The Red Mansions

Chapter 1613 Xie Zaiyi: When the 4chuan rebellion is quelled, won’t we just be at the mercy of the i

Chapter 1613 Xie Zaiyi: Once the rebellion in Sichuan is quelled, won’t we just be at the mercy of the imperial court?

Bashu, Jianmen Pass, outside the city gate——

Central Army Tent

Xie Zaiyi was wearing armor and a bronze helmet, and his bearded face was full of joy. It was obvious that he had also received the good news from Shu.

"Duke, General Jia Yun has captured Chengdu Prefecture in Sichuan. Once the enemy's retreat is cut off, that's our chance." An officer with a purple face spoke up.

Xie Zaiyi nodded and said, "Since the retreat of Chengdu Prefecture is cut off, the morale of the Shu army officers is unsettled. Liu Zhenfu, shoot arrows with cloth tied to them into the city, and explain to the soldiers guarding the city the righteousness of our court. As long as they turn against us, we will not only forgive them for their past crimes, but also reward them for their merits."

Liu Jixian, who was sitting below, quickly bowed in response.

Because Gao Zhongping escaped from the capital, Liu Jixian was sent to Sichuan by Jia Heng to fight with the army in order to redeem himself for his crime. During this period, he joined the Beijing camp in attacking cities and capturing strongholds.

Xie Zaiyi said, "Just yesterday, the Jinyifu sent a message saying that in the northwest, Xining General Pang Shili had killed the Junggar Taiji Baturhui in battle. The war in the northwest will soon come to an end, but our Beijing camp has been trapped under the city several times."

Of course, in addition to Jianmen Pass, the Beijing camp’s achievements were equally brilliant.

Xie Zaiyi said: "Generals, we will attack the city with all our strength later, put pressure on the Shu army at Jianmen Pass, and force the Shu army officers to surrender."

Upon hearing this, the generals below clasped their fists and said yes.

"Dong dong..."

The drumbeats were as frequent as raindrops, and the Han troops in the Beijing camp, armed with weapons, launched a new round of siege.

The Han troops in the Beijing camp moved closer to the city, carrying wooden ladders and placing them on the city walls. Under the cover of arrows and artillery fire, they poured down on the city walls.

The officers and soldiers of the Shu army also held strong bows and crossbows, shooting at the soldiers who were attacking the city below. The bullets hit the iron armor and shields, making a clanging sound.

"Pfft!!!"

The sound of black arrows piercing through armor and flesh was heard, and immediately, muffled groans were heard one after another.

The Han army in the capital camp attacked from morning till dusk. Arrows as dense as locusts swarmed over the entire top of the city. Many soldiers were hit by arrows and fell from the top of the city, screaming.

It was not until the evening that the sound of "clang clang" of the horns was heard, and the Han army retreated like a tide, dispersing in all directions.

The officers and soldiers of the Shu army inside Jianmen Pass had also heard the news that Chengdu City had been breached. At this moment, the Shu army lost their will to fight.

Jianmen Pass, the night is falling, in the camp near the north -

The foreign generals of the sixteen chieftains of Yunnan gathered in the military tent and talked non-stop.

Yang Pu's old and wise eyes swept across the foreign generals seated there, and he said in a deep voice: "Everyone, looking at the posture of the Shu army, I'm afraid they can't resist the imperial army."

Everyone present was an old fox and of course they sensed a bad trend.

"Once Chengdu is captured, we will only have these troops at Jianmen Pass to rely on. Not to mention other things, once the food and fodder are used up, the morale of the soldiers will be low and they will be like meat on the chopping board for others." Another foreign general spoke up.

One of the gray-haired old men twisted his white beard with his hand and said immediately: "We can't continue to lose money with the Shu army."

Yang Pu nodded, a gleam of wisdom flashing in his old eyes, and he said in a deep voice: "We have families in our tribe, and we really can't continue to mess around with the Gao family."

Upon hearing this, all the foreign generals present nodded in agreement.

Not only were the chieftains and foreign generals disunited, but even the officers of the Shu army were tired of war after the day's offensive and defensive battles.

Especially the silk cloth that Xie Zaiyi had ordered his men to shoot into the city gate as a token of surrender, which tempted the officers and soldiers of the Shu army to abandon darkness and join the light, and return to the embrace of the imperial court.

Except for the Gao family and the remnants of the White Lotus such as Chen Yuan, those who joined the rebellion will not be punished, completely eliminating any worries.

In the inky black night, undercurrents surged among the Shu army officers and soldiers, brewing plans to escape and rebel.

Especially the officers and soldiers of the Shu army whose families were in Chengdu and whose whereabouts were unknown, undoubtedly developed some rebellious thoughts.

Because Gao Cheng had anticipated this and sent Gao Bo to the military barracks to observe the movements of officers and guard against mutiny, the situation was able to be suppressed for the time being.

But as time passed, even the Shu army soldiers who were suppressing the rebellion became somewhat perfunctory.

That night, a riot broke out in Jianmen Pass. The Shu army officers led 4,000 soldiers to escape from the pass and fled to Chengdu Prefecture, where they clashed with the White Lotus Sect led by Gao Bo and Chen Yuan.

The two sides fought each other, and the casualties were incalculable.

Although the chaos was eventually settled, the morale of the Shu army officers and soldiers was further shaken, and a large number of soldiers became more dissatisfied with the Gao family.

In other words, in the previous battle of Jiameng Pass, the Shu army suffered many casualties on the pass, which could be said to be the largest casualties in Sichuan in nearly twenty years. At that time, the officers and soldiers of the Shu army had many complaints about the Gao family.

As for the troops of the Sichuan chieftains and foreign generals, they just watched coldly.

In the early hours of the morning, the government office was brightly lit and bustling with people.

Gao Cheng was dressed in full military uniform, with a sword at his waist, pacing back and forth in the hall. The lights on the beams illuminated his solemn face. He looked at Gao Bo who rushed in from outside and asked, "Second brother, how is the situation?"

Gao Bo's face was solemn, and he said in a low voice: "Brother, more than 2,000 people were killed or injured. Many officers and soldiers were from the same hometown. They fought against each other, and the officers and soldiers were very resentful."

"This..." Gao Cheng opened his mouth and finally sighed heavily.

He now finally understood the old saying: a defeat is like a mountain collapsing!

The Gao family is now in a hopeless situation. Its rapid advancement has come to an end. The military generals who were originally loyal to the Gao family because of the family's favors are no longer as determined.

Gao Bo said, "Brother, I saw that the chieftain and the general also had ulterior motives. I had previously offered to borrow his troops to suppress the rebellion, but I politely declined."

Gao Cheng's expression changed, and he said in a cold voice: "We can still defend Jianmen Pass, but they are just fence-sitters. It's really chilling. My father treated them very well in the past."

In fact, the chieftains and foreign leaders did not agree with this statement, because Gao Zhongping's approach to the Sichuan chieftains was more of a deterrent and intimidator.

As the saying goes, power is greater than virtue.

Gao Bo said, "Brother, how about calling the King of Zhao, His Royal Highness the King of Wei, and His Royal Highness the King of Liang over to discuss strategies together?"

Gao Cheng nodded and said, "Call them over. One person's plan is short, but two people's plan is long."

Gao Bo turned around and invited Chen Yuan and Chen Ran.

On the other side, under the bright light, Chen Ran was holding a letter in his hand. With the candlelight, the beautiful handwriting on the letter was clearly visible.

It was Queen Song's letter of persuasion for surrender.

Chen Ran received this letter half a month ago. He was furious at first, but now he feels helpless and calm.

At this moment, Chen Wei entered the wing room, looked at Chen Ran with concern, and said, "Brother, the rebellion outside has been quelled."

Chen Ran sighed and said, "It's over."

Chengdu was breached, and anyone with a discerning eye could see that the Shu army at Jianmen Pass could no longer turn the tables.

Chen Wei comforted him, "Brother, Jianmen Pass is in a dangerous position. As long as we hold on for another two months, our army still has a chance to turn defeat into victory."

Chen Ran turned around, smiled bitterly, and said, "Sixth Brother, do you believe this?"

Chen Wei was speechless for a moment.

Chen Ran was silent for a moment, then sighed, "We lost. We are no match for Jia Ziyu."

He started his rebellion when his father established the King of Chu as the Crown Prince. In a blink of an eye, a year had passed. He had been imprisoned and had raised an army in Sichuan to attack Jia, but he had gone back and forth and failed.

Upon hearing this, Chen Wei hurriedly said, "Brother, don't be discouraged. We still have a chance."

The once hot-tempered and grumpy King Liang has become much calmer after a year of ups and downs and trials.

Chen Ran turned to look at Chen Wei and said, "Sixth brother, did you see the letter from our mother asking us to surrender?"

"Didn't brother say that he would never surrender?" Chen Wei was shocked and asked.

Chen Ran said: "It is impossible for me to return to the capital, but it is different for my sixth brother."

They are the queen's two sons, and one must be kept.

Upon hearing this, Chen Wei's body was shocked and he looked at the young man in the python costume in amazement.

Chen Ran showed a determined look on his face, and said, "If the situation is irreversible, Sixth Brother will surrender to the court, and then go to see the Queen Mother, and in the future, you will be filial to her in my place."

Chen Wei said: "Brother, we have been demoted to commoners because of the abdication incident, and now we are in Shuzhong... I am afraid that Jia Heng will not tolerate us!"

Chen Ran stared at Chen Wei and said, "I will write a few letters to my mother, Xian Ning, and... Jia Ziyu, to protect my sixth brother."

Chen Wei said in a deep voice: "Brother, you and I are brothers, we live and die together!"

Chen Ran shook his head and said, "I have no children, and I have worked hard for the Han Dynasty, even if it means my death. But you are different. Please be modest and wait for the right time. I think Jia Ziyu will replace the Han Dynasty sooner or later. At that time, there will always be loyal officials and righteous men who will help you fight against the rebellion. You will have the chance to help the country in the future."

Chen Wei felt a lump in his throat when he heard this, and his heart was filled with sorrow. He said, "Brother."

Chen Ran came forward, patted Chen Wei on the shoulder, and said, "The future of the Han Dynasty will depend on the sixth and eighth brothers."

The Han Dynasty has been established for a hundred years, and we must never allow outsiders to usurp the throne!

While the two brothers were talking, the guard outside said, "Your Highness, Commander Gao wants to see you. He said he has something important to discuss."

Chen Ran looked at Chen Wei gently and said, "Don't act like a child. Let's go over and discuss this together."

As they were talking, the Wei and Liang clans left their military tents and headed towards Gao Cheng's tent. At this moment, Chen Yuan was also waiting in the tent, his face also not looking good.

Gao Cheng said: "The King of Wei and the King of Liang are here."

Because the situation was critical, there were no warm greetings as usual.

Chen Ran nodded and said, "Brother Gao."

Gao Cheng got straight to the point and said, "King Wei just heard that the situation in the city is not good. After the soldiers learned that Chengdu was breached, the morale of the army was in chaos."

Chen Ran nodded and said, "What good plan does Commander Gao have?"

Gao Cheng looked solemn and said, "In the next few days, we will take turns to send soldiers to patrol the city defenses to prevent spies from colluding with the outside world and surrendering to the court."

Chen Ran nodded and said firmly, "Don't worry, Commander Gao. The situation is critical now. We must put the overall situation first."

Chen Yuan also nodded heavily.

Gao Cheng encouraged the morale and said, "My third brother has led his troops to Chengdu Prefecture. It won't be long before we can recapture Chengdu Prefecture. We still have more than 40,000 troops. With our strong pass, we will definitely be able to stop the imperial court from advancing into Shu."

But there were few responses from those present, and most of them were in a heavy mood.

……

……

Xie Zaiyi, who was outside the city, was also keenly aware of the chaos inside the city. On the second day, at dawn, he summoned a group of officers to discuss the matter and prepare to attack Jianmen Pass again.

Xie Zaiyi said to the officers and soldiers, "The Shu army's officers and soldiers are in disarray and there is chaos in the city. This is the opportunity for us to advance. Today, all the troops should compete to be the first to ascend the city and take it down in one fell swoop."

Upon hearing this, all the generals present clasped their fists in agreement.

The officers and soldiers of the Beijing Camp, armed with siege weapons, attacked the city gate amid the rumbling of artillery fire. Compared with the resistance of the Shu army in the previous days, the resistance encountered by the officers and soldiers of the Beijing Camp this time was much weaker.

Even the officers and soldiers of the Beijing Camp climbed up the city wall several times in an attempt to expand the victory. If Chen Yuan had not led the White Lotus Sect to arrive urgently, the Beijing Camp would have almost captured the city wall.

By evening, the officers and soldiers of the Beijing camp left behind a lot of corpses and weapons under the city gate, and then retreated like a tide.

In the evening, the sky was filled with sunset glow. Under the reflection of the autumn sun, the battlefield, dotted with broken swords and guns and flags emitting smoke, looked desolate and dilapidated.

Xie Zaiyi returned to the central army tent and summoned all the generals to discuss the matter.

"Duke Liao, judging from the situation of today's siege, the Shu army can't hold on any longer. If the siege continues for another two or three days, Jianmen Pass will surely be breached." At this moment, a middle-aged officer spoke up.

Xie Zaiyi's eyes flickered with coldness under his thick eyebrows. He said, "The Shu army can't hold on any longer. Tomorrow, all troops will attack the city and persuade people to surrender the Shu army. Anyone who surrenders in time will not be blamed by the court. Anyone who can capture the heads of the Qu Gao brothers will be rewarded with 10,000 taels of gold and promoted three levels!"

The chief clerk Yuan Mao hesitated and said, "Duke of Liao, ten thousand taels of gold, and a promotion of three ranks... Isn't that too much? It's without the consent of the court."

"I am the general who conquered Shu, and I have been given the power to make decisions on the spot." Xie Zaiyi said: "Even after returning to the capital, I will ask for orders from King Wei!"

If we can quickly put down the rebellion in Bashu and demonstrate the prestige of the central government, what would ten thousand taels of gold mean to us?

As Xie Zaiyi passed down the order, the officers and soldiers of the Han army in the Beijing camp also sent out soldiers with loud voices to shout at the Shu army at the foot of the city gate, in an effort to shake the morale of the Shu army officers and soldiers and recruit them to surrender and rebel.

The officers and soldiers of the Shu army in the city had already been changing their minds, and when they heard about the reward offered by the Gao family, they became even more restless.

Just when Xie Zaiyi was waiting for news of the turmoil in the city, a messenger from the Sichuan chieftain arrived first.

A rough-faced foreign general messenger took advantage of the cover of night and, led by the personal guards of the Beijing camp, entered Xie Zaiyi's central military tent.

"I greet the Duke of Liao." As the messenger entered the military tent, he knelt down with a plop and said with great fear and trepidation.

Xie Zaiyi looked at the man and asked, "Which messenger are you from?"

The messenger said, "I am the messenger of the Yang family, the chieftain of Weilong Prefecture. I have been asked by the chieftains to pass on a message to the Duke of Liao."

Xie Zaiyi asked, "What message do you want to pass on?"

The messenger said: "My master and several chieftains are willing to return to the court. Will the court forgive us and accept us again?"

Xie Zaiyi said: "The imperial court has issued an imperial decree before, saying that those who joined the rebellion except the Gao family and Chen Yuan will not be held accountable as long as they turn back in time, and the Sichuan chieftains are naturally included in this list."

Then he added: "You don't understand the situation and have been deceived by the Gao family. The court knows it."

Now we must concentrate all our efforts on dealing with the Gao family, and everything else must be put on hold.

As for the Sichuan chieftains, once the Sichuan rebellion is quelled, won’t they be at the mercy of the imperial court?

The messenger was overjoyed when he heard this and said, "Don't worry, Duke Liao. My master has long admired the majesty of King Wei. This time he was forced to accept the Gao family's coercion. Except for being forced to defend the city before, he did not fight with the imperial army."

Xie Zaiyi nodded and said, "Go back and tell the chieftains that the court only wants the heads of the Gao family and Chen Yuan, and will not ask about the other traitors."

The messenger took the order and turned to reply.

……

……

Palace Garden, Kunning Palace

Jia Heng looked at the two faces that looked like twin lotus flowers. At this moment, sweat was dripping down their delicate and fair faces, with beads of sweat the size of soybeans flowing all the way to their collarbones.

The scent of powder mixed with the licentious atmosphere after lovemaking, plus the scent of sandalwood in the purple animal head incense burner, was refreshing.

Zhen Qing's delicate face was less harsh and cold, her lips slightly opened under her beautiful nose, as if she was calming down in the aftermath of some stormy sea.

Zhen Xue's beautiful bun was loose, a strand of her dark black hair stuck to her sweaty face, under her emerald green eyebrows, her bright eyes were as clear as water, and seemed to be covered with a hazy mist.

Jia Heng's eyes were warm, and he said in a clear voice: "Qing'er, Xue'er, it's getting late, it's time to get up."

As he spoke, he raised his big hand, and the snow waves surged, and he cried coquettishly.

Zhen Qing let out a moan, her beautiful, sparkling eyes filled with soft ripples, and her voice carried a hint of laziness.

Jia Heng lifted Zhen Xueou's arm that was on him to the side, put on his boots, and straightened his collar.

Zhen Xue's beautiful eyes were fixed with affection under her curved brows, and she looked at the tall young man in the python robe with her eyes as clear as water. Her beautiful eyes were as clear as water, and she felt a little reluctant to leave.

Zhen Qing said, "Let's get up too."

Zhen Xue responded with a "hmm" and lifted the mandarin duck silk quilt covering herself. Her soft and fair shoulders were faintly visible, and her plump and soft breasts were visible, so white that they were dazzling and splendid in the eyes.

Zhen Qing stood up and put on a pair of embroidered shoes. Her eyebrows and eyes became more and more charming, and her beautiful and bright face seemed to be covered with a layer of pink glow.

Jia Heng came closer to the table, picked up the blue and white porcelain teapot, poured himself a cup of tea, and took a sip.

But in his heart he was thinking about the next development of the political situation.

After a while, a refreshing aroma came from far away. A beautiful lady in gorgeous clothes walked, looking like orchid and musk, with a charming look. When she came closer, she said, "Don't you know to pour a cup for me?"

Jia Heng gently handed over a blue and white porcelain teacup filled with tea not far away.

Zhen Qing didn't say anything else. She took the teacup, put it to her lips, and took a sip.

After a while, Zhen Xue also stood up from the embroidered couch covered with a mattress. Her pretty face was white with a rosy glow, bright and charming.

Jia Heng handed the teacup in his hand to Zhen Xue who was standing beside him, and said, "Xue'er, have some tea."

Zhen Xue's voice was filled with a hint of dreamy mumbling: "Zi Yu, are we leaving soon?"

Jia Heng said: "The wars in the northwest and Bashu have made significant progress, and we should also consult with several important officials in the Military Affairs Office."

Zhen Qing said in a soft and charming voice, "Don't forget to take a shower and change clothes."

How can he meet those ministers in the state he just went through after defiling the harem?

Jia Heng nodded and said, "I save that."

Zhen Xue stared at him with her beautiful eyes, her gaze sparkling and full of reluctance to leave.

While Jia Heng was speaking, he left the palace and returned to Princess Jinyang's residence.