Chapter 311 Counterattack
In the camp in Qiongzhou.
Almost all of Zhou Heng's remaining 100,000 troops are here.
Now the war was tense, and the initiative was in Jiang Yongkang's hands. The people of Jinzhou Prefecture were tired of fighting and stopped to rest, so they had time to rest.
Ever since Zhou Heng had engaged the Jinzhou people, he had suffered repeated defeats, having lost three prefectures to date. If the Jinzhou people took another prefecture, they would practically face battle in Qiongzhou.
The word "firearm" is like a dark shadow hanging over the sky of Qiongzhou, lingering for a long time.
What’s even more hateful is that for the first time today, voices advocating peace appeared in the court.
Some officials said that firearms were extremely expensive, not to mention the waste of money and manpower, and there had been no results for a long time. Now the people from Jinzhou Prefecture were almost at the door. If they surrendered now, there might be a way to survive.
Some people even said that they could not even pay out the money for the seeds purchased at the beginning of this spring. The local officials complained bitterly, saying that it affected the spring farming and that the grain harvest this year would definitely not be able to come. By winter, there would be starving people everywhere. The memorials urging him to stop making firearms piled up like a mountain.
What Zhou Heng didn't expect was that quite a few people agreed.
He lost control of his temper and ignored the dissuasion of Zhou Ying, Fang Ruyu and others. He had all the officials who advocated peace dragged out and beaten to death.
Listening to the gradually weakening wailing and seeing that no one in the court dared to speak, Zhou Heng's anger subsided a little.
At that moment, he even felt the joy of power.
The feeling of life and death, the power that makes everyone afraid, is so addictive.
He, Zhou Heng, has the orthodox royal blood of the Zhou Dynasty flowing in his body. How could he bow his head and beg for mercy from a woman?
What's more, who is Xu Zhenying?
He felt that God was unfair.
His mother was not favored when he was young, and although his father did not have many children, he was still not favored.
My father loves no one.
He did not love the queen or the prince, he only wanted to pursue immortality and enjoy the glory and power of the emperor forever.
Since the emperor doesn't love any of his sons, why can't he pass the throne to him?
It's just that he was born a bastard.
Are kings, princes, generals, and ministers actually born of different species? He was a thousand times better than that bastard. The previous crown prince had passed away so many years ago, so why didn't the emperor want to enthronize him?
Zhou Heng locked himself in the study, forcing himself not to read the battle report on the table.
The battle report said that Xu Zhenying had arrived in Luzhou.
Wherever they went, the soldiers were in high spirits. The sound of war drums from Luzhou across the street never stopped all day long, and the shouts of the soldiers shook the sky, as if they were about to charge out of the study at the next moment.
I say I have no clothes, I share my robes with you. When the king raises his army, I sharpen my spear and sword, and share your hatred.
How could I say I have no clothes? I will share my clothes with you. When the king raises his army, I will sharpen my spears and halberds and work with you.
Who says I have no clothes? I will share my clothes with you. When the king raises an army, I will prepare my armor and weapons and go with you.
Zhou Heng recited softly, seeming a little intoxicated.
OK.
Did Xu Zhenying go to the front line to boost morale?
Does she think Qiongzhou is in her pocket?
At this moment, he actually admired this woman a little.
According to the intelligence gathered, Xu Zhenying started from scratch, as an exiled prisoner, and then became a bandit in Lan County. Using Lan County as a starting point, he seized Jinzhou Prefecture and then Qianzhou.
Step by step, we can be said to be making steady progress.
Sometimes Zhou Heng wondered what kind of magic this woman had that could make the women of Jinzhou Prefecture loyal to her and even the men willing to risk their lives for her?
In fact, in just over five years, she has firmly occupied the southwest direction and is now also trying to encroach on the east.
Once Zhou Heng is defeated, how long can the northern city of Bianjing survive?
At that time, the Zhou Dynasty truly became history.
I really want to see this enemy from so far away.
Zhou Heng also wanted to know what kind of person would kill him.
Ever since Xu Zhenying arrived at the front line, Zhou Heng had become noticeably more gloomy. The entire Qiongzhou Prefecture also felt the unpredictable nature of this ruler and became even more frightened.
Nowadays, not only did ordinary people start to abandon their homes and businesses and run towards Jinzhou Prefecture, but even many wealthy families began to flee with their gold and silver jewelry.
It was even discovered a few days ago that some of his subordinates were engaged in the business of fleeing abroad.
Qiongzhou has always been on guard against the people fleeing, so the key roads are heavily guarded. Even so, the people's enthusiasm to flee remains unabated. Some people even bribed officials to lead the way and be responsible for sending them safely to Luzhou.
This made him feel scared and angry.
After executing several officials, Zhou Heng began to reflect on himself.
How exactly is he inferior to Xu Zhenying?
Why are people all over the world on the side of Xu Zhenying?
Why can Xu Zhenying make firearms but he can't?
Everyone under him was afraid of him, so he could only ask Zhou Ying, his biological sister.
Moreover, Zhou Ying had been to Jinzhou Prefecture and even met the female traitor.
Zhou Ying smiled bitterly, "Brother asked me, I can't hide it, I can only say that everyone who has been to Jinzhou Prefecture wants to stay in Jinzhou Prefecture."
Zhou Heng was shocked.
He couldn't help but think of the secret agents he had sent to gather intelligence before. One by one, they simply surrendered to Jinzhou Prefecture and never returned.
"But Xu Zhenying bribed them with a large sum of money? Or promised them high positions and generous salaries?" Zhou Heng racked his brains, but could only come up with these. "If these are the only means, I can do it too."
Zhou Ying shook her head, "Brother, I don't know how to describe it to you."
Zhou Heng had never seen his sister's face look so uneasy and confused.
He was a little nervous, and his heart sank. "Tell me slowly."
"I can't really explain it. Perhaps you'll need to experience the difference in Jinzhou Prefecture yourself to truly understand it."
Zhou Ying carefully recalled her trip to Jinzhou two years ago. "It's more like a harmonious society there. No matter your status, you won't be looked down upon. They don't consider your status or family background, but only your personal ability. I heard that there are girls from Yihonglou taking the civil service exam there."
Zhou Heng sneered, "To win over the people. She often uses this tactic. I was negligent and forgot that the poor are the majority."
"It's a matter of different governance philosophies." Zhou Ying shook her head. "My elder brother said she was trying to win over the people, but I don't quite agree. From my observations in Jinzhou Prefecture, I've found that Xu Zhenying... seems to be truly different from us. She truly believes that all people are created equal—"
Zhou Heng frowned. "That's ridiculous! You and I are both of royal blood, born into noble families. How can we be compared with merchants and farmers? If everyone is equal, who will farm the land? Who will collect taxes from the land? Who will perform corvée labor? Social status is just status. You should do what you are supposed to do, and you shouldn't have any other thoughts. If everyone is equal, how can the people be educated? How can their behavior be regulated? How should the court function? According to what you said, doesn't Jinzhou Prefecture have its own orthodox doctrine?"
"Brother, I've told you before that Jinzhou Prefecture is different. You need to experience it yourself to know." Zhou Ying knew her brother wouldn't give in easily, and she also knew she couldn't convince him. "I can only say that if I weren't a princess, but just an ordinary citizen, I would definitely choose Jinzhou Prefecture."
Zhou Heng didn't seem angry, instead he asked, "Why?"
"In our Qiongzhou, ordinary people have no hope of making a name for themselves. Perhaps the whole family would have to endure starvation to barely support a Jinshi. And even then, talent, luck, and hard work are all essential. But in Jinzhou Prefecture, literacy classes are everywhere. A teacher will guide you, but the practice is up to you. Once you've learned pinyin, it's easy to learn to read on your own. As long as you're willing to work hard, opportunities abound. You can join the army, become a doctor, or take the civil service exam. It all depends on your ability, and you don't even need to rely on your family."
"What if your family is poor and can't afford a teacher?"
"It's strange, but the city over there is hiring everywhere. It seems like as long as you enter the city, there are always countless opportunities to make money. Brother, have you heard Master Meng mention a set of data? Jinzhou Prefecture's twelve prefectures already have more than 90,000 officials. And my Qiongzhou only has five prefectures, but less than 6,000."
Zhou Heng's expression changed slightly. "Does it include the number of soldiers?"
Zhou Ying shook her head. "Not really. They're just clerks. Officially registered. And they're almost evenly split between men and women."
"How did Master Meng get this data?"
"It's written in the monthly report. They have a section on government affairs disclosure, which reveals some of the goings-on in the Jinzhou court. These figures also came from there."
Zhou Heng was shocked this time. "Is Xu Zhenying crazy? How dare he write these things in that newspaper?"
"Her actions are always confusing. Not only that, the government affairs section also lists meetings they held, decisions they made, and even policy explanations."
Zhou Heng seemed to be shocked by the news and was a little stunned for a while.
"Over 90,000 officials... She only has twelve prefectures, yet the number of officials is even greater than the number during the heyday of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Why would they need so many officials? Why would it be so—"
Zhou Ying shook her head. She only had a vague understanding of government affairs, so she could not understand the problems that Zhou Heng did not understand.
"It seems we really underestimated Xu Zhenying. Regarding the newspaper incident, Master Meng and the others were right to be concerned."
Zhou Ying nodded. "That's right. Although we've banned newspapers, Master Meng and his men still buy some every month through various channels to study the latest developments in Jinzhou Prefecture. Brother, this newspaper issue is extremely important. Now it seems she's deliberately trying to gain control of the press. As long as her newspapers keep coming out, she'll be able to distort right and wrong."
"You're right." Zhou Heng understood deeply.
The first issue of the newspaper was written by Fang Zhi. It described in great detail the details of his pursuit of the Fang family, which made many of his followers have some thoughts.
It also gave the civil servants in Bianjing City a handle to attack his personal morality.
This move is extremely vicious.
Even if he comes to power, I'm afraid he will never be able to wash away this black spot.
But on the western battlefield, Liu Dazhuang and his men killed all of King Zhoushan's men, and even set fire to the mountains, burning King Zhoushan's followers alive in the mountains. They were nothing like the "benevolent and righteous army" they had previously claimed to be.
However, they slandered those people in the newspapers, saying that they were anti-human beasts and did not deserve sympathy.
Zhou Heng became even more furious.
When he asked the people to serve as human walls, the editorial department described him as a tyrant comparable to King Jie of Xia, and insulted him with such vicious language as "He hates the people of the world and often curses Heaven and insults ghosts. There are many thieves among them, so Heaven has brought disaster upon them, causing them to lose their country, die and be slaughtered by the world, and be condemned by future generations."
After all, what was the difference between what Xu Zhenying did on the western battlefield and what he did before?
She simply relied on the fact that she owned a newspaper to have the right to speak and to confuse right and wrong.
It's really hateful!
"I finally figured it out." Zhou Heng couldn't help but smile bitterly, "It's all about the money."
Zhou Ying looked at him.
"It takes money to support so many officials, it takes money to support so many soldiers, it takes money to run a newspaper, and it takes even more money to manufacture firearms. In the final analysis, Xu Zhenying is rich. She's a top-notch moneymaker."
At this point, Zhou Heng finally showed some regret in front of his family, "It's all my fault. If only I had listened to you and established that Ministry of Commerce earlier."
Of course, Zhou Ying didn't say that even if they established a Ministry of Commerce, they would not be able to compete with the strong financial resources of Jinzhou Prefecture.
Those things sold by the Ministry of Commerce, such as clocks, pencils, pocket watches, and soaps, which one is not an alien object and rare in the world?
Even in Qiongzhou Prefecture, which is a hostile country, whose officials don’t have a few items from Jinzhou Prefecture at home?
What can they use to fight others?
The two siblings sighed silently, as if they both sensed an invisible resistance and despair.
The fight of a trapped beast, maybe this is referring to them?
Just then, a servant came to announce that Fang Ruyu invited them to the military camp and said that there had been a new breakthrough in firearms.
Zhou Heng's face lit up with joy.
Zhou Ying couldn't help but ask, "Could it be that the barrel of the firearm has arrived?"
The brother and sister headed towards the camp almost non-stop.
It must have been the firearms!
They can launch a full-scale counterattack on Jinzhou Prefecture!
Zhou Heng swept away the gloom that had plagued him for several months, and felt his heart suddenly brighten!
Inside the carriage, Zhou Ying reminded him, "Brother, when you meet Sister Ruyu later, you must praise her highly. A while ago, not only you, but also Sister Ruyu was isolated by the court because of the firearms issue. She was even nearly labeled a witch and a traitor! Sister Ruyu's contribution to the development of this firearm is invaluable—"
Zhou Heng smiled proudly, "I understand! Thank you for the reminder, sister! Fang Ruyu has made great contributions. When I ascend to the throne in the future, I will definitely give her the position of concubine. But sister, you have always been considerate of me, and you have also made great contributions. When everything is settled in the future, I will definitely give you a marriage that will make you very satisfied. You can choose from any of the good men in our great Zhou Dynasty!"
For some reason, Zhou Ying's smile was somewhat forced at this moment. "Brother, you're joking. You are my last and only relative in the world. Naturally, I hope you get well."
What she wanted was never a perfect prince consort.
She wanted power and control over her own destiny.
It's like—
Just like the one in Jinzhou Prefecture!
But why does my brother think that choosing a good marriage for her is all that matters?
The two men galloped all the way until they arrived at the camp at the foot of Junshan Mountain.
Master Meng and his men had obviously gotten wind of the matter and knew that the firearms issue was of great importance. Therefore, upon hearing that there had been significant progress in firearms, all the civil and military officials in Qiongzhou Prefecture rushed over.
Civil officials and military officers on both sides were waiting outside the warehouse. The warehouse was shaped like a fortress, square and filled with countless weapons, armors, and even food supplies. One of the rooms was used to store gunpowder.
As soon as Master Meng saw Zhou Heng, he was so excited that he was incoherent. "Your Highness! The cannon barrel has arrived! The craftsman said everything is ready. All that's left is to install it according to the blueprint! It will only take a few days at most for this firearm to be made!"
The others also knelt on the ground excitedly, "God bless your majesty, now that Qiongzhou has also produced firearms, we no longer need to fear Jinzhou Prefecture!"
Some generals were eager to try it out, and asked, "Your Highness, it is said that this firearm is very powerful. Can I try it out first?"
"Now that we have six firearms, we don't have to be afraid even if we face Jinzhou Prefecture! We must take back Jianzhou, Luzhou, Xiangzhou, and Jiangling Prefecture that we lost before!"
"That's right! As long as we have firearms, we can avenge our dead brothers!"
Zhou Heng couldn't hide his excitement, but he still felt uneasy because he hadn't seen any firearms. "Everyone, follow me in and take a look."
Looking through the door of the warehouse, I saw a beautiful figure inside.
Therefore, Fang Ruyu said that the conditions for storing gunpowder are very harsh. There must be no wind, no rain, no water, and it cannot be exposed to moisture. Therefore, there are no windows in the warehouse.
The man was holding a torch and carefully examining the newly delivered cannon barrel with the craftsmen.
The woman was thin, with sharp shoulders, and she was wearing a thin green dress. Her black hair flowed like a waterfall. In the dim firelight, she looked strangely sacred, like a goddess.
Zhou Heng knew at a glance that it was the barrel of a firearm.
He couldn't help but walk forward quickly, then knocked on it with his fingers. The barrel made a dull sound, which showed its thickness.
The material is neither copper nor iron, but it is indestructible.
Just this roomful of things cost him nearly 600,000 taels of military funds and almost emptied the tax revenue of the entire Qiongzhou.
Fang Ruyu signaled the craftsmen to withdraw, then stared at Zhou Heng with a smile on his face: "Congratulations, Your Highness, on getting what you wished for."
Zhou Heng immediately asked, "How long will it take to assemble all these firearms?"
"If everything goes well, it will only take a few days at most. I've studied the blueprints with Teacher Zhu before, and assembly isn't difficult; the hard part is finding the raw materials. But now that we have all the raw materials and the gunpowder, all that's left is just putting them together, which shouldn't take much effort."
Zhou Heng was delighted when he heard this, "Okay, okay, okay!"
The civil and military officials behind Zhou Heng were immediately delighted and congratulated him. The pressure of the past few days was suffocating. At this moment, he could only see the happy faces in front of him and hear the compliments in his ears, and his heart suddenly felt elated.
He was not an imprudent person, but now, the firearm was right before his eyes, just like success was right before his eyes, and he did not want to walk on thin ice anymore.
Zhou Heng waved his hand and said, "Everyone has worked hard these days. Let me host a banquet in my courtyard today to celebrate your success in advance!"
There was a thunderous roar of compliments.
Everyone was praising Prince Ming's foresight, as if he was the most far-sighted emperor in history.
"Huh?"
Fang Ruyu gently picked up the gunpowder and put it under her nose to sniff, then frowned slightly.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
