"Brother Lao is really well informed. Just now, my younger brother got the news that the Kaman people have assembled an army of 200,000 people and have surrounded Jiayuguan. There are also nearly 100,000 troops marching towards Taixuan Mansion. A fierce battle is also going on in the north of Jerok Principality. It seems that this war will not be over in three to five months." Wu Feng did not directly answer Lao Min's question, but frankly told the news he had just obtained.
"What? The Kamans attacked Taixuan Mansion and Jiayuguan?" Lao Min's surprise was not pretended. The news he got was that the situation in the northwest was chaotic. The old nobles of the Imperial Council were now trapped there and couldn't escape, and they were extremely violent. A rebellion broke out among the local Gaoyue barbarians. The local government was unable to respond and the situation became increasingly tense. Many nobles from the imperial capital had rushed to Yuhang to request His Majesty the Emperor to let Li Wufeng return to the northwest to stabilize the overall situation and rescue the nobles. Therefore, it was guessed that there was no such thing. Thinking that there has been another big problem in Taixuan Palace in just two days.
"Well, the situation is deteriorating now. I see that Taixuan Palace is in some trouble." Wu Feng replied calmly, "This time the Kaman people are probably determined and want to take over Taixuan Palace."
Wu Feng's relaxed tone made Lao Min a little confused. Does this guy really not want to go back to the northwest? Could it be that the chaotic situation in the northwest was not scripted and staged by this guy
He calmed down and then said with a smile: "The Kaman people have long wanted to take advantage of Taixuan, especially Jiayuguan. I'm afraid they have dreamed of it for every generation of people in power. But Jiayuguan has plenty of soldiers and good food, and there are dangerous passes to rely on. , how has the Kaman people succeeded in the past hundreds of years? However, once Taixuan Palace is lost, it will endanger the long-term defense posture of Jiayuguan, and we must prepare in advance."
Wu Feng did have some admiration for these noble-born disciples. No matter what, at least they were unrivaled in terms of talking about war on paper. Lao Min's words were indeed very reasonable. At this time, he had to admit Lao Min's words. This is based on experience, at least I can't see anything right now.
"It seems that Brother Li will be returning to the northwest soon. Let's think of today as a farewell party with Brother Li. Come, let's wish Brother Li success and celebrate after we have solved the siege of Taixuan Mansion. Come and have a drink!" Wu Feng was deeply touched by Min's words. If it weren't for the Kaman people's troops, it might have been difficult for him to return to the northwest. Now he was just waiting for His Majesty's imperial decree, which should arrive within the next two days.
"Thank you, Brother Lao, for your kind words. This war is hard to say. The Kamans are coming fiercely, with an army of hundreds of thousands! They can more than sweep through Jerok. If there were no reinforcements from the empire, Jerok would have been defeated long ago. I can't hold it anymore." Wu Feng had a wry smile on his face, making it impossible to tell whether he was genuine or not.
In the Zhoushan Islands on a summer night, there is a cool breeze, and the stars in the sky reflect the little ripples on the sea under the night. The waves gently lap back to the shore, stirring up bursts of water. Everything seems so quiet and peaceful. Stepping on the soft sand on the beach, the entire island seems to be integrated into the sky, without any gaps.
Silently following His Majesty the Emperor, who was walking forward with his head bowed, He Zhiqiu looked particularly calm.
Li Wufeng's problem has troubled him for a long time, but he thought over and over again that the current development of the situation has gone far beyond the control of the central government of the empire. The situation in the north and Kansai that Lu Wenfu told him simply made his hair stand on end. The situation has become such Oops, but the local governments in these counties are ignorant. No, whether they are ignorant or deliberately deceiving the superiors and subordinates is still difficult to say, but what is certain is that many high-ranking officials must be involved. , otherwise it would be impossible to develop to such an extent.
Now, due to the large-scale invasion of the Jerok Principality by the Kamans, two divisions in the Northern Military Region and the Western Military Region, which were originally designed to prevent the Kaman invasion, have been dragged in. It seems that they will not be able to get out for a while. The two counties garrisoned in the Western Military Region are extremely depleted of troops. The slightest disturbance may cause chaos like landslides and tsunamis. The Kaman people chose this time to send troops, which really caught the pulse of the empire.
The two walked in silence for several miles without speaking, each having unspeakable difficulties in their hearts.
"My dear, do you think the Kaman people have any other intentions for this action?" Situ Mingyue's words seemed a little uncertain on the empty beach.
Awakening from his meditation, He Zhiqiu sorted out his thoughts and replied succinctly: "It is still difficult to determine for now. Jiayuguan is like a deep thorn in their throats for both the Kaman people and the Sisluo people, making them The plan to go south has always been difficult to carry out boldly. As long as Jiayuguan is not lost for a day, the Kaman and Sisluo people will never think of sleeping peacefully. But this time the Kaman sent an army of such a scale, which is the first time in the history of nearly a hundred years. For the first time, they must have made up their mind to open this passage.”
After thinking about it carefully, He Zhiqiu then added: "However, I still find it hard to believe that the Kaman people are really sure of taking Jiayuguan in one fell swoop? Or do they really want to capture Taixuan Mansion at all costs? , rely on a long-term siege to force Jiayuguan to fall on its own due to supply problems? Both options have insurmountable obstacles for them. Conquering Jiayuguan will not be achieved simply by relying on the number of soldiers or advanced siege equipment. How many empires can The accumulation of hard work spent over a hundred years has created this unbreakable fortress. Even if the Kaman people have ten times the strength, they will not be able to succeed. Siege? Not to mention whether they can win Taixuan Palace, even if they occupy Taixuan Palace. The empire simply does not have that much power to carry out a long-term siege operation. The empire only needs to mobilize troops to break the blockade during the year of siege, so all their investment will be in vain. This is also a contradiction. Therefore. Wei Chen is also thinking about whether the Kaman people have any other conspiracy in their attack?"
Facing the vast sea and sky, Situ Mingyue didn't say anything for a while. After a while, she sighed quietly and said: "It's hard for you. The empire is in many difficulties at the moment. There are wolves watching around, all wanting to take advantage of the opportunity to make a profit. And My energy is getting worse every day, but none of my sons can make me feel at ease!"
Seeing His Majesty the Emperor talking about this issue, He Zhiqiu Geng felt his heart tightening. He could hear that His Majesty the Emperor had already intended to establish a crown prince, but he could not confirm it for the moment. However, as a foreign minister, this kind of issue is the most taboo, and all royal matters are Due to family issues, as a foreign minister, I can only abide by my duties as a minister and be loyal to him, and I must not make any arbitrary comments.
"Your Majesty is in the prime of spring and Autumn and has the spirit of dragon and horse. There is no need to worry too much about these issues now. All the princes are smart and wise. When the time comes, there will naturally be someone that Your Majesty likes. Your Majesty can rest assured." But since His Majesty the Emperor talked about this issue, He Zhiqiu had to hold back. Vague answer.
"Let's not talk about this matter. Since Aiqing also advocates that Li Wufeng return to the northwest to solve the Taixuan crisis, but if it is difficult to control in the future, wouldn't it be like letting the tiger return to the mountain?" Situ Mingyue also understood He Zhiqiu's difficulties and brought the topic back to the topic.
"The situation is critical at the moment. If Taixuan Palace or Jiayuguan is lost, it may trigger a chain reaction, especially since the Sisluo people have always been in collusion with the Kaman people. If they also take the opportunity to send troops, the situation in the northern part of the empire will be difficult to deal with. In contrast, , although Li Wufeng is difficult to control, after all, he is an imperial general, not to mention that the information he has is not much else. If the war can be quelled this time, we can make another plan. Wei Chen suggested that your majesty grant him a marriage immediately, If you don't have enough time, you can get engaged first, and it's not too late to make a grand ceremony when the time is right. After the engagement, you can let the princess go to the northwest with him. On the one hand, you can appease people's hearts, and on the other hand, you can also exercise the power of surveillance and control." He Zhiqiu said decisively.
"Giving a marriage now? Wouldn't it be too abrupt? And how effective would this be?" Situ Mingyue's forehead wrinkled slightly.
"The engagement is just a situation, there is no need to care too much about it. As for the role, the Thirteenth Princess is wise and courageous, and has a unique vision. She is really the best candidate. Although the Seventeenth Princess is young, I think she is deep and wise. In fact, No less than the Thirteenth Princess, everyone would be happy if they could win Li Wufeng's heart. If not, they would have to use their status as royal nobles to penetrate into the northwest and try to break through Li Wufeng's one-man domination situation and form a check. Li Wufeng must not be allowed to dominate alone. . Even if he notices it, Li Wufeng would not dare to risk the world's disapproval and act rashly." He Zhiqiu's eyes showed a cold light, and Situ Mingyue nodded secretly.
The sudden marriage grant was beyond Wu Feng's expectation, but he soon understood His Majesty the Emperor's painstaking efforts. However, the Seventeenth Princess, who was only sixteen years old, had just had her coming-of-age ceremony and was getting engaged to him, which indeed made Wu Feng feel a bit sudden. Fortunately, I heard that the seventeenth princess was beautiful and talented, and was known as a talented woman in the palace. Wu Feng had never been immune to beauties, so when he heard the envoy announcing that His Majesty the Emperor had decreed a marriage, he was immediately delighted. agreed and thanked him profusely.
This incident immediately caused a sensation in the entire imperial capital and even the empire, becoming a big news in the upper class society. All major news media in the imperial capital announced the good news to the outside world with front-page headlines, and even the fact that Li Wufeng was about to return to the northwest to lead his troops to resist the foreign invaders seemed silent.
After receiving the news that Li Wufeng was about to return to the northwest, Wufeng's house seemed to become lively again, especially since Wufeng was about to become His Majesty the Emperor's son-in-law, a well-deserved prince-in-law, and he was about to celebrate his coming-of-age ceremony. The seventeenth princess granted her a marriage, and the mother-in-law of the seventeenth princess and the mother-in-law of the seventh prince are twin sisters. This fact has attracted the attention of many interested people, and the topics contained in it are enough to make many people scratch their heads.
Although the engagement ceremony was a bit hasty, it was extremely grand. Almost all the ministers and nobles in Beijing attended the engagement banquet, which would be enough for them to show off in the future. Envoys from various countries also expressed their sincere or false congratulations on behalf of the heads of neighboring countries. , the congratulatory gift occupied five large rooms in Wufeng Mansion, and the girls including Qin Shuangying, Gu Mingxia, and Charlotte were astonished by it.
During the engagement ceremony, Wu Feng was quite satisfied with Princess Seventeen's generous and decent performance. Unfortunately, the sophistication and calmness shown by the princess also made Wu Feng a little wary. It seems that this princess is not just a poetry lover as everyone said. The talented girl Ge Fu may have many unknown "advantages" hidden in her body. This will make it more challenging and more in line with her own taste. I like it, Wu Feng thought secretly in his heart.