Chapter 216 Where the blood is hot there is cold water
"This tavern is hard to find." Lu Bing sat down.
"This tavern is deep in the alley. I heard my family guard mention it a while ago. He said it's pretty good." Jiang Qingzhi picked up the wine pot and poured wine for him. He raised his eyes and said, "Many times people like to take shortcuts and wish they could achieve success overnight. They don't hesitate to take unconventional measures to achieve this."
Lu Bing took the drink, raised his head and drank it, then looked down at the glass and said, "Not bad."
"Don't drink too fast." Jiang Qingzhi filled his glass with wine and pushed the jug over to him. "If the wine is good, no matter how deep the alley is, it won't stop its reputation."
"I have followed His Majesty for many years. When His Majesty was in the palace, I served him wholeheartedly. I was quite happy at that time." Lu Bing's eyes were filled with memories. "Later, when I came to Beijing, I had so many dreams along the way... Unfortunately, Yang Tinghe teamed up with the Queen Mother to force His Majesty to bow his head."
"I'm very curious, why does Yang Tinghe think he can make an emperor bow his head?" Jiang Qingzhi took a sip of wine.
"The previous emperor passed away, the empress dowager was in the palace, and outside... at that time, Yang Tinghe was almost the only one who controlled the Ming Dynasty." Lu Bing poured wine for Jiang Qingzhi, and when he saw Jiang Qingzhi's surprised look, he suddenly smiled, "You pour wine for me, so I will naturally pour wine for you."
"It's a give and take." Jiang Qingzhi smiled.
"I am a one-man army in the Jinyiwei." Lu Bing did not shy away from the topic. "After having tasted the taste of being the only one in power, who would want to have their power taken away by others? I can't, and neither can Yang Tinghe."
Jiang Qingzhi never understood why Yang Tinghe was so tirelessly competing with Emperor Jiajing. At first, it must have been for power, but after being repeatedly beaten by the young Emperor Jiajing, he still refused to change his mind...
Now he understands.
"desire."
"Yes. If you have tasted the feeling of being the only one in power, you will also be reluctant to give it up. Yang Tinghe has tasted it, so here..." Lu Bing pointed to his heart, "he felt that Your Majesty was the enemy who had seized his power."
When Jiang Qingzhi was in charge of the anti-government armed forces, there were also people under his command who coveted his position. As for the so-called one-man rule, his mind was full of how to survive in such a complex environment, and he had no time to enjoy any power.
"Where is the Empress Dowager?" Jiang Qingzhi thought of Empress Dowager Zhang.
"Empress Dowager?" Lu Bing chewed a piece of beef and said after swallowing it, "A woman whose son died was forced to hand over her son's family business to an outsider. This may be too cruel for a woman. But she forgot that this family business does not belong to one person."
Jiang Qingzhi's eyes lit up.
"Yes, this family business does not belong to one person."
Lu Bing filled his glass again, "An Da, are you sure you are so ambitious?"
"What do you think is the benefit of me creating a powerful enemy for the Ming Dynasty for no reason?" Jiang Qingzhi said, "All the dignitaries in the court said that Altan only wanted to pay tribute, but forgot the history books they had read since childhood.
"Look at the history books. For thousands of years, whenever the foreign tribes on the grasslands felt that they were becoming powerful, what was the first thing they did?"
Lu Bing's eyes narrowed, "Go south!"
"That's right, Qin, Han, Tang, and the early Song Dynasty, who wasn't like this? A bunch of pig-brains, who read so much that they were blind, and still boast that they have sharp eyes."
"You've insulted me too."
"Be critical of the issue, not the person."
Jiang Qingzhi raised his glass, and Lu Bing raised his glass.
"For this family business, I need the best spy."
Jiang Qing drank it all and looked at Lu Bing.
"The Jinyiwei will arrange the best spies to go deep into the grassland." Lu Bing drank it all in one gulp.
"There will be a lot of losses." Jiang Qingzhi filled his glass with wine.
"However much is lost, I, the Jinyiwei, will make up for it." Lu Bing picked up the wine glass, and there seemed to be a flame burning in his eyes. "If everyone dies, I, Lu Bing, will come!"
"This glass of wine is for the Ming Dynasty!"
"Cheers to the Ming Dynasty!"
The two wine glasses clinked gently.
Bah!
A wine glass fell to the ground. Outside the tavern, Mo Zhan walked in with a knife in hand, staring at Lu Bing who stood up.
Lu Bing looked at Jiang Qingzhi, "This is Gong."
"Yes." Jiang Qingzhi nodded.
"Besides that." Lu Bing said, "You and I are still rivals. If I can find a chance to ruin your reputation, I will not show mercy."
"Me too." Jiang Qingzhi said with a smile.
Lu Bing strode out.
Jiang Qing was the only one left in the tavern.
He held the wine glass and whispered, "This damn world always makes people feel excited, but it also suppresses your passion. Damn it, can't you be more pure?"
The cold wind blew into the tavern, and the candlelight flickered.
Jiang Qingzhi drank the rest of the wine and said, "What a pity."
……
There is no problem with the Jinyiwei, and next we have to wait for communication between the Ministry of Rites and Altan Khan.
"The Ministry of Rites sent people to spread the word, and it will probably take some time." Xiao Zhuo went to the Jiang family after leaving the government office. "Those people probably felt embarrassed and no one wanted to go. Later, the minister said it was a political achievement, so a huge crowd of people came!"
"Normal." Jiang Qingzhi felt that it was not a bad thing to lure him with benefits.
"Uncle." Zhu Shou'an came, and Xiao Zhuo quickly took his leave.
The little girl was wearing emerald green clothes today and looked quite energetic. "Uncle, I saw the prince earlier."
"Oh!" Jiang Qingzhi touched the uneasy Duoduo.
"The prince is very respectful in front of the emperor, but I feel, cousin, I always feel that the prince is very tired." Zhu Shou'an has been suppressed by the people around him since he was a child, so he is very sensitive to this kind of atmosphere.
"That's his business." Jiang Qingzhi handed Duoduo over with a smile. The little girl immediately forgot about the prince and ran away with Duoduo in her arms.
"Meow!"
Duoduo tried hard to raise his head, looked over Zhu Shou'an's shoulder and glanced at Jiang Qingzhi with resentment.
Jiang Qingzhi chuckled.
Xu Wei then came in.
"The prince is quite hostile towards you, lord." Xu Wei said.
"I teach the two princes, but in the eyes of the East Palace, they are enemies," said Jiang Qingzhi.
"Uncle, once we embark on this path... there is no turning back," said Xu Wei.
In the fight for the throne, the winner will die if they fail, even between brothers. What's more, Jiang Qingzhi is only the prince's cousin.
"Are you worried?" Jiang Qingzhi asked.
Xu Wei shook his head, "It's boring if people live too mediocre lives."
Jiang Qingzhi stretched lazily, "How is the Tiger Guard Left Guard?"
"Those generals were very serious at first, but three of them took leave yesterday, and those who were present were absent-minded."
……
"That's it?" "Yes! We practice this all day long."
"This array conversion is quite interesting and very simple."
"After training, we still have to stand in formation. What's the point of this?"
“I feel like there’s nothing more to learn.”
"Me too."
"Ouch! My stomach hurts."
A general covered his stomach and disappeared quietly.
"kill!"
Ma Fang held a spear in the array and stabbed hard.
After the training, the soldiers dispersed and Ma Fang returned to his room.
This is the layout of the long bunk bed. As a small flag officer, Ma Fang has the most comfortable bunk.
He sat cross-legged on the bunk, took out a pen and paper, and began to record his thoughts for the day.
——When changing formations, the flags must be given in time, and multiple drills must be repeated between formations that have crossed each other...
At the beginning, Ma Fang was a little confused about why Jiang Qingzhi focused on formation changes during training, but now he has gradually understood some of the reasons.
"The uncle is here." A shout came from outside, followed by the sound of greetings and bows.
Ma Fang jumped off the ground and ran out in a hurry.
Jiang Qingzhi was surrounded by Yan Xu and others and walked towards the lobby.
Ma Fang is just a small flag and has no qualifications to get close to that circle.
"Most of those generals are indecisive." Yan Xu sneered, "They will suffer in the future."
"Who is that...Ma Fang!" Jiang Qingzhi saw Ma Fang and waved, "Come here."
Ma Fang, who was thinking about how to approach, came over and saluted, "Meeting, Master."
"How do you feel about being in Huben Zuowei?" Jiang Qingzhi asked.
"Everything is fine." Ma Fang looked at Jiang Qingzhi and mustered up the courage to say, "My Lord, I have some questions... I deserve to die for my intrusion."
"It's not a bad thing to be ambitious. What's so presumptuous?" Jiang Qingzhi said, "Old Yan, you go in first."
"Yes." Yan Xu looked at Ma Fang more and asked after entering, "Who is this person?"
Someone said: "This person was personally arranged by Lord Bo when he was in Xuanfu. He was originally a general flag, but now he is only a small flag."
Outside the lobby, Ma Fang asked, "Master, when the formation changed, it crossed with the surrounding formations..."
Jiang Qingzhi nodded slightly and answered his questions one by one.
"If the enemy is camped out ahead, when is the best time to launch a surprise attack?"
"Yinshi."
Ma Fang hesitated for a moment and said, "How dare I ask why?"
Jiang Qingzhi said, "People sleep most soundly at this time. Do you understand?"
"Yes." Ma Fang finally asked, "My Lord, if we encounter a superior enemy force, should we divide our forces to harass and contain them, wait for an opportunity to strike, or..."
"This is the art of war." Seeing Ma Fang panic, Jiang Qingzhi smiled and said, "There is no need for this. When it comes to encountering a superior enemy, first of all, when two armies meet, the brave one wins. You must have the courage to draw your sword and face a strong enemy head-on."
"Yes."
Historically, Ma Fang was a brave and fierce general, but he was also very strategic.
It can be said that the man in front of him is a brave and resourceful general. However, according to the trend of history, he should still lie dormant for a long time.
What Jiang Qingzhi needs to do is to let this star shine early.
"Secondly, we must be flexible. The so-called art of war sounds mysterious and profound. But when two armies are fighting, the generals on both sides make their own moves and respond... What is this?"
Ma Fang seemed to be thinking about something.
Jiang Qingzhi said, "Isn't it just two people playing tricks?"
Ma Fang suddenly realized, "Yes, no matter what kind of enemy we encounter, it all comes down to figuring out the opponent's intentions and making the best choice. Figuring out, choosing..."
He is indeed a promising general!
Jiang Qingzhi was happy.
Ma Fang felt that all his doubts had disappeared. He bowed his head and said, "Thank you, Master."
The more kindness many people receive from others, the more indifferent they become.
Jiang Qingzhi patted his shoulder and said, "Think carefully about it. If you don't understand something, you can come to the mansion during your day off."
This is the treatment for disciples.
Ma Fang slowly knelt down. "Ma Fang will live up to the kindness of the uncle!"
"Okay!" Jiang Qingzhi nodded.
There is no such thing as a master or a disciple.
But there was a real master-disciple relationship between the two.
Jiang Qingzhi walked into the lobby.
"Master." Yan Xu said, "Ma Fang was originally a general flag, but he was demoted to a small flag after joining the Tiger Guard Left Guard. Or... should he be promoted to a general flag?"
"I said, no need for special treatment." Jiang Qingzhi hopes that Ma Fang can grow up step by step in Huben Zuowei instead of forcing her growth.
"Yes." Yan Xu said, "I heard from others that Qin Yuan has been very close to Qiu Luan and others recently."
"I see."
On the second day, Sun Bu Tong reported, "Qiu Luan recently invited some so-called veterans to drink, and I don't know what they talked about. Qin Yuan was also there, and he looked quite proud."
Jiang Qingzhi narrowed his eyes, "Veteran, Qin Yuan..."
Xu Wei said, "Qin Yuan watched the training of the Tiger Guards and must have learned the methods of commanding the army from Lord Bo. Qiu Luan has a wide network of contacts, so please ask a few veterans to come up with some countermeasures against Lord Bo's methods of commanding the army."
"Then you're going to look for an opportunity to step on me and get to the top?" Jiang Qingzhi laughed.
There was a flash of murderous intent in Sun Chonglou's eyes outside the door, "This man deserves to die!"
Dou Jialan wanted to persuade him, but Mo Zhan nodded and said in agreement: "Or, kill him!"
Sun Chonglou's eyes lit up, and he hooked his arm around Mo Zhan's shoulder, "Old Mo, do you also think that man deserves to die?"
Mo Zhan said indifferently: "Master's enemies all deserve to die."
(End of this chapter)
