Chapter 328

When Kong Zhangyu was forcing Le Zhan, Tao Rui, the assistant of the state council (director of the provincial policy research office), was "visiting" Yu Yi.

"If you insist on refusing, sir, then the Second Young Master Yu will probably..."

Yu Yi said indifferently:

"It's okay, I have another son."

Tao Rui was stunned, then his face sank: "Then—"

"Like this, you take this one too."

Yu Yi called: "Zizhen! Come in!"

Yu Qianlou entered the room and bowed: "Father."

"You go with him in a while."

"Yes."

After Yu Qianlou responded respectfully, he bowed to Tao Rui:

"Sorry to trouble you, Assistant Tao."

Tao Rui was stunned.

What's the situation??????

"If the two of them are not enough, then I will go with you too—"

"No no, sir, you misunderstood—"

"Troublesome? How about this, you directly send troops in to kill, or you do it yourself, one sword for each, anyway, my family is small. Don't worry, I won't let them resist. Come, get the sword—"

"Sir, what are you talking about!!!"

Tao Rui was about to cry!

He didn't dare to make such a big decision, let alone start a killing, he didn't even dare to take Yu Yi away!

Yu Yi is different from those Jingzhou high officials. Yu Yi does not serve princes, does not enter officialdom, hugs his knees and chants to the moon, has been in seclusion for a long time, has refused the imperial court's recruitment several times, has a high reputation, and is famous at the time. In every dynasty, such figures are treated with respect, their reputation is praised, and their virtue is displayed. Even the Son of Heaven rarely makes things difficult for hermits. It's not that they can't make things difficult, but that doing so is harmful and not beneficial, and the loss outweighs the gain.

Even if the Prince of Badong openly rebelled, using force against Yu Yi was not a wise move. What's more, Yu Yi had another identity, the leader of the Jingzhou gentry! The double buff superposition made him a hot potato.

If you don't deal with him, you can't be at ease. What if such a figure shouts and leads the gentry to make trouble? He is in communication with the Son of Heaven.

If you deal with him, making people lose their hearts is secondary, but if you provoke the gentry to rebound or even change, that is a disaster.

So the Prince of Badong blocked the Yu residence on one hand, and treated him with respect as usual on the other, not only not violating a single hair, but also supplying all food and daily necessities. He only hoped to invite Yu Yi out of the mountains to gather the gentry and assist in the great cause. This time Tao Rui came on behalf of the Prince of Badong, exhausted his tongue, and promised heavy profits, but still couldn't move Yu Yi, so he threatened with Yu Yuling, but unexpectedly Yu Yi not only was not threatened, but also put on a look of letting him kill or scrape...

Tao Rui wiped his sweat and said:

"The overall situation in Jingzhou has been decided, why do you have to do this, sir?"

Yu Yi twisted the edge of the tea cup with his fingertips, his tone as flat as discussing the weather:

"The overall situation has been decided? Not necessarily. You are talking about Jingzhou City, not Jingzhou."

Tao Rui's voice hardened a bit:

"A province is like a city. The Prince draws his sword, who in Jingzhou dares to resist?"

Yu Yi smiled:

"Climbing the high platform to look out. Below there is clear water that is clear and cold, and the river has fragrant grass that is like an orchid."

Tao Rui:???

He didn't know the source of this poem, nor did he understand Yu Yi's meaning. Just as he was about to ask, his subordinates hurried over and reported urgently in his ear. Tao Rui only heard two sentences, and was shocked!

"What Changshi order? Where did Jingzhou get a Changshi!"

Kong Zhangyu couldn't care about beating Le Xiao Pang, left the crowd, and left in a hurry, asking the reporter while walking. The reporter was dry-mouthed and said hurriedly:

"Wang Yi is the Changshi! When the imperial court sent him on a mission, he was ordered to concurrently serve as Changshi! It's just that he kept it secret! Now he uses the Yongning County government office as the Changshi government office, declaring all military orders issued by the Jingzhou military government, without his countersignature, are invalid. He also notified all counties, saying that the Prince is ill and cannot handle affairs, and some people have taken this opportunity to forge imperial edicts and mobilize soldiers without authorization, which is the same as plotting rebellion! From today on, the Inspector's seal is suspended, and he will act on behalf of the state government affairs! Any troops in the counties that move without the Changshi order will be treated as plotting rebellion! The garrisons of Ancheng, Changlin, Wuyuan, and Zeting have all followed the Changshi order to send troops, and it is said that they have gathered tens of thousands of troops, and will go to Jiangling to quell the rebellion in a few days!"

Kong Zhangyu's heart jumped, and his steps quickened:

"What about the Prince? What does the Prince say?"

"The Prince asks you to go to the government gate immediately!"

"Government... government gate? Which government gate?" Kong Zhangyu suddenly had a bad premonition.

After Tao Rui left, Yu Qianlou asked suspiciously:

"What was the poem father just recited..."

Yu Yi frowned: "Haven't read the Han Yuefu?"

Yu Qianlou said shamefully:

"My son hasn't read many Yuefu poems."

Yu Yi walked to the window, with his sleeves behind his back, looking at the flowing clouds in the sky, his voice as light as cloud fluff:

"This is the 16th piece of 'Climbing the High Platform' in the eighteen pieces of Han drum and flute music."

Yu Qianlou still didn't get the point:

"Then... then what does father mean..."

"That's why I told you to read more poetry. Poetry can inspire, can observe, can group, can complain. Since you want to study Han history, you must read Han poetry. It happens to be nothing these days, so add a task to your daily lessons, memorize the eighteen pieces, and I will test you together with 'Han Shu Bo Yi' when the time comes."

"Yes."

After Yu Qianlou bowed and responded, he thought for a while and asked again:

"Then what did father mean by answering with this poem at that time..."

Yu Yi turned his back to Yu Qianlou, a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth:

"Memorize it first, I'll tell you after you memorize it."

Yu Qianlou:...

"Go memorize the book."

Yu Qianlou didn't move.

Yu Yi turned his head: "Something?"

Yu Qianlou looked at his father, respectful and firm:

"A Jie is still in the Wang Fu."

"The food in the Wang Fu is not as good as at home?"

"Uh... that... that's not it, just, just afraid..."

Yu Yi chanted slowly:

"The lonely bamboo grows slowly, taking root at the foot of Mount Tai."

Yu Qianlou was stunned, and said uncertainly:

"So father's meaning is..."

"Memorize it first, I'll tell you after you memorize it."

Yu Qianlou:...

"Prince! Prince!!"

Kong Zhangyu ran all the way, panting, just in time to see the Prince of Badong with bright armor and swords, in full military uniform, striding out of the hall. Followed by a team of personal guards, all wearing armor.

The Prince of Badong glanced at Kong Zhangyu and smiled: "Jinhuai is here." But his feet didn't stop.

Kong Zhangyu was even more panicked when he saw this formation, and hurriedly chased after him. He ran so fast that even the tie of his official hat was loosened on one side, and he didn't have time to tie it, asking urgently:

"Where is the Prince going?!"

The Prince of Badong didn't look back:

"Of course to kill Wang Yi, do you expect to wait for him to come and kill me?"

Kong Zhangyu panicked and chased after the Prince of Badong's footsteps:

"Prince, you can't—"

The Prince of Badong smiled:

"I know what you mean. Nothing more than 'the Prince sits in Jingzhou and cannot go out lightly', or 'Wang Yi's power is great, the enemy situation is hard to predict, we should wait until the army is gathered to be safe' or something—"

The Prince of Badong's attitude today was very easygoing, neither angry nor cold-faced, and he didn't call himself "this prince" when he spoke. Kong Zhangyu, however, became "bold" for the first time, interrupting the Prince of Badong's words at a fast speed:

"Wang Yi fears only the strong city of Jingzhou! Why does the Prince abandon the golden soup and go to what he expects?! Moreover, Wang Yi declared that someone was rebelling with a fake edict. Now that the Prince appears to confront him, isn't that confirming Wang Yi's words? Besides, Jiangling is the Prince's foundation, how can there be a reason to abandon the root and pursue the end? If Jiangling is lost, even if the Prince kills Wang Yi, there will be no place to stand!"

The Prince of Badong slowed his pace slightly and asked with a smile:

"Anything else?"

Kong Zhangyu said decisively:

"Yes! Now the human feelings are not attached, and the hearts of the people are not solid! If you send troops in a hurry, it's fine if you win, but if there is any disadvantage, the news will spread back, and the military heart will be chaotic! At that time, the internal collapse will be attacked by the external enemy, and the general situation will be gone! Please Prince, temporarily rest the thunderous anger, live in a safe place, first order the Changhu army to block Wang Yi, and the Prince will integrate internal and external, and swallow the counties. If it succeeds, Wang Yi is just a jumping clown, just pay a partial division, and the Prince sending one general is enough. If it doesn't succeed, there is a foundation to rely on. When Wang Yi stops his troops under the strong city, the teacher is old and the soldiers are tired, the Prince will sweep it away in one go. At that time, with the prestige of the new victory, the army will go out, and the counties can be determined by sending a letter..."

The Prince of Badong laughed loudly:

"Old Kong, this time I can't listen to you. Wang Yi claims that I am ill, one is to dampen my momentum, and the other is to deliberately leave room for me, let me have luck in my heart, and delay. Wang Yi hiding his Changshi identity is indeed played very well, catching us off guard. But at the same time, I can also catch him off guard now! Now the counties first received the edict, then received the Changshi order, or the idea is not fixed, or there is a wait-and-see attitude. At this time, even the Changhu army may not be credible! If I shrink in the city and don't go out, sit and watch Wang Yi grow big, when the imperial court's order arrives, then everything I have will be just a lonely city!

You don't listen to Wang Yi and Zhang Jue's bragging, what gathering tens of thousands of troops, the Yongning headquarters, those who can fight are no more than two thousand. The four garrisons of the Zushui, together are less than four thousand five. Plus the scattered ones, he can gather ten thousand people, it's already reluctant! If he issues a large-scale conscription, it is possible to get more people, but they are all mobs, even if there are really tens of thousands, it is not enough to fear! Don't worry, I won't take the army, just take the sixty cavalry guards under my command, go straight into the Changhu army camp, seize the military power, and then take advantage of Wang Yi not recovering, hammer him..."

Kong Zhangyu was shocked: "How can this be—"

The Prince of Badong raised his eyebrows:

"Why not? Wang Yang once compared me to Lu Bu. In those days, Lu Bu led dozens of cavalry to break the enemy formation, three or four times a day, and then broke Zhang Yan. Now I lead sixty elite cavalry, enough to roam! When I break Wang Yi, I will go to meet Xue Shao and pick up my Princess, don't let her be intercepted after hearing that I rebelled..."

As the Prince of Badong said, his feet had already stepped out of the gate of the Wang Fu. Outside the gate, elite cavalry were lined up, horse heads connected, no one made a sound. Where the breeze passed, only the armor leaves rustled, and the mane fluttered.

The personal guard led a divine horse and stood at the foot of the steps. Seeing the Prince of Badong come out, he knelt on one knee and held the reins high above his head with both hands.

The Prince of Badong pressed his hand on the saddle bridge, stepped on the stirrup, flew onto the horse, and picked up the horse whip. Kong Zhangyu was in a hurry and didn't know how to persuade him, so he could only delay:

"Prince, wait until Tao Rui, Guo Wenyuan and the others arrive, then it won't be too late to set off!"

The Prince of Badong pointed his whip at Kong Zhangyu and smiled:

"You don't say Li Jingxuan because you know he definitely agrees with me."

Kong Zhangyu persuaded bitterly:

"Even if the Prince wants to raid, there is no need to go in person! Let Feng Quanzu go! Let him take the cavalry!"

The Prince of Badong knocked on the horse's belly, the war horse paced back and forth a few times, the Prince of Badong shook lightly on the horse's back, his smile playful:

"Old Feng can't do this kind of thing. I must come in person. Didn't the edict say, saying that I have 'imperial descendant natural talent, heroic and far-reaching achievements. Military strategy is already mature, fully capable of the great task', eh? This was written by you, did you forget?"

Kong Zhangyu knelt down immediately:

"Prince! Please wait a little longer! See what Guo Wenyuan and the others say!"

The Prince of Badong was a bit impatient and waved his horse whip:

"I have arranged everything, you don't need to worry about the rest, just guard the city with peace of mind. Things outside the city have Feng Quanzu, and inside the city have Liu Chaozhi. Military aircraft find Li Jingxuan, political affairs ask Tao Rui, documents use Chen Qiming, counties have Guo Wenyuan, you oversee the overall situation except for money and food. If there is anything needed, you can mobilize those I just mentioned, whoever doesn't listen to the greeting, use my seal sword to kill. My guard personal army is left to you, you can toss whatever you want in the city except for my women..."

Kong Zhangyu, in the midst of worry and urgency, suddenly gained heavy power, but had no joy, only feeling the pressure of a big mountain.

"Okay, Old Kong! Don't have a bitter face! I'm leaving, smile for me."

Kong Zhangyu squeezed out a bitter smile.

The Prince of Badong raised his whip and jumped on the horse, laughing loudly:

"Jinhuai! Haven't you heard that 'if you don't enter the tiger's den, you won't get the tiger's cub'? This Jingzhou, and even this world, has never been obtained by sitting and guarding!"

Kong Zhangyu saw the Prince of Badong's armor shining, his spirit rising, and his heroic spirit was overwhelming. For a moment, he was a little shaken, feeling that his previous so-called "cautious" idea, perhaps, was not so correct?

"Go!"

The horse whip snapped, the Prince of Badong's mount raised its head and neighed, taking the lead! The cavalry behind followed closely, galloping one after another. The horse neighing and shouting echoed, accompanied by the sound of horseshoes hitting the ground, shaking the long street, and the dust rose straight up...

——————

Note: ① In the chapter "Eating Melon", the Prince of Badong gathered advisors to discuss, only Xue Shao didn't arrive, because he went to pick up the Princess.

② Chapter 263 "Eating Melon": "Zhang Jue is a small prefect, without the order of the state department, dare to bear the great responsibility, mobilize troops across the border, just to chase what big bandit?" The reason why Wang Yi could mobilize Yongning troops to deal with the interception was because of his Changshi status, but at that time everyone thought the imperial court did not supplement Changshi.

③ Regarding the convention of Changshi acting as Inspector to handle state government affairs, see the note in Chapter 264 "On the Road".