Chapter 331 Internal and External Cooperation
There were about ten thousand people from the Northern Territory. Hundreds of them came down the mountain and gathered on the shore. When they saw Xu Zhenying, they all knelt on one knee and shouted in a deafening voice, "Welcome His Royal Highness Prince Zhao to the Northern Territory!"
Immediately afterwards, people on the hilltop responded from afar.
"Welcome His Royal Highness Prince Zhao to the Northern Territory!"
These cries echoed in the mountains and forests, startling the birds in the jungle and making them flap their wings and fly away.
Seeing this, Zhou Houfang hurriedly took out the iron trumpet he had prepared. Xu Zhenying took it and raised it to his lips. His voice was full of energy and echoed across the mountains and fields, "Everyone, please stand up. Today is a good day for the great integration of the north and the south. From today on, you are my people, Xu Zhenying, and even more so my brothers and sisters. You have guarded the northern border for many years, fought bloody battles, sacrificed your lives and shed your blood to keep the Tartars out of the pass. This contribution may not be recognized by the Great Zhou Dynasty, but I do! From today on, you are soldiers of Jinzhou Prefecture, and you will enjoy the same treatment as the soldiers of Jinzhou Prefecture! I, Xu Zhenying, also promise you that I will never let heroes bleed and cry! I solemnly promise here that as long as I, Xu Zhenying, am in office, your military pay will be paid on time on the 15th of every month, without any delay! A fully paid army should be invincible! I hope that the soldiers in the northern border will also show your unique skills and let the people of Jinzhou Prefecture see how brave and good at fighting our soldiers in the north are!"
—Fight! Fight! Fight!
—Fight! Fight! Fight!
Soldiers all over the mountains and plains repeated, shouted, and roared over and over again to express their excitement. They raised their weapons high, and the sound gathered into waves, coming from all directions, shaking the eardrums almost to pieces.
Zhou Houfang and the others were also very excited and couldn't wait to pick up their weapons and charge into battle with the soldiers.
Elder Lin, however, slowly walked up to Zhao Yi in the crowd. The old man stroked his beard and said to Zhao Yi with a smile, "General Zhao, it's not a bad idea to join our Highness. I've written you more than a dozen letters urging you to surrender over the past two years, but you never paid any attention. Have you finally come to your senses now?"
Zhao Yi glanced at Lin Han indifferently.
These two people are old acquaintances.
Both the Lin and Zhao families were considered noble families in Bianjing, their ancestors had made their fortunes and maintained their glory for nearly a hundred years. Zhao Yi had also spent a year or two at the Imperial College, and naturally knew that its chief academic officer, Lin Han, was a solitary, interesting, and unconventional old man.
But later he joined the army.
The two did not have much interaction.
I didn't expect that after more than ten years, the two of them would one day be of the same mind.
"Your Highness Prince Zhao... is graceful, talented, and cares deeply about the world. He is indeed more capable of ruling the world than the Zhou family."
"Ah. You finally came to your senses—"
There seemed to be a hint of joy, a hint of confusion, and a hint of sadness in Zhao Yi's eyes.
He was glad that he had made the right decision.
Confused about the unknown future.
Sad about the fate of the Zhou family.
After all, they were master and servant, and unless forced to do so, he really didn't want to fight the Zhou family. His betrayal was tantamount to the last straw that broke the camel's back for the Great Zhou Dynasty.
The prosperity of the Great Zhou Dynasty will eventually become a fleeting dream.
What will replace it will be this new dynasty led by Xu Zhenying!
————————————————————
When the news of the peace talks in the north reached the capital, the people were not panicked at all.
Xu Zhenying's reputation spread far and wide. Even in a city as far away as Bianjing, and even though the common people at the bottom of society had never used the expensive new items from Jinzhou Prefecture, things closely related to people's daily lives, such as Lanxian pigs and cowpox vaccines, spread quickly through countless inconspicuous channels such as traveling merchants, teahouses, and newspapers.
As a result, the common people in Bianjing City all knew that there was a powerful rebel in the southwest who had great power and had the potential to be a wise ruler.
The people's thinking is simple.
As long as the rebels do not burn or loot after entering the city, and they can live in peace, they do not care who becomes the emperor.
No matter who becomes the emperor, it will not affect the people's two meals a day.
When the monthly report, which was strictly prohibited by the Great Zhou Dynasty, was quietly circulated again, countless people already knew that the peace talks in the north had been successful, General Zhao Yi had rebelled, and the city of Bianjing would soon become Xu Zhenying's possession.
The common people were not in a hurry, and some were even whispering in the teahouse about the female rebel who was about to attack.
——It’s good that he came. Life has been hard these years. Maybe it would be better if there was a new emperor.
——It’s terrible. I heard that the female rebel has a million-strong army. With just a wave of her hand, heavenly soldiers and generals will come down to help.
— Nonsense! I don't know about the rest, but my cousin from Jinzhou Prefecture told me that the people there eat pork belly every day. It's like pork is free. He also said that Jinzhou Prefecture is several times more prosperous than Bianjing City, and the people there are well-off!
"More prosperous than Bianjing? That's impossible. Bianjing is at the foot of the emperor. How could there be a place more prosperous than Bianjing? If you talk about Jiangsu and Zhejiang, maybe I would believe it. Jinzhou Prefecture is not far from Qianzhou, but it's a remote and poor place with no birds laying eggs!
—Brother, you don't know this. I was fortunate enough to visit Lan County once, and it was like a paradise on earth. Not to mention the clocks, cement roads, and Lan County pigs. The streets alone were bustling with horse-drawn carriages, yet there wasn't a speck of dirt to be found. Even on rainy days, shoes and socks wouldn't get dirty. It was as clean as a palace!
Everyone burst into laughter, mocking the man who was speaking for being naive.
Everyone knows what the streets of Bianjing City look like.
During festivals or when it rains, the old mud and feces will be washed onto the streets. Not to mention whether it looks good or not, the smell alone is enough to make people unbearable.
What street can be as clean as a palace?
This is too exaggerated.
"I don't know anything else, I only know that this female rebel never kills innocent people. Every time she captures a city, her men behave themselves and don't disturb the people at all. Anyone who takes advantage of the opportunity to cause trouble will be beheaded immediately!"
"That's quite true. It wouldn't be like what happened six years ago when the vassal king entered the city, killing, setting fire, and looting and stealing. As long as she enters the city quietly, who becomes emperor is none of our business."
"Hush, don't say that, or you'll be caught by the Imperial Guards!"
"Oh, they still have time to arrest us common people? Let me tell you something big. My cousin who is a member of the Imperial Guard said that almost everyone in the palace has fled in the past few days! Those eunuchs and palace maids are also very cruel. Many of them stole the gold, silver and valuables from their masters and ran away!"
The people around were startled. "Where are the guards? Normally, the palace is so tightly guarded that not even a fly can fly out!"
"The guards..." The man had only heard it from others, and now, when pressed, he could only stammer, "The guards ran away too. Everyone knew that the female rebel king was about to attack our Bian Jing. They saw that they couldn't win, so they had no choice but to run. If you don't believe me, go to the Meridian Gate and see if you see eunuchs and palace maids running out every day!"
Right now is a time when everyone is on edge, but the people in Bianjing City are not afraid. Instead, they hide in teahouses to watch the excitement and discuss political affairs. This is an unprecedented situation!
Although Bianjing, located in the heart of the Great Zhou Dynasty, was naturally more reserved, it was also more likely to witness grand occasions. In the past, whenever there were incidents of succession struggles, coups, or throne usurpations, the common people of Bianjing would have heard the news early and hidden away in their homes, with their doors tightly shut and the entire city under martial law.
If anyone died in the riot, all one could say was, "It was bad luck."
But the rebels who came back this time are different!
It is said that not only does he not kill people, he also likes people to discuss political affairs.
At this moment, there was a commotion on the street. Not far away, a group of soldiers in silver armor passed by with guns in hand. The general in the lead rode a horse and quickly passed through the crowd.
"Oh, this seems to be His Majesty's army——"
"What are you looking at? Why don't you go home and hide! Be careful not to get hurt!"
"Right, right, right, stop watching the fun and go home quickly. The traitor in Jinzhou Prefecture doesn't kill people, but some people may not! Just wait and see, this Bianjing city is about to get into chaos—"
In Jingpin's palace, her originally deserted palace became even more deserted because of the rumors in Bianjing City.
Originally, these concubines of the previous emperor were supposed to either be buried alive with the emperor or move to the east to live. However, Zhou Mian was overwhelmed by the affairs of Jinzhou Prefecture, and Zhao Yi's stab in the back completely dumbfounded the people of the previous dynasty, and they didn't know what the situation was at the moment.
The retired emperor probably doesn't have the energy to deal with these concubines.
Wang Qiushuang had a total of six palace maids and six eunuchs under her command. Ever since the news of the victory in the northern negotiations spread throughout the streets and alleys of Bianjing City and even reached the palace, Wang Qiushuang had clearly noticed the unrest in the palace.
These palace servants were obviously not concentrating on their work. They were either in a daze alone, or whispering in groups of three or five, or running around without any rules, as if they were gathering information.
Wang Qiu Shuang naturally turned a blind eye and hid the valuables without making a sound.
And just the next day, three people disappeared from her palace.
In fact, Wang Qiu Shuang was also very curious. Although the palace was already in a state of panic, patrols everywhere remained unchanged. How did these people under her command disappear?
Could it be that there is a tunnel in this palace?
However, Wang Qiu Shuang didn't care about the stay or departure of her subordinates at this moment. She had already defected to Jinzhou Prefecture, and now Jinzhou Prefecture was about to attack. Her future was about to end, so how could she care about these people?
It’s better to leave.
Now that she is gone, she will be safer in the palace and it will be easier for her to talk.
However, she did not miss any information that needed to be found out.
She sent away the remaining absent-minded palace maids, leaving only Eunuch Yang by her side, and then the two of them went to open the door to the inner room.
Feng'er hasn't left yet.
At this moment, Feng'er didn't want to leave.
Seeing the two people come in, Feng Er sat there, her expression unchanged, "What's going on now?"
As soon as the news of the negotiations in the North reached the palace, Wang Qiu Shuang immediately told Feng Er, and at the same time expressed her loyalty calmly, suggesting that if Feng Er had any difficult problems, she could just send her to handle it.
At this moment, Wang Qiu Shuang has completely become Jinzhou Prefecture's secret spy in the imperial palace.
And now, she, a concubine, was willing to be humble to Feng'er.
"Friends, as soon as the news of the negotiations in the North spread, everyone in the palace was in chaos. Three people have already escaped from my palace alone. I guess everyone is trying to save their lives right now."
Feng Er nodded, and looked at Eunuch Yang with a pair of sharp eyes, "Is there any movement from the previous dynasty?"
Although Eunuch Yang is a eunuch, he can move more easily and therefore has sharper eyes and ears.
"Yesterday, His Majesty summoned all the ministers to the palace to discuss strategies against the enemy. Only about a quarter of them showed up. The others either claimed to be ill or simply refused to see visitors. Those who came were all veteran ministers of the Great Zhou. They discussed for half a day. The arguments in Baohua Hall were so loud that the servants didn't dare approach, so they didn't hear anything specific."
"You have done a great job. The first thing to do when getting information is to protect yourself." Feng'er affirmed their work. Sure enough, Eunuch Yang's brows relaxed, but Concubine Jing on the side was a little anxious.
She has taken refuge in Jinzhou Prefecture, so why does she feel that she is less useful than a eunuch?
This sense of disparity made Jingpin feel a little depressed and even anxious.
"Zhou Mian is just a desperate struggle." Feng'er curled her lips slightly. "These ministers are quite interesting. They're trying to be fence-sitters, the typical want-it-alls. Friend Yang, are there any officials we can win over? For example, those who don't normally reject Jinzhou Prefecture and have shown a willingness to align with us?"
Eunuch Yang was embarrassed for a moment, "Friend Xu, we are of low rank and our words are not taken seriously, so we dare not have too much contact with people from the previous dynasty."
"Oh, I forgot that the harem here can't interfere in politics." Compared to Eunuch Yang's nervousness, Feng'er didn't care much and asked, "Do you know anyone among the guards or the imperial army?"
Wang Qiushuang's heart tightened, and she immediately asked, "Are the members of the club planning to join forces with Wu Jiang to coordinate internal and external operations?"
Feng Er stared at Wang Qiu Shuang seriously. "In your opinion, how likely is this?"
Wang Qiu Shuang couldn't explain it. She was originally a woman in the deep palace, but she was quite proud of her talent.
But since she joined the Datong Society, they organized study sessions together every now and then. Wang Qiu Shuang realized that her skills were only useful in the harem. When it came to government affairs, she was still very immature.
Fortunately, this member Xu was always encouraging. Even though she could see clearly that many people in the club stuttered and could not form complete sentences, this member still praised them and then taught them gently, showing the demeanor of a great scholar.
But since Xu Sheyou asked, Wang Qiushuang didn't hide her shortcomings and spoke directly. "If it were in the past, it would have been almost impossible. But now that the northern negotiations have been successful, it seems that the next step is to attack Bianjing City. The people in the city are in panic. If we unite with prestigious generals, it is not impossible."
"Indeed. I thought so too. Your Highness is on his way to Bianjing City now, and I believe he'll arrive soon. If we can seize Bianjing before His Highness arrives, unite the civil and military officials, occupy the city first, and open the city gates to welcome His Highness in, then what do you think? Will this tremendous achievement guarantee prosperity and wealth for the rest of our lives? Will our names be recorded in the history books of the founding of this nation?"
These words made the other two people's faces change immediately!
Wang Qiu Shuang was even more excited!
Yes, if we could just capture Bianjing City first and let His Highness enter, what a great achievement that would be! It would probably be enough to be written into the history books, right?
The two people never imagined that a eunuch and a palace concubine would have the opportunity to leave their names in history!
There is no room for anything else in the minds of these two people. It is said that wealth and honor are sought in danger. Even if the current situation is unclear, they are willing to risk their lives!
Feng'er caught the changes in the expressions of the two people out of the corner of her eye.
Your Highness is right.
You have to give it sincerely, have routines, and draw the pie.
Now she didn't believe that these two men were not completely devoted to her.
Eunuch Yang was the first to speak up. "If that's the case, I can ask more about the military commanders. Lately, everyone in Bianjing is on edge. I'm sure there are many military commanders who want to earn a share of the credit for following the emperor, but perhaps they haven't found a way yet."
"Okay, but be careful to protect yourself and don't expose yourself on the eve of success. Contact more officials in the imperial court to see how many are willing to surrender to Jinzhou Prefecture. They say a single tree cannot make a forest, and it will take more than one person to capture Bianjing City." Feng'er looked at Wang Qiushuang again, "Is it possible to deliver the letter now?"
Wang Qiushuang immediately said, "The inspection at the city gate is strict, but the letter should be fine."
"Okay, I wrote a letter." Feng'er took out a letter from her bosom and handed it to Wang Qiushuang. "Find someone to deliver it to a young man named Ahui who lives in Zhao's farm on the outskirts of the city."
Wang Qiu Shuang immediately knew that this young man named Ahui must be very unusual.
She quickly took it respectfully with both hands.
Then he heard the man ask again, "Where are the Queen and the Crown Prince? Is the Crown Prince still in Huaici Palace?"
"Yes, the Crown Prince is firmly in the hands of the Empress Dowager and the Retired Emperor. They hold the Emperor hostage to control the other princes, so naturally they have to keep the Crown Prince firmly under their control. The Empress still lives in Qifeng Pavilion, and the palace is surrounded by guards."
"Holding the Emperor hostage to control the other lords?" Feng'er chuckled softly. The woman had delicate features, and her every gesture exuded the air of mastery. "The other lords have already been practically defeated. What's the point of holding the Emperor hostage? Zhou Mian is truly muddleheaded. His defeat is crushing. If I were him, I would have packed up and fled overseas long ago."
Eunuch Yang said, "I think the retired emperor has lost his mind. Only three prefectures remain standing around Bianjing, and he only has a hundred thousand troops, yet he still dreams of reclaiming the Zhou dynasty. With His Royal Highness Prince Zhao approaching, I'm afraid everyone in the palace will flee within a few days. What kind of emperor is he without an army and power?"
Even Wang Qiushuang said, "The Emperor is truly confused. Isn't he afraid that these people will rush in and chop off his head to claim credit for it to the Jinzhou government?"
"Perhaps it's because he's surrounded by many loyal and devoted servants, preventing anyone from getting close. But this won't last long. Once the Jinzhou cavalry arrives, the devoted servants around the retired emperor won't be any use to him."
Feng Er sighed, "These people won't release their eagles until they see the rabbit. Bianjing City is already in danger, and I don't know what else we can hope for now. The real thing is to seize the opportunity and make meritorious deeds."
Feng'er frowned, as if she had thought of the key point, and her eyes lit up.
Back when they were in Zhangjia Village, His Highness had raised his arm and summoned countless like-minded people. If Feng'er imitated His Highness today and waved her hand in the Imperial City, would anyone respond?
"Friend Wang, where is the Queen? Can we see her?"
Wang Qiushuang shook her head. "I'm afraid it won't be easy. The area outside Qifeng Palace is full of the Emperor's men."
"Is it possible to break through from the inside?"
Wang Qiushuang shook her head, "I'm afraid the Queen doesn't have anyone from our side."
However, Eunuch Yang next to him hesitated to speak, so Feng Er looked at him and said, "Friend Yang, if you have anything to say, please feel free to say it. The three of us should trust each other more than ever right now."
Eunuch Yang smiled, "That's not the case. I just remembered that when I was a young eunuch, I was responsible for sweeping the Fengqi Palace. There is a place in the backyard of the Queen's bedroom that can be entered and exited, but..."
Eunuch Yang stared at Feng Er with some embarrassment, "It's just that the passage is only wide enough for one person to enter and exit, and it's shaped like a dog hole—"
Feng Er laughed, "I thought it was something else, it turns out to be a dog hole."
Eunuch Yang made a gesture of bowing and said, "Excuse me, Your Excellency."
"What's the big deal about crawling through a dog hole? We from Jinzhou Prefecture don't care about etiquette. Who hasn't crawled through a dog hole as a child? Being able to get things done is better than anything else."
Seeing Feng Er seemed genuinely unconcerned, Eunuch Yang felt relieved. "Does your club member want to see the Empress?"
"That's right." Feng'er looked serious, yet relaxed. "After it gets dark, let's go through the dog hole together—"
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