kvmb Chapter 227 Uncle Gu Praises
Chapter 227 Uncle Gu Praises
[Chapter 226 has been replaced with a brand new chapter. You can go back and read it again. The 4,000 words I missed have been made up! I'll be very busy with my internship next week, but I'll try my best to update 4,000 words a day!]
The entire army of 150,000 Northern Barbarians was wiped out.
The Zhenbei Army achieved a great victory, beheading 80,000 enemy soldiers, capturing 70,000, and seizing countless horses, armor, and weapons.
When the Marquis of Zhenbei entered the city, the young military supervisor led his troops to greet him.
Looking at the wounded soldiers and civilians behind the enemy, the Marquis of Zhenbei stepped forward and thanked him: "It is thanks to Lord Zheng's wisdom and resourcefulness that he led the soldiers to defend Jingcheng!"
Zheng Hao cupped his hands in a respectful bow: "It is my duty, and I will not fail in the trust placed in me by the Marquis."
Then, he looked at the Marquis of Zhenbei's armor and face, which were covered in dust and blood, and said, "Your Excellency and your soldiers have been traveling for many days. Please go into the city to rest first."
Marquis Zhenbei did not refuse.
He nodded slightly, first ordering his subordinates to have the other side send people to guard the prisoners, and then turned to the young supervisor and said, "I will trouble Lord Zheng to send someone to count the captured weapons and horses."
Zheng Hao, who was in charge of the logistics of the Zhenbei Army, naturally did not shirk this task. He ordered Da Zhuo to lead his troops out of the city, check the weapons and armor, and then put them into storage.
Then, Zheng Hao slightly turned his body, signaling the Marquis of Zhenbei to go first: "The government office has already learned of your return to the city and has prepared hot water and food."
"Let's go."
Marquis Zhenbei took the first step, followed by Zheng Hao and Gu Lin.
Upon entering the government office, the Marquis of Zhenbei showed no intention of taking a bath or resting.
Seeing that the other party looked like he wanted to talk about serious business, Zheng Hao led the Marquis of Zhenbei to his usual office. The Marquis of Zhenbei sat down first, and then looked up at Zheng Hao and Gu Lin and said, "Don't stand, sit down."
Gu Lin didn't stand on ceremony and sat down with Zheng Hao.
A minor official from the government office came in to serve tea. After the official left, the Marquis of Zhenbei picked up the tea and drank it all in one gulp. Only after quenching his thirst did he begin to recount his experiences on this trip.
To make a long story short, it took almost fifteen minutes.
Marquis Zhenbei paused for a moment before speaking again: "When I left the capital, His Highness the Crown Prince had already settled accounts with the Third Prince and his cronies. Judging by the time, news of the new emperor's ascension to the throne will arrive soon."
After listening to the Marquis of Zhenbei recount his pacification of the turmoil in the capital, even though Gu Lin had not personally experienced it, he could still feel the thrill and excitement involved.
That was a different kind of danger than when they faced 150,000 enemy troops.
With the Third Prince already in control of the Imperial Guards and the capital, the Marquis of Zhenbei still resolutely supported the Crown Prince, who was wandering outside and had no chance of winning, to ascend the throne. What a risky gamble that was! If the Crown Prince turned out to be an incompetent fool, and the Third Prince persuaded the generals of the prefectures near the capital to send troops to force Jin'an Prefecture to hand over the Crown Prince and successfully ascend the throne, the generals of Jin'an Prefecture would turn their backs on him and submit to the Third Prince. The Marquis of Zhenbei, who received a secret letter from the Crown Prince and was about to go to the capital to restore order, would surely be purged by the Third Prince and suffer a miserable end.
Fortunately, the trip went smoothly, the Third Prince's faction was completely wiped out, and the Crown Prince returned to the capital to take charge and ascend the throne.
Then, the Marquis of Zhenbei asked, "When I led my troops back to Jingcheng, I heard an astonishing sound from several miles away. What was making that sound?"
Even though he hadn't had a proper rest after marching for many days, the Marquis of Zhenbei was still full of energy as he searched for the source of the loud noise.
He first looked at the young military supervisor, assuming that it was something the other party had done. In the eyes of the Marquis of Zhenbei, the young military supervisor was not an honest and upright scholar, but no different from those two-faced and treacherous officials in the court, in short, full of cunning.
Unexpectedly, Zheng Hao slightly parted his thin lips and said, "Although it was this humble official who made the sound, the object itself was not made by this humble official."
Under the questioning gaze of the Marquis of Zhenbei, the young military supervisor turned his head and looked at the young man beside him: "That thing was made by Uncle Gu."
Upon hearing this, the Marquis of Zhenbei was surprised. He had led his army back, but he had personally heard that earth-shattering sound, not just once or twice, but dozens of times in a row. Just by listening to the sound, he knew that the thing was quite powerful. He never expected that it was made by Gu Fulang.
When the Marquis of Zhenbei looked at him, Gu Lin smiled slightly, showing no discomfort whatsoever.
He said in his usual tone, "I just came up with an idea. The main thing is that Ning Fangshi and the craftsmen work together to make gunpowder so that we can successfully deter the Northern Barbarian army and join forces with the Marquis to encircle and defeat the enemy."
Although he did not personally experience the power of gunpowder, the Marquis of Zhenbei knew how powerful it was from the razed land outside the city.
How could someone who fights not like powerful weapons?
A thought struck him, and he asked the young man, "Is gunpowder possible to be mass-produced?"
On the battlefield, the ability to mass-produce weapons is of utmost importance. No matter how powerful a weapon is, if it cannot be mass-produced due to cost and material constraints, it will not play a significant role on the battlefield.
Under the expectant gaze of the Marquis of Zhenbei, Gu Lin nodded slightly: "The materials for making gunpowder are not difficult to obtain. They can be collected in Youzhou Prefecture and nearby prefectures. As long as there are enough materials, mass production is not a problem."
The young man's answer reassured the Marquis of Zhenbei. Thinking of the Northern Barbarian army that was suffering repeated defeats in the face of gunpowder, he couldn't help but smile and say happily, "If we present this to the court and mass-produce it for use on the battlefield between the Zhenbei Army and the Northern Barbarians, our soldiers' combat power will be enhanced, and the number of casualties will be greatly reduced."
After driving away the Northern Barbarian army upon returning to Youzhou Prefecture, and simultaneously obtaining gunpowder, a weapon with extremely high destructive power, the Marquis of Zhenbei was relieved of his fatigue from many days of travel.
He looked at Gu Lin with eager satisfaction: "Husband Gu has made a great contribution by developing gunpowder. I will immediately submit a memorial to recommend him for credit."
However, Gu Lin did not show much joy when he heard that the Marquis of Zhenbei wanted to ask for credit for him.
He shook his head slightly at the other man: "My lord, gunpowder must not be offered to the imperial court."
Seeing that Gu Lin was unwilling to offer gunpowder, the Marquis of Zhenbei was not angry. In his view, Gu Lin was not a person who was disloyal to the country.
He asked in confusion, "Why?"
If there are concerns that the imperial court might become wary of the other party if it obtains this item, the Marquis of Zhenbei can guarantee Gu Lin's safety, personally vouch for him, and ensure that no one else threatens or disturbs him.
Gu Lin found it difficult to answer this question. Some of the things he said would be too hurtful and might damage the Marquis of Zhenbei's loyalty to the Great Qian Dynasty.
Fortunately, the young military supervisor had a great understanding with him. After a brief pause, he heard the young man beside him say to the Marquis of Zhenbei, "Offering gunpowder to the court is definitely not a good thing for the court."
The Marquis of Zhenbei looked at him with sharp eyes like an eagle. The young military supervisor's eyes showed some red blood vessels, the result of many days of tireless guarding Jingcheng.
The Marquis of Zhenbei paused for a moment, but did not look away.
Under the other party's extremely sharp gaze, which could almost pierce into the depths of his heart, Zheng Hao did not flinch, and said calmly: "Your Excellency, this time when you came to the capital, you should feel that the court's prestige is not what it used to be."
The Marquis of Zhenbei did not answer, but his fingers twitched slightly.
The young military supervisor seemed not to need his reply and continued, "When the late emperor was alive, remote places such as Chengdu Prefecture and Jiangnan Prefecture showed a tendency to disobey the court's orders. In the past, whenever the late emperor issued an edict, the prefects or generals of these places would always make excuses."
The late emperor's sudden death sparked a power struggle between the third prince and the crown prince that lasted for over half a month. Meanwhile, other prefectures, though receiving the news, remained silent, instead amassing their own troops and eyeing the capital with hostility.
"If the Marquis had not arrived in time, it would be hard to say who would ascend the throne between the Third Prince and the Crown Prince, and it would be even more difficult to say who would be appointed as the commander-in-chief or prefect of the various regions to take charge of the government."
"The Crown Prince is gentle and refined by nature, and has no prestige. Even if he ascends the throne, he will find it difficult to govern the local areas. Apart from a few prefectures that are close to the capital, or loyal ministers like the Marquis, the prefects and generals of other places will not take the new emperor seriously."
"We presented gunpowder to the court, and news travels fast. After hearing of its power, how could the court not request more gunpowder? The new emperor is already weak, and many court officials have been slaughtered by the third prince. At this time, the court is unstable and natural disasters are frequent in the regions. After the various regions receive gunpowder, what do you think they will do, my lord?"
Faced with the young military supervisor's calm question, the Marquis of Zhenbei did not answer immediately.
But he knew in his heart the reactions to gunpowder in various places.
They will definitely ask craftsmen to develop a gunpowder formula, but once they can mass-produce gunpowder, they will turn their attention to other prefectures and eventually the capital.
At this time, natural disasters occurred frequently, with floods, droughts, and locust plagues occurring in various places, and the people could not withstand the turmoil.
Marquis Zhenbei spoke up: "Gunpowder has just been developed, and its safety has not yet been determined. It is not appropriate to present it to His Majesty. We should discuss this matter again after the gunpowder has been improved and refined in the future."
Just now, the young military supervisor analyzed the situation and asked many questions. Now that he has received a reply from the Marquis of Zhenbei, Gu Lin spoke up at the right time: "This thing is inconvenient to transport. In dry weather, it is easy to explode with a slight friction. If it gets wet on a rainy day, all the gunpowder will be ruined. Since we have not found a perfect solution, it is still not advisable to transport it across prefectures."
Marquis Zhenbei nodded slightly.
The young military supervisor beside him lowered his eyes slightly, and after Gu Lin finished speaking, a faint smile appeared on his lips.
Uncle Gu's attempt to cover up his mistake was endearing. He seemed to be thinking of the court, explaining that gunpowder was dangerous and difficult to transport, but he never mentioned that the formula could be handed over for the other party to develop. Marquis Zhenbei pretended not to know and nodded in agreement.
After a brief discussion, both sides were exhausted from their many days of travel. The Marquis of Zhenbei was unwilling to stay in the government office and got up to return to the military camp. Gu Lin and Zheng Hao bid farewell to each other and returned to their residences.
Before leaving, Gu Lin said to the Marquis of Zhenbei, "Xiao An is doing well and has been stationed with us in Jingcheng these past few days."
Marquis Zhenbei did not ask for details, but from the young man's brief description, he could roughly picture his grandson's upright figure, like a pine tree, moving among the wounded soldiers and civilians.
As expected of the men of the Rong family, they are skilled in both literature and warfare, and stand shoulder to shoulder with the soldiers and civilians!
When Gu Lin and Zheng Hao returned to their residence, the Great Yan had already ordered people to prepare hot water for them to wash and bathe.
The two men were covered in dirt, especially the young man. After the Marquis of Zhenbei left, the young man took over the position of commander and stayed on or below the city wall for eight days. He had not bathed except for a simple wash. Even if Gu Lin did not mind, he could not lie and say that the other man did not smell.
He went back to his own yard to take a bath, and told the other person to go back to the front yard to shower.
After taking a shower, Gu Lin dried his hair but still didn't see the young man coming over, so he walked towards the front yard.
The servant in the front yard greeted him respectfully, and Gu Lin asked, "Where is your master?"
Servant: "They're inside the house."
Thinking the other person meant the young man was inside after taking a bath, Gu Lin walked over and opened the door.
As soon as Gu Lin entered the room, he felt the moisture in the air and realized that something was wrong. Just as he was about to step back and leave, he heard a young man's voice from behind the screen, accompanied by the sound of water: "Put the clothes on the wooden rack in the outer room and then go out."
Gu Lin stood still, looking at the clothes that had been hanging on the rack outside the screen. He felt the slightly warm moisture in the air and, as his eyes moved, he clearly saw his reflection in the screen. His originally cool cheeks couldn't help but feel hot.
With his head slightly lowered and eyes half-closed, Gu Lin turned to leave, his unsteady footsteps revealing the panic of its owner.
"Is it Uncle Gu?"
Behind the screen, the young military supervisor spoke again.
After being called to a stop, Gu Lin stopped in his tracks.
For some reason, he did not answer the young man immediately.
A moment later, separated by a screen, the young supervisor spoke, his voice low and hoarse: "Uncle Gu, the soap is a bit far from me, I can't reach it, could you please get it for me?"
His eyelashes fluttered rapidly, and the young man lowered his head as if he were struggling with something. After a long while, he asked, "Where?"
Zheng Hao: "We need Uncle Gu to come in through the screen. It's on the wooden shelf next to the screen."
Go behind the screen? Won't that mean I'll see the other person's body?
Gu Lin's heart raced.
Although the two have done everything they should, they have not yet been completely honest with each other in broad daylight.
Zheng Hao: "The water is a bit cold, but would this be too much trouble for Uncle Gu?"
Gu Lin hesitated for a moment, then stepped closer and said, "It's okay, wait a moment."
Going around the screen, Gu Lin lowered his eyes, not wanting to look directly at the naked young man. He walked to the wooden shelf next to the screen, picked up the wooden box containing the soap, and then approached the bathtub, handing the soap box over.
A long, strong arm reached out to Gu Lin. Gu Lin lowered his eyes, but could still see the water droplets flowing down the other person's arm. A deep voice came from above: "Uncle Gu, why is there a mark on your forehead?"
Gu Lin subconsciously looked up and rubbed his forehead. When he saw the young man's bare chest and smiling eyes, he immediately realized that he had been deceived.
As heat surged within him, Gu Lin's face grew increasingly hot.
Seeing that Uncle Gu's face was slightly flushed and his eyes were watery as he stared at him, Zheng Hao spoke softly to avoid angering him, "I can't wash my hair by myself, Uncle Gu, would you be willing to help me?"
Looking up at the half-wet long hair draped behind the other person, Gu Lin nodded and walked towards the other person.
After standing still and helping the other person wash their long hair, Gu Lin felt that he had really lost the battle just now, since he was more than ten years older than the other person!
Zheng Hao spoke slowly, "In this battle to defend the city, we owe a great deal to Uncle Gu for stabilizing our rear and for developing gunpowder to fight against the Northern Barbarians."
His slight annoyance melted away under the other person's words. Gu Lin sighed softly, a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes. He raised his hand to massage the other person's scalp and lowered his gaze slightly: "I should be thanking you for protecting the people of the entire city before you even reached adulthood."
The young man's gentle voice and words of praise lingered in Zheng Haoshui's ears, and he couldn't help but lightly clench his fist underwater.
Gu Lin didn't notice that he picked up a spoon, scooped up some water, and poured it over Zheng Hao's hair. He continued, "While other young men of eighteen or nineteen are still relying on their families for support and their parents to find them jobs, our Lord Zheng is capable of governing a city with his literary skills and leading soldiers to resist foreign enemies with his martial prowess. He is truly a rare hero!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Lin felt a tightening on his wrist. He looked down and his eyes met the fiery gaze of the young man. Then, with a splash, Zheng Hao got out of the bathtub, water droplets splashing around him.
Gu Lin's eyelids trembled slightly, his body felt light, and the noise in the bathroom continued for a long time before finally stopping.