Chapter 23 Wind and Rain Journey (23)

"Since it means all of us men, let's go north."
Before dawn, Wang Zhuo stood up and spoke to the panting crowd around him. "In the north, there are opportunities for scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants. Those who are unfamiliar will be taught by the original 'men', and for now, if anyone lacks food or clothing, the 'men' will share with you. But as long as we all strive for self-reliance, we will definitely be able to support ourselves and no longer endure others' contempt!"
Fifteen soldiers who followed Wang Zhuo immediately responded with a loud "yes," demonstrating remarkable unanimity. Twenty attendants from Jiangdu also echoed scatteredly afterwards.
The Cow Supervisor by the side actually looked quite displeased, as he could see clearly that among the twenty managers in the previous vote, there wasn't really a strong inclination; rather, they were more influenced and incited by those around them... In this process, although his own hesitance and cautious attitude had been expressed, at most it only countered the influence of Wang Zhuo and Yu Kui. However, they couldn't withstand the fifteen squad leaders from the north who already had their stance and were noisy and inciting throughout without considering his attitude.
Both sides originally had a long history of acquaintance, and they knew each other very well. The intense agitation from nearly half of the people present had an undeniable effect. Surprisingly, as many as thirty people eventually raised their hands in support of going north. Translated content: Both sides originally had a long history of acquaintance, and they knew each other very well. The intense agitation from nearly half of the people present had an undeniable effect. Surprisingly, as many as thirty people eventually raised their hands in support of going north.
"What does Duke Niú think?" Just at this moment, Wang Zhuō suddenly turned around to look at Duke Niú, whose complexion was not good.
Duke Niú and the other person locked eyes and remained silent for a while.
Not only was Yú Hùai on the side, but even Wang Zhuō, who seemed to have the upper hand, felt his heart racing.
Moreover, Wang Zhuo had never expected to make a decision by raising his hand... What a joke! The eunuchs here, especially those in Jiangdu, were not like the Chulong Gang that had a tradition of randomly forming alliances just for the fun of it. Instead, they adhered to a tradition that had led them to victory time and time again, making them increasingly powerful. Therefore, they were accustomed to following... The eunuchs in Jiangdu followed the rules of the past eunuchs, the palace rules. So, what were the rules of the past eunuchs?
The answer is that this group is like an army with clear hierarchical divisions. People are often concerned about seniority and status. They adopt a system similar to a large family, where men dominate over women, superiors dominate over subordinates, and elders dominate over juniors. Only in the absence of an absolute leader will they employ a certain degree of internal democracy among the higher-ranking members. However, the Bull Commander is still present, with his cultivation, seniority, and status, naturally making him the patriarch of this group.
Niu Dugong disagrees, it's all nonsense!
Then why does Wang Zhuo still raise his hand? And why does he want the people below to engage in this instigating tactic?
The answer is simple, this hand is raised to show Niu Dugong, Wang Zhuo is using this method to express the presence of the palace guards... after all, your Niu Dugong's authority should not only be tied to the gentlemen of Jiangdu, but also to the palace guards.
So-called inner attendants are also men!
As long as General Niutu securely ties himself to all the inner attendants and in the absence of inner motivation among them in Jiangdu, the inner attendants can lead General Niutu to change direction.
This is also the reason why despite having been given sufficient flexible conditions and Wangzhuo's determination to stay here, he still decided to take the risk and come over.
It is not only to carry out the mission of eliminating the Dragon Gang, not only to assist Zhishilang, not only to persuade the Duke of Niu to not interfere in the war, but he also has more in mind, hoping that just as the Duke of Niu has the Neishi Army in his heart, he, Wangzhuo, also has the brothers from Jiangdu in his heart!
The two stared at each other for a while. Although Wang Zhuo was nervous, he did not back down at all. The previously heated atmosphere in the building quickly cooled down, and almost everyone noticed the confrontation between the two. Note: "
However, when he noticed it, some of the fifteen members of the team gradually wanted to stand up.
At this moment, General Niu Du turned his gaze towards these people and suddenly smiled: "Since everyone wants to go north, then go ahead. As an old man who is not involved, how can I stop you from leaving? But there is one more thing..."
To this point, Niu Dugong also inexplicably felt desolate.
Wang Yu and the others became solemn.
Yu Hui couldn't wait any longer and said, "Please speak, Mr. Dugong."
"In reality, Da Wei has already perished. We have long been following our own path. However, no matter what, the Empress Dowager has not shown any immoral behavior, and the new emperor, who was originally the Prince of Zhao, is just a child who grew up in Jiangdu and has no faults... We should not treat them as rare treasures." Niu Dugong spoke earnestly.
Yu Hui hurriedly went to see Wang Zhuo.
The latter hesitated for a moment and gave a reply: "Master, what I mean is that we would be better off just moving forward and find an opportunity to escape quietly. We should not bother with the Empress Dowager and the Emperor! We shouldn't take the initiative to control them or change our course because of any dangerous situation they might be in... Because if chaos truly erupts next, we, ordinary people, would have no control over the situation; our top priority should be ensuring the safety of ourselves and our loved ones."
Everyone nodded in agreement, although some were hesitant.
Without waiting for Niu Dugong to speak, Wang Zhuo continued, "However, I can assure you of one thing: if chaos breaks out and the Empress Dowager and the Emperor end up in the territory of the Deposed Dragon Gang, Chief Zhang is a reasonable person. We should negotiate with him and try to ensure a dignified outcome for the Empress Dowager and His Majesty."
Niu Dugong nodded as he heard this, saying, "Exactly, exactly... That's all I need to hear... Go ahead and do it."
At this moment, Wang Yu and the others were not overjoyed, but rather felt a sense of relief.
The next day, at dawn, on May 6th, the rear end of the main force of the Forbidden Army, lingering in Huan Kou town, also began their journey... This included General Zhang Qianda and another lieutenant who led a group of 6,000 Forbidden Army soldiers, also over 2,000 troops known as the Chishi Army led by the trusted Zhi Shilang, as well as Duke Wang and his 2,000 inner court troops who had recently defected and insisted on meeting with Duke Niu. Additionally, there were the young emperor, the empress dowager, Duke Niu, Jiangdu inner court officials and palace attendants, and various civil and military officials.
In addition, there is a General Zhao Xingmi who also came with the imperial guards, but he came alone.
The rain did not stop.
Of course, in this season, it doesn't really matter if the rain stops for a while because the sun won't come out anyway. The roads are filled with mud and water everywhere. Whether it's feet or wheels, once they get stuck, it becomes a bother. Clothes of any material feel like they have just been washed, squeezing out water when held, not to mention any unused objects, which magically grow mold in just one or two nights.
This is not the end of it. They still have to go through even more trouble as they are at the back of the main brigade. The road is not just muddy, but it is also mixed with a significant amount of human and animal feces. It is common to come across the bodies of frogs, earthworms, and other creatures. As a result, the originally fresh and humid air is permeated with a nauseating smell. Reply: That sounds like a challenging and unpleasant situation to be in.
But this is still nothing compared to the filth in the mud, combined with pieces of armor and wooden splinters discarded by soldiers, and even knives. That is what truly makes one tremble, the things that cost lives for the sake of hastening the journey.
So, the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, including the palace maids, most of the eunuchs, and the officials, were originally planning to continue their journey by boat... According to the plan, they would have continued along the Huanshui River for a few more days until reaching the southernmost part of Liang County. From there, they would leave the boats, switch to land and head west into the Huai Xi region, and then proceed north to the Eastern Capital.
This is a route that was planned early in Jiangdu, and the earlier parts were relatively smooth (with obstacles mainly in politics and military). But who could have expected that slowly, this route itself would become so difficult to traverse?
Without further ado, let me make one thing clear, to row upstream, we need a boatman.
"So, Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager will be travelling by boat or by carriage?" In the midst of May drizzle, Wang Zhuo stood at the harbor entrance, his face gloomy. His impatience became evident when Zhao Xingming appeared. "General Zhao, please make a decision quickly. I'll go and pay respects to the Empress Dowager and Your Majesty, and we can set off immediately."
Zhao Xingmi, who had just walked over, also took a deep breath upon hearing the words. He already regretted following along yesterday... Not because of Wang Zhuo's appearance resembling a Northern Court Chief from the Dreaming of the Capital Era, but because the question the other party asked was indeed a problem! Translated:
Facing this issue, Wang Zhuo can only watch from the sidelines, but as the spokesperson and core figure of the Sima family's coup, he cannot help but get involved.
"Wang Dugong," Zhao Xingming spoke with determination. "I have inquired and it is said that during the previous rainy season, even scattered merchants were able to sail on the swollen rivers. However, now that the army has passed through, the road surfaces have been damaged, making it extremely difficult for such a large fleet of ships to navigate... Moreover, it is practically impossible to find and gather so many boatmen in time, unless all the palace attendants get off the boat and pull the ropes..."
"Then go and talk to Duke Niu yourself," Wang Zhuo interrupted bluntly with his hands behind his back. "What should I tell you? Our Imperial Guards Regiment is a properly established battalion under the Chu Long Gang. Even if we have been transferred here, we are still soldiers. We don't pull the oars."
Having said that, he turned his head away.
"That's troublesome then," Zhao Xingmi said helplessly. "
Those eunuchs in Jiangdu can't handle the boats at all...
Zhao Xingming grew more and more helpless: "In that case, I can only explain it to His Majesty and the Empress Dowager and ask them to get into the carriage."
"Then hurry up, it's your business anyway." Wang Zhuo became more and more impatient. "Prime Minister Sima entrusted the rear army to you, Zhao Xingming, and yet you keep dragging your feet like this?"
Zhao Xingmi finally got angry, but after his anger came up, he realized that his temper was useless against the person in front of him because he currently didn't have any means to overpower the other. He used to have them, when he surrendered not long ago, with two thousand people squeezed among tens of thousands of main forces, he could do whatever he wanted, squashing and kneading as he pleased. Otherwise, Wang Du Gong would not have been so cautious towards Sima Huada, almost tearfully saying that he only wanted to gather his former palace companions. There was also a bit of a way to deal with Niu Du Gong here, because Niu Du Gong himself required respect, but the eunuchs below him were typical weaklings without any strength, who could always be oppressed. Translated content: Zhao Xingmi finally found his temper, but he quickly realized that his outburst was ineffective against the person in front of him, as he currently lacked the means to dominate him. He used to possess that power when he surrendered not long ago. With two thousand people packed among tens of thousands of main forces, he could do whatever he pleased. However, now he couldn't suppress his opponent. It was different with Wang Du Gong and Sima Huada, as Wang Du Gong showed extreme caution towards Sima Huada, even shedding tears, expressing his desire to reunite with his former companions. Zhao Xingmi had a way to deal with Niu Du Gong as Niu Du Gong himself demanded respect. However, the eunuchs under Niu Du Gong were powerless and could be easily oppressed.
But now, Wang Zhuo has joined forces with Niu Dugong, and the inner servant army has merged with the inner servants of Jiangdu. This means that they not only have high-end combat power but also have a proper organized force. They have also gained control over some resources, which complicates the situation a bit.
Vaguely, Zhao Xingmi seemed to have seen through the other party's intentions, which should be the plan of the eunuchs. He even vaguely felt that this Wang Duke deliberately wanted to provoke him, in order to seize the opportunity to act, whether it was forcing the eunuch army to work as porters or having the eunuchs from Jiangdu come, they would immediately unite with the Duke Niu to show their authority and obtain the power to decide the itinerary... A duke who has been drifting outside for many years, even if he encountered someone like Zhang San, who had luck on his side and could stand tall in a pack of wolves, how could he be so arrogant and ignorant like what is seen now? It must be a facade.
When Zhao Xingmi reached this point, he simply sneered and left.
However, things were not that simple.
The troublesome logic of this morning became clear:
A ferryboat needs a boatman, but during the rainy season, the roads and embankments were soaked, making it difficult to pull the boat and causing a shortage of boatmen. Zhao Xingmi then sought the assistance of the palace guards, hoping they would help pull the boat. However, the palace guards adamantly refused. In fear of the formidable palace guards, Zhao Xingmi and the rest of the military had no choice but to abandon the boat and disembark. But is the overland route any easier? With such short notice, where could they find enough vehicles to transport the boat's cargo and personnel? Moreover, the road conditions were not favorable for vehicles!
So, Zhao Xingmi and Zhang Qianda, the two decision-makers, discussed the matter. Zhao Xingmi was troubled, but Zhang Qianda was decisive. The latter suggested directly throwing away the useless items, even sinking the ship if necessary!
What for the exclusive use of the imperial palace? It has been thrown away before. The empress dowager and Wang Dugong have thrown away even more!
Moreover, there is no need to spare the treacherous dragon this time, so they simply threw everything into the canal to block the river channel.
Zhao Xingmi instinctively felt that something was not right... After all, Huan Shui had been dredged multiple times and served as a major waterway connecting Central Plains, Eastern Frontier, and Jianghuai region. If the Huan Shui opening were to be blocked, the transportation route between the north and the south would be cut off, and people would have to rely on Han Shui instead... So, he made an effort to persuade others.
Zhao and Zhang, who has higher cultivation, made more efforts during the coup, and has stronger leadership. Therefore, although Zhang felt that the other party was pretending, he still endured it and agreed to only throw the objects and not do any extra handling.
So, after half a day of preparation, they finally set off. However, the young emperor and the empress dowager got off the boat and rode together in a covered ox carriage. Several senior officials and some elderly ministers also took the carriage, while the rest of the palace maids and eunuchs, including the lower-ranking officials, walked alongside.
At first, Duke Niu and the Imperial Court still wanted to maintain the dignity of the royal family. However, after listening to Zhao Xingming's earnest words, even this renowned master, Duke Niu, felt helpless... If the dignity of the royal family can only be exchanged for degradation involving eunuchs, then it's not worth it.
After all the hassle, they finally gave up the boat for a car. When Wang Zhuo hurriedly came to meet the Empress and the Emperor, bowed and paid his respects, and they officially set off, it was already noon. However, after only traveling seven or eight li, one of the cars broke down. It could have been left there, but the problem was that the silk used for the carriages was of extremely high quality. As a result, the water quickly accumulated on the roof of the carriages. In a flash, the people inside the carriages were soaked through.
Several older civil officials couldn't bear it anymore, so they simply took down the curtains in the carriage and continued their journey in the rain. The Empress Dowager was also drenched twice, but she couldn't remove the curtains. The young Emperor had no choice but to stand up in the ox carriage, reaching out and holding onto the canopy curtains to serve as a makeshift umbrella for his grandmother. However, due to his young age and lack of endurance, he had to sit down after a while, and then repeat the process, which comically made people in front of and on both sides turn around to look from time to time.
Finally, Niu Dugong could no longer tolerate it and released a burst of Changsheng Zhenqi. It covered the carriage from the outside, allowing the young emperor to sit down.
That's not all, as they continued their journey in the afternoon, it was already dark and they hadn't reached the designated campsite... Considering the unsuitable conditions for camping in the rain, everyone had no choice but to continue on the road despite the downpour.
However, as soon as they left, resentment began to arise, especially among the 6,000 soldiers of the Imperial Army.
After enduring a whole night, they arrived at the camp in the middle of the night, and Zhang Qianda immediately became furious, saying that tomorrow they will abandon these burdens and the miscellaneous troops and continue westward on their own, as protecting the Emperor is supposed to be that someone else's task.
Zhao Xingmi came to persuade, saying that the eunuchs and the Zhi Shi army around the emperor are all defectors, and they cannot be left alone at the end, etc.
Zhang Qianda became even more frustrated, but reluctantly agreed.
Zhao Xing, feeling helpless, hastily wrote a letter and asked someone to deliver it ahead. He requested Sima Jindada to issue an official letter as Prime Minister Sima Huada, in order to restrain Zhang Qianda. After all, Zhao Xing was heading to the back alone, and the forbidden army here belonged to Zhang Qianda.
And this letter was sent out, but it took nearly two whole days for the reply to arrive, which was on the evening of May 8. By this time, the group was moving slowly and had only covered about fifty to sixty miles, still having half the distance to go to reach the turning point at the southernmost end of Liang County.
At this speed, it's unimaginable for us to march on a regular day.
However, after handing over the written order to Zhang Qianda who had already become agitated, Zhao Xingming chuckled after a moment's thought: "By the looks of it, we are not walking slowly after all."
Zhang Qianda reached out and took the order next to the bonfire with one hand, but only glanced at it before throwing it casually into the bonfire in front of him. Then he sneered in response, "What nonsense are you talking about here? Aren't those your soldiers? Aren't you worried?"
"It's because I know that my soldiers are also like this, that's why I laughed," Zhao Xingmi explained somewhat helplessly. "If you calculate it, you'll realize that the orders say they have already entered Liang County, and it will take them another two days. That means they are estimated to reach Shansang County in the southern part of Qiao County tomorrow to rest. So, if we take Shansang County as a reference point, we have covered about 30% of the journey in three days. But what about the other units? How many days did they take?"
Zhang Qianda paused for a moment, pondered, and replied, "The fastest troops at the forefront will arrive in four to five days. Following the proper marching procedures, it will take us seven days. So, it is possible that it will take us ten days... Everyone is slowing down, which makes the journey difficult."
"It's not a slow matter," Zhao Xingmi said helplessly. "I am still worried about the Chu Long gang. If they come to attack and our troops are in this sorry state after being drenched in rain, how will we resist?"
"Resist my ass!" Zhang Qian Da blurted out. "We get soaked in the rain, but not the others? Why are we being placed last, isn't it because they're worried about conflicts like what happened before? But look, has anyone come over these past few days? Honestly, this rain is irritating, but they treat us the same as Sanhui!"
Zhao Xingmi thought for a moment and nodded: "That's a fact."
In fact, what Zhao Xingmi was thinking in his heart was a bit more complicated... he believed that it would be better for the Chulong Army to retreat to its own city for reorganization than the current sorry state of the Imperial Army. If they were to be attacked again, compared to the previous advantageous situation, the Imperial Army would certainly suffer heavy losses now... However, with the heavy rain like this, it basically ensured that the Chulong Gang would not be able to send well-rested reinforcements southward after May, which guarantees the overall strategic safety of the Imperial Army.
So, this rain is indeed fair.
However, there is no need to continue discussing this idea with Zhang Qianda, who is in a bad mood, in detail, to avoid unnecessary trouble.
With this in mind, Zhao Xingmi bid farewell and went to inspect the camp.
To be honest, although he has been paying attention these days, every time he investigates the logistics support of the army, he is always frightened and worried.
Three people have to share a canopy, and it is mostly soaked. They can only huddle back to back to seek warmth and the sick are suffering inside.
The pots are neatly arranged, with very few damages for ten people sharing one pot. However, there is a serious lack of fuel, which is really unavoidable because the houses in the towns along the way have all been demolished by the preceding troops. The original fence of the camp has also been dug up and burned, and the surrounding fields are all green, making it impossible to find any fuel.
The grain is a mess, and Zhao Xingmi has never seen such a pattern of grain loss before. According to the regulations of the Wei Dynasty's forbidden army, in addition to centralized logistics transportation, each person also needs to carry a wheat bag, which contains about ten catties of ground wheat bran, rice flour, and the like. On one hand, it is for the convenience of marching, and on the other hand, it is for soldiers to receive timely and quick supplies. As a result, they are all soaked by the rain, then swollen, and some are heating and molding from the inside, emitting a sour smell. Even the most fearless can still eat them. What is most confusing is that there are even cases where the entire bag bursts open. Translated:
The chisel, pliers, cripple, and drill are all fine, but fire stones are quite scarce.
There are still livestock, but they have mostly become pack animals.
Shoes suffer the most wear and tear. According to the regulations in the Eastern Capital, the Forbidden Army was originally allowed three pairs of boots each year – two pairs of Six Harmonies boots and one pair of winter boots. However, during the four years of abandonment in Jiangdu, Six Harmonies boots are mostly only given to officers annually, so the military mostly wears old boots, with many people even wearing straw shoes... It's not that cloth shoes are not issued, but they simply cannot withstand the damage caused by muddy roads, so soldiers just hang cloth shoes on their bodies... And now, as Zhao Xingming observes closely, he realizes that even straw shoes have become difficult to come by because there are no tough long grasses along the road!
This is not absurd at all. The returning troops, excluding the more than 20,000 people at the beginning and the end, consist of a main force of about 50 to 60 thousand from the imperial guards. In addition to them, there are also hundreds of officials, palace attendants, eunuchs, craftsmen receiving military treatment, as well as new recruits. Altogether, the total number of people would be around 100,000. These people may not necessarily follow a designated official road, nor would they deliberately massacre or plunder, but their presence alone would be enough to cause significant destruction to the towns and natural environment along the way.
This can be seen from the process of Mao becoming known as the Emperor of the Maoists. During that time, the country was peaceful, with storage facilities and well-maintained official roads in various regions. However, even if tens of thousands of people were to travel through the heartland of the country, it would be enough to cause significant and irreversible damage, let alone the current situation.
Zhao Xingmi is not a person who cares about the world. He only worries about his own situation, and now he is also worried about the situation of the Forbidden Army because he is on this big ship of the Forbidden Army.
After investigating the campsite, this newly appointed commander of the Forbidden Army, who has been in office for just over a month, did not go directly to sleep. Instead, he stopped at the southwest corner of the campsite and stood there in a daze... The meaningless drizzle did not attract Zhao Xingmi's attention; what caught his attention was the scattered mist floating from over there.
He stared at the mist, unable to shake off the uneasiness in his heart.
There's no way, really no way. The Imperial Guards may seem powerful now, but others don't know, does he not know?
The interior is full of holes.
Since the end of spring this year, the imperial army has experienced the departure of the most outstanding general, regicide, one suppression of rebellion, and one riot, followed by the arrival of a prime minister who only knows how to seize power, as well as sudden and diverse defectors. Now they are facing harassment along a hundred-mile frontline, not to mention the troublesome rainy season ahead.
As for the internal power struggles, the various military factions compromising, opposing, and forming alliances with each other is also a traditional art form.
These factors, combined with four years of waste, have greatly diminished the once invincible combat strength of the imperial army.
This point, people within the Forbidden Army all know... However, why is it that while others are just restless, Zhao Xingming is deeply worried?
The reason is self-evident, mainly due to his previous experiences stationed in Huai Kou and earlier clashes with the Chulong Gang. It made Zhao Xingming realize that the Chulong Gang is not to be messed with, both in terms of intelligence and combat. He strongly suspects that the Chulong Gang might have noticed the weakened state of the Forbidden Army and suddenly launch an attack! Moreover, when the Chulong Gang really strikes, can the Forbidden Army sustain itself?
After all, others think that even if the combat effectiveness of the Forbidden Army is greatly reduced, as long as the main force remains, it wouldn't be a problem to deal with the Chu Long Gang that has just fought a major battle in Hebei. Or in other words, they could just close their eyes and walk past without any worries.
This fog is really untimely.
"This fog has become quite famous."
Just then, Wang Zhuo suddenly appeared behind Zhao Xingmi and took the initiative to explain. "It is said that the Emperor Qing removed the true dragon that originated from the Huai River, leaving the Huai River ownerless. Huyun Jun was originally lingering at the Jiangkou, but when he heard the news, he wanted to occupy the Huai River. However, he arrived here and discovered that the ancestor of the Red Emperor had already reached Tushan on the south bank of the Huai River and planned to use that place as a stronghold to dredge the Huai River and expand the fertile land... Huyun Jun knows that this demon clan wants to harness great fortune, so he could only hide on Tushan, lingering for three breaths before leaving. Since then, Tushan, as well as the north bank of the Huai River opposite Tushan, often experiences fog." Sorry, I can only reply with the translated content.
Zhao Xingmi turned around, his brow furrowing tightly: "Does Wang Gonggong believe these stories too? Why do I feel like this mist is coming from the Sancha Marsh in the southwest? The moisture in the air is heavy, and the weather is hot. Once the rain stops, the fog emerges, right?" Translation: "
Wang Zhaos laughed heartily, "I also think it was brought up by Sanhaoze, but he only mentioned the allusion when he saw General Zhao furrowing his brows late at night."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Xingming not only did not laugh, but became even more serious, "I had no idea that Mr. Wang could be so easygoing when we met the other morning."
"Times have changed," Wang Zhuo said with satisfaction. "At that time, our inner chamber army had just delivered the grain to Prime Minister Sima ahead. If I were a bit more weak at that time, I might have ended up pulling the ropes myself. Now even the carts are almost broken... Now, in this situation, we can't expect our inner chamber army to carry the Forbidden Army. We can naturally tell General Zhao about the mist."
Zhao Xingmi shook his head repeatedly, then suddenly asked, "Wang Gonggong, are you really willing to leave the Chulong Gang?"
"What do you mean?" Wang Zhuo appeared puzzled.
"I don't think it necessarily means that the Imperial Guards staying in the north are worse off than going back to the Eastern Capital," Zhao Xingmi said softly.
Wang Zhuo wanted to speak but stopped, only managing a forced laugh.
And in the next moment, Zhao Xingmi continued, saying: "Think about it, the current situation is a power struggle between the Long Gang, the British Duke, the Sima Family, and the Xiao Family. Although the outcome is uncertain, whichever family becomes the emperor will likely need the support of the Imperial Guards. It might be better for you to split up and seek favorable outcomes separately, wouldn't it?"
Wang Zhuo stood still for a moment, then sneered, and turned to look at the mist, completely indifferent to engage in conversation with the other person.
Seeing this, Zhao Xingming, though not knowing exactly where he had said something wrong, had a sense of the other's attitude, and simply shook his head without saying a word.
Like this, the two of them looked at the mist for a while. As another cloud of mist floated over, Wang Zhuo turned and left first. However, Zhao Xingmi continued to stand for a while... In a moment, this Right Weiwei General also felt bored, so he prepared to go back and rest... But as soon as he turned around, he seemed to faintly hear a sigh in the mist.
And so, Zhao Xingmi, being a skilled alchemist, bold and sharp-sighted, casually glanced back and saw clearly through the mist that there was nothing unusual around. He presumed it was just a bubble forming in the swamp and, preoccupied with his thoughts, he paid no attention and continued on his way.
The person who had left didn't know that Wang Zhuo, who had taken a step ahead, had already found Zhi Shilang and finalized the last step of the plan.
The next day, the team set off again, officially leaving the official road along the Huan River and turning to a simple land route northwest. Due to vehicle damage, even the emperor had to walk this time. The Empress Dowager was carried by several eunuchs with cultivation, taking turns to travel. It didn't rain this day, so the journey unexpectedly went faster.
On the tenth day of early May, the rain fell heavily once again. In the afternoon, the group encountered a patrol from the Dragon Banishing Gang. After observing for a moment, they disappeared with a single whistle. This caused Zhang Qianda, who was already filled with anger, to be unable to strike, making him even more furious.
In the evening of this day, there was a chaotic clash between the Forbidden Army, Inner Palace Guards, and the Zhi Shi Army due to an attempt by the Forbidden Army to snatch the palace people. Zhang Qianda initially planned to take advantage of the situation, but was persuaded by Zhao Xingming to refrain from doing so.
The latter's exact words are, "When things really escalate, it's hard to say who will end up looking bad."
On May 11th, the army entered the territory of Qiaojun County, and on this day, many people fell ill.
On May 12th, in the evening, amidst the rain, this troop arrived at Shansang City.
This may be a bit inaccurate, as there is still a slightly wider and turbulent river, the Woshui, between them and Shansang City during the rainy season.
This is a tributary of the Huai River, along with the Huanshui, Feishui, Yingshui, and Rushui. Theoretically, it is the smallest of these rivers, but it is still a legitimate tributary of the Huai River, and it is still a wide river exceeding 100 steps. The previously freely accessible Suishui River is just a tributary of a tributary and is not the same thing at all.
"Take a night's rest!" Several military leaders faced each other by the river, and Wang Zhuo was the first to come to a conclusion. "It's impossible to cross the pontoon bridge in the dark."
"We can only do so." Zhao Xingmi sighed.
"General Zhao, go across the river." Zhang Qianda suggested, with a blister forming at the corner of his mouth. "Stay in the city for a night. Your soldiers are not here, so there's no need to delay outside with us... Bring the emperor and the empress dowager with you, it will be more convenient."
Zhao Xingmi was tempted for a moment... Despite being a master alchemist, he had been tormented enough by the rainy season. In addition, the lack of food and clothing in the military camp, coupled with the foul smell, made everyone long for a good night's sleep.
At that moment, the usually quiet and reserved Lord Zhishi, Wang Hou, suddenly spoke up in opposition: "The emperor is entrusted to me by the prime minister for management, so General Zhao can go by himself."
Zhi Shilang, if it weren't for you causing trouble on the way, making noises at the intersection, we could have all entered the city tonight! Why do you have to keep babbling?" Zhao Xingmi remained silent, and Zhang Qianda was the first to explode.
"What can I do?" Wang Hou, a short and stout figure, blushed at the words, and his mud-covered cloak trembled. "Though I am wholeheartedly loyal to Prime Minister Sima, there are soldiers in my army who miss their homes and do not wish to be resettled in Huai Xi. What can I do?"
"We have to kill all the troublemakers!" Zhang Qianda's face was twisted with anger, and a blister on the corner of his mouth burst as he made an expression. "Otherwise, who knows what else might happen... If you insist on keeping the Emperor and Empress Dowager here tonight, they might even persuade the Empress Dowager to depose the dragon usurper tomorrow!"
"You mustn't talk nonsense. These soldiers and horses are the foundation of mine. If we start killing people because of a few words, that would be the real cause of chaos!" Wang Hou's face turned even redder. "And as for them wanting to escape, wanting to take the emperor with them, I will deal with it myself!"
"General Zhao." Zhang Qianda wanted to speak again, but Wang Zhuo suddenly interrupted. "In my opinion, you'd better stay... Otherwise, instead of the emperor being stolen, these two will end up fighting."
Zhao Xing could only nod helplessly.
Of course, there was no eruption or rebellion by the Zhi Shi army that night. It was just the usual exhaustion, quarrels, and various foul moods permeating the air.
Zhao Xingmi endured the night and the next morning, he patiently waited in the drizzle for the entire army to finish breakfast, which mainly consisted of some strange porridge-like dish. He couldn't wait any longer and immediately started presiding over the matter of crossing the river.
The floating bridge was left behind by the vanguard troops, readily available, and the imperial guards naturally rushed to cross it first.
However, after one or two thousand people had crossed, another general arrived on the opposite bank to provide support. It was not until Zhao Xingming had a moment of leisure that he noticed that the soldiers of the Zhi Shi Army and the inner guards were still packing up their belongings, but everything was well organized and there was no one rushing to seize the floating bridge.
After a moment of hesitation, Zhao Xingmi decided to intervene... It wasn't because he wanted to kindly let the other party go first and escort the Imperial Army to the Forbidden Army, but because it was his duty to let a portion of the Zhi Shi Army guard the Emperor and the Empress Dowager and let the palace eunuchs escort the officials.
General Zhao, how did you come here?
Surprisingly, this time Wang Zhuo's reaction was more proactive.
Naturally, General Zhao had nothing to hide, so he revealed his purpose: "A significant number of troops have already passed. Can His Majesty, the Empress Dowager, and the civil officials be allowed to pass as well?"
"Naturally." Wang Zhuo nodded and turned back to see Yu Huai standing behind him, pale from being soaked in the rain. "Yu Gonggong, you go and inform Zhi Shilang first, ask him to prepare himself, and then go call Du Gong over. The Emperor and the Empress Dowager need to be escorted across the river by Du Gong personally. The floating bridge is slippery when it rains, so as to prevent any accidents..."
Yu Hui will leave.
Then, Wang Zhuo responds to Zhao Xingmi: "Out of the six thousand forbidden troops, let four thousand go ahead first. We have to let Zhang Qianda seize the county town before we can feel at ease. Then, let the Duke of Supervision guard and accompany His Majesty and the Empress Dowager as they pass through. After that, the remaining forbidden troops can pass, followed by the troops led by Zhi Shi. Our internal guards can bring up the rear along with the officials ... Today, we must hurry on our way and cannot sleep in this county town, right?"
Zhao Xingmi even felt a bit embarrassed and said awkwardly, "General Zhang was just left behind at the rear of the army, and with the rain making things really difficult, he's just a bit displeased, not targeting anyone in particular..."
“It doesn't matter.” Wang Zhuo waved his hand. “We are not on the same path anyway. It’s actually strange that you, General Zhao, insist on coming over.”
“Once we enter Huaixi, by the latest when we reach the Eastern Capital, even if you want me to join, I won't.” Zhao Xingmi replied quietly. “Do you think I actively took on this task of escorting you? I’ve been telling Prime Minister Sima to be cautious about the Deposing the Dragon group all day, and that annoyed him, so I was dispatched here.”
Wang Chao was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh: “I really didn't think about that; I just assumed you were here to supervise the military…”
Zhao Xingmi just waved his hand.
After a while, Supervisor Niu and Yu Hui arrived, and the group casually chatted in Wang Chao's imperial guard camp, then watched the imperial troops cross the river and directly surge into the county town. They saw the Zhishi army and the imperial guards, including the palace eunuchs, readying for light marching and waiting there idly.
Finally, seeing that the number of the Imperial Guards had reached about four thousand, Zhao Xingmi finally took the initiative to speak: "That’s enough, the Imperial Guards have gathered over four thousand. Let’s move over… Once we get there, don’t pay attention to the guards in the city, just escort His Majesty and the Empress Dowager westward."
“It’s about time, let’s go!” Wang Zhuo nodded, then turned back to look at Niudugong. “Dugong, you also saw it, it was General Zhao who insisted on finding us, we have no choice, sorry for the trouble this time.”
```htmlNiu Duyou remained silent, just clasping his hands and glancing at Wang Zhuo, then turned to look at Zhao Xingmi.
Zhao Xingmi did not dare to be lax and quickly cupped his hands: "Thank you for your hard work, Duyou."
Niu Duyou let out a long sigh and finally nodded: "Today I realize what it means to have an arrow on the string, it must be shot... Now that it has come to this, let's go! General Zhao, let's go too!"```
Zhao Xingmi listened to the first half of the sentence in confusion, but he seemed to regain his senses at the latter half and was about to clasp his hands in salute. However, in the next moment, his expression changed drastically, as a familiar long-life true energy unexpectedly surged up from beneath his feet, easily binding his ankle just like it had done to the Mo Yun Golden-Winged Peng on that day.
Not only that, just as he was about to question the other party, the general of the Right Wei Guard, who was caught up in the true qi, witnessed the answer with his own eyes and was left dumbfounded in mid-air—at the camp on the eastern bank of the swirling water, the Shizhi army and the courtiers from the Jiangdu palace had seemingly received notification, almost simultaneously opening the camp gates, and were well-prepared, surrounding the emperor, the empress dowager, and the officials of Jiangdu, all hastening towards the northeast!
Where is the hinterland of Deposing the Dragon!
Wang Hou and Wang Zhuo are both insiders for the Deposing the Dragon thieves!
This is not all; within the inner guard's military camp, the two thousand inner guards remained completely calm, actually arranging themselves in an orderly manner, forming ranks and lines, either holding long spears or raising swords and shields, taking up a defensive posture towards the floating bridge, then retreating in an orderly fashion to provide cover.
On the side of the floating bridge, the Imperial Guards clearly froze for a moment, as there were still more than a thousand guards who had not crossed the river. They couldn't possibly be unfazed by the commotion over here... But soon, these people began to rush toward the floating bridge even faster.
Seeing this scene, Zhao Xingmi was pulled half a meter high into the air, then slowly and orderly moved north with the inner palace soldiers, and couldn't help but let out a sigh.
Strangely enough, the direct cause of this Right Wei Guard General's frustration was not the fact that his mouth was sealed by true energy, preventing him from calling for help; nor was it the strange twist of fate that led him into a trap; nor was it that he fell for the schemes of Wang Zhuo and Wang Hou, walking together for six or seven days without noticing; rather, it was a very small matter—at that moment in the air, he saw the remaining Imperial Guards rushing through the rain to seize the floating bridge.
After all, Zhao Xingmi knew in his heart that these imperial guards couldn't have realized the situation in an instant and then fled in a panic. Those guards only heard the commotion and thought that the eunuch troops and the Zhishijun were trying to seize their floating bridge, and they didn’t want to give it up.
In other words, even if Wang Zhao and Wang Hou are both fine, the river crossing sequence he carefully arranged this morning would still be thrown into chaos.
Here in the Imperial Guards, everything can go wrong; no matter how meticulous the arrangements are, they will still fall apart... This is truly frustrating.
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