Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 1173 Wei Zhanying is going north
Chaoyang

A faint golden tinge appeared on the eastern horizon, casting the silhouettes of countless galloping cavalrymen across the vast and desolate land beyond the Great Wall.

Behind me, the towering walls of Luoyue Pass gradually blurred in the morning light, while ahead lay the Mengjin region.

"My lord, at this pace, we should arrive in Mengjin by noon. I wonder if, if we can reunite the army ahead of time, we should immediately march north?"

Ningbian followed behind on horseback, still somewhat worried. After all, the soldiers had been marching for many days and were exhausted. Although they had had a short rest, they had not had a chance to fully recover. If they encountered the main force of the Jurchens, this battle would be a tough one.

"Of course, we should rest for a night and send out scouts ten miles away from Pingliao City. Only in this way can we solve the problem of the soldiers' exhaustion. Otherwise, we will have to fight to the death. Victory or defeat depends on this battle. But in the chaos of battle, even if we win, it will be a Pyrrhic victory. So, if we want to reduce casualties, we must fight on a large scale and use our superior weapons to kill them."

"Yes, Your subordinate obeys."

Almost all the officers and soldiers, upon receiving the order, dismounted their warhorses and galloped even faster.

Looking back at the capital,

The situation remained calm, but Prince Bei Jing, Shui Rong, and Prince Dong Ping, Mu Shi, submitted memorials together. One was to inspect Runan City in the southern part of the capital, while the other was to inspect the repairs in Shizhou City in Xihe County. After receiving the memorials, the cabinet sent them to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

In the West Warm Pavilion of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the fragrance of ambergris rose and fell in the heavy silence, its strands entwining the mountain of memorials piled up on the sandalwood imperial desk.

The lamplight shone through the bright yellow palace gauze lampshade, casting a warm yellow glow that barely illuminated a corner of the imperial desk. The Empress Wu leaned back in her rosewood armchair, holding the joint memorial from Prince Bei Jing, Shui Rong, and Prince Dong Ping, Mu Shi, at the edge of the lamplight with two slender fingers. The texture of the jade-like Xuan paper and the strength of the ink characters were constantly being touched by her fingertips.

"South of the capital and the West River are both places of chaotic warfare."

A soft whisper echoed faintly in the empty hall. Fingertips lightly traced the words, "Ruzhou City is fortified with troops, and no civilians have returned."
"Xihe Shizhou, the throat of the military town, 'repaired and fortified, with ample provisions'..."

The Emperor's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile, like a cold wind sweeping across an icy surface in the dead of winter.
“They are all clever and resourceful. Dai Quan, what do you think of them? What intelligence do you have from Jingnan?”

Dai Quan stood solemnly. In the past few days, secret letters sent by secret guards from all over the capital had piled up on his desk. The atmosphere was tense everywhere. He thought of how the area south of the capital had been scorched and was now a swamp.

If the floods recede in these areas, the fields that have been dry for many years will become fertile soil after the rain, which will inevitably attract the attention of the rebels. In this case, the rebel army may make a comeback, and the soldiers left behind will be powerless to resist. Qin Yunjiang, the original garrison commander of Lin Yue Prefecture, is still deploying defenses along the Linzhou line, but his troops are insufficient.

"Your Majesty, since the rebels retreated to the three prefectures of Lingnan, there has been no trace of civilians in the area south of the capital. Most of the fleeing civilians have become refugees in various places. Strangely enough, the rainy season in various places this year was delayed by more than a month. Moreover, the area south of the capital is already short of rain, but this month, the rain has been continuous. Now the area south of the capital has become a swamp, and the imperial troops are stationed in an empty city."

The so-called empty city must be one where no people live, and many cities, such as Weizhou and Qinzhou, have long been reduced to ashes by the fire.

Upon hearing Dai Quan's reply, the slight smile on Emperor Wu's face hadn't even faded before a deeper shadow fell upon his brow. For nearly three years, there had been almost no rain; now, however, the rainy season had arrived. This meant that the climate in southern Beijing would return to its former state, or perhaps, further observation was needed.
"It is said that the way of heaven is unpredictable and the earth is capable of bearing things. Perhaps the original people were not virtuous enough, so the way of heaven punished them. Now, most of the people in Jingnan have died and their souls have dissipated, and all cause and effect have been resolved. I don't know if this time, they will really return to their former state or just receive some favor."

"Your Majesty, the drought in the southern part of the capital has existed since ancient times. If there were a solution, the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner once petitioned to divert water from the Grand Canal to Runan, and then along the ancient waterways of Xihe County, into the southern part of the capital, thus connecting the waterways. This would have solved the water shortage problem in the southern part of the capital, but this servant was unaware of it."

A hint of confusion flashed in Dai Quan's eyes. After hesitating for a long while, he finally spoke.
"Since the Sui and Tang dynasties, the Grand Canal has been gradually built and improved. In every dynasty that followed, there was grain transport. The drought in the south of the capital has occurred countless times. Since people today can see the solution, the previous dynasty could also see it. Why didn't they solve this problem? After all, the civil unrest in the south of the capital was not something that happened during the Wu dynasty."

After saying his last words, Dai Quan immediately knelt on the ground. He had sent people to search through the official files and archives many times, but they found nothing. So when the emperor asked, he could only answer one by one.

The Martial Emperor's eyes were sharp. He had already heard about these things. They were truly interesting. Was it that they couldn't do it, or that they dared not do it?

"At that time, the Emperor Emeritus approved the memorial submitted by the former Grand Canal Transport Commissioner. However, due to a corruption case in the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry's funds were embezzled, so the water diversion canal was never completed, which delayed me until now. If we were to start construction again, the court would not have the funds. So be it."

Since it can't be repaired, then don't repair it. Jingnan is still a chaotic place. Unless the rebel sect is wiped out, the most important thing now is to train the government troops.

Just thinking,

Suddenly, hurried footsteps sounded outside. Xiao Yunzi, covered in sweat and carrying a secret box in her arms, walked in with a look of fear on her face. She immediately knelt down when she got close.
"Your Majesty, an urgent message from outside the Jinbei Pass, traveling 800 li."

"what!"

Emperor Wu was startled and his gaze suddenly turned to the newcomer. Dai Quan dared not delay and went over to take the secret box from Xiao Yunzi's arms. Emperor Wu stood up, reached out and tore open the seal, revealing the military intelligence report inside, which was written in a more hasty handwriting. The signature was Liu Fang.

The hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, and the occasional, extremely faint crackling of the candle wick sent a shiver down your spine.

Just as the silence was about to solidify into a colossal rock, the Martial Emperor took out the inner seal and was about to examine it when he suddenly stopped and looked at Dai Quan beside him. Dai Quan was dressed in a python robe and jade belt, his figure somewhat withered, his face deeply lined with wrinkles. The people in the mansion had also aged, but only his old eyes remained sharp.

The Emperor did not look up; his fingertips remained on the rough edge of the sealed box, stroking it slowly, his voice low as he spoke of other things.

"Shui Rong and Mu Shi submitted memorials, one wanting to go to Runan, and the other wanting to go to Shizhou. Dai Quan, regarding the affairs in Jingnan, you have extensive connections; is everything... calm and peaceful?"

The last four words were pronounced very slowly, like a cold wind blowing through everyone's hearts, sending a shiver down their spines.

Dai Quan lowered his head even further, a few strands of gray hair falling across his forehead, his voice as gentle as a breeze across a deep pool, each word clear and distinct:
"Your Majesty, in the prefectures south of the capital, only the garrison is present on the surface; the common people dare not venture south now, but..."

He paused slightly, as if weighing the weight of his words.
"According to a report from the Imperial City Guard, the Prince of Beijing's mansion has gathered a lot of refugees and is preparing to go to the outskirts of Runan City to occupy land for farming. Even the key intersection of Shizhou City is being cultivated outside the city."

The Northern Prince's Mansion did not try to hide these matters from people, and the news was not difficult to find out.

“Reclaiming wasteland for farming, that is indeed strange. Although Xihe County is crisscrossed by waterways and has many mountains and rivers, it is the largest county in terms of land area. Where can’t we find arable land?”

The Empress snorted softly, casually tossing the joint memorial in her hand back onto the imperial desk with a low thud. Was it that she couldn't, or that she didn't want to?
"Shui Rong certainly knows how to pick a place. Runan has fertile land and is far from the capital, so the scenery must be quite nice. Mu Shi went to Runan to supervise the construction of the city, which can be considered diligent. But it is rare for these two to be together."

Finally, his tone shifted abruptly, his gaze sharp and penetrating the warm fragrance wafting through the hall. "You've stayed in the capital for so long without ever going out. Now, although you're in charge of the south, you don't necessarily have to go there."

Dai Quan remained motionless, but a sharp glint flashed in his cloudy eyes, as if he had anticipated the question. His tone remained steady, but his voice quickened:
"Your Majesty is wise. This old servant was also somewhat surprised and sent people to investigate. However, there was something else going on. The fields in Xihe County had long been divided up by gentry and powerful families. In addition, many martial arts sects had established their own sects there and divided up the remaining fertile land. If Prince Bei Jing wanted to gather enough grain, he had no choice but to resort to this desperate measure. After all, there were no gentry or powerful merchants in Runan City to stop him."

The Martial Emperor squinted, only then remembering that Xihe County was a gathering place for martial arts sects. It was said that heroes used their martial arts to break the law, and the troubles that had always occurred in the south of the capital were definitely caused by those sects. He felt a surge of annoyance.
"Since they want to go, let them go. But one thing is certain: we must pay close attention to the affairs of Jingnan. If the cult makes any moves, we must wipe them out."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Dai Quan nodded slightly, then waved to Xiao Yunzi, who quickly retreated. Thus, the Hall of Mental Cultivation fell silent again, with only the Martial Emperor looking through the urgent documents in his hands.

The closer it gets to the end, the more anxious I get.
Combined with the letter sent back by Marquis Luoyun, it's clear that the Empress is deeply worried about the safety of the northern border. From Luoyue Pass to Mengjin, given the speed at which Marquis Luoyun leads his troops, they should be able to reach Mengjin very soon, join forces with the army outside the pass, and inevitably head north to confront the main Jurchen force. The outcome could be decided in just a few days. Finally, how could news from the Donghu people arrive so quickly at this time?
"Liu Fang sent an urgent message saying that the Donghu people have already gathered their forces in the northern desert and are heading towards the southern desert along the foot of Mount Lu. This time, the Left Wise King is also with them. It seems that they are not here with good intentions."

"Your Majesty, autumn has arrived in the border regions. This is the time when the Hu people are strong and their horses are fat. The Jurchens are advancing westward and have proposed the strategy of 'replacing losses in the north with gains in the west.' Marquis Luoyun has no choice but to fight back. As for Jinbei Pass, we will stick to the strategy of holding our ground and not venturing out, even if it is a war of attrition. In Zhongshan County, 100,000 troops have already been trained. The Cabinet is preparing to send Vice Minister of War Wei Zhanying to supervise the training. With the addition of troops from various counties, dealing with the north will not be a problem."

These are all old issues. The border troops of the nine northern provinces have already been deployed. Even if the Donghu people attack again, they will surely be defeated and there is nothing to worry about.

"It's not a problem."

The Emperor murmured to himself, his gaze falling on the map to the east. With Liu Fang and the others there, this pass would certainly not fall.
"Good! That's the kind of stability we need. Have the Ministry of Revenue prepare the funds and provisions to send to Jinbei Pass. Then mobilize the troops from various prefectures and counties to replenish them. Leave the 100,000 new troops in Zhongshan Prefecture for now and urge Wei Zhanying to intensify the training. Otherwise, have Hu Le, the Commandant of Hongnong, and He Yong, the Colonel of Sizhou, lead troops there together to train."

"The slave obeys the order."

Dai Quan bowed and accepted the order, his body relaxing instantly, like a taut bow.

However, the moment Dai Quan's voice fell, the approval on the Emperor's face vanished as quickly as the tide receded, leaving only a cold, metallic look. The threat from the Donghu people could not be ignored.

The Empress slowly raised her gaze and it fell on the brown-stained box.

"Right Wise King Qietihou is an old rival, but why is Left Wise King Yizhihuye also coming this time? I heard that this person is a descendant of the royal court."

The air in the hall seemed to tighten instantly, as if gripped by an invisible giant hand. Dai Quan remained silent for a moment before speaking again.

“Your Majesty, that Left Wise King has always been somewhat mysterious. Whether he is a descendant of the royal court is still up in the air. It is also unclear why he came here this time. However, the four strategic passes in the north are simply places heavily guarded by the imperial army. Only by breaking through these places can one enter the pass, but that should be impossible.”

Even after meeting the Empress, Dai Quan was still uneasy, so he could only offer more explanations. Of course, there were two other routes: one was to head straight for the pass, but the pass was blocked by the Yunshan Mountains, so a detour was needed; the other was to go through the Western Regions and then follow the Hexi Corridor to break into the northwest. However, the Western Regions were controlled by the Xianbei people, and the Western King guarded the key routes, so it was impossible. This was strange.

"You also find it strange? I also think so. Over the years, many who have been besieged here have been buried here. It's the same every year. They come to attack the city every year. I wonder if the Donghu people might be thinking of finding another way to bypass the pass and enter the pass?"

Empress Wu no longer looked at anyone. Since experiencing the chaos in Jingnan, she had gained some experience in military affairs. Although she did not have the key to troop deployment, she could still clearly see the gains and losses in a certain place.

“Your Majesty, this old servant has also noticed something amiss. If we don’t enter the pass through the border, we can only detour through the outside or the northwest. But both of these routes are not only long and difficult to navigate, but also difficult to advance through. Therefore, this old servant believes that the Donghu people’s thoughts are still focused on these passes, and perhaps there are accomplices within them.”

At this point, the Emperor's eyes lit up. This was the only explanation, since Pingliao City outside the pass had fallen into enemy hands precisely because of this.

But it's hard to guess who might be colluding with the enemy.
"Have Wei Zhanying lead 5,000 soldiers from Hongnong Prefecture and 5,000 soldiers from Sizhou Prefecture, along with officials from the Ministry of War, to inspect Jinbei Pass and secretly investigate this matter. Tell Wei Zhanying to act in secrecy."

"Yes, Your Majesty, this old servant obeys the decree."

Before Dai Quan could finish speaking, the next moment, the Empress returned to her desk, sat down, picked up a brush, and with a cold, icy touch, began to write.
"All my soldiers must remember the hatred of our nation and our families! Those who are cowardly and refuse to advance shall be killed! Those who abandon the city and flee shall be killed! Those who spread rumors and mislead the masses shall be killed! The three armies shall fight to the death, and every inch of land shall be fought for! If the Jinbei Pass is lost, all officers below the rank of Langjiang shall be killed. This is my decree!"

The brushstrokes flowed like dragons and snakes, penetrating the white silk with force. Each character was as if carved by a knife and axe, carrying a chilling aura of killing. The three shocking characters for "kill" were especially vivid, with ink dripping down as if drops of crimson blood were about to roll off the silk. Finally, the two characters "Imperial Decree" were written, and the Emperor Wu suddenly threw down the brush!

The imperial purple-haired brush, like a broken arrow, crashed onto the imperial desk, rolled to the ground, its tip snapped, and ink splattered.

"Give the imperial decree to the cabinet and have Wei Zhanying carry it out. Immediately issue the order!"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

As imperial edicts were issued in all directions, the capital city was in turmoil even more in the dark of night.

Cabinet ministers,

The person on duty this time was Grand Secretary Lu Wenshan, and those sitting in order were people from the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Personnel, including Shen Zhongxin, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.

On the table,

The Emperor's edict was already laid out, and Grand Secretary Lu had re-signed it, having one copy handed to Wei Zhanying, the Vice Minister of War, by the official serving him.

"Wei Zhanying, the cabinet's decision to send you to Zhongshan County to train troops is a last resort. This is the first time the cabinet has intervened in local military training with 100,000 troops. The emperor has decreed that Hu Le, the magistrate of Hongnong, and He Yong, the garrison commander of Sizhou, accompany you. That was the original plan."

It is unknown where Grand Secretary Lu obtained a secret letter, which he then had someone hand to Wei Zhanying, and continued speaking;

"There is also a secret decree from the Emperor for you. You can read it after you arrive in Zhongshan County. It also allows you to mobilize 5,000 troops from Yong and other places. I think this trip will not be safe. The north is bitterly cold, and only provisions can keep those arrogant and fierce generals in check. Therefore, I have discussed with Gu Yichen that the supplies from the capital will be left for you to take with you. You can act as you see fit."

After briefly explaining, he turned his gaze to Shen Zhongxin, the Vice Minister of Revenue. Shen Zhongxin, of course, did not look away, but clasped his hands in a gesture of respect.

"Your Excellency, the Ministry of Revenue has already prepared the pay and provisions. The provisions will be transported by water and will be waiting at the wharf near Hongzhou City on the Grand Canal in Zhongshan County. The other pay, about 600,000 taels, will be sent to Mingzhou City ahead of the army. There is also about 500,000 taels of treasury silver from Zhongshan County that needs to be escorted to the capital. This will also be left for Lord Wei to use to train the 100,000-strong army."

These words were Shen Zhongxin's intention. According to the regulations of the court, the border troops' pay was reduced by 30% before leaving the capital. If the court officials themselves needed to use it, this 30% would be waived.

"Very well, then thank you for your kind intentions, Lord Shen. Zhongshan County is a major county in the north, with three prefectures: Qing, Hong, and Ming. In addition, the county seat connects the north and south, making it a strategic location that is contested by military strategists. Therefore, after the cabinet decided to train troops, I insisted on training troops in Zhongshan County. This time, the Donghu army has already marched south, and the court does not have much time left. I think we should set off tomorrow."

Wei Zhanying had a heroic air about him and was decisive in his actions. He was swift and efficient, and since he had the authority of the cabinet and the emperor, he could not afford to delay any longer.

"Alright, since you have this intention, I will not stop you. Tomorrow morning, head north immediately. When you leave the city, go through Hongnong City. Hu Le will arrange troops to accompany you."

Lu Wenshan signed the memorial, looked up, and nodded in satisfaction. With this, the northern border was no longer a worry.

(End of this chapter)