On the day she received Huang Lie's letter, Chen Tang did not rush to inform everyone, but chose to sleep comfortably for a day. The next day, she announced the matter in public at the morning meeting. Although everyone had different expressions, no one was afraid or worried.
They have waited too long for this day.
We can set off as soon as we reorganize our troops.
Chen Tang was in a similar state of mind, calm and composed, but there was one thing she couldn't figure out: "I've always had a question in my mind."
Liao Jia was very curious: "What's the doubt?"
"How did Zheng Qiao survive until now?" Chen Tang held up his chin as he looked at the letter that had been circulated and returned to his hands. "In other words, how did he do so many outrageous things and still hold on until now under the siege of so many forces?"
Judging from the meaning of Huang Lie's letter, it is estimated that even if they join forces for a general attack this time, they are not completely sure of wiping out Zheng Qiao's forces in one fell swoop.
To some extent, Chen Tang was able to develop peacefully thanks to Zheng Qiao's stable hatred, which prevented her from being attacked when her power was budding. However, Zheng Qiao's strong life was indeed beyond her expectations. Is there any trick here
Among the people present, only Qiu Cheng's former subordinates had participated in the Dragon Slaying Bureau and knew the first-hand information from the front line. Chen Tang then turned his inquiring eyes to Luan Xin: "Back then, it was predicted that Zheng Qiao would not live for more than three years, but now it is almost the fifth year..."
What is Zheng Qiao's trump card
Luan Xin instantly became the focus of everyone.
He sighed, "The warriors under Zheng Qiao's command are extremely loyal, brave and fierce. In the initial confrontation between the two armies, Zheng Qiao's troops won at least two of the three battles, and won all three battles quite a few times. The coalition forces once fell into a slump. If it weren't for Zheng Qiao's unpopularity and the constant civil unrest, the outcome would be unpredictable. During this period, Alliance Leader Huang and others also thought of various strategies to incite his generals to revolt, but they never worked..."
During this period, a beauty trap was also used.
As a result, the beauty's head was discovered and hung high on the city gate.
Chen Tang paid attention to the battle situation on the front line, but not comprehensively.
Luan Xin's intelligence had an even greater impact.
"So loyal? Did Zheng Qiao save the families of these brave warriors in his previous life?" Luan Xin's answer still couldn't clear her doubts. "Logically speaking, Zheng Qiao only inherited the family assets of Pan Geng and part of the inheritance of Xin. Although he has many brave and skilled warriors at his disposal, their overall strength should not be strong enough to achieve such a fierce record. Moreover, Zheng Qiao has used cruel means to kill loyal people over the years. Don't these brave warriors under his command have any sense of crisis? How strange!"
Luan Xin was still not used to Shen Tang’s metaphor, and said seriously: “Whether he saved their lives in their previous lives is unclear, but there is a reason why Zheng Qiao made them die-hard loyal.”
He fights more fiercely than Huang Lie’s heavy shield warriors!
Shen Tang was very interested, and the others also looked at him curiously.
Luan Xin hesitated for a few seconds, as if he was wondering whether to speak or not, but finally blurted out: "Because what impresses these brave warriors is definitely not just power and status, beautiful cars and beauties, but also enough martial luck. Zheng Qiao is probably the strongest person who controls the national seal known so far. His way of princes can complement the national seal and give a strong boost to the warriors under his command."
The brave warriors who could collude with Zheng Qiao were naturally not people of high moral character, and they were more likely to succumb to worldly desires. Those present were either scholars of literary mind or brave warriors, and they knew best the attraction of literary luck/martial luck to them.
After hearing this, Shen Tang understood that there was a reason why the coalition forces had a poor record, but this was followed by more doubts.
"Zheng Qiao's way of being a prince?"
This information should be considered confidential.
At least the people sent by Chen Tang didn't get wind of it.
Qiu Cheng's former subordinates looked at Luan Xin with the same inquiry and curiosity. Chen Tang knew that this information should not be known by many people, at least it was not public in Qiu Cheng's camp. The only people who knew it were Luan Xin and Qiu Cheng, and it was even possible that Qiu Cheng was kept in the dark. Seeing that Luan Xin's expression was slightly disturbed by her question, Chen Tang directly changed the subject.
He waved his hands repeatedly and said, "No, no, this is not right."
Luan Xin asked: "What's wrong?"
“Both civil and military fortunes are derived from national fortune, and national fortune is derived from the people under his rule, including but not limited to the people’s hearts, people’s livelihood, and civil administration… Does Zheng Qiao have these? If he had worked hard to govern the country, how could millions of refugees have responded to Huang Lie’s call in recent years?” No matter how Chen Tang calculated, Zheng Qiao’s national fortune could not be in surplus, let alone using military fortune to buy off a group of brave warriors to fight for him.
She has worked so hard over the years, and has only managed to accumulate a little fortune for the country with a pitiful piece of land, but she is still struggling every year.
Why is Zheng Qiao so generous
Chen Tang couldn't help but "hate the rich"!
Unexpectedly, Luan Xin looked at Chen Tang and then at Qi Shan, who was sitting at the first position diagonally to the side, with a slightly strange expression. Qi Shan noticed his gaze, raised his eyes and said: "A gentleman stands in the right position in the world and follows the right path in the world. Why do you need to learn those unorthodox methods?"
Luan Xin: “…”
Chen Tang: “???”
Her intuition told her that Yuan Liang was being unscrupulous again.
In fact, there was nothing to hide. Both he and Chu Yao hoped that Chen Tang would take the right path and the main road from the beginning, rather than the unorthodox path. What is the unorthodox path? There is not only one way to gain national fortune, but also a shortcut.
Chen Tang almost jumped up: "Shortcut?"
Qi Shan: "It's useless for my lord to know. You can't leave."
Chen Tang angrily banged on the table in protest.
"Why can't I walk? Is there a broken sign on this road that says 'Chen Tang and dogs are not allowed to enter'?"
Luan Xin: “…”
My lord, I have no intention of hiding anything.
Several of Qiu Cheng's former subordinates who attended the morning meeting also came to their senses and their eyes widened - was the conversation too informative
Qi Shan: "Because the lord's way of dealing with the princes is special."
The specific name is unknown, but it is definitely related to farming.
Qiu Cheng's former subordinates: "..."
Is this just an open statement
The "shortcut" mentioned by Qishan is actually the extreme use of the Way of the Princes. There is a typical example. There was a king who was dissolute and licentious. The position of the king was out of his reach, but he was lucky. After he succeeded to the throne, the Way of the Princes was "happy and not thinking of Shu". He himself did not like government affairs, so he simply obeyed his desire and became a hands-off boss.
From the time he ascended the throne to the time he was overthrown, he never attended a single day of court meeting, simply because he really sought pleasure in various ways and indulged himself in lust!
If her lord wants to take a shortcut, how should she do it
Chen Tang: “…”
A mouthful of blood choked my heart.
"Why is there such a weird way of princes?"
Qi Shan said: "Also, the way of the rulers and dukes is to 'confine the wolf and occupy Xu'. From the time he ascended to the throne until the destruction of the country, there were constant wars, both internal and external. Compared to governing the territories bit by bit to gain national fortune, it is obviously easier to indulge."
If the way of the scholar is to question one's true heart, the way of the princes is more like an evil spirit trying to arouse the greatest desire in the monarch's heart until the monarch succumbs to the evil spirit. Since the arrival of the Thief Star more than two hundred years ago, so many countries have changed frequently, which is also related to this.
Because of this understanding, he and Chu Yao made the same choice tacitly, hoping that the master would get the right position and follow the right path, even if the pace was slow. Those who joined later did not mention it, either because they had the same idea or because they thought that the first ones had mentioned it.
"This setting is so unfair to me!" Chen Tang felt like she was going to get breast hyperplasia due to anger, feeling aggrieved and depressed, "Since I can't leave, what's the point of hiding it from me?"
Qishan: “Yes.”
Chen Tang is going to get to the bottom of this today.
"What's the point? We're farming anyway!"
"I am worried that the lord will be impatient to give the land to someone else."
In order to have more land to cultivate, don’t we have to fight a war
In fact, he and Chu Yao had discussed this privately many times, but he still couldn't understand why his master's inner desire was to farm. This thing had nothing to do with worldly desires such as money, power, influence, and sex. But since the facts were there, he accepted it.
Chen Tang: “…”
(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻
"Ahem, let's change the subject." She chose to change the subject. The previous topic hurt her too much. "If Zheng Qiao really relied on this method to forcibly prolong his life, it would make sense. But we will have a tough battle... By the way, what is the highest level of strength of the Wudan warriors under Zheng Qiao's command?"
Luan Xin said: "Sixteenth level of great excellence."
Chen Tang was about to say it was okay.
Unexpectedly, Luan Xin added: "Two people."
Chen Tang: “…”
At this time, one of Qiu Cheng's old subordinates could no longer hold it in.
"Why are there two people instead of just one?"
Luan Xin said, "Because the other person didn't go out."
It was Zheng Qiao who forced the promotion, so the outside world naturally didn't know about it.
"Why do you know so clearly?"
Chen Tang interrupted appropriately to suppress any conflicts that might arise.
"Two sixteenth-level great warriors, with this strength plus an elite force, can sweep across the northwest countries, but at least half of them. But I saw in several major battles between Zheng Qiao and the coalition forces that the later the battle, the smaller the advantage of Zheng Qiao's side..."
This is different from what Luan Xin said.
Luan Xin: "The way of the princes is the same as the way of the scholars. The stronger the power, the greater the burden. The more cautious one must be in using it. Some even have to exchange their lifespan. Zheng Qiao is probably the same."
Is Zheng Qiao a person who cherishes his life
He was afraid of death, but he was more afraid of not being crazy enough. The pain he suffered in his childhood was now being paid for by countless people.
Shen Tang inexplicably felt like he had been shot in the knee by an arrow.
If risking one's life is the standard for measuring strength, then is she, a prince... powerful or useless
Chen Tang wanted to chat about something else, but Qi Shan happened to have an itchy throat. He looked at her and coughed twice, his eyes full of unkindness.
The meaning is clear—
Don’t let the topic of the morning meeting stray too far.
Chen Tang could only suppress his thoughts and turn the topic back to the right track, discussing with everyone how many troops would be appropriate for this expedition. It was also at this time that Luan Xin and a group of Qiu Cheng's former subordinates realized where Chen Tang's troops, which exceeded normal logic, came from.
It turns out that the troops stationed at Yonggu Pass were withdrawn!
They couldn't figure this out no matter how hard they tried at that time.
This time, Chen Tang wanted to do it again.
Qishan shook his head, disagreeing.
Before he came, he discussed with Chu Yao the matter of sending troops to participate in the Dragon Slaying Bureau, and also mentioned the issue of military strength. The two of them tacitly agreed that the garrison troops in Yonggu Pass should not be withdrawn.
"Why not? Shiwu is no longer a threat."
Qi Shan said: "It really does not pose a threat, but—"
"But what?"
"Before coming, Wu Hui said frankly, 'If we don't have an absolute chance of winning this dragon-slaying battle and can't control the loss of our troops, the troops stationed at Yonggu Pass must not move lightly.' This is also for the sake of peace on the border, even if the Ten Crows are not a threat on the surface."
These words successfully dispelled Shen Tang's thoughts.
If we don't move these elite troops, there will be no controversy about the rest.
Chen Tang's original troops plus the troops of Qiu Cheng's old subordinates are not too shabby to be taken to the Dragon Slaying Bureau. It's just that the two armies have different ways of training soldiers, and some areas need further adjustment. The increase in troops means that the supply of food and grass must also increase, which is a test for the rear supply line. The manpower for transporting food, the route for transporting food, and the military supervisors for transporting food all need to be carefully considered and carefully considered.
Except for the topic going off topic at the beginning, the rest of the morning meeting was focused on these topics. What surprised all of Qiu Cheng's former subordinates was that Chen Tang did not avoid them just because they were new and still in the "internship observation period", but instead made reasonable arrangements based on everyone's abilities. The old staff did not raise any objections, and there was no sign of dissatisfaction.
finally-
"Will Justice go with the army this time?"
Chen Tang adheres to the principle of giving sweet dates after squeezing.
Although Luan Xin's literati skills can bring rain, his resume has nothing to do with the Household Department. He seems to be a more radical literati than Qi Shan and others. Chen Tang let him work in the Household Department, and occasionally let him gallop on the familiar battlefield.
Luan Xin was surprised: "If we go out, the cotton fields..."
Chen Tang said, "I have calculated that the farming luck this year is good and the drought has eased. Even if there is a drought, digging canals and wells in the past few months should be able to alleviate it for a while. If that doesn't work, we can use the national luck to perform 'favorable weather and good harvest' to ensure a smooth harvest this year. Now we have a batch of drought-resistant cotton seeds, so there shouldn't be much of a problem. Gongyi is familiar with the situation in the Dragon Slaying Bureau and also knows about Zheng Qiao. If he is willing to go out, that would be the best."
Having said that, Luan Xin naturally agreed.
Luan Xin was the first to be decided, followed by Jiang Sheng.
Jiang Sheng seemed a little surprised to be named.
According to Chen Tang's temper, she likes to treat everyone equally, so she takes turns to go into battle and guard the house. Jiang Sheng's literary skills are not very useful on the battlefield, so he is likely to stay behind to guard the house this time. Facing his doubts, Chen Tang's response was also very simple: "Didn't I owe you a head before? Try to get it this time."
Zheng Qiao's head was left for Jiang Sheng to complete his path as a scholar, which was truly perfect. Although it was difficult, what if
Jiang Sheng bowed in response.
The third person on the list was not at the morning meeting.
Chen Tang: "Let Tunan go out as well this time."
The third person is Ning Yan.
If Ning Yan were here this time, I believe she would definitely argue with reason, just to help her late husband Yan An to avenge his death and bring his body back to his hometown. Chen Tang is a considerate lord, and will naturally do his best to help his subordinates achieve their goals.
It's easy to arrange for these three people, but it's difficult to arrange for the others.
Stay home and make a fuss.
If I take him away, I won’t feel safe in my own nest.
After all, there is still a lack of people to make trouble.
Chen Tang's eyes rolled around as he looked at Qiu Cheng's former subordinates present. He seemed to be thinking about something, which made them feel uncomfortable.