Chapter 162
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Upon seeing the letter, Lu He immediately started recruiting soldiers with great enthusiasm.
He knew that if Chu Hechao led the troops to attack the Xiongnu in early spring, he must be confident, especially with the assistance of the Wuwan people. It was evident that they intended to thoroughly defeat the Xiongnu. Since Lanzhou was often troubled by the barbarians, having the opportunity to share the credit and resolve the troubles with Chu Hechao was a chance that Lu He wouldn’t miss.
He immediately recruited 30,000 cavalry and prepared to join Chu Hechao in the campaign.
This time, Chu Hechao’s army had the largest number of cavalry, totaling 50,000. As he prepared to attack the Xiongnu, the entire Wen Principality, along with various government departments in Youzhou, operated in close coordination.
The news spread like wildfire, and supplies of food, weapons, clothing, soldiers, and laborers were all sent to the northern border. With a single command, countless personnel and resources converged from all directions, showcasing the strength of the empire.
On the second day of the second month of the seventh year of Zhou Yan, a total of 100,000 cavalry split into three parts and deeply penetrated the grassland, aiming to completely annihilate the main force of the Xiongnu.
After arriving on the grassland, Lu He learned that Chu Hechao actually possessed a map of the Xiongnu royal court. He was ecstatic and felt that his decision to follow Chu Hechao was correct.
With the map, their targets were clear. Chu Hechao went straight to the royal court, while Lu He and the Wuwan attacked the Zuo and Youxian Wangs’ territories, igniting a fierce campaign of revenge and slaughter on the grassland.
After Chu Hechao and his army delved deep into the grassland, communication with the rear was cut off.
Yuan Li, far away in Ji Zhou, couldn’t guess what was happening on the grassland. He knew rationally that this campaign was almost certain to succeed, but he still worried.
As he patiently waited for news from the grassland, he unexpectedly received news from Southern Chen Wang.
In the study:
“What?” Liu Jixin exclaimed in surprise, “Chen Wang has captured Yizhou and Yuzhou? Those are the territories of Qin Meng and Qin Pei.”
Qin Meng and Qin Pei were members of the imperial family and the emperor’s uncles.
The others were also shocked, and Guo Mao quickly asked, “May I ask, Master Zhao, when did Chen Wang capture these two provinces?”
The person standing in the center of the crowd was none other than Zhao Ying, who had just hurriedly come from Liangliao Institution. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, “In July of last year, Chen Wang sent troops to attack Yizhou and Yuzhou, claiming that Qin Meng and Qin Pei were disrespectful to the emperor and intended to secretly crown other descendants of the Qin family as the emperor. By the end of last year, they had completely captured these two provinces. The emperor ordered Qin Meng, Qin Pei, and their Qin family members to be demoted to commoners and imprisoned them.”
“The emperor is confused,” Zhan Shaoning sneered in his heart. As someone who hated the court, he found this situation quite enjoyable. “Killing their own people, there will no longer be any Qin surname governors in the world.”
Yuan Li calmly said, “Even if the emperor is not confused, Chen Wang now holds these two provinces in his hand. Even if the emperor knew of Chen Wang’s ambitions, he still had to do this to protect himself.”
Everyone sighed.
The scent of tea wafted gently in the room. This was a high-quality tea sent from Bingzhou. It had a refreshing and pleasant fragrance that lifted the spirits. Although the atmosphere was heavy, the fragrance of the tea kept them from being too disheartened.
Ever since they knew that Chen Wang took the emperor away, they had expected this day.
Using the emperor’s name to suppress “rebellious” subjects was an excellent tactic. It seemed that their lord’s actions had provoked Chen Wang.
Although they were nervous, it only lasted for a moment, and they weren’t overly worried.
As Yuan Li’s subordinates, they were given confidence by Yuan Li. With the three northern provinces united and their lord’s power towering like the sky, even if they fought Chen Wang, they would not be afraid.
Even if Chen Wang tried to use the emperor’s name to accuse them, it wouldn’t work. Yuan Li and Chu Hechao were recognized as loyal ministers by the entire world. Moreover, Chu Hechao was currently attacking the Xiongnu, genuinely serving the country and the people. The card of the emperor in Chen Wang’s hand had no effect on them.
Although Chen Wang was a formidable opponent, they were not afraid to fight. They were just surprised by his current strategy—targeting members of the imperial family first. It was ruthless and not in line with Chen Wang’s usual approach, which made them even more astonished.
“Currently, our lord’s strength is formidable, with both supplies and hundreds of thousands of soldiers. We also have the five-year Luo River Alliance with Chen Wang. Although his actions in the South currently don’t affect us, we still need to be on guard. Otherwise, five years later…” Zhou Gongdan slowly spoke up, “If Chen Wang completely unifies the South, it will become a formidable enemy for us. The world will be divided in two, and he will occupy the richest areas.”
Currently, the only person in the world who could contend with Yuan Li and Chu Hechao was Chen Wang.
Upon hearing this, Yuan Li pondered for a moment and said directly, “Bring me the map.”
Lin Tian immediately brought the map and laid it out on the table.
Yuan Li invited others to gather around and pointed to the positions of Yangzhou, Yizhou, and Yuzhou on the map, saying, “Chen Wang’s control of these three provinces precisely surrounds Jingzhou. Once he completely controls Yizhou and Yuzhou, his next target should be Jingzhou.”
The people surrounding the map nodded in agreement. Xiang Hongyun lowered his head and looked at the map for a while before suddenly suggesting, “The top scholar in the imperial examination is from the Wang family in Jingzhou. The Wang family has ties with the current governor of Jingzhou, Jiang Biao. Why not invite the top scholar to inquire about the current situation in Jingzhou?”
Yuan Li agreed and had Wang Qianzhi summoned.
When Wang Qianzhi was called out of the Ministry of Government Affairs, he was nervous and puzzled. He entered without daring to look around and immediately greeted Yuan Li with a bow. Only when he was asked about Jingzhou did he understand the purpose and said, “Replying to Duke Wen, a few days ago, my family also sent a letter to me, hesitating whether to move the entire family to Jizhou.”
He phrased it delicately, but everyone present understood. If Jingzhou were not in dire straits, how could such a deeply-rooted prestigious family be willing to move and start anew in another place?
With further questioning, they also learned that the current Governor of Jingzhou, Jiang Biao, was in a state of extreme anxiety day and night, fearing that Chen Wang would truly lead his troops to attack him.
After answering these questions, Wang Qianzhi took a deep breath and said, “Duke Wen, your reputation for benevolence and righteousness is renowned throughout the world. I wonder if you could lend a helping hand to ensure that Jingzhou avoids Chen Wang’s army?”
The strategists exchanged glances, and Xiang Hongyun, who was once a man from Yi zhou, knew the local governors and powerful families well and understood Jiang Biao’s temperament. He blinked his eyes and said casually, “Duke Wen would be willing to assist Jingzhou if not for the Luo River Alliance agreement with Chen Wang. Within five years, we cannot interfere in each other’s internal affairs or wage war against each other. Duke Wen and Chen Wang made a blood oath alliance. If we violate it, we will be abandoned by the world.”
Wang Qianzhi’s heart sank, and a hint of disappointment appeared on his face. Still, he maintained his composure and adhered to the rules, saying, “I was thoughtless.”
Xiang Hongyun glanced at him and added casually, “If Chen Wang first violates the Luo River Alliance agreement, then Duke Wen would have no need to worry. My lord, what do you think?”
Yuan Li glanced at Xiang Hongyun and then at Wang Qianzhi, meaningfully saying, “Yes. Unless Chen Wang takes the initiative to attack me, I will have no reason to send troops against him.”
Wang Qianzhi was exceptionally intelligent and instantly understood the intentions of Xiang Hongyun and Yuan Li.
If Jiang Biao pledged allegiance to Yuan Li, then Jingzhou would belong to Yuan Li. Once Chen Wang attacked Jingzhou, it would be equivalent to attacking Yuan Li. At that time, Yuan Li could openly send troops to protect Jingzhou.
Wang Qianzhi found this matter quite difficult.
As a person from Jingzhou, he naturally didn’t want to see his hometown suffer from war. But would Jiang Biao really be willing to pledge allegiance to Yuan Li?
Various thoughts surged in his mind, and the pros and cons of pledging allegiance to Duke Wen repeatedly flashed through Wang Qianzhi’s mind. Soon, he realized that there was no choice in this matter.
Jingzhou would either be conquered by Chen Wang’s strong army or seek refuge with Duke Wen for protection. If he were Jiang Biao, he would also choose the latter. At least, pledging allegiance to Duke Wen would secure his position as the Governor and the stability of Jingzhou.
Duke Wen was known for benevolence and kindness, and Wang Qianzhi had already realized in the short half-year since coming to Wen Principality how much Duke Wen cared for his subordinates and the people. Now that the world was somewhat divided, the governors of each province would sooner or later have to choose a side to pledge allegiance to, whether early or late. Compared to Chen Wang, it was better to join Duke Wen sooner rather than later!
Wang Qianzhi gritted his teeth, made a resolute decision on the spot, and said, “I understand the difficulties faced by Duke Wen. Tonight, I will write a letter to my family and send it back to Jingzhou, seeking Duke Wen’s protection.”
After speaking, Wang Qianzhi didn’t delay and took his leave promptly.
Watching his departing figure, Xiang Hongyun pondered for a moment, then stepped forward and cupped his hands to Yuan Li, saying, “My lord, I’m afraid Wang Qianzhi’s letters alone may not be enough to convince Governor Jiang. I’ve had some interactions with Governor Jiang in the past, so I request your permission to go to Jingzhou as a mediator.”
Seeing Xiang Hongyun’s confident demeanor, Yuan Li didn’t hesitate for long and nodded in agreement, smiling as he said, “Then I’ll leave this matter to you, but remember, your own safety should be your top priority.”
With that, he allocated a thousand elite cavalry to Xiang Hongyun.
Feeling appreciated, Xiang Hongyun gave a rare smile and expressed his gratitude.
With the discussion concluded, the officials left the room.
As they stepped out, the group huddled around Xiang Hongyun, with Zhan Shaoning asking curiously, “You’re usually so quiet, why are you so proactive today?”
“If I’m not proactive, His Excellency might forget about me,” Xiang Hongyun replied calmly. “Besides, Jiang Biao and I have some history, and I’m the only one capable of handling this matter.”
Liu Jixin teased from the side, “If Master Xiang succeeds in this matter and surpasses us all, what will we do?”
Guo Mao pretended to think for a moment and smiled coyly, “His Excellency has always cared for me. I believe that even if Master Xiang achieves meritorious deeds, His Excellency won’t forget about me.”
Zhou Gongdan found it amusing and warmly chimed in, “His Excellency loves to drink with me the most. When I next drink with him, I’ll find out whom he cares for the most and favors. How about that?”
Upon hearing this, he immediately received cold stares from the others.
You’re the only one who gets invited by His Excellency to drink?
Five days later, Xiang Hongyun departed from Jizhou with Wang Qianzhi and a thousand cavalry escorts.
By this time, it had been over a month since Chu Hechao and the others ventured deep into the grasslands. Yuan Li remained outwardly calm while eagerly waiting for news from the grasslands.
Amidst his anxious wait, in early April, a large number of cattle, sheep, and horses were suddenly delivered to Ye County.
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