Jiuxi

Chapter 886 884 [Dingnan]

For Lu Chen, the Imperial Garden located in the northwest of the imperial palace is a very unique place.

Here he had heard Li Duan's unparalleled heroism when he was seriously ill. That secret conversation between the emperor and his ministers not only laid the foundation for the great victory in Yongqiu, but also made Lu Chen truly admire an emperor.

It was also here that he and Li Zongben parted ways unpleasantly. The rift between the monarch and his subject became wider and wider, and finally could no longer be repaired, causing Li Zongben to go further and further down the road of no return.

To this day, the layout of the garden remains the same, but there are no traces of the original style.

In the Moon-Viewing Pavilion, Empress Dowager Ning stood by the railing, calmly looking at the slightly desolate scenery of late autumn.

Lu Chen stood in a proper position nearby.

Outside the pavilion there were palace servants led by Yuan Yuji, as well as female officials headed by Ruolan. They were a little further away, and no matter how sensitive their ears were, they could not hear the conversation between the two nobles.

After an unknown amount of time, Queen Dowager Ning withdrew her gaze, turned around and sat down at the stone table, raised her eyes to Lu Chen and said, "Prince, please sit down."

Lu Chen hesitated slightly.

During this period, he had a seat at all meetings in the palace, and unless important civil and military officials were present, he should not act too independently.

He was accustomed to sitting and facing the current official master of the country, but that was either in the spacious imperial study or in the majestic palace. The distance between the monarch and his subjects was very clear, not just separated by a table like now.

At this distance, with Lu Chen's eyesight, he could even see the details of Empress Dowager Ning's elegant makeup.

Empress Dowager Ning was naturally aware of the concerns of the young prince, and smiled and said, "Sit down. You are the emperor's teacher, how can I not respect you?"

The veiled reminder made Lu Chen's heart move slightly, so he bowed and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for the seat."

Empress Dowager Ning was inspired and said: "The blessing of the prince is enough to make the world envy him."

Lu Chen said calmly: "I am where I am today because of the respect and trust of the royal family."

"That's not what I'm talking about."

Queen Mother Ning said calmly, "I heard that the princess is a well-known master in the martial arts world at such a young age? It is said that there is a martial arts ranking, and she is already ranked in the top ten. It is really impressive."

Lu Chen gradually came to his senses and said with a smile: "Your Majesty, this is just a joke by a commoner."

Queen Mother Ning said, "Although it's just a joke, it can also prove that the prince is very lucky. Even the person next to him can provide a lot of help. No wonder you have always been able to achieve unexpected achievements over the years. Princess Lin not only has excellent martial arts, but her Seven Star Gang and Seven Star Army have also made great contributions to Da Qi. The two concubines, Li and Wang, have their own strengths and are very affectionate to you. Now there is also the daughter of Luo Yaozong of Shazhou. Although the marriage was proposed by Luo Yaozong, I can see that Miss Luo has long been determined to marry you."

Luo Jiujiu, Na Yan and others set out for Shazhou a few days ago to prepare their dowry. Empress Dowager Ning had only met her once, but with her experience and vision, she could naturally see through Luo Jiujiu's thoughts.

Lu Chen was a little unsure at this moment, not knowing what Empress Dowager Ning was up to.

The Zhailin Wang family behind Wang Chulong, the Jingzhou border army behind Li Bingxue, and the seven tribes of Shazhou represented by Luo Jiujiu are indeed forces that cannot be ignored, but the tone of Empress Dowager Ning did not sound fearful. On the contrary, it gave Lu Chen a strange feeling.

What he didn't expect was that the next moment, Queen Mother Ning said gently: "I have a niece, who is only seventeen years old, gentle, well-educated and well-mannered. Although she is not stunningly beautiful, she has a good character. I wonder if the prince would like to meet her?"

Lu Chen's expression was very interesting. He said awkwardly: "Your Majesty, your subject...your subject..."

This was the first time he showed such an awkward attitude in front of Empress Dowager Ning, no longer as calm and composed as usual.

Empress Dowager Ning asked half-seriously, "Could it be that the prince doesn't like my niece?"

"How dare I be so presumptuous?"

Lu Chen collected his thoughts and said sincerely, "Your Majesty, I am grateful for your kindness, but I have already promised my family that there will be no new people in the harem."

Queen Mother Ning looked at him meaningfully and said with a smile, "I will remember what the prince said."

Lu Chen bowed his head slightly and said, "I dare not deceive you."

"It's just a joke, don't take it seriously, Prince."

Queen Dowager Ning calmly stopped the topic and asked, "Regarding the various preparations for the national war, does the prince have any suggestions for filling in the gaps?"

Lu Chen thought for a moment and replied, "Thanks to your majesty's trust, the current situation is very good. The officials in various ministries are all capable officials. I have no objection."

"it is good."

Queen Mother Ning was silent for a moment, then said softly, "When you leave the capital the day after tomorrow, I will not see you off, but I will use this cup of tea to wish you a safe journey. When the war breaks out in the future, the prince can rest assured to lead the army at the border. I and the officials in the court will be the strongest backing for you and the border troops."

She stretched out her hand and lifted the teacup, her white fingers exerting a little force.

Lu Chen stood up, drank the tea in the cup, and said seriously: "Your Majesty, please take care of yourself. I will never let the enemy succeed."

"I believe you."

Queen Mother Ning also stood up, looked him in the eyes and said, "The safety of the Great Qi is in my hands, my dear."

Lu Chen put down the teacup and bowed.

Then he respectfully took his leave. Queen Mother Ning looked at his departing figure, standing by the railing, with a hint of melancholy in her eyes.

It would be great if such a minister could always be a loyal minister of the Great Qi.

……

September 23rd, the second year of Dingzheng in the Great Qi Dynasty.

The Prince's Mansion of Huai'an was filled with distinguished guests.

Because Lu Chen was about to return to the frontier with his family in the north, some important officials came to see him off.

The military heroes included Duke of Rong Xiao Wangzhi, commander of the Brave Camp Li Jingda, commander of the Jinwu Camp Chen Lanyu, and even Duke of Wei Li Tianrun came despite his illness. They were accompanied by Li Chengen, commander of the Dingbei Army, Huangfu Yu, deputy commander of the Feiyu Army, and Ye Jitong, commander of the Ruishi Camp.

Several civil officials also came, including Hanlin scholar Wang An, Imperial Censor Yao Chong and Minister of Revenue Gao Huan. Lu Chen also personally invited the two prime ministers Xue Nanting and Xu Zuo.

The atmosphere at the table was harmonious and relaxed, and under Lu Chen's deliberate guidance, there was no sense of sadness at the impending separation.

At 2:00 p.m., the banquet ended and the important ministers left one after another. Lu Chen personally saw them off to the gate.

Back to the side hall of the front house, there were two distinguished guests drinking tea.

Because there are two prime ministers present tonight, and drinking is not advisable during the national mourning period, Lu Chen is very sober at the moment.

Xiao Wangzhi glanced at Li Tianrun, who looked calm, and smiled at Lu Chen, "I didn't expect you would invite Xue and Xu here."

Lu Chen personally poured tea for them, then sat down and said, "It's not to hide the truth. In fact, the ministers in the court must have realized it by now. Uncle Wang and Gao Huan are my people, and so is Li Jingda. I did this to reassure the two prime ministers. After all, we are facing a powerful enemy. If our own people continue to fight, it will definitely benefit the king and ministers of Jingguo in the end."

Li Tianrun coughed lightly, turned to look at Lu Chen, and asked directly: "How sure are you?"

This question goes to the core.

After a brief silence, Lu Chen said calmly: "From the current situation, at most 40%."

Li Tianrun said, "Forty percent is not less."

Xiao Wangzhi also nodded and said, "The Dai Kingdom has probably surrendered by now, and the Emperor Jing will not kill them all. He just wants to ensure that the Dai Kingdom can no longer threaten the rear of the Jing Kingdom. From this point of view, the Emperor Jing's intention is very clear. At most in half a year, when the Jing army completes the final adjustment, he will definitely lead the army to the south with the whole country's strength. According to my and Brother Li's inference, the Jing army can at least send out 500,000 troops this time, and perhaps there will be some spare strength."

Lu was silent.

Li Tianrun took over the conversation and said, "You have 130,000 Dingzhou troops under your command. With the help of Jingzhou, Liu Shouguang can probably gather 80,000 combat-ready soldiers. Add the 30,000 soldiers brought by Zhang Xu and the more than 40,000 Jinwu Camp led by Chen Lanyu, and the total number can probably reach 300,000. With such a huge disparity in military strength, you still have 40% confidence. It's really not easy."

Lu Chen said slowly: "I talked to the Queen Mother a few days ago. The Minister of War Chen Xincai has already started recruiting soldiers. When it is absolutely necessary, Li Jingda's brave camp and even the imperial guards led by Shen Yulai must be prepared to go north."

"The difference in military strength is one thing, but Brother Xiao and I are more worried about the enemy you will face."

Li Tianrun looked solemn and said frankly: "Lu Chen, you are indeed gifted in leading troops in battle. Brother Xiao and I are no longer as good as you in leading troops, but you must not underestimate the enemy. Don't underestimate Qing Yugong just because of the great victory in Yongqiu."

Lu Chen looked at the two men with concerned eyes and nodded, "Don't worry, I won't make this mistake. Regarding the Battle of Yongqiu, I never thought it was my credit for commanding. It was Emperor Gaozong, my father-in-law, and Uncle Xiao who took the trouble to plan and set the stage for me. I only relied on your help to defeat Qing Yugong."

"There is no need to belittle oneself."

Xiao Wangzhi slowed down his tone and said gently, "Qing Yugong is not invincible, but this time is different from the past. He will no longer have anyone to hinder him from behind, and there is someone who controls the overall situation for him."

"Emperor Jing?"

Lu Chen thought about it carefully and said hesitantly: "I remember that he should have no experience in commanding large-scale battles before?"

Xiao Wangzhi and Li Tianrun looked at each other, then said with a sigh: "When Emperor Jing ascended the throne, he quickly took control of the situation and tortured those Jinglian nobles to a point where their lives were worse than death. Do you know why he has such prestige?"

"Uncle Xiao, please teach me."

"This is actually my private analysis with Brother Li, but it should be correct. After General Yang died unjustly, the Jinglian army broke through the Jinghe defense line in just two months, and finally broke through Heluo City with an overwhelming force. On the surface, this was due to the proper command of Qing Yugong's father Qing Yuding, but just over a year after the fall of Heluo, Qing Yuding was defeated in Mengshan, and Brother Li wiped out more than 10,000 Jingjun's elite vanguards in one battle. The difference between the two is so great that it is enough to show that Qing Yuding is not worthy of his reputation."

After hearing this narration, Lu Chen couldn't help but frown.

When he had just joined the army, he had heard about the great victory at Mengshan, and he also knew that Qing Yuding died of depression because of this disastrous defeat. When Li Tianrun defended the city to the death in the Battle of Yongqiu, he used the hatred for his father's murder to lure Qing Yugong into the trap.

A guess suddenly occurred to him, and he looked at the two elders and said, "Could it be that more than 20 years ago, the real commanders of the Jing army were Emperor Jing and Qing Yugong? Qing Yuding was only the nominal commander?"

Xiao Wangzhi nodded.

Li Tianrun said softly, "Emperor Jing is not ignorant of military affairs, but as the emperor of Jing, he has more things to do. In addition, Qing Yugong is good at using troops and can help Jing expand its territory, so he will be at ease with politics. You can force these two people to join forces again after more than 20 years, which is enough to make us proud, so we hope that you know yourself and the enemy, so that you can continue to win the battle."

Lu Chen's mind was full of thoughts, but there was no fear on his face, only a calm and resolute look.

Xiao Wangzhi looked at him expectantly and said slowly: "Lu Chen, I am old and my energy is gradually declining. I can't help you share the pressure on the battlefield. But you don't have to worry about Jiangnan and the capital. I will do my best to help you stabilize the overall situation in the rear."

Lu Chen took a deep breath, stood up and faced the two elders who treated him like their own son. He bowed solemnly and said firmly, "Please rest assured, father-in-law and Uncle Xiao, I will never let you down."

(End of this chapter)