AWB Chapter 221: Emergency at Yumen Pass
Chapter 221: Emergency at Yumen Pass
The Queen Mother's sudden interest made the Queen, who had already told everything she knew, at a loss for what to do next.
“I’m afraid only the two children themselves know the details.
“But given the Fourth Brother’s personality, he won’t let anyone mistakenly think that the girl is intolerant.
"Just wait and see. This matter will not end so easily."
The Queen Mother sighed with regret, "Shui'er is a child who loves to join in the fun, how come she doesn't know anything this time?"
How could the guy who is most attentive to the melon only know half of the story?
Hearing the Queen Mother's sigh, the Queen hurriedly explained for her niece: "Shui'er said that Xinran doesn't show her true feelings anymore. Except when she's watching other people having fun, other things, such as those related to herself, can't be heard by others."
After she discovered this, she secretly confirmed it with Lu Xinlan in private.
After confirming that Lu Xinlan couldn't hear it either, I returned home and was depressed for a long time.
To them, nothing in the whole capital could be as lively and interesting as the one she and the fourth brother were having.
The fourth child seemed to be the most respectful and polite one, who would have thought that he would have a private relationship with her.
In order to ensure the smooth marriage, he wrote a letter of commitment that was said to be no different from ceding land and paying compensation.
The queen felt regretful when she thought of this.
What a pity, there are not many interesting things in the deep palace, and now the last bit of fun is gone.
"Her Majesty the Queen Mother, Her Majesty the Queen."
A palace servant hurried in, knelt down with a plop, and said breathlessly: "The Dana tribe outside the pass attacked Yucheng Pass overnight. General Qi was defeated and seriously injured. He led his troops to retreat to Hanyu Pass. Your Majesty was furious during the morning court session."
The queen stood up suddenly and took a step forward in disbelief.
"What did you say? Yucheng Pass was lost?"
Their Zhang family has been guarding Yucheng Pass for a hundred years. This is the first time that they have failed to guard the city gate tightly during foreign invasion.
The palace servants nodded in panic: "Yes, that's the news we got from the front."
The queen's mind was racing with thoughts, and she turned around and bowed to the queen mother.
"Mother, I want to go to Fengtian Palace to ask His Majesty to let me lead the troops. In recent years, there are very few good generals in Da Chu. My brother was seriously injured outside the Great Wall in his early years and it is difficult for him to ride a horse to fight. The Duke's Mansion has no good generals available. I am willing to lead the troops in place of my brother and father."
"Hey, you kid!"
The Queen Mother hurriedly stood up and grabbed her wrist, "You can't go! Do you know what you are talking about!"
The emperor has been wary of the Duke's Mansion for a long time. Unless the worst happens and the Dana tribe fails to attack Yanmen Pass, he will not let the Zhang family have the opportunity to command the army again.
This girl clearly understands this truth, so why can't she let it go?
The queen was anxious, but the queen mother held her arms tightly so that she could not break free.
She looked at the Queen Mother pleadingly. This was her last chance.
As long as she can leave this suffocating palace, even for a few days.
She wanted to leave this vast sky, go outside for a walk and a look, and go to Yumen Pass again to take a look at the stars and the crescent moon under the night sky.
"can not go!"
The Queen Mother still insisted, but her eyes were too sad. She added helplessly in a low voice: "At least you can't go now."
The emperor must be allowed to see for himself and discover that there are no more military generals available in the court, and he must be allowed to realize that he still has a female general who has fought in many battles by his side.
"Go back to Changchun Palace. Don't be impulsive. Remember what mother said. This is a matter of the previous dynasty. Don't interfere."
The queen left in dismay.
The Queen Mother also felt heavy in her heart as she looked at her back.
In the Wenhua Hall, the emperor looked at the ministers standing in front of him and threw the military newspaper in his hand directly in front of Zhang Yongping.
"How to deal with this matter?"
Zhang Yongping bent down to pick up the battle report at his feet and bowed respectfully.
"Your Majesty, I think we should quickly dispatch troops to Hanyu Pass for support."
"Mobilize the troops! Where should we mobilize the troops?"
When the emperor thought about the problems found by military stations in various places, his anger continued to rise.
How long has it been since the Ministry of War was handed over to Zhang Yongping!
Such major cases of corruption and abuse of power broke out one after another in various places, and many military stations did not even have the designated number of soldiers.
All the food and military pay sent to various places in recent years were embezzled by the centurions and thousand-man commanders.
Now we need to use troops urgently, but there are no soldiers available.
It was ridiculous that such a great Chu State could be in such a predicament.
Thinking about how he had given Sun Linyuan the most trust in the past, he was so angry that he wanted someone to whip his corpse.
Facing the emperor's wrath, Zhang Yongping spoke out the countermeasures he had thought of: "Your Majesty, the 20,000 men that the Sun family had privately trained outside Yanmen Pass are still there and can be urgently deployed."
"those people?"
The emperor was startled, thinking about why those 20,000 people were trained privately, and the urge to whip the corpses became stronger.
“Will it be too little?”
"If we can find a general who is good at leading troops and has the talent of a commander, 20,000 men can help to relieve the siege."
His words were like a sedative that gradually calmed the emperor down from his rage. He confiscated many houses one after another, and now the treasury was not empty, and food and grass could be urgently requisitioned. The only trouble was the generals mentioned by Zhang Yongping.
A general with the talent of a commander-in-chief... If there is such a person in the court, would he still grit his teeth and make every effort to send Qi Yu back to Yucheng Pass?
"Does the Duke have anyone suitable to recommend?"
He had already accepted Zhang Yongping's suggestion in his heart, and his tone softened.
Zhang Yongping sighed inwardly, lifted his clothes, knelt down and apologized.
"I am incompetent. None of my children or grandchildren are able to fight in battle."
His several sons were killed or injured, and they no longer had the murderous spirit they had in the bloody battlefields of the past.
Although Zhang Xinji's generation still knew martial arts, he had never been on the battlefield.
The Zhang family was feared by the emperor and had completely lost their former inviolable, iron-blooded and murderous aura.
The emperor looked across the table and saw Zhang Yongping kneeling on the ground, feeling inexplicably complicated.
He knew that he could not blame anyone for the current situation. It was he who broke the wings of the Zhang family and imprisoned them in Beijing.
He did not regret his previous decision, but was angry that there was no other Zhang family in the entire Chu.
He had suppressed the Zhang family for so many years, and even forced Zhang Yongping to hand over the Zhang family army. As a result, he could not find another suitable candidate except Zhang Yongping's adopted son Qi Yu.
Now that Qi Yu is seriously injured and unable to lead the troops, who can take over these 20,000 troops?