Chapter 545: The Two Kings Send Out Troops
Southwest, Prince Cheng's Mansion
King Cheng accepted the imperial amnesty, and Song Mo immediately fulfilled his promise and handed over the cities and counties that were promised to him. Then Lin Ran urged King Cheng to send troops.
Having just received benefits from others, Prince Cheng had no choice but to keep his promise and send 50,000 troops to join forces with the imperial court and Prince Jin to encircle and suppress Xie Zhan.
He left behind 50,000 soldiers and horses.
"Your Highness, could this be a trick?" Prince Cheng's subordinates still felt that this matter was a little unreal.
Dong Jichuan also said, "Your Highness, we must be careful that the court will take advantage of our misfortune."
Prince Cheng said unconcernedly, "I have calculated that with the court's current military strength, we cannot spare any troops to take advantage of the situation."
The situation in Bingzhou is critical. The imperial court is now mobilizing all its assembled troops to support Bingzhou.
If the imperial court and they encircled and suppressed Xie Zhan and still wanted to attack him and the King of Jin, Song Mo would have to watch the Sun family army being annihilated, unless he gave up Yanmen and Daijun.
Moreover, the 50,000 troops he sent out could also return to provide support in time.
Prince Cheng thought, after all, Song Qian was not completely without a plan in mind.
Dong Jichuan still suggested that King Cheng leave behind elite troops. Although the previous agreement with the court required sending half of the troops, there was room for maneuver.
They can work without putting in any effort. As long as the quantity is 50,000, the court has no right to interfere with the quality.
But King Cheng is an ambitious man.
Prince Cheng was thinking that after defeating Xie Zhan, he would divide the southern land with Prince Jin.
Prince Cheng was very optimistic. He thought that with an army of 200,000, Xie Zhan would be easily captured.
If the troops he sent out were just for show, what would he do if he couldn't win the battle against the King of Jin? You know, among the three southern counties, some are rich, while others are less so. If the King of Jin took all the fat, he would be at a disadvantage.
Dong Jichuan found that he could not persuade King Cheng, so he did not force him. They were learning physiognomy, and the key was to follow the will of heaven. Anyway, he had said everything he needed to say.
When Dong Jichuan was leaving, he accidentally discovered that King Cheng's forehead suddenly darkened. He was stunned for a moment, then pretended to be nothing and left.
After returning to the mansion, Dong Jichuan was worried. After Prince Cheng's rebellion, he had been unable to predict or calculate Prince Cheng's fortune because of his latent qualities. Today, he suddenly noticed a darkening in his forehead, which was probably not a good thing.
At the same time, King Jin also sent troops at the urging of Xu Junfan.
Changle Palace
It was the Lantern Festival at that time. Song Mo accompanied the Empress Dowager to listen to a play for a while. Not long after, the two moved to the flower hall, leaving the concubines to continue listening to the play.
As soon as they sat down, the Empress Dowager asked Song Mo, "Emperor, this time, after getting rid of Xie Zhan, it's time to get rid of Lu Songli, right?"
The Empress Dowager thought of Lü Songli in the northeast, and it was like a thorn in her throat. She couldn't eat or sleep well all day. Sometimes she really wanted to go back to three years ago, so that she wouldn't have to worry about anything and could just order Lü Songli to be beaten to death.
Now Lu Songli's existence seems to remind her all the time and mock her for being so blind in the past.
The Empress Dowager was taking things for granted. Even though she was very unhappy with the way Lu Songli sat on the side of the table when she faced her in Changle Palace, she was restrained and forbearing when facing the Empress Dowager. All of Lu Songli's dissatisfaction was directed at Zhao Yutan, and the Empress Dowager felt offended, but she couldn't find any evidence against Lu Songli.
Hearing this, Song Mo paused holding the teacup and said, "Let's take a look at this later."
He sneered in his heart, thinking that the Empress Dowager knew nothing.
Song Mo was dissatisfied with his grandmother, the Empress Dowager, because when he had planned to give two states to each of his two brothers and recruit them, the Empress Dowager tacitly agreed.
He knew at that time that his grandmother would not be unacceptable to the land falling into the names of his two royal brothers.
Perhaps in her eyes, they were all her grandsons, and giving them the four states was better than having these places occupied by outsiders. After all, these lands still belonged to the Song family.
But in Song Mo's opinion, his royal grandmother didn't consider him at all.
Song Mo's answer made the Empress Dowager very dissatisfied. In her opinion, after getting rid of Xie Zhan, shouldn't the emperor immediately pacify Pingzhou?
"This Lu Songli is simply a hen crowing at dawn. The Qin and Lu families are too unrefined. The emperor should have conquered Pingzhou early in the morning, otherwise the morals of the world would be corrupted."
Song Mo looked at his grandmother, his eyes narrowed, as if thinking about something. With that sour tone, could his grandmother be jealous of Lu Songli? Could she have that thought?
"Let's talk about it later." Song Mo knew his own business. It was already very good that he could destroy King Jin and King Cheng in one fell swoop. The next plan still needed to see the timing.
The Empress Dowager was very dissatisfied when she heard this and wanted to say something else, but her trusted nanny secretly reminded her not to say any more, so she had to stop talking.
Pingzhou, Liaoxi County
Li Gang is a professional lumberjack. He can cut down two trees in the time it takes an ordinary person to cut down one.
Because of his good skills, he was officially promoted to a lumberjack last year and was registered in the craftsman workshop.
That day, he was suddenly informed that he would be going on a long trip the next day and was asked to go home quickly to prepare.
When he got home and told his wife about it, she helped him pack his luggage neatly with her bulging belly.
My husband just mentioned that they were going to Zhuya Island by boat this time, and I couldn't help but ask, "Are we going that far this time?"
I heard that Zhuya Island is in the southernmost part, which can be said to be to the south and north of their Pingzhou.
"This is a last-minute decision. We have to leave tomorrow."
Hearing that they were leaving tomorrow, his wife was shocked and asked, "Why are you in such a hurry?"
"There's nothing we can do. This is the government's arrangement."
"How long will it take?"
"I heard it won't take long and they'll be back after they finish the work." The most important thing is that Zhuya Island is not Pingzhou, so there is no way they, the lumberjacks, can stay there forever.
"Going so far, what can I do if something happens?"
"Don't worry, nothing will happen. I'm more worried about you. You're pregnant now. If something happens to you and you can't find anyone to help you while I'm away from home—" They had fled to Pingzhou, and all the elders of the couple were gone.
Before he could finish his words, someone came to their yard.
The person who came was none other than Aunt Wang, the women's secretary of their village.
Aunt Wang also came over after receiving the notice. She told Li Gang and his wife that he could go out and work without worrying about his family, and that she would visit him often.
Li Gang was naturally very grateful.
The next day, when Li Gang was about to leave, Aunt Wang came again and saw him off together with his wife.
The two of them waited until they could no longer see anyone before Aunt Wang supported Li Gang's wife and walked back.
Li Gang's wife was feeling a bit down. "It's been a mess lately. I don't know when this will end."
"Our Pingzhou is still relatively good. It's really chaotic outside." Aunt Wang was very content and advised her to be more open-minded.
"This damn chaotic world!"
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