Chapter 142: Assassination
Chapter 142: Assassination (Part )
Three days later, when the news of the great victory at Bui-erh Hai spread,
Like a spring breeze, it passed through the palace walls and quietly blew into the depths of the Forbidden City.
There was a solemn silence in the palace; even the air seemed to be holding its breath.
The sunlight poured down from the towering glazed tile roof, illuminating the magnificent Wuying Hall even more dazzlingly. Every brick and tile spoke of the glorious majesty of the Ming Dynasty.
In the palace, the Hongwu Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang sat quietly on the dragon throne. He was slightly taller than the emperor, with a majestic appearance, a clear mind, and was alone in deep thought.
His face was full of wrinkles, his eyes were deep and sharp, his nose was high, his lips were tightly pursed, and he looked intimidating without even being angry.
Next, Xie Jin spoke clearly and loudly as he read the victory report. Every word sounded like a heavy hammer hitting the Wuying Hall.
Zhu Yuanzhang remained unmoved, his face expressionless. He raised his hand gently and then lowered it gently, his face calm and steady.
Crown Prince Zhu Biao stood at one side, wearing the crown prince's attire.
His expression is somewhat similar to his father's, but he is more gentle and elegant.
He also listened to the good news quietly, his face solemn and his expression unremarkable.
After the last word was spoken, Xie Jin stood with his hands behind his back, unable to hide his excitement, and his hand holding the memorial was shaking slightly.
"Your Majesty. Great victory."
The Hongwu Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang still sat there quietly, his gaze focused and his eye sockets deep.
Crown Prince Zhu Biao spoke in a deep voice:
"Father, the Northern Expedition was a great victory. This is a blessing for our country. Therefore, there is no possibility of Yuan Dynasty's reversal."
Zhu Yuanzhang then nodded slightly, his eyes sharp:
"Victory without arrogance is the merit of the soldiers and the blessing of the country. Circulate it to the people and order Lan Yu to return to the army."
"My son, I obey."
Gyeongju, it has been seven days since the army returned.
The people seemed to have reached the limit of their tolerance for the crowdedness of Gyeongju City.
The joy in my heart about the great victory in the Northern Expedition gradually faded away, and I began to wonder when the army would leave.
It's not that they don't like the army, but they don't like the grassland captives.
Because there were too many people and it was difficult to control them, the stench in the grassland prisoner camp was overwhelming.
The sky north of Gyeongju was gray, and the air was filled with a faint stench of decay.
It was a smell mixed with filth and various corpses, which made the people north of Gyeongju miserable.
Fortunately, the imperial edict to return to Qingzhou had arrived.
The soldiers stationed in Gyeongju were reorganized and ready.
In a few days they would have to cross the pass and return to Ming territory, so the people decided to endure it a little longer.
Today, Gyeongju City is particularly festive.
It was the wedding day of Lu Yunyi, a handsome young man famous far and wide in Qingzhou City. He married the daughter of Liu Zhizhou, a lady from a prominent family.
The east of the city where the Lu Mansion is located seems to be gently covered by a layer of festive gauze, filled with joy and peace.
At dawn, the sky was gently flushed.
On both sides of the street, exquisite lanterns gradually light up, like stars falling into the world.
The clever interweaving of night and morning light adds a touch of fantasy.
Under the red lanterns, all kinds of colorful silks danced in the wind, colorful and shining against each other.
Every wall, every door, and even every tree is carefully wrapped with brightly colored ribbons.
As soon as the day breaks, the streets are already bustling with people, and the sound of laughter and joy can be heard everywhere.
Children were running around and playing in the crowd, holding various toys in their hands and with innocent smiles on their faces.
The adults stopped to watch and chatted with each other, with a hint of pride in their words.
Qingzhou is a newly established small city outside the Daming Pass, with few people.
As for Lu Yunyi, he is of course familiar to everyone.
The news of his achievement spread quickly in Qingzhou, and the soldiers spread the news.
So much so that all the people in Gyeongju knew that a general had emerged in Gyeongju.
Children like Lu Yunyi and Liu Heiying grew up under the care of the people of Qingzhou.
Today, Lu Yunyi has achieved success and is getting married. The people are happy from the bottom of their hearts.
Especially the lavish display made them envious.
They heard that some military officers and generals in the army would participate in it, which made them even more envious.
The people waited on both sides of the streets early in the morning, looking forward to seeing the court officials.
The air is filled with the fragrance of flowers and food, which makes people unable to help but immerse themselves in it.
As the sun rose higher, the festive atmosphere became more intense.
Teams of musicians in gorgeous costumes shuttled among the crowd.
The melodious music and the festive sound of firecrackers intertwined and spread into the distance.
The wedding procession walked out of the Lu Mansion. Lu Yunyi rode high on his warhorse in red clothes, smiling all the time, and bowed repeatedly to the people following him on both sides.
Led by the elders of Qingzhou, the bride and groom strode towards Liu's Mansion.
In the north camp, inside the central army camp,
Shi Zhengyu stood there rubbing his hands constantly, looking somewhat anxious, and from time to time he glanced at General Lan Yu behind the table.
Lan Yuru sat behind the desk as usual.
He read through the military newspapers and documents one by one, making comments and writing instructions from time to time.
He glanced at Shi Zhengyu who was standing uncomfortably and snorted coldly:
"It's not your wedding, why are you so excited?"
Shi Zhengyu suddenly stopped rubbing his hands, his face froze, and he laughed:
"General Lu has already gone to pick up the bride, when are we going?"
"No hurry, business is more important." Lan Yu replied calmly.
Shi Zhengyu's expression changed back and forth, and he mustered up the courage to say something.
But when he saw Lan Yu's solemn face, he held back his emotion.
Finally, he sighed heavily and said helplessly:
"General, the military doctor has repeatedly told me to take good care of your health and not to overwork yourself.
You didn't sleep yesterday, why don't you put the military affairs aside for a while?
We will go to General Lu's house to have some fun first. The bride-picking procession is quite lively.
The military doctor said that being tense all day is bad for your health."
Lan Yu was somewhat tempted, but after looking up at the document, he sighed and felt a little heavy in his heart:
"Military duties will pile up if you ignore them for a day. If you want to attend the wedding, you have to rush ahead with military duties."
Lan Yu placed the document in his hand on top of the already stacked documents, took the teacup and took a sip:
"Is the medicine ready?"
"OK OK."
Shi Zhengyu trotted out of the military tent and soon brought back a bowl of medicine.
A strong bitter smell immediately filled the military tent, causing Lan Yu to frown and curse:
"These military doctors feed me these bitter foods all day long. Even if I have no illness, I will get sick from them."
Although he said so, Lan Yu still took the medicine bowl, took a deep breath, and looked solemn with a hint of resistance in his eyes.
He tilted his head back and gulped down the medicine.
After drinking it, he slammed the medicine bowl onto the table, picked up the teapot and started drinking it again.
Only then did Shi Zhengyu speak with a stiff smile:
"General, these prescriptions and medicinal stones were specially given by His Majesty to nourish the body and prevent serious illness in the future."
After Lan Yu finished drinking, he spat at the medicine residue in his mouth:
"I know my own body condition, but the old guys in the army should drink more to avoid dying from a serious illness.
How are Zhao Yong and Geng Bingwen doing? Are they feeling better?"
"Reporting to the General, after many days of rest,
Lord Changxing is getting healthier and healthier now, and he can walk.
But... Lord Nanxiong is still bedridden and weak."
Lan Yu's face was somewhat solemn. Fighting a war was always a difficult task.
When the war was raging, I couldn't sleep for days and nights.
I was tense all day, and the food I ate and used was not nourishing.
Many soldiers in the army will suffer from a serious illness after the war.
Many of the founding heroes are quite old. They would fall ill after every big battle, and if they are not careful, they would die!
Geng Bingwen is now over fifty and still has some strength left, but Nanxiong Hou Zhao Yong is now over sixty and his health has long since declined.
After such a great war, it was only natural that he would be bedridden. General Lan Yu looked deep in the eyes, and a hint of a meaningful smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.
In order to help Yu Tongyuan win the title of noble, the Chaohu navy used every possible means.
In order to give up his merit, Nanxiong Marquis Zhao Yong took the initiative to stop the enemy.
He did not participate in the siege of the grassland king's tent, thus giving Yu Tongyuan the opportunity to make meritorious service.
But now, although Yu Tongyuan has made contributions, his contributions are not great enough.
Zhao Yong also fell seriously ill and could not get up. It could be said that he lost both his wife and his army.
Putting away his thoughts, Lan Yu looked at the sky and had no intention of dealing with the military newspaper documents.
He sighed and ordered, "Go and call the military officers, let's go and share in the joy."
Shi Zhengyu's face lit up with joy, and he quickly trotted forward.
Quickly put all the military newspapers and documents on the table into the cabinet with a big lock.
Seeing him like this, Lan Yu snorted and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth:
"Is this wine so delicious?"
"General, we must have some fun while living in this world, and I like this drink."
Lan Yu smiled and said, "Guo Ying has been feeling depressed lately. Have a good drink with him tonight."
After hearing this, Shi Zhengyu's face froze, and he quickly shrank his neck and shook his head repeatedly:
"General, you better be careful.
I heard from Guo Quan that Lord Wuding is still angry and keeps complaining that you went to war without waiting for him."
Lan Yu was stunned for a moment and then laughed heartily. He flicked his sleeves and walked straight out of the military tent.
The northern expedition army was led by Lan Yu, Marquis of Yongchang.
Seeing him leave the camp, several military officers who were preparing to attend Lu Yunyi's wedding also walked out of the military tent together and headed towards the east of Qingzhou City.
Even Xiongwu Hou Zhou Wu, Huaiyuan Hou Cao Xing, Dongchuan Hou Hu Hai and others who were unfamiliar to Lu Yunyi were among them.
Rather than going to attend Lu Yunyi's wedding,
It would be better to find a legitimate reason to get together, then get drunk and completely get rid of the fatigue after the Northern Expedition.
Lu Yunyi naturally sent all the invitations.
In fact, in order to make Jiang Li look less abrupt,
Lu Yunyi sent invitations to all the generals above the rank of lieutenant general in the central army.
At this moment, Jiang Li was in the tent. Hearing the noise outside, his eyes flickered.
He stood up and walked to the entrance of the tent, stretched out his fingers, and gently lifted the curtain.
Seeing many princes and generals in the army walking together, laughing and leaving the camp,
Jiang Li had a blank expression on his face, but a hint of complexity flashed across his eyes.
As a Jinyiwei, he was destined to be unique and keep to himself.
He returned to the bed, sighed softly, and half-lay on it.
He took out the bright red invitation from under the quilt, looked through it, and wondered whether he should go or not.
In fact, he had not seen Lu Yunyi since the day he and Lu Yunyi fought in the front scout camp.
He had never been to the rear army, and when Lu Yunyi came to the central army, he would deliberately avoid him.
But he didn't expect that Lu Yunyi still sent him an invitation.
Jiang Li bit his lip and looked thoughtful, while his hands groped under the quilt again.
Not long after, a red envelope wrapped in bright red paper appeared in his palm.
This was the wedding money he prepared, not much, only ten taels.
Compared with the gifts from many military marquises and soldiers, his ten taels of silver were extremely paltry.
But Jiang Li looked at the red envelope from left to right, hesitant.
Until now, he still hasn't decided whether to go or not.
At this moment, there was another burst of noise outside the military tent.
Jiang Li stood up, walked quickly to the entrance of the military tent and looked sideways.
It turned out that some generals in the army were traveling together. Most of them were holding invitations in their hands and looked happy.
Jiang Li frowned slightly, looking unhappy. Although these soldiers went to attend the wedding for the sake of the many military officers and superiors,
But no matter what, this means that Lu Yunyi's momentum has been established.
Especially the sons of the military officers, all of them highly praised Lu Yunyi.
This is clearly a new clique formed by the second generation of dukes and marquises.
Jiang Li's eyes became deeper and deeper.
He had already made up his mind to go and take a look, but not now.
You have to wait until the wedding procession returns to Lu Mansion and the banquet is about to begin before going forward.
Even if you go early, you will be isolated and it will only add to the embarrassment.
Thinking of this, he lowered the curtain, returned to the bed, and closed his eyes in deep thought.
Not far from Jiang Li's military tent, a slightly smaller telescope poked out from a small hole, capturing Jiang Li's repeated peeking actions.
Behind the telescope is the slightly older Chen Jingyi.
The corner of his mouth curled up into a sneer, and he snorted softly. As expected,
Jiang Li is a loner and a non-sociable person, so he would certainly not go with the military commanders and generals.
At this time, there were three soldiers in Chen Jingyi's tent, some sitting, some standing, and some crawling.
Each of them now had a telescope, which was hard to find in the army. They squinted their eyes and observed all changes in three directions.
The telescope was specially made into bronze, the same color as the cloth outside the military tent.
Unless you look closely at it, this is just an ordinary military tent with its back against the wall.
Chen Jingyi took out a pen and paper and wrote down Jiang Lin's actions.
Then he tore off the paper, handed it over, and instructed:
"Send it to the 15th tent next to the war drum on the east side of the camp and place it under the bricks at the door. Be careful."
"Yes!"
One of the soldiers took the paper, wrapped it gently with a thin sheepskin, and then stuffed it into his mouth.
If anything was overlooked, he would keep the sheepskin in his mouth and swallow the letter.
The soldier walked to the entrance of the tent, took a deep breath, and slipped out sideways.
The entrance to the military tent is close to the wall, which seems a bit narrow, but gives people a sense of security.
The soldier looked around sideways, adjusted his helmet expressionlessly, walked out as if nothing had happened, and headed towards the east side of the camp.
Soon, he arrived at the east side of the camp.
As his eyes turned, he saw the big drum standing at the base of the wall, and then counted the tents one by one.
Soon he found the fifteenth tent and walked slowly to the front of the military tent.
When he saw the bricks and stones placed at the entrance of the camp, he frowned, pretended to scratch himself, quickly spat out the paper ball in his mouth, and put it under the bricks and stones.
After doing all this, he breathed a sigh of relief and left as usual.
Soon, a hand stretched out from under the entrance of the military tent and took away the bricks, stones and paper ball.
Not long after, another soldier left the tent with a normal expression.
In a tent on the west side of the Gyeongju camp,
Liu Heiying frowned and walked back and forth with his hands behind his back.
There were four soldiers in the military tent, writing at their desks, with a lot of sorted information beside them.
It included the itinerary of the wedding procession in Gyeongju, the preparations of the Lu and Liu mansions, the number of military officers and generals who left the camp, and the defensive gaps in the military camp caused by the departure of the military officers and generals.
At this time, a figure appeared at the entrance of the military tent. He could be seen bending down quickly and leaving quickly.
Liu Heiying quickly walked to the side of the curtain, and after the figure had completely left, he quickly bent down, took the paper in, and quickly opened it to check.
[There is a wedding invitation under the pillow, but the person did not follow the others.]
These few simple words made Liu Heiying excited. He clenched his fists and waved his arms.
As long as Jiang Li leaves the central army, the operation will be half successful.
(End of this chapter)