Chapter 368 A Group of Cowards
A light snowfall yesterday covered the roofs of houses on both sides of the street with a layer of white.
On the roadside trees, snow piled up and weighed down the branches. Occasionally, when the wind blew, snow powder fell down. People passing by the trees screamed in surprise and ran away in a hurry.
Hu Zongxian had his own independent residence in the Bo's Mansion. The whole family could cook together, or they could eat in the big kitchen without cooking.
Even though his master Sun Chonglou was no longer around, Hu Zongxian still got up early to exercise out of habit.
After running for a while, I went home and practiced a set of Tai Chi taught by Elder Weber in the yard while I was still warm.
After practicing, Hu Zongxian felt that his magical power seemed to be showing some signs of great success recently. He muttered about eating more and more, which showed that he was about to ascend to heaven.
"It's time for dinner." His wife Zhang called out from the door.
"I'm coming."
While eating, Hu Zongxian suddenly thought of something, "Um... why is it still the food from the big kitchen?"
When Zhang first arrived at the Earl's house, she said there was no reason to eat the food in the big kitchen, as it was better to cook at home.
Hu Zongxian knew that his wife disliked the big kitchen, but he didn't argue. After a few days, Zhang found an excuse, saying that the uncle also ate in the big kitchen, and it would be a bit conspicuous if we cooked our own meal, which was not appropriate, so we should continue to eat in the big kitchen!
Zhang smiled and said, "Madam also eats in the big kitchen, how can we stand out?"
Of course there was a small kitchen in the backyard, but most of the time Jiang Qingzhi and his wife ate in the big kitchen.
"Ahem!" Hu Zongxian smiled.
Zhang was a little embarrassed and said, "I don't know how many treasures the Mo family has. How come even their cooking skills are so amazing."
It’s okay for couples to joke around, but don’t overdo it.
Hu Zongxian said with a smile: "The Mohists have been dormant for many years and are extremely bored. If they make some effort, they can become the leaders in their field."
"That's right." Zhang suddenly remembered something. "Yesterday, Madam invited me to talk and drink tea. Someone wanted to see her, but Madam didn't avoid me. I heard that person say... the court seems to be in turmoil recently? That person asked Madam to pay attention and be careful recently."
Hu Zongxian nodded. "When the Duke left the capital to avoid the limelight, Your Majesty was at the center of the storm. Didn't the wife of a general of the Beijing Guard commit suicide a while ago? Those people kept harping on this matter and launched a fierce counterattack, saying that the killing was too much, so that the people in the army were panicked..."
"Is the army's morale really like this?" Zhang asked.
"The training method of Lord Bo is effective, but the key to its application lies in one's heart. His Majesty ordered Qin Yuan to preside over the training of the Beijing Guards. It was fine at the beginning, but the subsequent training was too harsh, which caused a backlash..."
Zhang said quietly, "It's really hard to do things."
"That's because Master is not here." Hu Zongxian said with a smile, "If Master were here, would those guards dare to make trouble?"
The disturbance caused by the Beijing guards made Qin Yuan extremely anxious, and he had no choice but to go to the palace to apologize.
"I am incompetent." Qin Yuan knelt on the gold brick, picking at the cracks of the gold brick with his hands, feeling extremely frustrated. "I trained the Beijing guards according to the training method of Lord Chang Wei, but those people could not hold on for only half a month... At first they just complained, but later..."
"Later, you dared to pretend to obey me but actually disobeyed me, and dared to go against you?" the Taoist said calmly.
"I am incompetent." Qin Yuan smiled bitterly and lowered his head.
He swore that he was strictly following Jiang Qingzhi's training method, but why were the soldiers of the rebuilt Beijing Guards so angry?
Dao Ye waved his hand, "Press it down for now."
This is meant to prevent him from exacerbating the conflict.
"Yes."
Qin Yuan went out frustrated and met Zhu Xizhong who came in.
"Your Majesty." Zhu Xizhong was summoned.
"Qin Yuan trained the Beijing Guards according to Qingzhi's training method, and the Beijing Guards were in an uproar. Why do you think that happened?" Emperor Jiajing stroked the jade cone in his hand. The weather is cold, and it is more difficult to practice Taoism. The Taoist's heart has been a little unstable recently.
"Your Majesty, I watched Chang Wei Bo's training of the Tiger Guards and didn't miss a thing." To this day, those notes are still Zhu Xizhong's bedside reading. "I found that Chang Wei Bo's training of the Tiger Guards may seem simple, but there are many tricks involved..."
The Taoist priest tapped the jade chime lightly with a jade awl.
Ding!
——Get to the point!
Zhu Xizhong laughed dryly. "Chang Wei Bo's training method is primarily to temper the soldiers' courage to fight. All the magic of application lies in one mind, but each is different. For example, the training method of Ye Bushou is different from that of ordinary soldiers, and the means of motivation are also different..."
"You mean, the essence is to inspire people?"
"The tactics are also important, but Long Wilbur said that the most important thing for an army is its morale."
Dao Ye understood, "It seems that Qin Yuan has not yet understood enough."
"Yes." Zhu Xizhong felt that Qin Yuan had learned his younger brother's skills to show off, and he deserved to fail!
"Do you have the confidence to take over the training of the Beijing Guards?" Emperor Jiajing felt that it would be okay for the old playboy to temporarily act as Liao Hua.
Zhu Xizhong was stunned for a moment, and almost wanted to agree, but then he politely declined, "I can't!"
"Why?" Taoist asked somewhat dissatisfiedly.
As the closest comrades-in-arms of the royal family, the line of Duke Ying and Duke Chengguo has always been the emperor's reserve force. But now this reserve force is somewhat useless.
"Your Majesty, Long Wilbur once said that people like me are only suitable for lubricants. If we use them as siege hammers, we will either become treacherous ministers or fail miserably."
——Brother, just help His Majesty to create a good atmosphere. Leading troops to fight and ruling a region alone is harmful to others and yourself. Isn't it better for him to stay at home and enjoy his grandchildren?
The Taoist master trusted Jiang Qingzhi's vision. He sighed softly and suddenly realized that the person he could rely on in martial arts was gone.
When will that idiot come back?
Thinking of the letter-like memorial that Jiang Qingzhi sent after he went south, the Taoist couldn't help but clench his jade awl.
The jade cone is small and can be used as a hairpin when necessary. It is one of the Taoist's recent hobbies.
"His Majesty."
Yan Song asked for a meeting.
If Jiang Qingzhi were here, he would definitely be surprised at how old Old Yan looked!
Recently, the counterattacks of the literati have been sharp and fierce like a wave. Yan Song was caught between Emperor Jiajing and the literati, suffering from both sides and looked much more haggard.
After he bowed, he coughed dryly for a while and said:
"Your Majesty, that family has now set up a sacrificial shed, and people are flocking to the sacrifice, blocking the streets. Those people took advantage of the situation to gather people and spread rumors..." Yan Song looked up at the emperor and found that the Taoist looked calm. He couldn't help but sigh in his heart, "They said that the purge of the Beijing Guards was Chang Weibo's way of eliminating dissidents. Your Majesty... Your Majesty..."
"Stupid? Or stubborn and self-willed!" the Taoist asked calmly.
"Your Majesty is wiser than me, and I am stupid." Yan Song realized that he had stuttered, so he quickly coughed to cover it up, and then continued, "Most of the government affairs today have been delayed. Your Majesty, if this continues... I am worried that something bad will happen!"
We don't attack the emperor, but we can attack his subjects, right?
Jiang Qingzhi is not in the capital, but is his presence necessary to impeach him?
No need!
"Xiang Zhuang dances with a sword, aiming at Pei Gong." Emperor Jiajing played with the jade awl, "A bunch of rats! My rebuilding of the Beijing Guards has made them feel uneasy, and they are trying every means to sabotage this. I agree with what Qingzhi said."
Emperor Jiajing stood up and said, "The more the enemy opposes something, the more we should think about how much benefit this matter will bring to us!"
"Your Majesty, they are holding on to the casualties during the purge of the imperial guards, saying that they are bloodthirsty, or that they are eliminating dissidents..." Yan Song smiled bitterly, "People just follow what they say, but it's hard to refute it."
"Why refute it?" Emperor Jiajing said calmly, "Wait until the Beijing Guards are rebuilt, and then we'll take them out to fight, and then all the rumors will naturally disappear."
"His Majesty!"
Rui Jingxian rushed in like a flying bird, then stopped and said, "My apologies. Your Majesty, great joy!"
Emperor Jiajing raised his eyebrows, "What's the matter?"
Zhang Tong brought tea to the table, "Your Majesty, have some tea."
Looking at the pure eyes of the young eunuch, the Taoist suppressed his anger.
"Your Majesty, the Ministry of War received a report of victory from Lord Wei. I happened to be passing by and snatched it to report the good news! Your Majesty is overjoyed!"
Rui Jingxian presented the document.
It's you, Rui Jingxian, who's keeping an eye on the Ministry of War, right?
Huang Jin secretly complained, but immediately turned his attention to the paperwork.
Ever since Jiang Qingzhi went south, Huang Jin gradually felt the pressure from Dao Ye.
On the one hand, there was a counterattack from the literati in the capital, and on the other hand, there was concern about the success or failure of Jiang Qingzhi's march south.
Once Jiang Qingzhi failed, the imperial scholars would dig a hole to bury him. At that time, the Mohist masters were useless. The winners were the kings and the losers were the bandits. If you lose, you lose.
Emperor Jiajing took the document and opened it seemingly casually.
But his eyes suddenly lit up, and he casually threw his beloved jade awl onto the table, not afraid of breaking it... Shit! The jade awl was actually sliding down, and Huang Jin rushed over to catch it.
"it is good!"
The Taoist priest slammed the table, and the jade cone vibrated, changing its angle and sliding down faster, leaving Huang Jin empty-handed.
Bah!
The jade cone fell to the ground and shattered.
Huang Jin was about to speak when the Taoist waved a document and said, "Qingzhi won two battles in Taizhou Prefecture, annihilated more than 3,000 Japanese pirates entrenched in the sea off Taizhou Prefecture, and even went out to sea to destroy their lair. Good! Good! Good!"
The anger that Emperor Jiajing had been pent up for a long time suddenly burst out, "Where are those people?"
Rui Jingxian was stunned, and Huang Jin reminded him, "Those who went to the sacrifice gathering."
"Your Majesty, those people are in the largest restaurant nearby."
"On one side is the deceased, and on the other side is drinking and having fun. Once a person is shameless, he will ignore morality." Emperor Jiajing said sarcastically: "Rui Jingxian!"
"The slave is here!"
……
People came and went in the sacrificial shed. They lit a few sticks of incense and said something like "My condolences". Then someone would greet them and ask them a few questions. If they were interested, they could go to the restaurant nearby to join the party and enjoy free wine and meat.
The restaurant is crowded at this moment.
Several celebrities were hosting the gathering. One of them stood in the middle and said loudly, "... Jiang Qingzhi is cruel and murderous. This is a common problem among the Mohist school. In the past, the Mohists would fight and kill people over a disagreement. But these are soldiers! They are being purged. Can't they train without purging? I don't believe it. This is clearly an opportunity to eliminate dissidents!"
"That's right." Another famous scholar said, "I think Jiang Qingzhi is murderous by nature, and the Datong Jingguan is a clear proof of that."
"Get out of the way!"
At this time, there was a commotion outside, and someone shouted, "It's the people from the East Factory."
Rui Jingxian was surrounded by people and walked to the middle, facing several celebrities.
"What are you doing here, people from the East Depot?" The celebrities were not afraid of the East Depot. They were eager to be caught and tortured so that they could be regarded as heroes after coming out.
Rui Jingxian took out the document and said, "I, Chen Bo, the commander of the Haimen Guard, report to Your Majesty..."
"... As soon as Chang Wei Bo arrived at Haimenwei, he reorganized the soldiers and started training again..."
"...Chang Wei Bo ordered the cavalry to attack, and I led the Haimen Guards to attack from both sides. The soldiers fought bravely and wiped out the Japanese pirates..."
Rui Jingxian finished reciting, raised his eyes and sneered, "Why did we hear someone say before that we can train a strong army without cleaning and purge. Who is this person? Come out and let us see him. We will send him to the southeast and train a strong army to go out to sea to wipe out the Japanese pirates..."
Several celebrities: "..."
"who is it?"
Rui Jingxian's sharp voice echoed in the restaurant.
Empty.
No response.
"Ho ho ho!"
Rui Jingxian was escorted out amid the eunuchs' peculiar sharp laughter, speaking sarcastically.
"A bunch of losers!"
(End of this chapter)
