Emperor Que Shaohua

Two days later, the Ministry of War presented a strategy for deploying troops, and it was discussed in the Zichen Palace, and Luo Pingyuan really experienced a confrontation.

Sure enough, the Ministry of War suggested that please transfer [-] forbidden troops from the capital, [-] troops from Suining, and [-] troops from Dengzhou to Shao'an for reinforcements.Cheng Tonghua, another servant of the Ministry of War, disagreed with Yan Sicun, and strongly opposed the use of the Suining garrison. He believed that if the barbarians attacked and the city was empty, if they only focused on defending Shao'an, Suining would be trapped. In a dangerous situation, it is self-defeating.He proposed to draw [-] soldiers from the Dengzhou and Jinzhou barracks each, and send them to Shao'an.This view was supported by many courtiers.

The two servants had a heated argument.What Yan Sicun said is similar to King Jing's analysis. If [-] troops were transferred, Suining still had [-] defenders, enough to hold on; It takes relatively less time and consumption, and most of the daily drills in the Jinzhou Army Camp are water warfare events. No matter how you look at it, it cannot be compared with the Suining Army.

Yan Sicun said: "Supporting the military plan, we plan military and state affairs as civil servants, so we should consider it as a whole, and at the lowest price, subdue the soldiers of the barbarians, not only lose their sharpness, but also cherish the power of Yu and Zhou, otherwise you and I will be killed." What's the use?"

Cheng Tonghua sneered and said, "If Suining is in critical condition, can Mr. Yan take the responsibility?"

Yan Sicun did not show any weakness: "Suining is well, at the moment it is Shao'an that is approaching the city, if the deployment of troops is not effective, resulting in the loss of the northern border, can Master Cheng take this responsibility?"

Cheng Tonghua continued to sneer: "Shao'an already had [-] Jiuli frontier troops on the battlefield, but where did Master Yan put them? Could it be that Shao'an will win if [-] troops are transferred from Suining, and the Jinzhou army will be replaced. Is something bad going to happen? If that’s the case, simply switch the defenders of the two cities and let His Royal Highness King Yun command [-] Suining troops to deal with Beiliao, and we will definitely win in one battle."

Yan Sicun's face turned pale with anger, Cheng Tonghua said so forcefully, it seemed that he didn't pay attention to Yuzhou's other troops except the Suining garrison; It is not easy for the Suining Army with actual combat experience.

There was a lot of discussion among the ministers, and someone immediately seconded the proposal to become Tonghua.Luo Pingyuan noticed with some surprise that Lin Huai'an, Marquis of the Tripod Sword, was also among them.

Zhou Bing, Shangshu of the Ministry of War, listened to the conversation between the two, with a kind face on his face, and did not express his opinion.

Luo Pingyuan thought to himself, if King Jing is here, there must be some reason.Seeing that Emperor Tianyi was still pondering, he stepped out of the class and said, "Father, my ministers have heard that the army that has experienced killing the enemy on the battlefield is very different from the one that has never fought. If an army has never actually fought, no matter what No matter how strict and sophisticated the drills are, they can only be regarded as new recruits. When they first enter the battlefield, it is inevitable that their mentality will be biased, and they may easily underestimate the enemy or be timid. Sturdy and brutal, the Suining Army has fought against it many times. Not only is it experienced, but it also hates it very much. If it is transferred to the northern border for reinforcements, it will be easier to cooperate with the army under the command of the Four Emperor Brothers. When the battle comes, it will be convenient for me It is [-] veterans leading [-] new troops. If they are transferred from Jinzhou, then [-] veterans will need to lead [-] new troops. The battlefield changes rapidly, and a slight difference can lead to thousands of miles. Therefore, my minister seconded Yan Shilang's advice Proposal, please transfer Suining Army."

He only went to the court for two or three times, so he shouldn't be in the first place, but this matter is of great importance, and he didn't care too much, so he interpreted the words of King Jing and said them out.

Emperor Tianyi nodded: "The emperor's thoughts are very thorough." No matter whether he finally adopts it or not, this kind of thinking is worthy of praise.

Wang An thought that King Ning really knew how to behave, he had to intervene in everything, he was a little uncomfortable, and said: "The fifth emperor has been traveling for many years, and he has seen a lot of things. Where did the master say it?" This sentence has a cool meaning, not only pointing out that Luo Pingyuan was born in the Jianghu, but also implying that he is just hearsay.

Luo Pingyuan smiled indifferently: "In recent years, my younger brother has been ordered by the master to practice meditation, and I don't go out often. But the master has a wide range of knowledge and knowledge, and he is also good at military affairs, so he talks about it from time to time. He also taught that everything should be done from the outside to the inside, Grasp the essence, and never jump to conclusions lightly based on one-sided appearances. Only when you think about it, do you take the liberty to speak to the emperor."

He has no faction himself, and it is quite convincing to bring the real Han Shan out, and King An can't fault it.

Emperor Tianyi glanced at Xue Songnian, the assistant minister, standing at the foot of the steps with a blank expression on his face, as if he had settled down.He then asked, "What is the prince's opinion?"

The prince has been keeping a low profile recently, when he heard Emperor Tianyi's question, he bowed and said: "I only feel that the concerns of the two ministers are justified, and the focus of the dispute is whether to use the Suining army to reinforce Shao'an. In my humble opinion, if Suining dispatches [-] troops, the remainder will be dispatched from the Dengzhou and Jinzhou military camps."

No matter how you listen to this sentence, it sounds like you are talking to each other, but it is also a compromise method, which is very in line with the prince's usual style. Emperor Tianyi was not satisfied, so the prince continued: "I have another proposal, besides reinforcing Shao'an, Should we send more troops to Hanguan at the same time? In this way, we can respond to Shao'an as a backup when we advance, and serve as a second barrier for the capital when we retreat."

After the words fell, the Zichen Hall was silent for a moment, and then there was a buzz of discussion.The prince's proposal seems to be preoccupied with victory, but with defeat first. However, the situation in Shao'an is dangerous. If there is a mistake, the south is the flat terrain of Youyun Sixteen Prefectures. .Recalling the situation when Shao'an fell nine years ago, most civil servants thought it was reasonable to be cautious.

Some generals in the hall were dissatisfied with hearing this. General Chen Mingxia of Fengchang had served as a general in the northern border, and he had an upright temperament. At this moment, he couldn't help but shouted: "Your Highness's words are wrong. The soldiers and horses will not go to Shao'an to participate in the battle, but will stay in the Han Dynasty." Guan, how do the soldiers in the front feel when they learn about it. Soldiers fight for the country and never back down. Now that the battle is imminent, thinking about retreat first will affect morale."

At that moment, some civil servants retorted: "When Shao'an was destroyed, if Hanguan had not been held firmly, the Central Plains would have been opened wide, and the Liao soldiers would have driven straight in. At that time, Hanguan had insufficient troops, and many parts of the city wall were in disrepair. General Lin Huaitai even died in a fierce battle to keep the city pass intact. With the lessons learned from before, how can one be careless. His Royal Highness King Yun is good at fighting, but after all, he is still young, so how can he place all the heavy responsibilities on him alone?"

When it comes to the dispute of words, military generals are the opponents of civil officials, and among the civil servants, there are also different opinions. There are people in the Zichen Palace who come out to play against each other, expressing their opinions, and it is difficult to reach a result for a while.

Emperor Tianyi still had no decision in mind, seeing that he had been talking for more than an hour, he was a little impatient, and said coldly: "Back to court, we will discuss it later."

After Luo Pingyuan returned to the mansion, he went straight to find King Jing.He has a very good memory and recounts the speeches he heard in court one by one.

Luo Yanhua pondered for a while, and said: "Shangshu Zhou Bing of the Ministry of War is an old fox, no one wants to offend, so he will not express his position easily. But he appointed Yan Sicun to propose a strategy, and he can already see his position. The Zhou family belongs to Concubine Rong In my natal family, Concubine Han Gui and Concubine Rong are having a rift in the palace, and Concubine Rong's sixth younger brother is only five years old, so Zhou's family can't be close to the prince, so they will naturally tend to be closer."

He smiled and said again, "It's not surprising that Marquis Ding Jian would support Cheng Tonghua. He used to lead troops on the southeast coast a few years ago. Although he came back now, his original subordinates are still there. Jinzhou is also facing the sea. If [-] to [-] generals are transferred, and there are a lot of vacancies, he will have the opportunity to extend the power of the old southeast department to the north. I think the prince should hope so."

Luo Pingyuan gradually had an idea of ​​the situation in the palace, and after talking about it, he suddenly felt the context clear.He recalled what he had heard just now, and said displeasedly: "The predecessors knew that the Huns were not destroyed, so why did they do their homework, but these courtiers left the Suining army unused, and wanted to send the Jinzhou army, which was unfamiliar with land warfare, to the northern border? They didn't think about it." Jiaguo, why are you so concerned, are you only thinking about your own selfish interests?"

King Jing said: "It's not all like this. Of course there are those who want to take advantage of the opportunity to expand their power, but many civil servants really don't know how to lead troops, and they always feel that the army is similar everywhere. Unlike the prince, King Yun does not form a party in the court, but There are also some direct ministers who are thinking about the war in the north, just like Yan Sicun."

Luo Pingyuan nodded unconsciously and said: "The crown prince proposed to transfer [-] troops from Suining to Shao'an, and at the same time increase the number of troops to Hanguan. It seems that he still wants to send more troops from Jinzhou."

King Jing smiled slightly: "The prince's words are thought-provoking. Since the battle in Shao'an, he should have gone forward indomitable, but what he thought was to stick to the Hanguan. Although it is a good thing to be cautious, as far as the prince of a country is concerned, he will lose his momentum."

He was a little disappointed, "So many people in the court agree, it can be seen that in the hearts of my courtiers, they are deeply afraid of Beiliao and have lost their early vigor. If it were ten years ago, why did this happen? No wonder the emperor was unhappy to hear it." .”

Luo Pingyuan glanced at Brother Huang, after today's court discussion, he also understood why King Jing couldn't intervene directly, the defeat of Shao'an back then was deeply involved with the Queen and even Langhuan.He said: "If we win this battle, it should greatly enhance our ambition. I only hope that the imperial court can mobilize troops to succeed."

King Jing said: "This dispatch of troops is just an opportunity for all parties to fight for military power and military exploits. I am afraid that there will be no result in the moment, and most of them will have to be delayed after hunting."

Luo Pingyuan did the math, there are still eight or nine days left before going to Wulan Mountain on June [-]th, five or six days are needed for hunting, it will take nearly half a month at once, and the Ministry of War has to send documents to the military camps everywhere. Wang Neng really didn't have much time to adjust and reorganize, so he felt a little worried and asked, "Then what else can we do now?"

King Jing said: "Let's wait and see how the situation develops." He also said: "The household department's grain, grass and supplies are about to be adjusted, and they will be sent to the border soon. They can be used by a hundred thousand troops for March, about 10 shi, and [-] taels of military pay. , In addition, there are still weapons being taken. How can Beiliao and Yijin wait for this batch of rations to arrive safely, and they will definitely try to harass and destroy them on the way. Pinwutang and Jintiesi have not seen any movement recently, and they are probably mobilizing manpower. Therefore, the escort The responsibility is not light, how many Jing Yu cavalry guards will Ping Yuan send to accompany him?"

Before the soldiers and horses moved, food and grass went first. Luo Pingyuan understood that the safe delivery of the supplies needed for the battle was no less important than the mobilization of the army itself. 12 shi, grain, rice, and silver were loaded into thousands of vehicles, and they were escorted. It's not easy.Listening to King Jing's tone, there must be troubles on the way, if the Liao and Jin sect's martial arts masters make surprise attacks from time to time, it is indeed not easy to deal with.

He pondered and said: "I originally intended to assign twelve Jingyu cavalry guards and five hundred sergeants, led by Yu Chiyan to escort them. Now, according to the emperor's opinion, do Jingyu cavalry guards need to arrange more?"

King Jing said: "The number of cavalry guards does not need to be too many, twelve are enough. However, Jingyu Guards are in the open, and Pinwutang and Jintiesi are in the dark. If we want to keep safe, we also need some secret guards here." Arrangement, how about I transfer some of Xuanshuang's subordinates to follow the convoy?"

King Ning was very pleased. He knew Xuanshuang's hidden ability of elusiveness, so he couldn't ask for it. He said immediately: "Then thank you, brother, how to cooperate with the trip and the road, these few days are just a good time to discuss."

King Jing smiled and said: "Deputy Commander Yuchi has profound skills and enough experience. He should be in charge of the overall situation. Xuanshuang doesn't need to show up, but just mixes with the army, and some of them are sentry along the way. For specific actions, let Asu and Yuchi The deputy commander will decide."

King Ning nodded: "I will give orders today." Qin Su always appears and disappears, and he doesn't know if he is listening nearby at this moment.He said with a smile: "With A Su's speaking style, Yu Chiyan might have a severe headache if he wants to discuss the details with him."

Luo Yanhua couldn't help but smile: "It's okay, when A Su really wants to explain things, he will talk more, and he always speaks very clearly. Xuanshuang has his own way of doing things, which can complement and echo Jing Yuwei. It shouldn't be difficult to lay down the charter."

He paused and continued: "However, it's best to keep this matter a secret. At present, only Yu Chiyan knows about it. After leaving Los Angeles, he will slowly inform the other cavalry guards. There is no need to say clearly about A Su's origin, just say It’s your friend in the martial arts, it’s good that you can trust it. Master Xuanshuang hides, the less others know about it, the more effective it will be.”

Luo Pingyuan understood that Langhuan's situation was delicate, King Jing didn't want to reveal his whereabouts, but he said indifferently: "This matter is up to you, but since I took over Jingyu Guard, I haven't achieved an inch of merit. There is no room for mistakes, Brother Huang, please don't make any mistakes."

Now King Jing is too lazy to care about his barbed words from time to time, and said casually: "It's natural, His Highness King Ning lives just a few walls away, and he can ask me to settle accounts anytime and anywhere. I'm really sincere and fearful."

He discerned the meaning of King Ning's words, and said: "Jing Yuwei's affairs are complicated, if Ping Yuan encounters any difficulties, you might as well talk about it and refer to it together."

After Luo Pingyuan arrived in Jingyu Guard, the progress was actually quite smooth, but many things were delayed because of Wu Tingzhou's death, and now he has to spend his thoughts to start working again.

What he was most concerned about was the case of a large family surnamed Liu in Yuzhou who was being investigated before Wu Tingzhou was assassinated. First, he had already mentioned to Emperor Tianyi that he would continue to investigate thoroughly. Second, he was intuitively suspicious. Will there be a connection between the death of the commander?

Luo Pingyuan never mentioned his doubts to others, because even Li Pinglan had concluded that Wu Tingzhou's fatal injury was done by Liao warriors, and it was unlikely that he could be related to a big bully in Yuzhou.But for some reason, he wanted to say something to King Jing at this moment.

He looked at King Jing, he had just expressed his distrust and even threats, but now he was a bit speechless.Luo Yanhua didn't know that he was struggling, seeing that King Ning didn't speak, he said: "It's already noon, do you want Ping Yuan to have lunch with me before going to deal with business?"

For the rest of the day, King Ning was in a good mood.After lunch at Lancang Residence, he went to Jingyu Guard.In his capacity, he could have asked his subordinates to come to see him, but he didn't want too many people coming in and out, disturbing the tranquility of Prince Jing's Mansion, so he would rather go to the guard by himself.After more than ten days, I inadvertently left an impression of being easy-going and diligent.

Everyone saw that King Ning had a stable personality and extraordinary knowledge. In addition, he competed with Yuchiyan, the most skilled martial artist, and his internal and external attainments seemed to be higher than that of Deputy Commander Yuchi. Lift your spirits and sweep away the haze of leaderless dragons some time ago.

Luo Pingyuan first summoned Yu Chiyan, explained in detail the escorting of food and grass and the assistance of hidden guards along the way, and then gave him some instructions, planning to have him meet Qin Su at Hanxiaozhai within a day or two.

Unlike Shen Ling, who is good at talking and talking with others, Yu Chiyan, who is in his 30s, is a bit serious, but he is upright, loyal to the emperor and patriotic, and he is not pedantic in dealing with things. It is more reassuring to be in charge of food protection Yes, I don't know what it will be like when this seldom-talking person meets the seldom-talking Qin Su.

Of course, Deputy Commander Yuchi obeyed, and was very happy to learn that King Ning could send him a secret support.Luo Pingyuan asked him to hand over all the affairs in his hands to Shen Ling in the past few days, and he didn't have to go with him during the hunt, so that he could make preparations for related matters.

Yu Chiyan led the order to go out, Deputy Commander Shen was already waiting outside the door, Luo Pingyuan first listened to him report on daily matters, remembering that he had sent a Jingyu cavalry guard to Yuzhou to investigate the Liu family a few days ago, he couldn't help asking about the progress.

Shen Ling reported: "Chu Huan sent a letter from Feige in Yuzhou, saying that the local big family surnamed Liu is indeed very bad. A servant like a wolf like a tiger," he slightly lowered his voice, "it is said that his family has a backer in the court, so the Yuzhou government dare not provoke him."

Luo Pingyuan asked: "Lieutenant Chu has been in Yuzhou for seven or eight days, but what evidence has he found? Who is the Liu family attached to in the court?"

Shen Ling replied: "Liu Kedu's eldest son is serving as a garrison in the military camp of Minzhou Prefecture. Although he also has some real power, he doesn't seem to have such power. Before the incident, Commander Wu was ordered by the Holy Order to start an investigation. Now shelved After a few months, the Liu family has already taken precautions, and it is a local snake in Yuzhou, and Captain Chu may not be able to find out in a short time."

Luo Pingyuan had already read the relevant files. Wu Tingzhou originally conducted a secret investigation and selected two capable soldiers to go to Yuzhou in disguise to collect Liu Kedu's bad deeds.However, the two encountered bandits on the way back to their lives, and both died.Wu Tingzhou was both skeptical and annoyed by this, and wanted to go there himself, but unexpectedly encountered a surprise attack from Beiliao and Yijin.

Luo Pingyuan thought for a while, he didn't have time to go to Yuzhou for the time being, so he could only investigate in this way first, so he ordered Chu Huan to act as secretly as possible, and sent a letter to report back as soon as he got a clue.

In the afternoon, when King Ning left, King Jing asked Qin Shuang to come over and said, "Xiao Shuang, tonight you bring Xie Feng and Deputy General Xu who came back from the northern border to meet me at the mansion. You should already know each other?"

Qin Shuang nodded, and the confidant lieutenant that King Yun sent back to Beijing to send the document was named Xu Dingzhen.Since he had received orders in advance, he respected and cooperated with King Jing's subordinates very much. Qin Shuang and Xie Feng took the lead with him, and both felt that Vice General Xu was a straightforward warrior on the outside, but in reality he became meticulous. It was understandable why King Yun valued him.He said: "My subordinates will notify you immediately. I wonder what time is suitable tonight?"

King Jing thought about it and said: "After Xu time, it's okay to be late. When you come, try to hide as much as possible, especially Vice General Xu, so don't be noticed that he has entered the mansion."

Qin Shuang bowed and agreed, but did not leave immediately, and said in a low voice: "Ruohan came to ask to see the lord, and she was waiting in the side hall of the front yard because His Royal Highness King Ning was here."

King Jing frowned slightly: "But what is the important matter in Mingyue Tower?" If there is no important matter, you should not come here without authorization, but if there is something really important, Qin Shuang shouldn't bring it up now.

Qin Shuang bit the bullet and said: "Nothing happened, but Ruohan has come, and the subordinates are not good at letting her go back. She said that the Lord recently met Xie Feng and Lurui, and my brother is even more serious." I haven't been away for a while, but I haven't seen her, so I miss her very much." Before he finished speaking, he felt a chill on the back of his neck, and knew that his brother was in the room, so he must be surprised to hear this.

He didn't care about it for a while, and continued: "My lord knows Ruohan's temper, and it's really not easy for my subordinates to send her back. Manager Yang didn't help either. He drank tea with him. I wish she could sit for a while. She brought the piano, There is also a music score, which is said to be found recently, the meaning of the music is soothing and ethereal, if the Lord has time to play, it may be able to heal the mind."

King Jing heard that he had nothing to say and had a lot to say, and he understood that the main reason was that he had told Luo Pingyuan about the Mingyue Tower, and Bai Ruohan had no scruples, so he came to visit him.

He was silent for a moment, and said, "Since you're here, let Ruohan come in."

Qin Shuang agreed and withdrew.

King Jing sat beside the desk, with a faint smile on his lips, he said, "Asu, you haven't heard Ruohan play the piano, have you? I always feel that you are in a bad mood recently, don't you want to go to the north?"

There was a silence in the room, followed by Qin Su's voice from above: "The mansion is empty, don't worry."

King Jing smiled and said: "Not all of Xuanshuang will go out with you, Xiaoshuang will pick a few more hidden guards to come over in the next few days, Xie Feng also has enough manpower, you don't have to worry. Besides, Ping Yuan lives in the mansion, even if someone wants to do something For me, I will also worry about alarming him, and dare not go too far."

He wanted to say that for so many years, it was not safe for him to be alone in the mansion, but Qin Su didn't want Qin Su to think too much after hearing it, so he just said: "On the contrary, it's you. There are many dangers on the way here, so you must be careful. Pavilion Master Su He has already sent a letter and is waiting for you to go over. He is familiar with the situation of the battle and will respond to it and help adjust the details of the operation. Xuanshuang and Hengdao have not joined forces to defend against the enemy for many years, and we need to be more cautious."

After a brief silence, Qin Su said again: "The war in the northern border is going too smoothly, which is not good for you." This sentence was beyond his duty, but he was really worried in his heart, and couldn't help but remind him.

King Jing was silent. He understood what Qin Su meant, and the emperor might not have thought well about using the power of Langhuan to assist in the war. If the strength of Beiliao was weakened as a result, he might be more taboo and guard against himself, making the situation worse.

He said indifferently: "Asu, the northern border has been in chaos for many years, and the people's livelihood is exhausted, and they urgently need to recuperate. If this battle is won, the border may be peaceful for several years after that, and the government can eliminate the evils. As for our situation, don't worry, everything is safe. There are advantages and disadvantages, how can I give up eating because of choking? I have a measure in my heart, even if my father doesn't believe in Langhuan, he will still believe in his clear heart."

Qin Su said: "Obey, my subordinates will do their best."

Luo Yanhua smiled and said: "When the matter in northern Xinjiang is over, we will always have a chance to go to Jiangnan. I am looking forward to it. A Su, you really want to find Wei Wuze."

Qin Su's voice became obviously colder: "It is necessary to kill him with your own hands."

King Jing was silent, he could feel the oppression and hatred in Qin Su's heart.Xuanshuang and Youming were complementary back then, and when he was betrayed, he hated him even more deeply. Even if he cut his enemy into pieces, the lost relatives would not come back, such as his mother's queen, such as Langhuan right envoy Xiao Suyu, and many others who died in catastrophe The subordinates and courtiers who are wronged.If they can't avenge them and return their innocence, how can they comfort the spirits of the dead in heaven, so that the hearts of the survivors can be at peace?