Shipin Dalizheng

On the other side of the team, Sima Zhi took the opportunity to approach Rong Tang and asked quietly, "Nephew-in-law, my fourth uncle has a small question. I don't know if it's appropriate to ask."

"I dare not hide it."

"Just now I heard that person say that you were playing both sides... or something like that... Fourth Uncle didn't quite understand."

Rong Tang laughed it off, "That's not true, he's just talking nonsense."

Sima Zhi asked Rong Shen beside him, "Is that so?"

Rong Shen silently moved away from him by several horse lengths. Why are you asking an honest person?

Then he asked Rong Wanli, "Do you know?"

Rong Wanli rode away, "It's not me, I don't know."

Rong Tang's trusted guards all ran away. Sima Zhi grabbed Master Ma by the collar and almost pulled him off his horse. "You must know."

Lord Ma's face was very interesting. "Excuse me, who are you?"

Sima Zhi released his hand and straightened his clothes and armor. "I am General Sima Zhi, a fourth-rank general and fifth-rank officer, and the fourth uncle of Young Master Rong's fiancée."

Lord Ma opened his mouth and realized that this was the third boat.

He didn't know how to open his mouth, and froze on his horse, "Uh..."

Rong Tang hurried over to talk, "Fourth uncle, there's a misunderstanding. I'll explain it clearly when I return to Beijing. Look at how upright I am. It's impossible for me to be so indecisive."

Sima Zhi was stunned. "I was asking about your title in the Southern Dynasty. Lord Zheng said you were playing both sides. Is that what he meant?"

Rong Tang's tongue also hardened, "Uh... That's what I meant, nothing else."

"Really nothing else?"

"Really not."

Sima Zhi looked at him for a while, which made him feel uneasy. Finally, he patted his shoulder and said earnestly, "As for men, Fourth Uncle understands. A heroic young man like you is something my family would like, and other families would like you too. It's just that we have to distinguish between the primary and the secondary in terms of status. Our family's rule is that you can only take a concubine when you are forty and childless. Of course, the Rong family is special, so we can extend the time limit for a few years. Look, thirty... twenty-five. Tiantian, can you not take a concubine before you are twenty-five?"

Rong Tang's expression was extremely interesting. "Don't worry, Fourth Uncle. Even if I don't have a son when I'm eighty, I won't take a concubine."

Sima Zhi didn't believe it, but he was very pleased. Look, what a good attitude.

As they traveled north, they occasionally encountered wandering refugees. Rong Tang and Lord Ma persuaded them to settle down there and promised to give them land for free in the name of the court. If the court did not give them land in the end, he was willing to buy land himself and give it to them for farming.

In order to reassure them, he distributed some food from the team to them and took people into the mountains to hunt. After a good hunt, he always brought back many strange creatures, including snakes, insects, rats, ants, birds and beasts, which were more complete than those in a zoo.

Refugees have no fixed place to live, so if someone is willing to help them and they don't starve to death in a short period of time, they will be willing to obey and build a village on the spot.

As they encountered more refugees, they had to expand their search area, looking for the villages and towns they had previously visited, which allowed them to find a few suitable places to live. Every time this happened, Ma Daren and his son were responsible for registering the refugees' information, so that no matter who came to manage the area in the future, there would be no sudden chaos.

The army's progress was severely slowed down, but no one said anything.

Zheng Jiu's team could have gone first, but he refused to go, so they followed him, stopping and starting to see what he was doing.

Mr. Cui was very emotional. "Xiaojiu, a real man should stand between heaven and earth and should not indulge in love. Look at Annanbo. He is so ambitious at such a young age and has done great things to ensure the safety of the people. You, you!"

Zheng Jiu's face turned a colorful black. Was he disliked by the teacher?

Did he not want to do anything? He suffered serious internal injuries and vomited half a bucket of blood, but the teacher didn't see it?

For a moment, he felt like he was abandoned by the whole world and said angrily, "I'll go, even if I die of exhaustion."

As he approached the construction site, clutching his chest, Rong Tang was urging his men to work hard. "Men like us, born into this world, must not live a life of mediocrity and lack of ambition. We must strive to have our names engraved on the monument of merit in Dai Viet history. An ancient sage once left behind four lines in Hengqu: 'Establish a mind for heaven and earth, establish a destiny for the people, carry on the lost knowledge of the past sages, and bring peace to the world for all eternity. Repeat them."

Thousands of people chanted, "Establish a mind for heaven and earth, establish a destiny for the people, carry on the lost knowledge of the ancient sages, and bring peace to the world for all eternity..."

Over and over again, resounding through the sky.

"That's great. I hope that all my men are heroes who serve their country and their people. Only then can they be called the greatest heroes."

Thousands of people then roared in unison, "The greatest heroes serve their country and their people..."

A shrill voice sounded from in front of Zheng Jiu, "The greatest heroes serve their country and their people..."

Upon closer look, it turned out to be Li Dequan. Zheng Jiu already knew that this man was a second-class eunuch beside Emperor Xuanning, but he didn't expect that he could be easily controlled by Rong Tang.

Looking again, Master Tang was panting as he carried a piece of wood. He no longer claimed to be a scholar. He walked up to him, wiped his sweat, and said, "Oh my god, you are so inciteful."

Rong Tang continued to encourage them, "Our Great Yue Emperor is a man of great talent and wisdom. If you work hard, you will have great achievements and great rewards."

"Long live His Majesty, long live His Majesty..."

The roar of the mountains and the sea was like waves, houses made of a mixture of wood and stone were built one after another, and the abandoned villages gradually took shape again.

Zheng Jiu took a deep breath and lifted a stone...

One day, two days passed, and he was exhausted every day. He fell asleep as soon as he lay down at night. He had no time or energy to be depressed.

During this period, Rong Tang would occasionally lead his men to fight hundreds of miles away and "borrow" grain from slightly better prefectures to resettle refugees. After a few months, a total of 23,000 people were resettled.

At the beginning of the twelfth lunar month, the first snow fell. Seeing that there were no new refugees pouring in, Rong Tang swung his Tang sword and withdrew his camp and returned to the capital.

There were no more obstacles along the way. Half a month later, on the day of the Little New Year, the first returning team from the southern expedition entered the defense range of Shangjing.

Emperor Xuanning's order to enter the city was quickly issued. It was He Daban who came to announce the order. Upon seeing him, he bent his old waist to the ground and said, "This old servant respectfully welcomes the triumphant return of the Earl of Jian'an. Your Majesty has already personally welcomed him at the Ten-Li Pavilion. Please come in!"

Rong Tang helped him up and pointed at the three thousand soldiers, "Then these..."

"Since they are Young Master's troops and horses, they are all meritorious officials. They should all come before the Emperor and attend the celebration banquet before setting up camp."

Rong Tang led three thousand soldiers, and aside from the hundred or so recruited from the northern border, the rest were bandits recruited from the southern border. Rong Tang had spent two months honed in military discipline and was already well-versed in the rules. Carrying the new army's flag, he chanted the four lines of the Hengqu verse, "Long live the emperor," and marched in formation, full of vigor and vigor.

This was obviously a huge change from the shabby 25 straw sandal soldiers when they first left Beijing, attracting people along the way to watch and stop.

"Oh, this is incredible. I heard there were only a dozen people when they left, but this time they've returned with no one missing. The force has increased a hundredfold."

"Didn't you hear? His Majesty personally welcomed us. It was quite impressive. This is an honor no one else has ever enjoyed."

"Of course not. After more than twenty years of fighting, the country is finally unified. My mother is from the south, so maybe she can go back and see her maternal family before she dies."

Amidst the confusion, the army arrived at the Ten-Li Pavilion. Rong Tang ordered them to kneel down and salute from a distance, and he himself stepped forward with four guards.

Emperor Xuanning had already gotten off the imperial carriage and saw that the young man walking towards him was a little darker and seemed to be a little taller. The childishness on his face had not yet completely left off, but a sense of military power had already begun to take shape, which made him feel complicated, gratified, and at the same time.

He spoke first, "Thank you for your hard work, my dear."

Rong Tang rushed forward two steps, knelt on one knee and saluted, "Long live Your Majesty, I am honored to have fulfilled your command."

She lowered her head and the wig was not fastened and fell to the snow.

Emperor Xuanning's eyes lit up and he took two steps back.