Chapter 139
Yao Chunnuan always felt like she'd forgotten something, but when she tried to think about it, she couldn't recall it. This happened two or three times, so she simply let it go and stopped thinking about it.
Yichun Camp, Marshal's Mansion
Marshal Zhu and his confidants were discussing a meeting with the higher-ups from the Yichun City Lord's Mansion tomorrow. They had already accepted the invitation, and they were discussing the purpose of the meeting and the appropriate number of troops to bring with them.
At this moment, someone came from the gatehouse and said, "General Meng is here to visit."
Meng Chao? Marshal Zhu and the others exchanged glances, "Quickly, please come in—"
Marshal Zhu flicked his sleeves and walked out. They didn't go to the main gate to greet him, but it was necessary to come out and greet him.
When they saw Meng Chao and others coming from afar, they hurried forward to greet them. When they saw the man with a veil following behind Meng Chao, they stopped in confusion.
The man slowly took off his veil, revealing a handsome face with sharp edges and a pale complexion.
Marshal Zhu cried out, "Your Highness the Crown Prince?"
The two were shocked. Why was His Royal Highness the Crown Prince in Yichun?
"There are too many people here, let's go in first!" Meng Chao said.
There was nothing Marshal Zhu could do but invite people in.
Shi Mei suddenly realized that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was here to resolve the previous conflict between Governor Lei and the Yichun military settlement. So, instead of an imperial envoy, the Crown Prince himself was here?
Realizing this, Shi Mei couldn't help but sigh that the prince was really perceptive. Isn't it true that he came here in person, which showed that he realized the seriousness of the problem, but he came too late.
If he had arrived a few days earlier, the situation might not have gotten so out of hand. Even if he hadn't been able to arrive a few days earlier, if he had arrived just as they were raising the banner of rebellion, revealed his identity, and had a proper conversation with the Yichun Juntun group, even if he couldn't persuade them to change their ways, he wouldn't have been taken advantage of later.
Imagine the scene at that time: General Xing and the Yichun military settlement had indeed suffered injustice, but the crown prince of a country personally came to solve the problem for you. Isn't that enough? At least their subsequent manifesto couldn't be written in this way.
But unfortunately, none of these opportunities were seized. Moreover, Shi Mei felt that after missing so many opportunities and after Xing Changfeng's manifesto was announced to the world, there was really no need for the prince to come again.
How could Shi Mei know that it was not because the prince came too late, but because he was already tired from traveling day and night, and was also stimulated by the news of Xing Changfeng's rebellion, so he developed a high fever at that time.
After the high fever subsided a little, he discussed with the officials and counselors he brought with him to reveal his identity and talk to Xing Changfeng and others, telling them that all this was Lei Peng's fault, and if they were willing to turn back, he would forgive them.
However, all the officials and counselors felt that this was inappropriate and too risky. The main reason was that because of Lei Bang, the prince was in Yichun, and without the troops to protect him, he was like a tiger without claws. There was no guarantee that Xing Changfeng and others would not be ruthless and kill him.
Even now, with the protection of General Meng's army, the prince's accompanying advisers and officials still do not approve of the prince's actions. They think the prince should return to the capital as soon as possible to take charge of the overall situation.
They believed that General Meng's army alone was not enough to protect the Crown Prince. Marshal Zhu had already sided with the Regent and could not be trusted.
But the Crown Prince was a man of strong will, and he rarely changed his mind. He was aware of his subjects' concerns, but he had already made the necessary arrangements and was 80% confident he could escape unscathed.
Meng Chao's army only has 20,000 soldiers, which is indeed not enough to protect his safety. But when Marshal Zhu shows up, he will definitely do his best to protect his safety, at least within the territory of Yichun.
Because he knew Marshal Zhu, he knew from his behavior these days after Xing Changfeng rebelled that he was timid and conservative. If he was an ambitious person, he would have joined the rebellion and set up his own faction by now, but he did not.
Based on past information, Zhu Dashuai seems to be someone who doesn't want the broader environment to change. After he met with Zhu Dashuai, Zhu Dashuai had an obligation to protect him. If he wanted to avoid trouble, the best outcome would be for him to leave Yichun unscathed. If he died in Yichun, Zhu Dashuai would be drawn into the vortex, right at the center, which he probably least wanted to see.
Furthermore, he had his own considerations. He, the crown prince, had come alone to Yichun; leaving in such disgrace would damage his reputation. While the itinerary had been kept secret, he doubted it could be kept completely secret at this point. Therefore, this trip was essential. Firstly, it was to meet with Xing Changfeng, Yao Chunnuan, and the others. Secondly, after two kings of different surnames and a general had rebelled, he, as the crown prince of Daliang, had to demonstrate the proper demeanor and competence to restore the confidence of those who looked up to Daliang and awaited the court's response. Even if it meant his own death.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince, why are you still in Yichun? This - this - as the saying goes, a son of a wealthy family does not stay in the palace. I'll arrange for someone to send you away tonight." Marshal Zhu suggested with a wry smile. In fact, he was sitting on pins and needles. This was a hot potato, so he had better send it away quickly.
The prince waved his hand and said, "I'm not in a hurry. I heard that Xing Changfeng wants to meet you?"
"Yes, Prince."
"Where is it?"
Marshal Zhu answered honestly, "In the Fifth Camp District." At the same time, he wondered why the prince asked this question?
This location was decided by both parties. It was not far from the Yichun camp, only two counties away. He would have liked to choose a place closer, but the other party refused, which was quite regretful for Marshal Zhu.
Zhu Dashuai was wary of Yao Chunnuan and his gang, all of whom were full of bad intentions. He was afraid that if he wasn't careful, he would suffer a great loss. Obviously, the other party was also wary of him.
"I will go with you tomorrow."
"Your Highness, do you want to see Xing Changfeng and the others?"
"Well, I want to meet them."
They've already rebelled, so what can we do if we meet them? Marshal Zhu said with a bitter face, "Prince, I advise you to leave Yichun as soon as possible."
Anyone who had experienced the terror of Yao Chunnuan and the others truly didn't want to fight them again. He was afraid that if he saw the prince, his whereabouts would be revealed and he would be killed by Yao Chunnuan and the others.
He admitted that the Crown Prince, as the heir apparent, was very capable and resourceful, possessing first-rate imperial savvy. However, Yichun was now the home turf for Xing Changfeng, Yao Chunnuan, and the others. The Crown Prince was outnumbered in Yichun, and if a fight broke out, he would have a hard time guaranteeing his unscathed escape.
The prince chuckled, "Don't I still have you? Lord Zhu, I believe you can protect me."
Marshal Zhu shook his head like a rattle, no, no, no, don’t trust him so much, he didn’t even believe he could protect the prince.
The prince had made up his mind and would not listen to his advice at all.
In the end, Marshal Zhu could only agree with a wry smile.
The prince asked tentatively, "My dear Zhu, if I were to appoint you as the Grand Marshal of Zhenbei and send troops to quell the rebellion..."
Zhu Dashuai was shaking his head like a rattle in his heart, and his face was full of embarrassment. He said something to refuse, "Your Highness, you are too kind to me, but I am really no match for Xing Changfeng and his gang."
The Crown Prince paused, "If I remember correctly, the Yichun camp should have a total of 80,000 to 90,000 soldiers in service. And Xing Changfeng only has a little over 30,000 but less than 40,000 soldiers under his command?"
Marshal Zhu nodded and thought to himself, it's more than 50,000. General Meng behind you contributed more than 10,000 prisoners two days ago because of Ray-Ban.
"You have 80,000 or 90,000 soldiers and horses, twice as many as the enemy, yet you still can't defeat them?" The prince looked at him suspiciously, with the word "waste" almost written on his face.
Marshal Zhu said with a bitter face, "I really can't do it."
They had specifically studied the combat effectiveness of Xing Changfeng's army and knew it was superior to theirs. Not to mention the settlers in the Yichun military settlements, who had been well fed and well-fed for the past six months, regularly working and undergoing simple military training. Any male soldiers could be recruited as soldiers. In this case, recruiting 30,000 or 40,000 soldiers wouldn't be a piece of cake.
Not to mention the other side's prowess in conspiracy and subterfuge. Marshal Zhu always felt that since his secret vault was so secretive before, Yao Chunnuan was able to guess its location. If a war really broke out, wouldn't their food and supplies be in danger? If the food and supplies were robbed, they would still be in trouble.
The prince frowned. Marshal Zhu was so afraid of Xing Changfeng, Yao Chunnuan and others.
Marshal Zhu would have rolled his eyes if he knew the Crown Prince thought of him this way. It was only natural for him to fear them, wasn't it? He'd fought them before, and every time he hadn't been slapped in the face? He'd witnessed firsthand how they expelled Wang Lang and created Ray-Ban. These lessons, learned through blood and tears, were all there before him. Anyone who, after witnessing all this, still didn't fear them was a fool.
The prince's attempt this time resulted in a result that was neither satisfactory nor disappointing.
Later, Marshal Zhu could only arrange for the prince to rest in the most luxurious courtyard, but Meng Chao refused. He disguised himself as a long-time attendant and rested directly in Meng Chao's room.
"Our prince is actually quite able to endure hardships." Marshal Zhu sighed.
Shi Meiyi nodded, "He's a qualified crown prince." Unfortunately, his health was poor, and he had been in a coma for some time due to unknown reasons. During this time, the already weak Daliang was further abused by the Third Prince. Since the Crown Prince woke up, he has been cleaning up the mess, but time is not on his side, and heaven is not on Daliang's side, so the results are very poor.
The next day, Wuying District
Yao Chunnuan and Yu Chen accompanied the city lord to the meeting, and Meng Yi and Zhou Yushu led their troops to follow.
The two sides met at the entrance. Yao Chunnuan glanced behind him and said with a smile, "Marshal Zhu, I'm afraid you have about 30,000 soldiers and horses behind you. You must have brought a lot."
Marshal Zhu glanced at the no less than 20,000 soldiers and horses behind the other side and said, "Hehe, we are the same."
Yao Chunnuan smiled. Both sides were on guard against each other. Because the Fifth Camp was very close to the Yichun Camp, they also had troops stationed in Meixi District and Shangganling. If the talks failed and a fight broke out, both sides could quickly send reinforcements.
"Marshal Zhu, please—"
"City Lord Xing, please—"
The city lord and Marshal Zhu stretched out their hands at the same time. They looked at each other, understood each other's intentions, and then took steps at the same time, moving forward side by side.
After both sides sat down, they entered the negotiation phase without further ado. Shi Mei was the main negotiator on Zhu Dashuai's side, while Yu Chen was the main negotiator on Yao Chunnuan's side.
During the negotiation, Yao Chunnuan noticed that Zhu Dashuai's attitude could be summed up in nine words: not taking the initiative, not refusing, and not taking responsibility. He was like a scumbag, which was quite interesting.
Yao Chunnuan also noticed something was wrong with Zhu Dashuai. After he sat down, he kept changing his posture, not as calm as usual. Was he feeling uneasy? Or was he suffering from hemorrhoids?
Yao Chunnuan had no idea how uneasy Marshal Zhu felt. Before arriving, Marshal Zhu had intended for the Crown Prince to meet with Xing Changfeng and the others first. But the Crown Prince gave him a half-smile, then said, "Let them talk first, I'll wait," and left.
Hearing Yao Chunnuan and Zhu Dashuai discussing how to divide Yichun, the prince's heart burned like a raging fire. These were all Daliang's territories, yet they were being divided up like pork in a few words.
After taking Wuiling Town, Tangwanghe Town, and Xinqing Town, Marshal Zhu couldn't help but mention, "Oh, right, the agreement between our Yichun Camp and the Yichun Military Settlement regarding the grain produced in the garrison fields..."
It was the agreement that every year the Yichun military settlement must give 880,000 dan of grain from its total grain output to the Yichun camp.
After talking for such a long time and coming to an end, Yu Chen was drinking water. Upon hearing this, the hand holding the tea paused.
Yao Chunnuan took over the conversation and said jokingly, "Of course not."
They have already rebelled, but they are no longer obligated to provide support to the Yichun camp, so the previous agreement is of course invalid.
Although he had expected this, Marshal Zhu still felt heartbroken. They had only received 440,000 dan of grain from the Yichun military settlement. If he had known this would happen, he should have let them give him 880,000 dan of grain all at once.
Yao Chunnuan said bewitchingly, "Marshal Zhu, if you want, then submit to us, the Lord of Yichun City. From now on, the Yichun camp will no longer need to cultivate land, and all military rations will be supplied by us." The meaning was simple and clear: submit to us, and we will support your army.
Marshal Zhu said angrily, "You have such a big appetite, aren't you afraid of choking to death?"
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