Chapter 366: 100. High-End Game

100. High-End Game

"Eh, Yuan County Magistrate, what is the meaning of this?"

On the street at the gate of the large mansion with two red lanterns hanging,

Zhu Zhu Yuheng, who was followed by a group of neat knights, had just turned over and mounted his horse, looking down and glancing at the Fushui County Magistrate Yuan Ji who was sending him off at the door.

Behind this middle-aged county magistrate followed a delicate little girl wearing a veil, lowering her head and standing prettily, not daring to look at anyone, holding a tray in both hands.

Yuan County Magistrate smiled:

"General Zhu, Chen Squire learned that you are young and fighting outside alone, killing for the country, and really admires you. Just now at the dust-washing banquet, the general didn't forget to put on armor, wearing this set of cold military armor. The night is long, and Chen Squire is very worried about your health.

"So Chen Squire specially sent his daughter to send a warm autumn coat. Add clothes when it is cold. I hope the general will not be polite. Although the general is heroic and does not commit any crimes like his father, you cannot be cold when fighting for the country, right?"

Yuan County Magistrate pointed to the end of the East Street:

"A hundred steps along the street, there is an elegant villa of Chen Squire's family. The general can follow Chen's little girl to change clothes there. If the size is not suitable, let Chen's little girl tailor it for the general on the spot overnight. How about it?

"This is also a little bit of heart from all the officials and people of Fushui County. I hope the general will accept it."

"Hahaha." The drunken soldiers behind him burst into laughter.

Zhu Zhu Yuheng looked at this middle-aged county

On the tray lined with red cloth in her hands sat a stack of silk garments and a bronze key.

Zhu Zhu Yuheng sneered.

Tonight was the third day since he led his troops to take Fushui County without shedding blood.

Fushui County was the eastern gateway to Hongzhou. Now, Zhu Zhu Yuheng's vanguard had stationed itself in this county, and apart from dealing with a small batch of blind fellows at the very beginning, it had cost almost no effort.

This Magistrate Yuan was quite sensible; he had directly bound and offered up the small garrison commander sent by Cai Qin's side, surrendering very quickly. Tonight, he even gathered the wealthy squires and local gentry within the county's jurisdiction to hold a lively welcoming banquet for Zhu Zhu Yuheng and his soldiers, sincerely inviting them to attend.

Originally, Zhu Zhu Yuheng couldn't be bothered to come, as military affairs were important, but remembering some of his father's instructions, he came to drink a few cups of wine. He remained on guard, though, but looking at it now, he had perhaps been a bit too suspicious.

His gaze swept over the delicate young lady wearing a veil hat; just looking at her figure was enough to make a man temporarily ignore her face—the kind where you'd want to turn off the lights.

It was just that... Squire Chen's youngest daughter?

Zhu Zhu Yuheng's mouth twitched when he remembered the pot-bellied old squire who had been sitting quite close at the banquet just now.

He was speechless. "Damn it, with that pig-like appearance of yours, you can produce such a delicate young daughter? Are you sure she isn't the seed of Squire Wang next door?"

Sneering was one thing, but whether this young lady was Squire Chen's biological daughter or someone picked out from a brothel on short notice didn't matter; the attitude shown by Magistrate Yuan, Squire Chen, and the others as representatives of the officials and people of Fushui County was what mattered, and Zhu Zhu Yuheng was quite satisfied.

"Forget about the mansion," Zhu Zhu Yuheng said indifferently. "This general is used to the wooden beds in the military camp; I'm not used to sleeping on soft, warm beds."

Magistrate Yuan nodded and immediately replied, "General Zhu is truly a young hero, possessing the style of your esteemed father. This subordinate is ashamed."

He paused and then said:

"Speaking of which, this subordinate has admired your esteemed father for a long time. Early last spring, I had the honor of gazing upon your father's noble countenance in the Hongzhou Great Hall. Truly, like father, like son—what a fine example of father and son going into battle together."

"Hehe."

On horseback, Zhu Zhu Yuheng, looking down from above, chuckled twice. He reined in his mount to circle the spot three times, then tapped the horse's rump with the deep red whip in his hand before it finally came to a halt.

Zhu Zhu Yuheng used the whip he had just tapped the horse's rump with to point at Magistrate Yuan, whose expression remained unchanged below, and shook his head with a laugh.

"Magistrate Yuan, oh Magistrate Yuan, actually you are also a hero and a man of talent. Hahaha, it was this general who misunderstood you before. My fault, my fault."

What kind of man of talent? A man of talent who knows how to adapt to circumstances. If Zhu Zhu Yuheng remembered correctly, this Magistrate Yuan had been very aloof in the past and hadn't given his father much face.

Every spring, local county magistrates would follow custom and go to Hongzhou City to report on their duties. After arriving in Hongzhou City, other magistrates within Hongzhou would be very sensible and come to Hongzhou City the first chance they got—not to report to the Hongzhou Great Hall, but to visit the Hongzhou Governor's Mansion, presenting calling cards and offering gifts.

Only this Grade 7 magistrate named Yuan Ji considered himself aloof, coming empty-handed every time and even giving his father, who was of military background, a cold shoulder on some state and county issues, refusing to cooperate.

However, previously, this Yuan Ji was, after all, from a scholarly background, had governed Fushui County well, was stern and impartial, was quite loved by the people of Fushui, and his lifestyle was relatively frugal and disciplined, somewhat similar to Magistrate Ouyang Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan, who had once served as the Magistrate of Longcheng in Jiangzhou.

Of course, he hadn't been as outrageous as Magistrate Ouyang Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan, who had miraculously controlled floods and wiped out local bullies in one fell swoop, but he was still quite famous within Hongzhou.

Therefore, the Hongzhou Governor's Mansion could never find a handle to discipline this hard bone, which made his father very embarrassed, and some other Hongzhou counties followed suit, making some of the Governor's Mansion's official orders ineffective.

One might ask, what could be more satisfying than seeing a former hard bone soften up?

Zhu Zhu Yuheng sneered and said leisurely:

"Magistrate Yuan is a smart man. You surrendered with the county people twice quite quickly, just like the grass on the wall at my house. Heh, if you are truly sincere, then prepare all the grain, fodder, ships, and the men to transport the grain.

"Do not add trouble to the imperial court's great task of suppressing the rebellion or affect the timing of the battle. Honestly wait for my father's great army to arrive. The 100,000-strong vanguard expeditionary force will set out from Prince Xunyang City tomorrow to sweep away the remnants of the Cai rebels in Hongzhou.

"Magistrate Yuan will soon be able to gaze upon his noble countenance again. When that time comes, we can reminisce properly."

Standing under a lantern, Magistrate Yuan, whose expression was hard to see clearly, nodded:

"Very well, I will quietly await the 100,000-strong army of Grand Governor Zhu. General Zhu, please go slowly. The grain and fodder can be prepared by the day after tomorrow, but I hope General Zhu can wait a little. It happens to be the time of the Autumnal Equinox, and the villagers are harvesting and planting, so we need to delay for two days. However, this subordinate guarantees that within seven days, the conscripts will definitely be ready. Just seven days, once this busy farming season passes..."

"Within three days."

Zhu Zhu Yuheng interrupted and ordered indifferently.

"It's just a mere thousand conscripts. I'll limit you to three days. I'm leaving, Magistrate Yuan, please stay."

Zhu Zhu Yuheng, a military man with little interest in farming, finished speaking, whipped his horse, and prepared to lead the way.

Yuan Ji sighed, turned around, and prepared to take the delicate young lady inside.

But suddenly, a puzzled voice came from the street ahead:

"Magistrate Yuan, where are you taking this general's autumn clothes?"

Looking back, it turned out to be Zhu Zhu Yuheng, who had reined in his horse, raised his head, and was asking Yuan Ji with a strange look.

In Zhu Zhu Yuheng's entourage, a light cavalryman immediately dashed out for his young master. Passing the doorway, he skillfully snatched the young lady and the autumn clothes from under the horse's nose while still in the saddle.

The young lady cried out, and the bronze key fell to the ground.

The group of military men laughed heartily and rode away.

Watching Zhu Zhu Yuheng's retreating back, Fushui Magistrate Yuan Ji's mouth twitched.

Standing under the two red lanterns for a while, he turned and entered the door, murmuring:

"Twice, is it... but how are you any different?"

After drinking, Zhu Zhu Yuheng, who had galloped back to the military camp on the outskirts of the county with his personal guard, felt much more sober after being blown by the late-night wind of the wilderness. Looking at the vast night sky, he suddenly felt a sense of openness and great satisfaction.

Zhu Zhu Yuheng wasn't unaware of Yuan Ji's boring little scheme to win farming time for the local farmers and people, but at this moment, his heart was filled only with admiration and endless emotion for his father, who was devising strategies in Prince Xunyang City.

His father was right; civil war and foreign war were indeed different.

In a civil war, the resistance of various localities is weak, and it is very easy to surrender. Everyone is watching and waiting for the winner to be decided, so they can return to the normal track of peace.

The nature of this civil war made it favorable not only for rebels like Li Li Zhengyan and the Restoration Army but also for their father and son to "recover lost territory."

Military merit was within easy reach; they just needed to seriously fight the key decisive battle against Li Li Zhengyan and Cai Qin's forces.

Just as his father had analyzed earnestly:

Excluding the cavalry's deep penetration into the desert, foreign wars against alien tribes cannot be rushed; they are a contest of national strength and a blood feud between the Chinese and the barbarians.

But a civil war cannot be delayed!

The main point is to snowball.

It's winner-takes-all; you must strike while the iron is hot, sweep through with irresistible force, and win the key decisive battle. The bystanders will naturally surrender. It is foolish to engage in repeated tug-of-war and attrition.

His father, who was already skilled in using troops and large-scale decisive battles, had a very clear vision and had seized this opportunity.

This was exactly what happened when Cai Qin's army captured Hongzhou City, took his father hostage, and then swept through the entire Hongzhou territory and invaded Jiangzhou like a whirlwind.

However, the momentum was broken by his father in the Battle of Guling in Jishui County.

Now, thanks to his father's defection and the cooperation of his old subordinate Zhao Zhao Rushi, the imperial court, which should have been slow to react, had regained the initiative early on. Using Jiangzhou as its base, it relied on its complete logistical system to gather superior forces and switch from defense to offense.

At present, he and his father represented the upright imperial army and also held a numerical advantage. Since his father had once been the official in charge of Hongzhou, the parties within Hongzhou who had previously surrendered to Cai Qin and the Teng Wang Fu Restoration Army had even less reason to resist them.

Of course, they would welcome the imperial army like Yuan Ji did. Who dared to disobey his father and son? That would be disobeying the bigger picture!

This was the trend; even the hardest bones had to soften up.

The once cold-faced Magistrate Yuan Ji was like this, and the troublesome Magistrate Ouyang Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan was the same.

How could their father and son's great situation be sacrificed just for the small autumn harvest of the people of Hongzhou?

"What a fine example of 'the best military strategy is to attack the enemy's plans, the next is to attack their alliances, and the worst is to attack their cities.'"

Zhu Zhu Yuheng sighed, feeling more and more convinced and admiring of his father, deeply feeling that his previous youthful impulsiveness and hot-headedness had led him to wrongly trust Yue Yue Ziang and the others.

"Father said that after this battle, we will wipe out Li Li Zhengyan, help the Wei clan win military merit in the southwest, crush the Baoli faction, and once the Wei clan promotes us, I can find an opportunity to be sent to the northern border army to truly build a career, not just be confined to a corner of Jiang Nan, but have the chance to compete for a legendary military reputation!"

Zhu Zhu Yuheng, just sobered up, felt his blood rushing to his head. The prospect of a smooth path ahead was more intoxicating than fine wine or beautiful women. He muttered to himself:

"In the future, I must never disobey Father again. Facts have proven that Father's choices have never been wrong..."

Zhu Zhu Yuheng turned his head and laughed as he whipped the buttocks of the delicate young lady on the horse behind him. A "Ya—" cry of sorrow, sounding both resentful and shy, rang out.

Zhu Zhu Yuheng laughed heartily and immediately led his men back to the military camp.

"Send her and the autumn clothes to my tent."

He ordered with a laugh, preparing to wash up and change into the autumn clothes. Unlike the other soldiers, he was covered in sweat, and he didn't want to be rude to a beauty; he had to be decent.

"Eldest Young Master, the Grand Governor has sent someone! He says it's an urgent matter! He has been waiting for half an hour."

Suddenly, a personal guard who had been waiting for a long time stepped forward and reported anxiously.

"Who is it?"

"It's General Zhao," the guard whispered.

Zhu Zhu Yuheng's expression shifted. "Uncle Zhao?"

This was his father's confidant, an old subordinate from the Governor's Mansion who had later been transferred to serve as the County Lieutenant of Jishui County during the peaceful years. The recent Battle of Jishui had proven his loyalty to his father; there had been no estrangement due to his transfer. He was a confidant among confidants.

"Very well, I understand."

Zhu Zhu Yuheng had no time to worry about autumn clothes or young ladies for the moment and immediately led his entourage to the main tent.

As he approached the main tent, he stopped calmly, let his two Xianbei guards wait at the door, and ordered with his usual expression:

"No outsiders are allowed in."

"Yes."

Zhu Zhu Yuheng walked into the tent.

He saw a limping man who had been waiting for a long time, his face steady. It was indeed Mobile Corps Commander Zhao Zhao Rushi.

"Uncle Zhao, coming here in the middle of the night, what is the matter? Does Father have new instructions?" Zhu Zhu Yuheng asked with a puzzled tone.

Upon seeing Zhu Zhu Yuheng, the limping man immediately stood up excitedly. His gait was pigeon-toed, and the excessive range of motion made him limp even more. He greeted him, grabbed Zhu Zhu Yuheng's palm, and stuffed a hard object into it. The latter looked down and saw a familiar emerald jade ring. The limping man in front of him leaned into his ear and tried his best to lower his voice:

"Eldest Young Master, something has happened in Prince Xunyang City! Something big!

"Li Li Zhengyan doesn't know where he found a top-grade Qi refiner, seemingly some Xie Xiao Xie Xiao Niangzi Xiao Niangzi Yunmeng, and she carried a strange tripod sword that looked like a scroll. Last night, they sneaked into the city, killed Magistrate Ouyang Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan and Wang Wang Lengran first, then beheaded two female officials in colorful clothes, and then bloodied the Prince Xunyang Wang Fu, leaving not a single piece of armor behind, before turning to frame the imperial court.

"Before Li Li Zhengyan left, he privately sought out the Grand Governor. The Grand Governor had no choice, and after weighing the pros and cons, decided to defect to the Restoration Army that possesses the tripod sword to gamble on something bigger. He has already burned the Prince Xunyang official ships with Li Li Zhengyan and fled overnight. He specifically ordered this subordinate to bring a letter, telling you to immediately lead the vanguard army to defect to Cai Qin in Hongzhou. Do not delay; the pursuers are right behind!"

"What did you say?!" Zhu Zhu Yuheng was stunned upon hearing this.

Until Zhao Zhao Rushi immediately took out a felt hat from his sleeve that Zhu Zhu Yuheng was also familiar with, and patted it into his palm with an anxious expression: "Li Zhen... Lord Li left this before he left, laughing and entrusting us to pass it to General Cai in Hongzhou. This is a token."

Zhu Zhu Yuheng looked down at the emerald ring and the old felt hat, his mouth hanging open in silence. A thousand words only converged into a single syllable:

"Ah?"

(End of chapter)