Are people from the White Lotus Sect afraid of death?
Of course I'm afraid!
It's just that what they are more afraid of is living in poverty and being humiliated. Sometimes, they can't even survive.
This is also the fundamental reason why the White Lotus Thieves can always exist and cannot be completely eliminated. The soil that breeds the White Lotus Sect has always existed, so how can they be eradicated?
And when more and more people appear who can't even survive, the White Lotus Sect has an opportunity to overturn the table.
It's not yet time. After all, although Dayu has been a country for more than 180 years, the previous emperor Tianqi was good at balancing and had nothing wrong with governing the country. It is true that ZTE has not reformed to reduce the pressure on the people at the bottom, but it has been curbed.
The land annexation by the gentry and landlords is also true.
In other words, under Emperor Tianqi's eighteen-year rule, although Dayu has been on a decline, it is generally stable, and it can even be said to have laid a good foundation for his successor.
Of course, this is for the later emperors who marked the dynasties.
But what Emperor Tianqi didn't expect was that as soon as he died, the original plan would be completely messed up, and everything would develop in an unpredictable direction.
Right now, this is an example.
In just two months, as the conflict between the King of Chu and Emperor Yongxing in the capital surfaced, the White Lotus Sect, which had been holding back until now, also emerged and swept through most of Jingzhou at an extremely fast speed.<
/p>
So much so that when Emperor Yongxing sent Lu Wei and Chen Ping south to suppress the bandits, no one in the court stopped him.
However, sending people does not mean that the thieves can be suppressed. There are policies from above and countermeasures from below. The White Lotus Sect thought of this when they were walking in the mountains of Daozhou.
"Don't panic, isn't it just that some kind of messenger from the southwest has come?"
Yuan Dashan, the leader of the White Lotus Sect, said calmly: "Do you know why I chose Jingzhou instead of Zhongzhou? It's not just the mountains and terrain, but more importantly, this is the territory of the King of Chu. Now the two gangs in the capital are fighting fiercely.
Jingzhou has become a place of right and wrong. Who would dare to come in easily if the King of Chu does not agree?"
"Even if they dare to come, I have 50,000 troops here. As long as they are not completely wiped out, they have a chance. When the church members from all over the country respond to the uprising, they will be distracted. How can they catch us chasing after them?" p>
The senior White Lotus Sect leaders who came to report the news felt a lot relieved when they heard this, but then they thought, what if the army is determined to suppress us?
He raised his head and glanced at the arrogant Yuan Dashan. He held these words in his heart and did not dare to say them out.
"The leader is brilliant!"
"I heard that the people in Jiangling City were so frightened that they fled across the river. May I ask the leader if he will take advantage of the situation to pursue and capture Jiangling in one fell swoop?"
Yuan Dashan's face suddenly turned cold, and he scolded: "You brainless idiot!"
"Where in Jiangling City can we capture the high ground and the deep pool? If we are trapped under the city, then the government and the army will attack us from both sides and we will be finished!"
After getting angry, he rubbed his chin and said with great satisfaction: "I'm afraid the officers and soldiers think that we, the White Lotus Sect, are all illiterate roughnecks. Humph! I will let them know what the cry of attacking in the east is." p>
Southwest of Jingzhou, within a hundred miles of Jiangling City, the three forces are all waiting to see what happens.
It's just that the defenders of Jiangling City are on tenterhooks, the tens of thousands of thieves from the White Lotus Sect have nothing to worry about, and the three thousand people like Chen Ping are a little uneasy.
"The thief hasn't moved yet?"
"Not moving."
Li Feng shook his head. At this moment, he, like Monk Zhanger, was confused. He didn't understand why the White Lotus thief could still sit peacefully despite the news being spread. Aren't they afraid of being made dumplings by the army?
Chen Ping frowned, things were a bit difficult to handle. He couldn't afford the White Lotus bandits. Since he entered Jingzhou, he had been marching in a hurry in order not to be discovered by the enemy and try to catch the White Lotus bandits off guard.<
/p>
But I've been squatting here for a few days now, and I haven't seen the White Lotus thief take action. If he continues like this, he will be exposed sooner or later.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but look at Luo Li.
"The southwestern part of Jingzhou is considered a dead area. Unless they are sure to capture Jiangling, they will not stop."
"Hiss——! If Jiangling is lost..."
Chen Ping bared his teeth and said, Jiangling is a heavy city and the prefecture of Jingzhou. Once it is captured by the Bailian bandits, it will be difficult to control. This is equivalent to sending a signal to the world, a signal that the court is unable to suppress the rebellion!
He didn't dare to think about what the ambitious people in the Thirteen States would do if the White Lotus bandits captured Jiangling.
Luo Li glanced at him and reassured Chen Ping: "Jiangling is not that easy to conquer. The White Lotus bandits have no siege equipment and their buttocks are not safe. It is impossible to risk attacking Jiangling. If you really dare to attack, it will be much easier." p>
"What does Brother Luo mean?"
"They want to run!"
Run?
Chen Ping was stunned. Could it be that these three thousand people of his were discovered?
Luo Li seemed to be able to see through Chen Ping's thoughts, shaking his head and denying: "No, our army went south with almost no pauses, and most of them were active during the day and night, so it was impossible to be discovered."
"I'm afraid, the White Lotus bandits didn't want to attack Jiangling in the first place."
.......
As the southwest recruiter, Lu Wei had great power and could control the troops and horses of the five states of Zhongzhou, Jingzhou, Daozhou, Qianzhou, and Lingzhou. Calculated, this was already a small half of the thirteen states in the world.
However, the limited troops and horses can only be used to suppress bandits, and the most powerful armies in the reputation are the Northern Army and the Western Army. The troops and horses in the inland states are not only weak but also few, ranging from ten thousand to as many as ten thousand in one state.
Only 20,000 to 30,000.
Compared with the 70,000 to 80,000 soldiers of the Northern Army and the Western Army, this is really nothing compared to the size of the Northern Army and the Western Army.
Naturally, the crusade against the White Lotus Bandits cannot be dispatched only by the troops from the headquarters of the Envoy. Zhongzhou needs to prevent the White Lotus Bandits from scurrying north to threaten the capital. Jingzhou is being ravaged by the White Lotus Bandits, so the other three states have to show their support.
Lu Wei also knew this, so when Chen Ping went to Xiazhou to ask for reinforcements, he sent people to inform the prefects of Daozhou, Qianzhou, and Lingzhou, and asked them to send troops to guard against the White Lotus bandits.
It's just that the three states are far apart. Until now, the White Lotus Bandits have been threatening Jiangling, but there has been no news from the three states.
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"Master Ding, the main force of the White Lotus bandits is in Jiangling. There are no bandits and no officials in Jingbei. I want you to send troops to station in Jingbei to restore the court's laws and block the way for the thieves to go north. What do you think?"
During these days in Zhongzhou, Lu Wei did not just drink tea and walk around all day long. He once served as the prefect of Qianzhou. He was very capable and dare not say it, but he could not be easily fooled.
When these words were spoken to Magistrate Ding, could it be possible that Magistrate Ding could not hear the dissatisfaction contained in them?
"Master Lu is right, but Zhongzhou really can't spare any manpower. You also know that the main force of the White Lotus thieves is in Jingnan, but there are also thieves in Zhongzhou. It's hard for me to maintain stability here, let alone, let alone... ."
Magistrate Ding is the chief official of Zhongzhou. As long as nothing happens in Zhongzhou, he can sit back and relax. As for Jingzhou? What does that have to do with him, the magistrate of Zhongzhou?
Lu Wei was annoyed. Why don't you go down the stairs? Well, I have to put up a sign to appeal for envoys, right?
"Master Ding, I am not discussing with you, but giving you orders!"
"Jingbei is empty. If you don't send troops there, you will leave a hole for the thieves. If the thieves take the opportunity to escape in the future, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
Lu Wei is very optimistic about Chen Ping.
After all, he had watched Chen Ping grow up step by step. There was such a child prodigy in his jurisdiction, but he was born in a peasant family and had no experience. If you invest casually as early as possible, you may gain a big favor in the future.
In fact, he did so, and Lu Wei believes that a large part of the reason why he was appointed as the Southwest Recruiting Envoy must be attributed to Chen Ping.
Didn't you notice that when making appointments in the court, Emperor Yongxing always called Chen Ping's name first, and then called him?
Furthermore, he served as the magistrate of Qianzhou, and then went to the capital to serve as the minister of Taichang Temple. On the surface, he was promoted, but in fact he was promoted and demoted secretly.
From the former magistrate of a state, the chief official in charge of the civil affairs of a state, to a powerless Jiuqing in a quiet yamen in the capital, isn't this a rise and fall in secret?
And now, he has been promoted to the Southwest Recruiting Envoy. Although it is only a temporary official position, his authority is almost unprecedented, and once he successfully suppresses the thieves, he will definitely receive a reward when he returns to the capital.
All of this happened to him because of Chen Ping. How could Lu Wei not be concerned about this?
Moreover, although he has worked in the quiet government office of Taichang Temple for several years, he is always paying attention to the situation in the court. At the moment when the regent and Emperor Yongxing are fighting for power, he must no longer be able to live alone, even if he is just a Taichang. Just a temple minister.
But when he was in Qianzhou, he had vigorously attacked the King of Chu's organization. He had to take refuge with the King of Chu unless he had no choice. But it was different with Emperor Yongxing. He had a good relationship with Chen Ping. The key was that Chen Ping's experience and ability were different from his. They all see it, and when I place a bet at this moment, I am betting that this young man will not let him down.
When the officers and soldiers of Zhongzhou marched into Jingbei to recover the lost territory under Lu Wei's order, some people in Jiangling City could not sit still.
The prefect of Jingzhou was very strange and wondered what the White Lotus Thief was doing.
Of course, what he is even more curious about is why the people who have recruited the envoys have not come to support him yet.
Two days ago, news came that most of the troops were gathering and approaching. He was happy that Jingzhou was saved, but in the end he found out that this was a rumor spread by some heartless guy, which made him happy in vain. .
"Master Fu, Qianzhou has responded!"
"The prefect of Qianzhou said that if necessary, they can send troops to support, but they can only respond on the south bank."
Upon hearing this, the prefect of Jingzhou became angry. What kind of support is this?!
"Response? Does Yang Qian want me to abandon the city and leave?"
"I have said it before, when the city is alive, people will be there, but when the city is gone, people will be dead!"
He reiterated once again that Jiangling City is not only a simple matter of governing Jingzhou, but also has many years of hard work by the King of Chu. Losing the city is equivalent to losing one's life.
Seeing that the prefect was furious, the officials present did not dare to speak. The room was silent, like a dead zone.
There is no way, the days of waiting like this are really painful. No one knows what conspiracy the White Lotus bandits are preparing, and no one can guarantee whether Jiangling City, which has not been affected by war for a hundred years, can still be as indestructible as before.
Even if the city is really strong, whether the people who defend the city can be relied on is still a question.
Therefore, at this time when the spirit is tense, the governor of Qianzhou sent such a sentence, which simply added another fire to the heart of the governor of Jingzhou, and it was not chaotic enough.
A group of Jingzhou officials also figured it out. Jingzhou is adjacent to Qianzhou. According to the southwest envoy sent by the imperial court, Qianzhou is obliged to rescue Jingzhou. After all, if Jingzhou is lost, Qianzhou will not be able to live well.
But now the prefect of Qianzhou obviously has an attitude of watching the excitement and not taking it too seriously, which makes people think a lot.
The most likely thing is that the suppression of thieves is no longer just a suppression of thieves, but the sinking of the battle in the capital. It was originally limited to the capital and the fight between the regent and Emperor Yongxing in the court, but now it has sunk to the states. Locally.
Especially when the White Lotus Bandits are ravaging Jingzhou, the fiefdom of the regent, the attitude of the neighboring states will become a sign of their alignment.
If you save Jingzhou, you are siding with King Chu. If you don’t save Jingzhou, you are siding with His Majesty.
In this way, it is not difficult to understand the remarks of the governor of Qianzhou. He clearly wanted to support the emperor and oppose the king of Chu's seizure of power!
.......
When the chaos in Jingzhou spread to the capital, it did not cause much trouble.
Because at this time, the capital city has been swept away by a bigger and more important event.
"The barbarians from the Northern Liao Dynasty invaded our territory and bullied our people. They only used coins as gifts but were actually from the Central Plains. Don't fight against their wolfish ambitions!"
"Your Majesty, please show your great reputation and put the people first, and never seek skin from a tiger or lure a wolf into your home!"
"..."
In the capital, in front of the palace, a crowd of scholars knelt on the ground and shouted in unison.
The surrounding area was crowded with people rushing to look around. The sergeants maintaining order felt under pressure and had to order the people to step back three feet.
The soldiers and horses of the three yamen guarding the palace city are also in full alert, alert to possible attacks on the palace.
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The request in front of the palace gate naturally cannot reach the palace, but this does not mean that there is peace in the palace.
"Your Majesty, what the Northern Liao envoys ask for is nothing more than coins and land, and neither territory nor people. Why can't they make good relations with the Northern Liao, so that the two countries can turn their wars into friendship and forever be united?"
"Yes, I heard that the Khan of the Northern Liao Dynasty has always admired Han culture and read the Five Classics and Four Books thoroughly. He should be a country of gentlemen and can make friends with it."
"It is said that the two countries of Northern Liao and Northern Liao are neighbors to each other. If they have always been enemies, it will be a double disaster. Now the opportunity for reconciliation is in front of us. I ask your Majesty to put the overall situation first."
In the Chongzheng Hall, officials from the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Industry, and the Ministry of Rites appeared one after another to explain the advantages of the connection with Northern Liao.
King Chu, who was sitting high in the palace, looked at all this with a calm heart, while Emperor Yongxing on the side had a sinister look in his eyes, and his emotions continued to accumulate.
"Absurd! Bei Liao is my great enemy. I have never compromised with this barbarian since the founding of Taizu. You are all great ministers, but you openly betray your country and seek glory in the court. You are worse than animals." !"
There are those who support establishing good relations with Beiliao, and naturally there are those who flatly reject it.
Young Master Qi Hongming was the first one to jump out. He pointed at the Chu King's henchmen and cursed angrily. His sharp words made everyone in the palace look at him with suspicion.
Subsequently, Shao Shi Su Chengli, Shao Bao Ming Chengdao and Hanlin Academy Chengzhi Xie Jinan came out one after another to point out the evil intentions of the Northern Liao envoys.
As the officials from the two factions began to spit and the scolding war escalated, the court turned into a gladiatorial arena. It was just a battle of words, not fists.
"Your Majesty! The ancestral system cannot be violated!"
In the end, it was Xie Jinan who settled the matter with one word and brought out the ancestral method.
For a moment, the hall became quiet, and everyone, including the envoys from Bei Liao, looked at the man on the dragon chair.
Emperor Yongxing glanced secretly at his uncle, the guy who coveted his throne.
"Beiliao has no good intentions. I will never agree to open the market for sale, let alone any old coins!"
Emperor Yongxing stood up suddenly, pointed at the envoys from Bei Liao and shouted: "Dayu and Bei Liao have always been as strong as fire and water. Go back and tell your khan that if he doesn't come to fight me, I will fight one day."
Him!"
"I want to take back the land of Yanyun, and the same goes for Liaodong!"
As expected of a young emperor, Emperor Yongxing’s words not only shocked King Chu’s party members, but even Su Chengli and the others were a little confused.
Your Majesty, please don't speak so harshly. If the Khan of Beiliao is really angry and sends his troops south, wouldn't it be a bad thing?
We are opposed to sending Bei Liao New Year coins, but we don’t want to make you so crazy!
Emperor Yongxing didn't care about this. He only knew that he was in an extremely happy mood at the moment, as if Beiliao had been defeated by him and Dayu had been revived by him.
He didn't notice that the King of Chu on the side had a gloomy expression, as if he was about to burst into rebellion at any time.