Chapter 827: The Old Guards in the Rear

Chapter 827: The Old Guards in the Rear

Chapter 827: The Old Guards in the Rear (Additional Update for Alliance Leader Tirathemis)

The civil and military officials of Pingyang, the imperial concubines, and even some of the soldiers' families were escorted to a place several miles away before they returned.

Yu Chen stayed outside the city for a while. Dozens of officials, both big and small, surrounded him and seemed to be chatting about something.

Yu Chen's wife Guanqiu quietly stopped her daughter who was leaving the city to see her off, looked around, and asked in a low voice, "How does the King of Liang treat you?"

Yu Wenjun was a little confused. What kind of question was this?

"My husband treats me very well." Yu Wenjun replied.

He indeed treated her better and better, probably because he was young.

The aunts are getting older, and Shao Xun is afraid that they will get pregnant at an advanced age, so he really likes to sleep in Zhaode Hall now.

Apart from Zhaode Hall, the most visited hall was Wenming Hall where Queen Yang lived, and Shao Xun often spent the night there.

There is no way. Shao Ze and his nouveau riche subordinates are all country boys who like to sleep with women of noble status, even if there are younger and more beautiful girls to choose from.

Before going to the war, Yang Xianrong became pregnant again.

The bad news is that her daughter, who was born a year and a half ago, suddenly became seriously ill without any warning, so much so that she did not leave the city to see her off today - in fact, it was not appropriate for her to show up, after all, her identity was still embarrassing.

When Guanqiu heard her daughter's words, she felt relieved. Then she looked at it carefully and couldn't help but praise it inwardly.

She was not praising her own daughter, but Wenjun really had a good foundation. At the age of 28, she was still charming and seductive. Her son-in-law would probably be so fascinated by her that he would have no time to deal with wild women outside.

"You have known each other since childhood and have a deep connection with each other. You should have been extremely affectionate." Guanqiu smiled and said, "This kind of fate is not something most people can ask for. Wenjun, you are really living in a honey pot. There are not many women in the world who are as lucky as you. I'm afraid this good relationship will be recorded in history books in the future."

Yu Wenjun's face turned slightly red.

Recently, her husband often stays overnight in Zhaode Palace. She can curl up comfortably in her husband's arms and fall asleep, or act coquettishly and let her husband hold her in his arms as she sleeps. She is truly extremely happy.

When Guanqiu saw her daughter's expression, she knew that what he said was true, so she left quietly, then looked for Yu Chen and nodded to him from a distance.

Yu Chen was surrounded by the Supervisor of the Imperial Household Yu Hua, the Minister of Agriculture Yin Xian, the Minister of the Imperial Guard Chen Jing, the Minister of the Left Civil Service Zao Song, the Minister of Revenue Xun Chuo, and the Assistant Minister of the Imperial Household Chen Kuang.

This is the inner circle.

Outside the core circle, there are many middle-level officials, and as for the peripheral "henchmen", there are even more.

However, it can be seen that Shao Xun tacitly acknowledged that the private plots of the Yu family were mainly in three areas:

First, the production and storage of grain, livestock, and military equipment, such as the Sinong Temple, the Weiwei Temple, and the Shaofu Temple;
Second, fiscal revenue and expenditure, such as Zuomincao and Duzhicao;

The third one is Chen Kuang, the Yellow Gate Minister, who is considered a close minister to the King of Liang. The other is Jing Chan, the former Shogunate Recorder. He is from Hebei, but he is a close confidant of Yu Chen when he was the prefect of Ji County. He is currently the Assistant Censor and can be considered a censor. Overall, they are rather scattered.

The real core base of the Yu family is actually at the civil affairs level.

The Liang State had been established for some years, and Yu Chen held the position of Prime Minister. All matters had been sorted out, and the court structure was becoming increasingly clear, which also solved Shao Xun's worries about going on the expedition.

He could not be more relieved to have his father-in-law helping him to stay at the rear and take care of civil matters.

"Your Majesty has been planning this war for a long time. I know you are not very satisfied." Yu Chen said as he walked, "But the money and food have been paid. If you still act reluctant, you will not have any affection and will be hated by others."

Who hated him? Of course, the warriors who were eager to fight and make meritorious contributions and continue to climb up the career ladder.

This is a contradiction in the distribution of interests and it exists naturally.

As long as you choose the path of a warrior, no matter what your background is, you will end up like this.

"The Prime Minister is telling the truth." Yin Xian, the Minister of Agriculture, said, "Should we send someone to inspect the counties in Henan? I'm afraid some people will make mistakes."

Yin Xian had quietly become the second most important person in the Yu Group. The reason was actually very simple: a few days ago, his niece Yin had been vomiting constantly, and upon checking, it turned out that she was pregnant.

As the news spread, Yin Xian's status rose rapidly among the families in Yingchuan: if the son of the wife had an accident or was really unworthy of being raised, the son born to Yin would be bet on by the Yingchuan Group and would be helped to take the position with all its strength - if Yin really gave birth to a son.

"Hong Qiao, the Minister of Agriculture has the responsibility to inspect the mansion. You should take the trouble to go there in person." Yu Chen said.

"Okay." Yin Xian agreed immediately, full of energy.

Inspecting the mansion is not the main point; calming people's hearts is his most important job.

There are advantages and disadvantages to forming an alliance with aristocratic families, and this is the favorable aspect.

If the boss really wants to help you, he can just say a word and the local families who are dependent on him, have something to ask of him or have a relationship with him will behave themselves.

If the big boss doesn't help you, even if he just stands neutral, what will happen in the local area depends on luck.

Yu Chen's words were not only effective in the twenty counties of Liang State, but also in some counties outside Liang State.

"All servants and soldiers, train well." Yu Chen also ordered: "If Wang Dun and Liu Can come to attack and the government army is defeated, at least 50,000 troops must be gathered within a month to seize the key points, wear down the enemy's front, and delay the time until the King of Liang returns from Xingbei."

"Yes." Everyone responded one after another.

Henan remains the first base under King Liang's rule, and its status has never been shaken.

This place cannot be destroyed. Once a major problem occurs, such as the Wu army advancing straight in and attacking Chenjun, Yingchuan and other places, then the army will have to retreat, and this expedition will be considered a failure.

Yu Chen thought he had done enough for Shao Xun, but sometimes this kid didn't appreciate it and even threatened him.

If I treat his daughter and grandson badly in the future, I would be really heartless.

******
After Xi Jian arrived in Pingyang, the first thing he did was to visit the Pei family, the largest wealthy family in Hedong and Pingyang. The most capable troops under his command were the 6,000 Gaoping Prefecture soldiers, each with a unit, and a total of 12,000 auxiliary soldiers, who had already arrived in Hedong.

There were also 10,000 imperial guards, also stationed in Hedong.

But these people alone cannot stop the Huns' massive attack, and they still need help from the local tyrants.

Shao Xun said that he would be in charge of all military affairs in the three counties, but the left camp of Heilongjiang and the six thousand soldiers of Dongping and Jibei who stayed in Pingyang were not under his control. General Hou Feihu would not listen to his orders either, as he had the privilege of doing things at his own convenience.

Xi Jian could only seek help from local nobles.

"Daohui is here." Shangshu Ling Pei Miao put down the brush in his hand and said, "Sit down."

His attitude was neither hot nor cold, and he looked very businesslike.

Xi Jian didn't take it seriously.

He and Pei Miao were not close friends, and their relationship was average. In addition, the marriage between the Gaoping Xi family and the Langya Wang family this year made the political stance very obvious, and there was nothing more to say.

"Mr. Pei." Xi Jian bowed first, then said, "Your Majesty, you are going to the north. Hedong and Pingyang must not be lost. Although the troops have been gathered, they are insufficient. I suggest recruiting the nobles of various counties and training them into an army to prepare for any eventuality. How about we dismiss them after Your Majesty returns?"

"I already know your intention." Pei Miao paused and said, "How many people do you want?"

Although there were some disputes at ordinary times, Pei Miao did not dare to act on impulse on such a major matter.

If the one sitting on top is a mediocre and cowardly ruler, then it's fine. There will be factional strife, so what? But if it's a powerful ruler, then I'll be a little scared, I won't dare to do it, and it's not worth it, because I'll lose too much points.

So he did not refuse. Even before Xi Jian's visit, he had already followed King Liang's order and greeted all the powerful families. After finishing his farm work, he gathered the young men for training as soon as possible.

"No less than 20,000." Seeing Pei Miao's straightforward agreement, Xi Jian breathed a sigh of relief and then said, "In addition, the Hu tribes in the three counties must recruit 10,000 men, bring their own horses and equipment, to curb the bandits."

Pei Miao frowned.

In this way, Xi Jian had 50,000 to 60,000 infantry and cavalry at his disposal.

Although the cost of stationing locally is much lower than that of going on an expedition, it is still not a small amount.

The most crucial thing is that most of this amount is borne by the wealthy families in the three counties themselves - this is actually related to rights and obligations. Since we have given you so many benefits, you naturally have to bear obligations.

"Mr. Pei, Pingyang must not be lost." Xi Jian reminded softly.

Pingyang can't be lost! Pei Miao secretly complained.

The soldiers from the two counties of Dongping and Jibei, together with their followers, number 12,000, plus 6,000 elite soldiers from the Heilongjiang Left Camp, and other miscellaneous troops, totaling no less than 20,000, so there is no big problem.

However, he could not say this out loud, as he would be in trouble if someone caught him and used this to make a fuss. Especially since many of the censors were Wang Yan's men, there were even greater risks.

"What does the prince say?" Pei Miao asked.

"You should put state affairs first." Xi Jian replied.

Pei Miao did not comment.

If we say that when the Huns invaded and Henan was in danger, Wang Yan might have begun to change his attitude and think seriously about state affairs, now it seems that he is returning to his old ways. As the saying goes, different times have changed.

When King Liang called for "tolerance for the sake of the country", many people agreed. Now when it is mentioned again, fewer people agree. It's the same principle.

If Wang Yan didn't have any ulterior motives now, Pei Miao would dare to eat the table.

"If there is a rebellion in Qingzhou and Xuzhou, are you sure?" Pei Miao asked again: "All the soldiers from the three prefectures of Gaoping, Dongping and Jibei have been sent out, and there are no strong soldiers left to guard the other counties."

"The four princes will go with the army, and the commander will make proper arrangements." Xi Jian replied, "If it doesn't work, I have a letter. There are many young men in the village who practice martial arts. They can lead the troops and fight for the king."

Pei Miao then nodded.

When King Liang went on the Northern Expedition, he brought two sons with him, namely the third son Xu and the fourth son Yu. The second son Gui may also have gone from Yecheng to Jinyang to join him.

Even if the Pei, Wang, and Lu families consider the three princes, they must stabilize the local area and avoid chaos. Not to mention, what good will it do them if the local area is in turmoil? Will they let other families replace them?
Once the cards are reshuffled, it will be hard to tell who will be on top and who will be off.

They had no choice.

"I'll give you 30,000 infantry and cavalry." Pei Miao finally reminded, "However, the Six Barbarians have unpredictable minds. Dao Hui can't trust them completely. Be on guard."

"Thank you, Mr. Pei, for the reminder." Xi Jian bowed deeply and said.

There was a great battle, undercurrents were surging, and there was no telling how many things were hidden beneath the water.

Xi Jian suddenly thought of Cao Mengde. No matter how many victories you have won before, as long as you lose a decisive battle at the level of Red Cliff, everything will be in vain. From then on, you will encounter all kinds of unpleasantness, opposition and resistance.

The Prince of Liang brought with him the left and right battalions of the Silver Spear Army, all the Yicong Army, plus more than 6,000 soldiers from Luonan and Chenliu Prefectures and more than 1,000 of his own troops, a total of 28,000 people, all of whom were the best soldiers in the country.

As for the auxiliary troops (yellow-headed army), tribal soldiers, young men and the like, there were as many as you wanted, they were not worth mentioning, and we would not feel sorry if they died.

In this great battle, we must not lose too many elite troops.

To be honest, Xi Jian was still a little worried because the combat environment was different.

For the Liang army generals who had been fighting in the mainland for many years, this endless grassland was their first encounter, and everyone had to fight and explore at the same time.

He stayed behind and could not help much. He could only try his best to block the possible spying of the Huns. This was also what General Wang had instructed him to do.

(End of this chapter)