This time, You Miao could no longer follow the army. After the spring, Sun Yu's health deteriorated, rheumatism coughed, and he developed an illness in the spring. In the political affairs hall, people's livelihood and government affairs were dominated by You Miao and supplemented by Tang Bo. Sun Yu gradually stopped going to court, and You Miao was responsible for all matters in Jiangnan after the reform.
Fortunately, the farmers each got their own land, and they all received seeds from the prefectures and counties to cultivate, and there was no major change in Jiangnan.
Before Li Zhifeng set off on the expedition, he specially returned to the villa, and You Miao also put aside the work at hand for a few days and stayed with him for a few days.
In normal times, You Miao wouldn't take it to heart at all. After all, Li Zhifeng was an undefeated god of war in his heart.
However, this time, the person he was going to face was He Motie'er.
Although Nie Dan was in charge, Li Zhifeng was not the commander of the three armies, but He Motie was the Wu Zun outside the Great Wall, and Li Zhifeng had become famous since he was a child. More importantly, his Wuwei always suppressed Quanrong. If there was any mountain that Li Zhifeng couldn't climb in his life, then He Motie'er was the only one.
You Miao murmured, "I really can't worry about you."
"You stay in Maocheng." Li Zhifeng said: "You can help more when you are in the court than accompanying me on an expedition."
You Miao sighed. In the past few days, he helped Li Zhifeng pack up the expedition. The two sat side by side in Jiangbo Villa, under the trees on the top of the slope, and snuggled up on a green plain looking down at the mountain, and the tenants who worked hard. them. This spring, the entire Jiangnan will have a good harvest, and no one will starve to death.
You Miao couldn't rest assured, and asked, "How sure is Brother Nie?"
Li Zhifeng gave a rare smile and said, "This is the tenth time you've asked this question."
You Miao didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and Li Zhifeng said again: "If you sit in the court, you will win this battle."
You Miao had no choice but to nod. He also knew that he could not go out with the army, otherwise, once there was no one in the court, it would be easy to cause trouble. Li Zhifeng led the army abroad, and the court would also be his battlefield for You Miao.
"This is for you." You Miao thought about it, took off the jade pendant from her neck, and put it on Li Zhifeng's neck with his own hands. Li Zhifeng hummed, put his arms around You Miao, and kissed him.
The spring breeze blows from the back of the villa, and the golden rapeseed fields have a strange feeling in the heart of people, growing out of the soil.
"You must come back alive." You Miao murmured.
"The brave who meet in a narrow path wins." Li Zhifeng whispered.
You Miao understood and smiled knowingly.
The next day, the army set off, but secretly left Yangzhou City. Zhao Chao didn't even come to send it off. Li Zhifeng led the troops away, and the entire Yangzhou military defense was replaced with new recruits. discovered by the Tatars.
This spring, Sun Yu's condition has improved, and he has been able to sit in the political hall.
On the third day of April, it rained for the first time in Jiangnan. You Miao couldn't help praying silently. Fortunately, there was no flood. As long as the harvest is safe this year, it is God's greatest gift to Apocalypse.
"Report—" The Ministry of War dispatched a general's newspaper to deliver it to the political affairs hall. When You Miao received the first military newspaper, she was trembling in her heart.
Tang Hui, Nie Dan, and Li Zhifeng each had a military report, which was sent to the Ministry of War, the palace, and the political affairs hall. You Miao first watched the movement of the army and learned that the Yulin army led by Tang Hui and the Yangzhou army led by Li Zhifeng had already arrived at the foot of Qishan Mountain. Nie Dan's Northern Expedition Army united.
Tang Hui was in charge of the battle flag of the Son of Heaven, which was the intention of Zhao Chao's personal expedition, while Li Zhifeng entered the Xiongnu army city alone and brought out 2,000 Xiongnu cavalry soldiers overnight.
This is a secret agreement reached between Zhao Chao and the Xiongnu Shanyu. Of course, the Xiongnu did not dare to say that they would join forces to attack the Tartars. They could only pretend to be the Tianqi Army and temporarily belong to Li Zhifeng to fight together. The role of these two thousand Xiongnu cavalry was to be responsible for guerrilla raids and to kill He Motie's patrol army.
You Miao hurriedly read the military newspaper, and then read Li Zhifeng's home letter, which read "Everything is fine, I miss you every night." With the eight characters, he put down a big stone and entered the palace to discuss with Zhao Chao.
Several civil servants and Pingxi, Zhao Chao was making a plan and wanted to inform Nie Dan of his next move, but he was persuaded by You Miao. At this time, first hand over the battle situation to Nie Dan, don't say anything, and let him make his own choice.
Half a month later, the rainy season came and it rained heavily. For the first time, Nie Dan and Tang Hui's troops met with He Motie'er and made a surprise attack at night.
When the military report came to the court, there was an uproar in the whole court. Zhao Chao concealed it too well, and there were still many officials who didn't know what to do. You Miao heard the messenger kneeling on the ground and reporting the military situation. "God bless my emperor" and so on.
"The rations cannot be delayed." You Miao said: "This year will definitely be a good harvest, and the rations must be sent to the front line immediately."
A few months later, the military rations had begun to be tight, Zhao Chao issued a summons order, and finally levied 7,000 shi of food. You Miao asked Xie Hui to open the position again, but Xie Hui told him that it was gone.
"Last year's disaster relief." Xie Hui said: "This year, it was distributed to tenants, and the food reserves were all used up."
"Then open the treasury and buy it from the common people." You Miao said, "You can buy as much as you can. If you don't have enough, you can put it on credit first."
Time passed month by month, and it flew by in the blink of an eye. It was already August, and it had been nearly half a year since Li Zhifeng dispatched troops in March. This time, Zhao Chao used almost 80,000 people, and Nie Dan won the victory again with an extraordinary army. The army was impermanent and unprovoked. After only fighting a few battles with He Motie, he returned his troops and returned to Qishan. .
For nearly four months, the troops did not move. The early rice was harvested and the late rice was harvested in the entire Jiangnan area. All of them were filled into the military rations. It took 80,000 soldiers and horses to support them. One day's delay is the one day's military rations.
The hearts of the people in the court began to be unstable, discussing Nie Dan's marching route, and the ministers repeatedly asked Zhao Chao to ask Nie Dan what the next step would be. Otherwise, the DPRK and China food will be unsustainable.
And if we drag it on, it will be winter. If the battle is not settled, if we drag it out until the spring of next year, the food and grass in the south of the Yangtze River will be exhausted. These discussions were all resisted by Zhao Chao.
"General Nie is waiting." This was not the first time You Miao explained this.
Lin Zhengtao said: "What are you waiting for? When the food is finished? From spring to autumn, the rainy season is over, what are you waiting for?"
You Miao said: "I don't know what he's waiting for, and the military newspaper didn't say anything, just waiting for a good opportunity."
Xie Hui said: "Lord You, I understand General Nie's way of fighting, but now we can't afford to consume food and grass. If we continue to support it, we can only last until the twelfth lunar month."
You Miao said: "When the early rice is harvested next year, it can last another half a year."
The ministers in the DPRK had no way to travel, and Xie Hui said again: "Master You, the war with the Tartars began in March, and now it is October, and seven months have passed. The remaining food and grass are only enough for the twelfth lunar month. If they don't come back, the soldiers will miss the spring field... It will take several months to wait for the early rice harvest."