Chapter 564: Fortress vs. Fortress
All the Baiyue people immediately stood up and saluted them, promising to subdue the South.
Zhao Yulin asked with a smile: "Where is the reward from the Central Court? Have you received it?"
Miao Gui laughed and said that what else could be missing was General Baiyue’s, as he had put them all in his pocket.
Zhao Feiyan said with a smile that the big brothers in the army have been fighting outside for a long time and it is difficult for them to take care of their families. Brother Miao has to command the war and take care of the families of the generals. But if there are any difficulties, please raise them and we will try our best to get them done.
Miao Gui immediately said in panic: "Your Majesty, please don't say that. We brothers followed the Third Young Master out to serve our country with loyalty and righteousness, and to revive the prosperity of the Han and Tang Dynasties. We don't ask for anything else."
He told them to stop being jealous and let Baiyue tell him about the military situation at the border.
Du Baiyue believed that the Mongol army had recently captured Ding Lafu in Bingzhou and built passes and forts, and the defensive trend was obvious. After Hubili unified the military and political power of Hedong and Hebei, he strengthened the defense of Hedong. He felt that the Mongol army's westward expedition to the Western Regions was real, and we could seize the opportunity to recover the lost territory.
Miao Gui reported to him that after Baiyue came back, he re-examined the military situation and found that the Mongol army's westward expedition had already set out, just as the young master had analyzed, all heading west. However, the Mongol army adjusted the deployment in Hedong and heavily guarded against our attack. If we were to attack Hedong, it would be a hard fight between fortresses, and we would have to chew a hard bone.
Zhao Yulin nodded and asked how Yang Xingyun Group was preparing.
Miao Gui told him that the northwest and Hedong were the key points in the previous strategy. Although Yang Xingyun's group was actively preparing for war, the Ministry of War's focus was not there. He believed that if the Shandong Corps attacked alone, there would be no guarantee of victory.
Zhao Yulin nodded, and told them to speed up the training, pay close attention to the movements of the Mongolian army, and wait and see.
The couple left the Ministry of War and walked towards the office, where Yangjin was still busy.
Seeing them coming over, Yangjin asked with a smile: Our king has come to show sympathy to his subordinates, serve tea, serve tea.
He said she was pregnant and it was better for her to take a rest. There were so many people in the Ministry of Personnel, so we could just make arrangements for them.
Yangjin said she would work as long as she could, especially for the officials who had just returned. She had to personally check on them. After the Ministry of Personnel had screened and verified all of them, it was planned to retire those over fifty years old early, because these people had lived in the desert for seven or eight years, and their thoughts were far away from reality after they returned. By the time they went to Caotang Academy to study, they would have less than two years to work.
Zhao Yulin nodded, thinking that there were many people who were quick to awaken and keep up with the situation. They could be retained to do research and study the affairs of the grassland empire. After all, they had lived in the desert for so long, and they should have studied the desert thoroughly.
Yang Jin nodded and told them that the rest would be easy. For this training, after the class started, Caotang Academy planned to send the manuscripts produced over the years of the New Song Dynasty directly to these students for self-study. The Ministry of Personnel would personally organize back-to-back exams and told them to take it seriously. If they failed the exams, they could go home and take care of their children.
Zhao Yulin was drinking tea when he suddenly spat it out.
Zhao Feiyan teased Yang Jin with a smile: Sister is really pregnant. Even if you punish an incompetent official, you can still go home and hug your child.
Yangjin had already smiled widely, and told them that it was Lord Fan's idea, and that they had to frighten these foolishly loyal officials. Moreover, Caotang Academy would quickly pull them all out of the capital to conduct research and study, all the way down the river to Hangzhou, so that they could see and compare the republican deliberation system of the states and counties under the new Song Dynasty.
Zhao Yulin gave Yangjin a thumbs up and thought that this was a good idea and that they should not be spoiled any longer. The idea was to not give these people the opportunity to gather in the city and discuss state affairs.
Yangjin told them that she would go to Lhasa after she was done with this and gave birth to the child. Wang Hanchen of Tubo had sent a letter saying that Ladakh had been recaptured. If she didn't go, she would have nothing to do in the future.
The most important thing is that Hanchen also fell ill after arriving in Lhasa, and his health was sometimes good and sometimes bad. Yangjin felt that it was her turn.
Zhao Yulin was silent for a moment and said: Train more great doctors who are familiar with Tibetan medicine, and select more craftsmen and prepare to bring them over.
Yangjin nodded and told them to go ahead and do their work as she had other things to do.
When the two of them came out, Zhao Yulin asked them to go to Wenjiang together. Hu Lan always felt that Wenjiang was too close to Chengdu and still wanted to work in Qiongzhou. Let's go to Wenjiang to see how the land there is being prepared.
After they packed up simply, they changed into casual clothes and headed out of the city to the west. When passing through Huaxi Village, Feiyan thought of her father, the emperor. Zhao Yulin told her not to worry, as the sky would not fall.
Then he whipped Feiyan's horse on its buttocks. The horse felt pain and galloped forward.
At this moment, the Empress Dowager and the Emperor of Huaxi Villa were talking to Li Zhongmian.
After Xie Wuhui reported to the Queen Mother that she wanted to see him, Li Zhongmian still came.
When the empress dowager heard that Li Zhongmian had arrived, she couldn't help but feel happy. She informed the emperor to go to the living room and sit down, waiting for Li Zhongmian to meet her.
It turned out that Li Zhongmian went in, bowed, and then sat down. He did not kowtow three times and nine times, shout "Long live the emperor" and cry bitterly as they had imagined.
The Queen Mother took a sip of tea with some displeasure and said: It's really like a cuckoo taking over the magpie's nest. After being driven to live in this countryside, even my beloved minister is unwilling to come and meet me.
Li Zhongmian put down the tea bowl in his hand and said: "Why did Mrs. Xie say that?" Li knew that the decoration of Huaxi Villa was done by the top masters of the New Song Dynasty's Ministry of Industry, and the materials used were also the latest in the New Song Dynasty, and were also the best compared to Jinguan City.
He pointed to the huge phoenix ornament on the main table and said: Take this phoenix for example, it should be made of the new high-grade crystal glass produced by our Hongmeng Valley. It is crystal clear and natural. The King of Feiyan has given the best things to the old lady, what else is there to be dissatisfied with?
The Queen Mother said disdainfully: There are so many rare things in the New Song Dynasty, what is a mere phoenix? The entire country belongs to the Zhao family.
Li Zhongmian shook his head helplessly and said no, no. He asked the Queen Mother: Have you forgotten that since the emperor was captured and the royal family suffered, the Song Dynasty has ceased to exist.
If Western Shu had not restored its country with the hard support of Yulin, the old lady would have been afraid that she would have to herd sheep in the North Sea for the rest of her life. Why would she want to fight for the throne and return power as soon as she returned to Shu?
The Queen Mother was touched on a sore spot by Li Zhongmian and kept calling him out for being so outrageous. She even started to teach me a lesson. Has she forgotten her identity?
Li Zhongmian trembled and said that he had not forgotten that in the past, he was a minister of the Lin'an court. Now, he is an old official of the New Song Dynasty.
If it weren't for the friendship between the emperor and his subjects in Lin'an, he would not have set foot in Huaxi Villa.
The Queen Mother asked sternly: Why did you come in again?
The old man said confidently: There is still a trace of affection between the monarch and his subjects.
When Lin'an was in trouble, the government could have avoided the disaster. Who insisted on not moving the capital to Lin'an? If the government had followed Commander Zhao's suggestion and moved the capital to Shu one day earlier, would they have had to serve as slaves in Mobei?
The Queen Mother shut up when she saw that the Emperor was also angry.
Back then, it was because she insisted on not moving the capital that she became a prisoner of the grassland empire.
At this time, the imperial concubine came in with the queen.
The imperial concubine said dissatisfiedly: "Please don't worry too much, Lord Li. It is the court that is too negligent. No wonder the empress dowager is angry. Why do the empress dowager and the emperor have to live in the countryside? Don't they have a place to stay in the city?"
The offerings are too little. What can you do with just a few dozen strings of money a month?
Li Zhongmian said coldly: How to resettle him is no longer his business. Huaxi Villa is definitely the best courtyard in Chengdu. It faces the best countryside in Xinsong at the door and can be called a big garden. Li wants to live here but has not found a house yet.
As for the expenses, I'm afraid you all don't know yet , but Feiyan King's mother, Madam Danfeng, has officially declared to the court that she does not want support anymore and she will earn money to support herself.
The Queen Mother said disdainfully: You are kidding me. How else can that bitch make money?
Go find a wild man?
"Shut up." "Shut up."
The emperor and Li Zhongmian both spoke at the same time.
The Empress Dowager and the Emperor's two wives were all stunned with surprise.
Li Zhongmian trembled and said: Don't insult Madam Danfeng. Madam Danfeng donated all the support she received in the past to build railways and trains, and only relied on the professor salary she received from Caotang Academy to support her family.
He looked at the emperor and continued: Madam Danfeng has a kind heart. She has never asked for money from the court. She makes a living by teaching music. She also gives alms to the poor during festivals. The people of Baihuatan admire her and often give her fresh vegetables. They all protect her.
On the other hand, what did the Queen Mother do?
The women gradually fell silent after listening.
Li Zhongmian said with a little anger: Li heard that the Queen Mother had just arrived at Yulin Village and questioned the loyalty of the Shenwei Army. In Yangzhou, he cursed Cao Gong and made him vomit blood. He is still recuperating in Chang'an.
The Queen Mother roared: That's Cao Heizi's guilty conscience, it has nothing to do with me.
Li Zhongmian kept shaking his head and told them that Chengdu had always been issuing orders from the Sichuan-Shaanxi Administration Office until the pseudo-emperor Zhao Bing ascended the throne. Only then did Brother Yulin propose the New Song Republic and unify the orders to resist the northern barbarians.
It was not the case that Chengdu declared itself a separate king as soon as the Lin'an court collapsed. Zhao Yulin did not even accept the titles of King of Shu and King of Han conferred by the government.
What crime has General Cao committed in being wholeheartedly devoted to resisting the Mongols and governing the country?
Therefore, Lord Ding was extremely disheartened when he knew that Lord Cao had been humiliated, and he stayed indoors from then on.
Zhao Bing, who did all kinds of bad things and sold out his country for personal gain, was able to establish a country. So what was wrong with the New Song Dynasty ruling the world as a republic?
The Queen Mother asked him coldly: Lord Li, you keep questioning and stating all the good things about Zhao Yulin and all the faults of this palace. Is it all my fault?
Li Zhongmian sighed and said: Whether it is wrong or not, it is only wrong when you realize it yourself.
If Zhao Yulin held a grudge, all he needed to do was give the empress dowager a look and she would have been buried somewhere.
Along the way, he could have easily killed someone like the Queen Mother did, by drinking a cup of poisoned wine to let the world know that the Queen Mother could not bear the fatigue of the journey and ascended to heaven, but he did not do that.
Why?
Li knew that Zhao Yulin had come from a sea of blood and corpses, so killing a person was as easy as crushing an ant.
If he can let go of the hatred in his heart and welcome back the Queen Mother and the Emperor safely , can't you all live in harmony for the rest of your lives?
How should I live? Do I want to live the rest of my life like an old woman in the countryside?
The Queen Mother asked in a deep voice.
