Fu Shanhe

Chapter 87 Big Basket

Xinghua City.

After circulating the intelligence, all the generals of the Five Cities Military Division showed an expression of disbelief.

Commander Rong led his troops to recapture Taizhou and invited everyone to attend the celebration banquet.

What is the difference between such explosive content and the sun rising from the west?

"My Lord, since Commander Rong is so interested, why not just follow his wishes?

The battle of Gaoyou Prefecture is drawing to a close. Once this is over, we will go to the celebration banquet!"

Li Mu said with a smile.

He didn't believe that the sun rose from the west. Similarly, the motley crowd led by Commander Rong did not have the strength to recapture Taizhou.

It's one thing to know there's a problem, but as a good person, you can't just directly doubt your colleagues.

You will know what is true and what is false when you get there.

Especially the boasting content in the battle report, which said that they fought hard for three days and nights and killed tens of thousands of enemy troops.

I didn’t know who Commander Rong was, and I thought the Overlord was still alive.

There are many people who falsely report their military achievements, but it is rare to find someone who dares to brag like this.

It was also bragging. When he wrote the battle report, he would at most embellish the data on enemy kills.

Even if we want to exaggerate the results of the battle, it was the soldiers who fought bloody battles for three days and nights, and it was definitely not me who fought for three days and nights.

The officials in the court were not fools, and the army's bloody battle for several days was still within everyone's cognition.

Since you are so capable, why don't you take the exam to become the top martial arts champion?

I'm not bragging, the martial arts champion of the Dayu Dynasty was really good at fighting.

He is almost always good at horse racing and archery. A weapon weighing more than 100 kilograms is like a toy in his hand, and killing a cow with one punch is a basic operation.

Every martial arts champion has the ability to kill a tiger with bare hands.

It is not enough to be able to fight, one must also be proficient in military tactics.

Even though the military examination is held every three years, only a few can pass the exam and the number one military scholar is even rarer.

Just because you get first place doesn’t mean you can get the title of top scholar.

One must have an overwhelming advantage and gain the emperor's approval to obtain this title.

In all the years since the founding of Dayu, there have only been a few martial arts champions.

With these powerful presences, smart generals would not deliberately emphasize their bravery when reporting their battle achievements.

"If you follow his wishes, I think you think the excitement is not big enough!
Forget it, since he is so powerful, let the Ministry of War verify the battle results.

I am afraid that he will not defeat the rebels and recapture Taizhou, but will be defeated by the rebels instead. Then my Five Cities Army will lose face!"

Although he said it was a difficult question, the smile on his face still revealed Marquis Wuyang's good mood.

The last flaw was also made up with the emergence of good news.

With this battle report, no one can say in the future that he deliberately assigned them a mission that would ensure their death.

As for the truth or falsity of the content, or even the life or death of Commander Rong and his group, it no longer matters now.

Bait is only needed when fishing.

When the water is drained, just go down and catch it.

With the Gaoyou Prefecture battle ending early, the rebels' situation at this point was like a fish out of water.

The rebels in Nantong Prefecture failed in their attempt to cross the river, and the Jiangnan Navy, who had redeemed themselves for their crimes, locked them up on the north bank.

The anti-rebellion coalition forces formed by the southern provinces launched river crossing operations every now and then, making them miserable.

The best opportunity for expansion was missed, and the imperial court's encirclement had already taken shape.

No matter how the rebels struggle, they cannot change the outcome of their destruction.

The overall situation of the court will not be affected, and the victory or defeat on the local battlefield will be insignificant.

The face of the Five Cities Army was a pure joke.

If they really cared about the government's reputation, they would not have let a group of playboys lead the troops into battle.

"My Lord, Commander Rong knows the importance of this matter and will not spread false news of victory.

Since he has already recaptured Taizhou, there is no need for us to rush south. Let’s first deal with the remaining enemies in Gaoyouzhou!”

Zhao Yawei pretended to be confused.

Compared with the past, he is in urgent need of military merit now.

In the army, strength is the voice, but military merit is the decisive factor.

With the sudden rise of Li Mu, this top-ranking captain in the yamen was in a very embarrassing situation.

Compared with his colleagues, his strength and military achievements seemed mismatched, and in the eyes of the outside world, he was considered incompetent as a captain.

As for military merit, it's not enough to just want it, you also need enough luck.

In the past few days, while searching for the remnants of the rebels, several other thousand-household offices have made some gains, but his team has not encountered any trace of anyone.

No matter what, he had to join in the subsequent war in Gaoyou Prefecture.

……

Taizhou City.

Commander Rong, who was so majestic the moment before, became a prisoner the next moment.

Along with him, a number of noble generals also suffered misfortune.

They never dreamed that even after both sides had agreed on the terms, these rebels would turn against each other.

Only the main culprit will be investigated, and those who were accomplices will not be questioned.

Such generous conditions can definitely be considered lenient.

If they were not in urgent need of merit, they would not have risked being held accountable by the court and offered such generous surrender terms.

"Let me go now! You can't go back on your word!"

Commander Rong couldn't help but curse. He really couldn't understand why the rebels would suddenly turn against the Zong family at the celebration banquet when they were willing to offer their heads.

"Sir Rong, Commander Rong!
It's not that we brothers are not trustworthy, we are really forced into this situation.

Frankly speaking, we are really tempted by the conditions you offer.

But we are the commander-in-chief of the rebel army!

As for the Zong family, they are just a bunch of rats. Why do they give orders to us?

Of course, you don’t know these inside stories, and we brothers don’t blame you.

But you don’t know, the Jinyiwei know, and many brothers in the rebel army know.

What everyone knows cannot be kept secret.

The imperial court's stance towards the rebels remained consistent.

If we surrender to the imperial court, we brothers will not be able to escape the fate of being tortured to death.

I have no choice but to invite you to come as a guest."

Huang Renlong explained with a smile.

The smooth progress of the false surrender plan was beyond his imagination.

If it had not been completed, he would not have known that the name of the Zong family was so famous and even human heads were so useful.

"impossible!

I have inquired about it clearly. The Zong family is one of the seven major families in Lianghuai and is very powerful.

You are just a salt smuggler, how can you command the entire army?"

Commander Rong said in disbelief.

When he was looking for prostitutes in Yangzhou, he heard so many stories about the seven major families in Lianghuai that his ears were almost callused.

The rebel leaders listed by the imperial court happened to be the patriarchs of the seven major families.

Small characters like the Huang brothers are not even qualified to be on the list of traitors, so how could they possibly become the leader of the thieves?

"Is the Zong family really as powerful as you say? Can we chop off their heads?

Even if someone's head is delivered, you don't check the time of death yourself. Who can you blame?

The illegal salt trade is punishable by death. Without proper preparation, we brothers would have been dead long ago.

It just so happened that the imperial court was stingy and the soldiers in the yamen were almost starving to death.

We brothers couldn't bear to see others suffer, so we gave money to help them.

You have obtained intelligence from our people, and it is already quite good that you have been able to collect this information!"

Huang Renlong joked.

If the government troops were of this level, his rebellion would have hope.

The imperial court listed the seven great families in Lianghuai as the main bandits. Even as an outsider, he knew that this was a political necessity.

If the charges are not to the point, how can we eliminate the interest groups that are sucking blood from the salt industry?

If the seven major families were identified as accomplices, the scholars who had received funding from them would certainly find ways to help whitewash them.

Those court officials who usually take bribes have a hundred ways to help them escape punishment.

If the culprit is not eradicated, the salt industry reform will be a joke.

Once he was identified as the ringleader, his nature changed instantly.

Not to mention helping to overturn the verdict, everyone avoided them when they heard their names.

"mean!"

After cursing angrily, Commander Rong collapsed to the ground.

Even though he wasn't very smart, he knew he was finished.

After falling into the hands of the rebels, his identity and background became completely useless.

Even if he was lucky enough to be rescued by the government troops, he would still be dead.

That ostentatious "good news" was his death warrant.

……

The news of the incident in Taizhou was quickly spread by the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Upon receiving the news, Marquis Wuyang began to greet Commander Rong's ancestors on the spot.

When he was very angry, even words like "the evil concubine is a disaster for the country" came out of his mouth.

A large number of relatives and sons of nobles were captured. This was a big deal, much more serious than the previous assassination case.

For the nobles and relatives of the emperor, these people can lose the battle and die on the battlefield, but they cannot be taken as prisoners.

"My Lord, the people left from our Five Cities Army, and we have to deal with the aftermath.

In any case, we must not allow civil servants to interfere, otherwise there will be endless troubles!"

When it comes to group interests, Li Mu is no longer as calm as before.

Knowing that Commander Rong had made trouble, he never expected them to be so powerful. Not only did they hand over the army to the enemy, but they also became prisoners.

I don't expect everyone to die in battle, but at least a few of them should die to prove their integrity.

If no one wants to die, then we can only find a way to help them die.

Fortunately, the eunuch party and the nobles and relatives of the emperor's wife are now a temporary alliance, and the Jinyiwei passed the news on as soon as possible.

If we delay for a few days, it will be difficult to deal with the problem once the news spreads.

"Pass the order down, all troops should prepare to march out, I want to clear the door!"

Marquis Wuyang said murderously.

As the boss, he must be responsible for cleaning up any trouble caused by his subordinates.

(End of this chapter)