Ming Kingdom, Wakada County.
Hongshan County.
This was the capital of Ming Kingdom.
At this moment, Gu Erha was handling government affairs in the palace. Gu Erha spent more than twelve hours a day dealing with government affairs. Other than that, he also had to meet the court officials and discuss many government affairs. He had very little time to rest.
Gu Erha was in his forties, but he looked like he was in his fifties.
He looked very old.
While Gu Erha was busy, a series of footsteps came in. A chamberlain came in and bowed respectfully. "Your Majesty, the Prime Minister requests an audience."
Gu Erha said, "Please!"
The chamberlain immediately went to pass the order. Not long after, an old man in his sixties stepped in.
The old man's name was Zhao Tianxin.
He was Ming Kingdom's Prime Minister.
Zhao Tianxin used to be Wakada County's Prime Minister and Gu Erha's strategist. After Gu Erha became the King, Zhao Tianxin became Ming Kingdom's Prime Minister and was in charge of government affairs.
After Zhao Tianxin stood still, he bowed and said, "Your Majesty!"
Gu Erha put down the brush in his hand and said, "Men, give me a seat!"
The chamberlain placed a stool on the ground.
Only then did Zhao Tianxin take a seat.
Gu Erha's face was full of smiles. He said, "Prime Minister, what brings you to the palace today?"
Zhao Tianxin said, "Your Majesty, there is indeed an important matter."
When Gu Erha heard this, his expression immediately became serious.
It must be something important.
Otherwise, Zhao Tianxin would not be so serious.
Gu Erha said, "What happened?"
Zhao Tianxin replied, "It's like this. Didn't we arrange for Zhu Lie and Qiu Ye to sneak into Xia Xia with the intention of driving up the grain price and disrupting Ming Kingdom's grain market and even buying a large amount of grain back?"
Guerha nodded and said, "That's true. Now that we've grasped more and more of Mingzhou's territory, and our strength has increased, we're thinking of probing Xia first, or even stirring up chaos in Xia. So we sent Qiu Ye, who is the best at business operations, to go. "
"It failed!"
Zhao Tianxin shook his head and sighed.
Gu Erha said, "What about Qiu Ye and Zhu Lie?"
Zhao Tianxin said, "Not a single one of them managed to escape. According to the news that was sent back, everyone was killed. However, there seems to be news that Qiu Ye's betrayal led to the capture of all the people hiding in Xia Xia. "
"Impossible!"
Gu Erha's expression was cold and solemn.
His eyes were sharp as he said, "Back when I was the governor of Wakada County, Qiu Ye had followed me as an important official under my command. He was in charge of business matters. I was the one who promoted him. It's impossible for such a person to betray us. "
Zhao Tianxin said, "Your Majesty trusts Qiu Ye, so naturally, he is highly regarded by Your Majesty. The problem was that all the spies arranged by the Xia Continent had been caught in one fell swoop. That was a little strange. Especially after Xia Xia killed our people, he hung their bodies outside the city and read out their crimes. However, our men did not find Qiu Ye's body. "
"But that doesn't prove that Qiu Ye betrayed us," Guer Ha said.
Zhao Tianxin said, "Your Majesty is right. I've already considered something on my way here. If Qiu Ye betrayed us, then it's impossible for his family to still be in the city. That's why I arranged for people to go to his house to inquire about the situation. If Qiu Ye's family is still there, then it's impossible to determine if Qiu Ye betrayed us or not. "
Guer Ha said, "I believe in Qiu Ye."
Zhao Tianxin said, "Everyone knows that Your Majesty is benevolent and righteous. In fact, I also believe in Qiu Ye. I hope that Qiu Ye remains loyal to the Ming Kingdom and remains a mainstay of the Ming Kingdom. "
Guer Ha nodded.
A hint of worry appeared in his eyes.
This time, they wanted to deal with Xia Xia first, but they didn't expect to go for wool and come home shorn. Instead, they suffered great losses.
They lost so many people.
Even Zhu Lie and Qiu Ye were missing.
Guer Ha said, "Apart from Qiu Ye, there's no news for now. The rest were killed. Then, is there any other news? Is there any movement from Xia Xia's side? "
Zhao Tianxin said, "Not yet, but I reckon there will be some movement. We schemed against Xia Xia. It's unlikely that Xia Xia would choose to swallow his anger. So, we can only wait for news on this matter for now. "
Guer Ha nodded.
He trusted Zhao Tianxin very much.
Guer Ha suddenly said, "Prime Minister, how's the teaching of the Crown Prince going?"
Zhao Tianxin's face immediately darkened.
Now, in addition to handling government affairs, Zhao Tianxin was also entrusted with the important task of teaching Gu Chengye. Zhao Tianxin's face was cold and solemn. He said, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is really stubborn. In fact, the Crown Prince is extremely smart and can infer many things from one case. The problem is that the Crown Prince always wants to go to brothels. Sometimes, when it's time for class, he sneaks out quietly. Sigh, I really have no choice. "
"Bastard!"
Guer Ha's expression was very angry.
He wanted his son to succeed.
But Gu Chengye was not a talent at all. Everyone praised Gu Chengye for being smart and extremely talented. But everyone said that Gu Chengye was too stubborn because he always liked to go to brothels and fool around with women.
This point was criticized by countless people.
"Men!"
Guer Ha ordered.
A chamberlain hurriedly entered.
Guer Ha's eyes were sharp as he said in a deep voice, "Immediately send a decree to order the Crown Prince to reflect on his mistakes in seclusion for three days. If anyone lets the Crown Prince go, I will punish them. "
"Yes!"
The chamberlain hurriedly went to send the decree.
After hearing this, Zhao Tianxin shook his head slightly. It was not the first time Guer Ha had sent a decree to reprimand someone.
Such things happened from time to time.
But Gu Chengye did not know how to do it at all. He ran out when he should, and the key was that no one was watching him.
This was the most troublesome thing.
It was also because Guer Ha only had one son. So, there was nothing he could do about this matter. He could only accept it.
"Report!"
At this moment, there was a rush of footsteps.
A soldier went straight to Zhao Tianxin's side and said something in a low voice.
Zhao Tianxin's face immediately turned cold and solemn. He waved his hand and the soldier withdrew. Zhao Tianxin looked at Guer Ha and sighed. He said, "Your Majesty, this is the worst result. Qiu Ye's family has all disappeared. Now, the Qiu Family's residence is empty. There is no one in sight. "
Whoosh!
Guer Ha's face was furious.
He slammed the table and said in a deep voice, "How can this be? How can Qiu Ye betray me? I have treated him well. But now, he betrayed me and caused the death of countless people in the Ming Kingdom. "
Zhao Tianxin also let out a sigh.
No one wanted this to happen.
But it happened again.
After Guer Ha's anger, he gradually calmed down. He took a deep breath and said again, "Prime Minister, is there something fishy about Qiu Ye's surrender? After all, you have been watching over Qiu Ye and have worked together for more than ten years. Moreover, Du Qi is also a newcomer. We didn't have any interactions with the Xia before this. Why did he surrender? "
Zhao Tianxin said, "Your Majesty, there is no point in talking about this now. The news now is that Qiu Ye has surrendered. After all, so many of our people have died and Qiu Ye's family has been taken away. "
After a pause, Zhao Tianxin continued, "In fact, this is a strange move. It is not unusual for Qiu Ye to surrender once he is in a life and death situation."
Guer Ha was silent.
He looked helpless.
After a long time, he accepted this matter and said in a deep voice, "Xia Xia has killed countless of our people. How should we deal with this matter?"
Zhao Tianxin said in a deep voice, "In fact, the matter is simple. We have now taken almost all the counties in Ming Province under our command. Our Ming Kingdom's strength has increased. Since the incident with Xia Xia has happened, then let's go to war and destroy Du Qi's Xia Xia. "
"Urgent report!"
At this moment, another eunuch's voice was heard.
The eunuch hurried in and went straight to Guer Ha with a letter. He said, "Your Majesty, there is an urgent report from the border. There are movements in Xia Xia's territory."
Guer Ha waved his hand to dismiss the eunuch. He opened the letter and quickly read it. After reading it, Guer Ha's face was full of shock. He immediately handed the letter to Zhao Tianxin and said, "Prime Minister, we have not sent out our troops yet, but Xia Xia has already sent out his troops. Du Qi of Xia Xia has already led his troops from Pandu County to Wakada County. "
Zhao Tianxin's eyes were sharp as he said, "Since that is the case, then we have to go to war. At this point, if we do not advance, we will fall behind. If we take down Xia Xia, then Ming Kingdom's strength will increase further. At that time, it will only be a matter of time before we destroy the surrounding countries and replace Great Qin. "
Guer Ha nodded and said, "In that case, let's go to war."
Thus, the two of them quickly discussed the matter.
After all, when it came to war, it was not a simple matter.
Now that they were going to war with Xia Xia, they needed provisions, troops, equipment, and so on. They had to consider all of these.
After Guer Ha and Zhao Tianxin discussed for a while, he said, "Prime Minister, for this battle, you stay behind and guard the rear. I will personally lead the troops. We must win this battle in one go. "
Zhao Tianxin did not stop him and said, "This old subject obeys."
He also agreed that Guer Ha would personally lead the troops.
"Report!"
At this moment, an eunuch rushed in. After the eunuch stood still, he said, "Your Majesty, this is bad. The Crown Prince has run away again. We don't know where he went."
"Bastard!"
Guer Ha was furious when he heard this.
He was so angry that he blew his beard and glared, looking as if he expected better from the Crown Prince. He said, "What a disgrace, what a disgrace! Does he still have the law in his eyes? "
The eunuch trembled in fear and did not dare to speak.
After all, Gu Chengye was lawless and had never listened to orders.
He had long been used to such things.
Guer Ha waved his hand to dismiss the eunuch. He turned to Zhao Tianxin and said in a deep voice, "Prime Minister, I only have one son. However, the Crown Prince is stubborn and unscrupulous. Tell me, what should we do about this matter? "
Zhao Tianxin stroked the beard under his chin and thought for a while. He said, "Your Majesty, this matter should be easy to handle."
Guer Ha said, "How?"
He was looking forward to it.
One had to know that the matter of Gu Chengye's education had become a big problem. Guer Ha only had one son, Gu Chengye. If this son was not educated well, the Ming Kingdom would definitely collapse in the future.
This was something that Guer Ha absolutely did not want to happen.
Therefore, he had to stop it.
Zhao Tianxin said, "Your Majesty, it's normal for young people to be impulsive and have an unstable temperament. If they become old and lethargic at such a young age, they won't have any great achievements in the future. It's normal for the Crown Prince now. However, in my opinion, the only way to calm the Crown Prince down is to let him get married. After he gets married and has a child, he will naturally calm down and not be so impulsive. "
"That's right!"
Guer Ha's eyes lit up and he became excited. He said, "Prime Minister, you have a way. Why didn't you think of this before? It's time for the Crown Prince to get married. "
Zhao Tianxin said, "Your Majesty is wise!"
Guer Ha said, "What wise? This matter is the Prime Minister's suggestion."
Zhao Tianxin stroked his beard and smiled.
Guer Ha continued, "This matter will be left to the Prime Minister to choose. After you choose a candidate, discuss it with the Queen. After the final decision is made, wait for me to return from the frontlines and settle the matter. After this war, the Crown Prince's wedding will be arranged. "
"This old subject obeys!"
Zhao Tianxin immediately agreed.
Guer Ha said, "Prime Minister, you can go about your business. I'll pack up and prepare to set off."
"Yes!"
Zhao Tianxin got up and left.
Guer Ha himself left the palace and went straight to the harem to talk to his Queen about Gu Chengye's marriage. After that, he talked about going to the frontlines personally.
After everything was done, Guer Ha gave a few more instructions and left the palace, going straight to the military camp.
In the military camp, the soldiers had already received the news.
The army was already in formation.
The general under Guer Ha's command was called Zhang Ji. This person was the former commandant of Wakada County and was Guer Ha's confidant. After Guer Ha claimed the throne, Zhang Ji jumped up and became the Ming Kingdom's general.
From then on, he took control of the army.
Zhang Ji stood in front of Guer Ha and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, all thirty thousand elites in our army have been mobilized. This time, we'll send thirty thousand troops to destroy Xia Xia. "
Guer Ha said with a smile, "With General Zhang in control of the army, we'll definitely win this war."
He put on his armor and walked straight to the front of the army.
Gu Erha looked at the thirty thousand elite soldiers in formation. His face was solemn as he shouted, "My sons, the Xia Kingdom has already mobilized their troops to attack the Ming Kingdom. The Ming Kingdom must fight back."
"In fact, we must defeat the enemy and win in one blow, then directly kill our way to Xia Xia's capital.
"I hereby promise you that I will fight this battle."
"As long as the soldiers put their lives on the line and fight with all their might, there will be rewards.
"If you kill one enemy, you'll be rewarded with two taels of silver; if you kill two, you'll be rewarded with four taels of silver; if you kill three, you'll be rewarded with eight taels of silver; if you kill four, you'll be rewarded with sixteen taels of silver, and so on. I'll reward you however many you kill."
As soon as Guer Ha's words came out, the soldiers became excited.
The rewards were too generous.
Guer Ha saw the changes in the soldiers' expressions and shouted, "Boys, do you dare to fight?"
"Kill the enemy!"
The soldiers in the army shouted.
"Kill the enemy!"
"Kill the enemy!"
…
More and more soldiers began to shout and shout.
The faces of the soldiers were all flushed red. They were incomparably agitated, and even incomparably excited. Because to them, this was an excellent opportunity.
As long as they killed the enemy on the battlefield, they could earn rewards. This reward was too generous.
Zhang Ji was also shocked.
He didn't expect Guer Ha to give such a generous reward.
From this, Zhang Ji also understood Guer Ha's determination.
This war could only be won, not lost.
Guer Ha let the soldiers shout. After a long while, when all the soldiers stopped shouting, he waved his hand and ordered, "Move out!"
At his command, the army set off.
The mighty army began to leave the barracks, ready to meet the invading army of Xia Xia.
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