The Emperor ordered Zhao Tang

Chapter 110: Rebellion
"I am a fool. Even if I collected the gold and iron from the four states of Xuzhou and Suzhou, I still couldn't make such a big mistake..."

In Beihe Village, Liu Zhijun retreated with a long sigh. Everything after surrendering to Bian was completely different from what he expected.

He originally thought that if he defected to Zhu Wen, he could get a high position and a generous salary, be the governor of a state, and live a life of being a local tyrant, and even be asked by King Bian to be granted a title such as the founding son. But now it seems that King Bian only wants to treat him as a great victim and oppress him.

In Xuzhou, he was the commander of the cavalry and infantry of the yamen, and the commander of the spearmen and horses, and the right-hand man of the general. After he defected to Bianzhou, Zhu Wen only gave him the title of lieutenant. He fought hard to show himself, but he was only given the title of commander. His military power was also taken away; commander? The left and right Yisheng armies under his command were all from the yamen of Xuanwu, and no one treated him as a big deal.

This time, he was transferred to the Wude Army and was ordered to attack the Sanguan Fort. It sounded impressive, but the Yamen soldiers also looked down on him. You are brave and skilled in martial arts? It sounded as if everyone was worse than someone else. The contemptuous eyes of the Yamen soldiers and the occasional sneer in the eyes of other Yamen generals made Liu Zhijun very angry.

Moreover, the two thousand trusted spearmen he brought with him were reorganized by Prince Bian and served as vanguards in every battle.

What is this doing?
Suppression, consumption! The Gate Spear Army, which was feared by the Xuzhou people, was treated as civilian laborers and became the scapegoat of the Xuanwu government. However, the saddest thing was that although Liu Zhijun regretted it and was very clear about it, he could only curse Zhu Ni in his heart.

What else could he do?

Is he secretly planning a military rebellion against Bian?
Even if he did that, where could he go?

Xuzhou is definitely not going back. Since Shi Pu is about to be destroyed, he is too ashamed to face his elders.

Submit to the saint?

Zhu Ni attacked Tongguan fiercely. Everyone knew what Sima Zhao was thinking. Even the saint couldn't save himself. Don't make fun of him.
Therefore, Liu Zhijun could only bite the bullet and continue to work under Zhu Wen for the time being. Although it was very likely that he would be killed by Zhu Wen...

Forget it.

Let's just hope that Zhu Ni dies suddenly one day.

Liu Zhijun was also quite reluctant to attack Sanguanzhai this time. Wang Congxun, Sima Kanwu, and Wang Shaorong who were guarding the village were also experienced warriors. The moves they knew were also good at by the opponents; they were not stupid. It was not so easy to fight. If he used human lives, it would definitely be easy; but he did not dare to drive his yamen soldiers too much. The lives of the yamen soldiers were precious, and the weak civilians did not have the fighting power. How could this village be attacked? Anyway, he was a good cook without rice. It was a pity that Zhu Wen gave him this task. It was clear that he wanted him to prove his ability and loyalty.

I am loyal to you, Zhang Hui's valley!
Ugh.

Liu Zhijun couldn't help but sigh softly in pain.

He was in a dilemma at the moment. Zhu Ni's order was to capture four villages in two days and two nights. But after a hard battle until now, Konghe, Wude, and Zhisheng fought tenaciously, with more than 2,000 casualties, and more than 10,000 civilians died before they could barely capture two. It was Wang Congxun who took the initiative to evacuate, which was considered a gift to him... Wang's army built more than 20 villages here, just like that.

Now, there are only two days left to complete the mission, and there is only one night left. What should we do? It seems that there is no other way out... Although Zhu Ni did not send anyone to ask about the progress, he knew the character of this general very well: cold-blooded and ruthless.

In the battle to attack Luzhou, General Li Chongyin and others failed to attack Shatuo and were beheaded on the shore of the floating bridge.

In the Battle of Jishui, the eldest son Zhu Youyu defeated the Yanzhou troops, but failed to capture Zhu Jin who escaped alone. Zhu Ni tied him up and ordered him to be beheaded. If it weren't for the bitch Zhang Hui who ran out barefoot and slapped Zhu Ni twice, Zhu Youyu would have died.

"Liu Men Qiang." The old brother Chai Renxin came over with a depressed look on his face and whispered, "There is only one night left before the deadline, and we are still two villages short. We will be executed."

"We could vote for anyone else, but you just chose to support the thief Zhu. What's going on now? It's all your fault!" Bao Jinzhong also glared at Liu Zhijun and cursed.

Hold on until dark. If there is still no hope after dark, run! This is what Bao Jinzhong secretly agreed with a dozen old friends. No matter if they surrender to Wang Congxun or go to Hezhong, they will not eat Zhu Wen's food anyway. We are outsiders, not Zhu Ni's direct lineage, and we can't get his love. Can't we leave? Seeing that Bai Renxue had fought hard for more than a day and fought to the death to capture two villages, he deserved Zhu Ni's reward. We are the dignified Xuzhou Gate Gun Ya Nei, and we are not here to kneel at your feet and be inferiors.

"Ah?" Liu Zhijun turned around in shock and glared at Chai Renxin and Bao Jinzhong. "I have received great favors from the King of Bian. How can I abandon the city just because it is difficult to capture? Do you want me to be branded as fickle?"

"You know nothing." Bao Jinzhong heard him say that and said, "The previous dynasty pardoned Zhu Wen's serious crimes and appointed him as a military governor. Zhu Wen seemed respectful and kind on the outside, but he was violent and arrogant on the inside. He relied on his power to bully the emperor. He is not a human being! Heroes like us are used by such a treacherous villain, which is actually helping the tyrant to commit atrocities. What's more, this servant is so cruel and likes to kill him? If you walk until dark, don't say you are rich and noble. Can your wife and daughter be protected?"

Liu Zhijun wiped his armor and kept his head down without saying a word.

"Besides, Zhu Wen's more than 100,000 brave soldiers couldn't even defeat the mere mob in Tongguan, which shows that he is just a show-off." Chai Renxin grabbed Liu Zhijun's arm and asked, "Why don't you join the court as a general? I asked the captives privately and heard that the emperor is lenient and kind to animals. He doesn't kill prisoners, doesn't abuse generals, and doesn't harm civilians. Even the beasts of Qi and Bin only shave their heads and demote them to evil people. Why not join him! If the court is weak, there will be opportunities to dominate in the future. Follow the example of Zhu Mei, capture the saint, and take charge of the government, wouldn't it be great?"

Liu Zhijun's heart warmed.

Chai Renxin rolled his shoulders to observe the expression, then winked at the other person.

Tang Bao understood and stepped forward to persuade him: "Why do you have to endure Zhu Wen's wrath? Are you such a coward?"

"I—" Liu Zhijun sighed, "I have ruined my reputation by rebelling so many times. Even if I surrender to the saint, he will not look down on me. In this world, many people only look at the results and not the reasons. They only know that you betrayed your master repeatedly, but they don't care about the hardship of betraying your master repeatedly."

"Stop making so much noise!" Bao Jinzhong grabbed him and cursed, "Which is more important, life or reputation?"

Liu Zhijun then looked up at the others and asked, "Do you all think so?"

"Since he can rebel against the saint, why can't we rebel against him? And what we are doing is called righteousness."

"You forced me to do this..." Liu Zhijun clenched his palms tightly, and the blade cut his palms, and blood immediately flowed out: "Gather the surviving guards and gunmen. When we fight in front of the village, when we are close to the wall, listen to my order and teach the men to make a noise, burn flags and shout to cause chaos."

"Good." Several people responded with a smile.

As long as there is chaos, I can take the opportunity to escape or do something else, hehe...

Liu Zhijun looked relieved.

There is nothing much to arrange and explain in detail. The old brothers and the men in charge of the gate and guns are all familiar with the rebellion. I just don't know if the court will accept these poor people. If it doesn't work out, just become a bandit.

"General Liu!" Zhu Yougui, commander of the Konghe Army, strode over.

Liu Zhijun bowed to him obediently. Although this man was the son of Zhu Wen and a prostitute in the camp, his status was extremely low and he was not respected by people inside and outside the palace, but he was Zhu Wen's child - well... Actually, it was hard to say. The prostitute in the camp was beaten day and night by hundreds of warriors, and her belly was big. Who dared to assert whose child it was?
"Times are tight and military orders are as heavy as a mountain. When will we attack again?" Zhu Yougui asked with a melancholy face.

He had no doubt that his father was cruel and merciless under his kind face. When Zhu Youyu was beheaded, his mistress came forward. Today, if his mistress was not here, who would come forward for him if he did not take down all four villages? Besides, he was what the army soldiers called a bastard...

Kou Yanqing mocked him for being the envoy of Bozhou to Bian, but he had no words to refute.

When his father beat him, he would call his mother a slut, but Zhu Yougui would just swallow his anger.

His cousin Yuan Xiangxian showed disgust and contempt for him, but he pretended not to see it.

He actually hated it. He hated why his unfortunate mother was a camp prostitute who was raped to death by a warrior. He hated why he was born into a prostitute's belly, which made him have to endure so much humiliation. Over the years, he had a strong impulse at many moments - to kill his thief father with a knife and then slaughter the entire Zhu family.

Zhu Yougui didn't want to fight this battle. He didn't care whether the old man lived or died, whether he was a pig or a dog, a thief or a dragon.

Unfortunately, there is no choice!
"After dinner, I will personally lead the troops to attack the stronghold." Liu Zhijun's eyes were bloodshot, and he slammed his helmet heavily on the ground, saying: "I swear to capture Wang Congxun and report to the king that he has recognized me."

"I'm with Liu Junshi." Zhu Yougui took a deep breath and suppressed all distracting thoughts. If he had to die, he would rather die on the battlefield than be beheaded in public by the old man. He didn't want to live in humiliation or die in a cowardly way. Although Zhu Wen would not necessarily kill his sons, his sons' fear of him was real. It often happened that a son was afraid to go home after losing a battle because he was afraid of being executed - the father might not have the heart to do so, but would you dare to bet?

Hearing this, Liu Zhijun's expression changed slightly.

This damn Zhu Yougui, why didn’t he come earlier or later, and now he wants to charge forward with me?
That's fine. If Zhu Yougui is willing to join the group, then he will be on the same boat. But if he dares to get in his way, don't blame him for taking Zhu Yougui's head as a token of his loyalty.

With smoke rising from cooking fires, the Bian army was preparing to launch a new round of attacks on Sanguanzhai.

……

Niutouyuan.

Zhu Wen stopped his persistent attack on the forbidden ditch and withdrew his troops from the canyon. He increased the rewards, visited the camp to comfort the wounded, discussed the enemy situation with the army, and sat on the ground to listen to the soldiers venting their complaints about the bad weather and the difficulty of attacking the fortress. They were indeed worthy of being the troops that Zhu Wen had brought up over the past ten years. They were still high-minded and easy to coax. After Zhu Wen's training, the soldiers who had been showing signs of making trouble became obedient and happily killed sheep and stewed them for meat.

But Zhu Wen was unhappy.

It wasn't because the soldiers complained about the difficulty of the war and wanted to cause trouble. This was normal, he had seen a lot of things and was open-minded - the difficulty of the war was a headache for him, and it was nothing for the soldiers to make a few noises. As long as they didn't rebel and want to kill him as the governor, he could tolerate it.

What made him unhappy was the tyrant emperor.

The Jingou Village was as solid as a rock, and the hope for the Sanguan Village to the north was slim. And just last night, news came from Hezhong that Wang Chongying had beheaded his envoy and sent General Chen Xiong with 4,000 soldiers to help him; this reminded him of the nightmare of being dominated by the mighty army of Hezhong in Tongzhou in the past.

This old dog!

He took the art of changing one's stance according to the situation to the extreme.

Seeing that he had been humiliated, he immediately turned to the court.

This made Zhu Wen quite angry. Humph, the Wang family must not fall into his hands, otherwise he would slaughter all the men and women in retaliation for what happened today.

In addition, Zhang Cunjing, who was stationed in Yanxiang and Taolinsai, also sent a letter to report that the one-eyed dragon showed signs of moving south. In Hanoi, Zhang Quanyi was defeated by Li Hanzhi and had retreated to the three cities of Heyang, asking him for help.

The threat posed by the one-eyed dragon was limited, but it was disgusting enough. No matter what, he dared to raid Zhengzhou.

A decision must be made as soon as possible regarding the war in Tongguan - whether to go or stay.

How to go? How to stay?

It cannot be said that the ideas Li Zhen proposed were completely useless, but he did not particularly agree with them.

The proposal to attack Fengxing and seize Jin and Shang states...

Feng Xingxi is easy to defeat. He is confident that he can defeat more than 20,000 Jin Shang soldiers with 5,000 men. But the problem is that the terrain is bad. They hide in the mountains and don't fight you. When you come, they go up the mountain to play hide-and-seek with you. When you leave, they come out and jump around again. What to do? Search the mountain! If you really want to fight, you can definitely defeat them, but the time and manpower cost is too high. It is better to deal with Xuan and Jin first. Resources are limited, Zhu Wen does not want to waste them on Feng Xingxi. After capturing the saint and pacifying Qi and Lu, these fence-sitters will naturally know what to choose; Feishu can decide.

As for going north to fight Li Keyong and Wang Chongying, we must definitely send our main forces forward and make thorough preparations to try to kill them with one blow, otherwise it will be a waste of time.

It was even more impossible to retreat to Luoyang or even Bianzhou. Before the expedition, he made a promise in public - enter Chang'an, and take the wealth and beauties. Now he didn't get anything, so he went back so dejected? How much money would he have to reward the army to appease the army? Moreover, if he failed to achieve the simplest goal of making the saint surrender, how much would his prestige fall? I'm afraid that before the division returns to Daliang, he will receive news of a certain governor or a garrison commander's rebellion. Wei Bo, Wuchang Army and other vassals will see you in such a miserable state, and it would be strange if they didn't rebel. If you want to withdraw your troops, you must be prepared to suppress the rebellion everywhere when you return.

trouble.

It was thought that this was a military action like a picnic, but as soon as the army from Bianzhou arrived, the sage was frightened and fled overnight like his ancestors, and then he admitted his mistake and was promoted to a higher position; but it turned out to be this situation, and he was really in a difficult situation.

"Your Majesty, please be at ease." Jing Xiang explained, "Since we have obtained the two states of Shaanxi and Guo, the territory spans 1,500 miles from east to west. This trip is a big win. Warfare is a long-term matter. The conquest of Chao and Cai lasted five years. The attack on Shi Pu and the Zhu brothers has also lasted five years. Judging from the saint's current actions, it will take at least one or two years to make him bow his head, and at most three or four years."

It's very difficult to break his knee in one breath.

War has always been a long process of repeated tug-of-war between the two sides.

"From now on, Shan and Guo are in your hands, and you have the initiative. Whenever you want to attack, you can attack. Can the saint resist this time? What about next time? Can you resist every time?" Li Zhenyi comforted him. This time, Li Keyong, Wang Chongying, Zhao Kuangning, and Zhu Xuan will share the pressure for him. After destroying these people, we will see who will come to save him!

Zhu Wen fell into a long silence. After a long while, he nodded gently and sighed: "I underestimated the enemy and became arrogant because of the continuous victories. Let's wait a little longer; we can't take down Jingou Village, let's see if Liu Zhijun and Yougui can make a breakthrough. If we can take down four or five villages, we will have a foothold, and we can station troops at the pass and erode step by step. If the three pass villages are also stubborn, there is nothing we can do, we can only leave."

"This is the highest good thought of a hegemon," Jing Xiang praised.

It was just that the weather was too cold, and the mountain was closed due to heavy snow for days. Otherwise, the whole army would have gone up the mountain to cut wood day and night, and the saint would have tasted the pain of burning the mountain and boiling the sea; but it is impossible to demand perfection in marching and fighting. Things in the world are just like this. The situation in Tongguan is complicated, and there is still room for explanation; what if the king's army loses its composure? If his own soldiers can't stand the severe cold and hard fighting, are the saint's soldiers puppets?

As long as they were warriors, no matter which vassal state they were from or which governor they served, they were all the same. He did not believe that the saint's army was just a bunch of unskilled horses that worked hard without complaint, so he would not make a fuss.

"Your Majesty, a disaster has suddenly occurred!" While Zhu Wen was thinking about it, an official from the shogunate stumbled up to him and reported.

Zhu Wen was about to scold them when he remembered Jing Xiang and the others were there. He frowned and said, "Don't panic and shout or run around in the military camp. Tell me, what's the trouble?"

"Report to the king, the soldiers of Xuzhou are rioting in front of the battlefield! They are beating drums and burning flags, and they are trying to force Liu Zhijun to surrender to the enemy."

"What a bunch of idiots." Zhu Wen suddenly felt dizzy.

……

Inside the room, Rounu wrapped the saint's left face with a white cloth that had been boiled in boiling water. He was hit in the face by a stray arrow that night. Fortunately, he never took off his armor or helmet in the army, so he only scratched his skin, leaving a faintly visible small round dent. But this made everyone's heart tremble a few times. It was also at this time that everyone inside and outside realized that the saint had become so important in their hearts.

"Hum... Woo..." He Yuqing sat beside him, crying, like a pear blossom in the rain.

In her heart, the image of her husband had long since changed from an impulsive, irritable, and easily drunk drunk to an emperor who was cold on the outside but tender on the inside, brave and wise, but also quite lonely, and burdened with many heavy worries.

After hearing the rumor that the saint had died from a stray arrow, He cried for a whole night in Xichengguan; fortunately, it was just a false alarm.

"Don't cry." The saint reached out his hand and wiped her tears.

Walking at night for a long time will definitely lead to encountering ghosts, and being in the army for a long time will definitely lead to injuries. Emperor Shunzong fought hand-to-hand with the rebels on the top of Fengtian City, and his robe turned into blood afterwards; it is much more serious than this. Among Li Shimin's descendants, there are some who are stupid and some who are foolish, but none of them can't cut people. Even the strange brother Polo is an expert in both sword and spear. The era is not the Han Dynasty or the Ming and Qing Dynasties in later generations, when the emperor sat in the Mingtang and ruled the world with his hands relaxed. If blood should be shed, it should be shed, there is nothing to say.

"You scared me to death!" He wiped her bloodshot eyes and grabbed the saint's shoulder: "Can you please not stand up to the enemy from now on?"

"When I don't have to bear the brunt of the attack, that'll be it."

"Then can you hide behind the soldiers and not give the rebels a chance to hurt you?"

The saint is speechless.

Everyone knows the truth, and he is now more eloquent than the censors. But in the critical moment of war, the whole army may be defeated or the pass may be lost. Can he still hide behind the soldiers? If he keeps shrinking, he will suffer one defeat and two defeats. How long can he survive?

　Why are the comments gone?

　　
　
(End of this chapter)