Cross the Sea in the Red Chamber

The summer is gone and the cold is coming, the sun and the moon shuttle, several years have passed in a blink of an eye...

Situ Sheng has been on the throne for more than three years. In the second year of Dajing, the reign name was changed to Hongyou. Now it is the end of summer and early autumn of Hongyou's third year.Everyone thought that the Supreme Emperor would not be able to last long. Unexpectedly, the Supreme Emperor, who was seriously ill and paralyzed in bed, could survive. Although his waking time was getting shorter and shorter, and he was in a coma every day, it made him last. It hasn't died yet.

Since the earth-shattering Jiangnan case three years ago, the government of the Jing Dynasty has become much clearer.Now that the sharp knife has been seen, how can anyone be stupid enough to bump into it?Therefore, everyone obeyed the law honestly and put away those unnecessary little thoughts.

Xizhimen, located on the northwest corner of the capital city wall, is the only gate for the waterwheels that deliver water from Yuquan Mountain to the imperial palace. Waterwheels pass by every day, so it is called "Watergate".The soldiers guarding here were standing at their respective posts to check the people coming and going. Both officials and civilians inside and outside the city lined up in an orderly manner, and no one dared to make trouble here.

At this time, on the road in the northwest, a group of knights galloped towards the direction of Xizhimen, and a thick cloud of smoke and dust rolled up in the distance. They couldn't see their clothes clearly, but they could only be seen vaguely. body shape.Walking closer, the leading knight reined in, jumped off the horse lightly, and led the horse slowly approaching. The other knights did the same, getting down and leading the horse forward, neither arrogant nor indulgent, Very polite.

This kind of scene was very rare when the Supreme Emperor was in power, but now it is very common. Ever since Emperor Hongyou showed how sharp the knife in his hand was at the beginning of his enthronement, there are fewer and fewer people who dare to bully others and follow the trend up.

The more high-ranking officials here in the capital, the more cautious they are. The behavior of bullying men and women has disappeared in Beijing, and there are absolutely no people who ride horses into the city.Except for the urgent military situation, no matter how high the official title is, other people have to dismount and go forward when they arrive at the city gate, otherwise the censor's rumors will play a role, and His Majesty's board will be beaten.

Although dismounting at the gate of the city was a rule established when the country was founded, but from Emperor Gao to Emperor Taishang, which of the three emperors really did it during their reign?So this group of soldiers watching the city gate secretly admired Situ Cheng, the current emperor is really the Son of Dragon, the Heavenly Emperor descended into the world, so powerful!Otherwise, how could he manage hundreds of officials and the people obediently and abide by the law within a few years after becoming the emperor?

As the group of knights approached, the smoke and dust gradually dissipated, and only then could their clothes be seen clearly.These people are all dressed in iron armor and silver helmets. They are tall and tall, and they can be recognized as soldiers in their army at a glance.

The horses held by the knights were shiny in color, strong in build, and extremely tall, even much taller than the knights riding them. They were not horses from the Central Plains, but seemed to be good horses from other regions.There are excellent bows and arrows hanging on the horse's back, and there are some wrapped leather bags. Looking at the dusty appearance of these knights, they must have just rushed back to the capital from other places.

The leading knight was already getting close at this time, and Xiaoqi, who was guarding the gate, thought he looked very familiar.This man is a young man, less than thirty years old, with a handsome face and a self-possessed manner, unlike a young general with few people under his command, he must be a high-ranking general.The soldiers guarding the capital had all gone to the Gyeonggi camp for training, so they had naturally seen the general inside. This person in front of him seemed to have been seen at that time, but who is he?

Xiao Qi's eyes widened, and he suddenly remembered, and quickly walked forward and saluted the knight respectfully, "I have seen you, General!"

The young knight helped him up as soon as he stretched out his hand, patted him on the shoulder casually, and said softly: "It is important to defend the city, there is no need to salute."

Xiao Qi felt his eyes heat up, and said quickly: "The general is in a hurry to go to Beijing? Humble to lead the general into the city?"

The young man smiled slightly, "No need." He pointed to the officials and civilians who were still queuing outside the city, "Since everyone is queuing, I can't be special. Except for urgent military situations, everyone who enters the city has to Queuing up for inspection according to the law, what is special about me?"

He smiled and said to Xiaoqi: "This is the guard post at Xizhimen in the capital. There are no generals, officials, or princes and generals. Those who come here are all people who need to be checked. You are not my subordinate, nor are you An ordinary soldier, but someone stationed at Xizhimen and defending the capital, here, what you have to remember is your duty, not our identities!"

"Yes!" The little flag hurriedly obeyed, and ran back to guard the city gate.The young man walked to the end of the line with the knights behind him, waiting for the inspection to enter the city.

One of Xiaoqi's soldiers has a good relationship with him. Seeing him come back, he quickly asked softly, "Brother, who was that knight just now? It made you so nervous."

Xiao Qi was still very excited, and when someone asked him, he immediately replied softly: "This is the Jiedu envoy of Daying in Gyeonggi, Minister of the Ministry of War, and General Jiang Yuanjiang, the Marquis of Guanying." In the hearts of the soldiers, the Jiedu Envoy of the Gyeonggi Daying Camp is the closest person to them, so this small flag puts the more powerful Minister of the Ministry of War behind.These soldiers guarding the capital are all proud of being trained in the Gyeonggi camp, so when Jiang Yuan is mentioned, they are called generals, but not other official positions.

"It turned out to be Master Jiang!" The soldier's eyes widened.

In the hearts of these little soldiers, the most powerful and admirable person in the world is naturally the current emperor, Situ Sheng. He saved countless lives, punished corrupt officials, distributed land, and rescued them from bandit soldiers. Passing through the entire capital, in their hearts, it is completely the reincarnation of the Emperor of Heaven.

The next thing to count is Jiangyuan Jianghou. This general Jiang can be said to be capable of both civil and military affairs. He can protect the environment and the people with military skills, and can fight the enemy with martial arts. It is he who assisted the current emperor to take down many corrupt officials in Jiangnan. Officials, who return a piece of blue sky over the heads of the common people.Such a character has long been compiled into a storytelling opera and widely sung. How can a pawn like him not be very pleasantly surprised when he sees a real person!

Master Jiang Hou, who is so powerful, galloping horses and shooting arrows at stone tigers, is so kind and amiable, and even pats them on the shoulders of small soldiers!This friendly approach not only did not lower Jiang Yuan's status in their hearts, but on the contrary made them admire Jiang Yuan even more because of such a considerate gesture.

Not long after, it was Jiang Yuan's turn to check in.Xiaoqi still remembered Jiang Yuan's words, so he didn't dare to favoritism at all, and only let him go after checking them one by one according to the system.At this time, everyone guarding the city knew Jiang Yuan's identity. At this time, their waists became straighter and their chests became taller. They wanted to leave a better impression on Jiang Yuan.

Jiang Yuan understood what they were thinking, smiled and nodded at everyone, and then led the horse into the city gate.Just this nodding action made the gatekeepers very excited, and they started the next work with great energy.

Leading the horse back to the mansion, the servants of the mansion took the horse and took it to the stable to take care of it. Jiang Yuan sent the soldiers behind him back to take a good rest, and walked towards the backyard by himself.

As soon as he walked into the back courtyard, he saw the little Jiang Xuan wearing a short coat practicing martial arts there. The little guy's fists were waving vigorously, and his feet were striding hard, as if they were really stuck in the ground. Same on the ground.Seeing Jiang Yuan walking in, the little guy's eyes lit up immediately, but he still didn't stop the practice in his hands, and kept waving his fists to complete today's practice quota.

Jiang Yuan's practice was arranged by Jiang Yuan himself, and the time was about the same, so Jiang Yuan nodded at him, indicating that he could stop.As soon as he received the permission, Jiang Xuan immediately rushed towards his father, jumped onto Jiang Yuan's arm and refused to let go.

Shaking the son on his arm, he felt that he had sunk a lot during the time he was away from home, and he had grown taller. Jiang Yuan put Jiang Xuan on the ground very satisfied, and took his hand to walk in the room.Along the way, Jiang Yuan also asked his son what books he had read and what he had learned during this period. The father and son asked and answered each other.

Seeing Jiang Yuan coming home, Situ Yuehua was also very pleasantly surprised.Jiang Yuan was ordered by the emperor to patrol the northern border, and he has been away from Beijing for more than half a year. Although Yuehua knew that he was coming back soon, who knew that he would come back so early.Seeing that his son had also finished practicing martial arts, his head and face were covered with sweat, Yuehua quickly asked someone to prepare a bath with hot water, so that the father and son could wash off the sweat first.

After wandering outside for several months, being cautious and intriguing, Jiang Yuan finally returned home, Jiang Yuan felt relieved and very happy.After staying at home for a whole day to dissipate all the fatigue on his body, Jiang Yuan entered the palace to see him.

After several years of honed in his career as an emperor, Situ Sheng has become more and more calm and sophisticated, and his demeanor has become more outstanding.If we say that when the two first met, Situ Sheng was a dusty sword, and after the San Francisco rebellion, he became sharp and radiant, but now, the sword has been put in the box, although the majesty is getting stronger and the white rainbow is piercing the sun, But it is contained but not revealed, and has a long meaning.

People who see Situ Sheng today will never think that he is not worthy of sitting in the position of emperor. If such a person is not worthy of being emperor, are they really going to invite the emperor from heaven to come down to the mortal world to govern?

Not to mention being too emperor, even Emperor Gao and Emperor Taizong may not be able to match Situ Sheng's current majesty. Shun Wang Situ Hui is placed there, and if you look at it a little, you can see that there is no place that can compare with this emperor. His Majesty's.Just like a lost dog is compared to a majestic tiger, fish and shrimp in the shallows are compared to a dragon in the deep sea, not to mention the inner comparison, you can tell that they are not as good just by looking at their courage.

After reporting to the inside, Jiang Yuan and Situ Sheng sat down to discuss in detail.They have always trusted the monarch and his ministers over the years, just like confidantes and close friends.Knowing each other in times of adversity, going through hardships together, and sharing wealth and honor together, it is better to say that they are friends who share weal and woe. This kind of friendship is by no means comparable to other things, and the friendship between them is beyond the imagination of others. of.

It is precisely because of this that Jiang Yuan is able to be neither arrogant nor impetuous, never rely on favors and merits, and always think of Situ Sheng.Situ Sheng is also naturally magnanimous, never forgetting a friend in need, never doubting Jiang Yuan, and trusting him a lot.People's feelings need to be cultivated, get along with, and managed. When both parties are really smart and tolerant, naturally nothing bad will happen, and the relationship will be maintained even better. long.

"This trip to Qingyuan lasted half a year, what have you learned?" Situ Sheng asked with a smile.

Since the Jiangnan case shocked the world three years ago, he has done a lot of things by taking advantage of the aftermath of this major case. First, he took the opportunity to transfer away the subordinates of the Supreme Emperor, and completely held Jiangnan's military power in his hands. A lot of sand was mixed in the south, and the deployment was changed in northern Xinjiang by the suppression of noble forces. In the name of changing defenses, a lot of soldiers from the Gyeonggi Daying Camp were transferred to northern Xinjiang to weaken the power of King Beijing. The power of the northern border.

At this time, the old Beijing King had died of illness, and the newly appointed Beijing County King was the old prince's son Shui Rong.The concubine of the old King Beijing had a very difficult time conceiving and had no children for many years. She gave birth to this son-in-law at the age of forty.Said to be a son, Shui Rong is old enough to be the grandson of the old Beijing King, so it is inevitable that he has been spoiled a little over the years and has lost a lot of experience.

In addition, Shui Rong was born relatively late, and he has several elder brothers who were concubines, and he has no biological mother to protect him. All these years, he always thinks about how to fight in the back house, so his mind is inevitably narrowed. All he has eyes on is the backyard of the Beijing Palace. One-third of an acre of land can't look at the world at all.Therefore, once the old fox King Beijing disappeared, Shui Rong, a novice who could only be selfish, was no match for Situ Sheng, who was capable of plotting and plotting.

The reason why Situ Sheng sent Jiang Yuan to northern Xinjiang to inspect earlier was to determine the training situation of the soldiers in northern Xinjiang and understand their adaptability to new equipment and new tactics. Whether there is any defense against Dajing, the third is for the forces of the King of Beijing!

Jiang Yuan skillfully refilled Situ Sheng with a cup of hot tea, then poured himself another cup, took a sip of this year's new tea, and said, "This trip went very well. The training of soldiers in northern Xinjiang is better than expected Even better, their proficiency in weapons and tactics is no less than that of the Gyeonggi camp, and if they cooperate, joint operations should not be a problem."

"There has been no movement in Beiman during this period, and the business affairs have been very stable. I once asked the spies among the merchants who sent salt and tea to Beiman country. During this time, Beiman Khan has been concentrating on In the west, they have been attacking the Western Region countries that are unwilling to submit to the northern barbarians in the past few years, so they should be unable to take care of the east."

"I also met the members of the Yue clan and learned about the internal affairs of the Northern Man. The layout a few years ago really worked. Now the internal forces of the Northern Man are severely divided, and the races complain and hate each other. There is no such thing as in previous years. There is harmony. The Great Khan of the Northern Man listened to the slander, alienated the foreigners, and only trusted the people of the Northern Man. Thinking that it is difficult for them to guard against Dajing, this Northern Barbarian Khan has to work harder to guard against his own humanity."

"As for Northern Xinjiang, three years ago, in the name of changing defenses, the ministers mixed the troops of Zhao, Wei, and Qi, the defenders of the Gyeonggi Camp, and the soldiers of Liao into the Northern Border garrisons, replacing many of the King of Beijing's lineage. The generals and the remaining Beijing subordinates have also been frightened over the past few years and dare not make any moves, and have been gradually transferred out of northern Xinjiang."

"This Beijing Wang Shui Rong is not as good as his father. The old Beijing Wang is loyal and virtuous on the outside, but treacherous on the inside. He looks concerned about the country and the people, but in fact he fights for power and profit. I don't know how many people have been deceived by that appearance. He is a big traitor. It is him that Zhong Zhong said. But what about this water solution? The Zhongxian on the surface feels fake when he looks at it with a little discernment, but he can't hide the treachery in his flesh and blood. The prince of the court is more like a concubine who is fighting for favor in the back house. This kind of heart, this kind of means is really too low, and it is completely powerless to stop the weakening of power."

"Shui Rong doesn't know it at all. He is narrow-minded, jealous of talents, but he has no talents. His majesty doesn't need to do anything, and his own subordinates look down on him. This Prince of Beijing can only talk about poetry and poetry, and appreciate beauties in calligraphy and painting. Compared with not learning The incompetent dandies are stronger, but they still can't hold back those warriors from northern Xinjiang."

"Can a general be like a beauty? Can managing an army be the same as fighting for favor in the backyard? Shui Rong's thoughts are incompatible with his subordinates. If he continues like this, he will definitely destroy the Great Wall himself, and there is no way to save the decline of Beijing."

"Now the soldiers in northern Xinjiang have finished running in, and the Gyeonggi camp has obeyed His Majesty from the beginning to the end. It is a monolith. Now that the Dajing political situation is clear, the treasury is abundant, and the military equipment, food and grass are already in place. With the convenience of trade, we have learned more about the future. Given the situation in the Northern Barbarian Kingdom, knowing ourselves and our enemies, it's time to discuss the matter of the Northern Expedition."

Northern Expedition!This is the wish that everyone in the Dajing Dynasty has kept in their hearts for a long time, and it has not been erased for decades.For the Northern Expedition, Jiang Yuan prepared for ten years and suffered for ten years. Situ Sheng also prepared for ten years and suffered for ten years. Now the time has come. It is time to call all the ministers to discuss the matter of conquering the northern barbarians!

Situ Sheng drank the hot tea in the cup in one gulp, as if the cup was filled with spirits, and after drinking it in one gulp, he felt his heart clear and his blood excited!

The Beiman Kingdom is his lifelong enemy, the enemy of the entire Dajing!Beiman survived for a day, he felt uneasy, and Dajing was difficult to escape the siege. He could not allow others to sleep on the side of the so-called couch, he only felt thorns on his back when Beiman was by his side.After preparing for so many years, what he is waiting for is the day when all the generals will finish their training. He wants to get back every bit of the humiliation brought to Dajing by the Great Khan of the Beiman, so that the banner of Dajing will be planted everywhere in the Beiman Kingdom!

Situ Sheng took a breath, exhaled slowly, calmed down a bit, and said, "Qingyuan, call the military officers of the third rank and above in Beijing to enter the palace for discussion!" The thoughts of all the military officers established the belief of the soldiers of the whole country in the Northern Expedition!

The emperor called urgently, and all the generals arrived.

But in less than half an hour, all the summoned generals gathered behind the Baohe Palace, in the palace next to the Longzong Gate, waiting for the arrival of His Majesty the Emperor.There was a murderous atmosphere in the palace where the military generals gathered. Although no one knew what happened, but seeing that all the military officers summoned by the emperor were high-ranking military officers in Beijing, they could guess something.

Everyone here is well-informed, so naturally some people know about Jiang Yuan's return to Beijing yesterday.The direction of Jiang Yuan's trip this time did not hide from the courtiers. Many people knew that the minister of the Ministry of War had been patrolling the border in northern Xinjiang for the past six months.As soon as Jiang Yuan came back, His Majesty ordered the military officers to gather here.So why can't you guess?

Northern Xinjiang, it must be Northern Xinjiang!

Could it be that the Holy Majesty is already planning to strike against the Beiman Kingdom?

None of the military generals present here belong to the peace faction. From the time when Emperor Gao came to power until now, there have been four generations of emperors, and none of them has forgotten the humiliation brought by the Northern Barbarian Kingdom to Dajing. All four generations of emperors are like this , where can the military generals in Beijing be allowed to make peace?

No matter what you think in your heart, whoever dares to declare peace in the middle of Beijing will be marginalized by the emperors immediately, and there is no need to think about promotion.Since the emperor hates the northern barbarians, if the courtiers still want to hang around in the Jing Dynasty, of course they must obey the emperor's thoughts.After a long time, a large group of main fighters gathered in the whole of Beijing. What this group of generals think about every day is to fight, fight, and fight again!

When I was still Prince Rui, I discussed with Jiang Yuan and decided on an effective general promotion system. The core criterion of the promotion system is military exploits!Promoted by military exploits, conferred titles by military exploits, as long as you have military exploits, you can really get what you want!With Jiang Yuan and the countless soldiers who participated in the battle of the San Francisco as examples to the courtiers, who doesn't know that if you want to be promoted, you need to gain military exploits? !

But military exploits don’t just fall from the sky. Without war, there would be no military exploits. Without military exploits, there would be no promotion, no title, and no chance to fly to the sky!

After a few months of a small San Francisco battle, a well-known Guanying Hou Jiangyuan appeared, but within a few years, this year's number one scholar in literary examinations, from a sixth-rank official, relied on his powerful martial arts He became a first-rank member of the dynasty, a marquis, with an army of tens of thousands in his hands, and managed the world's soldiers and horses for the emperor.With such a clear goal placed there, would anyone not want to follow suit?

That is not a war against the barbarians, but a road to the sky before the generals!Those who can seize the opportunity will surely rise to the top, become famous, and be famous in history, benevolent to future generations!How could they miss the opportunity? !