Excluding the counties in the capital, Jinling City had more than 400,000 inhabitants before the Rebellion. There were descendants of clans, descendants of aristocratic clans, courtiers and bodyguards, imperial guards, generals, merchants and civilians, and more.
The slaves and maidservants who served the powerful and powerful; at its peak, there were as many as 16,000 to 16,000 to 7,000 maids in the palace.
During the Jinling Rebellion, countless people either died or fled to other places, and hundreds of thousands of slaves or children of civil servants and military officials were forced to cross the river by the rebels in Anning Palace. When Emperor Yanyou regained the city of Jinling, the city's population was once
There are only 780,000 people left.
It is said that Jinling has recovered its vitality in these years, and the number of eunuchs and maids employed in the palace is between five and six thousand. However, compared with before the rebellion in Jinling, the population size has still been reduced by nearly half.
This also makes the large city of Jinling full of abandoned houses among the criss-crossing streets and alleys.
Deep in Xiliu Lane, a carriage stopped in front of an abandoned house on a hot afternoon.
The sun was shining brightly, and except for three or five beggars who looked as if they were dead, huddled in a slightly shady corner under the shade of a tree, not a single living person could be seen passing by in the entire alley.
Zhou Yuan, who was wearing a casual robe, stepped out of the carriage and glanced warily at both sides of the alley before jumping out of the carriage, walking to the eaves of the door, pushing open the ajar door, and ducking in first;
After a while, Li Pu, whose beard and hair were all white with frost, but whose legs and feet looked even sharper than Zhou Yuan's, stepped out of the carriage and entered the deserted house.
The carriage rumbled out of the alley, as if nothing had happened in the alley.
In the deserted house, a tall young man was wearing a robe, holding a bamboo pole in his hand, sitting barefoot by a pond covered with weeds - his clothes were tattered and his hood was dirty, but he was not covered at this time.
A majestic figure.
Zhou Yuan and Li Pu walked in. The young man looked back and motioned for them to sit down on the muddy ground by the pond. He said, "You asked Shen Yang and Yang En to approve Han Qian's secret. You also expected Han Qian to have it."
In violation of the law, he was so eager to establish a prince. He might personally lead the army to the north at any time, and Tangyi expanded its troops in the past few days. However, in addition to the elite garrison in central places such as Donghu and Liyang, Shiliang, Yiyang, etc.
, Huailing, Longtan and other places, most of the 20,000 garrison troops were newly recruited, and the 30,000 elite troops and the main force of the navy were gathered in Shouchun and Huoqiu. The Liang army in the south of Chenzhou also rushed to repair the wading post road on the Yin River, and Han Qian led his army northward.
, it may be something within ten days - haven’t Duke Chang Guo and Zhou Shilang persuaded Li Zhigao to take action?”
Li Pu frowned, and he and Zhou Yuan also sat carelessly on the hot mud embankment, and said: "Not only does Zhi Gao want to wait a little longer, Chang Feng and A Xiu do not advocate hasty actions...
"
"If you wait a little longer, I'm afraid the day lilies will be cold," the young man said with a smile, "Now Li Zhigao, Li Changfeng, and Li Xiu are not important. I just want to know if Duke Chang Guo has made up his mind?"
"Zhu Yu and Han Qian join forces, it is not that easy to deal with. Even if Han Qian leads his troops from Chenzhou to reinforce Bianjing, the outcome is still 50-50. I guess Xu Mingzhen has suffered too much at the hands of Han Qian
, you are still hesitating at this time and have not made a final decision, right? If Xu Mingzhen has not made a final decision, then how can we know that the purpose of your efforts to encourage the Xiangbei Army to plot Shu is not to kill General Tang
The main force of the Yi army is on the south bank of the Huai River, right?" Li Pu, who was not that stupid, asked in a deep voice.
"The gentleman said that Han Qian is an outlier in Jianghuai. When I first heard this, I felt a little disdainful, but I didn't expect that all of you would be so jealous of him. It seems that what the gentleman said is true," the young man said with a smile.
"You think Xu Mingzhen may still have a chance to turn back at this time, but the question is, before Han Qian leads 30,000 elite troops northward, does Xu Mingzhen dare to turn back? Or in other words, under what conditions will Han Qian and Zhu Yu accept Xu Mingzhen at this time?
Mingzhen turns back? Is Xu Mingzhen willing to completely give up military power and hand over the last of the Xu family blood around him as hostage in exchange for a chance to turn back? And once Han Qian leads 30,000 elite troops northward, Duke Chang Guo will not feel that Han Qian
If Xu Mingzhen didn't capture Taikang, Tuocheng and other cities that Xu Mingzhen divided his forces at this time, and if he didn't protect the east wing of Chen-Bian Post Road, he would risk being cut off and lead 30,000 elite troops to help Han Yuanqi defend Bianjing City.
Right? There is absolutely no trust between Xu Mingzhen and Han Qian. For Xu Mingzhen, she must either surrender directly to Tangyi, or wait for Han Qian to lead his troops north to fight the first battle with him, and replace him with Chang Guogong.
It’s Xu Mingzhen, what choice will she make?”
"For Xu Mingzhen, it is still the Xiangbei Army who moves first, and then he can minimize the pressure that the Shouzhou Army will bear," Zhou Yuan said, "Zhou would like to ask why the Xiangbei Army
Do you want to move first?"
At this time, Zhou Yuan also became more and more sure that the Mongols were still afraid of Han Qian's desperate attempt to lead his troops into the Hehuai River to join the war. Although they were also eager to get the Shu land, considering the rise of Tangyi over the years, facing the desperate Han Qian,
Who can not feel guilty?
"Of course the Xiangbei Army had no reason to move first, so neither my husband nor I ran to Li Zhigao to waste any words. The two brothers, Zhou Shilang and Commander Zhou, seemed to have no need to move first. In other words,
Lu Qingxia's thoughts at this time are the same as those of Shen Yang, Yang En and Yang Zhitang. They all hope that the Tangyi army will go north to fight with us and we will lose. When the Tangyi army really fights us and we will lose, Xiangbei will plan for Shu again.
There are not so many scruples anymore. Even if we fight against Huaidong, Prince Shou's Mansion and the Zheng family, it seems that the Xiangbei Army will win in the end." The young man asked with a smile, "Are all of you like this?
So calculated?"
Zhou Yuan and Li Pu both had expressions as dark as water and did not say a word, but the situation was obvious. Tangyi was so strong, whoever struck first would surely gain a big advantage, but once Han Qian targeted him, he would definitely suffer a big loss.
Before Zhou Yuan and Yao Xishui rushed to Chuzhou, they had wanted to persuade Wang Xin and Yang Yuanyan to take action together, and they also wanted to make a fuss over the Wang family. However, he did not expect that Han Qian would directly make Han Wenxin, the eldest concubine, the heir apparent, cutting off the Wang family.
The delusion made the Wang family calm down, and Wang Yang Yuanyan naturally became calm and calm.
Without Huaidong's cooperation, Xu Mingzhen could not move. At this time, the Xiangbei Army moved first. If Han Qian finally gave up his plan to go north for reinforcements and sent troops to attack Suizhou and Nanyang first, who would they cry to?
"Everyone is very scheming, and everyone is looking for a way out for themselves, but Duke Chang Guo, you really have no way out?" The young man stared at Li Pu, shook his head and sighed.
Li Pu asked in a deep voice: "How do you say this?"
"Did Duke Chang Guo always think that after Lu Qingxia brought the second prince into Cishou Palace, he would one day fully support the second prince as his heir, and that Duke Chang's palace would one day make a comeback?" the young man asked with a smile.
Li Pu frowned and stared at the young man, wanting to see what he was going to say.
"If Duke Chang Guo and the second prince are always just pawns in Lu Qingxia's hands, and are destined to be abandoned by Lu Qingxia in the end, what would Duke Chang think?" the young man asked.
"What do you mean by this?" Li Pu's heart was filled with a shadow, and his questioning voice couldn't help but become harsher.
"Li Zhigao has been calling his adoptive father for twenty-eight years in front of Duke Chang Guo. Duke Chang Guo really doesn't have the slightest doubt about Li Zhigao's life experience. Does he really think that he is the orphan left by your general named Deng?" the young man laughed.
Then he said, "Sir, you said that Li Zhigao at this time is as if he was printed from the same mold as King Lu back then? Of course, Duke Chang Guo had no chance to see King Lu in Jianghuai. I came here this time and paid a lot of money."
Please give me a portrait of King Lu from that time, if Duke Chang would be interested in taking a look..."
The young man signaled to the guard standing under the shade of the willow tree, took the scroll with some tatters at the corners in his hand, and handed it to Li Pu.
Li Pu's face was ashen, and he stood up and took the scroll with his hands trembling a little; Zhou Yuan stood aside, staring at the slowly unfolding scroll in disbelief.
"By the way, Li Zhigao acted on the Queen Mother's orders so easily back then, and there has always been an extraordinary level of trust between Li Zhigao and Lu Qingxia over the years. Is there really no suspicion in Duke Chang's heart?" The young man stared at Li Pu's face.
Face asked.
As if he had been struck by lightning, Li Pu sat down again holding on to the mud embankment, and the skirt of his robe slipped into the pond without even noticing.
"Chang Guo Gong and Lord Zhou always doubt our intentions, but I want to ask Chang Guo Gong and Lord Zhou, if we are just to tie Han Qian's hands and feet and prevent him from participating in the Hehuai War, we only need to uncover Xinjin
Hou's life experience is enough, why bother to go to dangerous places many times to lobby Chang Guogong and Mr. Zhou? Sir, you have spent all these years traveling around the world, but you still don't want to realize the dream of former friends and old friends to rule the world together? Of course, we don't
It was because of the harmless thoughts of Marquis Xinjin that he sent this portrait to Duke Chang Guo..." the young man said.
Zhou Yuan is not a three-year-old child either. He guessed that the reason why Xiao Yilian and the person in front of him did not directly expose Li Zhigao's life experience must have other concerns. And if the situation in Da Chu is completely chaotic, Han Qian might be able to spy on him.
The opportunity to seize chestnuts from the fire is definitely not what the Mongols want to see.
However, Zhou Yuan did not feel that the man in front of him was lying about Li Zhigao's life experience.
In addition to the ancient portrait that is absolutely difficult to fake, as the person in front of him said, it is confirmed that there is an unimaginable trust between Lu Qingxia and Li Zhigao, and this matter is indeed in line with Lu Qingxia's usual style.
"But you finally revealed Zhigao's life experience," Li Pu asked bitterly, as if he had grown older. "You didn't use this matter to blackmail Lu Qingxia, but instead of Li Zhigao coming over to tell me this, what do you really want?"
How about it?"
"I'm not thinking about it. Maybe Duke Chang Guo can ask Lu Qingxia what he wants with this portrait?" The young man said with a smile, "Let Duke Chang Guo keep this house and think about it slowly. I forgive my nephew for not being with me anymore."
I’ll accompany you…”
After saying this, the young man bowed slightly and took the bamboo stick handed over by the guard. His body suddenly became hunched, like a beggar begging for food along the street. He left Li Pu and Zhou Yuan behind and walked straight to the left and right.
Walk down the deserted alley outside the yard.
After walking two streets, the young man huddled in the shadow of a rice shop. After a long time, he saw the carriage that had previously carried Li Pu and Zhou Yuan back, heading towards the desolate "Changguo Gongfu" in the distance.
Drive away.
"The Duke of Chang Guo was completely unaware of Li Zhigao's life experience from the beginning to the end. He is really not a man who can achieve anything. Why did the young master hand over the portrait of King Lu to him? In my opinion, it is better to reveal this matter directly.
." A thin beggar huddled next to the young man and asked in a low voice.
"Sir, you are worried that Han Qian has long suspected Li Zhigao's life experience; and even if Han Qian didn't know it before, if we directly expose Li Zhigao's life experience, there is no guarantee that Han Qian will not choose to join forces with Li Zhigao again - these things have happened in these years, you
Don't you know that Han Qian is not a person with a bottom line?" the young man said.
The skinny beggar thought about it. Han Qian has been really capricious over the years, and it's not like he has never teamed up with Li Zhigao, Lu Qingxia and the others. And with their dense calculations and layout, in the final analysis, they just can't figure out Han Qian and Tang Yi's army.
Will there be any reaction?
"By the way, sir, I suspect that the Queen Mother of Chu, Wang Chan'er, is following Lu Qingxia's advice, so we lurk in Jinling and try our best to collect all possible doubts and secret rumors about Cishou Palace and Changchun Palace over the years. There is one thing that is very suspicious...
"said the thin beggar.
"Oh, what thing?" the young man asked.
"The Queen Mother of Chu, Wang Chan'er, had been ill for a long time to recover from the illness in the Changchun Palace. On the eve of the Five Tooth Army's naval invasion of Hongzepu, the secret news came out from the Changchun Palace that the palace maid had an affair with a guard and gave birth to a child, and was killed with a stick and thrown into the wilderness. I suspect that at this time, Ci
The second prince raised by the Shougong Palace may not really be the second prince. Only Lu Qingxia can make the Queen Mother of Chu Wang Chan'er be so obedient, right? This is in line with Lu Qingxia's style," the thin beggar said, "I'm worried that if this matter is revealed to Li
Pu realizes that things may not develop as the young master expected, right?"
"If it weren't for the presence of my husband, how could it be so easy for others to see the flaws in Lu Qingxia's work? Is the man in Cishou Palace a real prince or a fake prince? I think Lu Qingxia would do it in a flawless manner. This matter is not
We need to worry about her," the young man said. "Jinling City will be in chaos for a while, and it will no longer be a safe place. Today and tomorrow, all our people will evacuate..."
"Even if they can persuade Li Changfeng, Li Xiu and others to join them, they may not be able to easily control Yang Yuanpu. Besides, Guo Liang, Zhang Han's left and right Wu Yi armies are all elite, including Shen Yang, Yang En, Du Chongtao, Zhou Bingwu and others.
They are not easy to get along with, and there are two to three hundred armored soldiers hidden in Han Daoming's mansion. Do we really want to stay and help them?" asked the thin beggar.
"Lv Qingxia has been secretly controlling Cishou Palace for eight years. Do you really think that besides Li Changfeng and Li Xiu, she only has the few palace maids and eunuchs available in the Weaving Bureau?" The young man smiled and said, "Now as long as they are forced to take action, they will
Even if they can't do it, they still have the ability to muddy the water. Let's first see them kill Jinling City until it turns into a river of blood..."