Aoyama

Chapter 344 Please leave
At the Yulin Military Training Ground, the black-clad secret agents and the silver-armored Yulin Army were clearly divided and on the verge of a showdown.

Wu Xuan Ge stood with his spear in hand, in front of all the Yu Lin soldiers, staring directly at Xuan She, and asked loudly, "Are you here for the case of the Korean envoy, or do you have some selfish motives? If you are here just for the internal strife in the Si Li Jian, I think you are crazy about being promoted to the third rank. You know very well that this matter has nothing to do with the Yu Lin Army's Zuo Xiao Wei."

Xuanshe said meaningfully: "Commander Wu is so sure that it has nothing to do with you, Zuo Xiaowei. Could it be that you know who the real murderer is? Tell me the real murderer quickly, and I will arrest him right away."

Wu Xuange's face darkened.

Everyone speculated that it was the Chen family and the Xu family who did it, but this layer of window paper cannot be lifted.

Seeing that he dared not speak, Xuanshe smiled contemptuously: "When I ascended the throne of the Zodiac, you were just a small centurion in the Wansui Army. It is not your turn to teach me how to do things. Don't think that I am abusing my power for personal gain. Today's incident has angered His Majesty and the Prime Minister. Not only you will be investigated, but all the officials, clerks, and common people who were present at the time will also be investigated! Come, take him to the imperial prison, and anyone who dares to obstruct will be killed without mercy!"

The spy rushed forward and held Wu Xuan Ge's arms, but the other party seemed to be rooted under his feet and could not be pulled away at all.

Xuanshe sat on his horse and said slowly, "You don't think that you can openly fight against my Secret Service just because you have Wu Xiu as your backer, do you? If you still insist on not changing your ways, I will have to kill you first and report later. Wu Xiu has piled up so many resources to help you reach the peak of Xiantian, you don't think you are my opponent, do you?"

Wu Xuan Ge was silent for a moment, slowly relaxed the energy in his body, and threw the spear onto the training ground with a clang.

When the secret agent took Wu Xuan Ge and the Left Guards away, Li Xuan stepped forward and said, "Wait..."

But he was pulled back halfway through this step by Chen Ji.

Li Xuan turned his head in surprise, while Chen Ji shook his head silently.

Black Snake laughed loudly: "Very good, finally someone knows how to deal with the current situation."

Li Xuan looked at Chen Ji and said, "I am the commander-in-chief of the Yulin Army. Even if Wu Xuange and I don't get along, I shouldn't just sit there and watch."

Chen Ji pondered for a moment and whispered, "Master Li, the Black Snake is not here to investigate the case, but to fight among the people. Wu Xuan Ge was protected by Wu Xiu, so he must bear the consequences. This is his own choice."

Li Xuan frowned: "Although I hate the eunuch party, Wu Xuan Ge is indeed an elite of our dynasty. With his talent in leading troops, he will be able to stand on his own in the future. If he dies in the internal fighting of the eunuch party, it will be a loss for our dynasty. I don't care about party disputes. I just do the right thing."

Chen Ji tightly grasped Li Xuan's arm and said, "Master Li, don't you understand? Those elders and ministers never thought that one more or one less Wu Xuan Ge would make a difference, and you are the same. Master Li, if you only want to do the right thing in your life, you will not be able to accomplish anything."

Li Xuan opened his mouth.

Chen Ji turned to look at Xuanshe: "Lord Xuanshe, you know what you are here for, and we also know what you are here for. It was Wu Xuange who decided to go to Qipan Street and Dongjiang Mixiang to quell the riots that day. Can you please not make things difficult for the other Yulin troops? Just take Wu Xuange away."

Black Snake narrowed his eyes: "What if I want to embarrass them?"

Chen Ji said calmly, "The Zuo Xiaowei soldiers have only known Wu Xuan Ge for two days. Lord Xuanshe knows very well that you can't get what you want from them. If you can't find out anything and make a mistake in this case, Baohou, Jiaotu, Yunyang and Jinzhu will probably be so happy that they can't sleep for days and nights. If you don't believe me, we will send someone to the Secret Service Office to invite them to watch the fun."

Xuanshe was silent for a moment, then smiled: "I was just joking with you."

After saying this, he waved his hand, signaling the secret agents to release the Yulin Army and take only Wu Xuan Ge away.

When Xuanshe rode past Chen Ji, he sat on the horse wearing a cloak and looked down at Chen Ji: "I will remember you."

Chen Ji looked up without avoiding or giving way: "Master Xuanshe, take care."

The black snake laughed sinisterly twice and walked out of the gate without looking back.

Li Xuan looked at the darkness outside the gate with a complicated expression: "I, the commander of the Yulin Army, can't even protect a subordinate."

Chen Ji didn't have time to care about Li Xuan's mood. He turned around and walked to the gate, looking at the Meridian Gate with worry in his eyes.

I wonder if anyone in the court has thought that the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Department is the mastermind behind this matter? Judging from the internal strife in the Black Snake at this time, no one is focusing on the "external enemy".

Chen Ji didn't care who won or lost between Jing Dynasty and Ning Dynasty, nor did he care who set a trap for whom today and who would set an ambush for whom tomorrow. It was not important to him at all.

But the one leading the troops this time was Wang Daosheng.

It was Wang Daosheng who, in the face of difficulties from the Buddhist sect on that day at Luhun Villa, took the initiative to accept Chen Ji as his direct disciple; it was Wang Daosheng who, when Chen Ji went to Guyuan, wrote a letter to ask Hu Junxian for his protection.

At this time, Chen Ji saw that the Jiefan Guards in front of the Meridian Gate suddenly moved and lined up in front of the gate.

A group of ministers walked out of the Meridian Gate and were helped into the carriages and left.

Another group of officials came out of the Meridian Gate. Wang Daosheng was dressed in cloth, which made him stand out among the officials in red robes. The officials in red robes bowed to him and congratulated him, but he only politely returned the greetings without showing any joy on his face.

After all the officials got on the sedan chairs, only Wang Daosheng was left walking towards Chengtian Gate alone, without a sedan chair, a carriage, or any entourage.

This runner-up in the imperial examination in the 15th year of Jianing, who was famous all over the world for his "Twelve Strategies to Suppress the Japanese Pirates", has now wasted his time and has a head full of gray hair.

He went to Beijing to take the imperial examination alone that year, and he is still alone now.

He even left the books he always held in his hands at the Zhixing Academy in Luocheng, because those sage classics could not help him.

……

……

Wang Daosheng walked out of Chengtian Gate alone, looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar Chang'an Street.

In the 15th year of Jianing, after his name was called outside Donghua Gate, he rode a tall horse, with a red silk cloth hanging on his chest, and walked through this long bluestone street with his head held high.

That day, with a burning heart, he thought he could use his lifelong learning to benefit the people, but what he waited for was six years of copying documents in the Hanlin Academy and writing 360 volumes of Ningshi.

In six years, he had only worked his way up from a Hanlin Academy student to an editor. While he watched his classmates all build their careers, he became the "second-place editor" who was laughed at by everyone in the government office.

Ironically, when he checked historical records, he suddenly discovered that there was no shortage of people like him in history.

Wang Daosheng stared at the long street in front of him in a trance. How many top scorers, second place scorers, and third place scorers had walked through this street in the past fifteen years?

I wonder if they are any better off than I am?
"Mr. Wang, how are you?"

Wang Daosheng came to his senses and turned to look.

Chen Ji was seen standing opposite Chang'an Avenue in a suit of silver armor, and he greeted him from afar with a bow across the long bluestone street.

Wang Daosheng's eyes slowly lit up: "Chen Ji?"

He lifted the hem of his clothes with one hand and walked across Chang'an Street. When he reached the middle, a team of Jiefan Guards rode past at high speed, and Wang Daosheng waited there until the Jiefan Guards passed by before he started walking again.

He came to Chen Ji and said, "I just found out that you joined the Yulin Army... It's a pity. Gu Yuan has made such great contributions. Why would they leave you here idle?"

Chen Ji smiled and said, "Aren't they leaving you idle in Luo City?" The master and his disciple looked at each other in silence for a few moments, and then burst into laughter.

Wang Daosheng looked Chen Ji up and down. "I received a letter from Hu Junxian. He told me everything you did in Guyuan and asked me to write a letter to Hu Ge Lao to recommend you to the Ministry of War. Ha, he said you are more suitable for the court than me, and said that the court must have someone like you, otherwise there will be no one to speak for us."

Chen Ji was stunned: "I didn't expect that General Hu actually said something good about me. He always had a cold face in front of me."

Wang Daosheng smiled and said, "Although he didn't say it, he knew it very well in his heart. Are you still blaming him for not mentioning you in the victory report of the border army? Don't blame him wrongly. The court is afraid that the generals will form a clique with the court officials. He has to distance himself from you, so the court dares to use you."

Chen Ji shook his head: "I don't blame General Hu."

Wang Daosheng patted the armor on his shoulder and said, "That's good. Laying low for a few years may not be bad for you. There is a price to pay for being famous at a young age. People who become famous at a young age are destined to step on controversy every step they take in the future, like stepping on a mountain of knives and a sea of ​​fire."

Chen Ji said softly: "Sir, are you talking about yourself?"

Wang Daosheng pointed his finger at him amusedly but he didn't care: "You, you're almost as talkative as your master."

Chen Ji didn't exchange pleasantries and asked directly, "Sir, are you going to attack Goryeo?"

Wang Daosheng hummed, "This time the court appointed me as the General of Pingdong, holding the seal of the General of Pingdong, commanding the navy of the Ning Dynasty, and can draw another 40,000 officers and soldiers from the grain transport, and be given the title of the third-rank Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War. I was also granted the title of Special Advancement Guanglu Dafu, the Gold Medal of Loyalty and Bravery, and can execute first and report later if something happens."

Chen Ji originally thought that Wang Daosheng was not valued in the court, but as soon as he was reinstated, the court gave him so many titles?
wrong.

Not a single one of the Shenjiying, Wansuijun and Wujunying was given, and Wang Daosheng was only allowed to lead 40,000 grain transport officers and soldiers to Goryeo to fight?
The Ning Dynasty navy was abandoned after the maritime ban, and was no better than the smuggling pirates of the Xu family. The officers and soldiers of the grain transport were even worse, having been infiltrated by the grain transport gangs and officials, and were the umbrellas of the big salt and grain merchants.

Leading such a team of people out has far greater symbolic significance than practical significance.

Just show off.

Chen Ji hesitated and said, "Sir, do we have to go this time?"

Wang Daosheng smiled and said, "What can I do about the court's decision? Besides, the Goryeo envoy threatened to die, and now some people are spreading rumors that Jing Chao poisoned the Goryeo envoy. The people are gradually getting excited. If the court does nothing, it will be difficult to appease the people."

Chen Ji frowned: "But..."

But this is a trap.

The Jing Dynasty must have already deployed its troops in Goryeo, waiting for reinforcements from the Ning Dynasty to arrive.

Should I remind myself?
Regardless of whether Mr. Wang believes it or not, how should I explain it and how did I know it?
Even if Wang Daosheng believed it, he would not ask the reason. This was not something Wang Daosheng could control: whether to send troops or not was up to the court.

Even if the imperial court agreed not to send troops, if the Jingchao Military Intelligence Department knew that I was the one who influenced this matter, Si Caogui would certainly not let me go.

At that time, let alone what I still have to do, I don’t even know whether I can save my life.

Wang Daosheng observed his expression, frowned and said, "Why, is there something you can't tell me?"

Chen Ji was silent for a long time, then smiled and said, "It's okay, I'm just worried that it would be dangerous for you to send troops to Goryeo."

Wang Daosheng patted him on the shoulder and said, "It's okay. I'm going to Goryeo this time. The first responsibility given to me by the court is to educate and pacify the vassal states. Fighting with the Jing Dynasty is secondary. There will be no danger."

Chen Ji hummed.

He stood outside the gate in the dark night, and in the end did not remind anything: "Where will Mr. Wang settle down after entering Beijing? Do you have a place to live?"

Wang Daosheng said casually: "The Ministry of War has a fine house prepared for clerks. I can live there with the clerks."

Chen Ji said in surprise: "Sir, why don't you stay at the Chen family? There are still two empty rooms in my courtyard."

Wang Daosheng smiled and said in a gentle voice: "It's okay. There are still hundreds of thousands of disaster victims in Yuzhou sleeping on the ground in the open air. It's already very good that I can sleep in the military department's dormitory."

Just at this moment, footsteps were heard behind Chen Ji, and there was the rustling sound of armor rubbing against each other.

Li Xuan came to stand in front of Wang Daosheng, bowed and clasped his fists: "General Li Xuan, meet Mr. Wang."

Wang Daosheng smiled and said, "In the early years, I often saw General Li on duty in front of the Meridian Gate. He was still as elegant as ever after not seeing him for three years."

Li Xuan got straight to the point: "Mr. Wang, are you going to send troops to Goryeo?"

Wang Daosheng nodded: "That's right."

Li Xuan clasped his fists and bowed again: "I learned martial arts from my father, but it is difficult to display them in this place. I heard that Mr. Wang is going to lead troops to Goryeo this time, so I came here to ask for your permission. I hope you will allow me to follow you to fight in Goryeo."

Wang Daosheng looked at Li Xuan, pondered for a moment and asked, "General Li, Hu Junxian mentioned you in his letter, saying that you have the courage to defeat thousands of men and can kill generals and seize flags in a battle. But...are you not satisfied with the Yulin Army?"

Li Xuan said seriously: "The Yulin Army is good, but it is not what I want. After the battle of Guyuan, only 38 of the 500 Yulin soldiers were left. Although the court said it would recruit new soldiers for us, no one has shown up yet. This Yulin Army is only in name only."

Wang Daosheng remained silent.

Seeing that he didn't agree, Li Xuan became anxious: "Mr. Wang, we are good men. We should carry three-foot swords and accomplish great deeds. How can we live here in peace? I hope you can help me!"

Wang Daosheng shook his head: "No. Although General Li has made great contributions in Guyuan, he has never participated in water battles or naval battles. I am afraid he will be uncomfortable."

Li Xuan looked at Chen Ji for help, but Chen Ji just stood there without saying a word.

He had no choice but to look at Wang Daosheng again: "Sir, are you worried that my position is too high? I can resign and serve as a soldier under your command, and start over as a soldier."

Wang Daosheng helped Li Xuan up and sighed, "Why bother? Lord Li, please don't go into this mess with me. Going to Goryeo is more meaningful than practical. It's just a show and won't accomplish anything great. Okay, it's getting late. I'll go to the Ministry of War's residence to find a bed. Lord Li, go back too."

As he spoke, Wang Daosheng's words had such power that it was hard to refuse that Li Xuan gradually gave up the idea of ​​joining the army.

Wang Daosheng turned and walked towards the Ministry of War, his posture tall and lonely.

However, at this moment, Chen Ji's voice came from the silence behind him: "We are willing to follow you to attack Goryeo, and hope you will help us."

Wang Daosheng turned around in surprise, only to see Chen Ji bowing and clasping his fists, speaking solemnly.

Wang Daosheng stood in the middle of Chang'an Street and thought for a long time: "I will write a memorial tomorrow to request the court to transfer you all to my army."

Li Xuan was overjoyed: "Thank you, sir!"

(End of this chapter)