Chapter 77 Signal

Chapter 77 Signal

Chapter 77 Signal
The rough results of the battle were quickly tallied.

This time, they took advantage of the enemy's unpreparedness and launched a sudden attack, achieving a brilliant victory, beheading more than 1,200 people, capturing more than 800 people, and the rest of the bandits were scattered - their end was not much better, it was okay for those around Luoyang, but if they went further away, the fort commanders and manor owners would capture them all and make them part of the manor slave group, and not many of them could return to Hebei.

Mi Huang was very satisfied with the result. As soon as he saw Shao Xun, he laughed: "I expected to win this battle, but I didn't expect it to be so easy. Shao Jun rushed left and right, killing and wounding many people, and he deserves the first place in merit."

Shao Xun smiled modestly and said, "It was just that I was unprepared. The bandits are not elite soldiers, so this result is common."

"It's not as simple as you say." Mi Huang sighed, and said, "I just asked the generals and learned that you led the troops and killed the enemy in panic. If someone else came, they might win, but they would never win so easily. It's a credit, and I will report it to the Minister of Works."

Shao Xun smiled again and said nothing.

What's the point of reporting? At most, he can get a reward of money and silk, but there is no official position available for him at this time. Moreover, he is too young and promoted too quickly, which may easily cause complaints from others - he is not a prince of the Sima clan or a descendant of a noble family, and he can lead an army in his twenties.

When Mi Huang said this, He Lun and Wang Bing came together.

Wang Bing hadn't said anything yet, but He Lun was really convinced. He only heard him say: "Two hundred elite soldiers broke into the camp and turned the three thousand bandits upside down. When I lead the army to arrive, I will have to clean up the mess. This battle is really impressive."

He Lun was the general of the upper army. He spoke first, and Wang Bing could only echo him: "His bravery and valor are hard to find in the world. I admire him."

The sedan chair was carried by everyone.

Since Shao Xun is so brave, they can also share some benefits. After all, the three thousand kingdom troops are a whole.

So, one officer after another came to pay a visit and said a few compliments, whether sincere or false.

Of course Shao Xun wouldn't believe it all.

When He Lun and Wang Bing were excited, they would certainly say some flattering words, but when it came to the specific conflict of interests, they would calm down and do what was supposed to happen.

People, you have to be able to distinguish between truth and lies - uh, and also half-truths, or words that may be true or false due to hesitation.

Yang Bao was the last one to leave. After most of the people had left, he approached mysteriously and whispered, "Sima, the generals are full of praise for you, and even bow down to you. They all said they would follow you in the future and don't want to go back to their original team."

"Is that all?" Shao Xun picked up the cowhide water bag, took a sip of water, and asked casually.

Yang Bao smiled awkwardly, then told his real intention: "Sima, these people are so brave and good at fighting, and they all admire you. Why don't you ask the lieutenant to come forward and promote them to sergeants and squad leaders, and put them into the upper army to replace He Lun's people. Those people from Luoyang City he recruited were hesitant and timid when they fought just now, and only put in a lot of effort when they saw that our side was about to win a big victory. Their leading officers are not good enough, and they deserve to be replaced."

Shao Xun was silent for a while, then smiled and said, "I know your loyalty, but I can't do it now."

"Why?"

"The war is imminent. Some things should be done slowly and not in a hurry."

"Yes." Yang Bao nodded disappointedly.

It has been half a year since he was transferred to the front building, and he has hesitated before.

At the beginning, he came to report all the trivial matters and was very diligent. But after two or three months, his frequency of coming gradually decreased, and it was obvious that he was wavering.

But after seeing that Gao Yi was completely subdued, he changed his position again and came to report every few days.

There’s no cure for this sly guy!

"Go down and tell Gao Yi to gather the troops and we will enter the city." Shao Xun handed the cowhide water bag to Wu Qian and said.

"Yes." Yang Bao responded obediently.

After Yang Bao left, Wu Qian couldn't help but ask, "Sima, why did you enter the city?"

"The battle here is over, and the bandits dare not come back. I just heard from the lieutenant that the bandits on the Guangmo Gate side have also been defeated. There is nothing to worry about in the north of the city, so why not enter the city? I will go and talk to the lieutenant, and you take people to pack up." Shao Xun ordered.

"promise."

There are only two gates on the north side of Luoyang, the Daxia Gate in the west and the Guangmo Gate in the east.

Thousands of Ye soldiers were defeated at the two gates, and the war here was indeed over. Only a small number of troops needed to be left to guard the gates, and the main force could enter the city.

******
On the smooth imperial road inside the Daxia Gate, thousands of soldiers marched into the city in neat rows.

The sounds of killing at the twelve city gates were deafening, as were the sounds of weapons clashing, arrows flying through the air, and the screams of the dying, which had already made the entire city's citizens panic-stricken.

The wealthy and powerful families had their own guards brought from their hometowns.

They were carrying standard military weapons, including armor, bows and crossbows, swords and spears - God knows where they came from.

When the guards heard the footsteps of the army, they immediately became nervous.

The young members of the family climbed up to the top of the wall and looked around carefully.

The older ones organized servants in the back and gave them simple weapons, basically whatever they had, such as sticks and hatchets. And it was not just the male servants, some strong women also held sticks, looking nervous.

As the saying goes, long illness makes a good doctor. Luoyang has been scourged so many times. If you don’t improve the defense level of your own mansion, you will be really stupid - let alone dealing with the rebellious soldiers, the bandits are becoming more and more arrogant, and the trend of them moving in groups is becoming more and more obvious. You have to deal with them, right?
In addition to the wealthy and powerful families, there were also merchants who came to Beijing.

Don't underestimate them.

If you want to travel across states and counties to do business at this time of year, you can't survive without some skills.

Shi Chong set a bad precedent of robbing merchants and travelers, which must have touched merchants all over the world.

All the strong and healthy members of the clan and old acquaintances in the village were recruited, and when they had nothing to do, they practiced farming skills so that they would not be unable to resist bandits if they encountered them.

The increased costs are naturally spread over the price of goods. There is nothing we can do about it, this is how things are in troubled times, so we just have to make do with it and bear with it.

The entry of the East Sea Kingdom's army into the city made the merchants' guards very nervous. Some even took out the powerful crossbows that were strictly prohibited from entering the civilian population from under the car, stared at the intersection, and secretly begged that no ignorant soldiers would come over.

As for ordinary people, they could only close their doors and tremble in fear. However, there were a few families who were brave enough to agree to guarantee each other, but generally speaking, there were not many.

"The soldiers of the East Sea Kingdom have defeated the bandits in Ye."

"Everyone should stay at home and don't wander around."

"If anyone makes a noise or a disturbance, he will be killed without mercy."

A dozen soldiers with loud voices lined up at the front, holding the severed heads of Ye soldiers' officers on their spears, shouting as they walked.

Occasionally, masked young men would appear on the Imperial Road, and when they ran into them, they would simply stab them with their spears and kill them all.

Whenever there is a war and the situation is chaotic, "evil young men" will appear in groups, stealing, robbing, and even setting fires and killing people. They are truly a scourge - the reason they wear masks is because they are afraid of being recognized by acquaintances, or being socially disfigured if they rob an acquaintance.

The shouts of the Kingdom Army had a strange effect.

They neither robbed nor killed people, but marched in neat columns. Occasionally, when they encountered bandits and young gangsters, or Hebei rebels who had run into the city in a daze, they would use swords and guns to kill them, purely for the purpose of maintaining order.

The tense nerves in people's hearts gradually relaxed, and some people even cheered quietly - perhaps they were people who were fed up with the extortion by the Ye soldiers.

It was also at this time that the reputation of the East Sea Kingdom Army began to spread further.

The people of Luoyang gradually learned that in addition to the central army, there was also a very combat-effective and well-disciplined force in Luoyang City.

If Luoyang faces the threat of war again in the future, perhaps it can rely on them - reputation is invisible and intangible, but sometimes it can play a huge role, even a crucial role.

Shao Xun carefully observed the expressions on the soldiers' faces.

He saw many proud faces. Especially when some people cheered, the soldiers held their heads high and their originally perfunctory formations became more orderly.

People need affirmation.

People who have won battles especially need affirmation, which helps to improve their self-confidence. When self-confidence is strong, they can perform at a higher level.

When you lack confidence, it’s hard to perform at the level you’ve trained at.

A strong army requires scientific, systematic and arduous training, as well as the self-confidence that no one else can do it better than us.

They are still a little far away now, but Shao Xun is already consciously cultivating them.

Especially those student soldiers whom he regarded as treasures, they needed to be "fed" with one victory after another until a strong army capable of winning battles was built.

We soon arrived at Sikong Mansion, where security had been heightened.

Gou Xi, the "new favorite" of Sikong and the general of the imperial guards, sent five hundred elite soldiers to guard here, filling the surrounding area.

The East Sea Kingdom Army did not stop.

Some people went straight into the military camp, while others set up defenses at the street entrance to guard against the remaining enemies.

Although they may not be required to do so, they still have to make the gesture.

At the same time, this is also a signal sent by Shao Xun from a distance.

******
Sima Yue has already entered the palace.

He thought this place was the most difficult to fight because the palace was really strong. Unexpectedly, when the shouts of killing were heard everywhere and Shi Chao's order was not received for a long time, the guards actually surrendered.

Even though he had been cultivating his inner strength, Sima Yue could not help but break through his defense. He said with joy, "All soldiers surrender to me. This is God's will. Quickly enter the palace to protect the emperor."

"Yes." The imperial guard general Cheng Fu responded, waved his hand and ordered the soldiers to enter the city through the Duanmen Gate and confiscate the weapons of the surrendered soldiers.

After tidying up his appearance, Sima Yue got on an ox cart and entered the palace wearing helmet and armor and holding weapons, escorted by hundreds of his staff and followers.

The emperor had been escorted by his ministers to the outside of the Taiji Palace. When he saw Sima Yue, he asked, "There is endless fighting in the city. Is it the prime minister who is responsible for this?"

"Your Majesty." Sima Yue finished his greetings first, then said, "My brother Ying led an army to attack Luoyang last time, causing great suffering to the people, disrupting the government, and causing resentment both at home and abroad. This time, he imposed heavy taxes in Yecheng, built a large mansion, and imposed harsh laws and appointed private individuals. As the Minister of Works, I have the responsibility to support the government and the country, and I cannot bear to sit back and watch the achievements of the previous kings being destroyed. Therefore, I have recruited loyal men from all over the country and resolutely raised an army to fight against the disloyalty."

Sima Zhong was stunned when he heard this.

His IQ was just that. Although the ministers would comment on this prince and then mention another prince, and speak highly of them, in his eyes, what was the difference between these princes? Aren't they all the same?

You hit me, I hit you, and we fought back and forth. At one point there was no one to pound rice, and at another time it was difficult to even get water.

We finally settled down, and now we have to fight again?

A few days ago, I heard that some items were stolen in the palace. The guards said that it was because Luoyang was short of troops, so thieves and bandits were rampant.

He believed it.

But this brings up another question: if the war continues, will the soldiers become fewer and fewer and the bandits become more and more arrogant?
No one can answer this question.

"Your Majesty." Seeing the emperor standing there in a daze, Shangshu Zuo Pushe Wang Yan reminded him, "Sikong has put down the chaos and restored order, and he should be rewarded for his meritorious service."

"What's the point of adding more?" Sima Zhong, who had experienced being coerced several times, glanced at the soldiers behind Sima Yue and asked.

"It would be better to appoint a greater commander-in-chief to command China and foreign countries," said Wang Yan.

"Where is the Secretary of the Central Secretariat? Please draft the imperial edict quickly." Sima Zhong shouted immediately.

Wang Yan glanced at Sima Yue with a smile.

Sima Yue nodded in greeting, and everything was said without words.

Wang Yan never thought about governing the country, but only about how to save himself.

When the Crown Prince was framed and convicted by Empress Jia, he did not try to protect him, but instead did everything he could to make the Crown Prince divorce his daughter.

After receiving the prince's handwritten letter, he did not show it to anyone but hid it, waiting to see how the situation would develop, hoping that the prince could survive the crisis, so that his daughter could still be the crown princess.

This is a treacherous villain. Sima Yue knows his character very well, but now he has to cooperate with him.

The edict was written quickly.

Sima Yue took it respectfully, glanced at it, and then handed the edict to Cheng Fu, ordering him to read it out at the gates. If there were still soldiers in Ye who were resisting, this edict would be able to disintegrate some of the morale and end the war as soon as possible.

Before entering the palace, he had already received news that both Daxia and Guangmo gates had been conquered, and more than 4,000 people had been captured and killed.

Someone just came to report that Ximing Gate, Dongyang Gate and Jianchun Gate were successively captured, and more than ten thousand enemies were killed.

Listening to the shouts and cries from other sects, it seemed to gradually fade away and was nearing its end.

This was a very successful raid, which in one fell swoop destroyed Sima Ying's power over Luoyang.

Once Jingu Garden is conquered and Shi Chao is captured and killed, everything will be settled.

At this moment of great pride and satisfaction, Sima Yue just wanted to let out a long roar to the sky and vent his emotions.

Victory in the first battle, what a great achievement!
Wang Dao, who was standing behind Sima Yue, cast his gaze towards his brother and retracted his anger.

Grand Herald Wang Dun was also present.

He looked at Director Wang and smiled mysteriously.

Director Wang understood what he meant.

If the Northern Expedition to Yecheng was victorious, and he made some contributions by participating in the military, and with the help of his brother Wang Yifu, Xuzhou would not be far away.

At the same time, I feel a little ashamed.

After all, he could not rely on his own abilities to obtain a position in a prefecture or county, and he still had to rely on his family for help.

To some extent, he is not even as good as Lu Ji.

He also relied on his family background, but he first served as the Internal History of Pingyuan and then commanded an army of more than 200,000. His career was much better than his.

In addition, new arrivals in the shogunate such as Wang Cheng relied on their family background to boss him around. All these factors easily made him feel frustrated, but at the same time he also realized that people should not be arrogant, as there are so many talented people in the world.

This is why I felt offended when I heard my cousin’s comments on Tao Kan a while ago.

Only by experiencing more things can you hone your character.

Only by doing more things can you hone your abilities.

If he still refuses to change, he will still be the same as he is now in twenty years, without any change.

People must continue to grow and improve. The experience of more than a year in office is invaluable, better than ten years of fooling around at home.

The setting sun gradually set, and the shouting and killing sounds from the various sects became increasingly sparse.

Luoyang once again returned to the hands of "Zhongzheng".

For a moment, Director Wang felt as if he had touched the edge of victory.

But was it real? Or was it an illusion? Director Wang, who had once been full of confidence, hesitated at this moment.

(End of this chapter)