Chapter 599: Disbanding the Camp
Chapter 599: Disbanding the Camp (Double Monthly Ticket Request)
inside the house.
“So this is roughly what happened.”
Zhao Duan sat in the main seat, looked around at everyone, and narrated what happened in the Golden Palace from a "first-person perspective":
“So, under the current circumstances, if we want to rally the people, issuing a military order is the best solution.
As for the danger you are worried about, it does not exist. When the situation was most critical before, I was able to get rid of Xu Jingtang in a few months.
The situation in Huaishui is much better now, and it will be easier to defeat Prince Jing."
The comforting effect was certain.
But judging from the expressions of Eugene Hua and her daughter, Haitang and other colleagues, the effect of this comforting measure is limited.
After all, the people present here are not ordinary people who lack information, so it is even more difficult for them to ignore the difficulty of eliminating Prince Jing.
Fortunately, several colleagues were sensible and quickly came to the rescue, helping Zhao Duan to comfort the women in his family and reassure him.
The mother and daughter's tense expressions eased a little after they learned that the empress would also vouch for them - even if the military order could not be fulfilled, with Her Majesty's words, Dalang would not really be forced to commit suicide.
Seeing this, Zhao Duan knew that it was almost noon, so he hurriedly asked Qian Kerou to take the mother and daughter out to have lunch in the yamen.
Eugene Hua and her daughter were sensible and knew that they wanted to discuss something, so they had no choice but to follow them away.
Wait for someone to leave.
Haitang, who was sitting at the conference table at Lihua Hall, let out a breath and looked at Zhao Duan, her brows relaxed:
"You can actually explain to your family that the so-called military order is just a delaying tactic, an excuse to appease people, and I believe it will not be spread outside."
Zhao Duan looked at her helplessly: "Do you think I'm lying?"
Several colleagues were stunned for a moment and said in unison: "What else?"
"..."
Zhao Duan fell silent for a moment.
The King of Rolls Zhang Han frowned and said:
"Does the Governor of Chengdu really intend to defeat the bandits in March? Even if we count from the beginning of spring, there are only a few months left. To alienate Zhao Shixiong and destroy Xu Jingtang is something that can only be done once and not twice."
Different from the crabapple with the big background of "Hai Chunlin".
The other detectives no longer dared to treat Zhao Duan as a colleague today, and their tone was quite respectful.
Zhao Duan finally understood.
It turned out that a considerable number of civil and military officials in the court believed that they were just working together with the empress to "put on a show", and that the so-called military order was a "blank check" that was never intended to be cashed.
He was a little amused and didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He was not joking and what he said was true.
But he couldn't explain it. He couldn't reveal the princess and other hidden people. He opened his mouth, but finally swallowed it back helplessly.
Haitang said, "No need to explain, we understand. We must take it seriously in public, but I'm afraid that your big talk will lead some people to question your bragging.
When the military order is annulled, it will inevitably add another black history. If this happens, the reputation you have accumulated in the past few consecutive battles will probably be wasted."
Zhang Han looked at her with admiration and said:
"The governor is willing to bear the infamy for the sake of the world. We admire him."
"Yes, yes, the governor is righteous, and we are not as good as him. Fortunately, your majesty is a wise ruler and is willing to bear the responsibility as a king. This also leaves room for tearing up the military order in the future."
The others started to speak up and praise.
"..." Zhao Duan waved his hands tiredly, forget it, let the world think whatever they want.
He was used to some misunderstandings.
"Okay, let's leave this topic behind. How are the members of the delegation being captured?" Zhao Duan changed the subject.
Haitang said:
"They have all been thrown into the Imperial Prison for interrogation. Don't worry, we will take care of the rest. By the way, what do you think about the next step?"
What she was referring to was the change in the situation since the collapse of the peace talks.
Zhao Duan said calmly:
"What else can I think? Xiping and Tieguan will definitely fight to the death, but if a fight really happens, the imperial court will definitely win. The middle of winter can also buy some time. If the people of the Western Regions want to enter the pass, they have to wait until the weather warms up. This is a 'time window'.
In the next few days, you need to be more careful and monitor public opinion. If you find someone spreading negative public opinion, don’t be lenient. "
Several police officers nodded: "Okay. We understand this."
In any war, boosting morale and unifying thoughts are the most important links.
Fortunately, due to several consecutive victories, Zhao Duan's prestige has reached a new height, and his previous bad reputation has been completely suppressed.
In the short term, public opinion should remain stable.
After sending a few people away, Zhao Duan instructed Qian Kerou to guard the door and not see anyone.
Then he went back to the backyard room and lay down.
After a while, a soul flew out of the imperial court and headed straight for the palace.
……
……
Huai River, Jingchuan Town.
Inside the Huai'an Palace.
Zhao Duan opened his eyes in bed and slowly got up, feeling the hunger in his stomach like a tide. He poured out a fasting pill from the medicine bottle beside him and ate it, then he felt better.
"I stayed in Beijing for too long this time and almost missed the opportunity to come back for dinner..."
Zhao Duan lifted the thick quilt, put his legs down, put on his boots and outer robe, pushed open the door, and saw the courtyard was filled with a sense of solemnity, dotted with green.
Unlike the snow-covered capital, there are still some cold-resistant plants growing in Jingchuan County even at the end of the year.
There was no one in the courtyard. He followed the sound and walked through the palace. Along the way, he ran into the servants in the palace, who hurriedly saluted:
"Commander Zhao..."
"Shh." Zhao Duan put his finger on his lips, made a gesture of silence, and continued walking forward.
Go around another wall and enter the garden in the side courtyard of the palace.
Surrounded by rockery, I saw a group of familiar people wearing colorful cotton robes and long skirts, having fun around the stove in the pavilion.
Xu Junling, Xu Qian, Ji Yue, Yu Xiu... and Jin Jian who was in high spirits even though it was daytime.
The young priestess was sitting by the stove, staring at the charcoal-roasted sweet potatoes. Suddenly she looked up and saw Zhao Duan approaching. She adjusted her glasses:
"Have you delivered the things I asked you to deliver?"
Really getting straight to the point... Zhao Duan said helplessly:
"I sent it. Are you still not confident in my work?"
The others looked over.
Princess Xu Junling was wrapped in a red and white cloak, with a circle of white around her neck, which made her face seem smaller. She hurried over in small steps and saluted, saying:
"Meet the Governor."
During this period of time, Zhao Duan lived in the palace, and under the pretext of "seclusion for breakthrough", he disappeared for a long time.
He only came out occasionally to meet people, eat, and inquire about the situation in the city, so Xu Junling was not surprised by his elusiveness.
"Well, where is the prince?" Zhao Duan didn't waste any words and went straight to the point.
Prince Xu Qian, who was squatting by the stove holding a red-hot wooden stick and pulling out the pigeons buried in the charcoal fire, stood up and puffed out his chest:
"My father is taking a nap. If the governor has any important matters, please tell me. I can represent the palace..." Xu Junling didn't even look at his brother:
"I will take the governor to see my father."
"Okay. Also send someone to call Yuan Feng over for a meeting." Zhao Duan said calmly.
Xu Qian: “…”
……
A few moments.
Zhao Duan sat in the inner hall of the palace, waiting for Prince Huai'an who came over after a hasty nap.
"What does the governor want to see me about?" Prince Huai'an asked hurriedly, not daring to be careless.
Now the entire Jingchuan town is in the hands of the imperial court, and Zhao Duan’s status here is like that of an emperor.
Zhao Duan raised his hand first, motioning the prince to take a seat, and then said calmly:
“The peace talks in the capital have failed, and His Majesty has detained the envoys and is about to go to war.
This governor has issued a military order to destroy Prince Jing within three months after the beginning of spring. Time waits for no one, so we must start making arrangements now. You should prepare yourself. "
"Dangdang!"
Prince Huai'an's butt had just touched the edge of the chair when he heard the news and almost fell down.
Fortunately, Xu Junling, who was standing by, was quick to help. Xu Qian, who had come over to join in the fun, was also stunned.
"What the governor said is... true?!" Prince Huai'an steadied himself, a look of surprise flashed across his fat face.
Zhao Duan sat in the main seat, glanced at him coldly, and said indifferently:
"Your Majesty, do you think that this governor is joking with you?"
"No...I dare not." King Huai'an said subconsciously, and then a cold sweat broke out.
Far away on the Huai River, the news he received was not timely enough, but he also knew that the capital was negotiating.
But now Zhao Duan gave the result that the talks broke down... This is not so bad, it is one of the possibilities, but to capture Prince Jing in March at the beginning of spring... this is really too abrupt and almost unbelievable.
At this moment, King Huai'an couldn't help but look at Zhao Du'an meaningfully, thinking in his heart:
Could it be that this commander-in-chief had become complacent after winning a series of battles and killing Xu Jingtang?
Otherwise, why would such an unrealistic idea arise?
You know, Xu Jingtang's rapid defeat was full of coincidences. It was not only because Zhao Shixiong rebelled, but also because he chased Zhao Duan for thousands of miles. The Tianshi Mansion was also involved behind the scenes...
If Xu Jingtang had not been so reckless and insisted on chasing to Zhengyang Mountain, but instead chose to deal with the army and then retreat to Yunfu Road to develop, he would not have died.
But it is impossible for Prince Jing to imitate such a coincidence.
"Commander-in-chief...it just happened suddenly, and I was surprised for a moment...Is this..."
Zhao Duan said calmly:
"Your Highness, are you questioning my intentions? Or are you not going to fulfill your promise to help eliminate the rebels when you surrendered to the court?"
These are very serious words.
Xu Junling hurriedly said:
"My father definitely has no such intention. Whenever the governor asks us to contribute, the Huai'an Palace will not drag its feet and will definitely go all out."
"Yes, yes, I'll do my best." Prince Huai'an also hurriedly made amends.
He was really scared. After all, his image as a fence-sitter was too deeply rooted in people's hearts. Now the peace talks had failed. If Zhao Duan thought that they were not trustworthy, then the destruction of the entire Huai'an Palace would only take a few minutes.
"That's good. Don't worry. I won't make things difficult for you. The imperial court is still willing to treat the princes who sincerely surrender well. Only those who are not sincere, such as the Prince of Hejian and the Prince of Yanshan, will be destroyed."
Zhao Duan gave him a reassurance pill and said:
"Specifically, what you are asked to do is to use the connections and foundation that the Huai'an Palace has accumulated over the years in Huaishui to help the court collect intelligence. By the way, do you have any news about the movements of Prince Jing that I asked you to inquire about before?"
King Huai'an said hurriedly:
"Yes. The specific information has been sorted out and placed in my study. Qian'er, go get it immediately."
Why is it me...and not my sister?
It is obvious that I am the prince...Xu Qian felt very aggrieved.
"Aren't you going yet?" Xu Junling glared at him.
"...Oh." Xu Qian went out reluctantly.
King Huai'an forced a smile and continued:
"Except for the details, there are generally no major changes from before. After Xu Jingtang's defeat, Xu Wen further contracted his defenses and gave up some unimportant areas. Now he is facing the imperial army led by Xue Shence at Hu Ting."
Lake Pavilion...
What a familiar name.
Zhao Duan was distracted for a moment, still remembering that when the imperial court first opened the market, it chose Huting as the venue.
At that time, as an imperial envoy, he led Eunuch Hai and others south along the Grand Canal and arrived at Huting. He fought with Xu Jinglong on the water for the first time, and it was also the first time he fought with Qingshan’s senior brother Duan Shuiliu.
Including the first meeting with King Huai'an, which was also at the Dafeng Tower over there.
Prince Jing's assassination attempt on Zhao Duan on Yansuo Lake was the starting point for the feud between the two sides... Well, the hidden chess piece of Princess Lu Yan'er was also planted at that time.
I didn’t want to wait for such a long time, and now I had to rush to the Eastern Front, and my first stop was still Hu Ting.
King Huai'an continued:
"Oh, there is one more special thing. The latest intelligence says that Prince Jing suddenly has a mysterious counselor under his command.
Well, his origin is unknown, as if he suddenly appeared, and he doesn't even have a name. We only know that his surname is Xu, and he has a very high status. He is very close to Jing Wang Xu Wen. Now, this person has intervened in many things in Hu Ting. But to what extent, we are still investigating. "
Mystery man?
Also surname Xu?
Is he a relative of Prince Jing?
It can't be his illegitimate child...
Zhao Duan was tricked and couldn't help but start imagining things.
The Dayu Dynasty had ruled the country for 600 years, and the descendants had multiplied from generation to generation. There were many royal descendants with the surname Xu, and there were a lot of Pang family relatives scattered around. Zhao Duan really had no clue what to do for a while.
At this time, footsteps and the sound of armor colliding were heard outside the hall.
Xu Junling hurried to open the door, and saw Yuan Feng, a man with a Chinese character on his face, rushing in with several local civil officials and military generals.
Before entering the door, he said loudly:
"Commander-in-chief, you summoned us, but what happened?"
Zhao Duan didn't even raise his eyelids, and asked everyone to sit down in the house first, and then asked about Zhao Shixiong's whereabouts.
"Reporting to the governor, General Zhao is doing very well. He has occupied most of Yunfu now. He is currently encircling and suppressing the prince of Prince Mu's mansion. If he had not brought fewer soldiers with him, he would have completely conquered Yunfu by now." Yuan Feng said.
Zhao Duan nodded, not surprised.
Without a leader, no matter how many sheep there are, they can be driven away like stray dogs by a lion.
"Very good, since there is no worry in Yunfu anymore, get ready. After the New Year, you will move camp north and rush to Xiping Road." Zhao Duan ordered indifferently.
"Okay, are we finally heading to the Huai River East Line? We've been hungry and thirsty for a long time... eh?"
Yuan Feng was excited at first, then he was stunned and looked at Zhao Duan blankly:
"Commander-in-chief, where are our five military camps going?"
"Xiping Road." Zhao Duan looked indifferent, ignoring the surprised looks of the crowd, and said calmly:
"The peace talks have failed. Xiping and Tieguan have gone to war. People from the Western Regions are likely to enter the pass in the spring. The Huai River is quite far from Xiping, and it's slow to travel in winter. You must leave as soon as possible."
Then he recounted what happened in the Golden Palace.
After hearing what happened, Prince Huai'an, Yuan Feng, Xu Junling and others breathed a little harder, and the room became quiet.
(End of this chapter)