The sky in June is like a child's face, it changes at a moment's notice. At first the sun shines brightly, but after a short while, it is already covered with thick clouds.
Gao Fei received a series of battle reports from the northwest. The last one was that the army led by Taishi Ci was surrounded on an unknown hill. After that, there was no news for several days.
He was restless in the palace and rode to the west gate of Luoyang. As soon as he climbed up the tower and looked out, he saw dark clouds looming overhead, which was as gloomy as his mood.
Looking out, there is darkness in the wilderness. The sky and the earth seem to have merged together, and nothing can be seen. There is not a single star of light on the vast plain, and the earth seems to be sleeping deeply.
However, the thunder was rumbling in the northwest, as if it was tightly surrounded by the dense layers of thick clouds and could not struggle out. The sound was dull and slow. Lightning, in the far northwest sky, was like breaking cotton wool.
The black clouds were burning like hula hula.
Since the beginning of summer, this is the first time Gao Fei has seen such thunder and lightning weather. He can't help but start to feel a little worried. He is also uneasy and secretly thought: "Did something happen to the Western Expeditionary Army?"
This Western Expedition was a war of unprecedented scale for the Huaxia Kingdom, because the number of places and ethnic groups to be conquered was the largest in history. However, this war was the first time that Gao Fei did not have a chariot to conquer in person.
He entrusted the entire Western Expedition army to his second son Gao Lin. The army he mobilized was also equipped with elite soldiers and generals, and the counselors were also first-rate. The purpose of doing this was to train Gao Lin's ability to command the army, which was also extremely important.
An adventurous one.
"Teacher, it seems like the sky is about to collapse today. It's very abnormal. There has been no news from the Western Expeditionary Army for several days. Do you think something unexpected happened?" Gao Fei pressed his hands on the city wall, mouth
Squirming, he asked calmly.
Zhu Gongdao stood beside Gao Fei. When he heard Gao Fei say this, he hurriedly comforted him: "Don't worry, Your Majesty. The Emperor has mobilized many elite soldiers and generals for this Western Expedition. Although General Wang is young and vigorous, he has
The Duke of Zhen Guo followed, and the general Wang obeyed the Duke of Zhen Guo again.
, with the Duke of Zhen Guo here, the general Wang will definitely be able to return in triumph. What's more, Sima Yi and Pang Tong, the patrol officers, also went together. There has been no news in the past few days, which means it is good news, unlike what was reported a few days ago.
It’s all bad news. Maybe there will be news tomorrow.”
Gao Fei sighed lightly and said, "I hope so."
A moment later, heavy rain began to fall from the sky, and in just a short while, the ground was completely soaked.
Gao Fei was about to turn around and leave when he suddenly saw a knight riding gracefully through the rain curtain in the distance. Behind the knight was two bright red flags. It was the Eight Hundred Miles Emergency Department of the Intelligence Department. After he saw this knight, he
He hurriedly shouted: "Quick, stop that scout, it must be an urgent report from the northwest."
Zhu Gongdao said "Promise", immediately rose into the sky, stepped directly from the city tower on the city wall, and then fell down. His feet landed on the head of the horse that the knight was riding. With a slight tap on the horse's head, the horse suddenly roared.
He fell to the ground and fell directly to the ground, knocking the scout to the ground.
At the same time, Gao Fei also quickly descended from the tower. He did not have the skills of Zhu Gongdao. Wang Yue, the number one swordsman in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, was indeed worthy of his reputation. Not only was his swordsmanship superb, but his body-lighting skills were also top-notch. Gao Fei learned from Wang Yue Yue, but he has not yet reached the state where he is worse than his master. After all, he is not as good at exploring the ways of martial arts as Wang Yue. After Wang Yue broke off his hand, he became Zhu Gongdao. Later, he met Gao Fei again, and the master and apprentice were no longer separated. .
Under the city gate, the scout climbed up from the muddy water, pointed at Zhu Gongdao and shouted angrily: "Bold! At the feet of the emperor, in front of the imperial capital, you dare to commit murder? Where do you put the Chinese law?"
At this time, the city gate captain rushed out from the city with people, quickly moved to Zhu Gongdao, and bowed respectfully: "Master Marquis, are you okay?"
Zhu Gongdao waved his hand and said with a smile: "Nothing happened, it just happened for a reason and I bumped into the special envoy."
When the scout saw that the captain of the city gate called him Lord Zhu Gongdao, instead of being afraid, he said even more confidently: "Princes who break the law are guilty of the same crimes as the common people. What's more, you are a prince. If you know the law and break the law, you will be punished by one degree. The Chinese law is clearly written
Chu, anyone who collides with the special envoy will be punished, you..."
"Forget it, it was my impatience that made Marquis Du Ting behave like this. The special envoy will bring all the superstitions to me for inspection." Gao Fei squeezed out from the crowd and said loudly.
In addition to wishing justice, the rest of the people present knelt on the ground when they saw Gao Fei appear, shouting: "Long live my emperor!"
Gao Fei said: "Everyone, get up."
The special envoy of the Red Flag hurriedly took out a secret letter wrapped in sheepskin from his arms, presented it directly to Gao Fei, and said: "A humble minister who collided with the emperor is punishable by death!"
"No need."
The captain of the city gate hurriedly asked someone to bring a canopy and put it on Gao Fei's head to protect Gao Fei from the wind and rain. He was extremely attentive.
Gao Fei took the urgent document, turned around and entered the city gate, opened it as he walked, and then ordered: "Enter the red flag envoy well, don't neglect it."
The captain of the city gate said "promise" and ordered his men to send the red flag envoy to the posthouse to rest.
The Red Flag Special Envoy is an important force in the Ministry of Intelligence's delivery of urgent documents and enjoys the privilege of flying high. Generally, within the territory of China, whether officials or civilians, they must avoid the Red Flag Special Envoy when they see them passing by, so as not to delay the delivery of urgent documents.
The red flag envoy
They rode fine horses along the way, and there were inns along the way. They worked day and night, changing horses and people, and delivered urgent messages as quickly as possible in the form of relays. This saves a lot of time, so the Chinese scout army
As many as one hundred thousand, which is not surprising at all.
After Gao Fei opened the urgent letter, he hurriedly browsed it through it. His heart in his throat finally dropped, because this was a good news, written by Gao Lin himself. The Western Expedition was a victory, but there were also rights and wrongs in it.
Gao Lin can also write impartially.
"Marquis Duting." Gao Fei closed the urgent document, his heart suddenly became enlightened, and he shouted.
Although Zhu Gongdao was Gao Fei's mentor, Gao Fei would only call him his mentor in private. In public, he would still call him his title. When he heard Gao Fei calling him, he said, "What are your orders from the emperor?"
"Go back to the palace and convene the cabinet for discussion." Gao Fei said calmly as he walked away.
"promise!"
…………
In the palace hall of Luoyang, seven people including Jia Xu, Xun You, Gai Xun, Tian Feng, Bing Yuan, Guan Ning, and Zhuge Liang sat there quietly waiting. With Guo Jia, Sima Yi, and Pang Tong, these ten people
It's Goofy's cabinet minister,
The cabinet serves as a communication channel and agrees on major matters. If it involves major military matters, the top ten generals will be notified in advance and then attend an enlarged cabinet meeting together on a certain day. This is the case for this Western Expedition.
Although Jia Xu withdrew from the Privy Council, Gao Fei was still as strong as ever. In addition, he shouldered the position of Minister of the Ministry of Intelligence and had the right to know and speak on important matters. Moreover, he was a senior figure in the Huaxia Kingdom. In the Huaxia Kingdom,
In the bureaucracy of the country, he was the only high-ranking official with the rank of Shangshu, and he was granted the title of Duke of the Town together with Guo Jia and Xun You, and his treatment was quite respectful.
After a long time, Gao Fei came from outside the palace. At this time, he had changed his clothes, wearing a dragon robe and a crown. He looked majestic and full of royal style.
"My dear friends, I called you here because I want to tell you some good news. That is, the Western Expedition Army, led by Gao Lin, has achieved a major victory and will return in triumph soon."
"Long live my emperor, may China be mighty!" the ministers shouted together.
"The Western Region has been pacified and the North has been settled. I am going to leave troops and horses to guard the Western Region to prevent the Kushan Empire from taking advantage of the situation again. Who do you think is more suitable to stay?" Gao Fei asked.
"It must be the Great General Wang." Tian Feng said first.
Gao Fei nodded, and then said slowly: "He was originally the best candidate. But the Southeast has not yet been completed, and there have been frictions with Soochow for years. Now that the Western Region has been sorted out, we can free up our hands to deal with Soochow thoroughly. Soochow has already
I have been sleeping soundly beside my bed in China for many years, and I have supported Soochow for many years. However, Sun Boxu and Zhou Gongjin did not appreciate it, and always came to find trouble with me from time to time.
The Huaxia Kingdom now has millions of soldiers, and its national strength has reached an unprecedented scale. No one can stop the pace of unification. In the second half of the year, I will prepare to attack Soochow, deploy troops, and arrange troops.
Force Soochow to surrender. If Soochow does not surrender, it can only be solved by force. At that time, the general Wang will have a place to use. Therefore, you must choose another candidate. "
Zhuge Liang thought for a moment and then said: "General Zhang Yide is the most brave general in the Western Expedition. He has not lost a single soldier in this Western Expedition. If he is left to guard the Western Region, it will be enough to shock the barbarians everywhere."
Bing Yuan hurriedly said: "I think Tiger Wing General Tai Shi Ci can take on this responsibility."
"Zhenyuan General Ma Mengqi can also take on this role." Gai Xun recommended.
After Gao Fei heard this, he turned his face and asked: "Guozhang, what do you think?"
Jia Xu thought for a while and said: "Jingyuan General Wei Yan has been favored by the emperor and has been working hard for many years. Besides, he is now in Guishan City, leading an army of 50,000 troops together with Feiwei General Anita Partridge.
If we stay behind, I think that General Jingyuan can take on this responsibility, at least there will be no need to make adjustments back and forth."
Gao Fei nodded and said: "Wei Yan has always been one of my most valued generals. Now he has been trained into a capable general. He can indeed take on this responsibility. However, the strength of 50,000 troops is too small, and the Kushan Empire is eyeing it.
, there is something west inside
The countries in the region have just surrendered, so it is better to allocate another 200,000 troops, all of which belong to Wei Yan, stay in the Western Regions and live among the locals, and teach the locals some farming techniques. If there are changes, they can respond quickly, so that there will be no more
Lost ground.”
"The Emperor has a clear warning," Jia Xu said.
Gao Fei smiled and said: "Then it's settled. Wei Yan will be granted the title of Marquis of Anguo in the Western Regions, ranking first in the rank of marquis, and will be given a hundred gold coins. He will command an army of 200,000 to garrison in the Western Regions, defend Guishuang externally, and Anguo the Western Regions internally.
nita for
Jingbian Hou, who all belong to Wei Yan's tent, Gao Lin, Zhang Fei, Tai Shici and others all returned to the court and made other arrangements. The meritorious officers and soldiers were promoted to one rank one by one and given hundreds of silver coins. The secretary-general immediately drafted an imperial edict.
.”
"I obey the decree." Chen Lin sat aside and began to draft the imperial edict.
After the imperial edict was drafted, he held it in front of Gao Fei and let Gao Fei read it. After Gao Fei read it, he stamped it with a jade seal.
After that, Gao Fei said: "Then, let's talk about the affairs in the southeast. What do you think, how should we capture Soochow?"
Xun You had the most say. His seven years as governor of Jingzhou was not in vain. He immediately said, "I am reporting to the emperor that I think it is too early to take Soochow now."
"Oh? Tell me your opinion." When Gao Fei heard a different opinion, he paid more attention to it.
Xun You said slowly: "Yes. I have been in Jingzhou for a long time and know a little more about Wu than you all. Sun Ce, the emperor of Wu, appointed Zhou Yu as the chief governor to specialize in Huaxia. Therefore, for many years, Zhou Yu often used various
This means provoking friction with our country. But no matter how much friction there is, there has never been any real conflict.
In a real confrontation, the last time Yanhou used pheasants as bait to annoy Zhou Yu, General Huya even asked his subordinates to shoot hundreds of Wu soldiers to death, but afterwards he expressed condolences to the deceased and gave him part of the pension.
.According to Zhou Yu’s consistent style, he will definitely seize this opportunity and press forward step by step against our country, China.”
After Gao Fei heard this, he nodded. Thinking of Zhou Yu, he interrupted Xun You and said slowly: "Zhou Yu is indeed like this. This man is both civil and military, and has extraordinary intelligence. If he is humiliated like this, he will definitely not give up...
…You go on.”
Xun You continued: "However, almost half a month has passed, and Zhou Yu has made no movement. This move is uncharacteristic of the norm. I thought that Zhou Yu must be planning something secretly and has been waiting for an opportunity. Moreover, our country, Huaxia Kingdom and Wu Kingdom
We are in an alliance, and if we openly break this alliance, I am afraid that people in the world will say that our country, China, is treacherous."
"The great cause of reunification is very close at hand. Wu Guo has been pushing for more and more, but has he ever thought that we are an ally? We have repeatedly caused panic on the border and have long since ignored our alliance." Gao Fei said angrily.
Jia Xu hurriedly consoled him: "That said, it is indeed unreasonable. Once we break the covenant openly, we will be reviled by the world. Please think twice, Your Majesty."
Zhuge Liang said: "Your Majesty, I think it's not a bad idea to attack Wu. We just need to use a little trick to let Wu break the alliance first. In this way, our army can go with the flow and go south with a large army to openly eat them."
The Kingdom of Wu has completed its unfinished mission of unification."
Gao Fei said: "It's easy to say, but easier said than done?"
Zhuge Liang stood up and asked for his orders: "I am willing to leave the capital and go to Jingzhou to help the Marquis of Yan deal with Zhou Yu. Your Majesty only needs to give me three months. Within three months, I will definitely let Wu Guo destroy it first."
The covenant is reviled by everyone in the world."
After hearing this, Gao Fei thought for a while and said: "Okay, I will allow you to go on this journey. In three months, I can also make military arrangements and deploy the troops on the southeast front. Chen Lin, draft an imperial edict,
He promoted Gao Qi, the prefect of Jiangxia, to the prefect of Jingzhou, with full authority over the affairs of the southeast, and made Zhuge Liang the prefect of Jiangxia."
"I obey the decree." Chen Lin immediately picked up the pen and started writing.
Zhuge Liang thanked him and said, "Thank you Lord for your kindness."