Chapter 205: Showing Off His Talent
Just as Sun Qingchen was sighing alone, he heard a commotion outside the door.
Then Sun Qingchen heard a man's voice. After the door opened, Sun Qingchen saw the face of an unfamiliar middle-aged man.
The man looked at Sun Qingchen as he entered the room and gestured to him to silence him. "Sun Qingchen, the city lord is going to attack Jinzhou Prefecture and has sent me here to inform you."
Then the soldier at the door looked out and then looked away.
Xu Deyuan walked in quickly, then pulled Sun Qingchen to a corner and said in a low voice, "County Magistrate Sun, I am Xu Deyuan, Xu Zhenying's uncle."
Sun Qingchen had heard of such a person, but this person had always been hiding in the room and never came out, so he had never seen what Xu Deyuan looked like.
Sun Qingchen didn't have a good impression of the Xu family at the moment, but he was eager to know what was happening in the city, so he could only say coldly, "What happened in the city? Why were there so many noises earlier, but now the people have all closed their doors and windows?"
"Something big has happened. Xu Zhenying killed the officials of the Transportation Department and declared rebellion. He is now heading towards Jinzhou Prefecture, probably preparing to capture Jinzhou Prefecture!"
"What?" Sun Qingchen was shocked.
The thing he was most worried about happened!
Xu Deyuan, however, held his hand tightly and spoke word by word, "Master Sun, I'm not afraid to tell you the truth. Xu Zhenying's rebellion was her own doing and has nothing to do with the second branch of the Xu family. I, Xu Deyuan, am deeply indebted to the Emperor and loyal to my country. I would never commit such a rebellious act! Without further ado, tell me now, is there any way to stop her?"
Sun Qingchen frowned, "Deeply favored by the Emperor?"
"To be honest, Xu Zhenying is no good citizen. She's just a criminal exiled to Qianzhou! Before exile, I was the Chief Censor. Because I was implicated in the timber case, my entire family was exiled to Qianzhou. Xu Zhenying is a ruthless person. She has imprisoned me in my room and committed such heinous crimes. I absolutely cannot tolerate this! So I took advantage of this turmoil to escape from the city and wanted to ask Lord Sun what to do in this situation. We can't just watch this evil woman Xu Zhenying really flatten Jinzhou Prefecture!"
"Chief Censor?" Sun Qingchen was completely shocked this time. He had suspected the Xu family's identities, but he never imagined they were a group of exiled prisoners. "Master Xu?"
Thinking about it this way, Sun Qingchen seemed to have some impression.
No wonder he always felt that he had heard this name somewhere at first.
There was no time to consider anything else. It was naturally best to have someone willing to help, especially since this person was the uncle of the rebel Xu Zhenying. Touched, Sun Qingchen grabbed Xu Deyuan's hand and said, "Thanks to your help, Lord Xu. If this rebellion can truly be quelled, it will be thanks to you, Brother Xu. I will definitely write a letter to His Majesty to plead for you. Perhaps I can even get you reinstated!"
Xu Deyuan, however, had a guilty look on his face. "The fact that His Majesty doesn't blame me and doesn't consider me part of that witch's group is already a great blessing for me. How could I dare to ask for anything else?"
"Brother Xu, there's no time to lose. Tell me what's happening in the city right now."
"Xu Zhenying and the people from the Transportation Bureau couldn't reach an agreement on taxation, so she instigated the people to kill those two people. Now she has led her men to attack Jinzhou Prefecture."
Sun Qinxuan asked anxiously, "Lan County is only four or five days away from Jinzhou Prefecture. How many troops did she bring with her?"
"At least two or three thousand!"
"Two or three thousand? That's not good."
"Master Sun, what do you mean? Jinzhou Prefecture is a city after all. Logically, there should be at least several thousand guards inside. Why does Master Sun look so worried?"
"That was in the past! Now the treasury is empty, and the garrisons have already been downsized and many veterans have been dismissed. Furthermore, there's a war going on in Qianzhou, and all the elite troops from Jinzhou have been pulled over to support it. Now Jinzhou is practically a deserted city."
Xu Deyuan was stunned. "How could the defense of Jinzhou Prefecture be so lax?"
"I'm afraid the situation is even worse than we anticipated. Not to mention the soldiers under Xu Zhenying, each of them is incredibly brave and can defeat ten enemies with one. I'm afraid it won't take more than a few thousand, or even a few hundred of them, to take down Jinzhou Prefecture without a single drop of blood!"
Xu Deyuan felt a darkness before his eyes.
At this moment, he really hated Xu Zhenying. Thinking that Xu Deyuan's reputation was ruined and he would be labeled a traitor from now on, he gnashed his teeth in hatred.
"Brother Xu, please don't delay any longer. I will write a letter in blood now, and you must immediately deliver it to General Bai in Qianzhou Prefecture. Inform him of the situation in Jinzhou Prefecture and ask him to send troops to support us as soon as possible! Otherwise, Jinzhou Prefecture will surely fall into the hands of the rebels!"
"General Bai? But is he Bai Ci'en, the son of Bai Houping, the Marquis of Bianjing?"
"It's him!"
After saying this, Sun Qingchen bit his finger, tore off his clothes, and wrote a letter with tears in his eyes.
Xu Deyuan was anxious. He wanted to take this opportunity to fight hard, but unexpectedly, Sun Qingchen asked him to go to the front line in Qianzhou?
He was just a weak scholar, how could he go to the front line?
Not to mention that Jinzhou and Qianzhou are surrounded by mountains and hills, and there are close combats everywhere. How can he ensure his safe arrival?
But for the sake of his own future and to extricate himself from this farce of rebellion, Xu Deyuan had no choice but to take a gamble!
If that happens, perhaps His Majesty will show leniency to him, pardon his crime, or even reinstate him to his post.
Maybe Xu Zhenying can even be sentenced to death!
From then on, he completely escaped from Xu Zhenying's clutches, and he could trample the third room under his feet!
Xu Deyuan held the blood-lettered letter tightly against his chest, as if he were carrying his own future with him. "Don't worry, Master Sun. I will definitely deliver this letter even if it costs me my life! Just wait for my good news!"
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The city of Jinzhou was broken.
At night, iron hooves passed by, and the bluestone slabs kept making terrifying sounds.
There was a commotion at the city gate from afar.
The people had already closed their doors and were hiding in their homes, shivering.
Whenever a city is captured, the enemy army will always burn, kill and loot, not to mention burning food and fodder, abducting women and other evil deeds.
The abducted woman was naturally subjected to humiliation. Even if she was found, her family could only deal with the matter quietly and report to the outside world that she had died of a sudden illness.
The entire Jinzhou Prefecture was filled with an atmosphere of despair and oppression.
Except for Mr. Zhou who was at the yamen, the rest of the women in the Jinzhou Prefecture's family hid in their rooms with their children, and ordered the servants in the mansion to hold large sticks to block the door.
Whenever a city is breached, there are always scoundrels who take the opportunity to cause trouble, and there are endless cases of robbery, murder, and theft.
The magistrate's eldest daughter, Zhou Houfang, was only sixteen years old and was preparing for her marriage at home, with the wedding date being next month.
Although she had never experienced the fall of a city, she had heard her parents say, "If I were abducted, I would bite my tongue and commit suicide. I would never bring shame upon my parents!"
She and several sisters said this.
But this time, the riots in the city did not last long.
From afternoon to dusk, only about two hours, the riot outside stopped.
Everyone listened in fear as they heard cries, screams, and footsteps coming from outside. The brave and skilled servants took knives and went out together to gather information. When they came back, they looked a little more relaxed.
"It's the bandit king from Lan County who's coming! Ladies, don't panic. The rebel army has rushed into the city and has only tied up the Lord and the others. They said that as long as we obey them, they won't kill us!"
"Lan County?" The eldest wife held her daughter's trembling hand, gradually calming it down. "Is it the county where they raise pigs?"
"right!"
Somehow, everyone breathed a sigh of relief when they heard the word Lan County.
Liu Houfang said, "Mother, the rebel army in Lan County is better than other bandits. I heard that the king of Lan County is a scholar and has a set of rules and regulations. After occupying Lan County, he never killed innocent people indiscriminately and has an excellent reputation among the people. If we fall into their hands, we should be fine!"
"Son, no matter how good he is, he is still a chaotic army. Now your father is still in her hands. I wonder how the king will deal with your father and others."
"Don't panic, mother. The streets are quiet now. I believe there will be a result soon."
The servant quickly said, "Don't worry, Madam. We just bravely went to the yamen and eavesdropped. They said there was nothing serious. They just ordered all the people in the city to stay indoors and wait for their orders to come out."
Madam Liu clutched her chest and complained, "How could Jinzhou Prefecture be captured out of nowhere? Were those guards just there to eat for nothing?"
A group of women were locked up in the backyard all day and were not well-informed.
They didn't know how Jinzhou Prefecture was breached, why the king of Lan County came to attack them, and they didn't know what to do.
That night, almost all the people in Jinzhou Prefecture stayed awake.
No one dared to sleep, fearing that something might happen in the city.
In the government office, orders were being issued in an orderly manner.
Xu Yinxi was given the task at a critical moment and was urgently transferred from Ye County by Xu Zhenying to take charge of the overall situation.
Qian Zhenniang and Fang Xun served as deputies, and the three of them formed a temporary team to take over all the affairs of Jinzhou Prefecture.
They already had experience when they broke through Lan County.
So, the three of them divided the work and took over as quickly as possible.
"Report: Jinzhou Prefecture has approximately 100,000 dan of grain and fodder, 426 suits of armor, 36,720 taels of tax, 628,100 people, and 5.63 million mu of fertile farmland."
"Report, several wealthy people who had escaped from the city have been caught and imprisoned. The remaining twenty-six people who were about to escape have also been driven back home."
"Twenty-eight propagandists brought from Lan County have arrived and are being divided into fourteen teams to calm the people in the city. At the same time, one hundred and twenty security personnel have also been deployed, and twelve cases of rioting and theft have been apprehended."
Soldiers came in and out of the government office one after another, constantly reporting first-hand information from Jinzhou Prefecture.
After the city was broken, it was very important to appease the people, so Xu Yinxi deployed his men and quickly suppressed the unrest in the city.
"Secretary Xu, Secretary Qian—" Lu Fei, Zhou Bo, and the others walked in boldly, laughing heartily. "I never thought that such a large city like Jinzhou would be so leaky! Fifty of us brothers went to the South Gate and took it without a single drop of blood. Now all four gates are under our control, and all those good-for-nothings in the city have been captured. What should we do next?!"
Xu Yinxi was reading the Jinzhou Prefecture's Fish Scale Register without raising her eyelids. "Jinzhou Prefecture's elite troops have all gone to Qianzhou to fight the chieftain. This place is like an empty city, filled with the elderly, the weak, women, and children. Of course it's easy to capture. Otherwise, why would the city lord only leave us with a thousand men?"
Lu Fei scratched his head, looked at the people coming in and out, and asked curiously: "Yeah, why haven't I seen the City Lord? Oh, and I haven't seen Instructor Mo either!"
Zhou Bo frowned, thinking that it wasn't just Mo Jinchun, many important people didn't come.
For example, Ming Xiaoshuang, Liu Dazhuang, Wang Sanniang, and An Peilin, the six members of the Royal Guard.
If Xu Zhenying is not seen during such an important event as entering the city, then it means that the city lord must have big moves in store!
Xu Yinxi raised her eyes and said to Lu Fei, Zhou Bo and the others, "The city lord's itinerary is confidential. The two of you, immediately select two hundred elites from the city and go take over the remaining seven counties of Jinzhou Prefecture, excluding Ye County and Lan County. Tell them that the leadership of Jinzhou Prefecture has changed, and the new city lord is Xu Zhenying. When you arrive, first disarm their military forces. If anyone resists, tie them up first. As for the personnel arrangements for the remaining seven counties, we will make a decision after the city lord returns!"
"yes!"
At this moment, on the official road from Jinzhou Prefecture to Qianzhou Prefecture, a carriage was galloping through the mountains and forests.
There were elite guards in front and behind the carriage. Dozens of people were speeding through the mountains and forests under the stars and the moon.
Halfway through the journey, everyone was tired and the horses were exhausted, so Xu Zhenying could only order everyone to rest on the spot.
They worked together and divided the work, and quickly set up the simple tent and started a fire.
Fortunately, it was summer, so they were not afraid even in the wilderness. Xu Zhenying ordered everyone to take blankets from the carriage and rest for a while.
Wang Sanniang filled the water bag with water and handed it to Xu Zhenying.
Later, although Wang Sanniang's physical condition was good in the military camp, she could not withstand such a rapid march. When she sat down on the ground, she felt her tailbone was being torn.
But she was worried about the situation in the city, so she asked, "City Lord, according to the time, they should have already entered Jinzhou Prefecture today."
Xu Zhenying held the water bag and drank a few mouthfuls, her stomach sloshing with water. After drinking the water, she seemed to feel more energetic and said, "Calculating the time, it will only take a few days."
"City Lord, we've already captured Jinzhou Prefecture, and our vanguard has already departed to support Qianzhou. Why do we still have to march day and night?"
Xu Zhenying smiled. "As the saying goes, those who fail to plan for the future will inevitably face immediate worries. Jinzhou Prefecture's defenses are lax, so taking it will be easy. Jinzhou Prefecture and Qianzhou Prefecture are closely linked, and the imperial court's elite troops are on the front lines in Qianzhou. If we don't wipe them out, there's no point in taking Jinzhou Prefecture."
Wang Sanniang remained silent.
Xu Zhenying raised an eyebrow, "Why, are you scared?"
"I'm not even afraid of rebellion, so why would I be afraid of the imperial court's soldiers? Besides, they're just a bunch of good-for-nothings, how can they be our opponents?"
"Please repeat what you learned from the first period of the Military Warfare Course."
Wang Sanniang was stunned, and then Zhang Wanjun, who had been listening, answered, "Strategically, we should despise the enemy, but tactically, we should take them seriously. County Magistrate Wang, we must not underestimate the enemy."
Wang Sanniang looked a little embarrassed. She had been busy with the affairs in Gaoxin County recently and almost forgot everything she had learned in the camp.
Xu Zhenying was very satisfied with this girl named Zhang Wanjun. He heard that she had two sisters and an elderly father at home. No wonder she acted like an eldest sister.
"Time waits for no one. Your Instructor Jiang is unruly and might actually kill all the imperial soldiers. The sooner we arrive, the sooner we can incorporate these soldiers into our army. Furthermore, the situation in Qianzhou is complicated, and the locals are eyeing us covetously. If we want to establish a foothold in Jinzhou Prefecture and prevent it from being attacked from all sides in the future, we must deal with the Qianzhou chieftain."
"The city lord wants to cooperate with barbarians?" Wang Sanniang and Zhang Wanjun seemed to have a lot of opinions about the natives in Qianzhou. When they heard the two chieftains, they showed disgust on their faces.
"No matter who the other party is, as long as our cooperation can bring mutual benefits, why can't we put aside our prejudices and coexist? Moreover, people are not divided into different classes. The reason you look down on the natives of Qianzhou is simply because you think they still live a slash-and-burn life and are not as civilized as us. But ignorant people can be taught, and there is no discrimination in education. Their poverty and ignorance are caused by external topography and other environmental factors, not laziness or lack of ambition. Now that we have occupied Jinzhou, we will have to deal with the chieftains for a long time. Don't say anything that is not conducive to unity in the future! We from Lan County advocate equality for all and do not classify people into different classes."
Sanniang and the others all looked intently focused, then shame appeared on their faces. Ming Xiaoshuang was even more direct: "If we really have to divide people into different classes, Sanniang, you are a merchant, Lu Fei is a country bumpkin, and Wanjun's father is a craftsman! In the past, none of us could join the army. What difference would we make from those barbarians? Therefore, we all have to listen to the city lord. Everyone is equal, men and women are equal! Everyone is the master of this land!"
Wang Sanniang also immediately laughed and said, "Director Ming is right. Everyone is equal, men and women are equal!"
However, the facts proved that Xu Zhenying was still too naive!
By the time they arrived at the Qianzhou front at lightning speed, Jiang Yongkang had already joined forces with the chieftain to kidnap the governor of Qianzhou and blocked the imperial court's 20,000 troops in a mountain.
They also cut off the water supply from upstream, gradually shrinking the encirclement, and finally even dug an isolation belt and set fire to the mountain.
Of the 20,000 soldiers of the Zhou Dynasty, five to six thousand were burned alive, and the rest were forced to jump into the river. Those who could not swim were drowned, and those who could swim were captured.
It took less than a month in total, and even the 3,000 Lan County soldiers sent by Xu Zhenying to provide support were of little use. Jiang Yongkang wiped out the war single-handedly.
When Xu Zhenying arrived, the war had subsided. Jiang Yongkang and the four major chieftain families in Qianzhou were entrenched in the Qianzhou government office, waiting for her next instructions.
When Xu Zhenying received the battle report from the front and learned the news, she had just entered the territory of Qianzhou.
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