Chapter 825 Make preparations

Chapter 825 Make preparations

Chapter 825 Make preparations

"Chen County is a famous area, and the military headquarters has no leader. If the bandits are on the rise, it will be difficult to control them. It is advisable to appoint General Zhang Shuoquan as the commander-in-chief and command the elite troops of the six counties of Chen, Liang, Nandun, Xincai, Ruyin, and Runan. Set off as soon as possible without any delay."

"Le Kai has a long-standing reputation and has served in many vassal states. He has been stationed in Nanyang, and his position is as solid as a Great Wall. We should recommend him as the governor of Mianyang North, hoping that he can train the troops and pacify the area."

"Xuzhou is an important place with several counties rich in nutrients. Since Yu Liang and Li Chong took office, they have been good at managing the country and the military. Now we should reclaim idle land for grazing, build forts, store food and grass, and establish garrison troops. All business and travel should be stopped to prevent thieves from taking advantage of the situation. I hope you can provide enough food and soldiers to protect the lives of people in Xuzhou forever."

"Hongnong is an ancient county, close to the capital. Selecting generals is a heavy task. General Shao Shen is a good talent in my family. I will now give you a great task to select generals and train soldiers in Hongnong and build forts. You don't need to be aggressive, just keep the fort. Remember, remember."

"The Xi family of Jinxiang is a famous family in the county. Since the Yongjia period, they have been well-known for their prestige. Since the descent of the divine tortoise, they have made many achievements. If it weren't for you, who would take on this important task? The military affairs of the three counties of Hedong, Pingyang, and Xihe are all entrusted to you. I hope you will take up the general's position, shoulder this important responsibility, and stop the enemy outside Puguan."

Secretary General Lu Chen read out the draft orders one by one.

Shao Xun was drawing his bow and arrow, shooting down the straw men seventy steps away one by one.

After listening, he nodded slightly and said, "Send it to the Prime Minister's Mansion."

Lu Chen immediately called a clerk to take away the orders.

Zhang Shuo led 6,000 men from the Silver Spear Camp to garrison Chen County, and was in charge of military affairs in the six counties north of the Huai River, guarding against the direction of Shouchun.

Le Kai was promoted to the governor of Mianyangbei, and used the four counties of Nanyang (minus Sui State) as his base to guard the direction of Xiangyang.

Yu Liang and Li Chong, one civil and one military, continued to look in the direction of Xuzhou.

Shao Shen recruited soldiers in Hongnong, built city fortifications, and blocked the enemy at Tongguan.

Xi Jian personally went to Hedong to monitor the enemy at Puzhou Pass.

These measures are just to defend the rear.

"Swoosh!" The last arrow was shot and hit the straw man.

The personal soldiers stepped forward and removed the armor from Shao Xun.

"From now on, you must wear armor when practicing archery." Shao Xun threw the bow to Huang Zheng and said, "What kind of skill is it to practice archery without wearing iron armor?"

"Yes." Huang Zheng threw the bow to Tong Qianjin again, followed him quietly, and said, "My king, do you want to summon Tuoba Shiyijian to see you?"

"Don't act on your own." Shao Xun said.

What is Tuoba Shiyijian coming to see? What does a four or five-year-old kid like him know? This is clearly referring to Wang.

It’s not time for Wang yet.

At best, she now felt a little grateful, and had some fantasies in her heart that she couldn't control. It was too early to be willing, but the final outcome would be the same.

With people like Wang, he can use force like he did with Xuan, Wang, and Liu, or he can use force like he is doing now, which can be regarded as a relaxing entertainment.

His biggest regret is that he has never met a woman who is truly kind to him - people are just that mean.

Perhaps, having come to this point and having gained so much power, it is difficult to meet such a woman.

When women see him, they feel inferior.

If he does something excessive, the woman will deceive herself and find excuses for her commitment.

He doesn't even need to coax women. Those noble ladies who look down on ordinary people and seem unattainable will, for various reasons, smile at him and conquer him on their own.

This is the charm of power, but it also loses a lot of fun.

He had expected Wang to firmly refuse to give in, allowing him to enjoy a roll-around that was only possible for gods. But now it seemed that this woman wanted something from him, and was showing signs of giving up resistance.

He suddenly lost interest, but he still had to cheat, this woman was still very useful. Anyway, one was willing to cheat, and the other was willing to be cheated, so why not do it?

When they left the parade ground, the soldiers of the Silver Spear Army were still practicing archery.

It is already February and spring ploughing has begun, but since they are conscripted soldiers, they can concentrate on training.

If we could support an army of 100,000 men, we could conquer the whole world.

"Have new soldiers been recruited for the Heilang Right Camp?" Shao Xun asked on the way to Chongming Temple.

"Two thousand four hundred men have been recruited, and the troops of the eight battalions are all in Luoyang for training." Huang Zheng replied: "Officers will be drawn from the other four armies to fill in."

"You said--" Shao Xun suddenly said when they were about to arrive at Chongming Temple.

Huang Zheng was stunned for a moment.

"Will anyone rebel after this expedition?" Shao Xun asked.

Huang Zheng immediately replied: "Your Majesty has dominated the world for more than ten years. From south to north, I am afraid no one dares to provoke you."

"It seems you don't know either." Shao Xun sighed, "After all, I am going against the will of heaven. To put it bluntly, I am going against the general trend."

Huang Zheng was stunned.

He even suspected that the King of Liang was mentally ill and was extremely depressed. Why did he always suspect someone of rebellion?

It was extremely quiet inside Chongming Temple, with only the gurgling sound of boiling tea.

Shao Xun walked into the room, sat directly on the couch, and looked at the hand-drawn map on the table.

Next to the map were military newspapers arranged in different categories, all of which he had read.

"It has come to this, and you are still worrying about whether the common people can survive?" The woman's gentle voice sounded behind him, gently massaging his shoulders.

As if by magic, a portion of dried persimmon cake had been placed on the table in front of him.

Shao Xun picked up a piece and gently put it into his mouth. It was very sweet.

"Where did the persimmons come from?" he asked.

Le Lanji knelt down, her brows full of joy, and said, "Jin Dao knows you like to eat it, so I made it myself before winter last year."

"My son is filial," Shao Xun praised. Before he knew it, his son had grown up and was able to show filial piety to him.

As he reached middle age, he entered a new stage.

"Lan Ji, have I changed since the time I was in Jinmenwu?" Shao Xun asked.

Le Lanji took a closer look at the man and said with a smile, "Your beard has grown longer, but you always frown and look worried."

How can a person not change when he or she grows up and becomes middle-aged? Sometimes, he or she becomes a completely different person, but because his or her family members are always by your side, it is not easy for them to notice the change.

"In another twenty years, I may become unrecognizable to you all." Shao Xun gently smoothed the wrinkles at the corners of Lan Ji's eyes and sighed, "Even these words from my heart, I may rarely say them in another ten years."

The term "lonely man" may be one of them.

"You have changed too." Shao Xun said, looking at the persimmon cake in his hand.

Le Lanji was stunned for a long time.

"Don't blame yourself." Shao Xun embraced the woman in his arms and said softly, "I will do anything to achieve my goals, but I am always sincere. When Queen Hui gave you to me, I didn't think much of it, but after seeing you, I felt relieved."

Le Lanji chuckled, feeling much better, and said, "I don't know where you learned these tricks to please women. Sometimes they're okay, but sometimes they're terrible. But where can I go as a woman who lost her husband and children?"

"Okay, then you can act with me?" Shao Xun said deliberately in a stern manner.

"Not really." Le Lanji smiled softly and said, "No one has ever coaxed me before. It's quite novel and... quite useful. I have been tricked by you without realizing it. Besides, since you are willing to coax me, you are not a bad person. In this world, what else can I ask for?"

"This is the truth." Shao Xun said: "Jin Dao is already the commander of Shanglin Garden, so don't let your imagination run wild. Not bringing him with me on this expedition is not because I am dissatisfied with him. You are all important people to me——"

I will try to control myself and not make random guesses, he said to himself.

"Take it slow and steady. I'll be waiting for you." Le Lanji sighed softly and curled up in his arms, enjoying the warmth that might disappear at any time.

Xuan was making tea in the back. Occasionally she looked up and her eyes fell on Le Lanji, almost full of envy.

We met when we were both in humble positions; this is a rare opportunity.

Prince Liang occasionally showed some tenderness to Madam Le, but he was completely humiliating to her, as if he was venting his negative emotions.

******
Shao Xun stayed in Ningshu Palace for more than half a month, and spent most of his time in Chongming Temple studying military affairs.

By the last few days of February, the Secretary General Lu Chen, the Military Advisor Zhang Bin, the Right Sima Yang Chen, and the Central Commander Mi Huang also became frequent visitors to Chongming Temple.

The messages were sent in one by one.

Surprisingly, when the winter snow had not yet melted, Tuoba Hena personally led his troops to attack Shengle.

Helan Aitou was in a panic at first and suffered heavy losses. Fortunately, he reacted in time and fought more than ten battles, eventually turning the situation around.

Positive changes have also occurred in Daijun and Guangning.

After the war in the autumn of last year, all tribes withdrew and returned to their respective pastures. As a result, Wang Feng worked hard throughout the winter. Just in the past January, he persuaded some powerful families and tribes to join him, and Guangning and Daijun recovered a considerable part of their territory.

This made Shao Xun look at him with a higher opinion.

The Wang family had been stationed in Guangning for two or three generations, so they still had some legacy. When the Qi family's troops were approaching, some of these people had fought hard, but later, because they saw no hope and suffered a series of defeats, they surrendered to the Qi family. Now that the Qi family's troops had left, they rebelled again and joined Wang Feng.

Of course, the reputation of the Jin court may have played a role. After all, the Wuhuan people had a lot of exchanges with the Han people, so they knew some inside information.

As a result, Qi's mother and son will have to worry about Wang Feng's "resurrection". Then they will face the dilemma of fighting on two fronts, and the pressure will be doubled.

"At this point, the Tuoba Xianbei are divided into three parts." Shao Xun pointed to the map on the table and said, "Qi's mother and son account for 50%, Helan Aitou accounts for 35%, and Wang Feng accounts for 15%. When the army attacks, it will be the Qi family that is targeted. We will try to kill as many bandits as possible and prevent them from turning over in a short period of time."

Zhang Bin had been looking at the map. Hearing this, he said, "Your Majesty, you can continue to store up food and fodder. When the bandits have consumed each other and are exhausted, you can attack them and accomplish your goal."

"It would be great if it were so." Shao Xun shook his head and said, "It's not wrong to be lenient with the enemy. The enemy is not a fool. If I don't send troops, Helan Aitou may not do anything extreme. After all, he is still planning to conquer those tribes."

"How does the king plan to deal with Helan?" Zhang Bin asked.

Shao Xun pondered for a while and did not answer.

He would definitely not let Helan Aitou take over the power of Qi mother and son as he wished, wouldn't it be a waste of effort?

This matter still needs to be dealt with by Wang.

To be frank, Tuoba Yihuai was just a concubine's eldest son, while Tuoba Shiyijian was the legitimate eldest son.

The grasslands also pay attention to the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children, but it is not as important as in the Central Plains.

He just didn't believe that the eldest son couldn't attract the tribe to join him.

One is an adult illegitimate eldest son, and the other is an underage legitimate eldest son. Well, everyone starts canvassing for votes to see who will be the one in charge.

Of course, Shi Yijian was still young, and Wang was his agent. Not to mention that she was Tuoba Yulu's principal wife, and this identity itself had a certain appeal.

Shao Xun pondered Wang's condition.

She had not been involved in this matter from beginning to end, and had been in a state of panic, fear, and self-pity. According to Cheng, she had even cried secretly.

Haha, what a little girl who can’t stand the pressure.

Perhaps, now she can play a role and feel that she is still valuable. After realizing this, she may grab a life-saving straw to prevent Shao Xun from really choosing Tuoba Yihuai and throwing them mother and son into the abyss.

With a sense of participation and sunk costs, Wang should be much more proactive and willing to pay additional costs, and may play a greater role than Shao Xun imagined - of course, this depends on Wang's ability, after all, she is only nineteen years old.

"Send a message to Liu Zhao to go to Junzijin before three months to see if it is possible to build a city." After Shao Xun made the decision, he immediately put the matter aside and looked at Zhang Bin and asked, "How about dealing with Helan like this?"

Zhang Bin cupped his hands. Knowing Shao Xun's intention, he had no intention of letting Helan Aitou go.

After the two men had discussed it, the attendant Liu Bai came over and reported, "Your Majesty, Lord Lu has passed away."

(End of this chapter)