In Yingtian Mansion, Guo Xu has been busy appeasing the people and reorganizing the troops for the past few days. Although Yingtian Mansion was captured, the morale of the entire army was not high. Of course Guo Xu knew the reason, because this attack on Yingtian Mansion resulted in heavy casualties.
The 50,000-strong army came in force. They thought they were overwhelming, but unexpectedly they suffered a heavy price. More than 7,000 people were killed and 14,000 to 5,000 were injured. The casualties of the combat troops exceeded half.
If Ma Bin hadn't fought tooth and nail to seize the south gate and the cavalry raided the city, we don't know what the outcome of this attack would have been.
Therefore, this is not actually a victory. We paid such a high price to capture Yingtian Mansion, but the leader of the cult bandits actually slipped away under our noses. How can this be considered a victory? The key is that the opponent is just a ragtag group of people.
They are just teaching bandits, not elite soldiers and generals. Naturally, many people cannot accept this result.
Guo Xu himself is not in a high mood. Although he won Yingtian Mansion, he has not shown a smile on his face in the past few days. He knows that he will disappoint many people this time. In fact, he himself is also disappointed with his performance.
He was very disappointed. He knew that the Pingjiao bandits this time meant a lot to him, but he had turned a good hand into such a rotten situation. He was also anxious and angry.
After the city was broken, Guo Xu was very self-aware and did not report his victory to the court. The entire memorial only briefly described the process of capturing Yingtian Mansion, and even Hai Dongqing's escape was not concealed. Guo Xu even mentioned in the memorial
He made a self-examination and made it clear that he had made the mistake of underestimating the enemy, which resulted in an ineffective attack on the city and heavy casualties. He asked the court to punish him. He was willing to pay a year's salary, and was willing to contribute money to the court to pay for the families of some of the fallen officers and soldiers.
Guo Xu understood that he had to keep a low profile and be humble. If he boasted at this time, he would probably arouse great resentment from his father and criticism from the courtiers. Because what he did was not pretty. Fifty thousand forbidden troops actually became a soldier in his own hands.
He must have disappointed and angered his father. If he takes this war as a credit, I am afraid it will be counterproductive.
In the evening, Guo Xu, who was patrolling in the city, received the news. A decree came from the capital, and the person who delivered the decree had arrived at his residence in Yingtianfu Yamen. Guo Xu hurried back to the Yamen, and as soon as he entered the lobby of the Yamen, he was surprised.
I found a familiar figure sitting in the lobby.
"Grandfather? Why are you here? It's such a long way...how can I come here with my labor?" Guo Xu exclaimed in surprise and joy.
Sitting in the hall was Lu Zhongtian, who had gray hair and a clear and tired face. It was a long journey of more than 700 miles from the capital to Yingtian Mansion. With Lu Zhongtian's body in his sixties, it was indeed a torture to come here after a long journey. He
It's really tiring, but it's good to be cautious.
"Hahaha, I took the initiative to invite you to come here to deliver the decree. It's not that the emperor doesn't sympathize with the old minister. For a great victory like King Huai's conquering Yingtian Mansion, there is nothing wrong with me coming to announce the decree and commend him." A smile spread on Lu Zhongtian's face,
The look in Guo Xu's eyes was very kind.
Guo Xu's face was hot. He felt that what his grandfather said was ironic, and he sighed in a low voice: "I am so ashamed. Guo Xu has failed the expectations of the emperor and the court, and has failed his grandfather's expectations and teachings."
Lu Zhongtian slowly shook his head and said in a deep voice: "Don't belittle yourself. Let's take the order first. We'll discuss the rest later."
Guo Xu hurriedly adjusted his clothes and received the order. Lu Zhongtian stood in the hall and read out Guo Chong's imperial edict. To Guo Xu's surprise, it was really a commendation edict. His father actually did not blame him at all in the edict, which corresponded to the Battle of Tianfu. Guo Xu's spirit of fighting to the death when he led the imperial army was greatly praised. It was said that Guo Xu was able to survive in a dead situation, could regard death as home and never give up, and his indomitable spirit even when encountering setbacks was worthy of praise. It was said that the successful capture of Yingtian Mansion meant the annihilation of the Qingjiao. The religious bandits have passed the most difficult moment. This is a turning point. The imperial edict encourages all the soldiers in the army and Guo Xu to continue their efforts to wipe out the religious bandits as soon as possible and complete the major task of counterinsurgency.
There is no word of punishment, no complaint or disappointment in the entire imperial edict. There is no word or word of blame for the heavy casualties and the escape of the religious bandits. This made Guo Xu surprised, happy, and at the same time a little confused. mind.
"Take the order. Why are you standing still?" Lu Zhongtian smiled and said to Guo Xu, who was kneeling below blankly.
Guo Xu hurriedly shouted long live and accepted the imperial edict.
"My old arms and legs really can't stand the torment. My whole body feels like falling apart all the way here. Guo Xu, I don't want to go to Guanyi anymore. I'll just live here with you. I don't know. Do you have a place for me to live?" Lu Zhongtian said with a smile.
"Grandpa, please go to the inner hall to rest. My grandson's room will be vacated soon. I'll ask grandpa to stay here tonight. The kid has a lot to say to grandpa." Guo Xu said hurriedly.
"Okay, you don't have to move out. Let's make a bunk in the house at night, and we, grandfather and grandson, can talk. If you have something to say to me, I also have something to say to you." Lu Zhongtian stroked his beard and said with a smile.
Guo Xu smiled and nodded, stepped forward and took Lu Zhongtian's arm to help him up. Lu Zhongtian put his arm on Guo Xu's shoulder, and the two of them walked towards the back hall.
…
The night falls, it's already halfway through August, a waning moon hangs high in the sky, and the night breeze has become cool. The most pleasant autumn of the year has arrived.
In the small courtyard in the back hall of Yingtianfu Yamen, a small table was placed with some melons, fruits, mooncakes, grapes and other food. Lu Zhongtian and Guo Xu were sitting next to the small table in casual clothes, looking calm.
"Grandpa, I asked you to go to such trouble and bring so many things. You have to bring them all the way from the capital. I really don't dare to be a grandson." Guo Xu said with a smile.
Lu Zhongtian chuckled and said: "You were away on an expedition and missed the Mid-Autumn Festival. When I came, I went to the palace to see your mother. Your mother asked me to bring you some of these things to make up for the Mid-Autumn Festival. In the past, every Mid-Autumn Festival, you would I spent it with your mother. You are not in the capital this year, and your mother misses you very much. Although the Mid-Autumn Festival has passed, and there are only two of us, grandpa and grandson, it can be regarded as a good time to enjoy the occasion. Come, take that The pot of sweet-scented osmanthus wine is full, let us, my grandfather and my grandson, have a drink."
Guo Xu hurriedly picked up the pot and poured wine, and sighed: "My mother really has nothing to say to the child. I am away on an expedition and cannot be by her side during the Mid-Autumn Festival. I feel really guilty. The child wishes his mother a drink from afar and wishes her good health and peace." Be well."
Lu Zhongtian smiled and said: "I think it's better to toast your father first, and don't mess up the world."
Guo Xu was startled and said hurriedly: "My grandfather said that you should respect your father first and then your mother."
Lu Zhongtian watched with a smile as Guo Xu raised his glass and drank two glasses in the direction of the capital. Then he picked up the glass and touched it with Guo Xu, drinking it down in one gulp.
"Come and eat these crystal grapes. They were sent as tribute from the Western Regions. They are big and sweet. It is said that there was a natural disaster in the small country in the Western Regions this year, and the grape yield was not good. The journey was long, so the total tribute was only one thousand kilograms to the court. I only got ten kilograms.
"There were many people in the harem, and your mother only got five kilograms. She didn't want to eat a bite, so she ordered someone to chill it, so I brought them all. She said she would give you a try. Eat it, it's very sweet." Lu Zhongtian
He pointed at the crystal clear grapes on the wooden plate and said.
Guo Xu silently picked one and put it in his mouth, chewed it, and his mouth was full of sweet juice, which was refreshing and delicious. But he suddenly felt that his mouth was full of bitterness, and he sighed and was speechless.
"What's wrong? Isn't it delicious?" Lu Zhongtian said with a smile.
"No...it's delicious. My mother is really considerate of her children, and I feel very ashamed." Guo Xu said softly.
"Pity the hearts of parents in the world. Every mother wants to give her heart to her son. This is not surprising. As long as you understand that as a son of man, you should not let down the kindness of your parents and try your best to repay your kindness in the future."
Lu Zhongtian smiled.
"My grandfather taught me this. But...but Guo Xu is incompetent...this time...ah, I am extremely ashamed. I have failed my grandfather and mother's expectations, and failed my father and the court's trust. I feel so ashamed."
"Earth." Guo Xu said hoarsely.
Lu Zhongtian muttered: "Guo Xu, you can't underestimate yourself. How can you achieve great things if you can't withstand small setbacks? I'm really dissatisfied with you this time. You won Yingtian Mansion, which should have been a great victory.
It's so powerful that it needs to be widely publicized. But what did you write in the memorial to the court?"
Guo Xu said in a deep voice: "Grandpa, my grandson is really ashamed this time. An army of 50,000 attacked the city, and faced only the mob of the Qing Sect. However, they suffered successive defeats and suffered heavy casualties. The guilt in my grandson's heart is really indescribable.
.grandson..."
Lu Zhongtian interrupted coldly: "But in the end, did you win Yingtian Mansion? Taking Yingtian Mansion is victory and a great victory. As for losses... How can we fight without killing people? No one in the world dares to say that war can guarantee it.
No soldier will die. And you are not facing a mob. The Qingjiao bandits are well-organized and have plans. They have equipment and weapons that are not inferior to our Great Zhou Forbidden Army. They are a powerful enemy. Many people attack
When the city suffered heavy casualties for several days, I was afraid that I had to call for reinforcements or simply lost confidence, but you still managed to break this hard bone. For this alone, you are worthy of praise. You did not mention any merit in the memorial, and you still
Asking for punishment is belittling oneself. To say that I am disappointed, I am a little disappointed by your behavior. Regarding the war, I do not feel disappointed. Even Yang Jun recognizes this."
"Oh? Privy Yang didn't blame me?" Guo Xu said in surprise.
"Of course he will blame you. You have caused heavy losses to his Imperial Army. Almost all of the newly built extremely expensive Sky Cars have been scrapped. Of course he will complain about it. But I told him that I will allocate tens of millions of taels to him to build the Sky Cars.
, the imperial court will provide a special pension of silver to pay for the dead and wounded officers and soldiers. What else can he say? The soldiers lost by the Forbidden Army can be replaced again, he just feels sorry for the silver. If I give him the silver, what else can he say?" Lu Zhongtian sneered.
