I am a soldier in the border army

Chapter 474 Gongye Jin! The old capital Luoyang!

March 19, the sixty-first year of Taikang.

Gongye Jin led 100,000 armored cavalrymen of the Shen Ce and Tian Ce armies out of Shendu, and then headed eastward to the Eastern Capital Luoyang.

The Great Yong Dynasty was established for more than two thousand years. In fact, in the first thousand years, the name "Divine Capital" was not used for Haojing, but was used to describe this former capital that had long lost its sense of existence.

But this so-called "no sense of existence" is only relative.

As one of the two capitals of Dayong, this ancient and majestic city standing on the bank of Luo River, although it has gone through countless years of baptism and looks a little old and dilapidated, it can still shock all those who see it with their own eyes.

"Whose jade flute is playing in the dark, spreading into the spring breeze all over Luo City——"

March is already early spring.

The warmth brought by the breeze turned the Luoyang Ancient Road green, attracting birds to fly and butterflies to dance among the bushes.

If you don't think about those troubles, this kind of weather is a great time to enjoy the beautiful scenery.

Gongye Jin, who was not wearing armor, lifted the curtain of the chariot and looked toward the ancient and majestic city that stretched between heaven and earth, his expression somewhat dazed.

But soon he frowned.

In sight, a group of ragged refugees seemed to be frightened by this mighty army that seemed to have no end, and they just stood there stiffly on a mound in the distance.

Gongye Jin stared at them for a while, then greeted them lightly.

"Go and bring a few people over to see this general."

Gongye Jin, who knew the behavior of these warriors, thought about it and added another sentence.

"Be careful not to scare them."

Upon hearing the general's order, the guards around him did not hesitate, bowed, accepted the order, and rode away on their horses.

After a moment, he rode back.

Despite Gongye Jin's warning, the ordinary people who were thrown in front of the carriage were still badly hurt.

But they didn't care about the pain in their bodies or their frightened minds, and they knelt down in front of the chariot and begged for mercy.

"Your Excellency, I did not mean to disturb you!"

"It's just that we happened to run into a large army. Please...please give me a chance to live!"

"Yes! We are from a good family! Don't kill us!"

Think about how they left their homes, gave up everything, went through untold hardships, and finally made it here alive.

How unfair would it be if I were to be killed by a noble person for no apparent reason?

Seeing these ants and insignificant people chattering incessantly, some of the guards became dissatisfied.

"Noisy!"

He shouted coldly, and the weapon was already an inch out of its sheath.

As the cold light flashed, it was suppressed by an irresistible gentle force.

"Go back."

Gongye Jin in the carriage spoke in a deep voice, but his tone softened a little when he turned to the refugees.

"Come closer and speak."

The refugees were terrified and dared not move forward.

Only when the guards turned stern again did he crawl forward tremblingly.

Gongye Jin lowered his eyes, looked at them through the curtain of the carriage, and sighed in his heart.

"Where are you from?"

The refugees looked at each other for a while, and seeing that the nobleman really seemed to have no intention of killing them, they answered cautiously.

"My Lord, we are originally from Yingchuan, Yuzhou."

"Because we don't want to follow the thieves, we all fled here."

This "thief" naturally refers to the thief Huang Tian.

Yingchuan in Yuzhou is adjacent to the Sili area where the eastern capital Luoyang is located.

It is reasonable for these people to escape here alive.

So Gongye Jin did not delve into it further. He just remained silent for a while and then continued.

"Since you are from Yingchuan, tell me about the situation there."

"If you can satisfy me, I will definitely reward you generously."

Although he was not a military strategist, he knew that only by knowing both yourself and the enemy can you win every battle.

During this period of time, news about the thief Huang Tian has been coming in continuously.

Gongye Jin had already memorized all the information.

But no matter how clear it is, it is not as intuitive as the parties involved.

Perhaps it was because Gongye Jin offered a generous reward that these people finally became bolder. After someone took the lead, they all rushed to tell their stories in front of Gongye Jin.

It’s just a pity that most of these people fled at the first sign of trouble, and have never actually seen those Huang Tian thieves. Many things they heard were either hearsay or random guesses, so many of their words seemed absurd and confusing at first glance.

This caused the guards around him to secretly sneer and show disdain on their faces.

Only Gongye Jin listened very carefully from beginning to end, without any impatience.

After the Yingchuan refugees finished speaking, Gongye Jin waved his hand to signal his personal guards to distribute rewards and sent them away.

"Let's go."

The chariot started moving again, and when the vanguard army approached the city of Luoyang, Gongye Jin gave orders again.

"Pass my order on. The army will set up camp under the city."

Not going into the city?

The generals who had wanted to see the prosperity of the Eastern Capital were somewhat disappointed.

In fact, it has been more than a month since they left the Divine Capital, and they have been marching at a snail's pace all the way.

The great fighting spirit that was originally generated by His Majesty and the people of the Divine Capital lining the streets to see him off has now dissipated a lot with the passage of time.

After going through the "torture" of the march, many soldiers who had never been on a battlefield gradually cooled their previous imagination and passion for war.

Gongye Jin was well aware of the changes in the soldiers' mentality.

"The Imperial Guards are no longer the same as they once were..."

This was also the reason why he did not dare to lead them to the battlefield of Bazhou in one go.

Deliberately stopping and starting like this is a good opportunity to get used to each other and hone our skills.

Even though they lost some of their fighting spirit, it was still better than just relying on a mob full of enthusiasm.

Gongye Jin sighed in his heart.

Don't be fooled by his firm tone in front of Emperor Taikang when he left Shendu, and treat the thief Huang Tian who was causing chaos in the eight states as a piece of grass.

But in fact, he is not stupid, so how could he not see the difficulties and obstacles that he would face in this expedition?
But he still wants to take a gamble!
If he succeeds, he can at least be awarded a title of nobility for his merits and be promoted to a higher position.

If you lose, then -

"No, I will never lose!"

Gongye Jin's expression was full of tenacity and determination.

Because he can't afford to lose!

Your Majesty and the current Dayong cannot afford to lose!

"General, the governor of the Eastern Capital is outside the city to welcome you."

"I wonder if the general wants to meet with them?"

Listening to the visitor's report, Gongye Jin showed a hint of sarcasm on his face, and then said lightly.

"If I don't even give them this little bit of face, wouldn't it disappoint them? Then go and meet them."

……

Under the city of Luoyang.

A group of officials who stayed in the Eastern Capital looked at the mighty army approaching from afar, and many of them had flickering expressions in their eyes.

"We have such a strong army in Great Yong, so a few bandit threats are nothing to worry about!"

"Yes! I heard that the general who led the troops this time is also a man who knows military affairs well and is good at them."

"Today, with this mighty royal army, we will sweep across the eight states. The mere Yellow Sky villain will surely be destroyed in a snap!"

Before Gongye Jin arrived, people were already praising him. But no one could tell how much of this flattery was genuine and how much was undercurrent.

At this moment, a slightly harsh voice said sarcastically.

"In my opinion, you superiors should save your energy and wait until the bandit general arrives."

"If I tell you now, General Gongye won't be able to hear me. Isn't it a waste of energy and words?"

When all the officials in the Eastern Capital heard this, their faces froze and they all looked at the person who spoke with unfriendly expressions.

The man who was speaking was not tall and not very old. He stood in the crowd with a knife in his hand, but his eyes were full of arrogance.

Someone recognized his clothes and armor, and immediately frowned and started to scold him.

"I am waiting for my superior to speak. How can a mere lieutenant like you interrupt me?"

The young military officer was not afraid at all and said sarcastically.

"Although Cao is of low rank, he has a sense of shame. I cannot bear your behavior. What do you think?"

He was just a captain, but he had no respect for his superiors and was extremely arrogant.

This remark insulted most of the people present, causing many of them to twitch their eyebrows and unable to suppress their anger.

The man who had just spoken was so angry that his face turned purple. Just when he was about to have someone kick him out of the crowd, someone quietly pulled him and whispered something in private.

"This boy has some family background, so we should take him into consideration."

As he spoke, he whispered the background of this captain named Cao.

When Shangguan heard this, his expression changed and finally turned into a look of ridicule.

"I was wondering where he got the courage to rebel against his superiors, it turns out he is the descendant of a eunuch!"

Others might be concerned about this kid's background, but he is not afraid.

Not to mention that this kid's ancestor who once supported the late emperor had already converted to Taoism, and now he is only supported by his legacy and the support of his old friends and followers.

Upon hearing this, the captain named Cao's already dark complexion became even darker.

Just when he was about to attack, he saw a line of red-gold cavalrymen slowly approaching with chariots.

"I am here with my army, and I don't want to disturb the locals."

"I cannot pretend that you are so kind, gentlemen. Sorry to bother you! Sorry to bother you!"

Gongye Jin's voice was not as sonorous as a warrior's, but rather extremely gentle.

All the officials of the Eastern Capital present immediately ignored the small character of Captain Cao and hurried forward one by one.

For a while, there was enthusiasm and flattery.

After all, even if we don't mention the mighty reputation of these 100,000 armored cavalry, the three words "fake imperial seal" are equivalent to those of an angel.

At least not many people would dare to show disrespect to someone's face.

Of course, if you are like a newborn calf that is not afraid of a tiger, you can act without fear.

So just when Gongye Jin got off the carriage and was chatting and laughing with a group of officials from the Eastern Capital, that inappropriate young voice sounded again.

"As far as I know, on February 17, General Dangkou personally led 100,000 heavenly soldiers out of the Divine Capital in the east!"

"Why did it take more than a month to reach Luoyang?"

Gongye Jin was slightly surprised when he heard this.

But before he could say anything, the Dongdu official beside him had already shouted angrily for him.

"How dare you! Are you questioning the Bandit General?"

"You are totally ignorant! The general who smuggled bandits was ordered by the emperor. What crime should you be punished for if you, a mere lieutenant, violated your superior's orders?"

After a long period of verbal criticism, Gongye Jin had the grace to swallow the insult. He waved his hand with a smile on his face to stop the attacks.

Then he looked deeply at the young military officer in front of him and smiled faintly.

"I see that you are also a soldier in the army. Don't you know that spying on military secrets is a serious crime?"

Seeing that he was stiff-necked and looked unwilling and indignant, Gongye Jin then asked.

"What's your name? What's your current position?"

Cao Wu was not afraid at all and bowed and said.

"Your humble servant is Cao Wu, the captain of the Eastern Capital Cavalry Jiazi Battalion."

His ignorant look immediately caused many people to laugh secretly.

But just when they thought Gongye Jin was ready to take him down, or at worst would give up later, they saw Gongye Jin actually showed some appreciation in his eyes and nodded slightly.

"It does have some tiger spirit."

Having said that, he walked in front of Cao Rui in everyone's surprised gaze.

"I am here to fight the enemy. I am under the Emperor's order and have the power to command and recruit troops. Are you willing to accompany me?"

This sudden recruitment not only stunned everyone present, but also Cao Wu.

To be honest, he did not have a good impression of the bandit-suppressing general in front of him.

As a soldier in the army, he not only walked, sat, slept or lived in a carriage, but also dressed like a scholar.

He was naturally unwilling to follow such a person.

But he had to admit that the recruitment of this bandit-suppressing general was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him.

Defeat the army, fight against the enemy, support Dayong, and become famous throughout the world.

A real man’s lifelong wish!
Over the past year, he has always admired and longed for his peer in Youzhou who has now been promoted to Duke of Yan.

He even thought about giving up everything he had and heading north to Youzhou to join the other side.

That's why he kept "seeking death" in front of these people today.

In addition to fulfilling his youthful ambition, he was also cutting off his own escape route!
However, he did not expect that his desperate move today would give him an extra choice.

'Agree or not?'

Cao Wu felt hesitant and conflicted.

But after meeting Gongye Jin's warm and deep eyes, he already had the answer.

Bet!

Young people have their own pride.

Compared to submitting to your peers, you will succumb to the shadow of others for your whole life.

It would undoubtedly be more acceptable for people to join the army of this bandit-suppressing general.

What's more, now that the barbarians in the northern border have been pacified, it is unlikely that a major war will occur in the short term. When will I be able to come to the fore?
When he thought of this, Cao Wu, who was resolute in character, immediately clasped his fists and bowed deeply.

"Your Excellency, please accept Cao Wu's greetings!"

"I wish to follow you to defeat the invaders and bring peace to the people of the world!"

Upon hearing this, Gongye Jin laughed and personally stepped forward to help him up.

"good!"

"I have found another good general!"

But after smilingly accepting Cao Wu as his subordinate, Gongye Jin seemed to have forgotten about him.

Then he laughed and chatted with a group of officials from the Eastern Capital, and amidst their enthusiasm, he went into the city for a banquet.

It was not until the next day that he led the army out of Luoyang and continued eastward.

Behind him, several civil and military officials from Dongdu, who had been respectful and flattering to Gongye Jin yesterday, were living on a tall building somewhere.

Looking at the army that was moving away in the distance, his eyes were deep.

"I almost underestimated our bandit-slaying general!"

Hearing this, several people present raised their wine cups, took a sip, and then said indifferently.

"Our Majesty wants to take a gamble, and this bandit-slaying general also wants to take a gamble..."

"In that case, how can we not accompany you?"

After saying this, some people shook their heads and laughed.

"I'm just afraid that they...can't afford to lose!"

……

(End of this chapter)