Chapter 149 Alliance (1800 words added) After Hu Dazhu arrived…
Lu Hong, who was engaged in fierce fighting with the Shengzhou army outside Shengzhou, never expected that before he could even enter Shengzhou and capture Mo Jingchun and Ning Huai'an, the warlords who were fighting each other in various places would suddenly unite to attack him!
Lu Hong: "???" What's going on with you guys?!
First is Gyeongju.
Zhao Jiashu died, and his cousin succeeded him as governor of Qingzhou.
The Sun army, the Qingzhou army, and the Jinzhou army were originally fighting fiercely, but with the appointment of the new governor, the three sides inexplicably stopped fighting.
Hu Dazhu withdrew from Qingzhou as quickly as possible and headed straight for Shengzhou.
After the Jinzhou army left, Sun's army and Qingzhou army headed north one after the other, and it was clear to everyone that their targets were Pingzhou and Xingzhou.
Then, after the Ningzhou army captured Mengchuan County, they headed straight north.
Judging from their marching route, there is a very high probability that they will go to Chuzhou.
Clearly, after Cao Ruheng became king, he wanted to take Lu Hong's Chuzhou as a gift to celebrate the establishment of Ningguo!
On the other side, Yue Yao led a Shengzhou army on their way back to Shengzhou, where they were intercepted by a female army.
The leading female general clasped her hands in a fist salute and said, "I am Meng Junping, and I have been ordered by Mo Jingchun, the governor of Shengzhou, to attack Ganzhou."
She produced an appointment letter, which read, "Appointing Yueyao as a Lieutenant General to assist in combat."
Yue Yao was stunned.
Fortunately, he checked the appointment letter and found that it did indeed bear the seal of the Governor of Shengzhou and the seal of Mo Jingchun.
Among the female soldiers was someone he recognized: Zhong Mingqi. The man laughed heartily, "I am the strategist General Ning assigned to you."
After receiving his appointment letter, Yue Yao asked, "So, we should take advantage of Lu Hong being tied down in Shengzhou and seize the several prefectures under his control?"
Meng Junping replied, "That's right. We withdrew from Qingzhou to show that we will no longer interfere in Sun Yannan's encroachment, as a sign of our sincerity in this cooperation."
Qin Fang silently rolled her eyes. "It's all thanks to General Hu and the others for running so fast, otherwise..."
Upon hearing this, Zhong Mingqi smiled and said, "Sun Yannan's intention is to take Ping and Xing prefectures. Our side has reached an agreement with Cao Ruheng and Ye Hui: they will take Chuzhou, and we will take Ganzhou."
Yue Yao thought for a moment and asked, "If Lu Hong knew about this, would he protect Ping and Xing prefectures, or Gan and Chu prefectures?"
Zhong Mingqi: "If you ask me that, I really don't know how to answer you."
Meng Junping seemed to be thinking, "It's quite a difficult choice."
Ping and Xing prefectures were the capital cities. The emperor Lu Hongli established, Lu Hong's family, and Lu Hong's officials were all in the capital city of Xing prefecture. Gan and Chu prefectures were his old stronghold, the place where he made his fortune, and the ancestral tombs of the Lu family were in Gan prefecture!
"It's not time for that yet!"
Lu Hong gritted his teeth and said, "We have garrison troops in Ganzhou and Chuzhou, so Cao Ruheng's Ningzhou army may not be able to take Chuzhou smoothly."
"As for the capital, even if Liang Shanguang cannot withstand Sun Yannan's attack, he will not allow Sun Yannan to occupy the capital so easily."
"Once we conquer Shengzhou, we'll go back and take over Fuxingzhou and Hepingzhou!"
Ying Yanzhou expressed his approval.
He said, "We need to revise our battle plan and attack Shengzhou before Hu Dazhu arrives!" It would take Hu Dazhu's Jinzhou army two or three months to travel from Qingzhou to Shengzhou.
Lu Hong nodded.
If he cannot capture Shengzhou before Hu Dazhu and his Jinzhou army arrive, he will be in great danger.
The enemy we face now is only the Shengzhou army; if we plan properly…
His gaze fell on the map, and he asked Ying Yanzhou, "What are your thoughts?"
Yingyanzhou really does have it.
He suggested a feint attack.
“We can give Ning Huai’an false information, and then make it look like we’re attacking this place.” Ying Yanzhou’s finger landed on the map, pointing to a town. “But actually we’re going to attack…” His finger swept across the map, landing on a county.
Lu Hong nodded. "Alright, I'll lead my troops to attack here tonight." He pointed to the river near the town. "To increase credibility."
Ying Yanzhou said, "Once they are defeated, they will most likely flee here, here, here. We should set up an ambush in advance."
After the two finished their discussion, Lu Hong grabbed his teacup and took a big gulp to moisten his throat. He was very puzzled. "Cao Ruheng is one thing, he and his wife have always had a good relationship with He Qinglan, but Sun Yannan, didn't he and He Qinglan have a huge falling out? Why did they suddenly team up to beat me up?"
Ying Yanzhou showed a helpless expression, "Sun Yannan killed Zhao Jiashu and replaced him with someone easier to control. Both sides will turn their attention to the Jinzhou army."
Lu Hong suddenly realized, "He Qinglan joined forces with Sun Yannan to attack me in order to protect the Jinzhou Army?" He thought for a moment and then said, "That's not right. Why would Sun Yannan give up the Jinzhou Army that he had already gained and go all the way to attack my capital?"
Ying Yanzhou pinched the bridge of his nose. "Hu Dazhu ran too fast."
Lu Hong looked at him, puzzled.
Ying Yanzhou said, "As soon as He Qinglan decided to join forces with Sun to attack you, Hu Dazhu immediately tried to escape. He played a trick of feinting to the east while attacking in the west and slipping away like a cicada shedding its shell, leading the Jinzhou army away from Qingzhou with minimal losses. Sun Yannan did give chase, but he couldn't catch up."
Lu Hong understood.
Since Hu Dazhu had fled with his troops, and He Qinglan had stated that she would no longer interfere in Qingzhou's affairs, Sun Yannan was satisfied with the cooperation and led his troops straight to Xingzhou and Pingzhou.
Hu Dazhu came to Shengzhou to help Ning Huai'an destroy our main force.
If we are defeated at that time, Sun Yannan will be in the north, and Cao Ruheng will be in Ganzhou and Chuzhou...
etc!
Lu Hong looked at Ying Yanzhou and asked, "Cao Ruheng wants to attack my Chuzhou, but what about Ganzhou?"
Ying Yanzhou paused for a moment.
Lu Hong's icy gaze fell on Ganzhou. "Should Cao Ruheng take Chuzhou first, then Ganzhou, or..."
Has someone already led troops to Ganzhou?
Ying Yanzhou sighed, "My lord, we must take Shengzhou this time!"
Lu Hong gritted his teeth: He Qinglan, Sun Yannan, Cao Ruheng, you just wait!
I'll definitely show you what's what in the future!
Mo Jingchun and Ning Huai'an were no pushovers either, and they quickly received the information from the intelligence department.
“It was expected,” Mo Jingchun said, taking the letter Ning Huai’an handed back, lighting it over the candle flame, watching it burn to ashes, and then said, “Now, with only our Shengzhou army, Lu Hong still can’t take Shengzhou in one fell swoop. If Hu Dazhu leads the Jinzhou army here, he will have no chance of killing us.”
Ning Huai'an nodded, "That's right, but he underestimated the people of Shengzhou."
It is not only registered soldiers who can go to the battlefield.
With the people and soldiers of Shengzhou united as one, even workers, farmers, merchants, and students, if pushed to the limit, could take up arms and fight Lu Hong.
We will definitely defend Shengzhou!
“We haven’t reached that point yet,” Mo Jingchun waved his hand. “If Lu Hong wants a quick victory, we’ll just use the ‘delay’ tactic and wait until Hu Dazhu arrives with the Jinzhou army.”
It is best for the people to each perform their duties.
They are already supporting the soldiers at the front by working, farming, doing business, and building.
Ning Huai'an said, "If he wants to fight fast with fast, we'll fight slow with fast and drag them down."
Mo Jingchun nodded, "It will also take some time for Meng Junping and Yue Yao to arrive in Ganzhou."
“By the way,” Mo Jingchun suddenly thought of something and said to Ning Huai’an, “Do you think it’s possible for Nightingale to remain hidden forever?”
Ning Huai'an paused, then slowly shook his head. "If Nightingale keeps transmitting Lu Hong's battle plans, they'll be discovered sooner or later." Lu Hong and Zhu Yunze aren't stupid; they don't even know if their intelligence has been leaked.
Mo Jingchun's expression turned serious. "No, Nightingale cannot die at Lu Hong's hands."
Ning Huai'an said, "Let's call everyone together for a meeting, and while we're at it, let's make arrangements..." He mentally reviewed the names of the generals, "...arrange for Ying Shanqing to meet with Nightingale, and make sure she's brought back safely!"
Ying Shanqing, who stood out in the war with his outstanding strategy and martial prowess, is only nineteen years old this year, but he was noticed by Ning Huai'an and promoted out of turn.
Now that Mo Jingchun and Ning Huai'an have entrusted this task to him, the young general did not show any extra emotions on his face. He clasped his hands together and said, "This subordinate will definitely complete the mission!"
Mo Jingchun reminded him, "Once you've connected with her, listen to her advice in everything and don't make any decisions on your own."
Ying Shanqing understood and said, "Yes!"
Ning Huai'an encouraged him, "I believe you can do it."
Soon, the other civil and military officials arrived one after another.
Mo Jingchun said, "Everyone, Lu Hong intends to fight us quickly."
Jinzhou.
The debate competition, organized by the publicity department, was finally held at the state capital's academy.
The preliminary rounds were held in ten venues.
The contestants from all over the country were assigned to these ten venues through a public draw.
Then, they draw lots to determine their opponents and the time of the match.
The judges consisted of publicity department staff, academy teachers, workshop workers, village chiefs, and staff from other departments who were not involved in the competition.
As for who will be evaluating which venue with whom, that will be decided by drawing lots on the day of the competition.
And these judges will not participate in the finals.
The contestants who hadn't yet competed sat in the audience, watching the contestants in the competition seats listening to the rules, and whispering among themselves.
“Things are going quite well here in Jinzhou.”
"Yeah, at least it seems pretty fair."
"If it's a draw, no one can say anything; which opponent you get depends entirely on your ability."
"I wonder who the judges are..."
"Since they dared to let so many people in to listen, they must be able to ensure the fairness of the competition."
The contestant turned his head and looked around; the audience seats were packed.
There were teenagers around ten years old, excitedly discussing something with their companions; young men and women, arguing about something; middle-aged people, slightly older, quietly waiting for the competition to begin; and elderly men and women with gray hair, some holding paper and pens, seemingly wanting to study.
The contestant was quite surprised: Is the atmosphere in Jinzhou really that good?
Outside the stadium, a group of students from the academy gathered together.
They arranged for their classmates to collect debate topics at various venues, and then choose the venue they wanted to go to based on the topics.
"The questions in the first competition were very interesting, but I think the contestants on both sides were only of average ability." Female student A crossed her arms and shook her head.
The male student B had no expression on his face. "The second round was alright; both sides debated back and forth."
Male student C shook his head. "For the topic in the third competition, if the contestants are not good enough, it will be difficult to come up with anything original."
The female student, Ding, had bright, sparkling eyes. "Two contestants in the fourth competition performed quite well. We can learn from them how to use sophistry."
...
Girl Gui raised one eyebrow and said, "I suggest you go to the tenth arena. Both sides have very strong contestants, and their words are always insightful."
Her words successfully piqued the curiosity of all her classmates.
"Is it really that amazing?"
Are both of you very good at talking? Or did their viewpoints attract you?
"Then I'll go take a look!"
"Senior sister, you mustn't lie to us. You said, 'People from Jinzhou don't lie to people from Jinzhou.'"
The people who had just come to the academy to listen to the competition also learned about the event from the students. Filled with curiosity, many of them followed the students to the competition venue.
The judges and contestants at the ten competition venues were surprised to find that the audience was growing larger and larger. Since there were no seats available, they stood in the aisles and outside the windows.
"So many people." The second debater on the affirmative side thought to himself, but his expression remained unaffected as he delivered sharp and incisive remarks that directly hit the opponent's weak points.
Xie Yingshi invited He Qinglan to participate in the final day of the competition. Coincidentally, He Qinglan and Qin Dongkui were talking about holding the "Tiangong Award", so Xie Yingshi listened in.
"The Tiangong Award?" Xie Yingshi blinked.
Qin Dongkui nodded and said, "That's right. Your debate competition is about eloquence, while our Tiangong Award is about practical skills."
Xie Yingshi became interested. "For example?"
Qin Dongkui said, "Jade carving, jade carving, wood carving, stone carving, ivory carving, root carving."
Xie Yingshi understood, "Oh, a sculpted artwork!"
He Qinglan said, "At that time, we can implement a judges system plus a voting system, with judges' scores accounting for 60% and public votes accounting for 40%, or vice versa."
Xie Ying thought for a moment, then clapped her hands and said, "Publish the entries in our newspaper and encourage people from all over the country to participate and cast their precious votes."
Qin Dongkui smiled and said, "That's right, that's right."
He Qinglan suggested, "We can set up a special exhibition hall in our Jinzhou Exhibition Hall to display the award-winning works for all visitors to the exhibition hall to view."
Xie Yingshi nodded at first, then thought it wouldn't work. She said, "The works that come out of the competition might be bought by quite a few people."
He Qinglan didn't take it seriously. "Just keep it on display. If someone wants to sell it, let them."
Qin Dongkui said, "I'll go back and call a meeting with the people in our work department, and then we'll have another meeting with the □□ and the propaganda department to promote the competition next spring."
The debate is still ongoing.
After ten days of preliminary rounds, ten groups were selected to advance to the finals.
The final will be held at the academy in three days.
As the assisting party in this debate competition, □□ engaged in a heated discussion with the finalists' list.
A said, "I think Jin Yuqing's group has a good chance; the four members of their group are quite strong overall."
B immediately expressed his disagreement: "I support Shang Yunfan's group. They are good at reasoning and persuading people. Jin Yuqing's group is too rational."
Bing raised his index finger and shook it. "Zhang Yan's group is also very good. Qi Peng from their group is sharp-tongued and always hits the mark."
Ding pinched his chin and said, "Then I think Feng Jingshan's group is better. The girl in their group is very knowledgeable and eloquent."
A group of people started arguing as they talked, each arguing for their own group and refuting their colleagues' points of view.
"What's all the noise about? Want me to set up a betting game for you?" he said coldly.
Everyone: "..."
They quickly shut their mouths, turned around to get documents and pens, pretending to be very busy.
Staff member C mustered up the courage to ask, "Team leader, has the topic for the final debate been decided?"
Lin Qiupu shook his head. "I don't know."
Staff member Geng blurted out, "Does he really not know, or is he pretending not to know?"
Lin Qiupu glared at him. "Why don't you go ask the minister?"
Bing and Geng obediently shut their mouths.
Lin Qiupu said, "The Ministry of Industry has decided to hold a carving competition. Registration will open in six months, and the event will be held a year from now. Our [unclear] and the Publicity Department will assist them."
The staff were very puzzled.
"The Ministry of Works is going to hold a competition too?"
"A carving competition, that sounds pretty interesting."
“Then I can sign up too. I’m pretty good at carving small animals.”
Someone raised their hand and asked, "Why are the registration and event dates so far in advance?"
Lin Qiupu replied, "Of course, it's to give the contestants time to prepare their entries."
Handmade works and debates are different; it's difficult to create a good piece in just a few months.
A female staff member said, "Since we can hold a carving competition, can't we also hold an embroidery competition?"
The male colleague standing next to her clenched his right fist and punched his left palm in agreement, saying, "Embroidery works are also very good works of art."
"How about we hold a cross-stitch competition?" a middle-aged man suggested. "It would be a good way to boost the sales of cross-stitch products."
Colleagues: "Wow!"
"No wonder his wife runs a business, he really has a good head for business."
Lin Qiupu thought for a moment and suggested, "If you have the chance, you can ask Su Yuhuan for advice. If she is interested, she will talk to Minister Qin about it."
but……
Debate competitions, carving competitions, embroidery competitions—so could we also hold painting competitions, calligraphy competitions, piano playing competitions, opera singing competitions, and choral singing competitions?
Lin Qiupu: "..."
After thinking it over carefully, he felt that his idea was quite good. Now that it was wartime, holding various activities could help people relax and enjoy themselves.
However, due to wartime conditions and various other factors, the number of participants is unlikely to be large, much like a debate competition.
Lin Qiupu decided to find an opportunity to bring it up with their minister and Minister Qin.
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