Although Shao Shantong apologized, he also explained the reason behind this "accident" in detail. According to his letter, after receiving the order to recruit troops, he immediately asked people to start the matter and set up temporary troops in various counties of Guangzhou.
Recruitment Office.
But I didn't expect that there were so many people who took the initiative to come, and the scene was very heated. Some brothers even fought to compete for the quota to join the army...
In Shao Shantong's words, the officials responsible for recruiting troops have tightened the conditions, but the total number of lists submitted by each county still exceeds 10,000.
Alas, it’s just that Huainan Road’s treatment of the soldiers was too good, and the prestige of the Jiedushi Master was too high—Shao Shantong finally made this summary and reflection.
Chang Sui Ning finished reading it and was silent for a while.
Faced with Shao Shantong's question about "does it need to be demobilized on the spot?" Chang Suining simply explained a few words. The general meaning can be summed up in eight characters - everything has been raised, so don't make any noise.
When Shao Shantong received the reply, he jumped out of his chair, his eyes were shining, his mind was so excited that he even ate two more bowls for dinner.
Autumn sowing of wheat on Huainan Road has been completed one after another. After a rain, green and tender wheat seedlings sprouted out of the soil.
Shao Shantong's heart also sprouted along with it, and the thorns in the buds made his brain itchy. He could only relieve it by writing letters frequently.
On the first day, I wrote a letter reporting on the training situation of the new recruits after the recruitment. Finally, I asked the envoy if he was okay, and secondly, when did he plan to enter Beijing?
Three days later, he wrote again and told about the inventory of ordnance. At the end, he also asked whether the envoy was okay and when did he plan to enter the capital?
On the third day, I talked about the current situation of the implementation of the decree and asked the envoy, "How do you do?" When do you plan to enter Beijing?
…
I wrote another letter, feeling that after this year's autumn harvest and autumn sowing, the people of Guangzhou are at peace, and they are all grateful to the governor for his good governance... I just don't know when you will leave for Beijing?
Goodbye letter, it’s raining heavily in Gwangju today. I wonder if it’s raining in Jiangdu. I’ve been thinking about you very much lately... I think you should be preparing to enter the capital, right?
Letter 15: There is a fierce woman in Guangzhou beating her husband in the street, attracting people to watch... By the way, when will your Excellency leave for Beijing?
Letter 16, when the official got up this morning, there were several colorful magpies hovering under the eaves for a long time. It seemed to be a good omen. I wrote a letter to tell you the good news... So, when are you going to leave?
…
Anyone can see that the letter from this man from Guangzhou is full of enthusiasm for rebellion. The always necessary question "When will your Excellency come to Beijing" is clearly asking: "Your Excellency, will you rebel?"
】
And: [When will it happen?]
At first, Chang Sui Ning replied "Undecided", "Undecided"... Later, I saw that there was nothing serious in his letter, and I didn't even bother to answer it.
But Shao Shantong, who had not received a reply for a long time, became more and more excited - the envoy didn't even have time to reply to the letter? He must be very busy! Just imagine, what are you busy with?
While Shao Shantong was still writing the letter seriously, he also counted the days until today, less than a month before the prince's wedding...
Because Chang Sui Ning had not left for a long time, the imperial court even sent a letter to politely ask Chang Sui Ning when he would leave.
A normal journey from Jiangdu to the capital would take half a month, and for such a major event, it is often necessary to set aside enough time to prevent the trip from being delayed and disrupted. To ensure safety, it is necessary to leave early.
At this time, a small number of vassal kings and Jiedu envoys had arrived in the capital. Most of them only heard the news of King Fan Yang's rebellion after they left... King Fan Yang and Li Fu were not afraid at first. What is disturbing is that Fan Yang
Jun and Duan Shiang.
As for the vassal kings who were in the capital at this time, watching Fan Yang's army approach Luoyang step by step, they felt more angry or regretful. Outsiders would not know.
However, the change in attitude of those who have not yet arrived in Beijing is clear. They are either "blocked on the way due to chaos" or "cannot leave for a while due to entangled affairs" - most of them have chosen to wait and see the situation for the time being.
Letters sent from the capital asking for the date of departure failed to have a very good effect. Compared with the letters from the court, people from all parties were obviously more concerned about the movements of Fan Yangjun.
While countless pairs of eyes were closely watching the battle situation of Fan Yangjun, many people were also paying close attention to the actions of Prince Rong's Mansion in Yizhou.
Yizhou is less than a thousand miles away from the capital and can be reached in five or six days. The time left for King Rong to set off was relatively ample.
When the imperial court sent an edict before, King Rong had a clear response, saying: "Li Yin will definitely be there for the prince's wedding."
But as Fan Yangjun broke the situation and the situation changed, everything was unknown at this time.
Up to now, King Rong has not made any clear-cut and eye-catching actions in this dispute, but the growth of power and reputation of Yizhou King Rong’s Mansion in the past two years has been noticed by everyone. When discussing the overall situation, all parties also started from
I haven't tried to bypass the mountain of Prince Rong's Mansion.
In the outer study room of Jiangdu Governor's Mansion, at this time, the subject of Prince Rong's Mansion was no exception.
After listening to Wang Yue and others express their opinions, Chang Sui Ning said: "I suspect that the rebellion of Fan Yangjun may be behind the handwriting of Prince Rong's Palace."
This sentence without any foreshadowing made everyone in the study react briefly.
For a moment, Luo Guanlin asked seriously: "What did you find, sir?"
Chang Suining shook his head: "I haven't, so I just said I doubt it."
Luo Guanlin: "My lord, do you think the timing of Fan Yangjun's rebellion is too coincidental?"
"Yes and no. In today's world, there are many people who are unwilling to take the risk of entering the capital. It is normal for some people to choose to rebel." Chang Sui Ning said: "I made this judgment based on past mistakes——"
She said: "Prince Rong's Palace has secretly stirred up troubles more than once, including when Xu Zhengye started the uprising. Prince Rong's Palace also secretly revealed to Xu Zhengye the secrets of the imperial army, horses, food and grass, thereby adding fuel to the flames."
Luo Guanlin was slightly shocked. This was the first time he had heard of this matter, and Chang Suining's expression did not seem like he was making nonsense.
And if he thought about it for a moment, he could indeed recall something related to this... At that time, he was working under Xu Zhengye's account. Indeed, Xu Zhengye's several surprise attacks and the interception of the court's food and fodder were all done with precision.
But the source of the information is not clear.
He had many speculations about this, but Xu Zhengye never made it clear to him.
It turns out...were all those secrets secretly revealed by Prince Rong's Mansion?
At this time, I heard Chang Sui Ning say: "Also, the former Huainan King Li Tong died of illness, but in fact he was poisoned by Prince Rong's Palace -"
Luo Guanlin fell silent and pursed his lips slightly.
"So I suspect that Fan Yangjun's rebellion is somehow related to him, and it is not groundless." Chang Sui Ning said: "Whether he is watching from the other side, or he is firmly behind the scenes and manipulating puppets, Fan Yangjun caused trouble.
In the end, everyone in Prince Rong's Mansion will benefit from such a huge chaos."
Moreover, the greater the disturbance caused by Fan Yang's army, the more King Rong would benefit from it.
If Fan Yang's army really goes all the way to the capital and does all the evil and dirty work, there is no doubt that Prince Rong's palace will come out to "punish" him at that time. They are upright and well-known, and they can win over people's hearts.
Thinking of this, Wang Yue felt a chill running down his spine.
Although the struggle for power is never clean, looking at many of King Rong's actions, it is really difficult for people to believe that he will become a benevolent king in the future... But such a person is used to win people's hearts.
It is his well-known name for benevolence.
Wang Yue has no doubt that there is any lie in what he said. His master doesn't care and there is no need to use such means to slander anyone, not to mention that this is only made clear to them, the counselors, in private.
At this moment, Wang Yue couldn't help but worry and said angrily: "If these people are allowed to achieve great things, they will definitely not be a blessing to the common people."
"So, we can't let him get what he wants." Chang Suining picked up the tea cup, his tone was a bit casual, but it gave people a feeling that he was bound to win.
Seeing Chang Sui Ning drinking tea, Luo Guanlin paused and then asked: "In your opinion...will the Ming family order you to lead troops to intercept Fan Yang's army?"
At this time, the war situation in Xiangzhou was not good.
"She." Chang Suining put down the tea cup and guessed: "She probably wants me to go to Beijing more."
But the world is constantly changing, and who can always get what they want?
On the same day, Chang Suining discussed with Luo Guanlin and others and summoned the central army generals to enter the city.
Shepherd's Purse also came back and went to see Chang Sui Ning with Bai Hong Chuxing and others.
After taking the order and leaving, when shepherd's purse passed the gate of Yi Zhongyue Cave, a long-awaited figure rushed out and stepped forward to salute her: "Commander!"
The girl in front of her was wearing a blue robe, her hair was braided and hanging down her head. There was a temptation in her big and deep eyes, and she asked in a low voice: "Commander, is there going to be a war?"
Shepherd's Purse smiled and asked instead, "How are you doing picking up the beans?"
Kang Zhi's face turned bitter: "Commander, I already knew I was wrong!"
Previously, when Kang Zhi followed Chang Sui Ning to put down the rebellion of the Huainan Province governor, although he was rewarded for his meritorious service in killing the Huangzhou governor, he was also punished by shepherd's purse for being too reckless.
This punishment made Kang Zhi very crazy. Someone actually mixed mung beans and red beans into a bucket every day, brought them to her, and asked her to sort them out again... She did this for several months!
For the first ten days or so, she had no patience at all. She kept picking and picking, and couldn't help but feel irritated. She even kicked the bean bucket over - she would rather be beaten with a military stick than suffer this torture!
But doing so will result in a longer punishment for picking up beans.
Previously, Chang Suining led troops to Mianzhou. When Kang Zhi heard that she was not being taken with him, she was anxious and aggrieved. She picked up the beans in her hands but dropped them in her eyes.
When Gu Erlang saw it, she was so angry that she drew her sword and chased Gu Erlang half a mile away.
On the third month of picking up, Kang Zhi finally lost her temper and was able to pick up a whole bucket every day.
At this time, Kang Zhi stretched out her hand and swore an oath: "Commander, I swear that I will never act without permission in violation of military regulations again!"
As he spoke, there was a rare helplessness in his eyes: "I pick up beans every day. If I keep picking up beans like this, I will turn into beans!"
"If you could really be as round as a bean, that would really save people's worries!" Shepherd's Purse said, raising her feet and leaving, saying: "Okay, let's go! Follow me to the army for training, and you should also use your
Take out the knife and sharpen it!"
Kang Zhi was overjoyed and hurriedly followed her, then asked shepherd's purse: "Commander, is there really going to be a war?"
"Sharpen your sword more and ask less."
When Kang Zhi heard this, she quickly tightened her mouth, fearing that she would be thrown back to pick up beans again.
Five days later, news came to Jiangdu that the imperial troops who resisted Fan Yang's army were defeated in Xiangzhou, and Xiangzhou had fallen into the hands of Fan Yang's army.
Fan Yang's army rested for a while, then led one hundred thousand troops and headed straight for Luoyang.
The ruling and opposition parties were in panic for a while.
After finishing the morning court in fear and fear, the prince ran to the Manlu Hall and knelt down in tears: "... Luoyang is in danger, please ask the saint to give guidance to my ministers!"
Some ministers made many suggestions, but he did not dare to accept them easily for fear of making the wrong decision.
Even if he knew that Zhongshu, the Prime Minister of Ma, and his disciple, the Prime Minister of Wei, were both close friends of the saint, he should follow the opinions of these two people, which he had done in the past, but this matter was of great importance, and the courtiers were arguing over it.
Terrified and overwhelmed.
"Some ministers suggested that the 60,000 Xuance troops from the capital should go..." The prince said in a panic: "Prime Minister Wei has not expressed his position, and Prime Minister Ma is also undecided. I can only boldly come to ask the saint for instructions!"
Behind the curtain, the scent of burning incense pills lingered, and the emperor slowly closed his eyes.
After a moment, a majestic and steady voice came out: "Sixty thousand Xuance troops cannot leave the capital."
This is the capital's last barrier against enemies. We must not leave the capital easily, especially since all the Cui clan members in Qinghe have moved to Taiyuan...
The Cui family and Cui Jing seemed to have severed their relationship, but they were still so close at this juncture. How could she allow the remaining 60,000 Xuance troops in the capital to leave the capital at this juncture and head north?
Go face to face...
The decisive voice of the Holy Emperor resounded again, and each word fell clearly into the ears of the prince: "Order Zhengzhou, Xuzhou, Bianzhou and other places to rush to the rescue of Luoyang with all their strength, no matter the cost, no loss!"
The prince responded repeatedly and hurriedly took people to prepare the decree and deliver the order.
When leaving the Manna Hall, the prince's hands were shaking.
There are only more than ten days left for his wedding, but he often feels like he won't live until the wedding day.
On this day, the princess's wedding dress was sent to the Duke Zheng's mansion by the palace officials.
Wei Miaoqing was served by a group of palace officials and tried on a heavy dress. What awaited her was a complicated etiquette drill for the wedding process to ensure that she would make no mistakes on the wedding day.
But Wei Miaoqing was also at a loss - can she still succeed as a cheap princess? Can she bake the cakes she painted for her sisters?
Wei Miaoqing looked at the palace people surrounding him in confusion, feeling that everyone was just trying to do things, and their hearts were probably already filled with fear.
Wei Miaoqing, who had been busy all day, hurriedly looked for his brother after hearing that he had returned home.
Wei Shuyi patiently comforted his sister for a few words. After her sister left, he sat back in the chair and raised his hand to rub his brows tiredly.
Today he went to the Ganlu Hall to see the saint, and made a proposal to the saint - let Changjie envoy of Huainan Road lead troops to Luoyang to resist Fan Yang's rebels.
Wei Shuyi chose to advise the sage privately instead of guiding the prince to make this decision in the morning court, precisely because he knew that the sage might not agree with this matter. However, for the sake of the overall situation, he still chose to give it a try.
Sure enough, the saint refused.
But after refusing, the saint made a "compromise" decision.
When Wei Shuyi thought of this "compromise" strategy again, he still couldn't help but have complicated and unspeakable feelings in his heart.