At the same time,
scouts on horseback galloped into the city, one after another. Even the people of Datong, accustomed to war, looked at each other and felt that the situation was unusual.
The Minor New Year had just arrived, and there was no sign of peace and joy, but suddenly chaos erupted. The people in the city were already familiar with warfare and knew that in such a situation, as common folk, they had to immediately prepare for a prolonged siege. Thus, within a few hours, all the grain that could be sold in the market was snapped up.
However,
in the back hall of the Provincial Governor's Yamen, the atmosphere was filled with joy.
Yang Xuan sat in the central Grand Tutor's chair, with the trusted參將 (can jiang - brigade commander) or deputy參將 of the Twelve Guards on his left, and his close confidants from the Datong Garrison on his right. Among them, of course, were several very special figures: Zhao Quan, Qiu Fu,
At this moment,
instead of tea, a cup of wine was placed on the low table beside everyone.
Yang Xuan picked up his wine cup, strode to the center of the hall, and laughed heartily, saying:
“Everyone! Everyone has worked hard... As you can all see, the person to the north has moved... The important matters that the Grand Secretary and the Young Grand Secretary have assigned us, we have completed half of them. The remaining matters are also being handled by others...
Well, I've been holding you all back this past month, but there was no other way! If I hadn't suppressed things a bit, could we all be drinking like this now? Tianci, don't you agree?”
Li Chong had already vented some of his anger and his mood had calmed. Seeing Zhao Quan and Qiu Fu also sitting opposite him, he thought:
The time to kill Zhu Mo has come. Those two from the White Lotus Society sitting over there will probably make their move once this gathering disperses... My son did not die in vain, and my family's reputation will not be ruined.
He immediately stood up, bowed deeply to Yang Xuan, and raised his cup, saying:
“Provincial Governor, I apologize to you! Alas, if it weren't for Lord Yang's composure, I, Li Chong, would have acted rashly and ruined things... Everyone, thank you for your patience during this time. Li Chong thanks you all, thanks everyone!”
With a “hua” sound,
he drank it all in one gulp.
Mm-hmm,
Yang Xuan was very pleased. He nodded and smiled for a moment before saying again:
“I have summoned everyone here today for this final major event! Yang Mou asks everyone to rally their spirits again and do their best. The Young Grand Secretary will surely reward you!
Well, everyone here is family, so I'll be direct. The person to the north has already reached Deshengbao, and he himself will be camping under Deshengbao in a few days... The army is a total of seventy-six thousand, calling it eighty thousand. That's quite a number! He may not actually break into Datong, but we must guard against it! The Young Grand Secretary said that we must prevent him from making a real play for it, and second, this Datong belongs to us, and we must have the final say!
Therefore, we need to accomplish two things. Everyone listen carefully!”
His expression suddenly turned stern, and he scanned the entire hall before slowly saying:
“First, we must expel the Right Guard from the city and then send them to Deshengbao to meet the enemy! What are your thoughts on this matter? Speak them all. If anything goes wrong, I alone will not bear the consequences... Soldiers of the Twelve Guards, what do you think?”
Although he was asking everyone, he was actually staring intently at the trusted generals of the Twelve Guards. After all, they were the main force of Datong city, and the dirty and arduous tasks naturally fell to them. However, considering that the soldiers of the Thirteen Guards had fought together for many years, it was inevitable that there would be acquaintances, and the matter might not be easy to handle?
Among them, the Left Guard had been the leader in confronting the Right Guard in recent years. Its參將 (can jiang - brigade commander) was named Tian Shiwei, who had a very imposing appearance and was highly respected in the army. At this moment, he stood up abruptly and said:
“Provincial Governor, the brothers of the Left Guard now deeply resent that Zhu Mo. The incident where he forced the Princess of Dai at Huayan Temple has caused an uproar in the barracks. Most of the soldiers naturally disdain him! Most importantly, those lower-ranking officers who were friendly with Ge, Li Wenjin, and Ma Fang are all silenced under my reprimand... Therefore, I am very confident that if the Right Guard causes trouble, our brothers will be willing to act!”
Mm-hmm,
Mm,
With this declaration, the civil officials all nodded repeatedly –
This put their minds at ease. As expected, the Princess’s move had brought Zhu Mo under control. The Young Grand Secretary was truly brilliant… And the few who knew the truth, such as Li Chong and Wu Ying, were even more impressed. They felt that the Young Grand Secretary’s strategy of creating something out of nothing had truly turned the situation around.
Yang Xuan then asked the other eleven. Their responses were all similar, as Zhu Mo’s alleged crime was indeed outrageous, and the soldiers believed it, so it was foolproof.
He continued:
“The second major task is to kill Zhu Mo within two days! The military report should reach the capital tonight or tomorrow. It is time… Right now, Tianci and his men have found out that after Zhu Mo escaped from Huayan Temple, he went to the North City Gate Tower and is with Ma Lu, Zhang Yue, and others… So, the two matters are actually one: expel the Right Guard and kill Zhu Mo! What do you think? What should be done? Speak up.”
At this moment,
Zhao Quan and Qiu Fu stood up together, bowed to everyone, and then bowed to Yang Xuan. Zhao Quan then spoke:
“Provincial Governor, we have discussed it. To avoid implicating Your Excellencies and ultimately damaging the Young Grand Secretary’s reputation… we have decided to use the excuse of the White Lotus Society rebelling and colluding with Anda. All of this will be our doing! As long as Your Excellencies devise the plan, our men will fight with their lives to kill that Zhu Mo! Please be assured of this, Your Excellencies!”
Mm-hmm,
Good!
Everyone echoed with praise. They all felt that colluding with the White Lotus Society was definitely not good, but they were surprised that these two were so understanding and considerate, earning their admiration. Some who had not seen them before thought that Zhao Quan and Qiu Fu were some kind of demons, but upon closer inspection, they were indeed dignified and extraordinary in bearing…
However, regarding Yang Xuan’s question, everyone was troubled. They all had the same thought: once Zhu Mo left Huayan Temple, he would be difficult to capture, let alone being on the North City Gate Tower now. Those in the Right Guard, who had been on the front lines for years, were all exceptionally brave and difficult to deal with. If he managed to escape into the Right Guard city, it would be even more troublesome…
Yang Xuan had naturally considered this: once Zhu Mo fled to the Right Guard city, it would be incredibly difficult to take it down. In the end, perhaps the Young Grand Secretary would have to make concessions to Anda again and let those Tatar soldiers fight… But if that happened, he would be worthless in the eyes of the father and son.
Among those present, Yang Xuan was the backbone, Wu Ying and Li Chong were his trusted lieutenants, and Zhao Zi was the strategist. Now, sitting in the Grand Tutor's chair, he leisurely sipped his wine, having already figured out the crux of the problem. Seeing everyone in a frenzy, he simply smiled faintly and slowly stood up, saying:
“Lord Yang, everyone, and the two friends from the White Lotus Society, I have an idea that might kill two birds with one stone. Consider it a humble suggestion…
Uh, I believe that there is one person who is crucial at this moment, and that is the Prince of Dai… Why? The Prince of Dai currently has two identities: he is the husband of the Princess of Dai, and he is the highest authority of the imperial family within Datong city. Moreover, he has always been a model of a peaceful and virtuous prince of the Great Ming, and the common people do not dislike him.
This gives us an opportunity: we can have the Prince of Dai preside over the overall situation and let him step forward to expel the Right Guard. What are the benefits of this? Hehe, everyone, imagine this: at that time, the common people and the soldiers will think, ‘This is the husband coming out to deal with the adulterer!’ Of course, it is only right and proper…
Moreover, the military report has already reached the city. The common people were already buying grain this morning. In this chaos, if the Prince of Dai steps forward, uniting personal grievances and public duty, wouldn't that be the most perfect outcome?”