Chapter 944: Ancestor and King
Chapter 944: Ancestor and King
After the fleet passed Huaiyin, its speed suddenly slowed down.
There is a desolate scene on both sides of the Hang Canal.
Just like Xia Pi, Linhuai and Donghai in Huaibei, Huailing and Guangling in Huainan were also repeatedly devastated by wars, so that the captured population was either settled in Guangling and Hailing, or simply sent to the south of the Yangtze River to find land for reclamation.
After this ordeal, it is unknown how many years it will take Xuzhou to recover.
While the fleet was sailing, some people were collecting firewood on the shore. When they saw the passing army, they fled in panic and hid in the reeds.
Such behavior shows the fear of the common people towards the passing soldiers. Not only would the Shao soldiers arrest them, the Wu soldiers' military discipline was not very good, or even worse, especially Zu Ti's troops, who would do anything to raise money, even robbing merchants.
"Alas." Seeing this situation, Zu Ti coughed heavily, his eyes full of confusion.
What on earth are you doing in this life?
At the beginning, the barbarians were ravaging the Central Plains, and Sima Yue had no leader, so he was unwilling to surrender. He could not bear it any longer, so he took a group of people who were also devastated by the war and fled south through the Caoqu to escape the disaster, and then worked under the account of the King of Langya.
To be honest, I regretted it a little bit, because the situation in the north was getting better. But there was no other way. Three of the six brothers in my Zu family stayed in the north and three went south. This was the inevitable behavior of the aristocracy to avoid risks and preserve the family business.
What he regretted was why he went south.
Shao Xun is a capable person. Apart from other things, there is no doubt that he is brave, good at fighting and well versed in military tactics.
The Battle of Luoyang, advancing hundreds of miles.
The Battle of Gaoping, a pursuit of thousands of miles.
To pacify Gou Xi, he made a detour to Hebei to attack.
Attack Hanoi and suddenly cross the river on a stormy night.
Each and every one of these things makes people applaud and feel their courage.
Zu Ti actually admired him very much, although Liu Kun despised him.
But fate is so cruel, and today, it is like that. There is no resentment about the northern land being occupied by the barbarians, only regret for not participating in this process.
The generals who left their names in history are Wang Que'er, Hou Feihu, Jin Zheng, Li Chong and others. They pacified the Huns, defeated the Xianbei, subdued the mixed Hu people, swept across thousands of miles from east to west, and their military exploits were brilliant and enviable.
After arriving in the south, Zu Ti's health deteriorated and he became even more depressed. It was extremely difficult for him to even raise food, equipment, and soldiers to go to war.
To this day, he is still fighting a miserable battle in Xia Pi with Yu Liang, a man without any strategy. In the end, he can only barely gain the upper hand by relying on the advantage of his naval force.
He could easily imagine that when he returned this time, Yu Liang and Li Chong would most likely try to recapture Xia Pi. The battle would be fought in vain, and the people would have to endure such hardship.
What a cruel fate!
"Brother." Zu Yue was shocked to see Zu Ti standing up from the cabin. He hurriedly helped him back inside and said, "Brother, you are ill. You should rest well."
Zu Ti did not struggle and lay back obediently.
His body was indeed at the point of exhaustion and could hardly hold on any longer, but the more time passed, the more melancholy he became.
"If I had listened to Mr. Lu's advice back then..." Zu Ti sighed.
Zu Yue was also speechless, but there was nothing he could do because that was what the aristocratic families did.
It was decided early on that the eldest, second and third brothers would stay in Youzhou, while the fourth, fifth and sixth brothers would go south to Jianye.
Among the three elder brothers, one has passed away, and the other two are working under King Liang. Generally speaking, this strategy of the Zu family was successful, but when it comes to individuals, there is always a bad feeling.
"Brother, there is actually still a chance..." Zu Yue looked around and said quietly.
Zu Ti shook his head and said, "When doing things, one should have a beginning and an end."
"Brother!" Zu Yue said anxiously, "The prince of Langya has passed away, and the people of the country are in a panic. In this situation, is it possible to stop the million-strong army of Shao thief?"
Sima Shao, the prince of Langya, fell seriously ill several months ago and passed away.
For the King of Langya, this was a tragic event in which an old man had to bury his young son.
But that was for the Prince of Langya. For the generals and officers of the Jianye Shogunate, it was more important to quickly choose a successor, because some people had already suggested selecting other members of the royal family to succeed the shogunate.
For the time being, the native tribes of Jiangdong suggested that the king's second son Sima Fei be made the crown prince.
They did not want to see too big a change, because they only wanted to establish their own regime, and had no intention of replacing the previous regime or even unifying the world by marching north.
Things are basically settled.
Zu Ti hastily withdrew his troops because of this incident, but he also fell ill. Especially after hearing that Shao Xun had captured Chang'an and wiped out Tugezi, he felt relieved and soon couldn't hold on.
So, for him, nothing matters now, he no longer has any extra life to support him in realizing his ambitions.
The ancestral covenant is different.
He still had great ambitions, a stronger desire for fame and fortune, and wanted to make a career, but he saw no hope in Jianye because there were too many people above him.
Now my brother is seriously ill and is about to die, which makes me even more anxious.
Seeing that Zu Ti was silent, he said, "Brother, why not go and seek refuge..."
Zu Ti shook his head slightly.
"Brother!" Zu Yue was so angry that his face turned red. He only said, "Brother, you are thinking about the people in Jianye, but do they think about you? Wang Dao only knows how to dance with long sleeves, but he has been dancing for so many years and just treats you as a handy knife. What virtue and ability does Bian Xu have? How can he be above you? In the past, Wang Dun was even more mediocre in talent, but he was able to command the powerful army of Jingzhou. In this world, family background is still the key. We Yan people are the ones who suffer in Jianye." Zu Ti closed his eyes and was unwilling to say more.
"Alas!" Zu Yue sighed again, feeling angry but unable to vent it.
"After I die--" Zu Ti on the couch suddenly spoke.
Zu Yue was stunned.
"You lead the army well." Zu Ti said, "If you have the chance in the future, bring my coffin back to Fanyang and bury it in the orchard where you and I used to play when we were young."
Zu Yue’s eyes immediately turned red and he stood there in a daze, not knowing what to say.
******
It was getting dark, and Wang Dao, Wang Yue, and his son Wang Tian were sitting in the yard drinking tea.
Wang Dao's expression was indifferent, neither sad nor happy.
Wang Yue looked pale and frail.
Wang Tian seemed to have just finished a bath, with her hair disheveled in front of her father and brother, but she acted as if nothing had happened and did not feel it was rude at all.
"Da Lang, can you still hold on?" After drinking a few sips of tea, Director Wang looked at his eldest son Wang Yue and asked with some pity.
"After the death of the Crown Prince, all my plans came to nothing." Wang Yue sighed and said, "Back then, I had a close relationship with the Crown Prince and was his confidant. I don't know how many people I offended because of this. But who would have thought that life is so unpredictable, alas."
Wang Dao also sighed.
He was on good terms with Langya Wang Rui, while his eldest sons Wang Yue and Wang Changyu were on good terms with the crown prince Sima Shao.
He knew that there were too many sword fights and too many open and secret struggles.
It was hard for outsiders to imagine how much energy the eldest son had spent during this period, and this also caused his already weak body to deteriorate further. Although he was only in his twenties, he actually had some silver hair on his head.
He had never complained to him before, and only revealed a few words today because he was feeling upset.
As for why his mood was wavering, it was actually very simple. The news that Shao Xun had captured Chang'an had spread to Jianye.
Wang Dao still remembers the changes in expressions of everyone in the shogunate at that time.
The scholars who crossed the river early were dejected, the scholars who crossed the river late had gloomy faces, and the native tribes of Jiangdong were extremely anxious.
As for Prince Langya, he has not yet recovered from the pain of losing his son and is more confused.
In the end, it was Leader Wang who came out to comfort everyone, mentioning that the northerners had not adapted to the climate and soil when they marched south, and that at least 50,000 of the 100,000 soldiers had died of illness, and that the war could still be fought. Only then did everyone's morale improve.
But my family knows their own affairs.
If Shao's troops marched south, many would surely die of disease, but could disease alone completely stop the northern troops from marching south? The answer is obvious.
"Father." Wang Yue suddenly said, "In a few days, we have to visit the great families in Wuzhong. Most of them are unwilling to surrender. As long as they support us, Jiangdong will not be so easy to be conquered."
Director Wang nodded slightly.
Wang Tian listened for a long time and suddenly laughed, saying, "Every time the northern troops marched south, there were always people who discussed surrendering. It was like this during the time of Cao Mengde and Shao Xun. It's really ridiculous."
"Shut up!" Director Wang couldn't help but scold.
I don’t know why, but I get so angry every time I see this son.
Sometimes he did nothing wrong or said nothing wrong, but Wang Dao was still angry. The reason for this may be related to his carefree appearance all year round.
He was arrogant, frivolous, and fond of martial arts, which made many people laugh at him and caused him to lose face.
Compared with Erlang, the eldest son has a gentle and calm temperament. He is filial to his parents, polite to others, and cautious in speaking. When he is sent to the side of the late prince, he is able to deal with the hidden arrows from all directions and do his job calmly without making any mistakes.
What a huge difference there is between the two!
After scolding his second son, Wang Dao looked at his eldest son and said, "Da Lang, besides contacting the native tribes in Jiangnan, do you have any other suggestions?"
Wang Yue shook his head and said, "Jiangnan is incapable of advancement and can only try its best to protect itself. The only plan now is for us to unite as one, use the Yangtze and Huaihe Rivers as a barrier, use the navy as a stronghold, and firmly defend Huaiyin, Shouchun, Xiangyang and other places, and wait for the right time."
"Shao Xun conquered Chang'an, and he was very proud of himself. But the Xiongnu was defeated suddenly, and Tuoba was not subdued. I expect that there will be some rebellion in these two places. If he leads all his troops to the south, he will worry about a fire in his backyard, just like when Ma Chao and Han Sui started an uprising in Guanzhong."
"Also, if he rushes to usurp the throne, he will lose the support of the people and there may be rebellion in the country. If the southern expedition fails, more people will rise up in rebellion. Even if the rebellion is finally quelled, the country's strength will be greatly weakened and people's hearts will be in turmoil. It will be difficult for him to march south again in the short term. He is already 39 years old. In another 10 years, he will be old and his ambitions will be gone. What he thinks about is no longer unifying the country, but how to pass the throne to his son."
"The soldiers of the Liaodong Murong clan are strong and brave, and they admire the king's teachings. Perhaps we can send an envoy to the north by sea to make contact with them and use them as a deterrent."
Wang Yue said a lot in one breath, but the core idea was only one, which was to wait.
First stabilize your own position, and then wait for Shao to make a mistake, or simply wear him down until he loses his ambition.
After all, he is almost forty years old. Once the dynasty changes, his top priority will not be to unify the world, but how to pass on the throne smoothly and safely.
In short, Shao Zei at fifty is very different from Shao Ze at forty, let alone sixty - if he can live to that age.
It is possible to succeed by "waiting for the enemy to defeat themselves".
After hearing this, Wang Dao didn't say much, but just sighed: "I didn't expect that the little scholar back then would soar to the sky."
(End of this chapter)