"Wang Peng, what's going on with these people?" The moment Zhao Huan got out of the sedan chair and stepped out with his left foot, the eunuch Cao Dongsheng beside him hurriedly supported him.
Wang Peng bowed and said, "Your Majesty, these are the people of Kangzhou. Upon hearing that Yan was passing through Kangzhou, they all came to greet him spontaneously."
"Spontaneous? The people of Kangzhou are very conscious. Wang Peng, you have governed Kangzhou well. Reward, a huge reward." Zhao Huan smiled with some ill intention.
Wang Peng was completely oblivious, nearly fainting from joy. His mind was filled with thoughts of rapid advancement, rapid success, and soaring into the sky.
He hadn't expected to achieve much in governing Kangzhou. He was worth less than a grain of sand in the vast Song Dynasty officialdom. While others might consider him a prefect, he considered it a disgrace. At least he could enter the Purple Palace and become one of the Three Dukes. That was his ultimate goal.
"I dare not ask for any reward. Being loyal to Your Majesty is my duty." He had to say a few nice words, after all, it was an official matter.
Who knew that Zhao Huan would wave his hands repeatedly: "Reward, reward, must reward, a big reward!"
Wang Peng felt a little dizzy. This was a blatant belief in himself. It seemed that he had made the right bet. As long as he flattered the emperor well and pleased him, promotion and wealth would be a matter of a snap.
Wang Peng was nearly fifty years old, and he suddenly felt a little regretful: "Why didn't I think of this before? If I had learned to flatter and fawn on my superiors earlier, I might have already entered Bian Jing and become a high-ranking official. Would I still have to endure this in Kangzhou City?"
When the Jin invaded, he was so foolish as to mobilize all the people to organize defense. In the end, he got nothing in return, but only a praise from the court.
What's the point of a commendation? It's better to give me something practical. Right now, I've just flattered him and immediately caught the emperor's attention. From now on, I just need to visit the capital more often, work on my connections, and find someone to say a few good words to His Majesty. Transferring me to the capital will be a piece of cake.
Therefore, the first priority at the moment was to leave a good impression on the emperor: "Your Majesty, I am Wang Peng, the governor of Kangzhou, and I thank you for your grace!"
Wang Peng knelt down and kowtowed several times. Even Zhao Huan felt a little distressed. This was a bluestone road. This guy coughed so loudly while kowtowed, how could his head bear it?
Sure enough, when Wang Peng raised his head, his forehead was already bulging. However, he still looked excited, waiting for the emperor's reward.
Zhao Huan smiled at Cao Dongsheng beside him and said, "Okay, okay, the governor of Kangzhou is so sensible. I can't be too angry."
The emperor wanted to find someone to play the supporting role, and Cao Dongsheng hurriedly smiled and nodded.
Zhao Huan was satisfied: "Then drag him out and give him thirty lashes."
The air froze instantly. This was no way to play. This turn of events was so sudden that Wang Peng felt his heart twist in a knot. "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I am ignorant and unaware of my crime."
The emperor turned his face so suddenly that Zhao Huan sneered, "I wonder what crime you've committed? I'm on a campaign, fighting a war. You're a prefect, in charge of a state. Instead of being loyal to the emperor and sympathetic to the people, you're forcing them to fawn over me. I hate flatterers the most. If it weren't for your contributions to the war against the Jin, I would have dismissed you long ago. It's the busy farming season, and the fields need the people to work, yet you're forcing them to sing and cheer for me. Wang Peng, I was going to give you twenty lashes of the cane. You want a big reward, so I'll grant you thirty lashes."
Wang Peng was so frightened that his face turned pale and he trembled. Wang An wanted a generous reward, but it was not his. But even if he had ten times the courage, he would not dare to argue. Sweat dripped down his forehead. He fell to the ground and trembled, saying: "I deserve to die."
"Pass the order! Any officials along the way who force the people to welcome me will be dismissed! Let's go!" Zhao Huan flicked his sleeves and got on the imperial sedan chair.
"Let's go!" The wheels rolled and the army began to move forward again, but this time there were no crowds of people welcoming and seeing them off along the way.
Chengdu Prefecture. At this time, the Dali and Tubo armies in Chengdu Prefecture were less than fifty miles away from Chengdu Prefecture.
Zhang Ma, the prefect of Chengdu, was extremely confused. Seeing the enemy army approaching, he was helpless.
Chengdu Prefecture was just a local army, also known as the Xiang Army. Its equipment and combat effectiveness were very poor. What was even worse was that there had been no war for a long time, and the army was seriously understaffed. There were only less than 3,000 Xiang Army soldiers, and they were all old, weak, and sick.
This third-rate army of less than 3,000 was led by Wen Zhengming, the commander-in-chief of the wing army.
"Commander Wen, the enemy is attacking in large numbers now. What should we do?" Zhang Ma said anxiously.
Wen Zhengming seemed quite calm: "It's okay, tell the soldiers to prepare for battle!"
"General Wen, it's already too late. There are tens of thousands of troops from Prince Zuzan and Dali outside the city. How can we resist with less than 3,000 people? For example, I saw that the spears in the hands of some soldiers were rusty. How can we, the old, weak and sick, hold on?" Zhang Ma was extremely anxious, but Wen Zhengming was calm.
Wen Zhengming said calmly, "Master Zhang, you are in charge of the government affairs of Chengdu Prefecture. I will take care of the battles. Don't worry. Although our army is small, we can still win the battle!"
Every army in the Song Dynasty had some domineering names. Although the Shengjie Army was a local wing army, it also had a nice name, the Shengjie Army.
Zhang Ma felt somewhat relieved when he saw his confident look. However, he was still worried: "I have sent people to ask for help and also notified the troops to return to the capital to report. But the nearest reinforcements are over a hundred miles away, and it would be too late for us to send the message in time."
"Sir Zhang, where is the enemy stationed?" Wen Zhengming suddenly asked.
Zhang Ma was stunned for a moment. Although he didn't know what Wen Zhengming meant, he couldn't help but say, "The town ahead is Kagong."
Wen Zhengming nodded slightly: "Master Zhang, I have a favor to ask of you."
At this critical moment, what else could Wen Zhengming ask of him? Zhang Ma said, "As long as I can do it."
"I will take a thousand people to Kagong Town to defeat their ambush. If I don't come back, Chengdu Prefecture will be handed over to Lord Zhang. Remember, it is better to die in glory than to live in disgrace. Even if you have to defend to the last man, you must never surrender!" Wen Zhengming said firmly.
Zhang Ma angrily said, "Although we have some disagreements, who do you think I am? Even if I have to fight to the last man standing, I, Zhang Ma, will never do anything that will be infamous for eternity. As long as the city survives, I, Zhang Ma, will survive. If the city perishes, I, Zhang Ma, will perish!"
Wen Zhengming patted his thin shoulder and said, "If you can survive, I will buy you a drink."
The two men often fought each other because of their different political views. They would submit memorials to the court at any time, each complaining about the other and showing no mutual support.
Later, this matter alarmed Zhao Huan, and the Privy Council intended to transfer the two men separately. However, after Zhao Huan saw the memorials of impeachment, he decided to let the two work together.
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