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After sending off Chen Degui the night before, Vézé slept well because he felt at ease. When he woke up the next day, he walked out of the tent feeling refreshed. It was a sunny day outside the tent. The sun had already risen in the clear blue sky. In such good weather, Vézé's mood was even better.
Seeing Vézé come out, a communications staff officer immediately came to report, "Chief of the General Staff, the vanguard from Changzhou is still 15 kilometers away from Qixia Mountain."
This news made Vézé feel as though a huge lump in his heart had fallen into his stomach. Based on the marching speed of the troops, 15 kilometers could be covered in two hours. He had already set up the communication line, so the troops could communicate smoothly. With the commanding ability of Wei Changrong and Ruan Xihao, as well as the operational ability of the military staff officer, the possibility of the troops getting lost in the last 15 kilometers could be eliminated.
As expected, after Vézé washed his face, he went to the camp for a temporary inspection and received news that the vanguard cavalry had arrived. When he returned to the tent, he saw that there were many more warhorses on the field. As soon as he entered the tent, Wei Changrong and Ruan Xihao, who were waiting inside, immediately saluted Vézé.
Vézé raised his hand to return the salute and said calmly, "In the future, our troops will all use the salute. In our troops, the Taiping army's etiquette system will be abolished."
After hearing Vézé's order, Wei Changrong's face was full of joy. He replied loudly, "Prince Of Qi! Oh, Chief of the General Staff, we understand! "
Ruan Xihao was perhaps Vézé's second loyal follower. He had joined Vézé's troops in Wuzhou and had been following Vézé ever since. Hearing this news, he said in surprise, "Chief of the General Staff, is the King Of The East really done for?"
Vézé nodded. "The Heavenly King conspired with the Northern King, Wei Changhui, the King of Yan, Qin Rigang, and the Wing King, Shi Dakai, to murder the King Of The East. Now that the Taiping Rebellion has come to this, we can no longer stay here. My meaning is very clear. After I return to Changzhou this time, Heavenly State will take its own path, and I will take my own path. From now on, we'll mind our own business and have nothing to do with each other! "
This was the first time that Vézé had expressed his opinion so straightforwardly, and the joy in his heart was indescribable. On the other hand, Wei Changrong said, "Chief of Staff, if the Heavenly King acts so recklessly, will the people in the King Of The East's residence still listen to him? Someone should have killed him long ago to avenge the King Of The East, right? "
Vézé sighed. "Sigh! The people in the King Of The East's residence! They think that the Northern King, Wei Changhui, entered Tianjing City and killed the King Of The East on his own initiative. I don't know what they're thinking. Without the Heavenly King to unite all the kings, why would the King of Yan, Qin Rigang, listen to the Northern King, Wei Changhui? The Northern King, Wei Changhui, was tortured so badly by the King Of The East. Who would dare to bet their lives on the Northern King, Wei Changhui? "
"How many people did the Northern King, Wei Changhui, bring into the capital?" Ruan Xihao asked.
Vézé smiled bitterly. "As far as I know, the most reliable number is about 3,000."
This number made Wei Changrong and Ruan Xihao speechless. After a while, Wei Changrong's eyes widened as he asked, "Do the people in the King Of The East's residence still think that Wei Changhui acted on his own initiative? Did they drink some magic potion? "
Talking to these brothers made Vézé's depression, which had accumulated for a few days, dissipate very quickly. The General Staff Headquarters was indeed a far cry from what Vézé imagined to be the most advanced military force in the 21st century. However, these brothers had all received proper military education, so they weren't lacking in general knowledge. Even if Wei Changrong and Ruan Xihao were bystanders, the truth that outsiders could understand with just a few words was too simple. However, the people in the King Of The East's residence had to bite the bullet and run away.
Vézé couldn't be bothered to talk about this unpleasant topic anymore. He said to Wei Changrong and Ruan Xihao, "I've already told them a few times. I'm sure they'll understand."
Wei Changrong nodded, but Ruan Xihao shook his head in disagreement. "Chief of the General Staff, when you were teaching us sports techniques, you repeatedly told us to use the strength of our abdominal muscles and not let the waist bear the brunt of the force. You told us according to our lumbar vertebrae, which parts are prone to injury. At that time, I was in awe of the Chief of the General Staff's marksmanship, and I really admired you. However, no matter what you said, I still couldn't understand what using the abdominal muscles and the brunt of the force meant. After that, I really hurt my waist, and it hurt when I moved. Only then did I understand why you wanted us to do that. Not only me, but many of my brothers have experienced this. If you haven't experienced it yourself, then you won't know! The King Of The East's residence hasn't experienced it before, so I don't think they'll listen to you. "
Wei Changrong had also experienced a lot of hardships when he was practicing martial arts, so he nodded his head repeatedly when he heard this.
Vézé's expression changed slightly. "I say, let's not joke about this! After your waist is injured, you can apply for leave from the Operations and Training Department, and the Operations and Training Department will give you targeted physical therapy. At the same time, you can train more scientifically. However, if the King Of The East's residence really suffers, it won't just be physical pain, it'll be fatal! "
"Fatal?" Wei Changrong and Ruan Xihao's expressions changed at the same time. Both of them had participated in the bloody feud of the locals in Guangxi, so of course they knew what it meant to kill someone. They had personally taken the lives of many people in those cruel vendettas.
"Hey! Fourth Uncle! What do you mean? " Wei Changrong knew that Vézé wasn't someone who liked to deliberately mystify things. When he heard that something was very wrong, he anxiously changed the way he addressed Vézé.
Vézé's expression darkened. "What do I mean? I originally thought that although the people in the King Of The East's residence followed the King Of The East to bully others, they might not be good people. However, since everyone is under the King Of The East's command, I still have to remind them several times. I always felt that as long as they weren't stupid and didn't really believe in the Heavenly King, with the current strength of the King Of The East's residence, they would be able to protect themselves. However, Ruan Xihao said that the people in the King Of The East's residence wouldn't listen to me at all and would still blindly do things according to their previous habits. They don't believe that the Heavenly King wants to kill them, but how could the Heavenly King let them go? If the Heavenly King leads the ambush, these people will be in trouble! "
Vézé told his two confidants about this extremely dangerous judgment, but he didn't relax. Instead, he became even more nervous. The thought of the people in the King Of The East's residence completely ignoring Vézé's words made Vézé's heart beat rapidly. If this massacre started, Tianjing City would immediately become a sea of blood.
Wei Changrong was obviously not as agitated as Vézé. He scratched his head and said, "Uh … Fourth Uncle, the Heavenly King only wants to kill the King Of The East. The King Of The East has been bullying others for so long, especially the North King. If we kill the King Of The East, punish the North King, and teach the people in the King Of The East's residence a lesson, won't this matter be over? What you said is the same as the Heavenly King wanting to kill everyone in the King Of The East's residence. "
This time, Ruan Xihao was clearly on the opposing side of Vézé. "Chief of the General Staff, if we kill everyone in the King Of The East's residence, what will be left in Tianjing City? Based on the information we have, without the King Of The East's residence, we won't be able to find any decent officials in Tianjing City. At that time, Tianjing City will be empty. We might as well choose any random city in Wanzhong. No matter how much trouble the Heavenly King causes, it won't be to this extent. This isn't about getting rid of the King Of The East's residence. This is suicide! "
"That's right! That's right! " Wei Changrong immediately agreed. "Heavenly State is the Heavenly State of the Heavenly King after all. He can't bring disaster to Heavenly State to this extent, right? It's impossible that the Heavenly King doesn't understand such a simple logic! "
Vézé wasn't moved by their logic at all. Not only was he not moved by their words, but Vézé felt his heart plummet in a straight line. These two subordinates were obviously speaking from the bottom of their hearts, and what they said was very reasonable. Vézé was also certain of one thing. The people in the King Of The East's residence wouldn't believe Vézé's warning no matter what. This was because they could easily understand the logic that Wei Changrong and Ruan Xihao had thought of. After getting rid of the King Of The East's residence, there would be nothing left in Tianjing City. What could the Heavenly King do in Tianjing City where there was nothing left? Suicide by hanging was just like that.
If these people could understand simple logic, perhaps they could also understand more complicated logic. However, they didn't understand the simpler and more fundamental logic. After the North King Wei Changhui killed the East King, Yang Xiuqing, he had become a "traitor of the Heavenly Kingdom." If the North King Wei Changhui could not kill everyone in the East King Palace and let the North King Wei Changhui become the ruler of the Heavenly Kingdom, then Yang Xiuqing and the people of the East King Palace would become traitors of the Heavenly Kingdom.
If Wei Changhui only wanted to kill the King Of The East's Yang Xiuqing, then after killing Yang Xiuqing, he could escape from the city or end his own life. Up until now, from the information that Vézé received, Wei Changhui showed no signs of escaping. Instead, he sent all kinds of tempting orders to the King Of The East's residence from the Heavenly King's residence. There must be a bottomless trap hidden behind these orders.
As for Hong Xiuquan, Vézé had already given up on him back in Guangxi Yongan City. Just for the sake of putting on straw raincoats for the guards protecting his wives, Hong Xiuquan was able to make the combat troops hand over their straw raincoats and bamboo hats to be drenched in the heavy winter rain. Vézé would never do such a thing unless it was time for war. If the frontline troops didn't have enough equipment, Vézé would only give his wives' raincoats to the frontline troops.
For a person like Hong Xiuquan, when faced with a choice between holding real power and continuing to be a puppet, Vézé couldn't see any reason why Hong Xiuquan wouldn't turn Tianjing City into a sea of blood!
Vézé didn't try to persuade him any further because he knew that it was useless. Vézé sat down on a stool opposite Wei Changrong and Ruan Xihao and began to narrate a story in a low voice.
Wei Changrong and Ruan Xihao were stunned to find that Wei Ze's voice sounded extremely hoarse in just a moment, and it was even as if he had changed into another person. However, the two quickly shifted their attention to the content of Vézé's story.
"The master brought the hound out to hunt, but he couldn't catch any rabbits. The master scolded the hound and said, 'You don't have to worry about food and water, so why can't you outrun the starving rabbits in the wilderness?' The hound felt wronged and said, 'I run for my mouth, but rabbits run for their lives!' "
After finishing his story, Vézé stood up shakily and asked, "How many cavalrymen do you have now?"
Although he didn't understand the meaning of Vézé's story, Wei Changrong knew his troops like the back of his hand. "Three hundred!"
"How many more cavalrymen can come after us?" Vézé remembered that the number of cavalrymen under his command was more than this.
"A total of eight hundred cavalrymen." Wei Changrong answered.
"Then split these eight hundred cavalrymen into two teams. One team and two brigades of infantry will slowly approach Tianjing City. Keep a close watch on them. The other team will be ready to provide support at any time. "After finishing his sentence, Vézé walked out of the tent dejectedly. He left the confused Wei Changrong and Ruan Xihao in the tent.
Stopping outside the tent, Wei Ze cast his gaze in the direction of Tianjing City. Under the azure sky, the sun had already risen and was shining warmly. No matter how he looked at it, it was a beautiful sunny day. However, everything in Vézé's eyes seemed to be shrouded by a layer of darkness. The good mood he had after waking up this morning had completely disappeared. Vézé felt as if his chest was filled with lead, so heavy that he couldn't even breathe.
From different perspectives, the same beautiful sky would have different colors. The gates of the heavenly king's residence in Tianjing City opened. The important officials of the King Of The East's residence all got off the palanquins and entered the residence under the guidance of the female officials. After they entered, the gates of the heavenly king's residence closed. This didn't cause any nervousness. Not to mention the heavenly king's residence, even the gates of the King Of The East's residence weren't opened on a whim.
The female officials led the group for a long time and brought them into a rather large courtyard. There were many flagpoles on the side of the courtyard, and yellow brocade hung from them. Under the clear sky, the brocade reflected a soft, bright yellow light. It really was a dazzling sight.
The female officials arranged for everyone to take their positions and then retreated. Zuo Tianhou, Chen Cheng? They followed the female officials in to receive the decree. The senior officials of the King Of The East's residence were waiting in the courtyard with their trusted aides. Thinking about the rewards they were about to receive, as well as the internal strife they would have to face after leaving the heavenly king's residence, everyone was very nervous. At this time, no one wanted to say anything.
Soon, a female official dressed in luxurious clothing appeared at the gate leading from the inner residence to the courtyard. The official called out in a clear voice, "The heavenly king has issued a decree. Everyone from the King Of The East's residence, receive the decree!"
Everyone from the King Of The East's residence knelt down. The Taiping Rebellion didn't kowtow, they only knelt. Everyone knelt with their upper bodies perfectly straight, holding their breaths as they waited for the heavenly king's decree. The official didn't speak immediately. She first turned and knelt in the direction of the inner residence, muttering something. No one could hear her clearly, and no one dared to ask. They could only kneel obediently. Although the weather was good, it didn't take long for everyone to feel uncomfortable kneeling on the bluestone slabs in the courtyard.
No one dared to complain. This was the etiquette to meet the heavenly king. When Tianjing City was first established, everyone had the experience of kneeling for an hour and listening to the heavenly king ramble on and on about a bunch of nonsense. When everyone stood up, it seemed like it took a lot of effort to prove that they were sincere in kneeling. During that experience, everyone, regardless of whether they were sincere or not, stood up shakily. Some of the weaker ones had to be supported up by the bodyguards. That experience left a deep impression on everyone. Many of them already felt that the heavenly king was going to torture their brothers like this again.
After kneeling for a full five to six minutes, some of the fat officials from the King Of The East's residence began to sway left and right because their knees couldn't take it. After another minute or two, the official finally stood up and turned to everyone. She unfolded the golden edict in her hands and prepared to read it. The important officials from the King Of The East's residence and the trusted aides of the King Of The East's residence didn't care about the intense discomfort in their knees. They all held their breaths and listened attentively.
"The people from the King Of The East's residence intend to rebel. Kill without mercy!" the official said loudly in a clear voice.
The important officials from the King Of The East's residence didn't understand what she meant. This wasn't what everyone had agreed on! Could it be that the official had changed the imperial edict?
Before this thought could turn into action, the yellow silk swayed and suddenly, wolf-like soldiers rushed out from behind. They all held long and short weapons in their hands and charged at the important officials from the King Of The East's residence.
Huang Weijiang was first in the first row. He was about to stand up and scold these soldiers when a spear pierced his chest. He instinctively grabbed the spear shaft with his hand, but the other spear pierced Huang Weijiang's throat. A wave of intense pain and suffocation filled with the smell of blood made Huang Weijiang's vision go dark. The pain of death had quickly subsided. Huang Weijiang only felt an indescribable throbbing. It felt like an eternity, but it also felt like an instant. The throbbing also dissipated.
Huang Weijiang's last thought was, "Where did I go wrong?!"
Huang Weijiang, who bore the brunt of the attack, might be considered lucky. Those in the center of the kneeling formation had to experience the terror of seeing their comrades from the King Of The East's residence being killed before they died. At this time, everyone was shouting, "What are you doing?" or "Are you rebelling?"
But the soldiers charging at them didn't answer. Instead, they did their best to carry out a ceaseless slaughter. The important officials from the King Of The East's residence had been kneeling for a long time. Even when they stood up, they felt that their legs weren't nimble. Many of them had fought their way to where they were now. Without weapons, their bodies weren't in their best condition, so their resistance was futile.
Needless to say, this group of soldiers had great teamwork. Two or three people formed a small team and used the spears in their hands to attack an important official from the King Of The East's residence. Even when a spear was grabbed by an important official from the King Of The East's residence, the other soldiers didn't hesitate and continued to stab it. Under such a violent attack, the important officials from the King Of The East's residence were on the brink of annihilation in the blink of an eye.
There were real experts in the King Of The East's residence. Fu Xuexian, the Marquis of Heaven, was in the middle. He was also the representative of the King Of The East's residence who had always strongly demanded the death of the North King, Wei Changhui. Everyone else was thinking for themselves. Only Fu Xuexian, the Marquis of Heaven, yelled all day long that he wanted to bring troops to kill Wei Changhui.
Even after arriving at the King Of The East's residence, Fu Xuexian's mind was still on killing Wei Changhui. This allowed him to react quickly and enter a battle state. Before he joined the Taiping Army, Fu Xuexian, the Marquis of Futian, was a mountain king who blocked the road and robbed people. Because he had a serious skin disease since he was a child, Fu Xuexian, who had always been discriminated against and bullied, was extremely violent. When facing the enemy, his pale face was almost distorted. This unexpected visual effect stunned the soldiers who were rushing over. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Fu Xuexian grabbed the spear and kicked the soldier in front of him.
Fu Xuexian didn't try to resist. He ran straight to the door, trying to kill his way out. However, a figure flashed out of the door. The person was holding a pistol. Before Fu Xuexian could react, a gunshot rang out. Fu Xuexian was shot in the chest. His body went limp, and he knelt on the ground with the spear in his hand.
The three soldiers behind him caught up and stabbed at Fu Xuexian's exposed back with all their might. The tip of the spear pierced deeply into Fu Xuexian's back, lower back, and left rib. There was no scream, no moan. Fu Xuexian looked up at the person who shot him. His pale face was a little surprised. He opened his mouth, and blood flowed down the corner of his mouth. Fu Xuexian's last words before he died were, "Zhang Yingchen, you …"
It was obvious that Zhang Yingchen had taught him the assassination skills he learned from Vézé very well. More than a hundred important officials of the King Of The East's residence came. In less than five minutes, everyone was stabbed. The long gunmen didn't retreat. Instead, they started to shoot the people on the ground in the neck without hesitation. Another two minutes later, the last moans and pleas for mercy completely subsided. The courtyard, which was glittering with silk, finally quieted down.
Following Chen Cheng after the massacre? The guy who entered the residence with them ran over. He was Chen Cheng? His trusted aide, a civil official under the Minister of the East Palace. This person was very familiar with the people of the King Of The East's residence, but he didn't have any special abilities. This morning, the important officials of the King Of The East's residence saw Chen Cheng. They actually chose him to enter the residence of the future military advisor. They were all quite disdainful.
The important officials of the King Of The East's residence, who had mocked him not long ago, were now dead on the spot. Their corpses were placed face up by Zhang Yingchen's subordinates. This very considerate method didn't make the civil official of the former King Of The East's residence feel relaxed. The familiar faces covered in blood, the expressions of those who died with their eyes open, and the frozen expressions of pain and shock on the faces of the dead made this civil official feel a chill down his spine.
But no matter how afraid he was, this civil official had to carry out his task. He held a list of names in his trembling hands. On the list were the names of the important officials of the King Of The East's residence who had been tricked into entering the residence. Every time the identity of the deceased was confirmed, the official would tick off the corresponding name on the list.
After ticking off more than 200 names, the civil official's face was deathly pale. His hands were trembling so much that he couldn't even hold a pen. He hurriedly took the list and ran to a room near the courtyard, using the fastest speed to escape the scene of carnage.
North King Wei Changhui, Prince Yan Qin Rigang, and Zuo Tianhou Chen Cheng were still in the room. Of the three, Heavenly King Hong Xiuquan still didn't participate in this meeting. He looked at the ticked off list. Chen Cheng let out a long sigh of relief. Wei Changhui revealed a joyful expression. As for Qin Rigang, he didn't seem to care.
"Zuo Tianhou, I'll have to trouble you again!" Wei Changhui smiled.
Chen Cheng? He replied, "North King, after your troops retreat, will you be able to defend the North Palace?"
Wei Changhui revealed a confident expression. "Don't worry about this. Since the troops of the King Of The East's residence aren't assigned by anyone, let alone thirty thousand, even if it's a hundred thousand, what's there to be afraid of?"
Wei Changhui was so confident. Chen Cheng? He could only stand up and say, "Alright! I'll go do something right now! "
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