Chapter 473: Taking Jingzhou and Destroying the Royal Court
Inside Yuezhou City, the streets were empty, with only patrolling soldiers roaming in the night like evil ghosts.
The original plaque of the Governor's Mansion was removed last year and changed to "Bian Mansion", which was used as Bian Chunliang's temporary residence in Yuezhou.
At this moment, there was a faint sound of music floating out of this mansion, and the owner here did not seem to be bothered by the imperial troops attacking the city.
There was a banquet in the hall, with not only music but also fine wine.
The banquet was divided into two rows on the left and right. Almost all of Bian Chunliang's capable generals were present, and the whole hall was filled with the aroma of wine and meat.
The man sitting alone at the top was about forty years old, with a burly figure, but he did not look bulky. His black robe was fitted with tiger patterns embroidered in gold thread on the shoulders. He had a beard on his angular face, and under his thick eyebrows, his eyes contained a gleam of brilliance and murderous intent that made people dare not look directly at him.
This was Bian Chunliang, who started his army in Daozhou, slaughtered the powerful and noble families along the way, and caused a huge chaos.
He doesn't look as brutal and murderous as the rumors say.
Although he claimed to be an uprising for the people and thus stirred up the hearts of the people, he himself was not from the grassroots or from a poor background. On the contrary, he was born into a salt merchant's family, had been rich since childhood, was proficient in writing, and had a talent for martial arts.
Merchants had a low status at that time. Since he was young, Bian Chunliang had been determined to enter the court through talent or martial arts, but for more than 20 years, he repeatedly hit a wall and failed.
Over the past twenty years, he had accumulated a lot of resentment and dissatisfaction with the current court in his heart. This dissatisfaction finally came to the point of erupting due to the drought two years ago in Daozhou that left thousands of miles of barren land but no one cared.
The Bian family had been selling salt for generations and had accumulated substantial wealth and connections. Bian Chunliang took advantage of this to quickly recruit soldiers and horses. As soon as he raised his voice on behalf of the people to fight against the harsh policies of the court, countless people responded.
He fought his way out of Daozhou, Yongzhou, and Hengzhou, killing and plundering savagely along the way, and his army grew rapidly. He then broke through Dongting Lake, and after taking Yuezhou, he now has more than 200,000 soldiers.
However, Jingzhou was difficult to attack, and Bian Chunliang was blocked here for more than half a year and could not advance any further.
Although everyone at the banquet was drinking and having fun, some generals were worried about the war: "... Marshal, I'm afraid Xiao Min is not easy to deal with!"
A young man sitting below Bian Chunliang had his arm wrapped in thick cloth. When he heard the name "Xiao Min", his face immediately darkened and he took a big gulp of wine in angrily.
This is Bian Chunliang's eldest son Bian Cheng, who was shot in the arm by Xiao Min during the battle to defend the city.
"Yes." Bian Chunliang, who was at the head of the group, spoke in a deep and powerful voice: "This man was the commander-in-chief when Xu Zhengye was killed. At that time, I only thought that he was relying on the merits of Chang Kuo and his daughter, and he didn't have much real ability... Now it seems that he should not be underestimated."
"That's right. This man is not as impetuous as Li Xian, who only cares about military exploits..." The counselor beside him frowned slightly and said, "His method of fighting may not seem surprising at first glance, but he is calm and solid. He is not disturbed by external situations and has no distractions. He knows how to know himself and the enemy, patiently finds flaws, and then breaks them down step by step."
The counselor raised his hand towards Bian Chunliang and said, "General, if the confrontation continues, it is unknown whether our army can hold Yuezhou, let alone advance into Jingzhou..."
As soon as these words were spoken, there was an immediate commotion among the generals below.
Bian Cheng put down the cup with a bang and shouted unhappily, "Is this how Mr. Ao tries to show off his power in this battle?"
The counselor lowered his head, but raised his hand for ceremony but did not put it down.
Bian Chunliang glanced at his eldest son who was drunk and out of control, raised his hand to signal his attendants to take him away to sober him up.
After Bian Cheng was taken away, Bian Chunliang waved his hand again and dismissed the musicians in the hall.
"Don't worry, sir. All we need to do next is delay and wait for the right opportunity." Bian Chunliang looked at the generals who were listening attentively, smiled heartily, and said in a powerful voice: "I, Bian, have come this far relying on the people's support. Yuezhou is nothing. This time, our army will take Jingzhou, march north, and attack the imperial city!"
He was very suspicious, but even so, he did not elaborate on the battle arrangements. Everyone had long been accustomed to this, but when they saw that he had a plan, most of them felt relieved.
One general's eyes sparkled at the powerful words and he raised his wine glass: "Let us drink this cup to the full in honor of the commander!"
Everyone followed suit and raised their glasses.
Bian Chunliang drank the wine in the cup in one gulp, threw it down, and then laughed and embraced the beauty who was serving him on both sides.
The two women were dressed in thin clothes and had very young faces. They were originally well-read noble women in Yuezhou City. Their fathers and brothers were massacred by the Bian army...
There was uneasiness in the eyes of both of them that could not be concealed by makeup, but they could only try their best to put on a forced smile.
After the banquet, the strategist named Ao followed Bian Chunliang alone to the study to discuss matters.
With no one around, the half-drunk Bian Chunliang leaned back in a large armchair and picked up a few letters on the table: "The Anzhou governor Cao Hongxuan has repeatedly written to me, inviting me to mobilize troops to take control of Huainan Road--"
Ao Ben hurriedly asked, "What do you think, Marshal?"
"Just Huainan Road..." Bian Chunliang laughed: "My ambition is to go to the capital, why would I give up the near and seek the far away?"
He threw the letter down and said, "When I break through the Emperor's Gate and become the ruler of the world, the Huainan Road will be just a thing in my hand. Why should I go out of my way to get it now?"
As he spoke, his eyes revealed a mocking look: "The reason Xu Zhengye was defeated was because he fell into someone else's trap. He was too cautious and chose to change his route to attack Luoyang! He wasted a great opportunity in vain!"
The counselors knew that he was only interested in the capital and had no intention of expanding his territory, so they agreed, "The commander-in-chief's move is wise. Although Huainan Road is rich, Chang Suining is no ordinary man. It is not a good idea to rush in and fight with him at this time."
Finally, he asked, "But, according to this statement... did the Marshal reject the Anzhou governor?"
Bian Chunliang: "No, I'll let him take advantage of the opportunity to attack Jingzhou!"
The counselor's eyes lit up: "Good!"
He hurriedly asked, "I wonder if this person is willing to obey your orders?"
"He has no choice but to obey." Bian Chunliang smiled: "As you said, Chang Suining is not an ordinary person. Anzhou is unwilling to recognize her as the new leader of Huainan Road, so she will definitely not let it go! Cao Hongxuan doesn't want to sit and wait for death, so he can only find another way out!"
The other party also knows this truth very well, otherwise he would not take the initiative to serve him.
He just wanted to accomplish things with him, but was unwilling to take any risks. He just wanted to sit in Huainan Road and wait for benefits to come to him... But this wouldn't work for Bian Chunliang.
He couldn't go to Huainan Road. He wanted Cao Hongxuan to go out of Huainan Road and help him attack Jingzhou! "That would be great!" The counselor said, "If Cao Hongxuan attacks Jingzhou from the rear, regardless of success or failure, it will definitely cause chaos in the front of Li Xian and Xiao Min's army... Then the commander will take advantage of the chaos and lead 200,000 troops to attack in one fell swoop. He will definitely be able to capture Jingzhou, enter Shannan East Road, and directly take the capital!"
Bian Chunliang, who was drunk, burst into laughter when he heard this, and suddenly asked someone to prepare some wine so that he could drink with his adviser.
The night slowly faded away and the first rays of dawn appeared in the eastern sky.
Xiao Min has ordered his troops to prepare for the next attack on Bian.
"General Li." Seeing Li Xian approaching in armor, Xiao Min asked, "I wonder if there has been any unusual activity in the vicinity of Jingzhou in the past few days?"
"Jingzhou has the Yangtze River to the west, the Han River to the east, and the capital at the back. We are here to stop the Bian rebels in the front, so what's the big deal?" Facing Xiao Min's 'self-righteous' question, Li Xian asked with a smile: "General Xiao has been preparing for this battle for so long, I wonder if he can capture Yuezhou City this time?"
Xiao Min paused after hearing this, and then said: "I will do my best."
Li Xian laughed and patted Xiao Min on the shoulder: "In that case, General Xiao should concentrate on preparing for the battle."
Having said this, he strode away.
Xiao Min looked at Li Xian's back, then glanced in the direction of Jingzhou.
Most of the soldiers stationed in Jingzhou were Li Xian's personal soldiers. Xiao Min knew that Li Xian was dissatisfied with him, but the other party was eager to make merit and wanted to atone for his sins. He thought that he would not take the situation in Jingzhou carelessly no matter what.
A horn sounded at the parade ground, and Xiao Min strode away.
As Xiao Min thought, Li Xian was indeed very concerned about the safety of Jingzhou. He had also learned privately that Anzhou wanted to collude with Bian Chunliang, but in the secret letter he intercepted, the governor of Anzhou instigated Bian Chunliang to attack Huainan Road. Out of selfishness, he chose to turn a blind eye.
But what he didn't know was that Bian Chunliang rejected this proposal and prepared to secretly let the governor of Anzhou launch a surprise attack on Jingzhou.
…
At this moment, in Anzhou city, a conspicuous team of carriages and horses passed through the long street and drove towards the city gate.
Soon many people recognized that it was the carriage from the Anzhou Governor's Mansion.
Soon, news spread that the governor of Anzhou had set off for Jiangdu to pay a visit to the new governor.
Most of the common people and scholars in Anzhou City were relieved by this. They were very worried because their governor had not made any statement.
A few days ago, they heard that the Governor of Guangzhou had already set off, and they hoped that their own Governor would also wake up in time. Today, they finally received good news.
The people of Anzhou, who had heard too many poems and nursery rhymes recently, hurried to tell each other the good news - the governor had gone to Jiangdu, and Anzhou should be safe! At the same time, in the carriage that left Anzhou, the man in the governor's official robes in the middle carriage looked very uneasy, and from time to time he raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead.
In the study room of the Anzhou Governor's Mansion, two counselors and several military officers were sitting at the head.
The man sitting at the top said slowly, "...After we get to Jiangdu, even if we are discovered on the spot, Chang Suining will immediately send troops to come. It will take at least half a month to go back and forth. Half a month is enough."
The man who put on the governor's robe and left Anzhou was similar to him in body shape and looked 30% like him. Although he could not be mistaken for the real thing, it was enough to deal with the situation on the way.
Chang Suining had given him a deadline this time. If he didn't take any action, it would surely arouse her suspicion... It would undoubtedly be safer to send a substitute out to confuse the view and delay time.
"Sir... do you really want to follow Bian Chunliang's arrangement and attack Jingzhou?" A counselor hesitated a little.
"I originally wanted to have him come to Huainan Road, but he is overbearing and suspicious..." Cao Hongxuan said, "To show my sincerity, this is the only way."
"But sir..."
Cao Hongxuan raised his hand to interrupt the counselor's dissuasion: "I have made up my mind, sir, there is no need to say more - this move is risky, but the chances of success are very high."
"The imperial army is now in front of Yuezhou. Bian Chunliang's army will surely be able to hold them back. Jingzhou's defenses are the least at this moment. If we go there now, we can attack them by surprise."
“Even if Li Xian leads his army back quickly, Bian Chunliang will definitely chase and intercept them immediately. Then, Bian’s army and I can attack from both sides… The imperial army has been defending Jingzhou for half a year and is already exhausted. Once they are surrounded, their morale will surely collapse!”
"This plan does sound feasible!" A soldier was also very tempted, but he still said, "But Bian Chunliang is tyrannical and cruel... I'm afraid he will end up courting disaster."
"It is still unknown who is the tiger." Cao Hongxuan sneered, "He is just a salt merchant who took advantage of the people's will... He acted without regard for the consequences and slaughtered so many powerful nobles. If it really comes to that, how many people would be willing to follow him sincerely?"
"I am not as strong as him right now, so I am just temporarily obeying his orders." Cao Hongxuan said, "If we can successfully take Jingzhou, it will be just around the corner for us to take control of the capital, and by then, great things will be accomplished—"
He paused for a moment and said with a smile, "Counting three generations back, my great-grandmother, Cao Hongxuan, was a daughter of the Li clan. I also have Li blood in me. When the time comes, will the various forces be more willing to support me or a cruel and unjust salt merchant?"
The counselor was silent for a moment, and it was obvious that this was indeed a well-thought-out decision...
However, your great-grandmother was the legitimate wife of the Cao family, and your biological great-grandmother was just a concubine of the Cao family... What does the Li bloodline have to do with you? Could it be that bloodline can be spread through an intermediary?
This statement is really far-fetched.
But when it comes to one's origin, people sometimes only give a rough idea...it's better to have something than nothing.
The substitute for the great villain has already set off for Jiangdu. There is no way to retreat now. There is no point in saying more. It is better to make plans and give it a try.
The counselors and the public could only put aside their useless hesitation.
Cao Hongxuan sent people to Shenzhou and Huangzhou respectively to pass on the message, ordering the governors of these two states to send out troops within three days.
Unlike Gwangju, which had been wavering in its stance from the beginning and had now directly given in, Shenzhou and Huangzhou had been secretly and firmly following the orders of Cao Hongxuan, led by Anzhou.
Within three days, Cao Hongxuan received replies from Shenzhou and Huangzhou respectively. The governors of the two states promised him that within three days, they would be able to gather all the troops and meet at the bank of the Han River.
Everything went smoothly so far, and Cao Hongxuan was excited.
This time, Cao Hongxuan will use the troops from Anzhou, Shenzhou and Huangzhou to cross the Han River, take Jingzhou and destroy the royal court!
Three days later, when everything was ready, Cao Hongxuan put on his armor and sent his troops to the banks of the Han River.
Before setting off, he had already received news from scouts that the governor of Shenzhou had already rushed to the Han River and was waiting to join his army.
When Cao Hongxuan arrived, he saw a large army waiting there from afar.
The two armies met head-on, and he saw the governor of Shenzhou. But the next moment, he saw the governor of Shenzhou silently reined in his horse and moved to the side. The soldiers and horses on both sides also separated consciously, leaving a path in between.
Good night everyone~ Thank you for your monthly tickets, thank you book friends: Absorbing the Spirit of Heaven and Earth, Stars All Over the Sky, Miaomiao Honey Water, Fang Duoduo 123, Lonely Cello, Qiangqiangqiangmiao, forgetting to eat and sleep to read novels, Liuli Xuenuo, book friend 20210301106484240708, book friend 20231028145224429, book friend 20201004200215127 for the reward~ (End of this chapter)
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