Everyone took turns reading the official document in silence.
Immediately they agreed to board the ship and return to Xunyang City.
Shandao, Xiufa's master and apprentice stayed at the Shuangfeng Peak to observe and study the grottoes.
Zhen Shuyuan, Ye Weila and other female family members were personally sent back to the Huaiye Lane mansion by Xie Lingjiang.
Ouyang Rong, Li Xian and the others returned to Prince Xunyang's Mansion in Xiushuifang.
In the Zhulin Study Room, the door was closed before tea could be served, and they were ready to discuss matters.
Half an hour later, Xie Lingjiang returned.
When everyone was present, Li Xian put down the official document in his hand, frowned and said:
"I didn't expect this person to do one thing in front of others and another behind his back."
Li Fusu is not angry:
"At the celebration banquet a few days ago, this person was respectful and respectful to his father. Unexpectedly, he turned around and made a report. He actually told his grandmother that he was responsible for the illicit affair between his father and Prince Teng.
There are more than a few letters reported by Tan Lang.
"Let him get the evidence and ask what the content of this baseless letter is. This guy's excuse is just a transitory one. He has not read it. He just turned his back on the dark side and dutifully reported it to his grandmother...
"It's just despicable."
Ouyang Rong nodded and acknowledged with a smile: "The slaves of the third surname are disgusting, but they still have their skills."
Wei Mei looked at Tan Lang's calm expression and asked in a worried tone:
"It's hard for us to escape when the dirty water is splashed. This person has evil intentions... We'd better write a letter to defend him quickly. If His Majesty becomes suspicious again, it would be bad to punish Shichiro."
Li Bao'er lowered his eyes and adjusted the red cuffs, then said:
"I definitely need to write a letter to clarify, but my mother doesn't have to worry about such serious matters as suspicion and relegation.
"Today is different from the past. My father is now the pacification ambassador of Jiangnan Province. We have tried our best to show our loyalty to Wang Junzhi not long ago, kill Wang Junzhi, and completely separate ourselves from Li Zhengyan.
"Although grandma is very suspicious, she is not a fool and can handle things clearly.
"It's just that with Zhu Lingxu's dirty water thrown in, it's impossible to say that my grandmother doesn't have any grudges at all.
"Perhaps in my grandmother's eyes, my father is truly loyal and loyal to Zhou Dynasty now, but it was not necessarily the case before the Li Zhengyan Rebellion. When King Xunyang was restored to power, he seemed to have frequently sent private messages to the old local vassal kings.
...I'm not sure what I have in mind.
"This dirty water will have some influence after all..."
Li Guoer has a pretty face and is calm, analyzing and speculating.
Ouyang Rong glanced at her. This little princess was now more and more accurate about her direct grandmother who held the highest position in the Luoyang court.
I don’t know what the girl is thinking about all day long, but all her skill points are here...
Xie Lingjiang narrowed his eyes and said:
"So this is what makes Zhu Lingxu so disgusting. It's okay to flatter the empress by praising her virtues and showing her loyalty, but she also casually makes some baseless slander. If she can't hurt you for a while, she will make you sick to death.
"And it might become the seed of trouble one day."
Speaking of this, she raised her chin, and a hint of anger appeared on her fair oval face:
"Especially the disgusting Senior Brother who openly and secretly praised Senior Brother. He said that when we were in the enemy camp in Hongzhou, we often heard Wei Shaoqi and Du Shuqing praising Senior Brother.
"Yue Zi'ang, who once wrote a petition to defend the Wei Dynasty, was also impressed by his elder brother and fell into disbelief...
"This Zhu Lingxu even said with evil intentions that Cai Qin also admired his senior brother.
"Previously, the Guizhou garrison postponed the mutiny, because only the senior brother stood up to oppose it, which caused Cai Qin to speak out against everyone... In the Zhou Dynasty, the only governor of Jiangzhou, Ouyang Lianghan, was a man, worthy of the name of an upright gentleman.
The civil and military affairs of the Manchu Dynasty are nothing but nonsense. It is difficult to cover up all the turmoil, and the virtuous people are buried, and the country is ruined..."
Speaking of this, the beautiful woman became angry and said coldly:
"Regardless of whether what he said is true or false, what does he mean by writing these words in front of His Majesty and the princes of the court? Isn't this evil intention?"
"More than that." Li Guo'er chuckled: "The most interesting thing is that when Zhu Lingxu wrote this letter, he still praised Ouyang Lianghan. He started by praising... Ouyang Lianghan defended the city with great vigilance.
The soldiers who surrendered in Hongzhou were also cautious and were not allowed to enter the city. They lamented that what they heard in the enemy camp in Hongzhou was indeed well-deserved...
"Oh, what a compliment."
"Okay, there's nothing to say."
Ouyang Rong looked around at the aggrieved people, nodded and said:
“It’s nothing more than a grand letter of investment, sell it straight to get loyalty.
"Now that the imperial edict has been issued, His Majesty has appointed Wei's heir as the General Manager of Jiangzhou Road March, so the timing of Zhu Lingxu's memorial is just right. It is not a coincidence. It is just a petition to the Wei family.
"Zhu Lingxu is considered a reduced general, so he has to hold on to the central government, and there are only a few choices. This time he submits a letter, which means he has completely drawn a clear line with us, the Wei Palace, and the Liberation faction.
“This person is decisive in doing things, and I have to say that he has good timing.
"The Wei family really needs him. This rebellion and the military exploits in the Battle of Guling can be regarded as the Wei family's political achievements."
Ouyang Rong turned his head and his tone was as usual:
"There is nothing to regret. This kind of domestic slave with three surnames, whatever we want him to do, just surrender to the guards. We are not trash cans. We will accept everything."
Xie Lingjiang frowned and said:
"But this Zhu Lingxu is indeed cunning and cunning. Senior brother has been deliberately humiliating and irritating them recently, but he has been able to endure it and has not committed anything like mutiny."
Li Guo'er turned to look at Ouyang Rong and said softly:
"It's impossible not to complain. When Cai Qin's army was at its peak, he followed Zhu Lingxu to rebel. The warrior was already arrogant. He originally thought it was a victory gesture, and he acted like a lord like Wang Lengran, but he didn't expect it.
Now that I have become a grandson, I guess I have the desire to drink Ouyang Lianghan’s blood.
"This shows that Zhu Lingxu is indeed good at running the army and can suppress the dissatisfaction of his subordinates. He managed these Hongzhou surrendered soldiers very well and was consistent internally and externally.
"Apart from the fact that this person is a despicable person, he does have the talent to lead an army and conquer his subordinates. It would be difficult to provoke him into making a mistake."
Xie Lingjiang pursed his lips: "You do know how to praise others. Why don't you also write a letter and praise me?"
Li Guoer immediately replied: "In the words of Senior Brother Qi, this is called paying attention to the opponent tactically."
Ouyang Rong chuckled:
"There is no mutiny or chaos, which shows that the emperor is well-mannered and has strong control. This group of Hongzhou soldiers are just like the Zhu family's private army."
He nodded in public: "Actually, this is a good thing. The more private the better."
"A good thing? What does this mean?"
"Um."
Ouyang Rong responded lightly. Just as Xie Lingjiang, Li Guoer, Li Xian and others were curiously waiting for his next words, Ouyang Rong suddenly said:
"The certificate of nomination has been handed in. Wei Jisi has become the general manager of Jiangzhou Road March and has begun to form a team. It seems that the new appointment letter for our Governor Zhu is on the way."
Li Guoer frowned: "You mean..."
Ouyang Rong nodded:
"Well, Jiangzhou has been relieved from the siege, so we must take advantage of the victory and pursue it. Hongzhou is the next target. Wei Jisi will not wait. How can we leave Cai Qin too much preparation time in vain? Now is the best time.
"Even if he is still organizing a march in the north, it will not affect the existing troops and horses in Jiangzhou.
"As for the corresponding candidate, Wei Jisi probably knows better than the rest of us how much Wang Lengran weighs.
"So, who else is more suitable to regain Hongzhou than the former Governor of Hongzhou?"
Everyone couldn't help but look sideways.
This study room meeting ended, and two days passed, and everything was calm.
In the city, Zhu Lingxu was always polite, gentle and courteous to Ouyang Rong every time he saw him. Unexpectedly, he thought that the two of them had a good relationship and that no flattery had ever happened.
As for Ouyang Rong, his attitude was indifferent and quite arrogant, and he never gave Zhu Lingxu a good look.
The latter didn't look annoyed either.
One is cold and one is hot.
But after they separated, when they turned around, the expressions of the foxes, the old and the young, returned to calm...
On this day, the appointment certificate of Wei Wang Wei's heir, the chief military officer of Jiangzhou Road, was sent to Jiangzhou Hall.
Zhu Lingxu, the governor of Hongzhou, was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the former army. He used Jiangzhou Zhechong's elite soldiers, Hongzhou surrender soldiers, Yangzhou reinforcement soldiers and other government soldiers to form the front army soldiers and horses for the conquest army.
Soon, we will attack Hongzhou and regain the lost territory!
It needs to be mentioned that the military systems of Da Qian and Da Zhou had two systems: "garrison" and "march".
The former is a Zhechong Mansion that is usually located in the local area.
For the latter, the main source of troops is provided by the various Zhechong Prefectures under the Prefectural Army System.
When a war breaks out, the imperial court will grant someone the title of marching general or marshal of a certain road, and select soldiers from nearby provinces to conquer the traitors.
The specific title of the Marching Commander is generally based on the name of the war zone where troops are deployed.
Therefore, this time Wei Jisi was awarded the title of General Manager of Jiangzhou Road March.
Although there is no Jiangzhou Road on the map, the war took place in Jiangzhou, so it was named after it.
In charge of all wars here, including the subsequent war against Li Zhengyan, his power is not small.
Of course, this title is generally temporary. After the war, the title will be cancelled, and this field army will be disbanded and each will return to the garrison system.
A large expeditionary army is divided into the front army, the middle army, the rear army, etc. Generally, there are six armies.
Each army is led by a marching commander, and each marching commander is a general who can act independently.
The former military commander is one of the most important positions among the six military commanders. Because it is easy to obtain military honors, he is held by trusted generals.
Regarding the appointment of these positions, Wei Jisi, as the general manager of the Jiangzhou Road Marching Army, has important power to make suggestions, and the court is generally unlikely to object.
Zhu Lingxu was taken care of by the Wei family this time, and he was given a good position.
It can be regarded as a promotion by a noble person, and he has risen to the top.
Looking at it from another angle, the Marching Commander, as the highest military officer who commands the soldiers participating in the war, does have great power.
Jiangzhou, Yangzhou and other local governments in the south of the Yangtze River must cooperate unconditionally during wartime.
No wonder there were various parties competing for this position before.
After getting this cake and distributing it, I don’t know how many hearts Wei and Wei Jisi can take this opportunity to win over...
Zhu Lingxu, who had been demoted as a general a few days ago and was living under the influence of others, was given the position of military commander before the conquest army. The atmosphere inside and outside Xunyang City suddenly became a little different, and some officials who originally looked down upon him looked at him differently.
.
On this day, in Prince Xunyang's Mansion, everyone gathered in the study again.
"Sure enough, as Tan Lang expected, the Wei family has really rewarded a good bone. This time, Zhu Lingxu and his son may be even more determined to follow the Wei family."
Li Xian sighed and frowned:
"Tan Lang, what should we do now? This person has a grudge against us, but he is kind and tolerant. He is about to succeed. With his unyielding temper, should we write a letter to him and see if we can stop him?
"The Marching Chief only has the right to make suggestions, but His Majesty can take back his orders..."
"It's hard to take it back."
Ouyang Rong shook his head:
"Your Majesty also wants thousands of gold to buy horse bones, so there is no point in joining him, as long as it is not a serious crime of treason.
"After all, letting the defected Zhu Lingxu serve as the former military commander to regain the lost territory of Hongzhou not only shows her love for talents and tolerance, but also divides Li Zhengyan and Cai Qin."
Xie Ling Jiang Dai's eyebrows stood up: "Then we can't be helpless. Wouldn't it look weak?"
"We really can't do nothing, we have to act in a hurry." Ouyang Rong agreed very much.
"Urgent? Expression?" Li Guo'er grasped the key point.
"That's right."
Ouyang Rong followed the guidance and made suggestions:
"In this expedition, Zhu Lingxu serves as the commander-in-chief of the former army. The former army has been formed in the past few days. The vanguard guide responsible for taking the lead in attacking and exploring the way across the river has not yet been decided. This position, let's compete for it.
"So uncle, at tomorrow's expedition meeting in the Jiangzhou lobby, you don't have to stand high and act like a clay Bodhisattva. This time you have to speak and express your stance."
"Forward? Express your position? Are you recommending someone to go? Is Tanlang willing to go?"
Ouyang Rong waved his hand:
"I am not a military officer, and besides, I have just been praised and killed. Your Majesty and the princes of the court will not allow it, so I will not go."
"Then who's going?"
Ouyang Rong whispered: "Qin Heng."
Li Xian frowned: "General Qin has kept a low profile in the past and has little involvement with us on the surface. Is it inappropriate to recommend him suddenly?"
"It's okay if it's not right. It makes you look anxious and wants to take credit."
He smiled and explained softly:
"I have discussed this matter with Qin Heng. My uncle and the royal family are now in power. They are no longer the chopping block of fish and meat, and they are left to be slaughtered by others. Captain Guo Yi of Zhe Chong Mansion can still protect him."
"Okay, listen to Tanlang..."
Li Fusu worriedly asked:
"Forward guide, Zhu Lingxu also has the right to make suggestions. Will he compete with us? Zhu Lingxu's eldest son Zhu Yuheng is also the captain of Guoyi. Since everyone knows that Hongzhou is easy to get, there is no reason not to compete for this credit. Anyway,
They have all fallen out."
When everyone saw it, Ouyang Rong nodded calmly: "Just fight."
"Ouyang Lianghan, what on earth are you going to do?" Li Guo'er was curious.
Ouyang Rong lowered his eyes.
Xie Lingjiang’s eyes brightened:
"I understand. Zhu Yuheng once had an affair with Li Zhengyan, Yue Ziang and the others. If senior brother involves him in this matter, His Majesty will be suspicious and he will not be able to compete with Qin Heng for the vanguard position. This is considered a counterattack."
"no."
Ouyang Rong shook his head and asked in a strange tone:
"Little junior sister, I was bitten by a dog, why should I bite back?"
Xie Lingjiang tilted his head and tapped his chin with his index finger coated with red cardamom, puzzled:
"Then what does Senior Brother mean?"
Ouyang Rong suddenly took out an unfamiliar felt hat from his sleeve and gently placed it on the table in front of him.
"This is……"
Under the curious or confused looks of Xie Lingjiang, Li Guoer, Li Xian and others, he smiled a little sheepishly:
"If you bite someone indiscriminately, of course you will kill the dog's head."