Chapter 371: Scholars, Armored, Going into Battle
In the governor's mansion in Danzhou City, Du Yu was sitting in front of the study. Du Yu was the governor's deputy governor. In other words, in the entire Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, the highest official in each prefecture was a deputy governor, and there was no governor.
The storm is coming.
Looking at the dark sky and the biting cold wind, if it were Du Yu from before, he would always have to write a few words of poetry when looking at the weather.
Something like 'As long as it's not sunny, rainy or snowy, the scenery in my hometown is the most beautiful and unique'.
But Du Yu now has a frown on his face. Since he left Weishan more than ten days ago, Du Yu's brows have never been relaxed.
This made Du Yu, who originally looked like a goat, look more ferocious and solemn in his original treacherous appearance. If someone saw it without knowing, they would think that Lord Du's true nature had finally been exposed and he was beginning to show his tyrannical character.
Wei Shan had been away for more than ten days, and apart from a letter sent on the fifth day saying that everything was fine in Jizhou, no letter had been sent back until now.
Counting the days, even if he went from Danzhou to Jizhou, stayed in Jizhou for a few days, went to Zhuozhou, and then returned, he should have come back. Even if he was delayed on the way, according to Du Yu's cautious attitude towards Wei Shan, he should have sent someone to deliver a letter, but now there is no news.
Moreover, two groups of people were sent successively, but neither of them came back.
This made Du Yu frown even more.
And for some reason, Du Yu became more and more uneasy. It was not because the weather in Danzhou was getting colder, nor was it because he thought that God had reserved a heavy snow and that the people would suffer a disaster.
Du Yu prepared a plan in the summer to prepare for a snowstorm, and stored cotton clothes, quilts and other winter items in several large warehouses to prepare for the snowstorm. It would be best if it doesn't come, but if it does, he would immediately provide disaster relief.
Therefore, this matter would not worry the Lord Beijia, who used to drink, laugh, recite poems and compose couplets with Li Jiulang, Wen Daozhi and others.
"Now many people in Yan are worried, but Lord Du, the deputy governor of Tanzhou, has the leisure to watch this windy and cold day."
But at this moment, Du Yu heard a sound coming from the gate of the yard.
Turning his head, he saw a scholar in a black gown, about the same age as Du Yu.
Seeing this man, Du Yu's originally sad expression suddenly changed, from gloomy to bright, and he stood up with a smile: "You Lian!"
After waving to the servant who was leading the way, Du Yu hurried forward with a look of joy and surprise on his face.
The middle-aged Confucian scholar named You Lian bowed to Du Yu and also looked at him with a smile.
Du Yu was pleasantly surprised, and he pulled You Lian towards the house: "Why are you here? It's been two years since we parted ways in the Suizhou Zongshuai's tent!"
You Lian waved his hand and said with a smile: "Let's not talk about these polite words between you and me for now, take a look at this first."
As he spoke, You Lian took out a letter from his bosom and handed it to Du Yu: "This is a letter with the seal of General Meng Qin."
Du Yu heard this, looked at the wax seal of the letter, then looked at the rubbing on it, frowned, and then looked at You Lian: "Aren't you a military officer under the commander? How did you deceive Marshal Qin?"
You Lian shook his head: "Let's read it first. The content of the letter is true, and it is related to whether there will be war in Daxia."
When Du Yu heard this, his expression immediately became solemn. He looked at You Lian again, but didn't say much. He just opened the envelope and read it.
Just a moment!
Du Yu looked horrified and took a deep breath, looking at You Lian in disbelief, but immediately, realization appeared in his eyes.
You Lian was originally a military officer beside Zong Ze, but a few months ago, he received an imperial edict and was transferred to be a military officer beside Meng Qin, not as a supervisor, but as an assistant.
He was a Jinshi in the same period as Li Jiulang, Wen Daoji, Shen Yue, Du Yu, Cui Yu, Zhang Gu and others.
Seeing Du Yu's expression change, You Lian asked back, "Did you have any suspicions before?"
Du Yu did not answer, but continued to look down at the letter in his hand. He read it several times and looked at You Lian: "Are you serious?! This matter cannot be trifled with!"
You Lian was helpless: "The seal of the commander is on it, why would I lie to you? Besides, this is a devastating thing, how dare I forge it?"
Du Yu looked at You Lian in shock, and after a while asked, "What is happening to the prince now?"
You Lian said, "Rebellion, conspiracy to rebel, collusion with foreign tribes to disturb Daxia, conspiracy to assassinate the king, any one of these crimes is worthy of the death penalty."
After that, You Lian looked at Du Yu and said, "Yan has been run by the traitor Xia Chenfeng for decades. Many officials have long been his confidants. Even the Yan army disobeys orders and has become the private army of the King of Yan. I will not hide it from you. Apart from you, Shi Zishan, An Tai, and Qi Chen, the three other assistants, have already sent people to the place. No one else can believe it!"
“Although you, Du Yu, were promoted by the Eighth Prince, and have the reputation of being the most corrupt official under the Eighth Prince’s protection, His Majesty, Marshal Meng, and even the Chief of Staff, all know what you really did. The people above also know what you, Du Yu, did during the war in Yan a year ago!”
"Your Majesty has sent General Meng Qin to station troops in Dazhou, just waiting for this moment. Your Majesty means that it would be best if we can take back Yan from the Prince of Yan's Mansion without bloodshed, because the people of Yan are suffering too much. They have finally recovered and cannot tolerate war. That's why I came here in person. This matter has caused a big fuss. We only learned about what happened in the capital this morning, so we rushed to you immediately. Even if we block the road, Xia Zhixu will definitely know what happened in the capital, and then Xia Zhixu will definitely raise troops to protect himself."
Du Yu frowned. The Eighth Prince Xia Chenfeng actually had a favor for Du Yu. When Du Yu passed the imperial examination, he was appointed as the magistrate of a county called Liu County in Yan area. For five consecutive years, Liu County was run by Du Yu, and the people were prosperous. When Xia Chenfeng found out about it, he issued a transfer order to transfer Du Yu to Yanzhou to be the prefect, then the governor, and then the current Beijia of Tanzhou.
So when they heard that the King of Yan, who was known for his virtue and loved by the people, actually welcomed the barbarians from Mobei into Yan territory, causing the catastrophe that befell the people of Yan a year ago!
He also committed regicide and treason, as well as many other despicable things!
It is inevitable that he feels some regret in his heart, but although Du Yu is a scholar, he has long passed the age of hypocritical gratitude and choosing between the people and gratitude. What Xia Chenfeng did is against humanity and hurts human morality!
So at that moment, Du Yu also guessed what You Lian meant by coming here.
Du Yu saw with his own eyes what happened to the people in Yan during the disaster a year ago, so the more he thought about it, the more he clenched his fists.
Because the Eighth Prince, who he often talked to and always talked about the common people, actually behaved like a beast, just as he had guessed countless times before and refused to believe countless times!
When thinking about this.
Du Yu's expression suddenly changed: "No! No!"
You Lian was stunned, thinking that Du Yu was saying that what he did was wrong, and was about to speak.
Unexpectedly, Du Yu looked at You Lian and said, "Something big is going to happen!"
Immediately!
Du Yu shouted towards the outside of the courtyard: "Alang! Call Generals Zishan, Liu Yu, and Pei Dao to come see me immediately!"
Du Yu saw his servant standing there in a daze, and immediately shouted: "Go quickly!!"
The servant was startled and quickly turned around to call for help.
You Lian frowned and came to Du Yu: "Du Yu!"
Du Yu looked at You Lian and said, "You should know that the Crown Prince Xia Zhixu asked Meng Shaoan to mobilize the people who had moved out of Jizhou from Zhuozhou and other states in Yandi, as well as some people from other states who were willing to go to Jizhou, to come to Jizhou."
You Lian nodded.
Du Yu went on to say, "This may not seem like a big deal, and Meng Shaoan is good at mobilizing the people, but he's not very good at actually doing things. However, Xia Zhixu moved all the troops stationed in Jizhou to Yongshan Camp, and there are no soldiers stationed in Jizhou. This was also the case when Xia Chenfeng welcomed the barbarians from Mobei last year!"
Upon hearing this, You Lian immediately said, "There are soldiers in Jizhou."
Du Yu was stunned and looked at You Lian in confusion.
You Lian said, "Seven days ago, we also found out what you said. We were afraid that Xia Zhixu would commit the same treasonous act as Xia Chenfeng. But in order not to alert the enemy, we sent people to investigate. However, there are troops in Jizhou, and the garrison soldiers are all soldiers from Yongshan Camp. This is true. We even sent people to Yongshan Camp to check."
Du Yu frowned when he heard this and asked, "Why hasn't Wei Shan come back yet?"
You Lian looked at Du Yu, hesitated for a moment, then turned his head to look into the darkness: "Immediately go to the Marshal's place to check the notes sent from Jizhou, the checkpoints and the border fortresses today."
Although there was no one in the dark, a human figure was immediately seen.
Du Yu didn't say anything when he saw it, but he was sure that if he didn't agree, the person in the dark would take action.
But this is not important anymore. Du Yu was hesitant and wavering. If it was just as You Lian said, then he must have been worrying too much!
So everyone is happy!
After all, what is going to happen next is much better than welcoming the barbarians again.
but.
If that's the case, why didn't Wei Shan come back, and why didn't the people sent behind send back any news?
Thinking of this, Du Yu looked at You Lian: "You Lian, I know what you are going to do, and I will definitely help you, or rather, not help you, but help Daxia and the people of Yan! But you, You Lian, and Marshal Meng have underestimated me. In fact, you shouldn't have come. Du Yu values friendship, but I, Du Yu, can tell the difference between the big and the small! But there is no need to say more about this matter right now, just do it directly. You immediately send someone back to tell Marshal Meng that the military rations of Tanzhou can be called up at any time, and the troops can be dispatched at his will! Just go on the road! But I am uneasy now. You know Wei Shan. He is cautious and careful, and has the strength of the fifth rank, although it is not high, but I just asked him to go and take a look, but it has been sixteen days, and he has not come back yet, and he has not even sent a message. I didn't see him, and I just felt that something was wrong, so I troubled the people around you to go to the three checkpoints immediately, and Jizhou to take a closer look. If possible, it is best to investigate the Yanwang Mansion. Don't investigate this rotation or the people's affairs, check Xia Zhixu."
You Lian looked at Du Yu, thought for a moment, and nodded.
But I haven't said anything yet.
"Master! Master, come back. Come back!!"
At this moment, a servant came running over, followed by two people carrying a person.
Seeing this scene, Du Yu hurried over, only to see that it was one of the two people he had sent out to find Wei Shan!
The man had a dry mouth and blood on his trousers on the inside of his thighs, which showed that he had ridden all the way back.
"grown ups."
When the man saw Du Yu, his eyes widened and he spoke.
Du Yu quickly squatted down.
"Sir, they didn't withdraw their troops. The troops are still there, in Jizhou." At this point, the man pursed his lips and said, "There is also Wangkou Pass. The troops are still there. They have not withdrawn."
Hearing this, Du Yu breathed a sigh of relief. If there was no withdrawal, he would be overthinking. This would naturally be the best.
But, the man continued, "But Lord Weishan found out that some of the people who were taken to Jizhou were sent to Wangkou Pass."
Upon hearing this, Du Yu was stunned for a moment. Wangkou Pass was actually a pass within Jizhou.
Together with Liuzi Fort, Wuhe Mountain Pass is one of the three major passes facing Mobei from Jizhou. It can be said to be the gateway to the entire Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun and is also the area where wars most frequently occur.
but.
There are also those who are farming in Wangkou Pass. They are sent to Wangkou Pass, and the number of pages is actually normal.
The man pursed his lips, swallowed hard and said, "Among the soldiers in Wangkou Pass and those soldiers in Yongshan Camp, there are people from Mobei, and not just in Wangkou Pass. After Lord Weishan found out something was wrong, he took us to Liuzibao and Wuheshan Pass, and found out that more than half of the soldiers there were from Yongshan Camp, but there were also many people from Mobei. And among the people sent to Wangkou Pass, all the young and strong ones were locked up and sent to Mobei. Lord Weishan found out about this and watched over it, and asked me to rush back overnight to inform you! Those people, those people."
Before the man finished speaking.
Du Yu understood everything at once, looked at the man and said, "Those people are not going to Jizhou, but are sent to Mobei via Jizhou to be slaves of the Mobei people!"
The soldier lying on the ground was shaking very weakly and nodded with all his strength: "Yes, yes!!"
Yibian Youlian was shocked, then immediately flew into a rage: "How dare Xia Zhixu do such a heartless thing!!"
The extremely weak soldier lying on the ground trembling looked at Du Yu: "We have found that there are 30,000 Mobei people in Wuhe Mountain. They are not the main force. The main force is not there. Lord Weishan is watching over there. He asked you to send troops to recapture Liuzibao and Wuhe Mountain Pass immediately. Otherwise, civilians are being sent out every day. Children and women are also locked up and sent out. The elderly are directly killed and buried on the spot."
Du Yu looked at the soldier with red eyes and could imagine what the soldier saw at that time.
I also suddenly understood why there has been no news from Weishan until now. Liuzikou and Wuhe Mountain Pass are about six or seven days' journey away from Danzhou.
One can also imagine how many horses the soldier had to kill along the way!
You Lian was even more shocked.
because
What Xia Zhixu did was exactly the same as Xia Chenfeng!
Even more traitorous than Xia Chenfeng!
Xia Chenfeng lured people in, killed a lot of them, and then drove them away.
But Xia Zhixu.
The gate to Yanyun was sent out! !
And Yanyun is the gate to the northeast of Daxia!
"Xia Chenfeng and his son will be cursed by thousands and thousands of people in the future generations of our Great Xia!"
After hearing this, You Lian knew that the issue was no longer a civil strife, but a foreign invasion, and immediately looked at Du Yu: "Du Yu, I will go to Marshal Meng right away and ask him to send out a light cavalry army."
Du Yu interrupted You Lian directly: "It's too late!"
After that, Du Yu ordered his men to take good care of the soldier and had him carried to see a doctor. Du Yu looked at You Lian and said, "It's too late! Every day, civilians are sent away. If we delay for a day, countless civilians will be transported away! Meng Shaoan sends civilians from Zhuozhou every day, and Xia Zhixu demands 150,000! But as far as I know, as of today, Meng Shaoan has mobilized as many as 180,000 civilians! 180,000 people!!"
"So it's too late. I will take the soldiers of Tanzhou and go to Luzikou and Wuhe Mountain to intercept them. You should go back and inform Marshal Meng immediately, and ask him to lead the army into Yanyun immediately. Take all the food and grass in my Tanzhou military warehouse! Anyone who resists after entering Yandi will be regarded as a traitor and will be killed without mercy! It seems that the Yongshan camp has been completely controlled by Xia Zhixu. No one in Yandi knows about it. If the emperor blames you, just say it was my request! If you don't kill them! The people will suffer again! The people in Yandi are suffering too much and can't bear it!! I will take people to find a way to recapture Luzikou and Wuhe Mountain, and stop all the people in Mobei who are now in my Yandi from going back. Don't let any of them go, and don't let any of them take away! Please also ask Marshal Meng to immediately send light cavalry to Mobei to chase those people immediately. If you are lucky, you may be able to catch some of them and save as many as you can!"
"We can also send out experts, any experts! Xia Zhixu will definitely escape! After doing something like this, he will definitely run to Mobei. We don't know to what extent he has colluded with Mobei, but if he escapes, we will no longer have the face to face the people of the world! We must not let him escape!"
As Du Yu spoke, he squeezed You Lian's arm and said, "The situation is about to change. Our advantage is that we knew about this before it got out of hand, so we still have room to save the situation! So, please!!"
You Lian looked at Du Yu's solemn expression and nodded immediately, but suddenly thought of something and asked Du Yu: "You have less than 8,000 soldiers and 3,000 cavalry in Tanzhou. How are you going to stop them?"
Du Yu looked at You Lian: "Try every possible way."
You Lian understood something immediately and wanted to speak, but after clenching his fists, he didn't say anything. He bowed deeply to Du Yu and said, "I will definitely return to Dazhou within half a day. After that, I will lead the cavalry directly into Mobei to Liuzikou. Don't force your way to seize the pass. Saving the people is more important!"
Du Yu nodded.
You Lian didn't waste any more time, turned around and left quickly.
I came here today to persuade Du Yu, but I didn't expect things to turn out like this!
Du Yu looked at You Lian's back, took a deep breath and said, "Come here, put on your armor."
A scholar.
Armor again!
…
At this moment in the Prince of Yan's mansion, Xia Zhixu looked at Shen Pei, who was kneeling on the ground and trembling, yawned, then looked outside and asked, "Shao'an, haven't you come yet?"
(End of this chapter)
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