Chapter 112: Reluctant to Part with Second Wife
The large temporary military meeting hall was packed with people. They had just had a rare dinner in the side hall in the evening and then moved here.
The lamps and lanterns in the corridor were all lit up, yellow and red light, everyone inside and outside, including the generals He Yuan, Qin Guan, Chen Lang and others who rushed over after hearing the news from the city wall on duty today, everyone's smiling faces couldn't help but gloom.
The birds were silent.
Gu Wan brushed her bangs and scratched her head. She thought for a moment, "...Actually, this might be a good thing."
The Wei Dynasty had been in a state of illness for many years, and had nurtured a large number of powerful families. The achievements of Taizu, the founder of the Wei Dynasty, had almost disappeared.
The fundamental reason why the poor are so poor is that they don’t have good land, or even no land at all, so they can only become tenant farmers, farming rice but eating bran.
Various mergers and acquisitions, various expansions, officials or gentry, big and small, all in power, those appearing in the Hong Kong Economic Journal today are just the best of them, they have become aristocratic families, either now or in the past, anyway, they are the biggest ones.
Xie Ci will definitely eradicate them later, and they know it, so it might be a good thing to eradicate them completely now.
Otherwise, after Li Yi is dealt with, there is no doubt that there will be war everywhere.
Unexpected, but reasonable.
Xie Ci had calmed down. He nodded and said, "That's what you said."
Although he was still angry, he took a deep breath to ease his expression. His displeasure was not directed at his own people.
Xie Ci ordered, "Qinguan and Chen Luo, you two wait and leave the city. Pass on my order. Zhang Shen and Huang Zongxi will immediately mobilize 200,000 troops as the vanguard. Tomorrow morning, they will move south and station at Matouji in Hezhou."
After crossing the Yellow River and the Huai River, they arrived at the line from Hezhou to Matouji, a strong military town on the north bank of the Yangtze River. Li Yi was now overwhelmed with things to do, and Xie Ci also had a lot to deal with. He calculated the time and found that the time difference was not much.
As soon as he returned to the military and political affairs, Xie Ci's mind was extremely calm and clear. He quickly ordered the vanguard troops to go south to arrange the garrison first, and the main force of the army would set out within a few days. He ordered Su Zhen to lead 80,000 troops to stay behind, and after dealing with the affairs of the 17 cities in the north and the various passes in the northern border, they would go south to meet up with him.
The northern part was handed over to Long Qian, who had already led his troops to Linlu Pass.
Finally, he said to Qin Ying, "Second sister-in-law, the siege equipment for naval warfare should be sent south as soon as possible. Thank you for your hard work."
We really have to thank Hu Yande. He also brought a large number of naval warfare equipment, which were all improved by Xun Rongbi in the past. They are very novel and easy to use.
Hu Yande really thinks a lot and even prepares for the war in the south.
Everyone followed the order and left. The ones left in the hall were basically the first group of people. Xie Ci called Qin Ying's second sister-in-law, and his tone was particularly gentle: "You can free up more carriages and horses for military supplies and food to load disassembled equipment parts. Feather arrows and bowstrings should be loaded onto the ships first, and the first batch will go south. Civilian ships should also be requisitioned as much as possible."
Qin Ying wore a short brown-black armor, her long hair tied into a bun on top of her head. After comparing and choosing, she finally chose military logistics. Now that Gu Wan was gone, she took charge of these matters, and she was busy and energetic.
A few days ago, she had told Xie Ci that she wanted to bring her two children to the north. Xie Rou was already a grown-up girl, and Xie Mingyu was almost ten years old. She hadn't had the conditions before, but now that things were finally better, she missed the two children and wanted to accompany them as they grew up. Xie Ci happily agreed.
Qin Ying is still as bright and heroic as ever, without any makeup and with messy hair. There are people who like her, but she has no intention of looking for them again. However, she has also truly let go of the past. Now she has stepped out of the boudoir and has her own career. Another wonderful aspect of her life makes her radiant.
"Okay, I'll go right away!"
Qin Ying listened carefully, and when there were some unclear points, she picked them out and asked for their thanks. After that, she made a gesture that everything was OK, turned around and smiled at Gu Wan, said hello, and left in a hurry.
Xie Ci's prestige was growing. Even Qin Ying stopped calling him "Little Four" and the rubbing of his head was long gone. He was gentle and caring, but not with the air of an elder. When Xie Ci spoke, whether in public or private, everyone listened carefully and followed his orders meticulously.
Xie Ci is the head of the family now.
After Qin Ying left, Qin Xian, Chen Yan and others also received military orders and left quickly. Xie Ci thought about it, gave orders one by one, and asked the remaining young generals to work with their superiors. Then he left the military meeting hall with Gu Wan.
As soon as he walked out of the courtyard gate, Xie Mingming came running over: "Fourth Uncle!" The young man was wearing black armor that reached to the height of Xie Ci's ears. He ran towards the side door and stopped: "Sir, what should I do?"
Xie Mingming's face was still young, but he had grown taller. Even compared with Xie Ci, he still looked thin, and his face was red from running. He met Qin Guan and Chen Luo who were riding out of the city at full speed when he was coming back, and he hurried back.
Xie Ci personally led Xie Mingming for a while, and when he felt he was ready, he assigned him to his own unit to train as a soldier. Xie Mingming's father and grandfather had died young, so he had never been in the military. After careful consideration, Xie Ci decided that he couldn't skip this position, so he assigned him to the lower ranks.
Xie Mingming is very capable and is now a centurion.
He had been injured in the previous battle and had just recovered and was planning to report back to the camp.
Xie Ci taught Xie Mingming with great care, gentleness and strictness. He would think over every arrangement many times. Gu Wan once teased him, saying that he had tasted the feeling of being a father too early.
However, today, Xie Mingming had not yet returned to the camp, so it was not strictly a conversation with the higher-ups. Xie Ci rubbed the top of his head and said, "Report to the camp and let the soldiers rest for a few days before preparing to march south."
He taught: "As a general, you should lead the troops in a proper way. Proper relaxation and creating an atmosphere are the responsibilities of the captains."
"Yes! Under command!"
The young boy Xie Mingming listened to the lecture seriously and answered loudly twice. He saluted with his hands, took two steps back, and walked away with his head held high and proud.
The autumn wind is cold and the night is as cool as water. The stars are bright tonight, and the light of the Milky Way and the waning moon shines on the eaves and tiles of the roof, the pines, cypresses and red maples on both sides of the courtyard and the flower beds under the corridor.
Xie Ci watched Xie Mingming walk away, then turned around and saw Gu Guan smiling with a row of thin white teeth showing, looking at him with curved eyebrows.
He immediately remembered the joke about being a father and laughed too, then glared at her with a reproachful smile.
Gu Wan was not afraid of him and laughed out loud.
It was a rare opportunity for him to have some free time, and Xie Ci didn't want those things to ruin the atmosphere. After everything was arranged, he stopped thinking about it and walked hand in hand with Gu Wan along the gravel in the moonlight to help digest their food.
The governor of Yizhou was originally an extravagant man, but he had been replaced by Xie Ci's own people, leaving behind only this carefully decorated governor's mansion. The corridors, flower beds and back gardens along the way were all decorated in Huaiyang style, with slender green bamboos, colorful tea leaves, rockery and flowing water, and a small lake at the back.
Now the green bamboo, tea vines and lawns have all withered and yellowed, but one can tell that this mansion and the back garden have been built by countless skilled craftsmen. Xie Ci's face turned a little sour: "This bastard."
It would be a good thing for him to be replaced.
But since they didn't build it, they walked hand in hand around the small lake. The moonlight on the stone steps was as cool as water, and the crescent moon on the lake was white and bright.
Gu Guan chuckled, and his sullen expression faded. His anger turned to joy. The two of them stood by the pavilion, watching the moon. Gu Guan stood by the water, and he stood behind her, hugging her neck with both hands, his face pressed against hers. He said, "Mom sighed in her letter, saying that if it weren't for this, I would have become a father long ago."
The two of them had a military marriage before, and afterward, they must have written a letter to report to Madam Xun.
Mrs. Xun said okay, everything was fine, but she gave a lot of instructions. At the end, she couldn't help but sigh that if it weren't for this, Xie Ci would have become a father long ago at his age.
He muttered, and Gu Wan turned her head. The two of them kissed each other. The autumn wind was a little cold. Xie Ci pulled his cloak over and held them together. Gu Wan tilted her head and leaned on his shoulder, her lips curled up. She said, "Anything else?"
Xie Ci touched her face, which was warm. He held her hand and kissed it, whispering, "I can't bear to see you suffer. I'll be very worried if you go out."
He couldn't help but think that it would be great if he really became a father and had a child who looked like both her and him.
He also secretly thought that if she had a child, she would not go out to take risks for ten months.
Although he knew she liked it, it was just a thought.
Hehe, Xie Ci was no longer so tough now. He muttered softly, and Gu Wan thought of the androgynous boy he had just met.
At that time, when I touched him, his cheeks and ears were red. When I said something involving men and women, he became very uncomfortable and at a loss.
Gu Guan whispered in her ear: "Look at how hard you're working!"
She pulled back her hand, and her slender fingers moved down through the cloak until they reached a point below her navel. She circled her fingers around it and raised her eyebrows at him.
You can try hard. If you really get pregnant, you can become a father next year~
Her voice was small and hooked. She blinked at him, her warm brown almond eyes large and bright, and she curled her lips in a whisper, "Is it okay today?"
I'm going to die.
Xie Ci was touched by her hand and hissed on the spot.
Today, both of them went out in casual clothes, which definitely did not count as being in the army. Xie Ci was made tense all over by her and quickly grabbed her claws.
"Um."
He said in a low voice.
The two of them stared at each other with their eyes wide open, the sweetness in their eyes almost overflowing. They looked at each other with raised lips, and there was a burning feeling as if sparks had been created. Why would they just enjoy the scenery?
The two of them held hands and ran back at the same time. Gu Wan laughed, and Xie Ci also laughed, but he didn't say anything.
They ran all the way back to the main courtyard along the stone bridge and gravel corridor by the lake. They slipped in through the back door and the wide-open lattice window slammed shut.
…
The Yizhou Governor's Mansion was sweet and comfortable, and the army was being reorganized, but everyone was generally in a good mood.
But the situation in Ningzhou is completely the opposite.
After Li Yi went south, he is currently stationed in Ningzhou. He quickly cleaned up the problematic official offices in the south of the Yangtze River and deployed defenses on the south bank of the river.
He was stationed in the Ningzhou Governor's Mansion and was the head of all the troops. There were things he was happy with, but of course there were also things he was not happy with.
After all, his original plan was to get rid of Xie Ci directly in Shoutai Mountain, and then the overall situation was basically decided.
Although he has now shaken up the world and controls the area south of the Yangtze River, and is on par with Xie Ci, it is still not very pleasing compared to the original best plan.
"What's the news in Zhongdu?"
In the Ningzhou Governor's Mansion, in the huge main hall, Li Yi was sitting at the head of the table. His dark armor had been cleaned long ago, and the armor plates were shining. He was wearing a purple velvet cloak. He was tall, young, dignified and imposing.
Li Qixun stood in the hall and saluted, "On the 25th, the imperial court opened the granary in Gu County, and the grain carts were loaded onto ships. They have already sailed down the river to Fengzhou, turned onto the Ying River, and headed south to Hezhou."
Xie Ci's reason for allowing Qin Ying to delay the delivery of supplies and money, and instead to transport bows and arrows and other equipment, was because supplies were already available in Guanzhong. The logistics and armaments for the million-strong army, including supplies and money, had been fully supplied by the imperial court since the start of the war.
But now the situation has changed. The Northern Rong have been defeated, and the Seventeen States in the North and Xiguan have been recovered.
It is actually unreasonable for the court's 400,000 troops to follow suit and express their gratitude.
Xie Ci adjusted all the garrisons on the northern front line and replaced the governors of seventeen cities. He received news from the south of the Yangtze River that after the 200,000-strong vanguard army, the main force would move south three days later and had now arrived at the north bank of the Yangtze River.
At this time, the court should no longer support Xie Ci's logistics.
After two days of silence, Zhang Yuanrang opened the Gu County granary, tacitly accepting food and military support, just as he had done before the Northern Rong were still there. Xie Ci also ordered all the warships and naval equipment in the capital and the Jianghuai region to be gradually dispatched to Hezhou Matouji. The court seemed to be mute, silent and motionless.
After Li Qixun finished reporting, he lowered his head and stood aside. What he reported was not good news.
Li Yi sneered.
There was another person sitting in the hall, Zhu Zhaopu, the governor of Jingnan. He also had a bad look on his face: "That Zhang guy and that old man Wen Taishi are just the same kind of people. There's nothing surprising about that."
He didn't come here today to talk about this, he came to discuss marriage.
When it comes to winning over people through alliances, marriage is the first and most preferred method.
Among these aristocratic families and military governors, Gao Wei and Tang Xianwang realized early on that it was no longer possible to surrender. The two remaining most powerful forces were the Jiannan Luo family and the Jingnan military governor Zhu Zhaopu, with the latter being the most powerful.
Luo and Li Yi had already had a close relationship early on, and Luo had just replaced Yang Shu and was busy cleaning up the internal situation.
However, Zhu Zhaopu was different from the Luo family. He had been in Jingnan for a long time, had deep roots, and had a strong navy. He had developed in the south of the Yangtze River early on and had close relations with the Xiao and Cai families in the south of the Yangtze River.
Zhu Zhaopu’s wife was Xiao.
Marrying into Zhu Puzhao was equivalent to marrying into both the Xiao and Cai families at the same time.
After careful consideration, Zhu Puzhao did not raise the flag himself, but chose to support Li Yi. He wrote to Li Yi to express his agreement and the marriage.
Li Yi also urgently needed to use the simplest and clearest relationship to quickly bring him and Zhu Puzhao's Jiangnan aristocratic family closer. The best way was to marry Zhu Zhaopu's eldest daughter, born to the Xiao family, through marriage among the five major clans.
Zhu Zhaopu certainly knew that Li Yi had a wife and that she held a high position in Li Yi's camp. He did not ask Li Yi to divorce Yu, but he did say, "My daughter must be the wife."
No matter whether the east or west wife is better, or anything else, with such a marriage and Zhu Zhaopu's status, his daughter would definitely not be a concubine.
Li Yi nodded: "That's natural."
Zhu Zhaopu was quite satisfied and nodded, "We will defeat Xie Ci sooner or later! At the very least, there's no way he'll be able to cross this vast river even a single step!"
Zhu Puzhao was irritated by the mere mention of him. He had been a powerful figure, developing his influence like a local tyrant. Unexpectedly, the Northern Rong came and offered their thanks. After much deliberation, he felt he couldn't maintain his position on his own. Then, Li Yi led an army of 600,000 south, and the nobles of the land rose up in support of him. After much deliberation, he finally decided to support Li Yi as well.
The two talked for a few more words, and then Zhu Zhaopu got up and went back.
Li Yi sat for a while, stood up and went to the backyard.
…
The main house in the backyard.
Yu Manzhen followed the wet nurse to send her daughter back to the side room to rest. The child had been sent to Jiangnan very early. After that, she gave the wet nurse a few words of advice, stood for a while, and then turned back to the main room.
The entire main courtyard was filled with an atmosphere of caution and reluctance to speak, because there was a rumor that Li Yi was about to marry the governor of Jingnan.
Tonight, Yu Manzhen finally got the final answer.
She sat in the main room for about a quarter of an hour before finally hearing familiar footsteps.
Li Yi wore black armor and purple robe, and had no intention of taking it off to rest. He dismissed everyone, and the couple stood and sat. Li Yi stood quietly for a long time. He said, "Zhen Niang, if possible, I don't want to do this either."
But there are no ifs.
Li Yi was unable to kill Xie Ci due to the interference of the Zhenwu Army, and this was destined to happen. If he wanted to win the battle with Xie Ci, he had to win over the five tribes in the south of the Yangtze River and stabilize Zhu Zhaopu's heart, and quickly bring these various forces together.
A wedding can do that.
At this point, any grievance he expressed seemed pale, but Li Yi said, "If I ascend the throne in the future, you will definitely be the queen."
After saying that, Yu Manzhen didn't say anything. Li Yi stood there for a while, then turned around and left quickly.
After leaving the main room, he went to the side room to see his daughter, reprimanded the wet nurse and maid, and then left the main courtyard.
Yu Manzhen sat quietly at the table, the lights were flickering, and footsteps were heard outside. She stared at a certain point without blinking, trying her best to hold back her tears, but suddenly tears slipped down her face.
The night was cold with autumn dew and the evening breeze blew in, bringing a chill that penetrated her bones. She couldn't help but curl up and hug herself.
The author has something to say:
Let's take Liu Xiu as an example. Liu Xiu married Guo Shengtong as his first wife while he already had one. One theory is that he concealed the fact that he was already married, while the other theory is that Liu Yang knew that Liu Xiu already had a first wife but still asked him to marry Guo Shengtong as his first wife, so that both of them could live together.
Having come to this point, we can only say that many things are unavoidable.
Today is the launch of the manuscript box! Yeah~ See you tomorrow, dears! (づ￣3￣)づ
Finally, I also want to thank the baby who cast the thunder, heart~
An unknown squirrel spirit threw a mine
An unknown squirrel spirit threw a mine
^
And to the big babies who watered Wenwen, chirp chirp! (*^▽^*)
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