report to His Majesty on your behalf. But it is a pity that this arrow pierced through his cheek and disfigured his face. The handsome and mighty Jiang You Ji will have to show off his prowess."
Seeing that there were no outsiders in the tent, Jiang Bin winked and laughed: "As a man, it is enough to look good. Why should I be afraid of being ugly? It's not like I'm selling my ass. "
Yang Ling rubbed his nose and glared at him: "Cut the nonsense and go and rest!"
Jiang Bin hurriedly acknowledged and retreated. In a short while, Jiang Bin shouted from outside: "Hey, Brother Wu, slow down. That … find a few bandit leaders to help me find out if my concubine has been kidnapped by them, and if she's alive or not …"
Yang Ling shook his head and laughed bitterly: "This glutton, he's not afraid of his cheeks hurting."
※ ※ ※
Yang Ling hurriedly made arrangements to deal with the aftermath and deployed troops to pursue the bandits. Madman Zhao and Tiger Xing disembarked at Jiao Stockade. Together with the four thousand men that Madman Zhao had brought along the river, they had a total of twenty thousand men and horses. They travelled along Lingbao, Luoning and Yiyang, and looked like they were going to attack Luoyang. At this time, the troops from Henan were gathering along the Yellow River and were left behind.
The magistrate of Luoyang, Jiang Hengyi, was very nervous. He hurriedly gathered all the troops that could be mobilized to enter the city and shut the city gates tightly. Then, he gathered all the gentry of the magistrate and passionately made a speech, encouraging everyone to contribute manpower and money to resist the bandits together. All the people were to ascend the city to fight.
Magistrate Jiang's voice was tearful, and it was like his last words. The gentry were scared out of their wits, and they were really willing to spend their hard-earned capital. They donated enough money to be used as military supplies, and gathered all the servants and servants, handing them over to the magistrate to form the people to ascend the city to prepare for battle.
The whole of Luoyang was in a state of panic, but unexpectedly, Madman Zhao went around the city and attacked Yichuan and Ruyang. At the same time, Red Lady's troops abandoned the boat and went ashore along Lantian, Shangluo, and Danfeng. They quickly turned into Henan and attacked Xixia and Zhe Chuan.
Red Lady was dressed in men's clothing, and she had a mustache on her lips. She also called herself Madman Zhao to outsiders. The two troops echoed each other, and for a moment, the government could not figure out which troop was the one under Madman Zhao's command. Seeing that the two Madman Zhaos were about to join forces at Nanyang, the Tang King of Nanyang was greatly alarmed. He hurriedly requested for reinforcements from the Imperial Command Department. The soldiers did not arrive for a long time, but Madman Zhao came all the way from Baofeng and Nanzhao. This made the Tang King anxious like an ant on a hot pan.
The life and death battle at Mount Zhongtiao had established Madman Zhao's leadership position. Many of the leaders of the Ringing Horse Bandits now had absolute trust in him. Xing Laohu's condition worsened after crossing the river, and he could only travel by carriage. In addition, his main force was almost wiped out, and this troop was in Zhao Sui's hands.
The flames of war were reignited in Henan.
On the third day of the ninth month, Yang Ling led Xu Tai and Jiang Bin's troops across the river to Luoyang. The magistrate of Luoyang, Jiang Hengyi, eagerly awaited the arrival of reinforcements. Suddenly, he had a pillar of support. He hurriedly led the city's gentry to welcome Yang Ling into the city.
Jiang Hengyi said excitedly, "Duke, you're finally here. Henan was stirred up by the White Army, and just as you left, the Ringing Horse Bandits broke in. The people are uneasy. Madman Zhao is extremely arrogant. Only you, High Duke, were able to make them suffer such a huge defeat. Now that you're here, the people have hope. "
Yang Ling smiled faintly and ignored the flattery. He only asked, "Magistrate Jiang, the Ringing Horse Bandits are most afraid of creating a large number of refugees to be used as hostages. Although you are a civil official, politics is the foundation of war, so your task is also the most difficult. Enforcing justice on behalf of the heavens is not something that can be shouted, and the so-called revolutionary army is not something that can be named by oneself. "
He glanced at the officials, generals, and gentry present and said, "In terms of advantages, the Imperial Court's advantage is not concentrated in the battle power of the army. Although the Institute of Defense has been reorganized, its battle power is still not high. This is a fact. The Imperial Court's unique sharp cannons are not very useful against the extremely fast moving bandits. As for bows, arrows, swords, and spears, the soldiers have them, and so do the people.
Why did the White Army Bandits have so many people following them in Hebei and Shandong? Because there were many poor people, the gentry and rich people squeezed them too hard. After the bandits rebelled, they were not appeased in time, so the people could not survive. "
When Yang Ling came to this era and saw everything that happened, he finally understood that the so-called uprising was just an evaluation given by later generations. If one thought that because the word "uprising" was used, then the people would definitely support it, and they would sacrifice their lives and shed their blood, it was completely idealistic.
At the end of the day, the people wanted to live. You had to have a clear political program that could convince the people. This was what the White Army Bandits lacked. They were proud of a few military victories, but they could not determine the final success or failure. The people only saw reality. If you were good for them, they would support you. If it was not good for them, they would oppose you. It was as simple as that.
So as soon as the suppression of the bandits in Shandong came to an end, Yang Ling immediately launched an offensive on the policy of the Imperial Court, urging the Emperor to carry out reforms. All kinds of strategies to pacify the people were effective. The refugees were settled, and the people had hope. After the White Army went to Jiangnan, not only did they no longer have the opportunity to quickly strengthen themselves, but they hit walls everywhere. Rather than saying that the soldiers had achieved military success, it was better to say that it had a powerful effect in politics.
Moreover, the idea of orthodoxy was deeply rooted in the people's hearts, and Ming Destiny was far from losing the people's hearts. In this feudal era, orthodoxy, during armed struggle, could definitely produce strong material power. The rebel heroes that later generations thought were just bandits in the eyes of the majority of the people at that time. Zhao Sui's army still had a good reputation, and the panic caused by the people when they entered Henan was enough to prove this point.
Yang Ling said, "The people are the easiest people to be satisfied. They need to have children, wear clothes and eat. With these, they will not rebel. Henan is also relatively poor, and there have been natural disasters in the past few years. As the parents, as the local gentry, you have to care for the people and actively respond to the new policies of the Imperial Court. In this case, Zhao Sui's arrival is like a shooting star, he will not be able to set the prairie ablaze."
"Yes, yes, yes, High Duke is right. The local gentry all care for the people. Elder Jiao pleaded to the Emperor to exempt Henan from taxes for three years. This time, the White Coat Bandits and the Ringing Horse Bandits have turned the world upside down in Hebei and Shandong. They have repeatedly invaded Henan, but the people have never rebelled. This is all because they are grateful for the Imperial Court's kindness." Magistrate Jiang quickly smiled apologetically.
Yang Ling was stunned. He remembered that Jiao Fang used cicadas, scorpions, and other so-called Three Treasures of Henan to advise the Emperor. No wonder the White Coat Bandits were so fierce this time, and there were almost no people in Henan who rebelled. He did not expect that Jiao Fang's good deed for the people in her hometown would have such an effect.
The officials and gentry present were deeply touched by Magistrate Jiang's words. Luoyang's Judge Shi Chantian praised, "High Duke, with the combination of the civil and the military, I believe the annihilation of the roving bandits is just around the corner. It is laughable that Madman Zhao is extremely arrogant. He passed Luoyang but did not dare to attack. Instead, he left a poem at the White Horse Temple outside the city to praise himself. He obviously escaped from Shanxi, but he still calls himself a hero and is complacent. It is extremely laughable. "
When Yang Ling heard this, he asked curiously, "Oh? Madman Zhao left a poem at the White Horse Temple to praise himself? What did he say? "
Judge Shi Tongxian knew that he had said something wrong and hurriedly looked at Magistrate Jiang. Magistrate Jiang hurriedly hid his smile and said, "Haha, it is just the arrogant words of the bandits. There is no need for High Duke to pay attention to it."
Yang Ling looked at Magistrate Jiang and said with a smile, "Since you know it is nonsense, why not say it to make everyone laugh?"
Magistrate Jiang was extremely embarrassed. After hesitating for a moment, he fiercely glared at Judge Shi Tongxian and stammered, "When Madman Zhao went around the city, he temporarily rested at the White Horse Temple. He once wrote a poem on the wall. The poem said … said, 'How many times have the golden stirrups struck under the moon, how many heroes have lost their courage. Who dares to capture them? To bully the enemy is to capture the tiger and the sheep! '"
After he finished speaking, he didn't even dare to breathe loudly. Officials have always valued their reputation the most and cared about it the most. Giving a set of women's clothes to the defending general of the enemy was enough to provoke him to disregard the enemy's situation and lead his troops into battle. In modern times, it was a complete joke, but in the past, it was effective on many occasions. Zhuge Liang scolded Wang Lang to death, but he was angry only because of his reputation.
Yang Ling had achieved success at a young age. He was a High Duke and had won every battle. Now that he was being ridiculed by a group of bandits, how could he not be furious? Everyone was trembling with fear, guarding against the angry roar of a lion. Unexpectedly, Yang Ling's expression did not change after hearing it. He read it again and actually smiled happily, "Madman Zhao is outstanding in martial arts, and his literary talent is also very good. He wrote a good poem."
His gaze turned and saw that everyone's expression was strange. Only then did he come back to his senses, "Tiger captures the sheep, tiger captures the Yang. Haha, this fierce tiger wants to turn around and capture me, Yang Ling?"
Magistrate Jiang saw that he was not angry at all and was relieved. He smiled apologetically, "High Duke is magnanimous. Madman Zhao's crazy words are just blowing his own trumpet."
Jiang Bin chuckled, "A toad yawning, such big words. Who dares to capture him? My General's surname is Yang. This Madman Zhao, I will skin him alive sooner or later. "
As they were talking, Wu Hanchao hurriedly walked in and whispered a few words into Yang Ling's ear. Yang Ling smiled, "I have just arrived in Henan and still need to understand the specific movements of the bandits before I can decide what to do. Military affairs are busy and I still have some things to do. Everyone, please return now. "
Magistrate Jiang hurriedly stood up and said, "High Duke has worked hard for the country. Now that the troops have reached Luoyang, the officials of Luoyang have prepared a few banquets to welcome High Duke, should we …"
"There's no need. Henan has been plagued by bandits. We still need the cooperation of the local officials and gentry to stabilize the place and the people's hearts. If this is done well, it will be the greatest welcome to me. Now that there is indeed an important military matter to deal with, I appreciate Magistrate Jiang's good intentions. "
Seeing this, Magistrate Jiang could only lead the group of officials and gentry to leave. Yang Ling sent them out of the hall and rushed back to the study with Wu Hanchao. He asked, "An urgent letter from Cabinet Elder Jiao?"
Wu Hanchao took out a letter from his sleeve, "Yes, the messenger is still in the gatehouse. However, I have asked and he is only responsible for delivering the letter. He does not know the details."
Yang Ling nodded and hurriedly opened the letter. His brows gradually furrowed. Wu Hanchao observed his expression and asked quietly, "High Duke, did something big happen in the capital?"
Yang Ling shook his head and said, "There is nothing big in the capital. Cabinet Elder Jiao has already returned to the capital and sorted out the recent events of the court for me to know. Bayan has fiercely led his troops back to the northern grasslands. However, his situation is not too good. Huadang has gained the upper hand and has greatly increased its power. It is enough to contend with Bayan and Huo Sieve.
Huo Sieve and Wala's allied forces have learned that Bayan's territory has been lost and have now shed all pretense of cordiality. The three sides have fought endlessly on the grasslands. For the time being, each side has its own victories and defeats. However, Bayan's tribe is the weakest and is the common enemy of both Huadang and Huo Sieve. Although they have relied on their reputation as descendants of the Huang family to call back some of their tribes, their overall strength is still at a disadvantage.
The situation outside the Great Wall is like this. We are in chaos here and they are also in chaos there. For the time being, there is no need to consider their threat. The implementation of the new policies in court is also going smoothly. However, Cabinet Elder Jiao mentioned the war situation in Jiangxi and I am very worried.
Yang Hu and Liu Liu killed their way into Jiangxi. Because the local soldiers are not unified, the White Uniform Army has repeatedly taken advantage of the gaps. However, King Ning has sent a lieutenant to the capital to express his support for the new policies. At the same time, he has suggested that the Emperor order King Ning to temporarily control the troops in Jiangxi and suppress the bandits together with the Jiangxi Inspector … "
Wu Hanchao asked curiously, "What's there to worry about? During wartime, if a region is cut off from the imperial court, the vassal king has the right to lead all the military and political forces to suppress the rebellion. Prince Jin, Prince Dai, Prince Shu, and the other vassal kings on the border all have this right. Although King Ning is inland, he is still responsible for the peace of Jiangxi. Temporarily controlling the troops in order to be able to command nearby is nothing out of the ordinary. "
Yang Ling wanted to say something but hesitated. Although Wu Hanchao was his trusted aide, how could he say such shocking and baseless words to him? He muttered to himself for a moment before saying, "Oh … I was just considering that King Ning has never commanded a battle before and was afraid that he would overstep his authority and mess up the defense of Jiangxi. There's nothing else, you can withdraw first. "
"Oh, that's right, why has Xiao 'ai been so quiet lately? Are you two quarreling?"
Wu Hanchao laughed dryly. "How could that be? Heh, heh, heh, her temper is bigger than mine and her official rank is also higher than mine. How could I dare to provoke her? "
Yang Ling also laughed. He waved his hand and Wu Hanchao quietly withdrew. A trace of worry shrouded Yang Ling's brow.
He faintly sighed and sat in front of the table, spreading out a map of Ming Destiny. He was extremely worried. King Ning wouldn't rebel at this time, would he? If he took advantage of this chaos to raise troops, it was unknown how much the imperial court would have to pay to quell the rebellion.
King Ning had always been extremely respectful to the new Emperor. Every festival and celebration, he would give generous gifts and bribe the officials in the capital. According to the intelligence he knew, even Yang Tinghe had received generous gifts from King Ning. In the absence of accurate evidence of King Ning's rebellion, and the vassal king had a precedent of controlling the troops in times of chaos, he could not stop King Ning from meddling in military affairs.
Yang Ling pondered for a long time. He spread out the letter and began to draft a memorial to Emperor Zhengde. He did not mention a word about the Jiangxi incident. He only said that he was preparing to wipe out the White Coat Army in Jiangnan. The military deployment had already produced results. Yang Hu and Liu Liuyi were gradually suppressed in Jiangnan. As for Zhao Sui going south, due to the limited number of troops, there were very few variables. However, just in case, in view of the fact that most of the troops in Jiangnan were weak and mediocre, it would be difficult to achieve results at the critical moment.
Yang Ling pondered for a while and wrote, "I suggest that Fujian Commander Si He Bingwen control the troops in Fujian and Guangdong so that they can be mobilized in a unified manner to prevent the White Coat Army from continuing south through Jiangxi. Sichuan Commander Li Sen has rich combat experience. He can coordinate with Hunan Commander Liu Zhong to strengthen the defense line in Hunan. "
Yang Ling thought for a while. With such an arrangement, he should be able to prevent any potential trouble. He had Henan, Southern Zhili, and Zhejiang had Bai Zhongzan. This person was brave and good at fighting, and had been through the war against the pirates. He could be put in an important position. With these few generals surrounding Jiangxi, if King Ning really dared to raise his troops, as long as he blocked the way north, he would be able to catch a turtle in a jar. He would not be able to escape.
※ ※ ※
In Song Ai's room, Wu Hanchao whispered, "Xiao Ai, you have to be careful. High Duke asked about you just now. Don't let him see through you."
Song Ai pouted and sat on the bed. She grabbed a pillow and threw it over, "Look, look, look at your head. If I can't see through it now, I will be able to in a few months. Do I still want to live then? It's all your fault. You deceived him with flowery words. What do you think we should do now? "
"I … I … I …" Wu Hanchao's face was red. He was so anxious that he paced around. He said with a sad face, "I didn't think of it either. How is it possible? How could it be so coincidental … "
Song Ai's eyes were wide open. She said angrily, "What are you talking about? What coincidence? What's impossible? Don't tell me there's another man besides you? You have no conscience. You … "
"Shh! Shh, shh … Lower your voice. When did I say that the child wasn't mine? I said that I already reined in my horse at the edge of the cliff. How … how did I get it? Hehehe … "Wu Hanchao laughed dryly. There was a hint of pride in his laughter.
"Reining in your horse. You only care about your own happiness. You don't even worry about me!"
Song Ai pursed her lips and was about to cry, "I don't know where you got so much energy from. You were fighting in Bazhou City in the day, and at night you even snuck into my room, making me so embarrassed. I hate you to death."
Wu Hanchao hung his head and muttered, "Aren't you just as happy as me?"
Song Ai's ears were sharp. She said angrily, "Little Wu, what did you say just now?"
"No … I didn't say … Erm … I was thinking. I was thinking. The Duke's wife is the kindest. I originally wanted to ask her to make the decision for us to get married. If my father heard about it, he wouldn't be able to say anything. But who would have thought that the Duke would go to Shanxi to suppress the bandits. It's not appropriate for me to say this now. If I say it now … What would become of me?"
"Alright! You want to be decent, right? Then I don't want the child anymore. I'll go and prescribe medicine to abort him. You heartless person. Eunuch Miao can be a eunuch, but he can't be a military supervisor. You, Wu Hanchao, are a thief who can't be a man … "
As Song Ai spoke, she grabbed the things on the dressing table and threw them at Wu Hanchao. Wu Hanchao immediately displayed his kung fu, waving his hands and feet as he tried to catch them. In the end, he crossed one leg, with a vase on it, an eyebrow pencil in his mouth, a powder box in his left hand, a bronze mirror in his right hand, and a horn comb in his crotch. He did not know whether to laugh or cry as he froze there, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. He said embarrassedly, "Xiao Ai, don't throw anymore, I can't catch them all."
Song Ai snorted and rolled her eyes at him, "Then tell me, what should we do now?"
"You can't abort the child. It's not like you're cheating to raise a man … No, no, I'm saying that I'm the only child in my family. If my father knew that I aborted his grandson, he would beat me to death."
"Then hurry up and write a letter to your father. Take advantage of the fact that you can still hide it, and marry me as soon as possible."
"But how should I say it? We're at war. Say that you're pregnant? My father is a scholar. He values his family's honor the most. Doesn't he still want to beat me to death? "
Song Ai frowned and scolded, "You can't do this, and you can't do that. What happened to your ability when you climbed onto my bed? I'm so angry. I'm going to find the Duke … "
"Don't, don't. How can a girl like you open your mouth?" As she spoke, Wu Hanchao's pitiful look disappeared as if he was performing a magic trick. The things on his hands and feet were all lifted into the air. Then, he lifted his robe and hugged them. Not only was his movement magical, but it was also extremely beautiful.
Song Ai's beautiful eyes lit up. She said happily, "What kind of martial arts is this? You didn't teach me. Good, you're still hiding it from me. Hurry up, I want to learn. "
Wu Hanchao didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He said, "Grandaunt, you really don't know how to worry. You still want to learn? You're on fire. "
"Oh!" Song Ai then remembered that she was pretending to be pitiful to force him to marry her. She quickly put on a bitter face and faintly said, "If I don't say it, then you say it. Since you can't let your father know, then only the Duke can stop it. It's easy to talk between men. Doesn't the Duke himself have a daughter in Nanjing who can't see the light? If you say it, he will definitely sympathize with you. Let's have a military wedding. How grand would that be? "
Song Ai put on a gentle smile. She gently walked over and hugged his arm. Her elbow turned to her plump and soft chest and gently said, "Xiao Wu, you go. Since you're officially married, there's no need to be sneaky. I'll accompany you every day. Mandarin ducks pillow together, flowers bloom together, we'll raise our eyebrows together, and we'll grow old together …"
Wu Hanchao's body was limp. His bones were numb, and his ears were itchy. His hands were holding something in his robe. He smiled and said, "Okay, okay, you … you let me think about it. I'll think about it again. I'll find a good opportunity …"
Song Ai's face changed. She gave him a kick on his butt and said angrily, "You heartless man!"
Yang Ling thought for a long time in the room. He carefully read the memorial again. After deliberating for a long time, his eyes were fixed on Qing 'an Prefecture, which was the main road from Shanxi to Nanjing. His finger pointed at the map and his eyes rolled. He picked up a pen and wrote another name on the paper: This official proposes to promote Chengdu Tongzhi Wu Wending to be the magistrate of Qing' an Prefecture in Southern Zhili …
* * *
Red Lady failed to attack Nanyang. She led the army around the city and went straight to Biyang. The County Magistrate of Biyang ran away with the seal. Red Lady took Biyang without any bloodshed and waited for Zhao Sui to arrive. Unexpectedly, when Zhao Sui arrived, the whole army was in white mourning dress. She couldn't help but be shocked.
It turned out that during the battle at the ferry, Tiger Xing personally led the army. His illness worsened and he couldn't get any treatment along the way. When the army reached Fang City, he suddenly passed away. Madman Zhao's whole army was in mourning and buried him in a secret place in the mountains. Only then did he lead the army to Fang City. Red Lady and Tiger Xing were old acquaintances. Although their relationship was not that good, she couldn't help but feel sad when she heard the news. When they finished talking, Red Lady shouted, "Come, set up the incense table. I want to pay my respects to Marshal Xing!"
"Yes, yes," someone rushed out of the hall in a panic. Madman Zhao saw that the person was wearing a court official's robe. He was about thirty years old. His skin was white and tender. It was obvious that he didn't work. He couldn't help but frown and asked, "Who is this person?"
Red Lady said, "Such a luxurious mansion, he must be from a rich family. This person is also an official. He is a study attendant. Guess which important person's son is he?"
Madman Zhao was suspicious, "Young master? Oh … the sign hanging in front of the door is the Jiao Mansion. Jiao … he is Jiao Fang's son? "
Red Lady said, "Yes, this is the Jiao Mansion. Otherwise, how could they find such a big mansion in such a small place?"
Jiao Fang had five sons. The eldest, third and fourth sons died long ago. Now she only had two sons. The second son, Jiao Rui, was a magistrate in Shandong's Wuding Prefecture. This Jiao Huang was the youngest son. He was just thirty years old. Two years ago, he scored first place in the second grade exam and entered Hanlin Academy. This year he was promoted to study attendant.
When Jiao Fang was touring the provinces and making arrangements for the refugees, he also took a leave of absence to serve his father. When Jiao Fang returned to the capital, he went back to his hometown. He wanted to return to the capital after a few days. Unexpectedly, Red Lady's troops arrived at lightning speed. That disloyal Biyang County Magistrate, who usually called him brother and fawned on him, slipped away without him noticing. Red Lady also targeted the rich families. As a result, he was caught red-handed by Red Lady.
Madman Zhao snorted coldly and looked at Jiao Huang from head to toe. Jiao Huang was so scared that his face turned pale.
Madman Zhao sneered, "In the capital, Jiao Fang did not have any bad deeds. This person is only a study attendant of Hanlin Academy. Killing him would be unjust. Using him to threaten the soldiers is not enough. He is suitable to be a temporary servant. You may leave."
Jiao Huang felt as if he was pardoned. He retreated with a red face.
Red Madame knitted her eyebrows and said, "Xiucai, we broke out of the encirclement all because of your stratagem. Now we are in Henan, but Yang … Yang Ling is hot on our heels. Where are we going? Are we going to Jiangxi to meet Liu Liu's troops?"
Zhao Sui shook his head and said, "No, Yang Ling is slowly moving his troops towards Jiangnan. He wants to force us to an area that is not conducive for the cavalry to fight. He wants to trap us to death, starve us to death, or find an opportunity to annihilate us. We cannot go to Jiangxi, it is a land of death."
He glanced at Red Lady and said, "Haven't you noticed? We are invincible in Hebei and Shandong where there are more poor people. We are able to recruit soldiers and buy horses at an amazing speed. If we are defeated, we can rebuild our army within ten days. As long as we have food to eat, there are many people who are unable to survive who are willing to join the army and risk their lives. However, when we are in the south, it is no longer possible.
The people here are relatively well-off. Even if they are dissatisfied with the imperial court, they are far from supporting the roving bandits in their eyes. Ming Destiny has existed for more than a hundred years. His foundation is solid and the idea of orthodoxy is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. This orthodoxy is soldiers and money. If we are to go south, we cannot use the tactics of the north.
If I am not wrong, Liu Liu and Yang Hu have gone south all the way to Jiangxi. It is difficult to replenish the number of soldiers and their strength has weakened. We must find a place to settle down first. Only after we are able to catch our breath can we plan to expand further. "
Red Lady wanted to go to Southern Zhili to find Zhou Dean for revenge. However, she could not open her mouth at this time. She controlled her temper and said, "You know these things better than me. I only ask you, what are we going to do now?"
Zhao Sui said, "When I was at Mount Zhongtiao, I guessed that they will encounter difficulties when they go south. It is a pity that we are too far away to stop them. Before breaking out of the encirclement this time, I have already sent some people to Jiangxi to contact Liu Liu and Yang Hu. We will first move around this area and wait for their people to arrive. Then we will discuss a way out together.
Now, we will first return to attack Nanyang. While Yang Ling has just arrived in Henan, he has not had the time to deploy his troops. No matter the cost, we must capture the city of Nanyang and capture the Tang King, Zhu Midu. When we have found a suitable place to develop, we will make him a puppet emperor. He is also a descendant of the Zhu family. With such a person around, the resistance we will face will be greatly weakened.
"Descendant of the Zhu family?" Red Lady rolled her eyes and suddenly a smile appeared on her face. She said, "As long as he is a descendant of the Zhu family? Then there is no need to forcibly attack Nanyang. When I passed by Nanyang, I conveniently picked up a person. This person is a descendant of the Feng family. "
Madman Zhao was stunned at first. Then he stood up in ecstasy and asked, "Quickly tell me, who is this person?"
Red Lady smiled sweetly and said, "This person … is a monk!"
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