While Jiangling Mansion's selection of cavalry troops was in full swing, the imperial meeting at the end of the month in Lin'an, more than a thousand miles away, also kicked off.
The journey from Jiangling to Lin'an is nearly 1,700 miles.
Wang Jian led a hundred cavalrymen and escorted more than 300 prisoners of the Jin army.
Worried that something might happen during the journey, each prisoner was given two meals a day, a bowl of porridge and a pancake.
Wang Jian and others rode horses, while the prisoners could only walk on foot, maintaining a speed of more than a hundred miles every day.
In fact, Wang Jian was a little too cautious. This was a group of Jin cavalry who had lost their majesty and vigor in the Song Dynasty. Their only luxury was to survive.
After walking for seven days, Wang Jian calculated the time and found that if he continued walking like this, it would take at least ten days to reach Lin'an.
Wang Jian asked his lieutenants to escort the prisoners and march slowly, while he led five cavalrymen and rode quickly to Lin'an to report the victory.
Therefore, in a hurry, Wang Jian and his party arrived outside Lin'an City before the imperial meeting at the end of the first month.
In fact, we arrived at midnight, so we first went to the "Dunwu Army" camp in the south of the city to rest, have a simple meal and drink, and also took the time to take a nap.
At dawn, Wang Jian got up again, leading five cavalrymen, deliberately not changing their clothes and armor, and galloped towards the gate of Lin'an City, "dusty and dusty".
"Good news, good news—the great victory at Gangneung—"
Still some distance away from the city gate, Wang Jian ordered five cavalrymen to shout loudly to announce victory.
Early in the morning, the sound spread far and wide, alerting the soldiers guarding the city.
It's just that they are a little overwhelmed, as if they have never dealt with such a thing.
He is also a veteran who has been in the military for many years, so he quickly reminds everyone.
"Quick, get out of the way, they want to go to the Golden Palace to report their victory."
The soldiers guarding the city hurriedly asked the few people entering and exiting the city to wait aside and cleared the area inside and outside the city gate.
Wang Jian and the others arrived quickly, and when they passed through the city gate, they deliberately paused.
"So that the soldiers and civilians of Lin'an will know that the 'Dunwu Army' Guo Mo and Guo Dutong defeated the Jin Army's cavalry outside Jiangling City and beheaded more than two thousand people. The victory of Jiangling——"
"The Great Victory of Gangneung——"
"The Great Victory of Gangneung——"
During the Song Dynasty, although the ruling class of scholar-bureaucrats always bowed to the Kingdom of Jin in order to maintain peace.
However, the common people have always been filled with the idea of "hating the Jin". When they heard that it was a great victory against the Jin army, they were naturally excited.
The court meeting at "Daqing Hall" has already begun.
In the first month, there were no major events.
Located in the south of the Yangtze River, there was no need to deal with cold winters or floods. Although the military in the Southern Song Dynasty was weak, the economy was extremely developed. God provided food to eat, and there was no need to worry about hunger.
Cheng Jue, the Minister of Rites, issued a class report.
"I reported to the officials that envoys from the Kingdom of Jin were visiting. They said that the Jin Kingdom's Dengzhou garrison and 5,000 cavalrymen strayed into the Lianghu area during training for more than a month."
"The 'Loyal and Shun Army' were all under the command of Meng Zongzheng, and the commander's army blocked their way back. Therefore, envoys from the Kingdom of Jin came to pay homage to the officials and gave the 'Loyal and Shun Army' a decree to let the Jin Army return north."
"Oh, there's this matter? Why didn't I know about it? How did Cheng Qing handle it?"
The official sat on the dragon chair, pretending to be surprised.
"The veteran told the other party that the court had not received the news, so he reported it to the officials and sent someone to verify it."
Cheng Jue said calmly.
"What does Mr. Shi think?"
The officials did not comment and turned to ask Shi Miyuan, who was standing at the head of the civil service.
"Let me report this to the officials. Veteran officials have also heard about this matter. Since envoys from the Kingdom of Jin are visiting, it seems that this matter is indeed true. It would be better not to damage the diplomatic relations between the two countries."
"I dare not agree with what the Prime Minister said!"
There was no reply from the officials, so Cheng Ju came out again.
In today's court, there are not many ministers who dare to confront Shi Miyuan in court, but that does not mean that there are none. The Minister of Rites, Cheng Ju, is definitely one of them.
"Cheng Qing has something to say, but it doesn't matter."
The official seemed to be more interested in Cheng Jue's opinions, and he was slightly surprised that he didn't say anything to Shi Miyuan.
"Reporting to the official family, the veteran is not serving in the Privy Council or the Imperial City Department, so he cannot receive news from the military in various places."
"Just listening to what the Jin envoy said, the veteran believed that the Jin army must have deliberately provoked and penetrated deep into the two lakes area to cause trouble, and that the 'loyal and shun army' Meng Dutong would do this. Before receiving the detailed military report, the veteran suggested not to
Ignore it."
"Haha, Cheng Qing is an expert in planning for the country. In fact, the military report has arrived a long time ago. The Jin Army's five thousand cavalry are raging across the two lakes, and the garrison troops in various places are already trying to stop them."
"Then the Kingdom of Jin is maliciously provoking disputes between the two countries. I, the Song Dynasty, will never agree to such unreasonable demands of the Kingdom of Jin!"
After Old Cheng Ju finished speaking, he actually placed the credentials of the Jin Kingdom in his hand on the ground, and even stepped on it with his feet.
"Haha, you old Cheng Jue, you are so old, but you still have such a big temper."
The official laughed and cursed, but with a smile on his face and no sign of blame at all.
Those censors who wanted to impeach Cheng Ju for "disrespecting the emperor" saw the official's "long-faced look of great joy" and holding a wat board, and they didn't know whether they should go out to impeach him.
"Victory at Jiangling, beheading two thousand Jin troops——"
"Victory at Jiangling, beheading two thousand Jin troops——"
Wang Jian and his party of six entered Lin'an from the south gate, shouting about the great victory all the way.
Gradually, people with good intentions also shouted together, and everyone gathered outside the palace.
At Li's main gate, the soldiers guarding the city saw more and more people gathering and hurriedly closed the palace gate.
They had never seen such a scene before and hurriedly sent people to deliver the message to the "Daqing Hall".
However, the voices of everyone shouting for victory still reached the "Daqing Hall" first.
"Old man, go and see what's going on outside?"
The civil and military officials in the hall heard the shouting outside, and everyone stopped talking about the Jin envoys.
The old eunuch had not been out for long, so he returned to the "Daqing Hall" again, his face beaming with joy.
"Reporting to the officials, Jiangling was victorious, and two thousand Jin troops were beheaded. The one who reported the victory was Wang Jian of the 'Dunwu Army', who is waiting outside Li Zhengmen."
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! The old eunuch's words caused the entire "Daqing Hall" to fall into silence. An instant later, all kinds of admiration, doubts, and reproaches erupted.
"Ask Wang Jian to come to the main hall——"
The official family suppressed the excitement in their hearts. Xiao Qi had been walking for so long and finally got the definite news. This boy is really capable of doing things.
"The last general of the 'Dunwu Army', Wang Jian, is here to meet the officials!"
When Wang Jian went to the Golden Palace, he performed a military salute because he was wearing armor.
"General Wang, if you have any military report details, please submit them."
Wang Jian untied the large package on his back, took out a memorial and handed it to the old eunuch.
The officials sat on the dragon throne and began to report.
The report was very long, and the officials watched it calmly. The civil and military officials in the court were a little anxious, but no one dared to urge it.
"Okay, very good. Haha, General Wang, I have read the report. Please tell everyone about the specific battle situation."
In fact, Wang Jian did not personally experience the battle outside Jiangling City. When he received the order to return to Lin'an to report his victory, he specifically found someone to understand the whole process in detail.
What you hear from others is often more wonderful than what you witness with your own eyes.
"Notice to the officials that the minister wanted to impeach the "Dunwu Army". Guo Mo, the commander-in-chief, left his post without authorization, ignored the "Dunwu Army" and went to Jiangling Mansion privately."
As soon as Wang Jian finished speaking, the censor jumped out to impeach him.
"Ahem, Zhang Qing, the report said that Guo Dutong was following the military orders of His Highness the 'King of Yan', so he cannot be considered to have left his post without permission."
"he and I..."
Zhang Yushi retreated.
"Qi Guanjia, with just 800 soldiers from Jiangling City and a few people from Guo Mo, they were able to kill 2,400 Jin Army cavalry, behead 2,000, and capture more than 300? This is simply deceiving the emperor.
, I want to impeach Guo Mo for taking advantage of others!"
"Ahem, Li Qing, the report said that Wang Jian has been asked to bring the left ear of two thousand gold soldiers as evidence. Wang Jian will show the evidence to Li Qing."
"he and I..."
Wang Jian smiled and took out a large box from the package and moved it to the censor named Li.
"This is the left ear of the Jin Army cavalry that was killed. There are 2,026 pieces in total. Please check it, Mr. Li."
"I'm checking your uncle, I..."
When Li Yushi saw the box in front of him, even before he opened it, he felt that his eyes were densely packed with bloody ears, and he was trembling with fear.
"Li Qing doesn't seem to be really interested. Does anyone want to go over and check it out for him?"
The official sat there happily. He was not worried at all that the military information was a lie. He still had to have the minimum trust in his son.
"Guan Jia, what else did the report say?"
Seeing that no one was talking, Cheng Jue came out to change the topic.
The officials did not pursue those censors anymore. They were just a few clowns under Shi Miyuan.
"Five thousand cavalry from the Kingdom of Jin invaded the two lakes, and 2,400 of them attacked Jiangling City in an attempt to obtain grain and fodder. The prefect of Jiangling fled in fear of the battle."
"Nie Qing, I remember that this person is your cousin, right? Then it is up to you to cooperate with the Ministry of Punishment and issue an arrest warrant and make this person wanted throughout the country. If he cannot be arrested and brought to justice for one day, Nie Qing will temporarily serve as an errand in the Ministry of Punishment.
Bar."
Nie Zishu trembled all over. It was over. His desire to seek the minister of Dali Temple could only be put on hold temporarily.
"Guo Dutong applied for additional pensions for the county soldiers who died in this battle to repay the meritorious service of the soldiers, especially Song Ci, the chief secretary of Jiangling Mansion."
"This man is a scholar. When the prefect defected, he was able to turn the tide and lead the soldiers to defend the city against the enemy. He could also personally lead hundreds of soldiers to fight out of the city with a sword when a fighter plane appeared."
"Shi Xiang, how should such a person be rewarded?"
The official suddenly asked Shi Miyuan.
"This... I would like to report to the official family. Since this person has gained the popularity of Jiangling people, it would be best to promote him to the prefect of Jiangling at this time."
Shi Miyuan thought for a moment and then spoke.
The officials looked at the powerful prime minister in front of them with some ambivalence. Putting aside everything else, this person was really not useless in military and political affairs.
"Xue Qing, if you are in charge of the personnel department, please cooperate with the Privy Council and issue the appointment as soon as possible so that the hearts of Jiangling's army and people can be determined."
Xue Ji walked out of class and said yes.
Wang Jian was also stunned. It seemed that he didn't need to take out the "recommendation letter" given by the commander-in-chief.
"Yue Qing, as the Minister of Household Affairs, you will personally deal with the post-war pension issue. If there is any deduction, you will be severely punished."
“I heard Guo Dutong of the ‘Dunwu Army’ say this, ‘We cannot let the soldiers shed blood on the battlefield and then shed tears after the war’.”
"I obey the order and must pay the exact amount according to the military report. If there is any negligence, please behead me!"
Yue Ke handed him over when he left the class, speaking generously.
"In addition, there are still more than two thousand Jin cavalry troops still within the two lakes. I think the Jin people may not give up."
"Yue Qing also needs to hurry up to raise supplies and send them to the two lakes. He should go directly to Guo Mo and follow his arrangements. Isn't your son Yue Ao in the 'Dunwu Army'? Let him escort him there personally."
Yue Ke knew that the officials were worried about others and wanted to give his son a chance to make meritorious deeds, so he hurriedly bowed to receive the order to express his gratitude.
"In addition, Guo Dutong captured more than 300 Jin soldiers in this battle, and they are on their way to Lin'an. He said that he had ordered these prisoners to undergo 'reform through labor' under the order of His Highness the 'King of Yan'."
"I think this means to let them work as laborers to repair roads and bridges, build canals and dig ponds for our Song Dynasty. I think this method is very good. What do you think?"
Let me go, you old people say it's fine, how can we think so?
However, some old diehards still stood up.
"I reported this to the officials, but the veteran thought this was inappropriate. I think of the Song Dynasty, a state of great etiquette, practicing the ways of Confucius and Mencius. These people were defeated and captured. How can we continue to exploit them? We should teach them with the words of saints.
"
All of a sudden, in the court hall, several white-haired and bright-headed people were wagging their lips and quoting scriptures. What they said was extremely exciting and exciting, but everyone fell asleep after listening to it.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! This group of people were adjusting their book bags, and even Shi Miyuan and his party could only watch on the sidelines, as if they were watching an official joke.
"Ahem, that Wang Jian, when you come here, will your Guo Dutong have any input on this matter?"
The official finally took advantage of the opportunity for everyone to pause and quickly asked Wang Jian.
"When I report to the official family, my family all agrees that we have received the general order from the 'King of Yan'. When the time comes, His Highness the 'King of Yan' will personally explain it. But..."
Wang Jian thought about it for a while, should he be good at making suggestions and help the officials? Finally he made up his mind.
"However, I often hear Guo Dutong say, 'When friends come, there is wine; when wolves come, there are swords and guns'!"
"If anyone wants to propose using the saint's words to influence these invaders, the next time a foreign enemy invades, there is no need to send troops to resist. Just let those 'corrupt Confucians' preach the saint's words."
"Shut up! Wang Jian, in the Golden Palace, how can you believe that you are talking nonsense? However, what your family said has a certain truth. What do you think?"
The officials glanced at the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty, especially the old scholars, for a long time.
"he and I..."
No one spoke, for fear of throwing themselves on the battlefield to educate those Jin soldiers.
"Haha, since all the ministers have no objections, let's proceed accordingly."
The officials were particularly happy. Look at our Xiao Qi. He was able to overthrow the civil and military affairs of the entire dynasty even though he was thousands of miles away.
Beheading 2,000 people and capturing more than 300 people, does this almost mean that the enemy's entire army will be wiped out in the future?
The officials were very self-aware and did not let anyone open the box with the ears.
"I'll report it to the official family, and I'll report it to you."
Cheng Ju, the Minister of Rites, who was standing aside, actually walked out of the class again. This old man was quite active today.
Cheng Ju was a militant person in history, but he was also a pragmatic doer.
Dedicated to making the country prosperous and the people strong during the Song Dynasty, he did not talk about war lightly even without the support of a strong army.
Today, meeting such an iron-blooded and wise "Dun Wujun" Commander Du, the blood in old Chengtou's body surged again.
"Cheng Qing, if you need anything, just let me know."
The officials are so happy.
"In the official family, everyone is rewarded based on their merits, but why is there no one with the greatest merit in this battle?"
When everyone heard this, they understood that this was asking for credit for Guo Mo.
The official was stunned when he heard this. He browsed through the report again, but he really couldn't find a word to praise Guo Mo.
When Shi Miyuan heard this, he quickly gave Xue Ji next to him a signal, asking him to seize the opportunity and take action first. He was already a little passive today.
"If you report it to the official family, I will also have a written report."
"Oh, Xue Qing? What's the matter with you?"
The official was a little displeased. He thought Xue Ji saw Cheng Jue asking for credit for Guo Mo and specifically jumped out to stop him.
"What Mr. Cheng just said is true. According to what General Wang said, the person who made the greatest contribution in this battle should be Guo Mo, the commander of the 'Dunwu Army'. I asked the officials to give Guo a reward."
"oh--"
The officials looked at Xue Ji with great interest, which was interesting.
"Xue Qing has been in the official department for a long time. I wonder what kind of reward can be given to him to be worthy of Guo Mo's military exploits?"
"this......"
Xue Ji didn't expect that the officials would throw this problem to him again.
Although he was responsible for the assessment and promotion of officials in the Song Dynasty, Guo Mo was in the military system after all, and the assessment of military merit belonged to the Ministry of War and the Privy Council.
Seeing the officials staring at him, Xue Ji had no choice but to discuss the matter.
"I would like to report to the officials, and in the opinion of the veterans, the reward to Guo Dutong must include at least three aspects."
"First, Guo Dutong was formerly Dunwulang. With this military merit, he could behead two thousand people and be promoted to at least three or five levels."
"Second, according to what General Wang Jian said, Guo Dutong only brought fifty "Dunwu Army" soldiers this time. The "Dunwu Army" is still in training. A few elites can achieve this feat. It seems that
Guo Dutong leads the troops well."
"We can expand the scale of the 'Dunwu Army' in this regard, and it is better to have 20,000 soldiers in accordance with the customary regulations."
"Third, there are still more than 2,000 Jin cavalry stranded in the two lakes. The Jin army will definitely make another move at the border. I suggest that Guo Dutong be temporarily in charge of the military affairs of the two lakes, with the power to make arbitrary decisions when the situation arises."
Xue Ji's words immediately attracted the attention of all the big guys. Even Shi Miyuan did not expect that Xue Ji said something so outrageous.
"this......"
This time it was the officials' turn to be speechless.
This old Xue Ji, what kind of medicine is sold in the gourd?
If the official didn't know Guo Mo completely, he would have doubted how much benefit Guo Mo had given this old guy?
In fact, what Xue Ji said was just cheap talk.
The Lianghu area is so big, with dozens of states, and the garrison troops alone number less than a hundred thousand. Will the officials trust it to a young boy? What a joke!
What's more, the garrison in that place had seniors like Meng Zongzheng in the army, who were considered loyal to the officials.
There are also cronies planted by Shi Miyuan, as well as some local forces. They are so intricate that who can sort them out?
Not to mention a small "Dunwu Army" under the overall control, even if Shi Miyuan, the envoy of the Privy Council, could really mobilize half of the military strength, it would be considered good.
At least the more than 20,000 people in the "loyal and shun army" couldn't possibly listen to him.
"There is no problem in giving Guo Mo an official position, or even expanding the number of 'Dunwu Army'. However, what Xue Qing said, asking Guo Mo to control the military affairs of the two lakes, what does Zhao Qing think?"
This is the smartest thing about this official family. If you can't figure it out yourself, let others handle it.
Whether it's Xue Ji or Zhao Rushu, they are all your people, Shi Miyuan. They can come up with any conclusion, as long as it's not too outrageous. The officials are making the final decision, and the opinions of your own people are the two.
Zhao Rushu, as the Minister of Punishment, originally had nothing to do with him today.
After going down, send out a sea arrest document and arrest the Jiangling prefect.
He was sure that this was not a difficult matter. It was very likely that the Jiangling prefect was hiding with Nie Zishu.
As long as Shi Xiang nods, he can do a beautiful job by himself, which is not difficult at all.
I was watching the excitement from the sidelines, but I didn't expect that the officials would involve me.
Since the last time, after having a drink with Zhao Fengxue, the young minister of Zongzheng Temple, Zhao Rushu has been acting very low-key recently.
Even if it wasn't for Shi Miyuan's invitation, he himself would never come to visit.
Instead, he spends more time in the Criminal Department, gathering people, and re-examining all the files for nearly twenty years, looking like a complete workaholic.
No one knows what he is thinking. If his actions for more than a month are taken separately, he is definitely an official who is loyal to the country.
Looking at the gazes cast by the officials, Zhao Rushu seemed to see something different and quickly lowered his head.
"Reporting to the official family, I think that since it is Master Xue's suggestion, it must have been carefully considered, and I can't see anything wrong for the time being. I second the proposal!"
What Zhao Rushu said seemed to be expected by the officials. He actually smiled without a trace, but immediately pretended to be frowning.
Xue Ji opened his eyes wide and looked at Zhao Rushu in disbelief.
Can't you see that I was just talking casually?
Don't you express your own opinion?
Haven't you always been dissatisfied with me and wanted to compete for the position of "number one counselor" in front of the Prime Minister?
"Cheng Qing, let Guo Mo control the military affairs of the two lakes. Since Xue Qing and Zhao Qing have repeatedly recommended it, what do you think?"
I went, who "strongly recommended" it? And "repeatedly"?
Xue Ji and Zhao Rushu were no longer calm.
Cheng Jue seemed to sense that there was something fishy in this, but for a while, he couldn't figure out why.
"To the officials, Mr. Xue and Mr. Zhao are both far-sighted and forward-thinking people. They are outstanding figures of our time in the Song Dynasty. Since they are highly recommended by these two adults, they should not be wrong. I second my opinion!"
"Hahaha, okay, it's rare for all the ministers to be so united and loyal to the country! Prime Minister, what do you mean?"
"this..."
Shi Miyuan felt an inexplicable palpitation in his heart, but he didn't know what went wrong.
"Old minister seconded the proposal!"
"Hahaha, okay."
"The 'Dun Wu Army' was promoted to the commander-in-chief of Guo Mo as 'Martial Arts Lang', and the 'Dun Wu Army' was expanded to 20,000 troops. They trained at the school ground in the south of the city. Qualified sergeants who passed the training were sent to the battlefields of the two lakes at any time."
"Guo Mo was temporarily given the title of 'Secretary of the Ministry of War' to control the military affairs of the two lakes. He has the power to make arbitrary decisions when the opportunity arises and to report secretly. He can kill first and report later."
"Qing Zhao, as the labor ambassador of the imperial court, please go there in person and take a good look at what the front line is like for me. In a moment, you can meet me at the Funing Palace. Retreat from the imperial court -"
The official finished speaking in one breath and left the "Daqing Hall" without giving everyone time to react.