Princess Nihuang, whose real name is Mu Nihuang, is a talented and handsome woman in the southern region of Daliang.
Ten years ago, the powerful enemy Chu State in the south of Daliang raised an army to attack Daliang. Wang Mushen of Yunnan died in the battle. Nihuang was ordered to do so at the critical moment. The entire army met the enemy with Chu cavalry at Qingming Pass in a bloody battle, wiping out 30,000 enemies.
After this battle, Emperor Liang issued a decree, ordering Princess Nihuang to guard the south on behalf of her younger brother. The entire army in the south would be under her command to appease the Yunnan palace.
On the day she received the imperial edict, Princess Nihuang swore to heaven that her younger brother Mu Qing would not be able to bear the heavy responsibility of the Yunnan King. She would not get married for a day, so she would be in charge of a hundred thousand border defense cavalry in the southern border as a female prostitute.
When Princess Nihuang was young, she went to Beijing with the King of Yunnan to meet the Holy Spirit, where she met Xiao Jingyan and, of course, Mei Changsu.
At that time, Mei Changsu was still called Lin Shu, his father was Lin Xie, the commander-in-chief of the Red Flame Army, and his mother, Princess Jinyang, was the biological sister of Emperor Liang.
So, Wang Gang and Mei Changsu are cousins.
Lin Shu and Princess Nihuang were also asked to marry by the Empress Dowager, and they almost got married.
If Chi Yan's murder had not happened, the life trajectories of several people would have been different.
Twelve years ago, Lin Xie, the commander of the Red Flame Army, was falsely accused of treason. The 70,000 Red Flame Army were wiped out in Meiling. Lin Xie was killed. Lin Shu faked his death and escaped. However, he was poisoned by fire and cold, and his appearance changed forever.
After a major change, he changed his name to Mei Changsu, changed his name, wandered around the world, and established the Jiangzuo Alliance with the intention of accumulating strength and redressing unjust cases.
At that time, Princess Nihuang was still engaged to Lin Shu, and she was almost involved in the Red Flame Rebellion. If Nanchu had not sent troops to attack the southern border of Liang Dynasty, and the old Yunnan King had to lead the army, Emperor Liang might have already attacked the Yunnan Prince's family.
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In the second year of the Chiyan Rebellion, the King of Yunnan finally stopped the Southern Chu army, but he also lost his life on the battlefield. Princess Nihuang took over the Southern Army as a female streamer and led 100,000 soldiers to defend the country to the death.
It was easy to defeat Nanchu and annihilate 30,000 enemies.
Since then, Princess Nihuang has been stationed in the south and rarely comes to Jinling. On the one hand, this is because Southern Chu is determined to be a traitor, and the military affairs in the south cannot be without the Yunnan king.
On the other hand, Princess Nihuang never believed that the Red Flame Army would rebel, and she has been unable to accept Lin Shu's death all these years. Until now, she is still unmarried, and she has reservations about the Jinling court and Emperor Liang.
Emperor Liang was wary of the 100,000 Confederate troops in Princess Nihuang's hands. Over the years, he had been trying to appease her. He kept giving various rewards every year. He also summoned Princess Nihuang and his younger brother Mu Qing to the capital, but she was ignored every time.
He refused because he was busy with military affairs.
This time Wang Gang met Princess Nihuang outside Jinling City, and he was still very curious.
"The princess has not been to Jinling for more than ten years, hiding from her father. Why did she come back this time?"
Wang Gang's directness made Princess Nihuang stunned for a moment, and then she smiled and said: "Prince Jing's outspoken problem has not changed."
"The princess has changed a lot." Wang Gang looked at the heroic Princess Nihuang and sighed: "It must have been hard for you to support the southern border these years!"
Princess Nihuang looked at Wang Gang in astonishment, probably not expecting him to say such a thing.
Everyone in the world thinks that Princess Nihuang has been supporting the Southern Border for ten years, and she is still the only woman among the top ten masters in the world. She is a true hero among women, but few people know how much she has sacrificed and experienced in the past ten years.
What!
"Fortunately, I've long been used to it." Nihuang's nose felt slightly sore and she turned her head to the side, not wanting Wang Gang to see her weak side.
"By the way, I heard that King Jing taught Beiyan a big lesson this time. I got the news in the southern border. Please tell me how Beiyan's cavalry was defeated." Nihuang interrupted.
Wang Gang looked at the official road with people coming and going around him, and said: "This is not the place to talk about this. If you have time, come to my palace and talk in detail. Let's go to the palace quickly to meet the saint!"
A prince or a princess must first see Emperor Liang when he returns to Jinling. Otherwise, he will go to court tomorrow and he still doesn't know how to join them.
Of course, Wang Gang and Princess Nihuang are not afraid of the censor, but neither of them likes those annoying flies.
Wang Gang and Princess Nihuang walked into Jinling City together. Emperor Liang quickly received the news and glanced at the eunuch Gao Zhan next to him.
"Do you think Prince Jing and Princess Nihuang met by chance, or did they make an appointment to go back to Jinling together?"
Gao Zhan said while knocking Emperor Liang's leg: "I think that Prince Jing and Princess Nihuang just happened to meet outside Jinling City. Prince Jing returned to Jinling by water from the north, and Princess Nihuang returned by land from the south.
Jinling, it’s not easy for the two of them to make an appointment.”
Emperor Liang's face was as dark as water, and no one could tell what he was thinking.
"I remember that Princess Jing has been gone for a long time." Emperor Liang suddenly asked Gao Zhan: "Did she leave last year or the year before that?"
Gao Zhan sighed softly: "I remember, Prince Jing's Mansion was the one who announced the funeral before winter the year before last."
Emperor Liang sighed: "My daughter-in-law is not well-off, and my son is even less well-off. He is over thirty and has no heirs. The huge Prince Jing's palace lacks a mistress."
Gao Zhan's eyes flashed, and he continued to knock his legs silently, not daring to say a word.
? Emperor Liang usually didn't talk nonsense. He suddenly mentioned the late Princess Jing, which must have a profound meaning. Gao Zhan knew it very well, but at this time he had to pretend to be confused.
"I remember that Prince Jing and Princess Nihuang have been in love since they were young. Do you think that if I propose marriage to them, will they agree?" Emperor Liang seemed to be talking to himself or asking Gao Zhan.
Gao Zhan smiled and said: "His Royal Highness Prince Jing has always been filial, how could he refuse His Majesty's will?"
Emperor Liang hummed and said, "I'm afraid that Princess Nihuang's eyes are too high to look down on my son."
Gao Zhan smiled again and said: "Prince Jing is both civil and military, and has a majestic appearance. He is one of the most extraordinary men in the world. He and Princess Nihuang are a perfect match. Your Majesty intends to match him. There is no reason for them to refuse."
?Besides, Princess Nihuang knows the general situation best, and she will definitely obey His Majesty’s orders.”
Emperor Liang suddenly laughed and said happily: "What a general understanding."
At this time, the young eunuch came to report that Wang Gang and Nihuang had entered the palace and were waiting in the main hall.
"Let's go and meet." Emperor Liang put away his legs, stood up and stretched, and then went to see Wang Gang and Nihuang.
Emperor Liang walked to the front of the main hall and stopped for a moment. He did not let the eunuch inform him. He stood at the door and secretly glanced at Wang Gang and Princess Nihuang.
At this time, Wang Gang and Princess Nihuang were standing in the main hall. No one spoke, and they even deliberately kept their distance, looking unfamiliar.
Emperor Liang watched for a while, and then walked into the hall. Wang Gang and Princess Nihuang immediately saluted.
"My sons and ministers see my father."
"I see your Majesty."
"Haha! Forgive me, please forgive me." Emperor Liang quickly ran to Princess Nihuang and helped her up in person, grinning so much that he could reach his ears.
Princess Nihuang stood up and couldn't help but glance at Wang Gang, who was still kneeling on the ground.
Wang Gang felt quite disgusted at this time. Although he was kneeling to his biological father in this life, he just felt awkward.
"Get up too!" Emperor Liang said in passing without even looking at Wang Gang.
"Thank you, Father." Wang Gang stood up slowly and stood aside knowingly.
Emperor Liang was unusually enthusiastic towards Princess Nihuang, asking her for her welfare. People who didn't know better thought he was Nihuang's biological father. On the contrary, it was Wang Gang, his biological son, who had been standing aside in the cold, as if he was raised by his stepfather.
"Nihuang, it's been a smooth journey. You haven't been back to Jinling for several years. How are things going in the south without you?" Emperor Liang said with a smile.
"Thanks to Your Majesty Hongfu, Nihuang's journey has been smooth. My younger brother Mu Qing is watching from the south, so it's okay for a while." Nihuang emphasized the last four words.
It's okay for a while, but it won't be easy to tell if it lasts for a long time.
Emperor Liang's smile froze, but quickly returned to normal.
"No one can do without you in the south!" Emperor Liang sighed: "It's embarrassing to say that I have to shoulder the responsibility of a woman like you, which shows that we men are incompetent."
Nihuang said modestly: "Prince Jing has defeated Northern Yan this time and raised the prestige of our country. He will definitely be able to assist your majesty in the future and share your worries."
Emperor Liang glanced at Wang Gang, who had been silent, and said scornfully: "He is still far behind. Thirty thousand beats another person's ten thousand, so he deserves to win. If I still lose, I will lose my old face.
Prince Jing blatantly disobeyed the imperial court's orders, and when I got the news, I almost died of anger at this traitor."
Wang Gang stood aside in silence, but his nose was almost crooked with anger.
Is what Emperor Liang said human language? I think he worked hard on the battlefield. Although he did not escape death, he still kept his head in his belt to keep the stability of the northern border.
But in Emperor Liang's heart, he deserved to win the war. Instead of rewarding him, why did he want to punish him?
Wang Gang really wanted to scold Emperor Liang's ancestors for eight generations, but when he thought that his ancestors were his ancestors, he had no choice but to give up.
"Jingyan, do you know you are wrong?" Emperor Liang's face darkened and he shouted angrily at Wang Gang.
Wang Gang felt extremely fed up, but he could only kneel down and say, "I know I was wrong."
"You disobeyed the imperial court's order and sent troops to fight against Beiyan without authorization, almost provoking a war between the two countries." Emperor Liang snorted coldly:
"If it hadn't been for the trouble caused by Xiao Qiang in the Northern Yan royal family, Emperor Yan was seriously ill, and several princes were vying for the position of crown prince and had no time to go south, otherwise it's hard to say whether you would have come back."
Wang Gang suddenly realized, no wonder Beiyan suffered such a big loss and gave in so quickly. It turned out that there was an internal problem in the imperial court. With the fight for the right to inherit the throne, who was still in the mood to fight? All the generals were now focused on taking sides.
Nihuang couldn't stand it anymore and said to Emperor Liang: "This battle against Dayan is a rare victory for Liang in recent years. The people in the north are rejoicing, and your Majesty should also celebrate."
Emperor Liang said happily: "It's time to celebrate. I have decided to grant amnesty to the whole world and celebrate together. I will issue an imperial edict in two days."
Nihuang added: "In this case, it is hard not to reward the greatest contributor to this battle."
Emperor Liang's smile froze, and he said with a strange tone: "You deserve a reward."
"Jingyan, for the sake of your victory this time, even if you make up for your mistakes, your merits will be equal to your faults."
Wang Gang's face was neither happy nor sad, and he said calmly: "Thank you, Father."
Princess Nihuang wanted to ask for more rewards for Wang Gang, but Emperor Liang had already changed the subject.
"Nihuang, when you return to Beijing this time, you should live in the palace! The Empress Dowager has talked about you several times."
Nihuang smiled and said: "I also miss the Empress Dowager very much, but the military affairs in the south are urgent. When I return to Beijing this time, I want to ask the Ministry of Household Affairs when the food and grass for the army in the south will be available."
On the way here, Princess Nihuang told Wang Gang the purpose of coming to Beijing this time.
The imperial court had been deducting food and salary from the Southern Army. Every time Princess Nihuang submitted a letter asking for food, the Ministry of Revenue and Emperor Liang would blame each other.
An army of 100,000 people is almost out of food. How can you give your soldiers the strength to fight?
"Nihuang, the court also has its own difficulties. This year Jiangnan has a bad harvest, and the tax collection is only 70% of last year's." Emperor Liang said with a bitter face:
"Why don't I want to give you all the food and grass? How can I bear to let the soldiers in the southern border starve."
Princess Nihuang frowned slightly and said, "I'm afraid that before Southern Chu arrives, we will cause chaos ourselves."
Emperor Liang smiled and said: "Since you defeated Nanchu on the water two years ago, they have obviously become more honest. I mean, since the south is at peace, can we cut off some soldiers appropriately?"
Nihuang said in astonishment: "Your Majesty wants to disarm?"
"No, it's not about disarmament. It's about letting some soldiers go back to their hometowns to work on farming and reclaim wasteland to ease the court's difficulties. They can then be called back to fight when war breaks out again in the future."
Nihuang said solemnly: "Your Majesty, you want to use government soldiers to colonize the fields?"
The farming system can be traced back to the time of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. After Wei Qing and Huo Qubing took back the land in Hexi, Liu Che moved the people from the inland to the border. This group of people reclaimed farmland on the border land, which not only solved the problem of food and clothing for the refugees themselves, but also solved the problem of food and clothing.
The shortage of food and grass in the wars of the Han Dynasty.
At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, when heroes were vying for the throne, Cao Cao, the hero of the troubled times, improved the civilian settlements and implemented "military settlements".
When the military operations of the army decreased and the troops were stationed in relatively stable places, he established military camps with official positions such as Duzhi Zhonglang General and Duzhi Xiaowei.
During the war, soldiers wore armor and went into battle to kill the enemy. In their free time, they picked up hoes and cultivated the land, switching back and forth between soldiers and farmers. The most important feature was the integration of soldiers and farmers, which simultaneously solved the two problems of recruiting soldiers and food and grass.
After Taizu Taizu of Daliang founded the country, local self-control was implemented. The weapons and horses for the soldiers participating in the war were provided by each county government. The imperial court uniformly allocated food and wages. The soldiers did not need to farm, and the military villages gradually disappeared.
The advantage of this is that the soldiers are recruited by each government, and they usually train and prepare for war with all their strength, thus ensuring their combat effectiveness.
?But the disadvantage is that warlords have been cultivated one after another. The soldiers in various places only know the generals who command the troops, but they don’t know who the current emperor is! The imperial court has extremely weak control over the local armies.
Now that Emperor Liang wanted to reintroduce military settlements, he first targeted the southern border. It was obvious that he wanted to weaken the power of the Yunnan Palace and strengthen the court's control over the region.
Princess Nihuang has been able to support the Southern Territory for ten years, so she is certainly not an incompetent person. She immediately saw the sinister intentions of Emperor Liang and immediately thought of how to refuse!
At this time, Wang Gang, who had been silent, stood up and said to Emperor Liang: "I would like to inform my father that I am opposed to the use of military garrison."
When Emperor Liang heard this, his face immediately turned green.
"What do you know about the important matters of the imperial court?" Emperor Liang said angrily: "Go back to your palace."
Wang Gang said neither humble nor arrogantly: "I believe that restarting the military garrison will bring disaster to the country and the people. Anyone who makes this suggestion should be killed!"
Emperor Liang's eyes widened, and he pointed at Wang Gang and said angrily: "Sir, don't talk nonsense anymore. You can't understand the words of the important officials of the imperial court."