kvmb Chapter 243 Seeing Zhen Yuan Again
Chapter 243 Seeing Zhen Yuan Again
[The previous chapter has been completed, you can go back and read it now!]
Unlike the last time when the imperial court issued an order and the southern prefectures were slow to respond, this time, after receiving the imperial order, the northern prefectures and many southern prefectures respectfully obeyed and led their troops to form a large army to conquer the southern rebels, marching south to surround the fourteen prefectures that had harbored rebellious intentions.
However, unlike their rapid march, when they actually reached the outskirts of the rebel city, they all stopped in their tracks, and no one dared to stand out.
The Prefect of Lin'an Prefecture said: "The imperial court has ordered the suppression of many rebellious ministers in the south. In addition to those in the camp who responded, there are also the current General of Chengdu Prefecture and the Prefect of Youzhou Prefecture. The former is hindered by the rebellious ministers and it is difficult for him to communicate with us to discuss important matters. The Prefect of Youzhou Prefecture has not yet arrived due to the long distance. We should not send troops immediately. We need to wait until everyone arrives before we can discuss the matter of sending troops."
As soon as the prefect of Lin'an finished speaking, the general of Ningyuan Prefecture retorted: "What difference does it make whether he comes early or late, he is just a civil official. We should first agree on the procedures, and then make changes if there are any problems when he arrives."
The prefect of Lin'an Prefecture was also a civil official. He was displeased that the general of Ningyuan Prefecture looked down on civil officials, but he was too lazy to argue with a military man.
He said, "No, no, although Prefect Zheng is a civil official, he is not ignorant of military affairs. It would be best to wait for him to come and discuss the matter of suppressing the rebellion in the south."
Seeing how seriously he treated the prefect of Youzhou, some prefects and generals who had heard of Zheng Hao's reputation did not utter a word of rebuttal, while a few generals who only knew how to fight and did not like to understand current affairs did not take it to heart.
Just as the General of Ningyuan Prefecture was about to speak again, the General of Jiangnan echoed the Prefect of Lin'an Prefecture: "Brother Bin is right. I spent some time with Prefect Zheng. He is knowledgeable in military affairs. If he were here, it would be of great help to us in coming up with a good strategy to deal with the rebels."
Upon hearing the General of Jiangnan's evaluation of the Youzhou Prefect, whom he had never met, some of the generals who had previously been dismissive began to straighten out. Those who could reach such a position might be arrogant and conceited, but they were not conceited or brainless. This General of Jiangnan had been promoted by suppressing the Red-Clad Army, and to receive such a positive evaluation from the other party, Prefect Zheng was definitely not the incompetent civil official they had imagined.
As they were discussing the matter, suddenly, a soldier rushed in, shouting, "Report! Prefect Zheng of Youzhou Prefecture and Commander-in-Chief is leading his troops here!"
"You're here, what's the rush? Want a beating?"
The garrison commander rebuked the soldier, saying he was under his command.
The soldier, panting heavily, had clearly rushed over to deliver the news. He reported to his commander-in-chief, "Sir, Lord Zheng has brought ten thousand light cavalry and twenty thousand infantry."
"what?!"
The prefects and generals all looked at each other in bewilderment.
They brought mostly infantry, and although they also brought cavalry, it was only two or three thousand, at most five thousand. Who would really bring their trump cards here? After this battle, the situation is still uncertain. If things go wrong, the world might become completely chaotic after the war. If they take all their troops with them, wouldn't they be vulnerable to being attacked?
As they pondered, the soldier continued, "The armor and weapons worn by those soldiers are things we have never seen before."
After the soldier finished speaking, the tent fell silent.
After a moment, the prefect of Lin'an said to the General of Jiangnan, "Brother Chen just said that he had spent some time with Prefect Zheng and must have formed a friendship. I wonder if you could introduce us?"
The other prefects and generals said, "Indeed, Prefect Zheng has come from afar despite the hardships, just to quell the rebellion in the south. We admire him and should go to welcome him."
The General of Jiangnan could not refuse, so he led everyone out of the tent. The troops from Youzhou Prefecture had not yet arrived, but they could already see dust rising from several miles away, which meant that the Prefect of Youzhou Prefecture was leading his troops toward them.
The sound of hooves grew closer, and as the dust in the air gradually dissipated, the prefectural commander standing outside the tent saw a handsome young general approaching them, riding a black steed, wearing imposing and gleaming armor, with a profound and composed demeanor.
The armor worn by the enemy was unlike anything they had ever seen before. Looking past the young commander, they saw a general behind him wearing armor similar in appearance. Behind them were about a hundred light cavalry. The sight of this armor made the prefectural commander's eyes red. The armor worn by these cavalrymen was a style they had never seen before.
The golden armor is brand new; one can only imagine how much silver must have been spent to forge it.
The key is……
The prefectural commander outside the tent had a stern expression. Did these armors belong to the hundred or so light cavalrymen in front of him, or were they all worn by soldiers of Youzhou Prefecture?
“I have never seen such armor before. According to the laws of the Great Qian Dynasty, privately forging armor and weapons is a capital offense. The armor worn by Lord Zheng and the soldiers behind you is not of the style that the Great Qian Dynasty possesses.”
Before the young prefect arrived, he spoke to the prefectural general who had a grudge against him.
Zheng Hao remained silent, but Li Xiu, standing behind him, said, “The Zhenbei Army has been stationed on the frontier for many years, and their armor and weapons have long since become unusable. A few days ago, the lord submitted a memorial to His Majesty, requesting that the Zhenbei Army modify its old armor and weapons to defend against the northern barbarians. His Majesty agreed, and we invited craftsmen to recast them. Youzhou Prefecture is bitterly cold, and the Zhenbei Army is not wealthy, unlike the generals who are stationed in fertile lands with abundant tax revenue. The armor and weapons worn by the soldiers there are all brand new.”
"I am speaking with Prefect Zheng, how dare you interrupt?" General Ning rebuked Li Xiu.
Zheng Hao glanced down at him and said in a light tone, "General Xiaoji is a military officer and is known for his quick wit and outspokenness. I hope Lord Teng will not take offense."
Seeing that a dispute was about to break out as soon as they met, the General of Jiangnan spoke up: "Lord Zheng, it has been a long time since we last met. I wonder if you can still recognize me as your comrade-in-arms who fought alongside you."
With a slight shift in his gaze, Zheng Hao moved his eyes from the General of Ningyuan Prefecture to the General of Jiangnan, and dismounted: "Lord Chen."
Seeing that the other party still remembered him, Chen Xiao laughed heartily. Ignoring the somber expression on the face of the Ningyuan Prefecture General, he stepped forward and said to Zheng Hao, "When I learned that Lord Zheng was coming from Youzhou Prefecture to the south to quell the rebellion, I eagerly awaited his arrival so that we could catch up."
The prefect of Lin'an Prefecture smiled and said, "Brother Chen, please don't favor one over the other and ignore us. You just said that you would introduce us to Prefect Zheng."
"Look at my memory." Chen Xiao raised his hand and patted his head. He smiled and said to Zheng Hao, "This is Prefect Gong of Lin'an Prefecture, and this is General Yu of Jinling Prefecture..."
With the General of Jiangnan acting as an intermediary, the young prefect and the prefects and generals of various prefectures quickly got to know each other.
Both sides tacitly forgot the unpleasantness that had just occurred.
After a banquet and a night's rest, apart from the Chengdu Prefecture General who was trapped behind enemy lines, all the prefecture generals and prefects who were sent to suppress the rebels had arrived and gathered in the camp.
The army that was sent to suppress the rebels in the south was not composed of troops sent by the imperial court, but rather troops brought by the various prefectures themselves. Therefore, there was no commander-in-chief in name.
The General of Jiangnan said: "The most urgent matter at present is that we should elect a commander-in-chief to preside over the joint military affairs of all armies and attack the rebels."
“Brother Chen is mistaken.” General Teng, the same General who had just made things difficult for Zheng Hao, said, “The troops we brought have different fighting habits and it will be difficult to coordinate them in the short term. It would be better for everyone if we separated from the beginning and each took charge of their own tasks.”
"Lord Teng is right."
The prefect of Lin'an said, "Apart from us, it's difficult to mobilize the soldiers under our command. Why don't we discuss the war together and then each of us take on a mission and lead our troops to carry it out?"
"I think I can."
"I agree!"
"I agree!"
Seeing that everyone agreed with the suggestion of the General of Ningyuan Prefecture, the General of Jiangnan could not force them and understood that they did not want to hand over military power, so he had no choice but to agree.
After agreeing that each would bring their own troops, the group began to discuss how to attack the city defended by the rebels.
The General of Jiangnan raised his hand and pointed to the area belonging to Shu on the map: "The northern part of Shu is protected by the Qinling Mountains, Micang Mountains and Daba Mountains as natural barriers. The terrain is steep and dangerous. Among them, the Jinniu Road is the most important passage, leading directly to Chengdu Prefecture. Jianmen Pass is located at the throat of this road and is known as the 'First Pass Under Heaven.' The saying 'One man can hold the pass against ten thousand' describes this place. Jianmen Pass has never been breached by a frontal attack. Zhong Hui once led an army of 100,000 and was blocked here for several months. If we forcibly attack it, we will surely end up in the same situation as Zhong Hui."
"The eastern part of the Yangtze River is protected by the Wushan Mountains and the Three Gorges. The Yangtze River is narrow in this section, with towering cliffs on both sides, especially the Qutang Gorge, which is the most dangerous. There used to be a rocky outcrop in the middle of the river, which greatly threatened ships. A folk song said, 'The Yanyu is as big as a horse, and Qutang is not safe to sail.'" The prefect of Lin'an stepped forward and pointed to the eastern part of Sichuan to analyze the situation.
The General of Jiangnan nodded: "Jianmen Pass, Chaotian Pass, and Diaoyu City are all difficult to conquer due to their terrain. Among them, Jianmen Pass is particularly difficult to attack from the north due to its terrain, which is high in the north and low in the south. It would take several months to take it down."
Upon hearing this, everyone in the tent fell silent.
They all knew that Shu was difficult to conquer and had made preparations long ago. However, even among these difficult cities, there were different levels of difficulty.
No one wanted to be the first to break through the tough Jianmen Pass.
The General of Jiangnan's face twitched slightly, and he was about to speak when Zheng Hao, who had entered without saying a word, said, "I led the Zhenbei Army to conquer Jianmen Pass."
"Jianmen Pass is strategically located, easy to defend but difficult to attack. Even a veteran general leading a large army would be blocked outside the city and unable to advance," the General of Jiangnan warned.
Zheng Hao: "This place is not insurmountable. You can leave the rest to me. I will take care of this place."
Seeing his insistence and that no one else volunteered to attack the area, the General of Jiangnan relented.
The crowd had different thoughts. Some were even prepared to laugh at him. Did Lord Zheng really think he was a war god after winning a few battles? The difficulty of conquering Jianmen Pass had been recorded in the historical records and military books of all dynasties.
After agreeing on their respective tasks, the group set off with their troops. Seven days later, just as they were fighting a difficult battle, news of a victory came from the front: Prefect Zheng had led the Zhenbei Army to capture Jianmen Pass, leaving the prefects and generals of the various prefectures dumbfounded.
Only after sending someone to confirm the facts did they have no choice but to believe it.
Two days later, they received news that Prefect Zheng had led the Zhenbei Army to capture the second city. It was at this moment that they finally realized that Prefect Zheng was not a half-baked general in military affairs, but a true war god descended to earth.
When the prefects and generals of various regions led their troops to quell the rebellion in the south, a secret letter was delivered to the residence of the Grand General in the capital. The attendant handed the letter to the Grand General and then withdrew.
Gao Yuan tore open the envelope and opened the secret letter written to him by the Southern rebels.
The letter was a thin sheet of paper, but Gao Yuan stared at it for a long time.
Under the dim candlelight, he glanced down and saw the letter read: "The Great Qian Dynasty is tyrannical. The Great General works day and night to handle state affairs. We are willing to submit to the Great General, serve him as our master, and await his orders!"
After a while, Gao Yuan remained expressionless, placed the letter next to the candle flame, and after it burned, threw it into the copper basin, letting it turn to ashes.
His eyes were dark and unfathomable. Yes, the emperor was incompetent, the world was in chaos, and various regions were fighting for power. He came from a prominent local family and was appointed as a general. Why couldn't he be the one sitting on the throne?
Two years ago, Gao Yuan would not have dared to have such thoughts, because his wealth and honor all came from Emperor Qian Yuan. Now it's different. Emperor Qian Yuan has a lot of favor for him, and recently he even made him oversee the country and handle state affairs. When civil and military officials see him, they all bow down and submit to him, making him almost no different from an emperor.
Having enjoyed all of this, Gao Yuan should have been satisfied, and perhaps even wanted to go further. Who could resist such temptation?
The fate of the Great Qian Dynasty has run its course; the world shall be ruled by the capable!
Two months after Zheng Hao led his troops away from Youzhou Prefecture, Ning Fangshi led the craftsmen to develop cannons. The cannons had a long range and strong destructive power, making them very suitable for attacking cities and defending fortresses. However, due to their large size, they were not easy to transport. Gu Lin wanted to have the cannons transported to Zheng Hao, but there was no way to do so.
He racked his brains and tried to give the craftsmen a suggestion: "Could we disassemble the cannons and transport them to the front lines for assembly? That way, they won't take up space or damage the cannons during transport."
After listening to his employer's advice, the craftsman pondered for a moment, nodded slightly, and decided to try his method.
Gu Lin gave them a generous bonus to motivate them before leaving the weapons workshop.
Upon returning home, Gu Lin saw Gu An sitting in the main hall entertaining guests, who were seated in the guest seats.
He was a little surprised, as Gu An rarely brought friends back. As he approached, Gu Lin saw the guest turn around.
The other person stood up, smiled, and greeted him: "Uncle Gu."
Gu Lin exclaimed in surprise, "It's you, Zhen Yuan!"
Zhen Yuan's skin was much darker than before. When he saw him, he smiled and showed his white teeth: "I couldn't make a living in the capital, so I came here to seek refuge with Brother Zheng. I wonder if Uncle Gu would be willing to take me in? I don't need much money for food and drink."
Most of Zheng Hao's classmates and friends are upright gentlemen. Even those who like to joke and play around would not dare to be presumptuous in front of Gu Lin, an elder. Zhen Yuan is different; he is used to laughing and joking in front of Gu Lin.
So much so that Gu Lin didn't even feel the awkwardness of not seeing him for so long before she became familiar with him again: "Eat and drink as much as you like. There are no delicacies, but plenty of potatoes and wild vegetables. Don't mind them."
“It’s just that Mingzhang went south to quell the rebellion two months ago, so you can’t see him now.”
Having learned a great deal along the way, Zhen Yuan naturally knew that Zheng Hao had left Youzhou Prefecture.
He said to Gu Lin, "Brother Zheng's loyalty and righteousness are something I admire to the extreme."
Gu Lin: "You can stay here for now. I'll send someone to show you around Youzhou Prefecture tomorrow."
Zhen Yuan did not refuse and readily agreed: "Then I'll trouble you, Uncle Gu."