Chapter 464: Winning, Brotherly Love
Chapter 464: Winning, Brotherly Love
The night was as dark as ink, deep and vast, enveloping the entire capital city in darkness.
Although the summer night breeze carries the day's sultry heat and humidity, it is also mixed with a few imperceptible coolness, gently blowing across the bluestone road, making a long and fragmented whisper.
The gate of the Prince's Mansion looked particularly solemn and dignified in the night.
It's like an invisible boundary separating the inner and outer worlds.
Until the beginning of the Chou hour, around two in the morning.
Lu Yunyi then walked out of the Prince's Mansion with heavy steps.
The entire street in front of the door was unusually bright, with hanging lanterns illuminating every blind corner.
Although this was also what he had stated in the booklet, the Prince's Mansion also implemented it as usual.
But Lu Yunyi no longer felt the previous happiness in his heart, but instead felt extremely heavy.
The black uniform seemed a bit heavy, but it couldn't hide the worry between his brows. Even the breeze on a summer night couldn't blow away the gloom in his heart.
The time is getting closer and closer. In a few months it will be the 23rd year of Hongwu.
The Prince of Jin and the Prince of Yan, who were most valued by the current emperor in military affairs, also got the opportunity to lead the troops.
Once the war broke out, with Nanxiong Marquis Zhao Yong heading north, the Huaixi party, lacking military support, seemed to be on the verge of collapse.
A trace of confusion flashed across Lu Yunyi's eyes. He couldn't see the real purpose of this northern expedition.
Was it to wipe out Nairbuhua, or to allow the two princes to train their troops, or to withdraw the troops from Huaixi?
Or maybe all three.
If it was really as he thought, then the planning in the palace was too perfect.
Lu Yunyi stood at the gate of the Prince's Mansion, looking at the horse that had been waiting there for a long time. His eyes became empty and he kept thinking in his heart.
The method to verify this speculation is also very simple.
After the army marches north and leaves the Ming Dynasty, we will see whether the palace will fight a decisive battle with the Huaixi party.
The result is obvious. The Huaixi party completely declined in the 23rd year of Hongwu.
It was quiet all around, with only the occasional chirping of night birds in the distance, bringing a bit of life into the endless darkness.
The halo of the lantern stretched his shadow very long, interweaving with the mottled shadows of the trees, as if reflecting his chaotic and complicated thoughts.
Lu Yunyi found that even though he was in a high position,
However, the current situation in the court was still chaotic and complicated, making it difficult for him to see clearly.
For some things, he only knew the result, but he had no idea how complicated the process was.
Today's Yingtian City is like a deep lake. The outside has beautiful scenery and does not look colorful at all, but the inside is pitch black with turbulent undercurrents.
If you take a wrong step, you will die without a burial place.
Thinking of this, Lu Yunyi sighed.
Because he couldn't see clearly, he could only give a method that saved the most money, effort and had the highest probability of success.
It seems that this method is very much to the prince's liking, and it may also be evidence that the court wants to win again and again.
Lu Yunyi suddenly sneered, his lips curled up slightly, and he thought of a proverb.
Qin Shi Huang ate peppercorns and became numb.
"General Lu, what are you laughing at? If you have any new ideas, we will take you in again."
The feminine voice interrupted Lu Yunyi's thoughts.
He looked back and saw the old eunuch standing beside him, looking at him with a smile on his face.
Lu Yunyi did not dare to neglect this eunuch:
"I just thought of some novel items that can be put on the gift for the Second Prince."
The old eunuch immediately laughed:
"Thank you, General Lu. If we can see the Second Prince happy, everyone in the mansion will be happy."
This seemed to have a hidden meaning, but Lu Yunyi pretended not to understand and smiled:
"Thank you for troubling me today, Manager Sun. I am about to leave the city and return to the camp."
"General Lu, please." The old eunuch made a gesture of invitation.
Lu Yunyi stepped down the steps, and the guards who had been alert gathered around him in an instant, surrounding the warhorse he was on.
After a while, the sound of horse hooves was heard, and a group of people disappeared in front of the gate of the Prince's Mansion.
Only after they completely disappeared did the smile on the old eunuch's face slowly fade. He turned around and made a gesture to return to his mansion.
But when he turned around, he suddenly stopped.
Looking at the stunned general on duty in front of him, Bian Ruijie, he suddenly laughed:
"General Bian, the person has already left. There is no need to look at him anymore."
Bian Ruijie still dreams of being as powerful as him in the future.
The sudden words interrupted his thoughts and also caught his wild imagination.
He quickly came back to his senses and smiled awkwardly:
"Manager Sun, I'm sorry to make you laugh."
"Haha. Although we don't understand military affairs, we know the principles of doing things. Don't be distracted."
After saying this, the old eunuch took a step forward, stepped steadily over the threshold and disappeared at the door.
Bian Ruijie was left standing there with an ugly look on his face.
The right hand holding the hilt of the knife clenched tightly, veins bulging.
The envy in his heart not only did not subside, but instead surged to the extreme!
Why could General Lu just stand at the door in a daze and ignore Manager Sun?
And he had to do this and endure this humiliation here.
Bian Ruijie stood in front of the door, looking at the bright street ahead, half of his face hidden in the shadows, changing back and forth.
I don't know what he is thinking about.
The study in the Prince's Mansion was no longer as lively as before, but instead became quiet.
The Crown Prince, the Prince of Jin, and the Prince of Yan were standing in front of a board filled with writing, quietly examining it.
The emergence of a strategy is accompanied by countless details, especially military matters.
Once the thought of surrender arises,
It had already taken root in the hearts of the three people, growing rapidly, and soon squeezed out the original method of annihilation.
And as many details were filled in, the last gap in the three people's hearts was also filled.
They have even chosen the negotiators.
Guan Tong, a surrendered general of the Northern Yuan Dynasty, once persuaded Nahachu to surrender in the 20th year of Hongwu!
And he is also on good terms with Grand Tutor Nai'erbuhua, so he is the best candidate.
Seeing that the detailed arrangements from the start to the end of the expedition were already made on the literacy board, Crown Prince Zhu Biao was somewhat moved:
"The staff of the Governor's Office should learn this method. It seems simple and clear, with clear division of labor."
The King of Jin and the King of Yan nodded solemnly.
In the previous discussion among the four people, they did not feel the chaos and disorder like in the Governor's Mansion, but only the joy of following the order and logic!
In fact, the decision on the strategy took no more than a quarter of an hour.
It took them three full hours to perfect the details afterwards, but they enjoyed it so much.
The three of them looked towards the side of the literacy board.
There was a big upside-down tree with several main trunks. Each trunk had countless branches, and each branch was covered with words.
The strategy of surrender was broken down into four main parts, like a butcher cutting up an ox: intelligence collection, military deployment, public opinion propaganda, and negotiation process.
These four main trunks were further split and gave rise to countless thin branches.
This method may seem cumbersome, but once completed, the entire process of the Northern Expedition will become clear!
Even some of the specific small goals on it have been completed in the room and marked with a “\”.
At this moment, the three people standing in front of the literacy board all knew that
As long as you mark all the words in front of you with a “\”, you can rest assured that you will win the battle!
The study was quiet. After an unknown amount of time, a sigh was heard.
"Others say that Lu Yunyi is very methodical in leading troops and has a unique way of doing things.
I originally thought it was just flattery, but now it seems that it is true. "
Crown Prince Zhu Biao suddenly remembered the pamphlet about the defense of the palace he received last year. There was a sentence in it that he liked very much.
Everything in the world must be done in detail, and details determine success or failure.
Now it seems that he has achieved the same in the military.
Jin Wang Zhu Gang looked at the literacy board in front of him, and a haze flashed in his vulture-like eyes:
"We should move this literacy board to the Governor's Office.
Let those advisers who make suggestions take a good look at how others do things. "
The prince heard this and shook his head with a smile:
"Third brother, don't make it difficult for them.
If they had such abilities, why would they be serving as advisers in the Governor's Office? They would have gone to the battlefield to fight and kill the enemy long ago.
Different positions mean different situations. Lu Yunyi can see the whole battle situation and choose the best way.
As staff officers, they did not know the full picture of the battle.
I can only list the methods one by one and choose the best one.
It naturally looks cumbersome and complicated, but it is not easy at all.
I have been to the Governor's Mansion. Those staff members live and eat in the mansion. They are busy with paperwork all day long. It is very hard."
Jin Wang Zhu Gang curled his lips:
"Brother, you are just like my father, always finding excuses for them.
If things are not done well, it is because the method is not right. Others can get twice the result with half the effort, but they get half the result with twice the effort. "
"hehe."
The prince sneered and nodded:
“You are right, the Governor’s Office also has a similar method, but it doesn’t look as clear as this.
Let's put it this way, the literacy tablet cannot be taken to the Governor's Office.
But the method can be taught to them, and it can also make things easier for them.”
King Jin Zhu Gang nodded, indicating his approval of this approach.
Crown Prince Zhu Biao turned his head to look at Zhu Di, who had a strange expression on his face, and asked with a little surprise:
"Fourth brother, what are you thinking about?"
Zhu Di was stunned for a moment, his angular face softened at this moment, and his voice sounded a little strange:
"I remember that there was a general named Zhang Yu under Lu Yunyi's command, who was going to serve as the deputy commander of the Left Guard of Yanshan.
But a few days ago, someone from the Dusi told me,
Zhang Yu made great contributions in the Luchuan Campaign. He is one of the few generals that the Beijing Army can rely on. He asked me if I should promote one or two of his generals. "
"Oh? Is there anything else?"
The prince had a strange look on his face, for he knew Zhang Yu's name; this person was mentioned when the Beijing army submitted the document requesting merit.
But it is not clear that he will be transferred to the Left Guard of Yanshan.
Zhu Di's eyes flickered, his mind was filled with thoughts, and he spoke calmly:
"The transfer order was issued last year, but was delayed due to the Luchuan war.
Now it seems that the commander of the First Guard has treated him unfairly."
Jin Wang Zhu Gang also cast his gaze over, smiled softly, and felt a little envious:
"If Zhang Yu joins my fourth brother, it will be of great benefit to the Beiping military garrison.
At least we can learn his strange method of training soldiers."
Obviously, this sentence touched Zhu Di's heart.
He stretched out his hand and plucked his beard, nodding repeatedly:
"That's exactly what I meant. Today I saw the method of changing generals and the newly emerged three-three system in the documents of the Governor's Office.
This method is a way to strengthen the army, but it requires too many elite soldiers and is very expensive.
We cannot implement it hastily, but we can try it out in one place first.”
Having said that, Zhu Di looked at the prince.
The prince knew what he meant, laughed, and returned to the seat at the top with his hands behind his back:
"I can't make the decision on this matter. When Duke Ying comes back, you can discuss it with him. He also plans to use this method in the southwest forest."
"Mountain forest?"
Zhu Di followed over, looking thoughtful, and soon he understood.
The three-three system was first introduced in Yunnan and was probably originally used for combat in mountainous areas.
Jin Wang Zhu Gang said:
"It's not a bad idea to try it out in both places. We should try it out in the mountains and forests, and we should also try it out on the grasslands."
The King of Jin and the King of Yan then began to discuss with each other how and where to use the new military system.
The prince sat at the top, smiling peacefully like an old father.
"Brother, what are you laughing at?" Zhu Di asked when he saw the smile.
The prince smiled even more, leaning back in his chair, his face moved, his eyes twinkling:
"I still remember that when I was a child, my father and the elders were away fighting all day, running around, and they only came back a few times a year.
That’s when mother gathered us together, talked about this and that, and taught us to read and write, and to practice martial arts.”
Zhu Biao looked down at Zhu Di and smiled even more warmly:
"You were the most naughty at that time. You didn't listen to your mother and were always beaten."
"Ha ha ha ha."
Zhu Di also laughed, and his resolute face completely melted.
"At that time, I always hid behind my second brother, who was not very tall.
We hid behind our eldest brother, but we were still beaten up by our mother in the end."
The prince laughed, as if he had thought of something happy. He sat up straight, looked at the two brothers with a smile, and said excitedly:
"Do you remember that one time we ran away secretly and were discovered by our mother?
When we come back, we hide in the corner of the bed and you push me to the front.
I tried to hide backwards, and you pushed me hard.
My mother’s broom was hovering right under my nose, which is a little scary when I think about it now.”
Hahahaha.
The three of them burst into laughter at the same time.
The solemn and grim atmosphere in the room melted away like ice and snow, and was replaced by the unique warmth between brothers.
After a while, Crown Prince Zhu Biao restrained his smile and sighed:
“Now we are all grown up, old, and have sons and daughters, so we rarely get together.
But I know that the relationship between us brothers has not changed, which is rare. "
At this point, Crown Prince Zhu Biao sighed, his eyes somewhat empty.
Thinking of his two sons, the entanglement of the forces behind them gave him a headache.
"Before my father became successful, someone told me,
Royal blood is all enemies, born in the royal family, don't be sentimental,
But I think we brothers are different.
How can we be called a royal family?
My father worked hard outside, and my mother took care of the household chores at home, raising us brothers. We were clearly an ordinary family.
Now, I still firmly believe that we have a good relationship as brothers, but..."
At this point, Crown Prince Zhu Biao's voice was somewhat hollow:
"There are more and more children in the palace, all of them are brothers and sisters.
But. Somehow, I don't feel close to them.
It may be because of the huge age gap or the busy government affairs.
Or maybe, I have unknowingly become the ruthless emperor family mentioned in history books."
The atmosphere in the room suddenly fell into silence, and the eunuchs beside him lowered their heads, not daring to listen anymore.
"Brother, now that you are here, make the best of it." Jin Wang Zhu Gang spoke in a gentle voice with comfort.
"Ugh"
Crown Prince Zhu Biao sighed, closed his eyes gently, his face showed pain, and his eyebrows twitched constantly.
"It doesn't matter if it's just these, what hurts me most is Yun Wen and Yun Xun,
When they were young, they leaned on each other and supported each other. Even when they ate, they would sit on small stools at the door together.
But now, we are no longer brothers. Sometimes, I don’t even want to go back home.”
Zhu Di sat at the lower right, looking reluctant, and said comfortingly:
"Brother, the two children did nothing wrong. They are still young, what can they understand?
Everything is caused by the power behind the scenes. They are confused and at a loss.
They do whatever the adults say, and we can’t blame them.”
Zhu Biao slowly opened his eyes and nodded gently:
"You're right. It's all about power. It would be great if we could be like Gao Chi and his brothers."
Zhu Di smiled, with a fatherly pride:
"Gao Chi likes to read, Gao Xu likes to fight.
Gao Sui sometimes followed his eldest brother, sometimes followed his second brother, fighting and making noise all day long, which was a headache for everyone. "
"Hahahaha." The Crown Prince and Prince Jin both laughed.
King Jin straightened his body, revealing his broad shoulders:
“Fighting is good, and it makes children stronger.
Yesterday I went to the palace and met some of my brothers. They were spoiled and frail, and looked fragile. They were nowhere near as strong as we were when we were little!"
The prince also nodded:
“Yes, the children in the palace are all weak.
Every day they are sick, one sickness or another. My father is busy with government affairs and has no time to take care of them.
I am now like their father, busy and exhausted.”
"Hahahahaha."
Zhu Di and Zhu Gang laughed loudly, and the room was filled with peace.
(End of this chapter)