Chapter 727: The Permanent Attendant
After a period of clear weather, the ground conditions improved greatly, and the crisp sound of horse hooves sounded again in the mountains.
From early August to mid-August, both sides launched raids and counter-harassments in the triangle area from Loufan Ancient City to Xiurong City and Fenyang Ancient City.
Zahu generally prefers this fighting method.
The two sides do not come into direct contact, but distance themselves, riding and shooting in the hills and valleys to see who is good at riding, who is good at archery, and who is familiar with the geographical environment.
Both sides have similar riding and archery skills. The Huns are really familiar with the geographical environment, so they often cross the dilapidated Loufan old city, penetrate into the east, and attack Ding Zhuang who is building roads.
Fortunately, they are all mountain trails, so few people can pass by and stay there for a few days. The post roads are slowly recovering until they can finally be used.
The old city of Loufan is also slowly being repaired.
The original earthen wall was too weak and collapsed in many places. The remaining city walls were covered with weeds inside and outside and even on the city walls, fluttering in the wind.
There was nothing in the city except sheep dung, and it took a long time to clean it up before people could barely live in it.
The reconstruction of the old city of Loufan was not just for the war. In fact, Shao Xun planned to open a second ranch here: a large ranch comparable to Guangchengze.
Beginning in late August, the roads were gradually improved, and the focus of construction became Loufan Ancient City.
Not only the damaged city wall has been repaired, but the Cangcheng has also been urgently built, which can store more than 600,000 dendrobium of grain.
At the same time, more and more Jin cavalry were transferred to the west to herd horses.
After herding horses, they usually rush westward, hunt down the Huns herdsmen, and then go to Jinyang to receive the reward with their heads.
The two sides fought for about ten days, and the Huns gradually became a little bit too much...
Qiao Zhong's envoy Qiao Yu arrived in Pingyang at the end of August.
The popularity inside and outside the city is much less.
Business in the shop opened in Yuancheng was slow, and the shopkeeper sat at the door and dozed off. When he met a customer occasionally, the old folds on his face would smile, and he was very enthusiastic.
Qiao Yu knew very well that some people here were worried about the chaos of the current situation and hid in the countryside.
Some people have close relations with the people of the country (the five tribes of the Xiongnu), or are related to each other, and are afraid of being liquidated, so they have moved their families westward to Guanzhong.
Other people were captured as young men and transferred to food, grass and military supplies.
He hung around outside for a long time, observing the people's mentality in Pingyang, and then rode to the palace of Wang Shen, the Changshi in the east of the city.
Luoyang Prince’s Palace is packed with guests, and Pingyang Prince’s Palace is no less generous.
Last year, Queen Shen, the adopted daughter of Wang Shen, the Imperial Attendant, turned fourteen. She was pretty and entered the palace as Queen Zuo, causing quite a stir.
In the past, Liu Cong often had prostitutes in the harem until he lost contact. The memorials of the ministers were controlled by a few eunuchs headed by the Zhongchang Shi Wang Shen. Many of them were not sent in at all, and they gradually gained a lot of power. , this aroused dissatisfaction among the clan and court officials, so they took advantage of Liu Cong's coming out of the harem to criticize him, saying that the ministers would get off when they saw the dust on Wang Shen's carriage, and the state and county elections were deeply affected by Wang Shen and others. Intervening, officials have to pay bribes to do things, and so on...
Of course, there is no result in the end.
Liu Cong was deceived by Wang Shen and others, and Liu Can colluded with Wang Shen and others, so naturally nothing happened.
After Wang entered the palace, because of her beauty, young age, and innocence, she was greatly favored by Liu Cong, and was directly named Queen Zuo, which made all the clan members and courtiers furious.
With the court like this, they were no longer afraid of Liu Cong. They bluntly stated that the core problem was that Wang's status was too poor and she was not qualified to be the queen.
Yes, whether it is the Jin Dynasty or the Xiongnu, it all depends on status, but the degree is different.
"The six concubines and concubines are all sons and grandsons, how can they be mastered as maids?" - This is the most important thing. Wang Shen "punishes the remaining clowns" and raising the queen is just like an eunuch and an ugly eunuch. "Your mother's maidservant" has a similar status, but she actually dares to climb on top of a scholar's daughter?
At the end of the criticism, there was still no result. Brother Cong didn’t listen. What can I do?
In fact, these courtiers and clans have to thank Shao Xun.
Without the strong pressure from him, Liu Cong might not know what he would do. It would not be impossible for your clan to be wiped out.
Now we have to talk about unity. It’s not easy to do it, otherwise we will have a lot of fun.
As soon as these two incidents came out, everyone who was watching neutrally understood that no one could overthrow the Zhongchang servants Wang Shen, Xuan Huai, Yu Rong, Zhonggong servant She Guo Yi, and Zhonghuangmen Lingxiu Yidang ——Xuanhuai’s adopted daughter Xuanshi was summoned to the palace because of her beauty and became the middle queen.
These people like to find older and beautiful girls among their clans, in-laws, old friends, and township parties, adopt them as adopted daughters, and then send them to the palace.
Only for this reason, you will not be able to win over others, unless the emperor is also a womanizer...
As a Hun noble, Qiao Yu also has to take the path of a regular servant, and today is the day.
Wang Chen usually stayed in the palace, but today he was in the mansion. After hearing that Qiao Yu was coming, for some unknown reason, he actually called him in directly without queuing up.
Qiao Yu was a little surprised, but he didn't say anything. Under the guidance of the maid, he soon saw Wang Chen beside the rockery pond in the backyard.
"Meet Duke Ming." Qiao Yu did not hesitate and fell to the ground.
There was no sound for a long time.
Qiao Yu lowered his head lower.
"Get up and sit on the couch over there. I have something to ask." A deep and honest voice sounded.
Qiao Yu stood up quickly, glanced out of the corner of his eye, saw a couch for one person, and sat on it.
Wang Chen raised his eyes and looked at him, and said: "This is your first time coming to my house?"
"Yes."
"By whose order? Come?”
"My brother's order." "Qiao Zhong?"
"Yes."
"I accepted the thing." Wang Chen flicked the gift list in his hand , said: "Why did your brother send you here?"
"Your Majesty, please strengthen your troops." Qiao Yu replied.
Wang Chen's eyes narrowed, and he lost his voice and said, "Thief Shao is here again?"
Qiao Yu saw him losing his composure and sighed in his heart, why does the emperor favor eunuchs so much? Serious state affairs can only be accomplished with the help of these eunuchs and ugly people, which is really chilling.
"The Shao thief is still in Jinyang, and his foreign troops are sent to Loufan by Liu Ling to build forts and hoard supplies." Qiao Yu replied: "It is more than 200 miles between Loufan, Yangchangcang and Jinyang. , there are endless streams of grain trucks. In the nearby valley, there are herds of cattle, sheep, horses and donkeys, and there are no less than half a million. The dried cheese is piled up into mountains, and the squeezed white milk flows into rivers. There are also piles of millet, and there are several cities. I can’t let it go. Shao Thief is preparing for war seriously, and he may attack next month.”
Wang Chen stood up and walked around the courtyard like an anxious trapped animal.
Qiao Yu’s face was expressionless, but he felt even more contempt in his heart.
What kind of person is this? It’s ridiculous that he can control his power even though he can’t keep his composure.
"General Qiao." Wang Chen suddenly walked up to Qiao Yu, looked at him directly, and asked: "Tell me the truth, if Shao thief launches a large-scale attack on Pingyang, can he stop it? "Stay there?"
"Guanjuejin will probably not be able to get through," Qiao Yu said, "but Xiurong's front line is too dangerous. Even if we can recruit some strong men from the tribe, it will be too dangerous." They can't stop Shao Thief's hundreds of thousands of troops."
Wang Chen was stunned: "Shao Thief has so many soldiers?"
Qiao Yu was stunned.
He just exaggerated casually, do you really believe it? However, this was fine, so he said with a sad face: "My brother has the responsibility to defend the land and kill the enemy with all his strength. However, it is difficult to defeat hundreds of thousands of capable soldiers with thousands of tired people. Therefore, please strengthen our troops. It’s too late.”
Wang Chen had a little panic on his face.
Once hundreds of thousands of soldiers break through Beishan's blockade and march straight into the flat Hefen Valley, who can stop them?
It can be said that Luliang Mountain is the last chance, because the mountain roads are rugged, supplies are difficult, and troops cannot be deployed. The terrain is still complex, and the food roads are easy to be attacked, so the Jin army can be delayed slightly.
But if they are allowed to get out of the rolling mountains, how to stop them?
"I will remember this and tell His Majesty when I return to the palace tomorrow." Wang Chen took a deep breath and said.
The amount of wealth he accumulated is as high as the food and grass accumulated by Shao Thief.
Once it was taken away, he felt that he had no courage to live. After all, his lifelong pursuit was gone.
No, we have to move some to Guanzhong.
But Prince Liu Can has become estranged from him recently. Can the goods, food, servants, and villagers transferred across the river be kept?
Liu Shiguang (Liu Can) is also a ruthless person. When he was needed, he made friends intentionally. Now that his position is stable and the trend has been established, he has gradually drifted away.
A new circle of powerful people has formed in Chang'an, and Pingyang is not from the same group, which makes Wang Chen very irritated.
There is no other option but to use that move.
Liu Cong loves his little mother, and Liu Can also loves her little mother.
If the emperor collapses today, the queen becomes a queen mother, and then a concubine. She will definitely serve the new emperor.
Liu Can often secretly looked at Queen Fan (formerly Empress Dowager Zhang's niece and Queen Zhang Huiguang's maid), Left Queen Wang, Right Queen Liu, and Middle Queen Xuan. They were obviously lustful people.
He was waiting for Jinshang to die so that he could take over his father's harem, just like Jinshang had taken over the harems of his father Liu Yuan and his brother Liu He.
Some harem concubines are even expected to be passed down to three generations of descendants - in fact, it only lasts for more than ten years.
"Xiurong, Fenyang Ancient City has a good fight over there." Wang Chen took Qiao Yu's hand and said, "If you make great contributions, I will definitely tell the emperor to give you an official title. "
"Thank you, Prince, for your cultivation." Qiao Yu was overjoyed and paid his respects again.
I feel a little numb in my heart.
What else? Try your best to resist.
The Qiao family was a Hun noble, most of whom served as generals in the army.
Over the years, some clan members followed the prince to Guanzhong, some died in battle, and some remained in Pingyang as officials. Everyone is a little pessimistic about the situation of the Han Dynasty.
To be honest, neither Qiao Yu nor his brother Qiao Zhong thought that the big man could beat Shao Thief.
The only suspense is how long they can hold out under Shao Thief's surging offensive.
Actually, they are not the only ones in this country who think this way?
In the past few years, people have been following Prince Liu Can on his journey to the west, bringing with them his family, children, servants, tribal herders, villagers, and so on. This is actually a kind of escape. After all, blocked by the Yellow River, Shao Thief cannot easily enter the pass. It seems safer and can survive for many years.
Since last year, migration has reached its peak, with no less than 100,000 people leaving in a year.
There are a lot fewer people this year, but there are still people walking.
This is a very bad behavior and has greatly shaken people's hearts. The emperor once issued an edict prohibiting the migration of more than 10,000 tribes and herdsmen with a population of 70,000 to 80,000 to the westward. As one of the foundations of Prince Liu Can, the rest were not allowed to move westward unless permitted by the court.
But the edict is an edict, so you can still take the path of always serving the prince.
Qiao Yu has no plans to move his family to Guanzhong.
Death is death, what can be done?
What he is more worried about is the safety of the imperial court.
After leaving Wang Chen's mansion, Qiao Yu went south to Hedong to supervise a batch of grain, grass and equipment.
(End of this chapter)