Chapter 361: 92. North and South

92. North and South

Zhu Lingxu and his son Zhu Yuheng, with ten personal guards, walk out of the Xunyang city gate under the watchful eyes on the city wall.

The night is late.

Zhu Yuheng droops his eyelids, his bloodshot eyes looking back at the towering city gate.

The personal guards have indignant expressions, and a horse-faced man mutters unhappily:

"If it weren't for the Commandant and the Young Master helping, how could the Jiangzhou Government Office win? Guarding against us like guarding against thieves, these dog civil officials, just moving their lips, really think they are the masters?"

The group quiets down.

Zhu Lingxu rides his horse at the very front, not looking back, his back as usual.

The horse-faced personal guard pauses and mutters in a low voice:

"It would be better to go back to Li Zhengyan and Cai Qin's side. At least the thoughts are smooth, there is no restraint from the imperial court, drinking big bowls of wine and eating big bowls of meat, cutting off the heads of these pedantic civil officials..."

"This Great Zhou imperial court, I think it's just like that. Before the Commandant and the Young Master stood out, look at what a bear-like state they were beaten into by Li Zhengyan and Cai Qin."

Cursing and swearing, the horse-faced personal guard turns his head to look at Xunyang City, a ruthless look flashing in the depths of his eyes:

"Commandant, Young Master, why don't we..."

Zhu Lingxu's figure on his horse suddenly pauses.

The atmosphere is suddenly silent.

A scarred-faced personal guard suddenly steps forward and kicks the horse-faced personal guard off his horse, the latter falling to the ground, eating dirt:

"Chen Lao San, what madness are you having? Was your brain kicked by a donkey? Talking nonsense, if that little white-faced Ouyang hears it, it won't be enough to cut off your hundred heads, don't implicate the Commandant and everyone, damn it..."

The scarred-faced personal guard curses and swears.

The horse-faced personal guard inhales and rubs his buttocks, hurriedly looking at the Commandant's silent back in front, and then lowers his head, remaining silent.

He knows that this kick from his close friend is helping him.

Zhu Lingxu stops his horse, his back still not moving.

The crowd behind looks at each other.

Seeing this, Zhu Yuheng urges his horse forward, comes to the horse-faced personal guard who fell off his horse, pulls out a horse whip, and whips the horse-faced personal guard in public.

The shadow of the whip, the sound of breaking air, and the wailing of the horse-faced personal guard ring through the pitch-black forest one after another.

The scarred-faced man and the other nine personal guards watch silently, no one pleading for mercy again.

However, they also know that these few whips from the Young Master just sound loud, but they actually cannot hurt the bones or the foundation, only breaking the skin and flesh, making the person being whipped look miserable.

A whip that can really take half a person's life is usually silent.

"Commandant, Young Master, I was wrong, I won't talk nonsense anymore..."

Zhu Yuheng does not speak and whips two more times.

At this moment, Zhu Lingxu's figure on the horse moves, continuing to ride forward.

Zhu Yuheng immediately retracts the whip and turns to follow.

The horse-faced man lowers his head, gets back on his horse, and returns to the team, swaying.

Returning to the military camp stationed in the suburbs of the city.

Because of the requirements and regulations of Jiangzhou Changshi Ouyang Lianghan, the surrendered Hongzhou troops brought by Zhu Lingxu and Zhu Yuheng can only be stationed outside the city and cannot enter the city.

One hour later.

In the center of the military camp, inside a large tent, after Zhu Lingxu bathes and changes his clothes, he is in white, pacing with his hands behind his back.

At this moment, the curtain at the door is lifted, and Zhu Yuheng walks in, holding a tray of used gold-wound medicine, hot towels, and a copper basin.

"Father."

He puts down the tray in his hand and calls out in a low voice.

Zhu Lingxu looks at his eldest son, who is most like him when he was young among his many children.

"The medicine Father ordered, this child has sent it over, helped Chen Lao San apply it..."

Zhu Yuheng nods:

"Actually, the brothers who can follow Father to defect are all loyal. Right now, the Jiangzhou Government Office's actions are indeed too chilling. Martial men, having a few complaints and grumbles is normal. Father, rest assured, this child will keep an eye on it daily and won't let those words spread out..."

Zhu Lingxu suddenly says: "Then what about you? What do you think? Are you also unconvinced, finding it hard to understand Father's move to defect to the Wei?"

"This child dare not."

"Dare not? Before, mixing with Li Lou, Wei Shaoqi, Yue Ziang, and the others, wasn't it quite bold? Even uniting to force Father to abdicate, pulling Father into the water."

Zhu Yuheng lowers his head:

"This child dare not anymore, now I listen to Father's orders entirely."

"Hmph." Zhu Lingxu asks: "Dare not, but still unconvinced, right? Want to go back to that side?"

"No." Zhu Yuheng shakes his head:

"These two days, this child has looked at the city defense of Xunyang City. This Ouyang Lianghan really has something. If we had really bumped into him with Cai Qin before, using the stupid method to attack the city, it is estimated that it would be difficult to take it in ten days or half a month, and then it would be hard to say..."

Zhu Lingxu suddenly interrupts: "Li Zhengyan is in danger."

Zhu Yuheng is startled, looking at his father's tall back standing with his hands behind his back.

The tall back shakes his head and says in detail:

"If the Restoration Uprising had been in Jiangzhou, not Guizhou.

"Or not long ago, Ouyang Lianghan and the Xunyang Prince's Mansion could have been persuaded by Wang Junzhi to offer the city and surrender.

"Or if that Empress could have been suspicious and wary, bestowing death upon the Xunyang Prince's Mansion.

"If any one of the above had happened, Father would not have made up his mind to take this path...

"Don't look at Li Zhengyan and Cai Qin's military momentum, sweeping through the Southwest, but what truly affects the overall situation is Jiangzhou.

"In this situation now, winning is difficult."

Zhu Lingxu sighs: "The Xunyang Prince has become the Pacification Ambassador of the Jiang Nan Circuit, the hearts of the people are hard to use again, and there is that difficult Ouyang Lianghan strictly guarding Xunyang City...

"Not to mention the Zhou court, the expeditionary army that is about to finish conscription."

Pausing, this Hongzhou Grand Commandant turns his head, his eyes staring at his eldest son Zhu Yuheng, his tone meaningful:

"No matter how the two parties in the Zhou court fight, the foundation of the Great Zhou inheriting the Qian rule is there. The imperial army is not as simple as Chen Lao San and the others think.

"Do you really think that Li Zhengyan and Cai Qin, who are attacking cities and seizing land in the south, advancing all the way, are very glorious and powerful? Are they heroes of the current era? Can they be called one of the best?"

Zhu Lingxu pats Zhu Yuheng's shoulder with his big hand, earnestly:

"When Father was young, I joined the army in Hongzhou as a commoner. At that time, the Teng Prince's Mansion had not yet been reduced. The old Teng Prince served as the Hongzhou Commandant. The peers in the army beside Father were all proud of becoming the Commandant's personal guards.

"Father was the champion of the three-army competition of the Hongzhou Zhechong Prefecture at that time, a talent among the best, and was chosen by the old Teng Prince as the captain of the personal guards.

"At that time, Father was like you and Chen Lao San, proud and complacent, looking around, boasting that no one could match me among my peers in Hongzhou, and even looking at Jiang Nan, I was one of the best, and the heroes of the world were nothing more than this."

Zhu Lingxu points to his own eyes with two fingers, then pokes the eyes of his eldest son in front of him from a distance, signaling, and says:

"But that day, that night, the old Teng Prince looked at me with this kind of look.

"He said, if you just want to build a temporary merit and earn the wealth of one person and one family, staying in this remote place in the south, it can be easily done.

"But if you want to become a famous general through the ages, build an extraordinary merit, and be a valiant warrior who leaves a mark in history, the south can never give it to you. You must go to the north!

"Go to Guanzhong, to the desert, to Liaodong, to the Western Regions! Compete and snatch with the heroes and ambitious people of the whole world, snatch until your head is broken and bleeding.

"And, it is not just competing with the heroes of the current era, but also competing on the same stage with the Han and Yi men of the previous five hundred years and the next five hundred years."

Zhu Lingxu says slowly, his old face full of wrinkles surprisingly calm, staring at Zhu Yuheng who is shocked and speechless, and says indifferently:

"So later, Father gave up the position of the Commandant's personal guard captain, took the old Teng Prince's letter, went to the north to join a border army under the old Duke of England, and served as a low-level scout on the border of white mountains and black waters in Liaobei...

"It was also from that time that I saw that the northern border army was truly full of talents. Not only Han men, but also those Hu and Fan men outside the border were also valiant warriors. They were all in the north, fighting like raising poisonous insects, opening up territory, and building merit..."

Zhu Lingxu reveals a look of reminiscence, Zhu Yuheng swallows his saliva:

"This child understands. Father's meaning is that as long as the imperial court reacts, frees up its hands, and transfers the elite troops from inside and outside the northern passes to the south, Li Zhengyan and Cai Qin will be unable to resist?

"So this war in Jiang Nan, no matter how much noise it makes, is just thunder and little rain, and even in the eyes of that Empress, it is just playing house?"

Zhu Lingxu nods and shakes his head:

"Yes, and no.

"Li Zhengyan is, after all, the grandson of the Duke of England, he still has this vision. Why take a dead end with no chance at all?

"If we can quickly occupy Jiangzhou, control the Xunyang Prince's Mansion, and stabilize the righteousness of the Restoration,

"Then whether it is quickly moving north into the pass, holding the banner of restoring the Li Qian and supporting Li Xian, winning over the old Qian conservative forces, inciting heroes from all over the world to oppose the Wei, and instigating unrest and uprisings in various places to increase the cost of the Zhou court's suppression of the rebellion.

"Or saying, plunging into the southeast, occupying the royal land of Jin Ling, controlling the lifeline of Jianghuai, and then using the Yangtze River as a natural barrier, partitioning the north and south, and confronting the Wei Zhou.

"These two paths can actually be taken, and it is not completely without chance.

"However, among them, the most critical is still Jiangzhou.

"Although Jiangzhou does not affect the northern path of Li Zhengyan's Restoration Army, the Xunyang Prince's Mansion has too great an impact on the legitimacy of Li Zhengyan's Restoration Army.

"We must take Xunyang City and welcome back the Xunyang Prince. Only in this way can the banner of restoring the Li Qian be completely solidified.

"To put it bluntly, even if the snatched Xunyang Prince is just a corpse, it is better than this Prince turning his head to express loyalty, helping the Empress, and standing on the side of the Great Zhou.

"Only in this way can the path of raising the banner and moving north have realizable significance.

"If we choose to retreat and seek the second best, choosing to march into the southeast and partition the north and south, then Jiangzhou is equally important. We must break through this gateway to the southeast to have a broad sky.

"That master in Luoyang might have seen through this point, so he deliberately enfeoffed the Xunyang Prince as the Pacification Ambassador of the Jiang Nan Circuit, letting him continue to stay in Jiangzhou, acting as a kind of bait. Alas, even if Li Zhengyan sees it, he has to take the bait. This is a public conspiracy.

"In this way, the situation is somewhat confusing. Of course, it does not rule out the possibility of infighting in the Zhou court and picking a wine-bag and rice-sack to command the expeditionary army, but in general, Li Zhengyan is still not good...

"The current timing has been delayed for more than half, and Xunyang City is becoming more stable and difficult to attack.

"The news of Wang Junzhi's death and the Xunyang Prince serving as the Pacification Ambassador of the Jiang Nan Circuit has spread back. Li Zhengyan and Wei Shaoqi must be in a mess. Even if the Restoration Army is advancing from the southwest all the way north, like a hot knife through butter, it may just be adding fuel to the fire.

"Yuheng, we are close, this time it can be considered the last opportunity to defect, the last bet before the market closes."

Zhu Lingxu sighs, walks to the door with his hands behind his back, staring at the dark green night sky in the distance and talking to himself:

"You say, if Wang Junzhi's persuasion to surrender had succeeded at the beginning, how good it would be. It's a pity, it's a pity.

"Taking Jiangzhou, causing war in the southeast, the world will surely be in chaos, and the great cause can be achieved... It seems that the fate of the Wei Zhou dynasty is still there, and it has not reached the time of troubled times.

"Heh, when a country is about to perish, there must be monsters in troubled times; when a country is about to perish, there must be capable people to save the world..."

Zhu Lingxu turns his head and says to his eldest son, whose expression is stunned:

"Just like when Father made a choice after the old Teng Prince's words, right now, Father must choose again.

"Is it south, or north."

Zhu Yuheng is silent.

A short while later, he opens his dry lips:

"But why, Father chose the Wei clan, instead of relying on the Xunyang Prince's Mansion or the Xiang Prince's Mansion in the court? This child heard that because of the Yingzhou Rebellion, the Wei clan has been somewhat unstable recently, and has faintly lost the possibility of seizing the throne.

"Moreover, the Wei clan also instigated the Empress to build the Great Zhou Eulogy Center and the Four Directions Buddha Statues. These things have made the Wei clan spurned by the heroes and scholars of the world, and their reputation is extremely poor.

"Many of our soldiers also hate the Wei clan, and have great opinions about this defection..."

"Is life important, or is black and white important? Hmm?"

Zhu Lingxu looks at his young and vigorous son and sighs:

"Yuheng, don't underestimate the Wei clan.

"That Yingzhou Rebellion in the north was too complicated. At that time, even if many people from the Baoli faction went, it would be difficult to retreat unscathed. It is estimated that only Master Di had the ability to balance it. But looking at the world, there is only one Master Di. The Wei clan's disciples did not do badly in the aftermath. They are definitely not wine-bags and rice-sacks.

"As for the Great Zhou Eulogy Center and the Four Directions Buddha Statues... Heh, so what if they are spurned by the people of the world? This move firmly wins the Emperor's heart, disparaging the Qian and praising the Zhou. This is a matter of stabilizing the foundation of the Great Zhou, and behind it is the Empress's approval and support.

"May I ask, with the Wei clan's original reputation among the scholars of the world, even if the Wei clan does a few human things... hmm, good things, will the scholars turn around and praise them?

"The Wei clan, as a former maternal relative, carries original sin.

"The pen is in the hands of the scholars, and the scholars of the world naturally stand on the side of the conservative faction of civil officials like Master Di.

"Isn't it just some infamy? From ancient times to the present, which dynasty and which generation has not made the people suffer, and found someone to bear the infamy? Moreover, not everyone is qualified to bear the infamy. If you want to bear the infamy for those above, you have to line up.

"Rather than seeking vain fame, it is better to win the Emperor's heart and hold the sword in your hand, which is more practical.

"As for choosing sides, the Wei clan has been at a disadvantage recently, so sending charcoal in the snow is naturally better than adding flowers to brocade. Moreover, regarding the Xiang Prince's Mansion, this old man owed a favor before. It is estimated that in the eyes of the Baoli faction, being able to get the Prince of Wei to intercede naturally labels one as a running dog of the Wei clan, and it cannot be washed away."

Zhu Lingxu points to himself and smiles.

Zhu Yuheng purses his lips and nods slowly.

Just at this moment, the curtain at the door is suddenly lifted, and two torches are blown by the night wind, burning fiercely.

They see a Persian merchant, led by a personal guard, walking into the large tent, bending over. His pair of green-bean-sized green eyes turn around.

Li Li has come.

Zhu Lingxu and Zhu Yuheng look at each other.

The latter and the personal guards withdraw temporarily.

Zhu Lingxu invites Li Li to sit down, and the latter takes out a letter, smiling and handing it over...

Not long after, the Persian merchant's figure leaves.

Zhu Yuheng returns to the large tent and finds Father holding a letter, staring at the candle flame in a daze, the letter in his hand faintly having the seal of the Prince of Wei's Mansion.

The thin letter paper twists and turns black in the candle flame, turning into a pinch of gray dust.

Zhu Lingxu suddenly says:

"The Prince of Wei's side is settled, no need to endure anymore. Get the pen and ink, this old man will write a letter."

"What is Father writing about?" Zhu Yuheng is curious.

"Heh, remember when we were in Hongzhou, Wei Shaoqi, Cai Qin, and the others praised Ouyang Lianghan quite a bit. Those who didn't know would think they were in the same gang.

"This child deliberately provoked this old man recently, wanting to anger us into making mistakes again. His heart is punishable."

Looking at his father who is squinting and lowering his voice, Zhu Yuheng nods calmly.

"Good."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 362 =====