In the Xia Kingdom's palace, many ministers and scholars gathered together and bowed to Yu Zhaoling who was sitting on the dragon chair.
The eunuch beside him showed his imperial edict and said loudly:
"I bear the fate of Haotian's followers, and the edict says:
In the past, our Emperor Taizu established the country and called it Zhongyuan, and established the Central Plains. All nations came to court, and the land was thousands of miles wide and beautiful. It has lasted for more than 600 years. After the late emperor succeeded to the throne, the Turks in the north repeatedly caused chaos, and the Yun Kingdom in the southwest gradually became stronger.
, the DPRK and China are constantly fighting, the country is suffering from internal problems, and foreign affairs have not been carried out. Since I came to the throne, the southwest has lost its territory, which is extremely ugly!
I often feel sad when I think about the achievements of the previous emperors and the stability of the country and the country. Guests and ministers, those who can come up with strange plans to strengthen the Great Xia will be rewarded for their merits and status!"
All the ministers and scholars bowed and saluted, shouting long live the mountain.
Since Yu Zhaoling was ordered by the old Xia Emperor to clean up the court, the Xia Kingdom, which had a large population and talented people entering the country, also faced a shortage of talents in the court.
Yu Zhaoling followed the example of Yun State and held imperial examinations to recruit talents from the private sector to serve in the court.
Today is the day when the first imperial examination of the Xia Kingdom is held.
Yu Zhaoling looked at the many talented scholars gathered in the palace. Even though he had been in a heavy mood these past few days, he couldn't help but smile a little and nodded:
"The questions in the imperial examination may be about 'strategies to strengthen the country' or 'anti-Yun military strategy.' Talents should fully demonstrate what they have learned and speak freely, and never commit crimes with their speech!"
All the scholars once again shouted long live, and then under the guidance of the palace attendants, they entered the examination room and began the palace examination.
During the palace examination, Xiao Cheng personally held candles to illuminate the palace examination scholars, showing his love for talents and respecting the virtuous, and was praised by hundreds of students from all over the world.
With Zhuyu in front of him, Yu Zhaoling could not leave directly even for the sake of showing off. He could only accompany a group of scholars to manage politics in the palace.
Feng Chu, the commander of Yipin Embroidered Clothes of the Dynasty, walked quietly into the palace, walked around in front of Yu Zhaoling, held the memorial in hand, bowed and saluted, and said in a low voice:
"Your Majesty, emergency report from Southwest!"
Seeing Feng Chu arriving at this time, Yu Zhaoling frowned subconsciously.
To be honest, Yu Zhaoling, who had been receiving reports on the defeated army in the Southwest these days, his first reaction when he saw Feng Chu was that his heart skipped a beat. He was afraid that this would bring him some bad news.
After Yu Zhaoling sighed softly, the young eunuch beside him took the memorial.
After opening the memorial and reading it clearly, Yu Zhaoling's eyes suddenly flashed with joy. He quickly waved to Feng Chu to come forward and asked in a low voice:
"Is this serious?"
"The embroidery envoy of Wuling Prefecture has sent someone to verify it. The good news must be true!" Feng Chu replied softly.
Hearing this, Yu Zhaoling clapped his hands happily, and the crisp sound of applause resounded in the palace, attracting many palace examinees to look up.
Only then did Yu Zhaoling realize that he had lost his composure. He immediately stood up and led Feng Chu into the side hall at the rear.
"Okay, okay! Back then, you advised me to keep Liao Gu alive in order to appease and recruit the old troops of King Jin, and to stabilize the morale of the army. I thought that he still had some sense of shame as a soldier, so I fought bravely and defended the territory.
Yongzhou City, thus exempting him from the blame. I never thought that he would give me such a big surprise today!"
What Yu Zhaoling received at this time was the long-lost good news!
On top of the victory report, there is a detailed military report on how Liao Gu used surprise troops to attack the Yun Army's baggage troops and force the Yun Army to retreat during the Battle of Wuling Mansion. Then he set an ambush on the Yun Army's only road and defeated the famous general Wu Zixu.
.
"I had very little regard for Liao Gu before. I just thought he was just talking too much and didn't have much ability. But I never thought that I was wrong about the person!" Yu Zhaoling couldn't help but continue.
Feng Chu chuckled lightly and said:
"Liao Gu was born as a general and was familiar with the art of war. Among the noble sons of his generation, he was considered an outstanding person. Otherwise, he would not have been able to reach a high position and gather military power for the King of Jin."
"Now that I think about it carefully, in the defeat of Rongzhou City, our Daxia generals saw that the Yun army had a vision of luck to help them, but they did not understand the reason. As a result, the morale of the army was disorganized, morale was low, and the army collapsed at the first touch. But Liao Gu was able to command the army.
He restrained his troops and defended Rongzhou City for more than a month until he ran out of food and grass and then was defeated, which shows that he also has some abilities!"
Today, Liao Gu's record is quite astonishing, and he is completely different from before. However, there are no loopholes or doubts found on the side of the embroidered clothes user, so he naturally started to make up his mind to make the difference between Liao Gu's and his previous records reasonable.
stand up.
When Yu Zhaoling heard this, he couldn't help but nodded and agreed:
"Liao Gu had only led troops in the capital before, and had little experience of commanding large armies in battle. Now after some experience, he has learned to be shameful and courageous, and he looks like he will be of great use!"
Hearing this, Feng Chu quickly continued:
"Now in the southwest, we, Daxia, have suffered successive defeats. There are many discussions in the court, in the army, and among the people. Liao Gu's good news comes at the right time! Your Majesty also asks your Majesty to reward Liao Gu heavily, so as to reassure the government and the public.
Boost the morale of the troops on the front line!"
When Yu Zhaoling heard this, he nodded immediately and said in a deep voice:
"Liao Gu should be transferred to the military post and ordered to take charge of the defense of Wuling Mansion to prevent the Yun Army from attacking again!"
When Feng Chu heard this, he quickly advised:
"Your Majesty, I respect General Sun Qianfang and must not refuse to reward him! On Liao Gu's side, why not first give him gold and silver titles as a reward?"
Yu Zhaoling was stunned for a moment, then reacted suddenly and quickly changed his words:
"Password! General Sun Qianfang, the respected general, guarded Wuling Prefecture and defeated the Yun army. General Jinzhong was stationed in Wuling Prefecture and led the Imperial Guards in the capital from a distance. General Liao Gu, the righteous general, was brave after knowing his shame and had outstanding achievements. He can be
Dayong. He was granted the title of Marquis of Hanchuan and was given ten thousand taels of gold, ten pearls and jades, and fifty pieces of brocade and silk!"
Don't look at the fact that Liao Gu's title as a general has not changed, but he has only been given a title, which seems to have just gained some vanity. On the contrary, Sun Qianfang was promoted to the rank of general of the four directions.
But in fact, this was not an intentional suppression by the monarch and his ministers, but out of a balance of considerations.
Sun Qianfang had been working conscientiously since he was guarding Wuling Mansion. At this time, directly letting Liao Gu take over the military power in his hands would only cause a rift between the two, which would be detrimental to the war.
Moreover, Liao Gu was still burdened with the defeat of Rongzhou City, and many generals in the army were dissatisfied with him. Letting Sun Qianfang continue to sit in Wuling Mansion and secretly help Liao Gu control the army was the best and safest way!
Hearing this, Feng Chu nodded repeatedly, feeling a sense of relief in his heart.
Now that Yu Zhaoling is able to quickly figure out the key, it can be seen that he is no longer the King Qi that he used to be, who only knew how to use troops but did not understand political power!
Most of this was due to Feng Chu's teachings, and at this moment, a trace of unknown joy and pride inevitably arose in my heart.
At this time, Yu Zhaoling sighed heavily again and said in a deep voice:
"Now that Yongzhou and Yangping Pass have been lost, the elites of the southwest defense line have suffered heavy losses, and there are no more elites in the DPRK and the Central Government to mobilize. Anshun and Shaoyang counties cannot hold on for a long time. Only Jiangcheng Mansion in Jiangzhou County can still rely on the army to hold on to the city wall.
"
"I have issued an order yesterday to allocate military taxes in the rich areas of the nine counties in the south of the Yangtze River so that the DPRK and China can build weapons and train elite troops. I only hope that generals such as Qi Mo, Sun Qianfang, and Liao Gu can try their best to delay the Yun army from occupying the three areas. The land of the county..."
Hearing this, Feng Chu nodded slightly and said in a serious tone:
"Now that the country is in dire straits, the only thing left to do is suffer for the people..."
Yu Zhaoling stood with his hands behind his hands, sighed slightly, turned around and left.
Under the rule of Shaoyang County, Yangjiang Prefecture.
The Jinling Navy warships that came all the way from Jinling City to support Leizhou were anchored at the dock to replenish fresh water supplies.
Jinling City is far away from Leizhou, covering almost half of the Xia Kingdom. Even though the Jinling Navy arrived on Yu Zhaoling's orders not long after the war started to support them, they didn't arrive here until now.
After seeing the arrival of the Jinling Navy, the Grand Administrator of Yangjiang Prefecture led several staff and officials under his command and hurried over to pay homage to the Navy Commander.
"The governor of Yangjiang Prefecture, I have met the general!"
The commander of Jinling Navy in front of him, General Chen Dingshan of Xia Guoge Ship, quickly returned the salute with his fists clasped and said:
"I've met the prefect!"
The governor of Yangjiang Prefecture looked excited at this time and said quickly:
"The general is finally here, Leizhou can be saved!"
Hearing this, Chen Dingshan frowned and asked quickly:
"What does this mean, Lord Taishou? Could it be that something has changed in Leizhou?"
The prefect of Yangjiang Prefecture was stunned when he heard this, and then said quickly:
"Your Excellency, you have come all the way by sea. Perhaps you have not received an urgent report from my government... After the Yun army captured Chuanchuan Prefecture, Leizhou was left alone. All grain and supplies were transported by sea from Yangjiang Prefecture."
"But more than a month ago, Wang Zhi, the captain of the Yun Army across the sea, led his troops to plunder the sea and isolate Leizhou. Once the ships transporting supplies from our Yangjiang Prefecture went to Leizhou, they were plundered and scuttled, causing heavy losses. Since then, , I, Yangjiang Mansion, will no longer be able to know the specific situation of Leizhou!"
As soon as these words came out, the expressions of the Jinling Navy generals changed.
When Chen Dingshan heard this, he was startled and asked quickly:
"Do you know, Lord Taishou, how long will Leizhou's accumulated food, weapons, and supplies be enough to last?"
The eunuch of Yangjiang Prefecture made a bitter face, shook his head and said:
"The climate in Leizhou is humid, and it is difficult to store ordnance, food, and grass for a long time. In addition, the Chuchuan Prefecture was in charge of dispatching transportation before, so we never accumulated much. In total, the remaining supplies are only enough for the army for half or half a month. expense……"
When Chen Dingshan heard this, his heart suddenly sank.
Leizhou has been isolated for more than a month, and the food and grass supplies are only enough to last for half a month. In other words, Leizhou has been without food for half a month!
And the lack of food is not the most terrifying thing. After all, Leizhou has a vast territory and is close to the sea. It may not be impossible to survive without food for half a month.
But don’t forget that the navy of the Yun Army is now besieging Leizhou and intends to attack Leizhou. Ordnance cannot be transported, so how can the soldiers of Leizhou resist the Yun Army?
Thinking of this, Chen Dingshan became even more anxious and asked quickly:
"Is it true that there is no news at all? Has Leizhou City been breached now?"
The prefect of Yangjiang Prefecture shook his head and said:
"The Yun army has a very strict blockade, and indeed no news can be obtained..."
Chen Dingshan pondered for a moment and then asked:
"In this season, the sea current flows from the southwest to the northeast. In Yangjiang Prefecture, have you seen the remains of warships on the sea recently?"
The prefect of Yangjiang Mansion was slightly startled and quickly glanced at his subordinates.
His staff shook their heads repeatedly, indicating that they had not seen it.
When Chen Dingshan heard this, he immediately turned around, looked at the navy generals behind him, and shouted:
"If it is difficult to hold on to Leizhou, we must evacuate towards Yangjiang Prefecture. If Leizhou Navy is destroyed, there will be broken pieces of warships drifting from the sea without being found. It can be seen that Leizhou Navy Paoze is still fighting hard! Send my order to quickly replenish fresh water.
Supplies, rush to the aid of Leizhou!"
"Yes!" Upon hearing this, all the generals clasped their fists together.
The prefect of Yangjiang Prefecture also quickly urged his officials to cooperate. After a while of panic, the Jinling Navy immediately pulled anchor and set sail towards Leizhou.
But as they rushed towards Leizhou, the thoughts of the Jinling Navy generals became more and more heavy.
Because at this time, many broken ship planks can be seen on the sea surface, floating with the current. After careful inspection, these naval generals can see that those are the planks of the warship after it was broken into pieces!
On the sea surface less than half a day's journey from Leizhou, you can even see the corpses of navy soldiers wearing light armor of the Xia army, floating on the sea, attracting fish in the sea to compete for food.
Chen Dingshan stood on the deck, lowered his head in thought, his eyes extremely ugly.
And at this moment, I suddenly heard someone shouting:
"General, look ahead!"
When Chen Dingshan heard this, he raised his head suddenly.
Suddenly, at the end of the line of sight in the distance, there were dozens of broken warships flying the flag of the Xia Kingdom, speeding towards Chen Dingshan and the others.
Chen Dingshan's spirit was suddenly shaken and he immediately said:
"It's our warship! Hurry, come forward and respond!"
"yes!"
The officers and men of the Jinling Navy responded immediately, and the warship quickly approached the distance.
Seeing that the distance between the warships on both sides was less than dozens of nautical miles, there was a "bang" sound of explosion, and I suddenly remembered that white waves suddenly exploded next to the Leizhou Navy warship ahead.
Everyone looked up again and saw a giant blue whale emerging in the sky in the distance. Its fins flapped slightly, and the figure of the giant whale suddenly approached the Leizhou Navy warship.
"Then, what is that?"
"Can giant whales fly?"
It is impossible for a group of navy generals not to have seen whales on the sea. But such a huge whale that can float in the sky has only been heard of in myths...
At this time, dozens of huge waves exploded on the sea surface near Leizhou Navy, which was fleeing madly towards this place.
Two other warships were suddenly hit by stones thrown by trebuchets. The ships were broken into large holes. The navy officers on board were panicked, and the sounds of crying and screaming were heard.
At this moment, Chen Dingshan relied on his eyesight and saw clearly that under the giant whale, there were dozens of warships coming together in a mighty force.
His pupils shrank and he immediately shouted:
"It's not a giant whale, but a vision of the Yun Kingdom navy's army!"
Hearing this, all the Jinling Navy officers and soldiers still couldn't hide their shock.
The theory of the vision of the army has now spread all over the world. However, among the Xia soldiers and generals, only the most elite ones can unite the vision of the army. Even though the soldiers of the Jinling Navy are constantly training, it is still difficult to unite.
The Yun Kingdom Navy in front of me seems to have only been established and trained for a year. Is it already more powerful than my own Jinling Navy?
When Chen Dingshan saw this, he gritted his teeth and said:
"Speed up, no matter what, we must save Leizhou Navy Master Paoze!"
Looking at the few remaining Leizhou Navy warships in front of them, anyone could have guessed the outcome of the Leizhou naval battle.
Maybe these ships in front of me are already the last remnants of Leizhou Navy! In any case, they should be saved!
"Yes!" The generals of the Jinling navy shouted immediately.
