The gods began by supporting Guo Jing to become emperor

Chapter 169 Huang Rong's Visit
That day, Huang Rong and her daughter left Peach Blossom Island on a small boat.

She had been on Peach Blossom Island for several years and could no longer contain her joy, so she walked through the streets and alleys of the Jiangnan towns.

The mist and rain were hazy, as if it was a dream. However, as time went by, Huang Rong's interest dropped a lot. In the river, a small boat was floating in the water. Huang Rong stood on the boat, looking at the fishermen fishing in the river, and couldn't help but sigh, "Dad, these years, the Song Dynasty has been recuperating and there has been no war, but the people still live so hard. It's the same as it was back then, and it seems that it has never changed."

Huang Yaoshi had a jade flute on his waist, and a trace of sadness flashed in his eyes. "Dynasties rise and fall, and the people are the ones who suffer. The Song Dynasty stopped paying tribute to the Jin Dynasty and did not engage in war, but the taxes have not been reduced at all, and are even more severe than before. The people work hard all year round and can hardly even get enough to eat."

The Song Dynasty was the one with the most peasant uprisings among all the dynasties in the Central Plains. However, most of those peasant uprisings were recruited and turned into local garrison troops. They had no combat effectiveness and also consumed a large amount of money of the court.

It can be said that the stability of the Song Dynasty was bought with money. It combined the ills of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, and coupled with the policy of using culture to control military power, only extreme exploitation could maintain a healthy financial operation.

Huang Rong did not understand this, but Huang Yaoshi saw it very clearly. He was a smart man and a rare all-rounder, so he could usually see the essence of things.

Although Jiangnan is prosperous, it seems very fake in Huang Rong's eyes, like a castle in the air. She gently lifted the black hair by her ears and looked into the distance, "Dad, let's go to the north."

When going out, the more beautiful a woman is, the more likely she is to attract other people's covetousness. Therefore, Huang Rong put on Huang Yaoshi's human skin mask and disguised her body, making her look like a weak and sickly person rather than a beautiful woman in her twenties.

Huang Yaoshi picked up the bamboo pole on the boat and went upstream, saying in a clear voice, "Okay, I also want to see how powerful the Mongolian cavalry is."

The father and daughter went upstream along the river and paid tribute to Lu Chengfeng by the shore of Taihu Lake. The ruins of the past were now overgrown with weeds and not many traces could be seen. After Huang Yaoshi killed Shi Miyuan, he built a cenotaph on the ruins of Guiyun Villa as a memorial.

Every year, he would take a walk to the lake.

After walking across Taihu Lake, they entered the Yangtze River waterway. Huang Rong and he walked north along the shore. Along the way, Huang Rong intentionally or unintentionally retraced the path she and Guo Jing had walked together.

The villages along the way have become ruins, the official road is disused and overgrown with weeds, and there is no trace of the past anymore. Huang Rong felt a little depressed as she looked at the scenes before her. However, there were still faint traces of the place where they practiced martial arts in the pine forest.

After all, Guo Jing had knocked down a large number of pine trees when he was practicing martial arts. Huang Yaoshi walked with her and more or less guessed what Huang Rong was thinking, that she was missing someone.

At this time, he was relieved. Huang Rong had lived on the island for many years and had not gone out. She had also found many so-called young heroes in the world and brought them to Peach Blossom Island, but those people were not in her eyes. As time went by, she became an old maid.

If he can't marry her off, how will he face his deceased wife a hundred years later?
Although Huang Yaoshi was not bound by etiquette, he did not want Huang Rong to spend the rest of her life alone, especially on an isolated island. Now that he knew that his daughter had someone in her heart, he felt a lot more relieved.

The father and daughter rode north on horseback and arrived at Bianliang. This former capital of the Northern Song Dynasty had regained its vitality.

After Su Ming left, rumors spread throughout Kaifeng City that an immortal had descended upon the imperial city and left on a giant eagle. The eagle had a loud cry and was huge in size. Many people in Kaifeng City saw it that day.

When Wanyan Honglie heard the rumor at first, he subconsciously wanted to cover it up. This was too humiliating. If it got out, the Wanyan royal family would be laughed at by the world. However, too many people saw the eagle, so it could not be covered up.

He simply sent people to spread the rumor that an immortal had descended to the world on a giant eagle, entered the imperial city to discuss philosophy with the emperor, and taught him how to govern the country. There were several similar versions of this rumor.

Coupled with the appearance of the imperial guards outside the palace that day, the rumors were confirmed. As a result, everyone believed it and felt that Wanyan Honglie was destined to be the king and could lead the Jin Dynasty to revive and drive out the Mongols.

The undercurrent in the court was unexpectedly quelled, and he gained a group of capable ministers. Who could have thought that the breaking point of the Jin Dynasty's court was actually some rumors.

At this moment, the resentment he had towards Su Ming disappeared without a trace.

Afterwards, Wanyan Honglie began to plan a war against the Song Dynasty, preparing to take over Jianghuai and occupy Sichuan and Shu in one fell swoop. This time, except for the defense troops in Guanzhong and the north, he planned to mobilize 200,000 naval troops to launch a war and divert internal conflicts.

Once the war breaks out, many conflicts will be ignored and suppressed. If he wins, he will restore the prestige of the Jin emperor and control the overall situation in the court, and the local authorities will not dare to act rashly and stir up trouble again.

In a luxurious restaurant in Kaifeng City, Huang Rong sat at a table by the window, propped up her chin, looked down at the people moving on the street, and asked curiously, "Dad, are there really immortals in this world?"

Huang Lao Xie sneered and said, "Immortal? It's nothing but a rumor. The Jin emperor is just trying to flatter himself and rally people's hearts. I see that the Jin are mobilizing troops from all over the country. They should be going to attack the Song Dynasty. The Song Dynasty has finally been stable for a few years, but now they have to go to war again."

Huang Rong said nonchalantly, "Just fight me, it's not like we haven't fought before."

Huang Yaoshi shook his head and explained, "You don't understand. The Jin army was severely damaged by the Mongols in the north, and now they are mobilizing a large army to invade Jiangnan. If the Song Dynasty does not prepare early, it will probably suffer a great loss."

"Kaifeng is not a place to stay for long, let's go."

The father and daughter stayed in Kaifeng for a few days and then continued to head north. They passed through Henan and arrived in Shanxi.

After entering Shanxi, the father and daughter walked around the towns and countryside. Looking at the farmers working hard in the fields, Huang Rong's heart moved, and she suddenly said, "Dad, this place seems different from the Kingdom of Jin!"

Huang Yaoshi also nodded in praise, "Jinzhong is the foundation of a king or hegemon. If you take it, you can become a hegemon. There are wars in Hebei and Henan, but the Three Jins are as stable as Mount Tai. The people are doing their jobs. The person who governs this place is a capable person."

Huang Rong's eyes flashed with cunning, "Dad, actually, you know the person in charge here."

Huang Yaoshi was stunned for a moment and retorted, "Nonsense, Dad has been on Peach Blossom Island all year round, how could he know the Mongolians?"

"Dad, have you forgotten the name Guo Jing?"

"Guo Jing?" The name sounded familiar. Huang Yaoshi recalled it carefully and then suddenly realized, "It turned out to be that guy. It was actually him!" His words were full of surprise.

The memories of that year came to his mind. At first, he didn't think much about the name Guo Jing, thinking it was a homonym. But when Huang Rong mentioned it specifically, he identified the figure in the Misty Rain Tower with that person.

"The young man back then has now become a powerful leader. Time flies." A hint of nostalgia appeared on Huang Yaoshi's face. He sighed and then glanced at Huang Rong. "I remember that you traveled with him for a while?"

Huang Rong's eyes curved and her voice was cheering, "Well, he defeated Yang Kang at the Yanyu Tower that year. I made an agreement with him to compete with him in a few years!" Could it be that the person Rong'er likes is this guy?

Thinking of this, Huang Yaoshi felt a little blocked in his heart. If he remembered correctly, the boy seemed to have gotten married. After so many years, Rong'er was still obsessed with him!

His expression changed suddenly, and he said calmly, "Are you here just to fulfill the promise you made that year?"

Huang Rong waved her fists, looking very proud, "Well, I practiced hard every day on Peach Blossom Island just to defeat him."

Seeing his daughter's delighted expression, Huang Yaoshi snorted coldly, becoming even more unhappy, "Humph, that kid is in a high position and has great power, maybe he has already forgotten what happened back then. You are visiting him now, aren't you afraid of bringing humiliation upon yourself?"

"Don't worry, he will definitely remember it!"

……

"Old Lu, how is our cavalry training going?"

On the wall of Taiyuan, Guo Jing was wearing a dark brocade robe and a golden crown on his head. His face was full of awe and people dared not look directly at him. Lu Guanying followed closely behind him. After thinking for a while, he replied, "My Lord, we now have 50,000 horses, of which 30,000 are war horses and the rest are steeds and mares. The cavalry has been expanded to 20,000, including 5,000 new recruits. We expect to see results by the end of this year."

After going through several major battles with Guo Jing, Lu Guanying has grown into a qualified general. The traces of his former young master have disappeared, and he has been replaced by a fierce military commander.

"Not enough, too few!" Guo Jing turned around and looked at him seriously, "Jinzhong has been peaceful for more than two years, it's time to make some moves. Thirty thousand war horses are too few. It won't be long before I march into Guanzhong. War horses are of utmost importance and cannot be neglected."

"My subordinate understands."

"No matter what method you use or how much money you spend, I want 50,000 war horses when we attack Guanzhong!"

Lu Guanying thought for a moment and replied, "Perhaps we should start with Xixia. The horse farms in Mongolia have to supply the Khan, so there are very few war horses flowing out. Especially when the Khan led his army to the west, the consumption of war horses was very serious. The share has shrunk a lot this year."

"If we want to get war horses, we can only get them from Xixia, and they dare not disagree."

"You are quite clever, kid." Guo Jing patted his shoulder and smiled softly, "I plan to ask Xixia to send troops to Guanzhong this time. If the two sides form an alliance, we can also reduce the losses."

Since being defeated several times by Genghis Khan, Xixia has now become a vassal state of Mongolia. They have made a lot of contributions in both the previous attack on Jin and the current westward expedition.

Besides, they already have territory in Guanzhong, so how could Guo Jing just sit there and watch them go? Having them as cannon fodder can also reduce the losses in the siege, so why not do it?

His current title is Marquis of Han, one level lower than Mu Huali, but it is enough to mobilize the army of Western Xia. I don't think they would dare to resist.

……

After finishing his military duties, Guo Jing returned to his mansion. As soon as he entered the door, a servant came forward to report, "My Lord, there are guests in the mansion, and the princess is entertaining them."

Guo Jing was a little curious. What kind of guest could Hua Zheng personally come out to entertain?
You have to know that Hua Zheng is a princess of Mongolia. Now that he has been conferred the title, her status has also risen. In Shanxi, there are few guests worthy of her personal presence.

In the middle of the hall, Hua Zheng was wearing gorgeous clothes and golden jewelry on her head. She looked elegant and graceful, with the charm of a young woman. Below the hall, a woman in a light yellow dress was sitting on a chair. Her hands were slender and white, holding a teacup. Her black hair fell to her waist. Under her slender eyebrows were a pair of beautiful eyes that were bright and dazzling.

Hua Zheng had the advantage of sitting in the main seat, but Huang Rong, who sat below, was no less imposing than her, and even much more beautiful than her. Ordinary people could not enter the Marquis' Mansion, and Hua Zheng only personally entertained her after hearing from the servants that a very beautiful woman wanted to see her.

As soon as the two met, a faint smell of gunpowder filled the hall.

Huang Yaoshi did not go with them. He knew that Huang Rong was going to see Guo Jing, and he was afraid that if he went with her, she would not be able to resist attacking that boy and hurt him. So he simply wandered around Taiyuan to avoid seeing him and being bothered.

Guo Jing walked into the hall, and as soon as he entered the door, his attention involuntarily fell on Huang Rong.

After not seeing her for a few years, Huang Rong's memory had gradually become blurred, but when he saw her again, his past memories suddenly became clear. He was stunned for a moment, "Miss Huang, is that you?"

Huang Rong stood up and cupped her fists towards him, "Guo Jing, long time no see."

Guo Jing's expression was somewhat complicated, and he returned the greeting to her, "Long time no see."

Then, he came and sat down on the main seat. However, as soon as he sat down, he felt something was wrong. Two pairs of eyes were fixed on him, making him very uncomfortable. He glanced at Hua Zheng inadvertently, only to see her staring at him with a smile and a playful look in her eyes, which made him feel like being caught in bed.

For a moment, Guo Jing couldn't help feeling a little guilty, and then he realized something was wrong.

Logically speaking, there are more than one woman in the family. He never had this feeling before. Why did she look like this when Huang Rong came? It was obvious that there was nothing between him and her.

Hua Zheng certainly knew that there was no close relationship between Guo Jing and the beautiful woman in front of her, but there was nothing she could do. Huang Rong was too beautiful, so beautiful that even she, a woman, was amazed, jealous, and even felt a sense of crisis.

Hua Zheng only regarded the concubines in the mansion as Guo Jing's trophies and never considered them as opponents. But Huang Rong was different. This woman could really threaten her.

Guo Jing quickly adjusted his mentality and took it lightly, as if chatting with an old friend, "Miss Huang came from the East China Sea. She must be very tired after traveling all the way."

Huang Rong stared at him quietly and said in a clear voice, "Just like before, we walked and played at the same time. How could it be tiring? It's just that things and people have changed wherever we go."

(End of this chapter)