Chapter 229 The winner takes all
The same night, at Qiu Luan’s house.
Qin Yuan and others were all there, and everyone sat around drinking.
The atmosphere was lively.
An old general said: "Now that we have meat every day, the soldiers of the front guard of the government army are getting stronger and stronger, and their morale is high. Let's have one last bite..."
He looked at Qiu Luan and smiled without saying anything.
"Let's talk about it before the battle." Qiu Luan said with a smile: "The money has already been prepared. Three days later, before we set out, we will inform the soldiers. Their morale will definitely be high."
Qin Yuan knew about this plan, so he was full of confidence.
He raised his glass. "Thank you all for your help."
Qiu Luan picked up the wine glass and looked at everyone with a disdainful look, "For the glory and wealth we are waiting for!"
"cheers!"
The flickering candlelight illuminated the happy faces, making them look red.
……
In the palace, Prince Yu was walking around in his own quarters, making Yang Xi dizzy. "Your Highness! Stop walking around. If you have something to say, just tell me!"
Prince Yu stopped and said, "It's very lively outside, but the palace is deserted. Logically, the palace should be having fun with the people, right?"
"But your majesty likes quietness." At the moment, the Taoist priest was practicing, and Yang Xi felt that if he disturbed him, he might be punished with a stick.
"But this dead silence is not right, and I think that my father certainly doesn't dislike excitement." Prince Yu scratched his head, "I am also worried about being punished, but my cousin said that filial piety..."
Filial piety comes from within, without any purpose or expectation!
Prince Yu stamped his feet and said, "Go ask Shou's wife what she is doing. If she is free, invite her to come."
Later, Zhu Shou'an arrived.
"Third brother."
"Do you want to see the fireworks?" Prince Yu tempted.
"Yes." The little girl nodded vigorously. "It's so quiet."
"Then let's go to our father and beg him..." Prince Yu felt that his filial piety was truly from the bottom of his heart, but if he wanted to have a higher chance of success, it would be best to have more people. "It's a pity that the fourth brother is not here."
"You didn't call me."
Prince Yu turned around and saw Prince Jing standing outside the palace.
"How did you come?"
"When I have nothing to do, I just walk around." King Jing said.
"Together?"
"Go!"
……
The Taoist priest sat cross-legged on the cushion, but his mind could not calm down.
Many years ago, he also looked forward to the New Year, expecting his family to get together and talk and laugh.
But soon, as the honeymoon period between the monarch and his subjects came to an end, conflicts between the two sides continued.
The death of Empress Dowager Jiang broke the heart of Emperor Jiajing. His children also died one after another, making Emperor Jiajing feel that he was destined to be a lonely man.
He also likes the hustle and bustle, but he is more afraid that the hustle and bustle will bring endless pain.
——Your Majesty, the prince... is gone!
——Your Majesty, the prince is seriously ill!
--His Majesty……
What a damn fate!
"Father...Father..."
Emperor Jiajing breathed rapidly and suddenly opened his eyes.
"I seem to hear someone calling me?"
Huang Jin stood at the side, lowered his head and looked outside the hall when he heard the words.
Emperor Jiajing raised his eyes and saw his eldest daughter stealthily leaning against the door, calling out to him in a low voice.
"Father..."
Emperor Jiajing took a deep breath and suppressed his anger, "Shou'ai!"
Zhu Shou'an was startled. She stood on tiptoe and saw that the Taoist was awake. She entered cautiously and paid her respects.
"Why aren't you sleeping?" asked the Taoist priest.
Zhu Shou'an said: "I...I...Father, I am worried that you will be alone and helpless."
I don’t know how many years have passed, it seems... since the passing of my mother, Empress Dowager Jiang, no one has cared for me like this.
He was startled. Seeing that he was not angry, Zhu Shou'an became bolder. "Father, I brought you some delicious food. They said that the people are having a family reunion now!"
As she spoke, the little girl took out the oil paper bag and said, "This is the roasted lamb I secretly kept this afternoon. Oh! It's cold."
She looked up, a little nervous, but was met with a pair of gentle eyes.
"Are you going to have a family reunion?" Dao Ye said, "Huang Jin, go see where the third and fourth brothers are."
Huang Jin didn't move, just smiled. Emperor Jiajing was about to get angry when he saw two smiling young men coming in from outside the hall.
"Father, Happy New Year!"
Emperor Jiajing was stunned, then he said softly, "Happy New Year."
Huang Jin gave a wink and someone lit more candles.
There was a bright light in the dark hall.
……
On the third day of the Chinese New Year, the entire Huben Zuowei was closed.
The same was true for the vanguard of the government army.
There is no practice today, the busiest place is the kitchen.
Pigs and sheep were slaughtered one after another, and large chunks of meat were packed into barrels and then sent everywhere.
"Open up and eat!"
The generals were patrolling back and forth.
"tomorrow!"
Everyone knows what tomorrow means.
Yan Xu stood with his hands behind his back, watching his subordinates eat meat with big mouthfuls, and said softly: "Qiu Luan does not have such prestige to gather so many veterans. After Lord Bo won two battles, some people tried to win him over, but Lord Bo ignored them. These people knew that Lord Bo and they were not on the same side."
We are not the same kind of people, why should you be allowed to eat in this rice bowl?
"So, Qiu Luan just used these military merits to exclude Lord Bo." Yan Xu said, "In my eyes, those so-called veterans represent the past, which is rotten and smelly."
Someone asked, "What is the uncle?"
……
“This is the future.”
Jiang Qingzhi looked at the draft that he had spent several days drafting and said with satisfaction.
This is an analysis of the current military situation of the Ming Dynasty. If the Ming army can be reformed according to this analysis, Jiang Qingzhi dares to guarantee that all the pig tails and Japanese pirates will be beaten to a pulp by the brand new Ming army.
When this nation regains its confidence and courage, no one can stop their progress.
But people outside cannot do that, but there are countless people inside who want to hold them back.
In tomorrow's battle, those people will be looking forward to the news of Jiang Qingzhi's disastrous defeat.
"tomorrow!"
Jiang Qingzhi went to bed early that night.
Xu Wei and Hu Zongxian drank together until late at night.
I don't know what they talked about, but when they gathered for breakfast in the morning, Hu Zongxian said, "My dear, my wife wrote to me saying that the roads are muddy in early spring, so we should wait until later to go to Beijing."
Does this mean you are not optimistic about the young master?
Sun Chonglou was furious, "Old Hu you..." "Shut up." Fu Cheng stopped him and looked at Hu Zongxian with admiration, "At times like this, those who can stick together are a family."
Hu Zongxian asked his family to come later, which meant he had made all the preparations.
If the situation is unfavorable, he will accompany Jiang Qingzhi alone to face all difficulties.
Xu Wei took a bite of the smooth tofu brain and said, "If I am full, my family will not be hungry. As long as there is wine, I can stay in seclusion for a year."
Jiang Qingzhi smiled but said nothing.
At this time, anything you say is redundant.
The wind was howling outside, but everyone felt their blood boiling.
After dinner.
It was still dark.
But it was time for Jiang Qingzhi to set off.
Fu Cheng and his servants escorted him to the door.
"I wish you a successful start!"
Jiang Qingzhi nodded and rode away.
The joy of the New Year can still be seen everywhere, but when we arrived at the military camp, a solemn atmosphere hit us.
Huben Zuowei is having breakfast.
"Greetings, sir." Yan Xu and others came out to greet him.
"Today's breakfast is according to the instructions of the uncle. There is more meat, and each person is given a steamed bun. Those who feel hungry can eat it after half an hour."
This was Jiang Qingzhi's arrangement.
Breakfast has a higher energy density, so eat less, which will reduce the burden on your stomach and intestines and make it easier to fight.
If there are big-bellied guys who feel hungry, they can replenish some dry food before the martial arts performance.
"Hu Ben Zuo Wei, move out."
In the morning light, the Huben Zuowei came out in silence.
The place for today's martial arts performance is the martial arts school.
Driving slowly.
The people, still immersed in the New Year atmosphere, were still sleeping, but they were unaware that an army was marching forward with the heavy responsibility of reforming the Ming army.
When the sun rises over the horizon, martial arts are just ahead.
"Stop!"
The left guard of the Huben Army stopped.
In the distance, there were rumbling footsteps.
The vanguard of the government army has arrived.
The two sides met on this wide street.
"Stop!"
Qin Yuan shouted.
The two armies remained silent.
Suddenly someone shouted from the other side: "You coward from the left guard of the Tiger Guard, do you dare to fight with me?"
This was intended to provoke the soldiers of the Huben Zuowei.
Chen Bao cursed, "Fuck you! Your father is here, come out if you have the guts."
The other side was still shouting and cursing.
This ancient form of cursing made Jiang Qingzhi feel a little curious.
People from the Ministry of War arrived and quickly dissuaded both sides, then led them inside.
"Your Majesty has arrived."
No one expected that Emperor Jiajing would come in person.
So, when Qin Yuan saw Emperor Jiajing being surrounded by his ministers and entering the martial arts school, his eyes turned red.
"This is the opportunity." An old general whispered, "Hurry up and tell the soldiers, and reward them handsomely!"
Qin Yuan turned around and said, "If we win this battle, each of us will get 500 coins!"
Today, the vanguard of the government army has arrived, with 1,000 men, each of whom received 500 coins, a huge sum of money for these low-level soldiers who were formerly treated almost like slaves.
In an instant, the morale of the entire front guard of the palace army exploded.
"Uncle, it seems that the other party has used some means, and their morale has suddenly risen." Yan Xu said.
"Nothing more than a big reward." Jiang Qingzhi was very familiar with this method. He had used this method many times in the past, otherwise the team would have been disbanded long ago.
Yan Xu said: "How about we also..."
Jiang Qingzhi shook his head. "There are brave men under a huge reward, but Old Yan, when an army needs money to stimulate it in order to muster the courage to fight the enemy, how far do you think they can go?"
Yan Xu was speechless.
Emperor Jiajing led his men to the platform.
"I have met His Majesty!"
Everyone salutes.
Jiang Qingzhi saw the two princes, and surprisingly, he also saw his niece Zhu Shou'an, who was wearing men's clothes and disguised as a eunuch.
Emperor Jiajing looked around slowly. "Many years ago, the Great Ming Tiger Guards also chased the enemy north, but now they have been reduced to being what people call watchdogs. I am unwilling to accept this. What do you think?"
"I am willing to die for Your Majesty!"
Two thousand people cheered.
Emperor Jiajing nodded and said, "Today, we will have a martial arts show to show those people that the warriors of the Ming Dynasty can still frighten the foreign races!"
His eyes turned, "For today's battle, I will also give a prize. Qin Yuan."
"The minister is here."
"If the vanguard of the government army wins, I will allow you to serve in the army...without any worries."
Once a relative by marriage has been promoted to a certain position in the army, he cannot be moved, otherwise the censors will criticize him as the second Dong Zhuo or the rebirth of Lu Bu.
Qin Yuan had been worried about this matter, and was overjoyed when he heard it, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Emperor Jiajing looked at Yan Xu and asked, "Are you Yan Xu?"
"Yes." Yan Xu lowered his head. He is still the acting commander.
"If the Tiger Guards win this battle, you will be the commander."
Yan Xu said in a deep voice: "I, your Excellency, shall do my best."
Everyone knows that none of this matters.
The important thing is.
After this battle, who will dominate the army?
The winner is king, the loser is the enemy!
And the warriors!
Let the results speak for themselves!
Pairs of eyes with different meanings were fixed on Jiang Qingzhi.
There was hatred in the eyes of those scholars and officials.
Those warriors had complicated looks...
Emperor Jiajing glanced at Jiang Qingzhi and said, "So... let's get started!"
(End of this chapter)
