The author said: The plot continues to advance, so stay tuned!
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After a lot of work, Zheng Rong finally felt relaxed and happy. He stood up and looked around. Suddenly he found that a layer of twilight had gradually gathered on the window paper. Unexpectedly, half a day had already been spent. So he smiled and said to the people in the room: "Thank you for your hard work. Let's go." I asked the chef of the palace to cook some delicious dishes. How about we all eat together?" Without waiting for everyone to thank him, Zheng Rong opened the door and wanted to ask the attendant to pass a message to the kitchen. He saw the three brothers Zheng Xin, Zheng Sen and Zheng Miao respectfully. Jing stood at the door for who knows how long, and he felt even happier, so he simply asked these people to stay for dinner.
At the dinner table, Zheng Rong started talking about Yi Zhi's courageous and resourceful rescue of Yi Ran, and then went on to compare the pros and cons of forming an alliance. He praised everyone one by one, and his admiration was beyond words. Even Zhongli Kuang, who had always been serious about his words, nodded frequently in praise. Seeing the attitude of his father and husband, all the princes also praised him a few times. Zheng Sen also wanted to find an opportunity to propose a toast, but Qiu Yizhi never drank, so he gave up.
Zheng Rong gave birth to three sons. He recognized Qiu Yizhi as a cockroach, but now he has a little Yiran who is different from the women from the Central Plains living in the house. It is like having an extra daughter. He talks to her whenever he has free time. The style on the grassland. Qiu Yizhi and Zheng Miao often chatted together when they met; only brothers Zheng Xin and Zheng Sen were too old to spend time with their younger brothers, so they just studied and practiced martial arts together.
Zheng Rong enjoyed the happiness of his family in Youyan, but a letter of alliance and a memorial he signed made the whole court furious. After that night banquet, Emperor Zheng Yong suffered from the cold and became even more indifferent to political affairs. He listened to Wang Zhonghai's suggestion and divided the government affairs between the two princes. The two princes ignored the fashion of government affairs and formed cliques to fight. Now they were directly in charge of important affairs of the court, making the court as fortified as a battlefield. Seeing the chaos in the court, Yang Yuanzhi knew that she was unable to do what she wanted, so she simply imitated the emperor and reported illness to rest at home. The two princes already thought this old man was a hindrance, so they agreed. As soon as Yang Yuanzhi left, there was no one in the court who could outline and take the lead, and there were always quarrels over matters no matter how big or small, but in the end they still couldn't be implemented.
The documents of King Zheng Rong of Youyan were sent to the Ministry of War. Although Fu Kui, the minister of the Ministry of War, belonged to the faction of the emperor's eldest son Zheng Chang, he was still somewhat public-minded and had an extraordinary relationship with Zheng Rong. He felt that the fact that the Wulinyala clan was attached was really unreasonable. This time, he bypassed Zhongshu Province and reported directly to the old prime minister Yang Yuanzhi who was recuperating at home. Yang Yuanzhi also felt that the matter was serious. Even if there were no party disputes in the government, if such a major matter passed through the Ministry of Education and was then submitted to various ministries for discussion, it would take at least two or three months to wait for the result, not to mention the current chaos in the government. After much deliberation, Yang Yuanzhi simply risked her life and ran directly to the palace gate and knelt down to see the emperor. Although the emperor Zheng Yong was slack in political affairs, he was not willing to deceive his master and destroy his ancestors. When he heard his master kneeling at the door, he immediately announced him into the palace and immediately approved Zheng Rong's memorial. The emperor's approval is an imperial edict, and even the slightest slight is a crime of deceiving the emperor. However, there is no intention to disobey, but it does not necessarily mean that there is no intention to obstruct. Zhang Chao, the right secretary who was responsible for drafting the imperial edict, and the leader of the second son's party, actually arbitrarily abandoned the left middle secretary Cao Kang and the minister of rites Shi Liangzhi in the imperial edict. There was a slight movement of pen and ink in it, and it went straight to Prince Youyan's Mansion.
After receiving the imperial edict, Zheng Rong was both happy and worried. He was happy that the Ulin Yala clan was approved so quickly, but he was worried that the emperor actually wanted King Youyan to go to the desert to form an alliance with Dali Khan. , I couldn’t help but feel chilled.
Zheng Rong had been at war with the Turks for more than ten years. Although it was not a common occurrence for him to lead his troops to the desert, it was not a thrilling event. He believed that as long as he was well prepared and acted cautiously, he could escape unscathed.
However, starting from the two princes, no one has this view as Zheng Rong himself. The three brothers Zheng Xin, Zheng Sen and Zheng Miao all believed that the current grassland situation was strange and that King Youyan could not move lightly. They were willing to go deep into the desert on behalf of their father to form an alliance with Dali. Zhongli Kuang even bluntly stated that the imperial edict may not be a plan to kill someone with a knife. Even Yiran said that the Dahan alliance was sincere enough and there was no need for King Youyan to enter the dangerous situation in person. Qiu Yizhi had discussed this matter in private with Zheng Rong before. Although he yearned for the scenery of the grassland, he also knew that today's grassland was more dangerous than usual. It was not a good idea for his adoptive father to put himself in danger now.
However, Zheng Rong has always liked heroes. As soon as he saw Dali's two letters, he was fascinated by them and really wanted to make friends with this leader on the grassland. So he overcame all opinions and let Zheng Xin manage Youyan's government affairs and Zheng Sen command the military. He also brought three counselors, Zhongli Kuang, Zheng Miao, Yi Zhi and Yi Ran, and ordered five thousand elite soldiers, led by Cui Nan and Wei. The two famous generals guarding the left and right commanded 1,500 men each, and he commanded the central army of 2,000 men, and then went to the desert.
There were a hundred thousand soldiers, cavalry, and powerful crossbows in Youyan's army. Zheng Sen, the second son who was well versed in military affairs, made a rough calculation and suggested that his father could lead 60,000 troops and horses to the north. Zheng Rong knew his son's thoughts, waved his hands and said with a smile: "The current situation on the grassland, I can lead a hundred thousand troops out, leaving only an empty city in Guangyang is not a big deal. However, this time is not to conquer the Turks. But to go to the alliance, if he brings more soldiers, firstly, he will be misunderstood by the other side, and secondly, the Turks will despise the courage of the Han family." Zheng Sen was speechless, so he had to carefully select the best soldiers. He picked five thousand soldiers and horses for his father to take away.
The group left Guangyang and headed north through Yanzhou, Yingzhou, and Youzhou, and soon arrived at Shanhaiguan.
The majestic appearance of this first pass in the world immediately shocked Qiu Yi, who had seen such a majestic building for the first time - the top and bottom of the pass were built with huge stones, more than ten feet high. On the walls were powerful crossbows, stone cannons, wood, rolling stones, Boiling soup, etc. are all available, and all the soldiers are in high spirits. Qiu Yizhi was very impressed by what he saw. He approached his adoptive father and said, "This Shanhaiguan Pass cannot be shot by arrows or broken by swords. It can be said that one man can guard the pass and ten thousand men cannot open it. No wonder the Turks dare not go south to herd horses!"
Zheng Rong shook his head and said slowly: "It is true that Shanhaiguan is easy to defend but difficult to attack. However, the northern border of the Han Dynasty is thousands of miles away. Is it possible to build tens of thousands of Shanhaiguan? Emperor Taizu Taizong of our dynasty once made a strategy to the north of Yiping, and he had three strategies. . To build a city and defend the Central Plains from being ravaged is the lowest policy; to send troops to the north to defeat the enemy's chieftains thousands of miles away is the middle policy; now that China is safe and the barbarians have surrendered, this is the best policy. The enemy is still being restrained everywhere, which is actually a sign of the unworthy descendants of the Han Dynasty. According to the old ritual, strong cities are not enough to rely on, and strong armor is not enough to be proud. Only strong governance is the way to achieve peace for thousands of years. "Compared with Zhongli Kuang, Zheng Rong's confrontation. Yi Zhi's teachings were not many, but they were always explained in simple and easy-to-understand terms, which benefited Yi Zhi a lot.
After staying one night in Shanhaiguan, the army took tens of thousands of cattle and sheep prepared by Youzhou Prefecture and left the customs to the north.
Passing through the long and dark doorway of Shanhaiguan, we finally left the border of the Han Dynasty and stepped into the Mobei grassland. Youyan Taoist soldiers are well-prepared, and do not have the disadvantages of other defenders in the Han Dynasty, such as false military pay and slack training. These five thousand people are the best among the elite soldiers. They are all warriors who have risked their lives in the battlefield. As soon as I stepped onto the velvet-like grass, I knew that this place was full of dangers, and I couldn't help but tense my nerves. Zheng Rong is the commander-in-chief of an army. Even if he is nervous, he should calm down and sit on his horse and chat and laugh with the generals on his left and right to calm the morale of the army.
The three children are different from the adults. Qiu Yizhi and Zheng Miao returned to the grassland for the first time. The blue sky and green land were all new and strange. Even a piece of grass randomly pulled from the ground would take half a day to study. Yiran is a daughter of the grassland. After staying in Guangyang City for a few months, she has long been suffocated. When she returned to the grassland today, she felt like a fish in water. Although she was younger than Zheng Miao, she regarded herself as a Like her elder sister, she introduced the customs and things on the grassland to Yi Zhi and Zheng Miao.
The three boys sometimes played with the cattle and sheep that they were eating while walking, and sometimes played with the soldiers' crossbows, jumping up and down, and had a lot of fun. When they went too far, Zheng Rong laughed and scolded them, and then they rode on horseback and talked happily on both sides of Zheng Rong. ; When he was tired and sleepy, he ran to Zhongli Kuang's car and slept with his clothes on.
When I woke up, the golden crow was already sinking, the team gradually stopped, and it was time to set up camp.
The master in the army, who knew the terrain well, selected the location of the camp behind a huge boulder, and instructed the sergeants to dig wells and raise cattle and sheep. Wei Hu, the general who conquered the east, arranged for his soldiers to dig trenches, set up sentries, and pitch tents. After about an hour of orderly operation, a huge camp was set up on the grassland.
Since it is on the grassland, the food is mainly beef and mutton. Under Yiran's guidance, Yi Zhi and Zheng Miao lit a bonfire and roasted the plump lamb legs until they made a "crackling" sound. A mouth-watering burnt aroma spread along the wind. Zheng Rong smelled the fragrance and pulled Zhongli Kuang over to sit down around the bonfire.
Yi Zhi and Zheng Miao each held a freshly roasted leg of lamb and presented it to their teacher. Zheng Rong took the delicious food from Zheng Miao and started to eat it without regard to royal etiquette. Zhongli Kuang couldn't stand roasted lamb. I originally brought vegetables and rice from Youyan, but it was not easy to refute Yizhi's face. I took a bite, but was choked and coughed repeatedly, which made everyone laugh.
After a hearty chat, they went back to their tents to rest.
Early the next morning, the Han army raised their camp and continued to advance north. A few white clouds are leisurely changing shapes on the clear blue sky, and the endless grassland stretches as far as the eye can see, covered with the bleakness of winter. The cold wind blowing from the north shows its destructive power without scruples. The soldiers coming from the south did not succumb to his power at all. They all put on winter clothes and followed the confident general with firm steps, advancing northward.
Yi Zhi and Zheng Miao followed Yi Ran's instructions and lay down on their horses to avoid the wind. Occasionally, herdsmen drove their sheep and sang incomprehensible pastoral songs, which made them stand up and take a look. At this time, Zheng Rong would ask soldiers who knew the languages of various ethnic groups in the desert to drive forward, ask them about the route, and give them a few ingots of silver. This moved the herdsmen to kneel down and pray, thanking God. of gifts.
The journey lasted for several days. It was the same sky, the same grassland, the same strong wind, and the same flocks of sheep. This made Yi Zhi's excitement and curiosity when he first stepped into the grassland disappear. The undulating horseback rocked Yi Zhi into a drowsy state. Just as he was about to slip into Zhongli Kuang's carriage to take a nap, he heard the distant sound of a horn coming from nowhere.
Immediately, a scout came to report: "About 20 miles northwest and west, there are more than 500 Turks coming towards our army!"
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PS. I grew up in the Magic City and have never been to the grassland. This description is just a figment of my imagination. I don’t know if it is consistent with reality. By the way, I have always thought about having the opportunity to travel to Inner Mongolia by car, a distance of nearly 2,000 kilometers! (To be continued)