Chapter 152: The "Lu" Banner

Chapter 152: The "Lu" Banner

Chapter 152: The "Lu" Banner
How much does the house cost?

"Why do you ask this, my husband?"

Liu Wanyi looked surprised and put the hot water in her hand beside the bed.

He stood up and pulled Lu Yunyi to sit beside the bed, took off his shoes and socks for him, and then immersed himself in the water little by little.

He also asked affectionately:

"Husband, is the water hot?"

At this moment, Lu Yunyi was holding the gift list in his hand, staring at it intently, and had already entered a state of emptiness.

The wealth and generosity of these military officers' families were completely beyond Lu Yunyi's imagination.

The five-story house was given to him at will, as well as land and farms outside the capital, and some shops.
Even the generals in the army were unusually generous, with a starting price of 100 taels of silver.
Compared with them, Lu Yunyi felt that it was too time-consuming and laborious to earn two or three thousand taels of silver every year.

Seeing that Lu Yunyi was still silent, Liu Wanyi smiled slightly, gently stirred the hot water, soaking Lu Yunyi's skin little by little, and said to herself:
"Husband, you want to buy a house in the capital? Why don't you go talk to dad? There seem to be a few houses in Yingtian, but they are not as big as this one."

Lu Yunyi only realized at this moment that he had neglected the beauty, but he did not deliberately explain and asked:
"Does your family still have a house in Yingtian?"

Liu Wanyi raised her head and smiled:

"My father planned to go to Beijing next, so he found the land deed from many years ago at home.

It was bought by my grandfather when the Ming Dynasty was founded, and it has been empty ever since.
If you want to buy a house, you don't have to waste money. I can ask my father for some money."

Lu Yunyi was shocked. Whether it was Liu Zhizhou's next move to Beijing or his real estate in Yingtian, it all revealed the background of the Liaodong family.

Compared with him, he seemed far inferior in terms of transfer and money.

After a little thought, Lu Yunyi asked:
"Father-in-law is planning to go to Beijing?"

Liu Wanyi smiled and nodded:

"Gyeongju is a cold place, and my father is getting old, so he should go to the south to recuperate."

Lu Yunyi had a strange expression and asked:

"I heard that Yingtian is a dangerous place, and some officials in the capital are worried.

Fearing that His Majesty would skin them alive and feed them with straw, why did my father-in-law plan to enter the capital at this time?"

"That was for ordinary officials, who were born in poverty and received little salary from the court.

Naturally, one has to rely on one's ability to earn some money to supplement the family income. Officials always have to look respectable, and a long gown requires more money.

But we have a rich family background, so we don’t need to ask for help or be in cahoots with officials.”

Liu Wanyi tilted her head, gently kneading Lu Yunyi's feet, with a smile on her lips, and spoke lightly.

Lu Yunyi blinked his eyes, as if it was true.
Given my father-in-law's family background, he can completely turn a deaf ear to what's happening outside.

Liu Wanyi blinked and moved her head closer, with a hint of cunning in her eyes:
"in addition."

At this point, Liu Wanyi showed some hesitation on her face and looked at Lu Yunyi:
"I will tell my husband that he must not spread rumors everywhere, or he will be beheaded."

Lu Yunyi's face turned serious, he muttered something in his heart, and nodded repeatedly:

"Don't worry, my husband is very tight-lipped."

Liu Wanyi smiled and whispered:
"Your Majesty is already old. If you come to the capital now and wait for the crown prince to take the throne and the court officials to be replaced, it will be the best opportunity for promotion. There is no other time to get promoted faster than under such circumstances."

The atmosphere in the room became solemn.
Lu Yunyi opened his mouth, but was at a loss for words.

He had heard from countless people that His Majesty was old and was about to die.

But, there are still ten years until the thirty-first year of Hongwu.

Only two-thirds of the time that the current emperor has been in power has passed, and it is far from the end within a few years as others expected.

My father-in-law, like Usar Khan, misjudged the situation.

No. Lu Yunyi quickly shook his head. Perhaps even the emperor himself did not expect that he could live so long.

Taking a deep breath, Lu Yunyi pondered for a moment and said softly:
"The situation in the imperial court is unstable right now. If we go to the capital at this moment, we might be affected."

Liu Wanyi raised her head, blinked her big, bright eyes, and a smile appeared at the corner of her mouth:
"My husband is appreciated by the general, so what he said is right. Can I tell my father about it?"

Lu Yunyi nodded:

"The imperial court has just launched an attack on the Northern Yuan Dynasty. It can be foreseen that the next few years will focus on clearing out the remnants in the north.

All important matters in the court had to take a back seat to military affairs. Going to the capital was indeed not a good place to go.

It is better to stay in Qingzhou and manage the exchanges between Ming Dynasty and the grasslands."

After the fall of the Northern Yuan Dynasty, the three guards of Doyan had become dead bones in the grave, waiting for him to persuade them to surrender and defeat them.
After this was accomplished, the Northeast was free of Ming enemies, and it was only natural to start business and trade.

There is nothing wrong with staying in Gyeongju. At least I can stay away from court disputes.

Lu Yunyi's eyes became deep. The Northern Yuan Dynasty was destroyed.

Some things that were originally uncertain should be determined.
The truth about Hu Weiyong's collusion with the Northern Yuan Dynasty and his borrowing of troops from Korea to support the Japanese pirates will also be revealed.
Some of those who participated in the incident will be completely exposed, and many people in the court will be implicated.

Tang Shengzong, the Marquis of Yan'an who had ruled Liaodong for seven years, and Zhao Yong, the Marquis of Nanxiong who was now the leader of the Chaohu navy, would both be beheaded and their families exiled.

In the current Ming Dynasty, the best place to go is not the central court, but the border military.

The imperial court could only take care of one of the two: internal affairs and the military.

When cleaning up the remnants of Hu Weiyong, the imperial court would tolerate any mistakes made by the border troops, no matter how big they were.

When the imperial court is clearing up the border towns, the court becomes a safe place, and when the civil and military officials are fighting, they can be in harmony.

As for whether his father-in-law would go to the capital, Lu Yunyi didn't know.
If she insisted on going, he would not stop her.

Everyone has their own things to do and plans. If you interfere, it will only make people dislike you.

Putting away his thoughts, Lu Yunyi's dull eyes gradually became more focused and he asked:
"Madam, do you know how much a five-story house in Yingtian is worth? The general gave us one, which is near the imperial city."

Liu Wanyi, who had been calmly lowering her head, suddenly raised her head, her face full of astonishment, her big eyes filled with blankness.
She was extremely shocked. She pursed her lips and said softly:

"My dear husband, please don't joke. There are houses with five courtyards near the imperial city.

Even the three-story house has been occupied by the founding nobles of the court, so it is not our turn."

As Liu Wanyi spoke, she saw Lu Yunyi's determined eyes and exclaimed softly. After a long time, she slowly spoke:
"Really?"

"That's true, the gift list says,

The general summoned me today to discuss matters, saying that the Crown Prince had given it to the general many years ago.
It has been empty for a long time. If I win the war, give me the land deed and the house deed."

Lu Yunyi curled his lips, turned the gift list around and pointed to Lan Yu's name at the top.

Liu Wanyi looked carefully and her breathing suddenly quickened. Her towering chest trembled slightly and her eyelashes fluttered back and forth like a palm-leaf fan. She was extremely uneasy.

“My dear husband, even if this house is for sale, no one would dare to buy it. It is a gift from the emperor.

My husband may not know that most of the houses near the imperial city were granted by the palace to many dukes and marquises, and it is difficult for them to fall into the hands of outsiders.
This has been the consistent practice of the Heavenly Family throughout the dynasties.
On the one hand, it is to protect the imperial city, and on the other hand, it is to show the emperor's great grace."

Lu Yunyi was stunned. He had never lived in the capital.

I have no idea about the ins and outs of this, but it does make sense when I hear it this way.

When setting up camp during a march or battle, the camp facing the central army tent would be populated by many personal guards and trusted generals, and unrelated people could not get close at all.

Liu Wanyi blinked and spoke again:
"If the house with five courtyards is located in the west of the city or far away from the imperial city, it will cost at least 30,000 taels of silver."

Lu Yunyi’s eyes widened and his breathing suddenly became rapid. Thirty thousand?
"I heard that a house with four courtyards costs less than ten thousand taels, why is a house with five courtyards so expensive?"

"My dear, that's not how you calculate it. A house with three courtyards in the capital costs only a few thousand taels, but a good house with four courtyards can cost up to ten thousand taels. The difference is quite large.

As for the fifth one, it was even more priceless and no one dared to buy it.

After all, the residences of the dukes and marquises only have five courtyards. Even if ordinary merchants dare to buy, they must dare to live in them.

Therefore, there are very few houses with five courtyards, and almost no one buys and sells them. "

After hearing this, Lu Yunyi understood a little. The difference between the fourth and fifth courtyards was not the twenty thousand taels of silver, but the status.

A small merchant lived in a house bigger than that of a high official.
If you don't have enough confidence, you might be targeted by some petty-minded adult, and that would be more trouble than gain.

At this moment, Lu Yunyi realized for the first time the hierarchy of Ming Yingtian.

As for whether he could live there or not, he asked himself if he could.

When the army returned home, the imperial court issued rewards.

At least he was a general who led troops in a certain place, holding power, and the house was given to him by the general.
Thinking of this, Lu Yunyi's expression changed again and again.
He could even imagine what the investigators would ask him when they interrogated him in the future. Since you keep saying that you have nothing to do with Lan Yu, then where did this house come from! !

Lu Yunyi only felt a chill, his body trembled, and he gently patted Liu Wanyi's little head:
"Okay, let's rest early. I have to go to the camp for training tomorrow."

Liu Wanyi's fair face instantly turned red to her ears, and her voice became inaudible:

"Listen to your husband."

Time passed in the blink of an eye, and two days went by quickly, and it was already the day for the vanguard army's scouts to set out.

On this day, Lu Yunyi did not return home as usual.
Instead, he stayed in the army and did not sleep all night.

There were maps one after another on the table, as well as a lot of intelligence information and military reports sent from Liaodong.
According to this intelligence information,

Lu Yunyi changed the specific strategies he had prepared again and again, and also changed the military equipment and food supplies he carried.

The original plan was to bring 50% more weapons and horses, so that they could be replenished before the war started.

But after seeing these messages and military reports, as well as the troop movements and correspondence of Duoyan and the other two in recent days.

Lu Yunyi changed the military funds from 50% to 20%.
The food and fodder they carried were very little, only enough to feed the soldiers for a month.

Of course, there is the intention of replenishing supplies in Liaodong, but more importantly,

Lu Yunyi felt that the chief officers of the three Doyan tribes had already expressed their intention to surrender, and the soldiers, generals and dignitaries under their command might still be dissatisfied and want to fight a battle with the Ming Dynasty.

At this moment, the three tribes of Duoyan may just be missing an opportunity.

Once there is external pressure, the internal forces will certainly unite, either to fight or to make peace, and the result is obvious.
Rather than fighting a war they can't win, it's better for them to keep their heads down and behave themselves.

This was Lu Yunyi's response based on the troop movements of the Liao King, Huining King, and Marshal Duoyan's Office.

After the fall of the Northern Yuan Dynasty, their elite troops did not expand outward to fill the gaps in the Northern Yuan Dynasty's defense, but instead further shrank.
They gave up most of the territory they originally controlled, including some water sources and grasslands.

Such a strange move made Lu Yunyi impatient to set off, at least to arrive before the three forces surrendered.

Otherwise, after working hard for half a month, you would get nothing credit.

At this moment, Lu Yunyi was in the military tent.
While collecting his thoughts, he picked up the scattered documents and military newspapers, and threw the obsolete combat strategies into the fire basin.

This is just a precaution. We have done too many shady things.
Lu Yunyi always felt that someone was trying to observe him through documents and living habits in order to harm him.

Just then, Liu Heiying, dressed in black armor, walked in with a serious expression.

"Brother Yun'er, the army has been assembled, and the dukes have also arrived. We can set off at any time."

Lu Yunyi looked up at the sky. The morning light appeared, and the sun in the sky dyed the sunlight orange-red. The night was retreating little by little.
With a long sigh, Lu Yunyi threw the last abandoned battle plan into the fire basin and stood up suddenly.
He took the long sword and helmet from the side, leaned over and gently blew out the two candles on the table, and said in a deep voice:

"Let's go."

Soon, Lu Yunyi and Liu Heiying arrived at the training ground of the front army scout unit.
Here five thousand soldiers have been assembled.
Standing there like a javelin, the tall warhorse snorted and pranced, standing beside the soldiers.

Not far outside the parade ground, General Lan Yu and a group of dukes and princes stood on a high platform, quietly watching the soldiers below.

Dingyuan Marquis Wang Bi had a solemn expression on his face. His dark face made him only see his teeth in the dark sky.

But it couldn't conceal the joy in his eyes.

The army has not yet ended, and the front army scouts also belong to the front army.

Although in the later period of the Northern Expedition, the front army scout unit had actually become the vanguard army and was under the overall coordination of the central army headquarters.

But no matter what, Marquis Dingyuan was the commander-in-chief of the front army and Lu Yunyi's superior.

At this moment, he was standing on a high platform, looking at the soldiers below, calm and composed, full of arrogance.

This made the other military officers look strange, and those who didn't know thought that he was the one who trained the front army scouts.

Guo Ying, Marquis of Wuding, stood to one side, looking at the soldiers below, and nodded:
"They are indeed elite warriors in battle formation, with extraordinary momentum."

Wang Bi, Marquis of Dingyuan, had been waiting for this moment for a long time. He immediately turned around and smiled:
"Of course, you don't even look at whose soldiers they are."

Guo Ying curled her lips, didn't argue with him, and just watched quietly.

Soon, Lu Yunyi, wearing black armor and holding a long sword, hurried over.
He did not go to the platform where he stood during the training, but went straight to the front.

He stopped in front of the warhorse that had been waiting for a long time, exerted a little force with his feet, and jumped onto the horse.

The sky is getting light, the dawn is just breaking,
The five thousand black-armored Ming soldiers were like dark clouds about to usher in the dawn. The faint light was reflected by the heavy iron armor, flashing a cold and chilly light.

The soldiers stood as straight as mountains.
Although it was still a little dark, it could not conceal the anticipation and fighting spirit in their eyes.

Black armor covered his strong and powerful body, and he stood beside the warhorse, full of oppression.

The flag fluttered gently in the breeze.

The characters on the military flag also changed from "Blue" to "Lian" during the Northern Expedition.
Although the number of people is small, going to war for the country is the dream of many soldiers, as it represents merit and glory.

The air was filled with restlessness, but after Lu Yunyi arrived, it became heavy instead.
The sound of horse hooves, the friction of armor, and the deep, powerful breathing of the soldiers intertwined together as they waited quietly for the horn to sound.

Lu Yunyi sat high on his warhorse, his face dead silent, his eyes like torches, filled with coldness, scanning the 5,000 black-armored Ming soldiers in front of him.
His voice was deep and powerful, echoing in the morning air:
"Comrades, this expedition is to conquer the remnants of the Northern Yuan Dynasty.

The Liao King, Huining King and Doyan Marshal's Mansion are located in the northeast of Qingzhou.

They have occupied the northeast for a long time and fought against the savages. Their soldiers are brave and their food and grass are abundant. This battle is not easy.

But this battle is a heavy one. It concerns the safety of the country, the hearts of the people, and the honor and disgrace of the Ming Dynasty. We can only win, not lose!
I hope you will bravely take the lead, fight to the death, wipe out the enemy, and defend the borders of our Ming Dynasty!"

"Fight to the death! Wipe out the enemy!"

A deafening shout suddenly rang out, echoing north of the camp and north of Gyeongju.

The soldier, who had just woken up from his sleep, stood up and looked towards the front army with a look of longing on his face.

Residents of the northern border of Gyeongju also stood up and listened to the faint shouting, their faces solemn and expectant.

In the training ground, Lu Yunyi's voice did not stop.

"I hope you will bear in mind the responsibility of your country and shoulder the expectations of the people.
Use the swords in your hands to build the foundation of victory! Use the blood of the enemy to build the power of the Ming Dynasty!
I, Lu Yunyi, a lieutenant general of the front army and a border resident of Qingzhou, stood here like you half a year ago, listening to the orders of my superiors.
Half a year later, I was honored with honors and commanded the front scouts.

All that was gained was gained through fighting in battles.

The Ming army never skimps on military merit. This battle is heavy, but it is also an opportunity for you to make merit. I hope you will seize the opportunity."

At this point, Lu Yunyi bravely thrust out the long sword in his hand and pointed it high into the sky:
"Strive for a while, and you will be rich forever.
May God bless our army, and with the might of the Ming army, we will wipe out all the enemies of our country! Triumphant return!

May you all achieve success and bring honor to your family with the swords in your hands!"

The atmosphere in the field was ignited in an instant. The soldiers were tense, their eyes were burning, and the hands holding the long swords suddenly exerted force. A total of five thousand long swords flashing with sharp cold light pointed to the sky. A heavy murderous atmosphere rushed up to the sky without reservation!
What followed was a powerful and shocking shout!
"Destroy the enemy chieftain and bring honor to our family!!"

"Destroy the enemy chieftain and bring honor to our family!!"

"Destroy the enemy chieftain and bring honor to our family!!"

Lu Yunyi's face became extremely solemn, and he swung the long sword in his hand!
The desolate horn sounded slowly, like a call from ancient times, desolate and distant, and then a little bit higher!

Lu Yunyi held the reins in his hand, and the tall horse under him let out a neigh, raised its front hooves high, and then landed on the ground!

"Oh!"

The war drums are beating, and the murderous intent is overwhelming.

"Ming army, march north!"

Following the general's order, five thousand cavalrymen charged forward like arrows.

Like an iron-colored torrent whipped up by a strong wind, it is so majestic that it shakes the heaven and earth.
The soldiers were dressed in black armor, wearing iron helmets, holding long swords and spears, carrying bows and crossbows, and their horses were neighing, waiting to be released.

Their shadows lengthened in the gradually brightening morning light, like a streak of black lightning, cutting through the sky, rushing out of the camp and heading straight for the gate of Gyeongju.

The roar of horse hooves was like thunder, shaking the earth, and the air was filled with a fierce and murderous atmosphere.

The Gyeongju city gate stands tall and majestic, as if it has witnessed countless storms and vicissitudes, but at this moment, under the mighty momentum of these 5,000 soldiers, it seems a little small.

The army rushed through the gate like a flood bursting a dam, unstoppable.

When the army passed through the gate of Gyeongju, the morning sun was no longer stingy and sprinkled its rays.
The golden light and the cold weapons collided with each other, reflecting the resolute and unyielding faces.

There was a raging fire of war in their eyes, as if they were determined to destroy all obstacles.

The dawn light was just breaking, and five thousand soldiers were marching out of Qingzhou.
The cavalry is like a dragon, with great momentum.

On June 4, the 21st year of Hongwu, 5,000 Ming border troops went to meet the three kings of the northeast.

(End of this chapter)