The gods began by supporting Guo Jing to become emperor

Chapter 184: Descendants of the Guo Family of the Former Dynasty, Man of Destiny

Inside the tent, Lu Guanying saw Guo Jing staring at the map without blinking. He pondered for a moment and asked, "My Lord, do you want to capture Chang'an directly to establish your authority and quickly wipe out Guanzhong?"

Guo Jing nodded. "Chang'an is the hub of Guanzhong and is of great significance. If we can capture it, it will be like winning an unprecedented victory. By then, the rest of Guanzhong can be conquered with a proclamation and no casualties will be caused. However, Chang'an is not easy to capture."

"The Quanzhen Sect sent me a secret letter saying that there are no less than 100,000 troops in Chang'an City, and advised me not to underestimate the enemy and advance rashly."

"According to people in Pucheng, there were as many as 40,000 Jin bandits who retreated that day. Tongguan was defeated, and there were thousands of deserters. Add to that the garrison in Chang'an City, so I'm not surprised that they could mobilize 100,000 people." When he said this, his voice was very flat, and he didn't seem to think this was a tricky matter at all.

"There are still capable people in the Jin Kingdom. The defenses around Chang'an City are self-contained and mutually supportive. It is not easy to break through in a short period of time."

Lu Guanying looked at the map and saw Guo Jing's markings on it and the location of the enemy. After thinking for a while, he couldn't find a way to easily defeat the enemy, so he asked, "Does the Marquis have a way to defeat the enemy?"

Guo Jing smiled slightly, "It's not that easy to defeat the enemy. You go down first to prepare. Once we enter Guanzhong, our logistics will be much easier. However, the people in Guanzhong have always been fierce and we are outsiders. Before entering the pass, I repeatedly emphasized that we must not disturb the local area, burn, kill, and rob. I heard that some people have shown up again in the past few days. You go and take a look. I can borrow their heads to enforce military law."

Lu Guanying noticed the solemnity in Guo Jing's words and immediately said, "I will arrange for someone to do it tonight. After winter, the mountain roads are difficult to travel. If we can collect food locally, we will be better off."

"Besides that, please invite those big customers who want to contact us in tomorrow. I want to have a good chat with them."

What to talk about, of course, is the collection of grain. Guo Jing will not really send soldiers to collect grain from the lower-class people, but as long as they come here by themselves, they will have to go through this process.

The Jin people were collecting grain, and he was collecting grain as well, but Guo Jing wanted to collect grain from the wealthy and powerful families, so the Jin people were more lenient towards these wealthy families. In the final analysis, they were still not strong enough.

These wealthy families have been entrenched in the area for many years and have close ties with the Jin government, forming a mature privileged class. Guo Jing is an outsider and has no connection with the locals, but the knife in his hand is hard, tough and ruthless.

Even Li Zicheng knew to target the wealthy first. Guo Jing, who had been a ruler for so long, would not be unaware of this. He created all kinds of excuses to collude with the enemy and kill the Jin thieves, which was a righteous cause in Guo Jing's hands.

With this card of righteousness in hand, it is no problem for him to plunder some big players. He kills some and pulls some. He has used the same routine many times, and this time is no exception.

……

"kill!"

Inside the camp, soldiers were rehearsing fighting, their sharp swords and spears gleaming coldly under the sunlight. At this moment, a group of people happened to pass by. They were wearing luxurious robes, gold and silver jewelry, and they were obviously wealthy people.

At this moment, they were looking at the scene not far away, their legs trembling with fear, their faces pale, their eyes staring straight ahead, and they walked tremblingly for a while before they calmed down. A few quarters of an hour later, they were taken to Guo Jing's tent.

Their legs went weak as they walked under the gaze of the soldiers guarding outside. All of these soldiers were tall and strong, and they looked at them as if they were cattle or sheep to be slaughtered, indifferent and cold.

After being searched, they were taken into the tent.

Guo Jing sat in the upper seat, staring at them expressionlessly.

As soon as they met, they all bowed down and said, "Greetings, Lord."

Seeing their respectful attitude, Guo Jing looked a little worried and raised his hand gently, "No need to be polite, everyone, please take a seat."

After they sat down one by one, he glanced at them and said in a deep voice, "I am delighted that you are here today. The Jin bandits have been wreaking havoc in the Central Plains for a hundred years. It is a great shame that our Han homeland has fallen into the hands of barbarians. I am truly pleased that you have abandoned the dark and joined the light."

The atmosphere in the tent heated up all of a sudden. A middle-aged man suddenly stood up, his voice full of tragic solemnity, "Your Excellency, you are too serious. The Jin thieves are the enemy of the Han people. We wish to eat your flesh and sleep on your skin, but the Jin thieves are too powerful to do anything. We, the elders in Guanzhong, have been waiting for the king's army with food and drink day and night."

"When the Song Dynasty had Prince Yue, we thought he could drive away the Jin thieves and restore the country. But the Song Dynasty's rulers and ministers could not tolerate him, causing the prince to die unjustly in Fengbo Pavilion. All of us Han people in the north are heartbroken."

"Now that the Marquis has led his troops to attack, we should do our best to help, and hope to be able to do our part."

At this time, another old man was filled with righteous indignation and clapped his hands, "Well said! The Han and the thieves cannot coexist. The Jin people killed my relatives and friends and invaded my home. This is truly a time of crisis. We should all help each other, tide over the difficulties together, and drive away the Jin thieves!"

"Yes, my Lord, please tell us what you want to do, and we will do our best to help you."

……

Afterwards, each family expressed their stance in a few words and with a firm pledge.

Guo Jing showed a smile, but this smile made everyone shudder. "Well, since everyone is willing to help me, I won't be hypocritical. I don't want your money or your people. You just need to give me food. You are all well-known and wealthy people in Guanzhong. I believe you will not let me return empty-handed."

After hearing this, they all breathed a sigh of relief. As long as no one was killed, everything would be fine and food would be easy to get.

The middle-aged man who spoke first exchanged glances with the others and asked, "May I ask how much food the Marquis wants? We can all try to gather as much as possible when we go back."

"As for food, the more the better." Guo Jing raised his eyebrows, and a hint of majesty permeated everyone's heart, "Come here, bring some writing brushes and ink!" As soon as he finished speaking, a group of soldiers came in and placed a piece of writing brush and ink on their desks.

"You all came here because you are loyal to me. The amount of food is just a token of my appreciation. Please write down a number and I will send someone to collect it when the time comes."

There are more than 30 people who came here today, including wealthy families in Chang'an City, as well as wealthy families in Fengxiang, Meizhou, Hengzhou, Gaoling and other places. These wealthy families are all scattered around Chang'an. If the war breaks out, they will certainly not be spared, so they hurriedly sent people to contact Guo Jing.

On the way here, they had already discussed how to advance and retreat together, but they didn't expect Guo Jing to be so direct, asking for food right away and doing such a thing.

For a moment, these people's faces froze. They forced a smile and exchanged glances with each other, but no one dared to speak.

The master has already given face. If we really collude in front of him, it would be no different from seeking death.

Guo Jing sat in the upper seat without saying a word, just holding the teacup and drinking tea slowly, his eyes glanced at them from time to time, without any worry on his face. He was at the mercy of others, and he had already fought to his doorstep, these people were destined to bleed.

If the wealthy families were to link up with each other, it would be difficult for him to take action. He knew those who did not come, and those who came might not be sincere. But no matter what, as long as they were given food, Guo Jing would not take action against them for the time being.

The situation was deadlocked for a long time. Guo Jing said quietly, "You are all so slow to write. Is there something you are hiding?"

The people below were shocked and without caring about communicating, they quickly picked up the pen, dipped it in ink and started writing. However, when they started writing, they couldn't help but glance at the others, gritted their teeth, and wrote down a number.

If you write too much, just grit your teeth and let it go. If you write too little, you can weigh it yourself. In less than a cup of tea, everyone handed in their family hometowns and the amount of donated grain. Guo Jing asked the soldiers to come in and collect them and put them in front of his desk, but he didn't even look at them. He stood up and saluted them, "I am deeply grateful for your sincere heart. I would like to thank you on behalf of all the soldiers in the army."

"You are too kind, Marshal. We are all Han Chinese, so we should do our part."

"Yes, we cannot go into battle to kill the enemy, but we can offer some help. After returning, I will gather the children and farmhands in my family and ask them to follow the general to wipe out the Jin thieves." A tall and thin old man said indignantly.

Guo Jing looked at him deeply and nodded, "That's very good."

Then, Guo Jing hosted a grand banquet in the army, invited them to have a meal, and then escorted them out of the camp with courtesy.

After the group left the military camp and walked a few miles, the smiles on their faces disappeared, and were replaced by sighs. Our food is gone!
On the way, the middle-aged man who spoke first said in a deep voice, "Alas, I thought Guo Jing must be a spoiled man since he has built such a foundation before he turned 30. I didn't expect that he only used a little trick and put us in a difficult position. This man is truly a hero."

"Brother Zhang is right. Yes, with this person here, Guanzhong will be in turmoil and Chang'an will be undefendable. It seems that the Jin Kingdom is completely doomed. We should make preparations early."

……

In the following month, Guo Jing did not start any more major wars. He sent out a small army to recruit people along the banks of the Yellow River. Then he stationed the main army in Pucheng, cut down trees in the surrounding area, built siege equipment day and night, and then collected food from each household to recuperate.

By incorporating the garrisons along the way and drawing on young and strong men, the strength of Guo Jing's troops was restored to 100,000. After experiencing great battles and seeing blood, the new recruits became more powerful than before.

……

The news of Pucheng could not be concealed from Xu Ding. He had always wanted to use the defense of Chang'an in an attempt to consume the troops in Guo Jing's hands. However, he did not expect that at this time, Guo Jing could resist the temptation of breaking into the city and set up camp on the spot for repairs.

Guo Jing is certainly not stupid. Attacking the city in winter would consume too much logistical resources, so if he wants to fight, he should wait until after the Spring Festival. He is certainly not staying here to just sit there and watch. The Quanzhen Sect has not yet made any move, so he will naturally wait and see for a while.

……

Chang'an City.

Heavy snow was falling from the sky. People were walking on the streets in thick coats, exhaling long puffs of mist from their mouths, and walking in a hurry.

In the Taoist temple, Qiu Chuji was wearing a Taoist robe with long fluttering sleeves. In the corner, an incense burner was burning, with smoke curling around, and he looked like a Taoist master.

In front of him sat an old lady, who was dressed gorgeously, with gold and jade ornaments on her hair and silk and satin draped over her body. One could tell at a glance that she came from a wealthy family.

Qiu Chuji took the stick from her hand, looked at it for a while, and frowned, "Madam, this is not a good sign. The west is associated with gold, which represents weapons and dangerous things. If your son goes to the battlefield, something unexpected may happen."

The old lady's wrinkled face showed anxiety, and she asked quickly, "What should I do? My son can't be in trouble."

"Don't worry, old lady. Although this sign is bad, it is not without hope. As long as your son does as I say, he will be able to turn bad luck into good luck."

“Metal represents danger, but life lies in the east. The east belongs to wood, and that is where life is. Go east and you will be able to avoid disaster.” The old lady only needs to tell your son this.

"Okay, thank you, Taoist Qiu."

……

After the old lady left, Wang Chuyi came out from the corner. He looked at the snowflakes falling from the sky and sighed, "Brother, is this really okay?"

Qiu Chuji sat cross-legged on the futon, looking calm and composed. "Man proposes, God disposes. The old lady's son is the commander-in-chief of the army. He is a filial man, and he will definitely come."

Late at night, a man knocked on the door of the Taoist temple and walked in.

Qiu Chuji was sitting in front of the main hall of the Taoist temple. When he saw him, he laughed out loud, "General, I have been waiting for you for a long time."

The man was in doubt and extremely alert, "Master Qiu, did you deliberately lead me here?"

Qiu Chuji stroked his beard lightly, smiling like a spring breeze, "General, you are a great general in the army, and it is difficult for outsiders to see you. I have no choice but to resort to this last resort. I hope the general will forgive me."

"Master Qiu, you are joking. Everyone in Chang'an doesn't know the name of Master Qiu. If you come to my house, how can I refuse you?"

"The current situation is tense. If my meeting with the general is seen by someone with ulterior motives, it might not be a good thing."

The man was getting impatient and went straight to the point, "Master Qiu, let's not beat around the bush. What exactly do you want to do?"

Qiu Chuji raised the whisk in his hand and smiled, "Nothing else, just to get rid of the Jin thieves and support the Dragon Court."

The man's eyes turned cold, "How dare you! Even if you are an outsider, you cannot say such treasonous words. If this gets to Lord Xu, I'm afraid your Quanzhen Sect will be implicated."

"General, you are joking. When the current emperor was in hiding, I once tried to assassinate the king. What's wrong with me becoming a rebel now?"

Then he gave him a meaningful look and said, "Besides, the Jin Dynasty is about to end. General, don't you want to find another way out?"

A hint of sarcasm flashed in the man's eyes. "By finding another way out, do you mean surrendering to the Mongols?"

Qiu Chuji shook his head slightly, "No, they are not the Mongols. They are just barbarians. How can they rule the world?"

"Could it be the Song Dynasty in the south?"

"No, the Zhao Song royal family came to power illegally, lost power and humiliated the country, and killed Prince Yue. How can they rule the world?"

The man looked even more confused, "Who are you talking about?"

Qiu Chuji looked solemn as he said word by word, "The descendant of the Guo family of the previous dynasty, Han Hou Guo Jing, is the true man of destiny."

(End of this chapter)