Han Zuo Gaomen

Chapter 307
The straight-line distance between Jiankang and Jingkou is not too far. If you are not afraid of the wind and waves of the river, you can reach it by water in less than two days.And the land route is not far away. Shen Zhezi and the others set out from Qu'a, and after leaving Wang Shu's sight, they quickly changed their formations. At dawn on the third day, they reached Dantu.

Since the south crossing, the government of Jinling County has changed several times, either Dantu or Jingkou, and now Yu Yi is ruled in Jinling County of this county.As early as the day before yesterday, he had received news that Xu Mao from Dantu and Shen Ke from Jingkou had gathered together to meet the Empress Dowager and King Langya.

Compared with the usual inhumanity of the elder brother, the relationship between Yu Yi and the empress dowager is a bit more harmonious.As for the other brothers, because the Empress Dowager was still young when she got married, there was a distinction between superiority and inferiority after she became sensible, but the family relationship was not strong.

Although there are many soldiers guarding the road, it is safe and sound, but after experiencing Jiankang City fleeing in a hurry, the empress dowager can never be calm.All the way, she tightly held the hand of her second son, King Langya, and when she saw her second brother Yu Yi, she burst into tears: "I'm really afraid that it will be difficult to see brother again in this life!"

Compared with Yu Yi's hesitation, Yu Yi has more experience in these years and is much more mature.The empress dowager was so sad that he couldn't help but burst into tears, especially the sudden death of his eldest brother made him feel even more sad.But at the same time, he also knows that he is the pillar of the Yu family now, and only he can support the big brother leaving this mess, otherwise the country will be ruined and the family will be destroyed.

The great luck among the misfortunes right now is that the empress dowager was rescued from the capital, if not, it would be even more catastrophic for the Yu family.Yu Yi knew that his qualifications and prestige were far from comparable to that of his elder brother, and it was extremely difficult for him to take on this important task by himself.Therefore, for Shen Zhezi to save the Empress Dowager and King Langya, it is also a life-saving grace for his family!
While wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes, Yu Yi comforted the empress dowager in a low voice, and when the empress dowager calmed down, he said with emotion: "Wei Zhou, a young man, still remembers to rescue the empress dowager and King Langya from the capital in the face of disaster. Regardless of one's heart, this calmness of the avalanche alone is really amazing. Back then, Suzu was deeply acquainted and rewarded generously, and his vision was brilliant, which is really admirable. With such a good son-in-law, he is the empress dowager. Fortunately!"

Hearing what Yu Yi said, the Empress Dowager also felt deeply: "You can't know when people are suffering. If it's not this big calamity, how can a woman know that a good son-in-law is rare. Wei Zhou, a gentleman, is loyal and observant. It's a pity that he was born in a southern family. There is no such a beautiful person in the dynasty. It is also a blessing for a man and a daughter to have such a mate, and it will benefit the mother's family..."

Speaking of this, she couldn't help but feel a little sad, feeling that her fate was far worse than that of her own little daughter.The misfortune caused by the elder brother ruined the foundation of the first emperor, which made her feel ashamed and unable to feel at ease for a long time.

When Yu Yi heard this, he frowned slightly, and then said: "The empress dowager must stop making such a family plan. Under Wang Hua, the difference between people is just obedience and rebellion. How can they be divided into north and south. There may not be all virtuous people, and there may not be no righteous men in the southern land. Now that the men of the north and the south are helping the country and fighting against the rebellious ministers, it should not be judged as good or bad."

"What the second brother said is very true. I shouldn't think about it, let alone say it."

After hearing the words, the empress dowager nodded repeatedly to be taught, and then looked at Yu Yi full of hope and said, "Second brother, in the current situation, what should we do?"

Yu Yi frowned and muttered: "For the present plan, suppressing the rebellion is the first priority. However, Liyang's soldiers are full of arrogance. If the divisions of the kings from all over the place rise up suddenly and do not respond to each other, they will easily be defeated by each of them. If the king's division No matter how many defeats there are, the situation will inevitably become more corrupt.”

"Although the Empress Dowager has returned to the Jinling Mausoleum, there is still no communication between the parties. Therefore, the most urgent task is to send an edict to all parties to agree on a time to send their envoys to visit the Empress Dowager to discuss counter-insurgency matters."

Yu Yi's opinion has also been carefully considered. Now he does not have the reputation and qualifications of the elder brother. Even if the empress dowager lives here, if all parties are not subject to the edict and go their own way, the situation will be worse if he loses. Even if he wins, The royal majesty is also gone.Therefore, the only plan for now is to uphold righteousness first, and only then can we make progress.

"I'm panicking right now, and I have to thank my brother for everything. The elder brother is gone, and the seal of Zhongshu will belong to the second brother. I hope that the second brother can deeply remember the country's grace, and don't disappoint the high expectations of the late emperor in my family."

As the Empress Dowager spoke, she gave Yu Yi the seal that Yu Yi had sent back earlier. At the same time, she was also well-known for the gift of the law, and continued: "I know that it is a little inappropriate for the second brother to become a Zhongshu at the moment, but at present, apart from the two Brother, I also find it hard to trust others. So I asked my second brother to take the imperial edict temporarily as the servant of Zhongshu, so it is considered a temporary expediency."

Yu Yi knelt down to accept the seal and did not refuse, which was what it should have meant.At the same time, he also reminded: "It will be necessary for the empress dowager to make an imperial edict later, and all parties such as Jingxiang, Xu, Qing, Yan, Kuaiji and others must give praise and rewards."

The empress dowager nodded again and again after hearing the words: "Second brother is right, but all parties should praise and praise. I really don't have an opinion. I still need second brother to teach me."

Speaking of this, she sighed again and said: "Actually, what I can't let go of in my heart is that my son-in-law Wei Zhou is still white. At the beginning, the eldest brother was too harsh and condescending to my son-in-law. I couldn't speak out to dissuade him. , I’ve been thinking about it lately, and I’m always ashamed. Second brother, I want to take this opportunity to rehabilitate Wei Zhou, how about it?”

When Yu Yi heard this, he also nodded and said: "Weizhou has a generous structure, so he may not be fascinated by the magnates. But he is indeed rewarded for his great achievements, and he was personally appointed by Su Zu. There are still many things to do in the future, really. It’s not advisable to stay in vain for too long.”

"Then the second brother thinks he should be given to Wei Zhou? He is the son-in-law of my family, and the county magistrate may not be able to. But he is still young after all, and I am afraid that his salary will seriously hurt his reputation, so how about being a second-class marquis?"

The empress dowager has actually been thinking about this matter for a long time, and now she just wants Yu Yi to see if her idea is feasible.

Even though he already admired Shen Zhezi very much, he couldn't help but sweat profusely when he heard what the empress dowager said.Not to mention that the empress dowager herself feels that the county magistrate who has been rewarded too much, even the second-class marquis she now recognizes, is too generous for a person like Shen Zhezi who has not yet become an official.It should be noted that even the veteran general of Jingzhou, who is assigned the important task of Shaanxi, is now only a second-class marquis!

"I think we should seek Weizhou's opinion on this matter. He came from the rear, and these two days should be coming soon, so there is no need to rush."

Although he felt something was wrong, Yu Yi's personality was not as strong as his elder brother's, so he just delayed for a while.

The empress dowager shook her head after hearing the words, "Since there should be rewards, there is no reason to inquire. Besides, Wei Zhou is a man of propriety and righteousness, so how can he be a direct invitation to a nobleman, why should he embarrass the younger generation."

After hearing the words, Yu Yi didn't dare to continue this topic, and changed to other things.In the end, they negotiated with each other, and all parties in the edict agreed to build Xingtai in Jingkou in mid-April. Before that, all regions were allowed to defend their hometowns in the name of rebellion, and not to be trapped by thieves.

Next, Shen Ke and other merchants from the north and south of Jingkou greeted the Empress Dowager, and each brought offerings and ritual vessels to comfort the Empress Dowager.

Shen Zhezi fell behind, but not all of them were the queens. He still had one more important thing to do, which was to completely block Wang Shudong's passage.

Although the distance between Jiankang and Jingkou is not long, it is not a short distance away, and there are many hills and valleys along the way.For example, Qu'a, because it is located in the remaining range of Maoshan Mountain, with a little repair between the mountains, camps can be built as a line of defense.

And further east, after Jurong, there is also such a dangerous place in the territory of Dantu, named Daye.Daye is known as the Jingkou Barrier, and a camp was built here, and the garrison garrisoned it, which could block the westward army from advancing eastward.Whether it is to stop Wang Shu or to resist the Liyang Army's eastward advance, there is no room for loss here.

Earlier, Yu Tiao was in charge of evacuating refugees from two counties in the suburbs of Beijing. Shen Zhezi had already signaled to him that he had prepared sufficient manpower and materials in Daye in advance.After the front army of the Empress Dowager and others marched, Shen Zhezi's rear army joined Yu Tiao, and immediately mobilized the labor force here to invest in the construction of the camp.

It is true that the enemy must be despised strategically, and Shen Zhezi also knows that even if Li Yang is powerful for a while, it will be difficult to maintain it for a long time, but tactically, he must pay attention to it.Although he is slightly weaker in military and has never directly commanded troops to confront the Liyang army, he is well aware of the brilliant record of the Liyang army.

Therefore, Shen Zhezi also paid special attention to this great industry camp.Although there are many factors that determine the outcome, and it is not only necessary to rely on a strong fortress, it is not an exaggeration to prepare adequately while there is still time.

A large number of rocks mined from the nearby mountains have been continuously transported here, as well as cement that was expensive in the past and has never been mass-produced, and was only used as a military emergency reserve.This place is already close to Jingkou, and the allocation of materials is extremely convenient. With the investment regardless of cost, thousands of civilians rushed to work day and night. In just a few days, a majestic camp across the valley has been erected!

The style of this camp was built in the form of the Guanzhong dock wall that Du He was familiar with.Guanzhong has experienced turmoil, and wars have been frequent since the Eastern Han Dynasty, and it has never recovered.Therefore, this kind of dock wall has gone through many tests of war, and technically it is repaired a little bit at the cost of life. As long as the supply of materials is not cut off, it can prevent several times the enemy from attacking and cannot be broken!
Du He was also very surprised by the cement, which is far more adhesive than mortar. In his opinion, if this kind of fortification weapon is popularized in the north, a city of several feet can be built in ten days, advancing steadily, step by step, Jie Nu's crude siege methods are really not enough.

Therefore, he couldn't help asking the craftsmen of the Shen family about the cement making skills, but how did ordinary craftsmen know about this secret method.When Shen Zhezi explained Du He's doubts with a wry smile, Du He realized that the high cost of this seemingly unattractive dust was really daunting.Where is such a camp made of earth and rocks, it is clearly built of copper coins!

This is also Shen Zhezi's distress. In fact, the cement fired by his family with a lot of money is slightly inferior to the indigenous cement of later generations.The only advantage compared to today's mortars is that it sets faster and the bond strength is only slightly higher.If you are not in a hurry, it is really not worth using instead of mortar.

But things sometimes just seize the day and night. Not long after the camp was set up, Wang Shu's army came chasing after him.

(End of this chapter)