Chapter 51 It's too late.

The capital was in an uproar over this, but Yan Zhengzhou, who was in the eye of the storm, didn't say a word.

But everyone knows what he's thinking.

Yan Zhengzhou definitely wants to go to Guangyuefu.

But nobody wanted him to actually go there.

The Emperor pondered for a long time, his gaze drifting as he looked at Yan Zhengzhou, who had his head bowed.

Suddenly it dawned on me that it had been a long time since I had clearly seen my younger brother's expression.

He is ten years older than his younger brother, and Zhengzhou is twenty-two this year.

When I was twenty-two, I was already vying for the throne with the former crown prince.

Where's my younger brother?

What is your brother thinking?

He looked down on the former crown prince for being so stupid and foolish.

What will my younger brother think when he sees how incompetent I am?

The Hall of Diligent Governance was quiet and still.

Yan Zhengzhou remained standing in the same spot, awaiting the Emperor's command.

After an unknown amount of time, the Emperor finally spoke: "In your opinion, is Guangyue Prefecture truly in dire straits? And what is the situation in Gaoqing Prefecture?"

From the perspective of the imperial court, Guangyue Prefecture and Gaoqing Prefecture were two different situations.

Needless to say, Guangyuefu will definitely be taken back if we can.

If the rebels seize this place, they could easily take control of the Central Plains, thus threatening the safety of the capital.

But Gaoqingzhou is different.

Gaoqing Prefecture has been the fiefdom of Prince Wuyong since the time of the late emperor, for more than 20 years now.

After the new emperor ascended the throne, their uncle rebelled, starting his rebellion from his own fiefdom.

Therefore, this place was no longer particularly important to the emperor.

It would be best if we could get it back, but it's okay if we can't.

After all, there are so many things to do in the court.

He also wanted to be a good emperor, but internal stability must come before external threats can be addressed.

The emperor's thoughts were racing, all contained in that one sentence.

If Guangyue Prefecture is truly in danger, then let Yan Zhengzhou go there.

If we can still hold on, let's wait a little longer.

Once things are peaceful in the court, then we can deal with the rebels.

Therefore, the question is to ask Yan Zhengzhou for his opinion.

Yan Zhengzhou remained silent for a moment before finally saying, "Prince Wuyong has been preparing for many years and will not give up easily."

After saying that, he added, "What they lack most is money. If they get the money looted from the capital and then take over Nanjiang County, it will be very dangerous."

Yan Zhengzhou did not analyze the advantages and disadvantages.

This only describes the current situation.

If they get the money, they can recruit soldiers and buy horses.

Then they captured Nanjiang County, which had planted various wound medicines and stockpiled a lot of grain.

The emperor's eyes darted away.

If that's the case.

Given his uncle's abilities, it's not impossible that he could even conquer the Central Plains.

Thinking of this, the emperor suddenly became anxious, but his face still appeared weak as he slowly said, "I understand."

After a moment, the Emperor finally spoke: "It seems that I will have to send my younger brother to Guangyue Prefecture again."

"This time I'll be able to make another contribution."

These words made the atmosphere in the Hall of Diligent Governance even more terrifying.

Military achievements.

It's a nightmare for both the late emperor and the current emperor.

The valiant prince with military achievements had a history of conflict with the late emperor.

The Emperor and Yan Zhengzhou are both watching closely.

Now even his brothers seem destined to repeat the same mistakes.

Yan Zhengzhou cupped his hands and once again expressed his loyalty: "Your Majesty, you and Mother are my only family."

"I have a request. After returning from Gaoqing Prefecture in Guangyue, I should rest. Years of fighting have left me feeling tired."

Hearing Yan Zhengzhou say this, the Emperor couldn't help but laugh: "Indeed, continuous battles must be exhausting. After you return to the capital, I will bestow a marriage upon you so you can get some rest."

Only after these words were spoken did the Emperor officially issue the order.

Yan Zhengzhou remained as the commander-in-chief and went to Guangle Prefecture to resist the rebel army.

However, his 100,000 troops would remain in the capital, to be taken over by General Lian, to continue guarding the capital.

To put it bluntly.

The idea was to send Yan Zhengzhou to the front lines with two hundred personal guards.

The skilled soldiers under his command were to remain in the capital to continue protecting the emperor and the nobles.

Even Yan Zhengzhou's eyebrows twitched upon hearing this.

The Emperor added, "Only in this way can everyone's minds be at ease, and they will be less likely to object to your going to Guangyuefu."

That's what I meant.

However, the news of Yan Zhengzhou's departure still made the nobles in the capital uneasy.

Without him, what if there are more rebels?

Even if you have 100,000 elite troops, they're useless without generals.

General Lian stood up and angrily rebuked everyone, saying that the situation in Guangle Prefecture was critical, and Gaoqing Prefecture was in the hands of the rebels.

Aren't you worried?

With him guarding the capital, there's absolutely no problem.

Amidst the commotion, Yan Zhengzhou finally set off.

Two hundred personal guards looked at the capital, their faces full of resentment.

Those 100,000 soldiers were all their trusted confidants, who followed them from Guangyue Prefecture all the way to the capital.

It can be said to be the culmination of their many years of hard work.

Now you want them to abandon their brothers and go to war again?

Isn't this just preventing them from carrying weapons and then sending them to the battlefield?

Even if the general had extraordinary abilities, he couldn't possibly turn the tide of the battle.

Commander-in-Chief Yan Zhengzhou watched silently before speaking, "Let's go."

"Go to Guangyue Prefecture, Nanjiang County."

However, Yan Zhengzhou did not go to Nanjiang County.

He received Su Qing's letter while he was on the road.

The instructions stated that he should first go to the capital of Guangle Prefecture, and then to Nanjiang County.

Su Qing didn't keep him in suspense and said directly that he had gone to the prefectural city to contact the military affairs department.

This is beneficial for recruiting soldiers.

Yan Zhengzhou's subordinates naturally all knew Su Qing and had had some contact with her.

But her arrangement still surprised everyone.

Every time she thought this female official was very capable, she would become even smarter.

She even made arrangements in advance to recruit soldiers.

Although new recruits cannot directly enlist.

But at least it saved time in recruiting.

No wonder the general went to great lengths, even using the Grand Tutor and others, to plead for her to become the prefect.

Even the Emperor's suspicion of the General began at that time.

The Grand Tutor also said that it wasn't worth it.

But in their eyes, it was well worth it.

Yan Zhengzhou's expression softened slightly, a rare hint of relief in his eyes: "Go to the capital of Guangle Prefecture."

April 29th.

Looking at the situation in the capital from Nanjiang County, Su Qing was already cursing inwardly.

They gave neither money nor food, nor soldiers.

Is Yan Zhengzhou only leading two hundred personal guards?

Isn't this emperor Yan Zhengzhou's own brother?

never mind.

This is royalty; there's no question of kinship here.

Even though the Empress Dowager was Yan Zhengzhou's biological mother, she wasn't very kind to him.

Su Qing looked at the letter that Mei Niang had sent her.

Mei Niang was illiterate, so her younger brother Su Cheng wrote for her.

The letter said that everything was fine in the prefectural city.

Mei Niang also had a good relationship with the families of the officials in the prefectural city. They had all gotten used to their current lives, which put her at ease.

He also told her to take good care of herself.

At this point, Mei Niang must have cried, and Su Cheng's handwriting wasn't so neat either.

Wait a minute.

Su Qing then looked at her younger brother Su Cheng's handwriting.

Why does she look a bit like her?

She studied Yan Zhengzhou, and her brother secretly studied him too?

Then read the letter.

The story also mentions Aunt Zhu and Little Sister Liu.

There was also Aunt Su and her son.

Everyone is doing well.

Luo, the registrar, and Wu, the head of the government office, also managed the government office very well.

Mei Niang was still worried about her.

The letter itself was very long, and the words about missing her were repeated countless times.

But everyone knows that.

Who would dislike such words?

Su Qing thought to herself.

For their sake, I will guard the front line and, more importantly, the Guangyuefu.

What does it matter if things don't go in the capital?

Does life stop when there's no emperor?

Life would be better if there were no emperor in the world.

Everything was normal in the prefectural city, but things were even busier in Nanjiang County.

The valiant prince's attacks became increasingly fierce.

The casualties among the soldiers defending Wuzhai County were naturally not low.

Every day, no fewer than a hundred wounded soldiers are transported to Lord Zhou's place in Yisong County.

Su Qing counted the number of wounded over there and knew that Nanjiang County also needed to start receiving the wounded.

Fortunately, there is no shortage of people, medicine, or even experience here.

Upon receiving Su Qing's message, Lord Zhou breathed a sigh of relief.

He had worked with Lady Su for a long time and knew that once she spoke, it wasn't just empty talk.

He was at a loss for words to express his gratitude to Su Qing.

Fortunately, the General is about to return.

The adults departed on April 29th.

I expect to arrive at Guangyuefu around the sixth day of the fifth lunar month.

With the General in charge, the tide of battle will surely be turned.

The fact that Yan Xieshou is now struggling to hold on is already the result of his utmost efforts.

It is truly a blessing for Guangyuefu to have Lord Su and the General.

When General Yan arrived in the prefectural city ahead of schedule on the fourth day of the fifth lunar month, it excited the soldiers and the people of several border counties even more.

The General has arrived!

They're still mustering troops!

Lord Su had prepared a list of people who had signed up for military service beforehand.

Upon General Yan's arrival, he immediately began recruiting personally.

These young men, who were already interested in signing up, were even more encouraged.

On the very first day the call to action was received, tens of thousands of people responded.

Subsequently, in the seventeen counties below, most of the people who had registered were notified by the local military offices to assemble.

Something happened just in time.

Officials in Guangyue Prefecture and even nearby prefectures finally realized how right Su Qing had been to replace all the key personnel in each county with his own people.

Otherwise, even if General Yan came, it would be impossible to assemble so many new recruits in such a short time.

People who used to secretly criticize Su Qing for being autocratic.

At this moment, there is nothing more to say than to shut up.

If there were such officials in their area, even if they acted arbitrarily, they would applaud them.

In the current situation of Shunchang Kingdom, it is in dire need of someone with decisive leadership.

The news from the prefectural city reached the ears of the soldiers at the front.

This brought joy to the 60,000 soldiers scattered across Yisong County and Wuzhai County.

Finally, the General has arrived!

This is fantastic!

Su Qing breathed a sigh of relief.

It starts from the fourth day of the fourth lunar month.

It is now the eighth day of the fifth lunar month.

Yisong County and Wuzhai County have been holding out for a month.

That valiant prince is indeed quite capable.

She was astonished every day as she read the battle reports from the front lines.

Tactical adjustments, troop deployments, and even mastery of military strategy.

They could become formidable rivals to both the late emperor and the current emperor.

They are indeed very capable.

His troops were mostly elite soldiers with extensive experience.

For them, Guangyuefu was a piece of easy money.

They are hungry wolves.

I'm content as long as I can take a bite.

She really wanted to fight back!

But Su Qing understood.

War is different from other things; there is no room for trial and error.

She could only be extremely cautious and do her best in logistics to ensure the safety of more soldiers.

Officer Wu was even more worried about this.

There wasn't a single person in the entire government office who didn't hope the war would end soon.

However, compared to Officer Wu and his wife, they still fall short.

Both of their sons are in the military.

It was there four years ago.

He has only returned less than three times so far.

The two Wu brothers learned to strengthen their bodies from their father since childhood.

The conditions in the military were indeed good, but it was also really tough.

However, since the two already had some martial arts skills, and after learning that they were the sons of a constable under Lord Su of Nanjiang County, their superiors naturally valued them even more.

He now holds an important position in the military.

What Officer Wu and his wife didn't expect was...

The last time the general led his troops to reinforce the capital, his soldiers took his eldest son with them to the capital.

The youngest son remains in Yisong County.

The couple were first worried about their eldest son in the capital, and now they were worried about their younger son in Yisong County.

Officer Wu followed along, also wanting to know about his youngest son's situation as soon as possible.

Fortunately, most of the rebels were attacking Wuzhai County.

The youngest son in Yisong County is not in any danger.

"When will General Yan arrive?" Officer Wu couldn't help but ask.

Su Qing looked at Yan Zhengzhou's letter: "The first batch of new recruits has been almost recruited and will arrive in Nanjiang County on May 20th."

First, there were the conditions provided by Su Qing.

Furthermore, Yan Zhengzhou's troop mobilization was remarkably swift.

Therefore, they set off from the capital on April 29th and arrived at the city of Guangyue Prefecture on May 4th.

He was able to bring 20,000 new recruits to Nanjiang County on May 20th.

Even at that speed.

Su Qing still felt it was too slow.

Yan Zhengzhou wrote helplessly in his letter, "I also want to come over as soon as possible."

Two people who are unhurried in their actions.

They were forced into a corner by the imperial court.

If Yan Zhengzhou had been brought over with his personal guards earlier, the time wouldn't have been so tight.

But they had to remain calm and composed, and not show anything.

Because whether in the military or among those around them, the two were the backbone of the army.

If they panic first, everyone around them will only get anxious.

The two of them, unusually impatient, were able to express this in their letters.

They both believed that the other would not be affected by them, and that a little anxiety was only natural.

They will do their best to do what needs to be done.

Late at night on May 19th.

Su Qing couldn't fall asleep for a long time.

The series of battle reports from Wuzhai County made her frown when she saw Yunxi approaching.

I think this habit started last year.

Then I heard that the capital was in danger.

Then there are various things in Yisong County.

I had a feeling that the news was bad.

Just as Su Qing was about to fall asleep, someone knocked on the gate of the courtyard.

The clerk went out first, and then a messenger came to report: "Yisong County has fallen."

"The rebels suddenly turned their forces around and launched a surprise attack on Yisong County."

Su Qing sat up, calmly listening to the military situation outside, and couldn't help but close her eyes.

At times like these, her mind became clearer. She put on her clothes and went outside: "How's the situation in Shangkou County?"

"How is Yan Xieshou doing?"

"Yan Xieshou has already retreated to Shangkou County, and we can't attack him anytime soon," the messenger said urgently. "But what about Yisong County!"

Yisong County has fallen again!

This was originally the last county that Guangyue Prefecture had reclaimed, and it wasn't until the end of the second year of Yongsheng that it was recovered.

Now, less than a year and a half later, it has already fallen again.

Before the original wounds could heal, new ones were added.

"Has this been reported to General Yan?"

"I've submitted it."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone in the yamen stood up.

The county government office in Nanjiang County was brightly lit at night.

Su Qing suddenly realized that it was fortunate that Mei Niang and the others were in the prefectural city.

The fall of Yisong County meant that the enemy received supplies and personnel replenishment.

This also means that the rebels, who were already capable of fighting, are now even more formidable.

wrong.

Su Qing quickly asked, "Where are the wounded soldiers? Where is Lord Zhou?!"

The messenger shook his head; the battle report didn't mention any of this.

Su Qing quickly read the battle report again.

It's not written above.

"Go ask!"

On Lord Zhou's side, there are at least two or three thousand wounded soldiers.

Were the rebels moved after they entered the city?!

Ultimately, it was the delays in the capital that caused the conflict.

The rebels' surprise attack on Yisong County was most likely not a coincidence.

They must have learned of Yan Zhengzhou's return, which is why they launched a frantic attack on the city.

Otherwise, their chances will be even slimmer.

While keeping an eye on the battle reports from the front lines, Su Qing arranged for a new batch of supplies to be delivered to Shangkou County.

They also arranged for ships to quickly transport the wounded.

And as for Yan Zhengzhou, I hope they can come over soon.

But Su Qing knew that even if Yan Zhengzhou arrived, he couldn't immediately change the course of the battle.

New recruits need to be trained.

Yisong County cannot be taken back in a short time.

The danger in Yisong County had already emerged when the private correspondence in the capital was too heavy.

The sky was just beginning to brighten.

The latest battle report was delivered to Su Qing.

Yisong County has fallen.

Lord Zhou of the military sanatorium arranged for the transfer of the wounded.

He stayed behind to evacuate, but was captured by the rebel leader, Prince Wuyong, and beheaded.

Su Qing felt dizzy and could barely stand up straight.

When Yan Zhengzhou finally arrived, he instinctively tried to help her, but she had already stood firm and was looking at him coldly.

"Recapture Yisong County."

"Capture the rebel leader alive."

Yan Zhengzhou looked down at Su Qing, his jaw taut, and said in a low voice, "Okay."

They rushed as fast as they could.

Do it with all your might.

It's too late.

It was late for both of them.

Neither of them could save Yisong County, nor could they save Lord Zhou.

Whether it's her or Yan Zhengzhou.

If we can buy them more time, we might be able to save them.

But the fault does not lie with either of them.

Yan Zhengzhou squeezed Su Qing's wrist, then turned and left the city again.

Su Qing also rallied her spirits and tried her best to take in the wounded.

They cannot be too sad.

There are still many things waiting for them to arrange.

But the two of them will definitely avenge Lord Zhou.

Definitely.