Chapter 535: War Drums Rising (asking for monthly tickets)
"Then Chang Suining said..." The scout's face trembled. Facing the knife-like gaze of the Xuzhou governor, he couldn't help but stutter a few times. In the end, he chose to put his head on the ground before he had the courage to say -
"She said... considering that you have no ability to accomplish anything, as long as you are sensible enough to hand over the Xuzhou military token and return to Xuzhou City on your own... she can consider pretending that nothing happened!"
As the last words of the scout's voice fell to the ground, the governor of Xuzhou and his entourage all turned pale.
What does it mean that if she just handed over the Xuzhou military token and returned to the city on her own, she would consider pretending that nothing happened? ! This was even more humiliating and hateful than calling her directly!
The governor of Xuzhou was furious, feeling that he had never been humiliated like this before: "...Who does she think she is! How dare she treat me with such contempt and insult!"
A young man in armor beside him also blushed and raised his eyebrows and said, "Father, we must not encourage the arrogance of a little girl like her!"
There were also a few military officers who couldn't swallow this and said, "...why not meet her today!"
"Sir..." An aide stepped forward quickly, saluted the governor of Xuzhou, and advised sternly: "We need to be cautious about this matter!"
Although the governor of Xuzhou was suddenly filled with anger, he still had some rationality. He first glared at his son, then gritted his teeth and asked the scout: "...How many soldiers does she have!"
Thinking of the oppression he had just felt in front of the enemy army, the scout almost cried: "My subordinates have been snooping along the way, and they know that Jiangdu has sent out at least 100,000 troops this time!"
Hearing this number, the soldiers were shocked. They were no longer able to be angry. They were just terrified: "...How can the Jiangdu army march so fast!"
Such a marching speed is simply unreasonable! Chang Suining's claim of "following the imperial edict to quell the rebellion" was very public, and the governor of Xuzhou and others had no way of knowing that Chang Suining had already made preparations for the troops before the imperial edict arrived in Jiangdu.
The Jiangdu army had already prepared all the necessary food and supplies, so it was no problem to say that all members were on the alert for battle. As early as ten days ago, the Jiangdu army was already in a state of not taking off their clothes to rest or taking off their boots to sleep.
The cooks who were going to accompany them wished they could always keep their large spoons and kitchen knives on their waists. Even Qiao Yumian and other doctors had already packed everything so that they could be ready to go at any time.
Everything had been arranged in advance, and the marching route was selected and controlled, and the quality and order of the army were high enough. Only with all these coordinated efforts could the march be so fast.
But the people in Xuzhou didn't know this, and even if they could think of this, it would be meaningless at the moment - the person is already standing in front of them and has been slapped in the face, so why bother about how they got here!
Regardless of how the enemy marched, they were able to reach Xuzhou so quickly, which showed that Chang Suining was indeed very capable! Soon, another team of scouts returned. They did not fall into Chang Suining's hands, but they also clearly detected the approach of the Jiangdu army.
After hearing what the scouts reported, the governor of Xuzhou no longer had any hope in his mind - Chang Suining was really right before his eyes!
The Xuzhou army also began to get restless. Someone whispered, "Since Chang Suining took command of the army, the Jiangdu army under her command has never been defeated..."
Some half-informed soldiers became even more uneasy. They couldn't help but think of the many rumors about Chang Suining. Most people would not easily believe those fantastic rumors, but at this time of panic, they could further disturb people's hearts.
Especially since most of the soldiers were illiterate and their mental knowledge was limited, it was inevitable that they felt uneasy when they heard those panic words.
Even without mentioning Chang Suining's extraordinary abilities, just the fact that the other side had an army of 100,000 was enough to make them retreat... They only had more than 20,000 people, which was neither enough to look at nor to fight!
The governor of Xuzhou was obviously aware of this fact. He gripped the reins tightly and looked towards Bianzhou and Luoyang, feeling extremely unwilling.
King Fanyang has an army of 200,000. If he could join forces with them, he would not be afraid of Chang Suining. However, there is a city called Bianzhou in front of him. At this moment, even his way to Bianzhou is blocked by Chang Suining's army...
It is doomed to fail to move forward.
But he couldn't bear to hand over his military order and return to Xuzhou like a dog with its tail between its legs to wait for Chang Suining's decision! "It would only lead to more casualties if we confront the Jiangdu army head-on. It's not a wise move!" The governor of Xuzhou turned pale and red, and ordered in a loud voice: "Pass the order, follow me back to Xuzhou and close the city gates!"
His voice was ups and downs, but everyone still automatically interpreted it as: A wise man never suffers a loss in front of him, so I'll just hide my head in the water.
The governor of Xuzhou was certain that Chang Suining was too busy attacking Xuzhou City at this moment, so he would be safe as long as he guarded the city gate.
His adviser quickly warned him, "Sir, if Chang Suining wins, he will definitely be punished..."
To put it bluntly, this method can avoid it temporarily, but not forever.
If Your Excellency does not surrender the military command as requested by Chang Suining, it would be equivalent to giving up the opportunity as Chang Suining said to "just pretend nothing happened" and still choose to follow King Fan Yang.
The counselor does not want to make decisions for his master, but he should remind the master when necessary. This is an important issue that must be considered in advance and is a major decision.
"The court is doomed, and the King of Fanyang now has all the advantages of time, place and people in Luoyang. What can Chang Suining do to win!" The governor of Xuzhou turned his horse around without hesitation and shouted, "Everyone follow me back to Xuzhou and wait for the news of the Fanyang army's victory!"
When that time comes, he will seek revenge from the arrogant Chang Suining for today's humiliation! The news that the governor of Xuzhou led his troops back to Xuzhou City soon reached Chang Suining's ears.
Chang Suining was not surprised at all.
Although she could lead 100,000 soldiers across the river, she only had 20,000 cavalrymen behind her at the moment, and the remaining 80,000 would take at least three days to arrive here one after another.
She led 20,000 troops, while the governor of Xuzhou also had more than 20,000 troops. If the two sides confronted each other head-on, the other side would not easily surrender when seeing that their forces were equal. And once they clashed, regardless of the outcome, her troops would be delayed for at least two days...
The situation in Bianzhou was critical, and even two days could not be wasted. Therefore, a battle with Xuzhou should be avoided if possible.
On the contrary, if the governor of Xuzhou knew the whole situation and was able to respond calmly, he would know that the wisest way at this moment should be to try his best to delay her and let the Fanyang army take Bianzhou first - in this way, if luck is good, after the Fanyang army occupies Bianzhou, they will immediately rush here, and it is even possible to form a pincer attack on her together with the Xuzhou army.
However, the governor of Xuzhou obviously had not had time to develop such a deep affection for the King of Fanyang, so he lacked the courage and determination to delay and pave the way for the Fanyang army.
Furthermore, the governor of Xuzhou was obviously frightened.
Chang Suining threatened the governor of Xuzhou to hand over the military command without saying a word. Such arrogance made it easier for the other party to believe that she really had 100,000 soldiers at her side and could form an absolute crushing force.
The Jiangdu army arrived too suddenly, so it was impossible for the Xuzhou governor not to panic.
Chang Suining's request for him to hand over the military token was too much for him. When faced with a request that is too much to accept, and knowing that one is in a disadvantageous situation, even if one is unwilling, one will often subconsciously only take one step further on the bottom line of the request, and regard it as the maximum risk that can be taken within the scope of maintaining dignity and interests.
This is a very common human nature.
Therefore, although the governor of Xuzhou refused to hand over the military command, he did not dare to fight against Chang Suining.
On the surface, Chang Suining seemed to have failed to achieve her goal of asking for the military token, but in fact, everything was under her control.
It was a time for rest and recuperation. Luo Guanlin, who saw what was happening, could only sigh in his heart: In a war, the most brilliant command is to command the enemy.
Chang Suining achieved this with just one sentence, which made the governor of Xuzhou feel he had the nerve to give way to her.
This kind of mental strategy that can easily control the situation is even better than the powerful fighting power she holds.
She seemed to have a complete chess game in her mind, knowing how to fight a war, where to attack first, where to attack later, where to attack head-on, and where to use strategy.
Although there was no battle today, although this matter seemed small, it caused a silent shock in Luo Guanlin's heart.
Luo Guanlin looked at the girl who was drinking water from the kettle. After a moment, he suggested, "Sir, to prevent the Xuzhou army from making trouble in the rear, we should station at least 10,000 troops at the rear to intimidate the governor of Xuzhou."
Chang Suining wiped the corner of his mouth and nodded, "Sir, you are right."
Having said that, he immediately gave instructions and asked someone to pass the message to the rear.
At this time, the scouts who had been exploring the way ahead had turned back. After confirming that the road ahead was clear, Chang Suining jumped on his horse and ordered his men to continue on their journey.
At the same time, Chang Suining turned his head and gave an order to his side: "Have someone spread a message quickly in Henan Road - the governor of Xuzhou rebelled and wanted to turn against King Fanyang. This rebellion has been quelled by the Jiangdu army!"
Shepherd's Purse was stunned for a moment, then responded in a loud voice - the Xuzhou rebellion will be quelled sooner or later, so it doesn't matter if you tell me in advance! Besides, everyone has gone back to close the door with their tails between their legs, so how can it not be considered quelled? After hearing this order, Luo Guanlin bowed to Chang Suining and got on the carriage.
He knew that Chang Suining's true and false words were meant to intimidate other states in Henan Province and to suppress as much as possible the thoughts of those who wanted to defect to King Fan Yang.
After getting on the carriage, Luo Guanlin sat cross-legged, looking at the map spread out on the small table in front of him, still feeling a little scared.
If Xuzhou really mobilizes troops today and you have not prepared the troops in advance, the city of Bianzhou will undoubtedly be lost.
There is no Jiedushi in Henan Province now. As the richest and most prosperous city in the entire Henan Province, Bianzhou has often served as the head of Henan Province.
From a geographical point of view, Bianzhou is close to Luoyang and is the undisputed gateway to Henan Province. If the gate is broken, how can the more than 20 states in the backyard hold on?
Therefore, after the King of Fan Yang's manifesto spread, all the states in Henan Province kept a close eye on the movements in Bianzhou City.
Bianzhou Governor Hu Lin was also well aware of this.
He was very clear that his choice not only represented Bianzhou, but also represented most of Henan Province to a large extent.
After sending the letter for help, Hu Lin had made up his mind that no matter whether he could wait for reinforcements or not, he would defend Bianzhou to the last moment and would never allow himself to be the one who opened the door to Henan Road to the rebels.
As for what the various states in Henan Province would choose after his death in battle, he had no influence on it, but at least he, Hu Lin, had lived up to the people of Henan Province.
He may not be a man who knows the times, but he has already understood the way in his heart.
He had thought about it over and over again, and King Fanyang was not a good ruler...
Now that the imperial court is corrupt, it is understandable that Prince Fan Yang wants to achieve great things, but Hu Lin believes that in many cases, ambition and benevolence are not incompatible.
If King Fan Yang really loves his people, he can just go straight to the capital. If he can take control of the capital, when the new king's order is passed to Henan Province, Hu Lin will surely be willing to kowtow sincerely.
But now, the aggressive Fanyang army is approaching his Bianzhou city, intending to lead the cavalry to plunder and devour Henan Province, completely disregarding the safety of the people of Henan Province and the foundation of the country...
This war against Henan Road was not the only way to achieve great things. Rather than saying it was for the sake of great things, it was to satisfy the greedy mouth without any bottom line! Hu Lin could not agree with the way to achieve great things that would further intensify the turmoil!
Hu Lin tightly grasped the sword at his waist and strode out of the governor's mansion with a team of personal guards.
This time, Hu Lin's youngest daughter also stood behind her father and watched him go, but unlike last time, she did not cry.
Hu Lin's eldest daughter held her younger sister's hand tightly and watched her father mount his horse and leave without looking back.
"Sister..." The little girl looked up and asked her elder sister: "This time, father will definitely come back safely, right?"
Hu Lin's eldest daughter smiled at her younger sister and suppressed her uneasiness: "I will."
"I think so too..." The little girl was led back by her elder sister. She also held her elder sister's fingers tightly. She was obviously extremely nervous, but still had a firm belief in her eyes. However, she said in a somewhat incoherent way: "General Ning Yuan said that when I grow up, I want to join her army as a female soldier..."
She had finally grown two years older. If she died like this, wouldn't it be like giving up halfway?
"Sister, I don't want to die." The girl's voice finally began to choke and tremble: "I don't want my sister to die, and I don't want my mother to die, and my father can't die either... Why does my father have to..."
"Xiao Qi." The eldest daughter of the Hu family stopped, bent down, and gently supported her younger sister's weak shoulders. Her eyes were slightly red, but she was solemn: "We all don't want to die, but the thing that cannot die the most is Bianzhou under our feet, do you understand?"
The girl, who was less than ten years old, couldn't understand and asked, holding back tears, "Sister, why?"
"Because there are countless people in Bianzhou who don't want to die like us. We can escape or surrender. But they have nowhere to escape, and even if they surrender, they can't be treated fairly—" The eldest daughter of the Hu family told the younger sister clearly, "Those people outside are coming with knives, no matter how nice their words are, they just want to rob them."
The little girl listened to these words and looked into her elder sister's eyes. Her tears gradually faded away and she fell into a daze.
At this time, they heard the sound of war drums from the direction of the city gate in the distance, one louder than the other, like rolling spring thunder, accompanied by a storm.
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