Chapter 351 A Great Event Should Be Undertaken
The military camp in the valley.
Torches from all directions illuminated the open space in the center of the military camp.
The soldiers were being awakened by the bugle call of the military camp and were assembling in formation.
More and more soldiers were gathering in the open area.
On a temporary platform erected in the middle of the open space, eight or nine men dressed in bright and fine armor stood silently, seemingly waiting for something.
Behind them, two more figures stood side by side.
One was a robust young man wearing a felt hat tilted to one side.
Another was a gaunt, middle-aged scholar, wearing a plain scholar's robe that had faded from washing.
At this moment, "Commander Du" and the middle-aged scholar who had traveled from Hongzhou overnight were watching the garrison commanders led by Cai Qin on the high platform in front of them.
If Ouyang Rong, who was far away in Jiangzhou, were here now, he would definitely recognize these two travelers from Xunyang City, whom he had warmly entertained not long ago.
Below the platform, the sounds of armor clashing against hard metal weapons rose and fell, and the light from the torches reflected a chilling gleam from the hundreds of shiny metal surfaces.
The rearmed soldiers were hastily assembling in the night.
Compared to their resounding commotion, the high platform was completely silent.
The atmosphere between Cai Qin and eight or nine other garrison commanders and Du Xiaowei and the middle-aged scholar was somewhat delicate.
Just then, Su Qian returned and walked onto the high platform.
Reporting back.
"You mean, the person ran away ahead of time?"
Wei Shaoqi took the Chinese envoy's seal and the emperor's edict, and asked a question.
Su Qian nodded sullenly.
Du Shuqing turned around and glanced at Su Qian again.
"Thank you for your hard work, Captain Su."
Wei Shaoqi, with a composed expression, held the imperial envoy's seal and the emperor's edict behind his back, and stepped forward, addressing the thin-faced general standing silently with his eyes closed at the forefront:
"General Cai, this eunuch is indeed feeling guilty. Now he should have no more doubts. This is just a delaying tactic by the court to trick everyone into laying down their weapons."
"The officials of the court are truly mindful of the overall situation, fearing that the soldiers might scatter and cause trouble on the way, making it impossible to capture them all in one fell swoop."
"What is General Cai still hesitating about? Does he still harbor expectations for that cold-blooded emperor?"
Cai Qin did not open his eyes, gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, and took a deep breath.
Seeing this, Wei Shaoqi smiled and said nothing more.
He glanced at the still-unassembled drill ground, turned around, and met Du Shuqing's gaze.
Then he was the first to walk down from the platform.
Du Shuqing followed suit tacitly.
The two stepped off the stage and walked to the side, finding a quiet spot.
Du Shuqing suddenly spoke up: "Mr. Wei, that Su Qian..."
Wei Shaoqi waved his hand to interrupt, "It doesn't matter, whether it's true or false, it's all the same, let them run away."
He paused, then looked north towards Hongzhou and Jiangzhou, the direction a bearded eunuch had fled to, and shook his head:
"He was too late."
Du Shuqing nodded.
Wei Shaoqi stopped and turned around. "Besides, with them around, it doesn't matter whether we keep Khufu or not."
He then brandished the imperial envoy's seal and the emperor's edict in his hand.
Du Shuqing hesitated for a moment and asked, "What if the court actually agrees to the petition that Cai Qin submitted..."
"There are no more changes."
Wei Shaoqi shook his head and sighed:
"No matter how Zhou Ting responds, the result will be the same: suspicion has already taken hold."
"Mr. Wei understands the court best."
"No, it's not because I understand the court or that heartless emperor."
Wei Shaoqi shook his index finger and said calmly:
"Instead, no matter what Cai Qin and the others thought, whether they hesitated, were indecisive, or were deceiving themselves and harboring hopes, at the moment they submitted their petition, there was no turning back."
"At most, it's just a way to completely give up and then claim a moral high ground."
His tone was meaningful:
"Shuqing, if you search through the entire history, have you ever seen a general who rebelled and surrendered halfway through a military campaign manage to have a good ending? There's a reason for this."
"Even if Jiangzhou had another smug Ouyang Lianghan, all his patching and mending, putting out fires and making do, would be of no use. Do you know why?"
Du Shuqing was silent for a while, then said in a low voice, "When a villain seizes power, a gentleman suffers humiliation. Ouyang Lianghan is also being ostracized and suppressed."
Wei Shaoqi nodded:
"Besides, there's also the inherent nature of human nature; who isn't suspicious?"
"The more intelligent a person is, the more so this applies to emperors and kings, because they possess too much—ancestral property, wealth and honor—and cannot afford to lose it."
Du Shuqing suddenly said:
"So... is the same for the Xunyang Prince's Mansion? That's why Lord Yan and Mr. Yan have stayed for so long?"
Wei Shaoqi nodded, then shook his head.
"It's a pity we didn't get to meet in the end. But with Junzhi around, and his persuasive skills, we'll have to see how he does it."
He chuckled and sighed, "However, this is an open strategy. Let's see how Ouyang Lianghan responds. The smarter you are, the harder it is to choose."
Du Shuqing glanced sideways.
Wei Shaoqi glanced at him and asked casually:
"Having followed the garrison soldiers along the way, you've memorized the topographical maps of each prefecture and county, as well as the troop deployments and formations at each important pass...?"
Du Shuqing nodded blankly:
"In my mind."
What does Shuqing think?
"With prolonged peace, military preparedness has become lax, and most of the officials are incompetent and useless."
"As expected."
Wei Shaoqi nodded, carefully rolled up the imperial envoy's seal and the emperor's edict, and placed them in Du Shuqing's hand.
Then, raising his hand, he carefully straightened the collar of this talented descendant of the Du family of Jingzhao, whom the old Duke of Ying had once praised highly, and waved his hand:
"Go, take them with you, and send them to Raozhou."
"Yan Gongzheng is waiting for you."
"And what about Mr. Wei?"
Wei Shaoqi lowered his head and casually patted his sleeves. "I'll stay here and see the soldiers home."
He clapped his hands and laughed, "Let's go back to Hongzhou first."
Du Shuqing then asked, "Where is Brother Yue?"
Wei Shaoqi said calmly, "I had a very pleasant conversation with that young prince at the Tengwang Mansion in Hongzhou."
"What did Governor Zhu Lingxu of Hongzhou say?"
"Yue Zi'ang has already persuaded his eldest son, Zhu Yuheng, and with that young Prince Teng by his side, Zhu Lingxu replied before I left that he would give me three days to consider it."
After a pause, Wei Shaoqi waved his sleeve:
"The tide has turned. With powerful backers, family, and the overall situation tilting in his favor, he has no choice but to follow. Even if he is afraid of death, he can only follow."
Du Shuqing thought for a moment, then quietly reminded him:
"Sir, you should be careful. Be wary of conflict between Cai Duyu and Zhu Lingxu. After all, besides the culprit Lan Changhao, Zhu Lingxu is also an accomplice in the delay. He must be feeling anxious."
Wei Shaoqi looked at him with considerable surprise and admitted:
“That makes sense. However, Cai Qin deliberately didn’t mention the chief official Zhu Lingxu in his petition, which was a way to save face. All he had to do was find a scapegoat to vent his anger, and he could also take control of the Zhechong Prefecture.”
"However, this still requires the appeal of Lord Yan, after all, Zhu Lingxu was once a subordinate of the old Duke of Ying, and there is a connection between them."
"That's good."
Just then, a man's deep voice came from a high platform not far ahead.
It's Cai Qin.
Wei Shaoqi and Du Shuqing turned to look together.
On the open ground, all the garrison soldiers had arrived and were lined up by the captains.
The flickering light from the torches around them faintly illuminated faces that were filled with curiosity, excitement, or confusion.
Cai Qin stood with his eyes closed, his voice resounding throughout the venue:
"Brothers, the envoy sent by the imperial court has just escaped."
The entire audience erupted in uproar.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Cai Qin suddenly opened his eyes, revealing that his eye sockets were already bloodshot:
"Do you still remember why we went back north without permission in Guizhou?"
"It was nothing more than missing his wife and children and hating his greedy and selfish superiors."
"But I've heard that the imperial court has issued a secret edict to the Hongzhou and Jiangzhou armies, ordering them to wipe us out and exterminate our entire families once we arrive!"
Cai Qin's voice trailed off, and the entire room fell into a deathly silence.
Some were astonished and indignant, while others were filled with despair and despair.
Wei Shaoqi and Du Shuqing, standing with their hands behind their backs, saw on the high platform the commander of the garrison, who had been unanimously elected by the mutinous soldiers, his cheeks puffed out, his nasolabial folds trembling, and his bloodshot eyes sweeping over the entire area with a wolfish gaze:
"A true man would rather walk into a trap and become a laughingstock of the world."
Why not undertake a great undertaking!
"Working together with one heart and one mind, going through fire and water."
"Not only can it avert disaster, but it can also bring wealth and honor!"
In the silent arena, a thunderclap seemed to strike, deafeningly loud.
A moment later, the desperate soldiers erupted from their silence, creating a deafening roar in the valley in the dead of night, cheering enthusiastically.
Wei Shaoqi turned his head and said:
"The Wei clan usurped the throne, causing chaos and turmoil in the country. First, there was the rebellion in Yingzhou, and now they are acting perversely, building a huge Buddha statue in the central government. People of noble character across the land are filled with resentment and indignation, and the hearts of people in the north and south are already scattered."
"The mutiny of the garrison soldiers over the Guizhou statues is by no means an isolated incident; it is the beginning of a major upheaval!"
He sighed to Du Shuqing:
"The timing is right, the location is advantageous, and the people are harmonious. Go quickly to find Lord Yan. Someone should step forward."
...
Jiangzhou.
Xunyang City.
The weather is getting warmer.
Ouyang Rong changed into a thin, breathable round-neck blouse, silently washed up, and prepared to go out.
"What's wrong, Tanlang? You don't look well."
Ye Weilai, who was carefully tying his belt in front of him, looked up with a delicate face and asked with concern.
"It's nothing."
Ouyang Rong relaxed his brows and shook his head.
He assigned Ye Weilai her homework for the day and strode out the door.
Just the day before yesterday, Hu Zhongshi's latest message arrived in Jiangzhou.
It turned out to be a petition delivered on behalf of the garrison soldiers to the officials of Hongzhou and Jiangzhou, as well as to the imperial court in Shendu.
The petition states that there are two requests.
First, the military commanders of Hongzhou and Jiangzhou were ordered to deal with several of their subordinate generals within their respective military commands.
Secondly, they earnestly requested the court to establish a new prefecture to settle 1,500 soldiers returning from the north.
Even Ouyang Rong, who was compassionate and sympathetic, knew that it was almost impossible for him to agree to this.
I don't know about Hongzhou, but within Jiangzhou's military headquarters, many of Wang Lengran's generals are in cahoots, protecting each other. How could they possibly be dealt with?
As for adding a new prefecture, that's not something that can't be discussed; it can be decided privately.
But it absolutely cannot be you mutinous soldiers who publicly raise this issue.
It carries an inherently threatening connotation, causing the imperial court to lose face.
In short, the sudden proposal from the returning soldiers put Ouyang Rong and the Xunyang Prince's Mansion in a difficult position.
Fortunately, Li Xian's memorial had not yet been presented and was lying quietly on Ouyang Rong's desk in Yinbingzhai, waiting for him to check and polish it.
Otherwise, if they present it to you, and you make a scene right after you've vouched for them and pleaded your case, it will put Ouyang Rong and Li Xian in a very passive position.
The situation changed drastically, and Ouyang Rong had a vague premonition of something bad.
afternoon.
The third floor of Yunshui Pavilion.
Ouyang Rong and Qin Heng met again.
"General Qin, do you know how Wang Lengran responded?"
Hearing from Qin Heng that Wang Lengran had already convened his generals yesterday to discuss the matter and had replied to Hu Zhongshi, Ouyang Rong couldn't help but ask further.
Qin Heng said sternly, "Wang Lengran agreed to the first condition."
Ouyang Rong couldn't help but ask, "Did he detain the Commandant, the Instructor, and the Chief Clerk?"
"No." Qin Heng shook his head: "They're perfectly fine. On the contrary, they're making preparations in full swing."
Ouyang Rong remained silent.
Clearly, Wang Lengran and the others only gave verbal promises, intending to appease the returning garrison soldiers first and deal with the situation once they returned.
His murderous intent was intense and obvious.
Ouyang Rong pursed his lips.
Wang Lengran bypassed Jiangzhou's chief administrator and made decisions affecting the entire prefecture without consulting him at all.
I wonder how Hongzhou reacted, and whether it was the same...
Ouyang Rong was worried that Zhongzhong would leave Yunshui Pavilion.
Back in the Jiangzhou main hall.
Inside the main hall, Ouyang Rong paced back and forth for a moment with his hands behind his back, then suddenly summoned Yan Liulang, intending to inquire about Wang Junzhi's matter.
Yan Liulang brought a message:
"Your Excellency, Magistrate Diao sent a letter this morning."
"Just put it on the table," Ouyang Rong said casually, as if it were a habit.
"oh."
Yan Liulang obeyed, then, remembering something, turned back and said:
"By the way, Magistrate, the clerk from Longcheng who sent me to deliver the message asked me about the relationship between the newly appointed County Magistrate Du and you, and whether he is... one of our own."
"What do you mean 'our own people'? Stop forming cliques all the time." Ouyang Rong looked up, both annoyed and amused, but the next moment, his smile vanished, and he muttered to himself:
"Why ask this?"
He walked over abruptly and opened Magistrate Diao's letter.
Ouyang Rong frowned more and more as he looked at it.
In his letter, Magistrate Diao, besides flattering Du Shuqing, also casually mentioned that Du Shuqing had recently taken leave, saying he had gone to travel with Yue Zi'ang to the Yunmeng Marshland.
The holiday ended the day before yesterday, but the person has not returned yet. I wonder if there was a delay on the way.
Magistrate Diao felt that Ouyang Rong had a good relationship with this man, after all, his house was even being used as a guesthouse.
Therefore, I have come to inquire whether the matter of Du Shuqing's vacancy should be handled leniently, without deducting his salary, and whether we should pretend not to know about it.
Ouyang Rong frowned and immediately gave the order:
"Go to Longcheng immediately and have the county government send people to search for him. Also, go to Meiluyuan and see if there is any trace of Du Shuqing. We must find him."
"Tell me any news immediately, and report once a day."
"Yes, Your Excellency."
"Wait, where is Wang Jun?"
"State school."
"You saw it?"
“I saw it with my own eyes this morning.”
"That's good. Keep an eye on them."
After speaking, Ouyang Rong paced back and forth in the hall, his brows furrowed.
"If Du Shuqing isn't in Longcheng, where is he? Accompanying Yue Zi'ang on his travels through Yunmengze? That doesn't sound plausible. Could he have gone to see Li Zhengyan or Wei Shaoqi?"
For some reason, I felt increasingly uneasy.
Ouyang Rong suddenly turned his head and asked Yan Liulang to bring the map.
He pointed to Raozhou on the map. This prefecture was located south of Hongzhou, on the route between Tanzhou Prefecture and Hongzhou.
Ouyang Rong took out Hu Zhongshi's previous letters and compared them, and was horrified to find that they were from the same place that the soldiers returning north had passed through.
"Where is Li Zhengyan now?" he suddenly asked.
Yan Liulang asked curiously, "Wasn't Li Zhengyan supposed to be taking up his post as the Prefect of Raozhou? He should be in office, has Your Excellency forgotten?"
Ouyang Rong did not answer; it seemed as if he had been talking to himself.
He stood still for a moment, as if recalling the conversation before they parted that day, and murmured with his head down:
"There is an aura of royalty in the southeast... the aura of royalty resides in Jiangzhou... we must plead for the people..."
"Lord Li, Lord Li, what exactly are you trying to do...? Instead of being demoted, why not do as I have and get drunk, so I can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk..."
"Wait, what is your purpose in lingering in Jiangzhou?"
Ahem, it's almost the end of the month, and my monthly pass is about to expire. Don't forget, my good brothers! (Hoping)
(End of this chapter)
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