Seiwa

In the first month of the second year of Jianwen, it was supposed to be a time for family reunion to celebrate the New Year, but the Yan Army in Beiping and the Southern Army in Dezhou sounded their horns, polished their armor, assembled their soldiers, and set off as a whole.

In the city of Dezhou, Commander Teng Ju stood on the temporary general platform, looking down at the ten thousand sons under his command, and couldn't tell what it was like in his heart.

Sadness, unwillingness, and anger all turned into a long sigh in the end.

Aspiring to serve the country, to pacify Yanni, but to meet a coach like Li Jinglong, can only count himself as unlucky.

This trip is close to death, and it may not end well if you return with your life.Death is not a pity, if you are slandered again, bear a whole body of infamy, and become a stepping stone for others to advance, then the real June Feixue will die with peace.

"Commander, the time has come."

A thousand households who had followed Teng Ju for many years stepped forward with a knife, not showing it on the face, but equally upset in his heart.

Li Jinglong is really nothing!Except for hereditary titles and the prestige left by her ancestors, she has no ability to command an army at all!

Sending [-] infantry to march into Datong is simply incomprehensible!

King Yan and King Jin, which one is easy to provoke?Even if the two feudal lords are fighting among themselves, taking care of 1 people is nothing more than cutting melons and vegetables.

Siege?Less likely.

Datong is an important place for border defense. If 1 people attacked the city, they would be shot into a sieve by bows and arrows without even touching the city gate.No matter how it is in private, King Jin is still a feudal lord of the imperial court, and he is fully armed to walk on his territory. Isn't it an excuse for the other party to rebel with King Yan?

Even if there are only 1 people, it is still an army!

The imperial court has sent troops, so you can't just sit at home and wait to die, can you?He is not that nerd of King Xiang!

Hao Qianhu couldn't understand whether Li Jinglong was on the emperor's side or had already taken refuge in King Yan secretly. How did he issue such an idiot order?

"Let the whole army go!"

Teng Ju originally wanted to say something, but felt that it was unnecessary when the words came to his lips.

Anyway, it's the same end, why bother to disturb the morale of the army?

Meng Qingjiang, Gao Fu and others were all in the advancing team. They were dressed in the jackets of the Southern Army, armed with spears and waist knives, and were inconspicuous.

The 1 people Li Jinglong gave to Tengju were mainly made up of the defeated troops who retreated from Peking.In a short period of time, he was able to achieve orders and prohibitions, and formed a certain combat effectiveness, which shows that Teng Ju's ability to use troops and command is extraordinary.

It's a pity that even the best talents can't stretch their hands and feet under Li Jinglong's command.

Want to show off your skills?Wait for the next life.

protest?Who cares about you.If you violate the military order, your head will fall to the ground immediately, and you can go to the palace of the king of hell to reason.

As the north wind howled, Teng Ju's team set off.

As the snowflakes fell, the Ten Thousand Confederate Army embarked on the road of no return to Datong.Whether to live or die, from now on it is not up to them to decide.

In the big tent of the Chinese army, Li Jinglong spread out the paper and rubbed the ink himself. The sad face of many days disappeared, replaced by a relaxed smile.

How to write the memorial, he already has a draft.

The team starts today, and tomorrow, this memorial can be sent out.

Next, just wait for the "battle situation" in the direction of Datong to be sent back.If they are all dead, that is to serve the country loyally, and the imperial court will definitely order a reward.If he could come back alive, it would depend on whether Teng Ju was acquainted whether he fought bravely and broke out of the encirclement or escaped cowardly.

Thinking of this, the smile on Li Jinglong's face gradually disappeared, he put down the ink stick, and wiped his hands.If it weren't for the scruples about the emotions in the army, it would not be Teng Ju who led the army this time, but Qu Neng.

After the Battle of Beiping, Qu Neng had been dissatisfied with Li Jinglong.With Qu Neng's official position and seniority in the army, Li Jinglong couldn't deal with him easily, so he could only grit his teeth secretly.

The longer you endure, the deeper the hatred.Li Jinglong vowed that once he had the opportunity, Qu Neng would never stand up again.

When [-] southern troops entered the area under the jurisdiction of King Jin, Teng Ju became more cautious.No matter what Li Jinglong thinks, he must fulfill the responsibility of a general.

Teng Ju didn't want to die, and as the army got closer to Datong, this idea became more and more violent.He thought of Chen Hui again, as long as there is a chance of survival, no one would be willing to be cannon fodder.

The wind is getting colder and colder, as if it is about to freeze everything.

Heavy snow blocked the road ahead, and Teng Ju had to order the team to stop temporarily, and wait until the forward explored the way back before moving on.

The looped jackets worn by the Confederate Army could not resist the biting cold. It was fashionable in Texas, but further north, the cold weather would kill them.

Everyone huddled together unknowingly, so that at least it would be warmer.

Suddenly there was a shrill wolf howling in the distance, and Meng Qingjiang and Gao Fu signed to each other, leaving inconspicuous marks where the team passed, either on trees, or a few stones exposed in the snow .This is a mark commonly used by the frontier army. It was used to deal with the Tartars before, but now it is used on the southern army.

The striker returns and the team continues on its way.

Meng Qingjiang wanted to take the initiative to find the way for the team, but Gao Fu stopped him.

"Don't go out, the road is already wrong."

The two spoke in a low voice, and Ji Gang followed behind them, shivering and tightening his jacket, he was too cold to speak.

The team gradually disappeared into the wind and snow, no one noticed, and a Yan army cavalry followed.

Outside Beiping City, amidst the sound of horns, King Yan led the army to set off.His destination is not Datong, but Weizhou.

Zhu Gaochi saw off the army on the top of the city.After the Beiping War, his prestige in the army improved. Zhang Yuzhuneng and other generals would occasionally praise the prince, but it was mostly superficial.In contrast, Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosui are still more valued by these generals.

As the army marched, the battle flags were fierce, King Yan was in armor, and Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosui followed closely beside him.

Zhu Gaochi on the top of the city took a deep breath and clenched his fists. His duty is to guard Beiping. As long as he guards Beiping, no one can shake his position!

"My lord, it's time to go back."

Seeing that Zhu Gaochi had no intention of leaving, Wang An could only step forward to remind him bravely.

It's so cold, what if the son is caught by the wind and cold?

"Wang An, lonely..."

Halfway through speaking, he suddenly stopped.

Wang An listened carefully, but there was nothing to say. He raised his head carefully, only seeing Zhu Gaochi's back.

"Go home."

"As ordered."

What did the prince want to say just now?

Wang An couldn't guess, and didn't dare to ask.

Since the prince raised his army, the son is still generous but dignified, and the people who serve by his side are the ones who feel the deepest.Some things could be said before, but now they can't.

After getting off the city, the car has already been prepared.

Zhu Gaochi can ride a horse, but for the sake of both him and his mount, he still chooses to ride a car most of the time.

The car is covered with thick mattresses, and there are low tables embedded in the car board.

A plate of sorghum pancakes and a pot of hot tea have become must-haves in the car.

"My son, here are two plates of dim sum, which the princess ordered."

Zhu Gaochi shook his head, picked up the sorghum pancakes, and said, "Bring them back to the manor to the concubine, and I will thank my concubine alone."

"Yes."

The wheels rolled over the snow on the road, and the pedestrians on the side of the road automatically dodged.Looking out from the car window, the snow-covered city is silvery white.

Ever since he was sensible, this kind of winter has been deeply imprinted in Zhu Gaochi's memory.

Five years, ten years, and longer.

"Wang An."

"The servant is here."

"Gao Wei seems to be a lot more honest recently?"

"Yes."

"what happened?"

"The servant girl dared to guess that it should be Meng Qian who shared the worries of the prince."

"Oh?"

Zhu Gaochi turned his head, he did ask Wang An to disclose Gao Wei's matter to Meng Qinghe, but Meng Qinghe has been recuperating recently, and the army did not catch up with the expedition, when did he go to see Gao Wei?

"He went by himself?"

"Returning to the son, Zheng Tingshi, who is beside the prince, led Meng Qian to go."

"Zheng He?" Zhu Gaochi thought for a while, "Did Zheng He follow this time?"

"Yes."

Zhu Gaochi nodded, and a sorghum pancake was eaten quickly.

"After returning home, please ask Meng Qian to come and see Gu."

"The slaves obey."

How did Meng Qinghe deal with Gao Wei?Zhu Gaochi was very interested.

To deal with single-minded and extremely famous literati, ordinary methods will not be effective at all.Threats and lures are too childish, and quoting scriptures is a waste of time, and it takes a lot of energy to deal with the aftermath.

Zhu Gaochi really wanted to know what method Meng Qinghe used on Gao Wei.

While thinking about it, he picked up another piece of sorghum pancake and continued to grind his teeth.

After returning to the palace, Wang An immediately went to invite Meng Qinghe, not wanting to be in vain.

Due to illness, Meng Qinghe has not been on duty recently, and there is no one in the room, where can I find him?

After asking the little eunuch who delivered the water and several long followers in the palace, he learned that Meng Qinghe had been going out at Sishi for the past few days, and did not come back until after noon.He often hums a ditty when he goes out, and occasionally brings back a few pieces of cloth.

Wang An rolled his eyes, and he knew it.

"Okay, our family knows."

After dismissing the long followers, Wang An quickly walked to the place where Gao Wei was being held.

When he arrived at the place, he didn't enter the door in a hurry, and signaled the two guards guarding the door to be quiet, walked to the window and stood still, looking in through the crack of the window.

There were two people sitting in the room, and Wang An could clearly see Gao Wei's profile.Mr. Gao was full of anger, blowing his beard and staring, but he seemed to be scruples about something and held back.

Sitting opposite him was Meng Qinghe, who was still pale.

Wearing blue casual clothes, with neatly combed hair, holding a teacup, talking to Gao Wei with a smile.

"I'm really sorry to disturb you for several days."

Gao Wei exhaled from his nostrils.

"It's just because I admire the old gentleman's knowledge, I can't help it."

Gao Wei continued to breathe.

"Today, isn't the old man writing something?"

Gao Wei glared while puffing, if eyes could kill, Meng Qinghe would have died long ago.

"The old man really doesn't write? It's really a pity."

Meng said regret, his eyes swept Gao Wei's body, and he let out a sound, as if he had suddenly realized.

"Could it be that the old man doesn't have enough cloth with him? It doesn't matter, don't you still have official uniforms? The emperor is kind, and he will definitely not be angry because the old man tore a piece of clothing. So, just tear it up, the old man, I will treat the old man's calligraphy , No, Blood Treasure, it is indeed a very longing."

Gao Wei pointed at Meng Qinghe, his fingers trembled, and then his whole body trembled. In the end, he didn't come up in one breath, rolled his eyes, and fell to the ground with a bang.

Taking a sip of tea slowly, Meng Qinghe didn't feel anxious at all. It took a long time before he got up and bent over, poking his fingers under Gao Wei's nose, still angry.

Sure enough, the vitality is strong.

"Could it be that the old man is unwell?" Meng Shierang straightened up and sighed pretendingly, "If that's the case, the junior will come back tomorrow."

After brushing off his sleeves, he pushed open the door, took two steps, stopped, and said to the guard outside the door: "The old man is studying knowledge, don't bother him."

"Yes."

"Lunch and dinner should be increased. The old man is immersed in learning, so he should be reminded to eat on time."

"Yes."

Seeing Wang An standing by the window, Meng Qinghe smiled, and said to the guard: "There should be a moon tonight, remember to open the window for Mr. Gao, the old man must be willing to express his ideals to the moon and imagine future."

"Follow the order."

After a few days, the two guards admired Meng Qian so much that they threw themselves into the ground.

Ever since Gao Wei arrived in Beiping, not only the prince was so angry that he wanted to kill someone, but also the guards who were ordered to guard him were extremely irritable.

Picking stabs at the prince all day long, writing blood books without paper and pen, day after day, day after day.

Written materials are not counted, and I have to cry every now and then, crying for Emperor Taizu Gao and Empress Xiaoci Gao. I can read it for two or three hours while crying.

Don't let him cry?

His Royal Highness Yan Wang held high the banner of Jing Nan, but gagged when the court ministers cried for his father?If it gets out, it will definitely be another trouble.

When the night is dark and the wind is high, the guards outside the door always sharpen their knives and teeth at the same time. What a fine weather, what a perfect time to kill people!

Thinking about it, in the end, he could only sharpen his knife against the moon. The prince didn't give an order, so he could only let the surname Gao continue to jump.

Such a day is simply torture!

Fortunately, the devil is one foot tall and the road is ten feet taller, and Meng Chen's incident is here!

But with a few words, the easiest way is to pinch Gao Wei's life gate and let him completely turn off.

What is the most important thing for a scholar?reputation.What do you want most?face!

What Meng Qinghe did was not excessive, on the contrary, he was always thinking of Gao Wei.

First of all, he told the people who took care of Gao Wei’s daily life that Mr. Gao’s meals must be good. If three meals a day were not enough, he would eat four meals a day, and after four meals, there would be a midnight snack.

Secondly, Mr. Gao is loyal to the imperial court, and he is willing to eat the meals of the palace. It is already very face-saving. Don't give away clothes, shoes and socks, so as not to embarrass the old man.

Again, Mr. Gao is a high-spirited and honest man, so he must disdain the service of the chief of the palace.So, wash your face, wash your hair, and wash your socks, Mr. Do it yourself.

At first, Gao Wei didn't notice anything wrong, and felt that this would better reflect his integrity.Gradually, the problem emerged bit by bit.

The clothes I brought from Nanjing, especially the inner garments, were almost torn by myself, and I even tore two pieces of casual clothes, so I had to wear official clothes every day.

When I bit my finger to write a bloody book, I was hearty, but when I washed it, I was heartbroken. I washed my socks while pinching my nose. My heart was traumatized, and my fingers were not ordinary pain.

The wound became red and swollen very quickly, and the good doctor from Wang's Mansion came quickly with a medicine box, without saying a word, he gave two injections first.

Gao Wei was horrified, what hurt was his fingers, why did he pierce his head and soles of his feet? !Could it be that King Yan finally wanted to torture him?

The old man gritted his teeth, and his anger sank to his dantian. He was a proud literati, and he could use whatever means he could, he could bear it!

Gao Wei cooperated so well, the doctor of Wangfu was very satisfied, and specially wrapped his ten fingers into radishes.

"Raise slowly, and be sure to raise well."

Unfolding ten spindle-like fingers, Mr. Gao was speechless for a while.

How can he write blood books when he can't use his fingers? Does he use his feet?

What's more, the clothes were almost torn, and the palace didn't see them sent to him, so if he continued to tear it off, how could he see people and run naked?

Gao Wei was full of worries and sighed at the moon.

Meng Qinghe learned that his "requirements" were naturally met. Every night at a fixed time, he watched the stars and the moon for an hour, expressing his ideals and imagining the future.

feel lonely?No problem, there are palace guards with swords to accompany you.All of them are handsome and tough, with friendly and ferocious smiles.

Will catch a cold?There is ginger soup, and a good doctor in the royal family, and Mr. Gao will never let Mr. Gao sneeze!

Even so, after a few days, Gao Wei's voice became hoarse, and he could hardly make a sound.

To be blunt, to weep?It has become an impossible task.

Crying blood?It's possible.

Even after being tormented like this, Gao Wei still gained weight visibly with the naked eye.If he had the chance to return to Nanjing, he might not even be recognized by his family members.

Can you imagine changing from cucumber to watermelon?

So, the blood book stopped, the crying stopped, the guard stopped being irritable, and the prince didn't want to kill people anymore.

Dao Yan was very happy, as long as he was sincere, gold and stone could be opened, and he accepted his apprentice.

King Yan was also very satisfied, he was in a good mood, and enthusiastically took his hands down to smash the field and grab the territory.

Gao Wei is the only one who suffers.

"Being humbled by the prince, I will definitely meet all the requirements of Mr. Gao and make him feel at home. After a few days, Mr. Gao is also quite satisfied. I am deeply grateful for the kindness of the prince, and I will not mention the matter of stopping the soldiers."

Meng Qinghe stood in front of Zhu Gaochi, with a calm expression, and clearly reversed black and white.

Zhu Gaochi almost forgot the teacup in his hand, and he let out a breath only after Meng Qinghe finished speaking.

"Meng Chen matter."

"I'm humble."

"You really don't think about abandoning martial arts and following literature?"

"Returning to my son, I am a soldier with a humble job, and I have little talent and learning, so I can't be a civil servant."

"that's humble."

"My son praises me, I will continue to work hard."

"..."

Putting down the teacup, Zhu Gaochi fell into deep thought.

Should the matter assigned by the father be entrusted to him?I always feel a little guilty on my conscience...

Zhu Gaochi didn't speak, and Meng Qinghe also stood quietly.

After a long time, Zhu Gaochi finally made up his mind.Conscience can be put aside first, and the most important thing is to complete the things that the father and the king have explained.

"Wang An."

"The servant is here."

"Bring over the dossier and things my father gave to Gu."

"Yes."

Wang An withdrew, and soon came back with a box in his arms, "My son, it's all here."

"En." Zhu Gaochi waved his hand, signaling Wang An to go down.

Meng Qinghe looked at the box on the table suspiciously. It was as big as two palms, and the shape was very ordinary. Except for the wrapped copper corner and a copper lock, there was not even a pattern on it.

"The matter of Meng Chen, my father handed over this matter to Gu before he left. Gu really couldn't think of a way, so I had to ask you for help."

"Don't dare to be in a humble position, just let the son tell you!"

Before Meng Qinghe could say a few more words of modesty, Zhu Gaochi had already opened the box and pushed it in front of him.

After just one glance, sweat dripped from Meng Qinghe's forehead.

The contents of the box were nothing unusual, a fairly neat stack of white paper, with a few pieces of sheepskin occasionally mixed in.

The contents on the white paper and the sheepskin are very similar. On the left is a very rough stick figure, and on the right is an equally rough sheep.There are eye-catching numbers beside the people and sheep, and there are handprints under the numbers.

"These were presented by Chief Duoyan Sanwei Qu." Zhu Gaochi took out one by one in front of Meng Qinghe, with a very melancholy expression, "For the sake of the stability of the army and the great cause of the father, we should meet their requirements. However, There is a lot of grain in the warehouse of the palace, but there are not so many sheep."

Meng Qinghe wiped his sweat silently. To put it bluntly, the behavior of these Mongolian strong men was to come to the door with white slips to ask for an account.

It was agreed at the beginning, and the person cut it off, and the fingerprints were pressed, and the sheep that should be given can't be repudiated!

Zhu Di was a bachelor, so he threw it directly to his son.

Zhu Gaochi was also a bachelor, so he approached Meng Qinghe, who had been negotiating with Duoyan Sanwei, and said, "The prince's family has no sheep left!"

What else could Meng Qinghe do?Looking for another home?

I'm sorry, Zheng He followed the prince to grab the territory, and Monk Daoyan was still thinking about turning him into a bad sect, and it was too late to hide.

When Shen Xuan left, he said that he could find a way to push off the uncertain things first, but the current situation clearly does not allow him to do so.

Meng Twelve Lang gritted his teeth, let's go on.

"The son has a destiny, and the humble official dare not disobey. But this is a big matter, let the humble official go back and think about it."

"Okay, I'll wait for the good news about Meng Chen."

"Humble job must do its best."

After exiting the room, Meng Qinghe slapped himself directly, making you embarrassed, you should!

Outside the city of Datong, the Yan army led by Shen Xuan and Yang Duo had opened their mouths, only waiting for the prey to arrive.The prince intends to win over the southern army led by Teng Ju. The most effective and fastest way is to beat Teng Ju hard with a sap, until his nose is blue and his face is swollen, and then he can convince others with reasoning.

The army led by King Yan had arrived at the city of Yuzhou, and the [-] troops were not sure about attacking the city. There were more defenders in the city than the Yan army, but they had no will to resist.As soon as the Yan army set up camp, the commanders Wang Zhong and Li Yuan sent people to express their willingness to open the city and surrender, and to follow the prince to calm the disaster.

King Yan took Weizhou without a single soldier.

At the same time, the team commanding Teng Ju got lost in the heavy snow and trekked hard.

The cold wind froze the riverbed, the ice was covered with snowflakes, the sun was covered by dark clouds, and the surroundings were all white, and it was impossible to tell the direction.

Many Confederate soldiers had frostbitten hands and feet, and more and more people fell on the snow, unable to stand up again.

The Yan army following behind has never been discovered, and they will stop when they see the frozen southern army. As long as there is still a breath, there is still hope of being rescued.

Teng Ju rode on the horse, from luck to disappointment, from disappointment to despair.At this moment, he even hoped to meet Yan Jun.Even if you are defeated and killed, it is better than freezing to death!

To die like this is really useless!

Meng Qingjiang and Gao Fu were finally incorporated into the vanguard and ordered to explore the way.The heavy snow in front of him was nothing to the experienced Gao Fu.

Deliberately leading the army around Datong again, Gao Fu asked Meng Qingjiang to report to Teng Ju that Datong City was just ahead.

Teng Ju was refreshed, and the Southern Army suddenly gained strength.

Without the need for the officer to raise his voice to order, the whole army accelerated at the same time.Rushing to Datong City is not for fighting, nor for fulfilling the orders of the coach, but for surviving!

As long as he is alive, even if he is captured by the Yan army and rebels with King Yan, there is absolutely no problem!

To Datong, let's run!

When Shen Xuan and Yang Duo found Teng Ju's team and were about to launch a charge, they also found that their southern army had stopped, and their weapons and armor were thrown all over the ground. Their attitude was very clear, surrender!

Shen Xuan and Yang Duo were speechless.

It's like holding up all your strength and wanting to fight with your opponent, but when you pick up the guy, you find that the tough guy has suddenly turned into a soft girl. How can you fight this fight?

Teng Ju jumped off his horse, took off his saber, and walked up to Shen Xuan with trembling lips and tears in his eyes.

Shen Xuan silently accepted Teng Ju's surrender, and silently patted him on the shoulder.

To be honest, he was also aggrieved.

Wanting to fight but being unable to fight is too uncomfortable for a general.

It was a failed ambush, but a successful surrender.

The [-] Southern Army led by Teng Ju finally successfully "joined forces" with the Yan Army as Meng Twelve Lang expected.

At this moment, Meng Shierang couldn't feel any joy. He was sitting at the table, looking at the pile of white stripes in front of him, worrying.

A sheep suffocates a hero, how difficult it is!