Zheng Miao was a man as smart as Qiu Yizi, and he had already heard Qiu Yizi's narrow-mindedness, so he continued, "My dear brother, you are too modest. I have entrusted you with the important task of defense. Of course, the deployment of troops and the placement of the headquarters are also your tasks."
Qiu Yizi winked at Zheng Miao and said, "Well, I think the terrain here is indeed flat, and it is very stable with a big city behind us. We will leave in one night anyway, so it is not a bad idea to set up a camp here. It's just that the imperial guards brought by third brother are used to the comfortable life in the capital. I am afraid that they will be lazy and slack when we set up camp. I will teach them a lesson then. Third brother, please don't be surprised and protect them, okay?"
Zhao Chengxiao was completely confused by the two brothers' secret language and didn't know how to respond. He could only agree and then retreated to command the troops to set up camp. "Mr. Bansong" Lin Shuhan beside him could hardly hold back his laughter.
Zheng Yu carefully chewed and savored the conversation between Zheng Miao and Qiu Yizi, and pondered for a long time before saying, "Since the Third Prince intends to camp under the city, I will not disturb him. I will stay on the city tower today. If the Third Prince needs anything, just send someone to tell us to do it."
So Zheng Miao, Qiu Yi and his entourage set up camp at the foot of Fuzhou City. As the journey to Lingnan was uncertain, and they were stationed under the eyes of others, no one dared to be careless, and everything was carried out according to the plan for the action in the enemy's territory. Therefore, when the army set up the camp, the sun was setting.
Qiu Yizhi was afraid that Zheng Yu had tampered with the food he provided, so he ordered Zhao Chengxiao to take out the ingredients purchased from Jiangnan Road and have the cooks prepare food for the entire army. When the sun set, he ordered the entire army to extinguish torches and candles so that the people on the city walls could not see the real situation in the camp. However, he did not forget to take turns to stand guard in the camp just in case.
Fortunately, nothing happened that night. The next morning, Zheng Miao mobilized his troops early to prevent any trouble. He called Zheng Yu, who was staying overnight in the city, to discuss the matter. Then he moved camp and headed towards the deep mountain path in the southwest instead of taking the broad road leading to Quanzhou.
There were towering mountains and dense rainforests on both sides. Not only was the road rugged and difficult to travel on, but there were also countless mosquitoes and insects. Even the battle-hardened militia under Qiu Yizhi's command could not walk more than seventy or eighty miles a day in such an environment. The Bohai horses under the lap of his eighteen personal soldiers also looked listless due to acclimatization.
Zheng Yu, who led a hundred Lingnan soldiers and horses in front, saw Zheng Miao and others being harassed by mosquitoes and suffered terribly. He came back from the front team and offered several jars of medicine, saying: "The climate and soil in Lingnan are different from those in the Central Plains. I remember that my father also felt quite uncomfortable when he first came here. At that time, if he was bitten by any poisonous insect, half of his body would swell up. There were countless soldiers killed by smog. Later, my father got a secret recipe. As long as you apply it on your armpits, ankles, nostrils, etc., not only will mosquitoes stay away, but even smog can pass through without any hindrance."
As he spoke, Zheng Yu pointed to a jar carried by several soldiers and said, "This is the secret medicine. As long as you apply it according to the method, your Highness will be refreshed and have clear eyes and ears." After saying that, he was afraid that Zheng Miao would suspect that the medicine was poisonous, so he personally reached out his hand, dipped a little in the jar, and rubbed it on both sides of his nose. An expression of enjoyment immediately appeared on his face.
Zheng Miao was really annoyed by the mosquitoes, and he didn't want to show his weakness in front of Zheng Yu, so he also rubbed a little medicine near his nostrils. His originally twisted facial features suddenly relaxed, and he smiled and called to Qiu Yizhi who was following closely behind him: "This medicine is really effective, come over and try it, brother."
Although Qiu Yi's ancestral home is in the south, he grew up in the north. He had long been tortured by the weather in Lingnan. Seeing that Zheng Miao seemed to have a very good effect, he hurried forward and dipped his hand in some secret medicine to use. In an instant, the refreshing smell of the medicine went straight into his brain from his nostrils, and then spread throughout his body from his brain, sweeping away the depression accumulated in his body for the whole day. He couldn't help but feel sharp and clear-headed, and even his legs and feet were much lighter.
So Qiu Yizhi praised: "The Second Prince really has something good in his hand, but I don't know the formula of this secret medicine? Can you teach it to me?"
Zheng Yu said: "The formula is not complicated, but it is difficult to prepare. Here are a few jars of secret medicine, enough for the soldiers under His Highness the Third Prince and His Highness the Righteous Prince to use for ten days. Please accept them."
Since ancient times, when the North marched into the South, it was not afraid of the large numbers of Southern soldiers, but was afraid of the mosquitoes, poisonous miasma, and dangerous terrain in the South. If the Northern soldiers could master the formula of this secret medicine, half of the South's advantage would be gone.
Therefore, although Zheng Yu's words were polite, the meaning behind them was very firm - this secret medicine was the pass to enter Lingnan, and only the Lingnan Palace could grant it to outsiders. It would be impossible for outsiders to prepare it themselves.
However, Qiu Yi's position was no less firm than Zheng Yu's. He knew that if the court was determined to withdraw the vassal state, there would be a war of varying degrees with the King of Lingnan. In addition to the troops and weapons, the secret medicine was the key to victory, so he asked again: "I have also invested in a few merchants and run some small businesses. It is said that there is a huge profit in reselling salt and tea between Lingnan and Jiangnan, but it is difficult to travel in Lingnan, so I am deterred. I wonder if the second prince can give me the secret recipe. You can name your price!"
Zheng Yu suddenly smiled and said, "Your Highness Yi, you are joking. There are so many caravans running salt and tea business in Lingnan, but none of them have made a fortune. How can they compare to the amount Your Highness Yi has earned from both Mr. Zhou Cijing and Mr. Li Zhi?"
Qiu Yizi was horrified when he heard this - there were no more than ten people in the world who knew his way of making money, and apart from a few close friends around him, there were only the emperor, the prime minister and a few princes - how could such a big secret be known by the second prince of King of Lingnan who had lived in the south for a long time.
He continued, "To be honest, Your Highness Yi, this secret medicine is also a powerful tool for the Lingnan Palace to make money. If it is sold to the Guangzhou Customs, a jar of the medicine can be exchanged for a jar of silver of the same size from foreign vassal states! Even so, my father still strictly orders that the annual export of secret medicine cannot exceed 10,000 kilograms, for fear that outsiders will cunningly study the formula or hoard it, which would be a huge blow! Please forgive me for this, Your Highness Yi."
Qiu Yizi was such a smart person that he had already heard the indirect implication of Zheng Yu's words. However, he did not point it out clearly and his tone was very polite, so Qiu Yizi could not find any fault with it. He could only reply, "Cutting off someone's financial resources is like killing his parents. Since this is a secret of the Lingnan Palace, it is not easy for me to take it by force." There was also ill intention in his words.
Zheng Yu didn't seem to understand what he said. He still smiled and bowed, saying, "Then I would like to thank His Highness Yi and His Highness the Third Prince for their understanding." After that, he shook his fat body and continued to lead the army.
The army marched like this for a day and a night, always passing through mountains and valleys. After bypassing a mountain, another mountain came into view. Not to mention a city or a small town, even the hunters' huts and the smoke from the top of the mountain were rarely seen.
Therefore, when Zheng Miao called Zheng Yu over again, he said deliberately: "It is said that Lingnan Road is seven mountains, two rivers and one field. Today I see that it is indeed true! The King of Lingnan has guarded this smoky and miasmatic land for the Han Dynasty for twenty years. It is really a great honor for him."
Zheng Yu immediately took over the conversation: "This saying is widely spread, but unfortunately it is not accurate. There is also a saying that 'there is no three-foot flat land, and no three-cent silver for people'. The sages said that 'when the granaries are full, people will know etiquette'. This side is poor and has bad water and mountains. There is nothing else but unruly people and barbarians everywhere. I am not bragging, but apart from my father, I am afraid no one can suppress them!"
Zheng Miao smiled and said, "The court is aware of the merits of Uncle Wang over the years. As the saying goes, one should return to one's roots. If he wants to return to the capital to retire, or to rest in the beautiful Jiangnan area, I dare not say anything else, but I will be the first to submit a petition for a review. After all, Uncle Wang has worked so hard over the years!"
Zheng Yu was speechless for a moment and couldn't help but admire the third prince who was nearly ten years younger than him. He took the initiative with this sentence, which was something he could not have said without a sharp mind and repeated experience.
Zheng Yu's eyes turned, and he quickly calculated in his mind, saying, "I'm afraid that the situation in Lingnan Road, which has finally stabilized, will deteriorate immediately after my father leaves. By then, those chieftains will rise up in rebellion, and the good situation in southern Xinjiang will be ruined, which is not worth the loss."
Zheng Miao also thought about it and said, "Why not replace all these chieftains and set up temporary officials to govern them, just like in the interior? There may be some disputes in ten or twenty years. But as long as they are educated, when the young people grow up, they can transform from barbarians to Chinese. Isn't this a plan for long-term peace and stability?"
Zheng Yu was not a stupid man. After listening to Zheng Miao's words, he knew that although this method was not effective quickly, it was a permanent solution. If it succeeded, Lingnan would be no different from other places in the Central Plains, and there would be no need for the Lingnan Palace to continue to exist.
However, as the second prince of Lingnan, Zheng Yu naturally disagreed with Zheng Miao's opinion. After thinking it over, he could only say, "It's easy to talk about it on paper, but it's extremely difficult to actually implement it. Even if the court has such a decree, it can only be implemented with my father in charge."
Zheng Miao raised his lips and said, "I'm sorry to say that. My uncle will eventually grow old. Even if he can be the King of Lingnan for his whole life, he won't be the King of Lingnan for the next life. If the throne is passed on to future generations, then the entire Lingnan Palace will be tied up in this dangerous place for generations. This is not a solution, right?"
Zheng Yu felt itchy at the words of Zheng Miao. Just as he was about to answer, he heard the sound of a horn coming from the mountains.
The sound of the horn echoed in the valley countless times, and it was no longer possible to hear where it came from. The only thing that came to mind was that the sound was so gentle and melodious that it made people feel intoxicated.
Zheng Yu was horrified when he heard this, and hurriedly said to Zheng Miao: "I'm afraid that the barbarians are coming to attack, so Your Highness, please make preparations early. I will go back to the vanguard army to reorganize it first." After saying that, he twisted his chubby body like a ball and ran forward.
Qiu Yizhi, who had been silent for a long time, could no longer hold back after hearing this, and hurriedly ordered Zhao Chengxiao, "Brother Zhao, the enemy is attacking, quickly line up to meet the enemy!"
Zhao Chengxiao agreed and observed the terrain carefully. Although the road under his feet was slightly wider than other places, it could only accommodate five or six people passing side by side. On one side of this rugged path was a cliff more than ten feet deep, and on the other side was a mountain that towered into the clouds. If the enemy launched a surprise attack, they would surely attack from the top of the mountain.
So Zhao Chengxiao gave an order, and his soldiers took down the giant shields, powerful crossbows, Japanese swords, and rattan shields from the chariots and formed a battle formation along the foot of the mountain beside the road. (To be continued)