The army marched into Liaodong with a mighty and majestic momentum.
100,000 soldiers, 10,000 elite cavalry, and countless carriages, supplies, and logistics personnel, a total of nearly 170,000 people were marching on a long journey.
Endless trees fall,
I'm going down in a rustle,
The atmosphere was somber and fierce,
The old Emperor watched the army leave and knew that the last of the carriages and horses were nowhere to be seen. Only then did he return to the palace, and the crowd gradually dispersed.
The people from Ning Rong Manor also left.
Wang Xifeng sighed." I didn't expect Brother Xuan to be so powerful even though he usually doesn't show his strength. He leads 100,000 troops and is well-rounded. I'm really impressed!"”
Wang Xifeng was in charge of all matters in Rong Mansion. Usually, when Ningguo Mansion was too busy, she would go to Ningguo Mansion to help. She had a high prestige among the servants.
She naturally knew how difficult it was to command 100,000 soldiers.
However, Mrs. Wang immediately glared at Xifeng when she heard what she said. Xifeng quickly shut her mouth.
Jia Zheng did not know. He said,"Xuan 'er is a dragon among men. If we return triumphantly this time, our Rong Public House will probably be able to return to its former status."”
Jia Zheng was full of praise.
"What?" Jia She asked. Could it be that Second Brother despises me for not having any achievements and demotes my hereditary title to embarrass the Jia family?”
The moment these words were said, Jia Zheng choked quite hard. He was so angry that he flicked his sleeves and left. He got into the carriage and left.
In the Great Zhou Dynasty, if the descendants of the four dukes and the other dukes had meritorious deeds, they could directly inherit it. If they did not have meritorious deeds, they could only be inherited one level lower.
After three or four generations, the Jia family only had a first-class general left.
After all, Jia She and the others were greedy for pleasure and did not even send their concubines to guard the border. Even the old Emperor had scolded the Jia family for not guarding the border many times.
If Jia Xuan had not taken the initiative to request to guard the border, the Jia family would have been raided even earlier.
"Humph!"
Jia She also snorted coldly. He looked at Jia Baoyu and said,"Nephew Baoyu, look at your father. What's wrong with him? After Jia Xuan has achieved something, his eyes are filled with Jia Xuan.”
Jia Baoyu did not dare to speak ill of his father in public, but he did not refute. After all, he hated fame the most, and he also hated people like Jia Xuan who had made contributions.
Especially when Jia Zheng used Jia Xuan to talk about things every time, Jia Baoyu disliked it even more.
Jia She brought Jia Baoyu and left with a flick of his sleeves.
The Jia family's scene was something that many people saw.
It was clearly father and son who were closer, but in the Jia family, it seemed that Jia Zheng and Jia Xuan had a better relationship, and Jia She and Jia Baoyu had a better relationship. Instead, it was father and son who were separated, and uncle and nephew who were closer!
Many people from the Northern Region King's Mansion and the Loyalty King's Mansion looked at the Jia family curiously.
Grandmother Jia's face was gloomy as she said to the womenfolk,"Let's go. What are you waiting for? Are you going to stay here and let others see you as a joke?”
The crowd in the Jia residence also dispersed.
...
Not long later, at the Marquis of Chengyang's manor.
Young Master Wu, Second Young Master of Marquis Chengyang, Xue Pan, Jia She, Grand Tutor Lou, and a few other dignitaries who were involved in the annual cloth business were all gathered in Marquis Chengyang's manor.
The reason was simple.
They felt a deep sense of danger from the recruitment just now.
The 100,000 soldiers were all elite soldiers!
Those 10,000 elite cavalry were even more terrifying!
The Snow Dragon Riders were still fine, but the 7,000 Iron Pagoda Army soldiers almost scared their hearts out. They were simply 7,000 mobile iron fortresses, war machines!
Coupled with Jia Xuan's terrifying ability to lead troops, everyone could not help but feel a sense of loss of confidence.
Could it be?
Could the Liaodong Three Continents really be subdued by Jia Xuan this time?
Wouldn't that mean that they couldn't do their year-old cloth business?
Thus, in their worry, everyone quickly gathered at Marquis Chengyang's residence to ask the leader.
"I understand your doubts.”
Marquis Cheng Yang smiled," Just do it. I, Marquis Cheng Yang, have also invested 30,000 taels of silver in it. Do you still not believe me?"”
Everyone was silent, especially Jia She. He stretched out his swollen finger and said shakily,""But Lord Marquis, Jia Xuan, that unfilial son, has all the capable soldiers under him. What if…"
Before he could finish,
Marquis Chengyang interrupted.
"Hahaha, Old Master, let me ask you, who is stronger, Jia Xuan or Niu Jizong?"”
"That's naturally Niu Jizong," Jia She replied without hesitation.”
Niu Jizong was a first-class uncle and one of the few people in the four dukes 'families who had been guarding the border since he was young. When he was older, he joined the army and had a very high reputation in the army.
Back then, when Niu Jizong had just been crowned, he led the army to recover the fifteen cities of Liaodong. In nearly half a week, he had made a big splash. At that time, the glory was much greater than when Jia Xuan destroyed Sky Thunder Stronghold.
At that time, Niu Jizong was also known as a young hero, famous throughout the capital and highly regarded by the old Emperor.
If Jia Xuan or Niu Jizong were to say who was stronger,
Jia She and the rest did not even need to think to know that Niu Jizong was definitely powerful!
"Right? First-class Uncle Niu Jizong lost fifteen cities and had no choice but to retreat to Shanhai Pass. Can he, Jia Xuan, compare to Niu Jizong?!”
Marquis Chengyang laughed loudly, but he wouldn't tell these people about selling weapons. He only said,"Let me tell you something. The people behind me are far more terrifying than you can imagine. Back then, Minister Qin returned empty-handed. Now, Niu Jizong has lost fifteen cities. He, Jia Xuan, hehe..."
Hearing this,
Jia She, Grand Tutor Lou, and the others were relieved. Although they were curious about who was behind Marquis Chengyang, they weren't fools and knew that this matter couldn't be asked.
If I knew more,
He was afraid that he would really lose his head.
Everyone drank and enjoyed the beautiful women's singing and dancing. After eating and drinking to their hearts 'content, they left in satisfaction!
Now that the silk was in place,
They were just waiting for the news of the peace negotiations and the recipe for the Sunset Cloud Silk!
Everything was ready.
Only the east wind was lacking!
........
On the other side, Jia Xuan led the army and rushed to Shanhai Pass.
In the blink of an eye, three days had passed. In another half a day's journey, they would be able to see Shanhai Pass.
"How do you feel? This military experience was probably an unforgettable one.”
Jia Xuan said with a smile.
Curly Hair was not tired, but she felt a little restrained. She replied,""Husband, it's not tiring. It's just that military discipline is strict and even curls have to be followed. It's not as free as in Jingdou, but it's good to be able to follow you.”
"Hmm, why don't I let you off a little? It was still more troublesome for women to go to the toilet than for men. It was fine to be more relaxed.”
Jia Xuan pondered.
In ancient times, the general did not allow any soldier to go to the toilet anywhere. Even if they really could not hold it in, they had to report to their superiors and get permission before they could leave the army to go to the toilet.
Moreover, there was an extremely strict time limit. If they did not catch up with the main group after a moment, they would be treated as deserters and killed directly.
At the same time, after going to the toilet, they had to be buried on the spot without leaving any traces.
When it was time to set up camp and rest, the army would build latrines on the spot and use them according to the number. After leaving, all the latrines would be destroyed.
Not only did they have to go to the toilet, but they also had to destroy their traces when they ate.
Now that the army was marching in the Great Zhou Dynasty, there was no need to be so strict, but it was still quite restrained.
Seeing that Curly Hair was not used to it, Jia Xuan wanted to let go of her.
However, Cheng Fourth Lady rejected Jia Xuan's good intentions and said with a smile,"No, if husband sets a precedent for me, how can I convince everyone? This was nothing to Curly Hair.”
Jia Xuan was slightly stunned.
He felt a little grateful.
He was glad that he had married such a sensible and sensible person.
At this moment…
The commander-in-chief's carriage caught up and Minister Qin smiled,""General Jia Xuan's fortune is not shallow. Everyone says that Fourth Lady Cheng doesn't know etiquette. Now it seems that the world is vulgar and doesn't know what etiquette is. Fourth Lady is really a virtuous wife.”
"Minister Qin, you flatter me."
Curly Hair was a little shy. This was the first time she had been praised by someone with such a high status outside!
Minister Qin was a powerful figure who was on par with Grand Preceptor He in the imperial court!
It could be said that he was already at the peak of a military officer.
Not only Minister Qin,
Cheng Shi and Xiao Yuanyi also looked at Curly Hair in surprise. They had heard what Curly Hair had said just now and felt a little guilty.
"Since Curly Curly is so sensible, why should we care about those red tape before? It hurt her heart, not to mention that it wasn't that she didn't learn manners, but because of that Ge family, she didn't have a teacher to teach her. Sigh, we were wrong!”Xiao Yuanyi felt guilty.
However, when she saw the loving looks of Curly Hair and Jia Xuan,
She was relieved.
"With such a son-in-law, I'm satisfied." Cheng Shi laughed out loud, but Xiao Yuanyi rolled her eyes at him and he quickly shut his mouth.
Qin Xiang still wanted to say something to Jia Xuan.
But at this moment,
Scouts returned from the front of the army, bringing with them a few farmers who were dressed in ragged clothes and covered in blood.
"Reporting to Commander Qin."
"I met two villagers fleeing on the way. From their words, some Tartar cavalry bypassed Shanhaiguan and plundered several villages.”
The scout bowed and reported.
Minister Qin immediately became serious and asked,""Tell me in detail. Quick, bring them over and ask the military doctor to treat them!”
A few soldiers hurriedly brought the two villagers who were covered in blood over. Fortunately, their injuries were not serious. They were only superficial wounds. The blood on their bodies should be someone else's.
The two villagers were afraid of wasting time, so they ignored the military doctor and quickly came up to ask,"Is it really Marshal Qin, Vice Marshal Cheng? And General Jia?"
"Yes, it's us. Tell me in detail?”
After a round of conversation,
Everyone learned that according to the villagers, Shanhai Pass had not been breached. Only a dozen people had bypassed Shanhai Pass from somewhere, plundered the surrounding villages, and slaughtered the people.
Although Shanhai Pass was a pass, there were many buildings and streets inside, such as Jingbian Tower, Weiyuan Hall, Wengcheng, Dongluo City, Linlu Tower, and so on. It could be said to be a majestic city.
There were also many villages around the city that were gathered by the common people.
Jia Xuan's eyes were filled with doubt, feeling that this matter was not that simple.
"Do you know what those Tartars are wearing?" he asked. So what if he rides a horse?"
"This…"
The farmer carefully recalled and said,"General, I'm not too sure about that. My father and I went to the mountains to cut wood and escaped the disaster. When we returned to the village, everyone was already killed and their bodies were thrown into the forest. We searched for the bodies of our relatives and got so much blood on our bodies."
Jia Xuan narrowed his eyes.
"General Jia, did you notice something wrong?" Minister Qin asked.”
Not only did Jia Xuan, Minister Qin, Cheng Shi, and Xiao Yuanyi notice that something was wrong, even some of the soldiers around them felt that something was wrong.
Logically speaking,
If the Tartars could find a way around Shanhaiguan, they would definitely sneak in and hide well, waiting for an opportunity to attack from both sides. They would definitely not massacre the villagers everywhere.
This would only increase the risk of them being exposed.
Jia Xuan thought of what had happened to the Yangzhou army when they went to Sky Thunder Stronghold, so she asked,"How are the wounds on the corpses of your loved ones? Are there any flaws?"
Hearing this,
"Sir!" The villager quickly said. The corpses of the villagers were thrown into the forest and eaten by wild beasts. It was a terrible sight. We didn't dare to look at them! They only found the bodies of their relatives, buried them, and fled.”
"Sob, sob, sob. My old mother has been gnawed until her face is beyond recognition. I don't even know what wild animal has eaten her heart and lungs…Wuuuu-"
The two villagers couldn't help but cry when they talked about the sad things.
Jia Xuan comforted them and then ordered the lieutenant general in the army to bring them away and apply some special medicine in the army.
"Something is fishy."
Jia Xuan said.
"General Jia, what do you think?" Minister Qin nodded and smiled.”
Minister Qin also noticed that something was wrong and had his own thoughts. However, he wanted to hear what this young hero, Jia Xuan, had to say.
After all, Jia Xuan had greatly shocked Minister Qin when he was gathering troops.
Minister Qin intended to help, but Jia Xuan did not refuse. She said directly,"There's a high chance that he killed a good person."
"Hiss... Uncle Son-in-law... General Jia, what makes you think so?"
Cheng Shi raised his eyebrows. He really didn't think of killing a good person to take credit. He thought that the surrounding bandits were pretending to be tartars.
"Cheng Shuai, Shanhai Pass has been established for a long time. It has been repaired since the Sui Dynasty. Although there were hundreds of years of war, Shanhai Pass has not been repaired after the establishment of Great Zhou.”
"After all, Shanhai Pass is located between the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty and Shengjing of the Liaodong Tartars. The two places are only two to three hundred miles apart. Whoever occupies Shanhai Pass can directly attack the other party's capital."
"I don't think there's a small path around Shanhaiguan.”
"Moreover, military merits are calculated according to ears, tongues, or eyes. Killing the villagers and throwing them into the mountains where there are many wild beasts to eat their corpses is obviously a cover."
"This is killing a good person."
Cold killing intent had already appeared in Jia Xuan's eyes. He hated people who killed a good person and took credit for it.
Minister Qin's eyes flashed with praise as he said,""Not bad, meticulous. It seems that there are many different thoughts in Shanhai Pass.”
"Alright, the entire army will rest for half a day and head to Shanhai Pass at night! I want to see who is so daring!”Minister Qin's voice was also filled with anger.
Killing a good man risks merit,
It was something that any soldier with a conscience would hate.
Minister Qin's move was to capture those soldiers who killed the good and took credit. He wanted to use this opportunity to establish his authority and officially take over the military power of Shanhai Pass.
He was not greedy for power, nor was he using the death of the villagers to gain benefits for himself. It was just that the enemy was right in front of him, and it was hard to say when they would fight to the death. If he did not monopolize power, if Niu Jizong's generals had ill intentions, it would be very fatal if there was internal strife in the war.
"Yes, sir! Pass down the order for the entire army to rest for half a day!”
Jia Xuan instructed.
He understood Minister Qin's intentions.
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