Chapter 60: The Difficulty of Being Noble is Harder Than Climbing to Heaven

Chapter 60: The Difficulty of Being Noble is Harder Than Climbing to Heaven

Chapter 60: The Difficulty of Being Noble is Harder Than Climbing to Heaven
ah? I?
Lu Yunyi was stunned, and subconsciously raised his finger and pointed at his head.
His eyes widened slightly, and his pupils revealed clarity.

The atmosphere in the military tent became tense again. The two marquises and a governor had sharp eyes and looked thoughtful.

Lu Baochuan, like Lu Yunyi, had a dull expression.

Not long after, Lan Yu's voice came again, cold and without a trace of fluctuation:
"We cannot afford to fail in this important expedition to the north. Since the Tatars have promised to contain the Northern Yuan and deplete the military strength of the Ming Dynasty, we must ensure that the Northern Yuan learns of this matter."

Lan Yu looked at Lu Yunyi again, his eyes flickering, and he spoke lightly:
"You learned earlier that the Northern Yuan court intended to flee north, but they have not taken any action yet. Perhaps they are waiting for news from the Tatars.
Now the news has come, but it is not good if it is not delivered here. "

Lu Yunyi's heart sank, and his face showed deep thought.
Even though the imperial court had already pushed the Northern Yuan Dynasty to the vicinity of Buyuer Lake,

But it still couldn't stop him from connecting with most of the other grasslands.
After all, broken bones are connected by tendons, and both the Tatars and the Oirat understand the principle of "the lips and teeth are interdependent".

Just as Lu Yunyi was lost in thought, the old and hoarse voice of Wuding Hou Guo Ying rang out:

"Now the Northern Yuan Dynasty has nowhere to go, and can only use the Tatars as an external tactic.
If they knew that the Tatars would send troops, they might have hoped for the best and continued to stay in Buir Lake.

If there is no reply, by the time the ice and snow melt, I might flee north.

If you go further north from Buihuer Lake, you will reach the deep mountains and old forests, the territory of the wild people of Beishan.

There are many mountains and snow there. The ice and snow do not melt in April and May. It is extremely cold and there are not many water sources.
Unless it was absolutely necessary, Bei Yuan did not want to go there.
Therefore, this message must be delivered no matter what, to give the Northern Yuan court a reminder that a siege must be accompanied by a lack of troops. "

Dingyuan Marquis Wang Bi nodded slightly:
"The Northern Yuan Dynasty is now under attack from three sides: Tatar, Liaodong, and Gyeongju. The only way out is to flee northwards."

Dingyuan Marquis Wang Bi stood up, walked to the huge sand table, and spoke impatiently:
"These grassland people are indecisive.
The Tatars first forced the Northern Yuan Dynasty to move eastward, and now they are sending troops to help.
It would be better to combine the two and cook them in one pot to save trouble."

He glanced at Lu Yunyi who was standing there in deep thought, and his expression softened a little:
"What do you think?"

Lu Yunyi quickly concentrated and responded in a deep voice:

"Reporting to Lord Dingyuan, Zuo Zhuan once said,

An enemy can become a friend, and a friend can become an enemy.
Cooperation mixed with confrontation is the inevitable mainstream in every dynasty.
The Tatars and the Northern Yuan Dynasty are now at odds with each other, but they can maintain a short-term cooperation because they have a common enemy.

But even so, short-term cooperation is possible.

It is absolutely impossible for the Northern Yuan Dynasty to take advantage of the Ming Dynasty's northern expedition to move west again and return to its base.
The western territory is already in the Tatars’ hands, and there is absolutely no reason for them to spit it out.”

Lan Yu, who was sitting behind the desk, frowned slightly after hearing this, thought for a moment and nodded slightly:

"That's right. There are only two options for Bei Yuan.
One is to flee north, the other is to hope that the Tatars will send troops and stay where they are.

No matter what method Bei Yuan chooses to deal with the crisis, we still have to do what we should do. "

He looked at Geng Bingwen, Marquis of Changxing:
"Send a message to Beiping and Yingtian, asking them to prepare more cold-resistant and non-slip items. If Beiyuan flees, we will chase after him."

Geng Bingwen, the Marquis of Changxing, no longer hesitated about this matter as he did in the past when it came to military supplies. He nodded slightly:

"understood."

Lan Yu looked at Lu Yunyi and said, "We also need to send the news about the Tatar invasion to the Northern Yuan Dynasty. Have you thought about what to do?"

Lu Yunyi's body stiffened, and after a pause he said loudly:

"Reporting to the general, perhaps we can send the captured Tatar soldiers back to the Northern Yuan Dynasty."

"Caught and then released? Even a fool would know there's something fishy going on." Lan Yu snorted coldly, his eyes wandering over Lu Yunyi:

"How can a soldier be so cautious when doing things?"

Until this moment, Lu Yunyi sighed softly in his heart, his face returned to its former calmness, and his eyes were as deep as an ancient well.

"Reporting to the general, I think we can use the strategy of using a dead person as a substitute.

Although the Tatar cavalry were killed by us,

But the Northern Yuan Dynasty was still unaware that the Tatar cavalry had been intercepted and killed.

We can send someone who is familiar with the affairs of the steppe, disguised as a Tatar messenger, to deliver the message.

In this way, although the person is fake, the news is real.
If you are careful, you can be safe.”

Lu Yunyi's voice gradually became lower, his expression became more and more strange, his heartbeat accelerated, and his emotions could no longer be controlled.

General Lan Yu nodded gently, picked up the teacup and smelled the fragrance inside:

"That makes sense. Who do you think can take on this important task?"

Lu Yunyi's heartbeat became faster and faster, his body stiffened a little bit, and he clasped his hands together and bowed slightly:
"The last general."

Before Lu Yunyi could finish his words, Lan Yu frowned and slammed the teacup he had just picked up onto the table.

There was a crisp sound of "pop".
"Okay, this matter is settled. I was right about you."

Lu Yunyi was speechless, his face darkened, and he looked shocked. After hesitating for a long time, he said in a deep voice:
"I will obey my orders."

Looking at Gyeongju and the entire northern expedition army, there is no one more suitable than him.
A man from Gyeongju, with meritorious service,
He was involved in the Tatar affair and was a member of the prince's party, a true one of us.

If Lu Yunyi were Lan Yu, he would also choose himself.

"That's it for today. Lu Yunyi stays." Lan Yu's voice rang out.

Dingyuan Hou stood up slowly with a complicated expression. When he walked to Lu Yunyi's side, he paused slightly, stretched out his hand and patted his shoulder:

"You are capable."

This action made Lu Baochuan look strange, and he couldn't tell who was whose confidant for a moment.

Geng Bingwen, Marquis of Changxing, just stopped and smiled, and helped him wipe some dust off his armor:
"This is a great achievement, we must get this done."

Yu Tongyuan didn't say anything. He looked Lu Yunyi up and down, nodded slightly and left.

The military tent became quiet, with only Lan Yu and Lu Yunyi left.

After a long time, Lan Yu finally turned his eyes away from the document and spoke softly:
"What do you want to do?"

Lu Yunyi's face was calm, and he regained his usual composure. His face was serious, and he said in a cold voice:

"Reporting to the general, I have a plan in mind."

Lan Yu looked at him for a while, nodded slightly, and did not ask any further questions.

But talked about other things,

"Guo Quan is in your army, right?"

"Reporting to the general, I have already achieved three levels under the captain Wu Fuliu's tent." Lu Yunyi explained truthfully.

Lan Yu nodded gently:

"A descendant of a meritorious official like him will have to fight in battle. Do you know who his father is?"

Lu Yunyi thought about it and told the truth:
"Reporting to the general, Lord Changxing has told me that he is the sixth son of Lord Wuding."

"Guo Ying and Geng Bingwen had been working for General Chang Yuchun before, and we had frequent contacts.
During this northern expedition, Guo Ying threw his son into the army.
I want to gain some meritorious service and find a way out for myself in the future."

As he spoke, Lan Yu smiled:
"But it's just for the sake of experience.
It is extremely difficult to make rapid progress in the army, or even to get a job.

Back then, Guo Laosi and his brother Guo Xing surrendered to His Majesty and became his personal guards. At that time, Guo Ying was only 18 years old.

He fought and conquered for thirty years.
It was not until he was 49 years old that he followed Ying Guogong to conquer Yunnan, and his brother died in the 17th year, that he was given the title of Marquis of Wuding.

Lu Yunyi's pupils shrank slightly, and an unprecedented sense of confusion enveloped his heart.

If people like this need the right time and place to be granted a title, then what about him?

"The person standing in front of the map just now is Yu Tongyuan, whose elder brother is Yu Tongyuan, the Marquis of Nan'an.

He came to my camp because he wanted to use my power to ascend to the position of a meritorious official in one fell swoop."

Lan Yu just kept talking to himself, with a hint of sarcasm on his face:
"But people like him cannot see clearly what Your Majesty is thinking. His military achievements are even inferior to those of Guo Ying.
As long as his brother Yu Tongyuan is still alive, Yu Tongyuan will never become a nobleman."

Lan Yu suddenly raised his head and looked at Lu Yunyi, his eyes deep:

"Do you understand what His Majesty is thinking?" Lu Yunyi's heart sank, as if a heavy burden was placed on his shoulders. Was what was said before something he could listen to?

"Don't worry, I can say that you and I both belong to the East Palace.
Don't be stingy with your courage and insight in front of your own people.

This way, I will be able to give you a push at the right time."

Lu Yunyi's breathing suddenly became rapid, and his heart was pounding.

The person in front of him is Lan Yu, Marquis of Yongchang of the Ming Dynasty, the brother-in-law of General Chang Yuchun, and the uncle of the Crown Prince.

This statement cannot be made more solemnly.

Taking a deep breath, Lu Yunyi's eyes froze and he said solemnly:

"Your Majesty is promoting the policy of replacing the old with the new."

Lan Yu smiled and said, "Not bad... You are quite good to be able to see the general situation of the imperial court even though you are in the border area."

He sighed softly, with a look of emotion on his face:

"Since Empress Xiaoci passed away, Your Majesty has known that he is old.

Therefore, the old people step down and the new people take over, which has become an irreversible trend.

This is an opportunity, my opportunity and your opportunity.

But it was just an opportunity. He wanted to seize the opportunity to gain a foothold in the court.
Having enough merits is only a prerequisite, but also the merit of leading an army independently is required.

Guo Ying and Yu Tongyuan suffered losses in this regard.”

Lu Yunyi listened quietly without saying a word.
After Chang Yuchun passed away, Chang Mao and Chang Sheng were no longer useful.
It was originally a mess, and it was Lan Yu who took over the foundation of the Kaiping Palace.
Most of the meritorious officials and generals in the army today used to be under Chang Yuchun's command, and now they are led by Lan Yu.

Lan Yu sighed softly, with a look of emotion on his face:
"I tell you this so you can understand,

Any opportunity to be independent and lead a team alone should not be missed.

Sending you to the Northern Yuan Dynasty is a mission where you will risk your life.

But if you want to be one step ahead, you have to survive from death.

After the death of the general, I have been the vanguard in every battle, and I have served as the vanguard countless times.

I have been through life and death all the way until now.

The battlefield is a place where you risk your life and survive.

Cherish every chance to die in the military service, if you can survive, it will be of great benefit."

After saying this, Lan Yu gently waved his hand:
"Go back and think about what to do, submit a document, and set off early."

Lu Yunyi's face was solemn. He took a deep breath and said in a cold voice:

"I will obey my orders."

After Lu Yunyi left, the military tent fell into silence.
Lan Yu sat quietly in the chair, without reading the military newspaper, his eyes looking empty.

After an unknown amount of time, the sky gradually darkened, and a hoarse voice appeared from the shadows:
"It's understandable that Feng Sheng, Fu Youde, Wang Bi and others are looking for successors. Does the general also want to make plans early?"

Lan Yu seemed to have thought of something, and showed disdain:

"The old guys were all frightened by Li Jinglong and Chang Mao, fearing that their skills would not be passed down.
I am also very confused sometimes,
I am a hero, but my son is a coward. Why is there so many of them in my Ming Dynasty?
Looking at the government and the public, only Deng Zhen and Xu Yungong have some ability. "

A dry laugh came from the shadows: "General, you worry too much. It has always been like this in every dynasty. There is a huge difference between conquering the world and ruling the world.

News came from the capital that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is already in charge of Xu Yungong's succession to the Duke of Wei, and it should be done this year.

What Lu Yunyi said was correct. Replacing the old with the new is the general trend.
But since they are both subordinates of the Crown Prince, it would be a bit too hasty to let them die like this."

Lan Yu's face was calm and he sneered:
"Jiang Li, you are not a soldier, so you don't understand the ins and outs of this.

The confidants in the army are different from any other profession.

On weekdays, they are provided for and taken to battles, and they have a share of merit when military merits are distributed.
This is not a confidant, nor a direct descendant.
A true confidant must take on the most dangerous battles and go through life-and-death tests before he can rise step by step.

Otherwise, with so many soldiers willing to sacrifice their lives for the Ming Dynasty, how could it be his turn? "

The silence in the shadows lasted for a long time, and finally a slow and low voice came:

"It's different from a scholar. What if he dies?"

Lan Yu smiled softly: "That's just bad luck, not anyone else's fault."

"That's a pity for the young hero."

Lan Yu showed disdain: "There is no such thing as a young hero, it's all lies to deceive people.

Who among these old guys today didn’t make great achievements when they were young?

Li Wenzhong joined the army at the age of 14 and led an army at the age of 19

Mu Ying joined the army at the age of twelve and garrisoned Guangxin at the age of eighteen.

Compared with them, Lu Yunyi is still a little behind. It depends on whether he can make a breakthrough after accumulating strength. "

Lan Yu sighed: "It's a pity that Li Wenzhong died early, which made the court less interesting.
I heard that Mu Ying was not feeling well, so I wrote him a letter.
Let him take better care of his health and never let him die early."

"When did the general show concern for the well-being of Marquis Xiping?" a voice appeared in the shadows.

Lan Yu's eyes were deep and there was a dangerous aura all over his body.

"If you want to succeed in the court, you must not only look at yourself, but also your opponent.

If the opponent is gone, then this career will also be over."

There was a long silence in the shadows before a reply came out:
"The general is right. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince also said that being the only one in the world is not a good thing. I will write the letter right away."

Lu Yunyi walked out of the military tent, feeling a depressing cloud hanging low, making him feel heavy.

Walking between the tents and seeing the army becoming increasingly festive as the festival was approaching, Lu Yunyi's mood gradually calmed down.

Soon he returned to the front scout camp.
The soldiers were still sorting out the spoils and calculating their military merits on the parade ground, with happy faces.

Seeing him coming back, the soldiers looked at him expectantly.
Lu Yunyi lived up to everyone's expectations, smiled, waved his hand, and shouted:

"The general has promised us that the reward for this battle will be distributed tomorrow.
Brothers, you must calculate your military merits quickly, otherwise if you don’t get your silver tomorrow, don’t blame me.”

Oh~!

Upon hearing this news, the soldiers' faces suddenly lit up with smiles.
Even the soldiers who were usually serious had smiles in their eyes, and cheers rang out one after another.

Lu Yunyi smiled lightly. The fighting on the battlefield was cruel and cold.

These people are like crazy, as if they have lost their minds.

Off the battlefield, they were just ordinary people in armor, just trying to support their families.

Lu Yunyi walked into the military tent, and Liu Heiying, who had just returned from the rear thousand households, hurriedly followed him.
Seeing him following, Lu Yunyi asked:
"Is it done?"

Liu Heiying nodded repeatedly:
"Of course, they will come later.
I found that there were also many brave warriors in the Houqianhu.
He kept asking me if I could take them with me on my next expedition.

They also wanted to give it a try, each head was worth nearly ten taels, and they were all very jealous. "

Lu Yunyi was not surprised at all about this.

With a soft sigh, Lu Yunyi looked at Liu Heiying:

"Let's not talk about them for now. We have a life-threatening mission. Help me figure out how to do it."

Liu Heiying put away the smile on his face, sat up straight, and waited quietly.

(End of this chapter)