The Second Master of the Red Chamber

Chapter 728 Competition

Just as the emperor's messengers were pouring out from all directions, Jia Lian was under tremendous mental pressure.

On the top of the towering mountain, a few gray pigeons flew out quietly under the cover of dusk.

They flapped their wings and followed the memory they had developed over the past few months, and easily flew into a royal garden in the west.

That night, several fast horses scattered out, and one of them rushed directly into the camp of the Firearms Battalion.

"Get out of here, everyone! I want to see the Marquis of Zhenyuan! If you delay something important, you won't be able to pay for it even with ten heads!"

The officers and soldiers who stayed behind in the Firearms Battalion looked gloomy.

Since when did a eunuch dare to come to the military camp to show off his power?

Several people pulled the eunuch off his horse and arrested him without any explanation.

After all, this eunuch was not carrying any weapon, nor did he seem to be looking for trouble. Moreover, the eunuch's clothing seemed to be of some level.

The leading officer said in a cold voice: "The Marquis is not in the camp. If you really have urgent information, we can pass it on to Captain Su for you, and he will make the decision."

"What a rebellion! What a bullshit commander! The one we want to see is the Marquis of Zhenyuan. Apart from him, no one else is qualified to accept this secret order!"

Hearing the word "secret order", the officers and soldiers of the Firearm Battalion finally became serious. They quickly loosened the old eunuch's control and hurried to inform Su Keguang who stayed behind in the camp.

Su Keguang was poached by Jia Lian from the former Shenjiying.

The Firearm Battalion is a small battalion and does not have a deputy commander, so the fourth-rank captain is considered Jia Lian's deputy.

When he learned that an old eunuch had come with a secret decree, he dared not neglect him and hurried out to greet him.

The old eunuch still spoke in the same tone and would not speak until Jia Lian came.

Although Su Keguang didn't know as much as Jie Jun, he still knew about the changes that had occurred in the capital and Tiewang Mountain.

Moreover, he had also noticed Jia Lian's abnormal behavior today. Just now, Jia Lian had transferred most of the soldiers in the camp, and even the artillery was being moved out of the warehouse, which also made Su Keguang feel something was wrong.

Therefore, even though the old eunuch looked down on him, Su Keguang didn't care. After asking for his opinion, he even immediately arranged for someone to take him to see Jia Lian.

……

On a hilltop only ten miles away from Tiewang Mountain.

Jia Lian stood here, holding a Western telescope, looking at the mountains in the distance.

In his field of vision, he could clearly see the twinkling sparks stretching and undulating among the mountains.

He knew that each ray of fire might represent a battalion of soldiers.

Speaking of which, knowing that a battle that could affect the future and fate of an empire was taking place right next to him, and he, holding a weapon, could only watch from afar, it was really not a pleasant experience for him, who always regarded himself as a man with destiny.

"My lord, there is someone asking to see you at the foot of the mountain. He is a eunuch who claims to be the manager of Lingquan Villa. He said he has a secret decree to present to you!" Jie Jun came to Jia Lian's side and reported in a low voice.

Lingquan Villa?

Jia Lian felt vaguely that the name sounded familiar, and when he heard the word "secret order", he suddenly thought of something.

He immediately threw the telescope into the hands of his personal soldier, turned around and strode away.

Jia Lian saw the old eunuch in the temporary commander's tent at the foot of the mountain.

He looked to be in his fifties or sixties, with an arrogance that was difficult to conceal on his face.

However, after confirming his identity, the old eunuch suppressed his arrogance, rushed to him immediately, and said sadly: "My Lord, the Crown Prince is plotting treason and committing rebellion. Now the Emperor is in danger, I hope you will lead the troops to rescue him immediately!"

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian remained silent and gave a look to his left and right. Except for a few people including Li Jun, all other guards withdrew.

"You said the Crown Prince was plotting treason and wanted to harm Your Majesty. What evidence do you have?"

"This……"

"The Crown Prince raised troops to surround Tiewang Mountain, cutting off traffic inside and outside. The Emperor's secret decree was only delivered to the servants via carrier pigeons.

The emperor has ordered that the Marquis lead all the soldiers of the Firearm Battalion to rush to the Iron Net Mountain. If you delay, something bad will happen. This is an emergency, so the Marquis must not delay. Otherwise, if something happens to the emperor, you and I will be blamed for our death..."

The old eunuch became more and more anxious as he spoke, but Jia Lian just stared at him coldly.

Xie Jun said, "You said this was His Majesty's secret order. What evidence can you produce? To tell you the truth, we have already caught a group of bold lunatics who used the name of the retired emperor to defraud others.

Now you are saying that it is His Majesty's will, but how do you know that it is not a scheme of the villains?

Before our Lord left the capital, he was ordered to station troops outside the Iron Net Mountain to protect the safety of the two saints. Now you want us to withdraw our troops and attack the mountain. If something goes wrong, who can take up this responsibility?"

"This……"

The old eunuch was speechless for a moment, looking at Jia Lian and the generals under his command, all of whom were looking at him coldly.

He suddenly slapped his head, frantically took out something from his arms, and stammered, "This was given to me by the steward. He said that His Majesty once said that as long as the Marquis sees this jade pendant, he will know what to do!"

While Xie Jun and others were still wondering what could have such a miraculous effect, Jia Lian suddenly stood up from his seat.

……

At the turn of spring and summer, the night breeze blows gently.

Hundreds of torches illuminated the night sky.

However, apart from the unpleasant smell of burning kerosene and the slight rustling sound of the flames caused by the wind, the world was eerily quiet.

Jia Lian rode his white horse and walked slowly to the front of the three thousand musketeers.

  After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke:

"Some people say that the Firearms Battalion is just a means for me, Jia Lian, to curry favor with His Majesty. They don't practice archery or swords, and they are doomed to be a bunch of weaklings on the battlefield. Do you agree with this statement?"

The musketeers had no idea what the abdication or mutiny was, nor did they know why they had to be gathered together so late at night.

  However, they are soldiers and belong to the Imperial Guard. They also have their own pride. How could they be willing to be called cowards?

If these words had not come from the mouth of their most respected commander, they would have taken out the weapons on their backs and forced him to say it again at gunpoint.

After a brief uproar, many soldiers of the Musketeer Army loudly responded in disapproval.

Although the voices came one after another, they undoubtedly expressed their anger.

"Some people also say that each battalion of the Imperial Guard has more than 10,000 soldiers, but the Firearms Battalion has only a few thousand. Moreover, it has not experienced any baptism of war. Although it has a set of impressive equipment, it is just a decoration and is not worthy of being compared with the other six battalions of the Imperial Guard.

Do you accept this statement? "

"Not convinced!!"

This time, the three thousand voices suddenly became one, and the earth-shaking roar seemed to pierce through the clouds in the night sky.

"very good.

At this moment, the Second Emperor led the royal family and ministers to hunt in Tiewang Mountain. However, the Crown Prince took the opportunity to raise an army and surrounded the palace of the Second Emperor, attempting to rebel.

I have received a secret order from Your Majesty, ordering me to go into the mountains to serve the King.

Everyone, do you dare to go up the mountain with me to rescue me?"

Jia Lian's words inevitably caused a commotion.

But the lower-level soldiers have no idea about the intrigues and twists and turns.

They also have no way to distinguish the truth from falsehood of the words of those in power.

They just need to know who they trust and who they are working for!

"I am willing to follow you till death!"

One person roared, and the three armies followed suit.

"I am willing to follow you till death!"

"We are all willing to follow you till death!"

"We are all willing to follow the Marquis till death!!!"

The roar was so loud that it could be heard from miles away.

Under the cover of night, Jia Lian's face also showed an obvious blush.

He raised his arm and all the sounds stopped.

"Okay! Since you all have this courage, then tonight will be the battle for the Firearm Battalion to establish itself, and it will also be the time for people like you and me to become famous!

Tonight, we will use the corpses of the rebels to tell everyone that not only are we the best in the Guards in terms of equipment and food, but we are also the best in terms of combat effectiveness.

After tonight, I, Jia Lian, will let everyone in the world know that the Firearm Battalion is the strongest army in the world!"

"My Lord is mighty!"

……

On the wide road, thousands of soldiers from the Firearms Battalion held torches and slowly approached Tiewang Mountain like a winding dragon.

Jia Lian was fully armed and rode in front on horseback.

Marching and fighting is no joke. Moreover, there are tens of thousands of enemy and our own troops on Tiewang Mountain, and it is night time. If we are not careful, the whole army may be wiped out.

Therefore, Jia Lian naturally did not rashly lead his three or four hundred cavalrymen to attack Tiewang Mountain at night. That would be too arrogant.

His trump card was still the three hundred Zhenyuan cannons built at great expense.

It will take time to move those things to Tiewang Mountain.

Looking at the mountains getting closer and closer, Jia Lian's heart was still in turmoil. He never expected that Emperor Ning Kang would send him a secret order in this way.

The jade pendant that the old eunuch brought tonight was none other than the one that Emperor Ning Kang had given him.

Jia Lian still remembered that when Emperor Ningkang gave him this piece of jade, he once said that this jade was what he wore when he was in the palace, and there were two pieces in the same set.

At that time, he did not guess the intention of Emperor Ning Kang, but tonight, it was like an epiphany.

  Emperor Ningkang was surprisingly so shrewd and cunning. Could it be that he knew that today's change would happen, so he left a backup plan in advance?

No, Emperor Ning Kang may not know about what happened today.

  He did this just to prepare for a rainy day. He left a talisman on his body, a talisman that could be used to easily mobilize the troops in the future!

Sure enough, not everyone can be a good emperor.

Yes, Jia Lian has decided to side with Emperor Ning Kang.

It was not only because Emperor Ning Kang "personally" gave him the order, but also because the old eunuch, after gaining his trust, also provided him with relatively complete intelligence.

At this time on Tiewang Mountain, although the retired emperor and the crown prince seemed to have the upper hand, not only did they surround the palace of Emperor Ningkang, but with the prestige accumulated by the retired emperor over decades, he could easily mobilize troops from all over the country to support the emperor.

  However, how could a passive counterattack that came after realizing the situation belatedly be any match for Emperor Ning Kang’s deliberate planning?

Emperor Ning Kang wanted to make sure this attack was foolproof.

Therefore, although he had deployed enough troops in Tiewang Mountain, he still left many backup plans like his on the periphery.

In fact, as early as several months ago, he started raising carrier pigeons in Lingquan Villa, the royal garden where he used to cool off when he was in seclusion.

This is also what makes Jia Lian admire.

In everything, before thinking about victory, think about failure first.

Emperor Ning Kang had obviously already decided to take action at Tiewang Mountain, so he had thought of all the possibilities in advance.

He even worried that he would be in danger after luring the enemy into a trap, so he left this backup plan. In this way, no matter where he was, he could command all the power in his hands.

At this moment, even if Jia Lian were in Emperor Ning Kang's position, he would think that if he were in Emperor Ning Kang's position, he would find it difficult to be as thorough as Emperor Ning Kang.

"My Lord, a large number of people and horses are emerging on the avenue on the right."

Just when they were just a stone's throw away from Tiewang Mountain, one of his scouts came to report.

Jia Lian immediately ordered the entire army to stop advancing and rode to a high place to inspect.

Sure enough, on the avenue in the distance, there were dense flames, and it was impossible to tell how many people were there at a glance.

The other party seemed to have discovered them as well. Soon, several riders came galloping over, followed by a loud voice:

"Is the one opposite the Jia family's nephew?"

Jia Lian smiled slightly, and also led a few riders forward, stopping a few dozen steps in front of the other party, and bowed and said, "My nephew Jia Lian, I greet Uncle Xie."

“Haha, when I heard that you guys weren’t equipped with swords, spears, or halberds, but everyone was carrying a black thing, I knew it was your people.

How about it, my dear nephew, you are one step behind me."

A rough voice, somewhat complacent.

Jia Lian didn't mind.

He knew long ago that Emperor Ning Kang was not only recruiting his troops this time.

Obviously, the other party also knew of his existence.

"My uncle has led the army for decades and is very skilled in military tactics. As the saying goes, only old ginger can be spicy. Naturally, my nephew dare not compete with my uncle."

"Hahaha……"

Perhaps because Jia Lian's words flattered him, Xie Jing rode his horse directly in front of Jia Lian, looked behind him, and then said with a smile: "Isn't it said that your firearms battalion is the son of His Majesty? Why are there so few people?"

As he spoke, Xie Jing pointed behind him and said, "If time was not insufficient, I could have brought twice as many troops this time! How about a full complement of soldiers and armor, more than 15,000..."

Looking at this old guy showing off in front of him, Jia Lian secretly curled his lips in his heart.

How could he not know that the Southern Camp had less than 30,000 men at most? Moreover, Xie Jing was only a guerrilla general, and he was only ranked third or fourth in the Southern Camp.

With just over 10,000 people, I don’t know how he tricked them into coming here, and there are twice as many as him…

"My uncle is mighty."

"Hahaha……"

Xie Jing laughed heartily again, looking like a harmless rough soldier.

But who would have known that it was this guy who, while drinking this morning, smiled and stabbed his boss' chest with a half-foot-long dagger...

Seeing that Jia Lian didn't seem to like laughing very much, Xie Jing finally stopped laughing.

He glanced at the night sky in the distance, then turned back and said to Jia Lian, "Looking at the situation, Old Zhou and Chu Liang won't be here for a while.

What's more, with the limited military force they have, they can't do much even if they come.

Your Majesty is in a dangerous place now. There is no time to lose. I think we should attack the mountain immediately.

As long as we defeat those idiots in Beidaying, and then join forces with Your Majesty to attack from both inside and outside, we can easily defeat those useless people in the Infantry Camp.

What do you think of this proposal, nephew?"

Jia Lian smiled. Although they knew that there were several troops coming to the rescue, Emperor Ning Kang only asked them to go into the mountains to rescue him, and did not require them to unite before taking action.

Obviously, this old guy was eager to make a contribution, or felt that he had a sure win, so he couldn't wait.

Moreover, although this Xie guy appears to be rough, from what he says, it is clear that he is consciously avoiding the Crown Prince, the Emperor Retired, and even the Cavalry Battalion. It is known that this guy is definitely not as reckless as he appears.

"Since my uncle has such intention, I will certainly follow his will."

"Haha, people say you're a brave guy, and it really is true.

Well, in that case, let's get started right away. Hey, nephew, do you dare to compete with me?"

Jia Lian raised his eyebrows: "How to compare?"

"How about we see who gets up the mountain first?"

When Xie Jing saw that Jia Lian was interested, he immediately smiled maliciously.

People say that Jia Lian is the most talented person in the capital and the most beloved and favored minister of the current emperor.

He wanted to give it a try to see if it was just a facade.

Humph, how would others know that he actually surrendered to Emperor Ning Kang before Jia Lian!

  Why can Jia Lian enjoy glory in front of people, while he can only suffer grievances and hide in the South Camp for many years without seeing the light?

However, he didn't intend to do anything to Jia Lian. From the fact that Emperor Ning Kang thought of asking Jia Lian to rescue him at a critical moment like tonight, it was known that Jia Lian did have some status in Emperor Ning Kang's heart.

  He just wanted to let Jia Lian know that old ginger is really the wisest!

Of course, if Jia Lian was really a fool, he wouldn't mind making fun of him and discrediting him.

Jia Lian laughed earnestly.

"Okay, but I don't know what would happen if my uncle won, or if my nephew won?"

"We are all military commanders, so there is no need to act like sour scholars.

How about this, we are all third-rank officials, and our positions cannot determine our rank... How about this, as long as your nephew goes up the mountain before me, I will never sit above you in the future when you are around, and if I meet you on the road, I will let you go in front. How about that?

In short, I will just follow your lead, hehe."

Haha, this old thing.

He was a second-class man, and a second-...third-class marquis himself, so he never suffered any loss.

"Okay, the same thing will happen if my nephew loses."

"readily!"

Xie Jing laughed and patted Jia Lian on the shoulder, then said, "I arrived a little earlier than you, my nephew, and have already investigated thoroughly.

If the army wants to attack the mountain, there are two more appropriate approaches.

One is in the west and the other is in the southeast.

In my opinion, you and I should attack the mountain from both sides at the same time, so that the enemy cannot take care of both ends, which is the perfect way to attack from both sides.

My nephew has fewer soldiers than I do, so for fairness, let me choose first."

"Since uncle is so kind, I would be disrespectful to refuse.

I will choose the southeast. I heard that the road there is smoother. I don’t have much experience, so I won’t compete with my uncle for the first place. ”

"Hehehe..."

Xie Jing smiled, but in his heart he cursed him as a little rascal.

Is it just because it is flatter? Emperor Ningkang's palace is located on the east side. It is easier to see Emperor Ningkang from that side.

But that was what he had originally planned.

He has an army several times larger than Jia Lian's. If he throws a tough bone to Jia Lian and Jia Lian defeats him in the end, he will lose face.

"In that case, nephew, we'll meet on the mountain!"

"Farewell, uncle."

……