A family of loyal martyrs, starting with nine wives to continue the family line.

Hua Jieyu was in charge of intelligence for the entire Wei family. When she stuffed the secret letter into her sleeve, the spy outside the carriage was still kneeling and hadn't gotten up.

"Has news of the great victory in Jiangnan already been released?"

The man in gray lowered his head.

"As instructed by the old lady, the news spread throughout the teahouses, taverns, opera troupes, and storytelling stalls."

"Now everyone in the capital is saying that the young marshal slaughtered 400,000 southern barbarian troops outside the city of Jiangnan, leaving not a single one alive."

Hua Jieyu smiled.

"Where is Lu Song?"

"The Lu residence closed its doors to visitors, and the food sent in by the kitchen was brought out untouched."

now it's right.

Hua Jieyu tapped the car wall lightly with her fingertips, but there was no smile in her eyes.

"Prepare the horses."

Hua Jieyu lifted the carriage curtain, revealing a red dress with a gray cloak draped over it, and the rouge on her face was much lighter than usual.

"Let's go to Jiangnan."

……

Outside Jiangnan City, Wei Zhao kicked a new recruit's shield.

The recruit was kicked and staggered back three steps, his face turning bright red, but he gritted his teeth and refused to fall.

"Raise the shield."

Wei Zhao tapped the shield with his white wax spear, making a soft sound.

"The spears of the southern barbarians don't reason with you. If you lower yourself by even half an inch, they'll pierce your neck."

The recruit's Adam's apple bobbed.

"yes!"

Wei Zhao glanced around the training ground.

The three thousand new recruits were all able-bodied young men who had just been conscripted from the city of Jiangnan.

Some were salt workers, some were dockworkers, and some were helping the Wei family army carry arrows and deliver hot porridge just a few days ago. Now they have shaved their heads, changed into short clothes, and are standing on the drill ground learning to hold a knife.

There weren't many people, but this was just the beginning.

Wei Zhao looked at the piles of weapons and the convoy that had been organized by the training ground, his brows still furrowed.

He has indeed made preparations for both scenarios.

If news came from the capital that the Dowager Empress was being pressured, he would immediately muster his troops and march north.

Screw the rules.

The old matriarch was the mother of this body, and also the last pillar of stability the Wei family held in the capital.

If anyone dares to touch the Dowager Empress, Wei Zhao wouldn't mind letting Emperor Yuanxi see for himself what 300,000 Wei family troops really mean.

But he also knew that this was not something to be done lightly.

Bringing troops into Beijing might have been exhilarating, but it also had serious long-term consequences.

The Wei family's greatest advantage right now is "loyalty".

The whole family was loyal and brave; nine sons died in battle. Wei Zhao fought in the south and north to protect the Great Wei dynasty.

Once he makes the first move, that old dog Lu Song can turn black into white.

"Young Marshal."

The guards came running quickly.

"Sixth Madam has arrived."

Wei Zhao turned around.

Hua Jieyu walked in from the school gate, her gray cloak covered in dust and her red skirt stained with dried mud.

She usually walks with a touch of elegance, but today she walked quickly and didn't even bother to put on a smile.

When Wei Zhao saw her like this, he immediately felt a tightness in his chest.

"Has something happened in the capital?"

Hua Jieyu didn't answer. She first glanced at the new recruits on the drill ground, then at the weapons being loaded onto trucks in the distance.

Are you preparing to return to Beijing?

Wei Zhao did not deny it.

"If the old lady is in danger, I will go back."

Hua Jieyu walked up to him and patted the dust off his shoulder.

"Don't rush."

Wei Zhao stared at her.

"What did the old lady say?"

Hua Jieyu withdrew her hand and lowered her voice.

"The old lady wants you to go to Jianmen Pass first."

Wei Zhao paused for a moment.

"Jianmen Pass?"

"Um."

Hua Jieyu nodded.

"The great victory at Jiangnan City only wiped out the main force of the Southern Barbarians; it doesn't mean the southern front is secure."

"Jianmen Pass is still in the hands of the rebel army. All the villages, towns, post roads, and granaries along the line from Jiangnan to Jianmen Pass must be taken back."

Wei Zhao remained silent.

Seeing that he didn't refute, Hua Jieyu continued:

"The old lady also said that after recapturing Jianmen Pass, 50,000 troops would be left to guard the south and ensure its safety before preparing for the next step."

Shang Wanqing and Su Qingyun were also present, and they nodded in agreement after hearing Hua Jieyu's words.

Su Qingyun glanced at Hua Jieyu and smiled gently.

"Whose men are these 50,000 garrison troops?"

Wei Zhao's brow twitched slightly.

Su Qingyun fiddled with the abacus beads in her hand, her tone still soft.

"If these 50,000 people were organized and trained by the Wei family army at their own expense..." She didn't finish her sentence.

Hua Jieyu smiled and said, "That's exactly what the old lady meant."

Su Qingyun stopped holding the abacus beads.

Wei Zhao also looked up at her.

Hua Jieyu slowly said:

"The 50,000 troops defending the southern front were built, trained, and supplied by the Wei family themselves."

"Nominally, it was a local militia in Jiangnan, and Zhao Yue petitioned for its leadership. In reality, it was led by Sister Qingluan."

Su Qingyun's eyes curved slightly.

"The old lady made a truly brilliant move."

Hua Jieyu looked at her.

"The old lady also said that the logistics in Jiangnan are your responsibility, and all supplies such as grain, salt, cloth, medicine, and iron will be handled through your accounts."

"Fifty thousand is just the base number. How much it can be expanded in the future depends on how many people Jiangnan can support."

"I understand now."

Her voice was gentle, but her words were harsh.

"I will review the grain, salt, and carriage shops in the six prefectures of Jiangnan again."

"Whoever is willing to go with the Wei family will make a fortune. Who would want to hedge their bets at this point..."

She smiled, but didn't finish her sentence.

Wei Zhao understood. He slowly turned his head, looking at the new recruits training on the drill ground, and then at the carts of rattan armor and ballistae in the distance.

In the north, at Yanmen Pass, there is the Wei family army.

At the Jade Gate Pass in the west, Tuoba Yue was stationed in the Western Qiang region, and the western gateway was already in the hands of the Wei family.

Now, Jianmen Pass in the south will also be reclaimed, leaving behind 50,000 garrison troops under the command of Huo Qingluan.

The three major portals.

They were all from the Wei family.

It's not a rebellion.

It's about saving your life.

The dilapidated house in the Great Wei was drafty from all sides, and the emperor and Lu Song were still arguing inside about who should sit in the main seat.

The old matriarch saw things more clearly than anyone else; relying on the court to patch things up was less effective than the Wei family fixing the door themselves.

Wei Zhao suddenly smiled.

"The old lady's scheme is quite sophisticated."

Flowers seem to understand and smile.

"That's why I told you not to rush back to the capital. If you go back now, you'll be handing the knife to Lu Song."

"If you take back Jianmen Pass, lock down the southern front, and then return with military reports from the three major gateways, Lu Song will have to think twice before trying to take you down."

Wei Zhao's agitation finally subsided.

It's great to be back in Beijing now.

But a quick fix won't solve the root cause.

What he wanted was not simply to storm into the court and berate the emperor, nor was it as simple as beheading Lu Song on the spot.

Lu Song deserves to die, but it's not the right time yet. The border is not stable, and the Donghu and Xianyuan are watching from the east. If things really break down in the capital, the Great Wei will be thrown into chaos first.

We must first chop off the enemy's hands one by one.

Only when the five tribes are no longer able to march south will that old dog Lu Song have time to slowly skin them alive.

Shang Wanqing suddenly put the gear on the table.

"I guess after Jianmen Pass is reorganized, the next step is not to return to the capital."

Wei Zhao looked at her.

Su Qingyun also stopped using the abacus.

Hua Jieyu narrowed her eyes.

Shang Wanqing pointed eastward.

"Fresh grass and Donghu."

Wei Zhao looked towards the eastern area, his fingers slowly tightening.

Xianyuan, a semi-localized Chinese writer, is the best at reading the winds.

The Donghu, with their skilled archers and cavalry, had been pressing the Wei forces on the eastern front.

When the news of the complete annihilation of the Southern Barbarian army reached them, these two families certainly wouldn't sit idly by.

If they were smart, they would shrink back and play the subservient role.

If they are greedy, they will take advantage of the Wei family army's exhaustion from continuous battles and try to take a bite out of them.