Embroidered color and fragrance

Chapter 190
"How much food and grass are left?" Shen Zhan asked.

Qiu Rong replied: "A few days ago, I heard from Lao Du that there are still eleven days left. I don't know what to do today." He casually called a soldier to find Lao Du who was in charge of the food.

Old Du followed Cao Enqing in the early years, and later, after Shen Zhan beat Cao Enqing, he followed Shen Zhan and followed him to manage the food and grass in his army. When there was nothing to eat, he led people to dig wild vegetables and fungi all over the mountains and plains. , They have eaten everything that can be eaten and eaten.

It was eaten that year... It was also the meat he personally cut and boiled with a few catties of spicy peppers.

He will never forget that taste.

In the past few years, he has never eaten pork or beef again, and even standing in front of the stove, he can't smell the smell of meat when it is cooked.

Disgusting.

"Brother." Lao Du bowed his hands and replied, "If you save money and eat one and a half meals a day, you can last another ten days!"

One and a half meals means to have a dry meal at noon, a thin meal at night, and skip the morning meal.

It can only keep people from starving to death.

"How can this be done?" Zhu Xun said angrily, "How can you fight and kill people if you don't have enough to eat. I'll go back and ask the Holy One for food and grass."

Shen Zhan grabbed him and said: "You go back for ten days, and you have to walk for at least 20 days with food and grass. When you arrive, we will starve to death."

Far water cannot save near fire.Shen Zhan looked at the distant mountains with his hands behind his back, and said in a deep voice: "From tomorrow on, Lao Du will bring people who have nothing to do into the mountains every day, and bring back everything that can be eaten and drank. If it is damaged, it will be made into jerky."

"Yes." Lao Du replied: "There must be a lot of food in those mountains. I will go there early tomorrow morning."

Shen Zhan nodded, frowned and said: "Depending on Nurhachi's situation, this battle will not be too short."

Everyone had expected it, and the other party was well prepared. To be honest, they were able to stop them outside the pass. Intercepting and killing them was already very powerful. Otherwise, with Nurhachi's ability, he would have rushed into the pass.

As long as you let him in, I believe it won't be long before Houyuan will come out again.

"Let's all go and rest." Shen Zhan said, "We are not in charge of the robbery and burning of food and grass. Someone will come and give us a reasonable explanation and explanation."

He doesn't want to waste energy to investigate this matter now, "Zhengyan, you follow."

Zhu Xun followed Shen Zhan to the military tent, washed and shaved, and Zhu Xun became the same Zhu Xun from before, but thinner. He ate some cold steamed buns and sat opposite Shen Zhan, saying: "Brother, every time This is how you fight, how can you win if you go on like this.”

"Your Majesty is also true. According to me, he shouldn't have spent so much national power to fight Nurhachi before. Now it's all right. He used up some money in the national treasury. Now when it's time to use it, he can't get it out again. Isn't this dragging you back?"

"What's the use of complaining, we are fighting, not him." Shen Zhan said: "Tell me, how is Wanwan, have you stayed at home honestly? Didn't you sneak back to the capital?"

In fact, Zhao Zhiang has been fighting for so many years, I am afraid that he himself has not been hungry. If he has something to eat, he must eat it first. Only Shen Zhan and his father will fight with everyone hungry.Those who have never experienced it will never know how it feels to be hungry, dizzy, and trying to kill someone.

His father said that when he had no strength, he found that human bones were so hard that he couldn't cut them with a knife.

"She's pretty good, she can eat and drink." Zhu Xun's eyes flickered, "She gained a few pounds when I came here."

Shen Zhan stared at him, a little surprised, "Can you eat and drink? Could it be that there was a time when you couldn't eat or drink before?"

This logic is a bit too amazing, Zhu Xun became more careful, "No, she is doing well. But I am just anxious that you go back quickly, she wants to go back to Yanjing."

That's not even close.In fact, Shen Zhan didn't worry too much. He didn't need to worry about Su Wanru's ability, not to mention there were so many people around her to take care of her, so there would be no problems in her life.

What he was most afraid of was that she would act like a demon and sneak back to the capital.

"Don't worry." Zhu Xun said: "It's not that she is ignorant. Besides, your mother, my mother and her aunt, with so many elders around, she won't just leave alone."

She couldn't leave even if she wanted to, with a big belly, Zhu Xun endured so much hard work, for fear that she would accidentally laugh out loud.

Mynah, when you get home and see Wan Wan hugging a milk doll, or... your son throwing himself on your leg and calling you dad, what will your expression be?
Zhu Xun coughed a few times, and brought out a smile along with the cough.

He has to hold back.

Shen Zhan hummed, and said nothing more, "I hope the battle can be resolved quickly." He said, got up and walked to the territory map, looked carefully, and all the lines outside the customs were outlined, and a long red line was drawn out, stretching Thousands of miles away, no one knows where Nurhachi really wants to enter the customs, so he has to turn passive into active, drive him away, and drive him away.

"How are you going to fight this?" Zhu Xun looked speechless, "You son of a bitch, you don't even have anything to eat."

Shen Zhan knocked on the wall and said, "Have you seen the shepherd?" He paused, and said, "Now we are shepherds!"

The opponent is not a wolf but a sheep. This example is interesting, Zhu Xun said: "Yes, we are shepherds, and I want to eat lamb."

"Just know how to eat." Shen Zhan laughed.

"Eating is a big deal!" Lord Ge looked at Lord Cui, Lord Fang and Lord Shi, and said, "This man took the food and grass, but did not take it away but burned it on the spot. His purpose is to block the retreat of Zhennanhou. "

"Yes." Master Cui said in a low voice: "However, it would be a bit hasty for His Majesty to ask the emperor's grandson to investigate this matter."

They didn't think there was any difference in Zhao Zhiting's ability at first, but since he got a woman back and gave birth to a child, they were skeptical of him.

Especially Master Cui, a marriage disgusted him for several years.

"It's good and it's good." Shi Daren said: "In fact, the fourth prince's battle was a bit wrong, but the Holy One didn't say anything about him, but now he can faintly see signs of his rise. This is not a good thing."

Zhao Zhiang also started to play with balance, lifting Zhao Xu but not suppressing Zhao Zhiting.

It's confusing now.

"Master Shi is right." Master Cui said: "However, it is important to investigate the case, but what is more important right now is how to quickly gather the food and grass for next month, otherwise Zhennan Hou and the others will starve. "

In the current situation, they can't do without fighting, and tigers and wolves are waiting at the door, how can they sit back and relax.

"My lord." Outside the door, Mr. Ge's staff knocked on the door, and Mr. Ge said: "Come in and talk."

The staff came in, saluted all the adults, and then reported to Master Ge: "My lord, the food and grass were robbed in Ningwu. It was night, and there were 120 soldiers escorting the food and grass. A fire followed."

"It's really hateful." Mr. Fang said humanely.

The aide should be, and then said: "I searched for a long time, and finally found the name of a village. He fell and fainted in the mountain that day, and he didn't wake up until night. He was about to go home when he heard a strange movement at the foot of the mountain. Looking secretly, I saw at least three or four hundred soldiers ambushing on the mountain, everyone with bows and arrows in their hands, and when the grain and grass carts arrived, they began to shoot arrows at random. They're all dead."

"But in the blink of an eye, there was a big fire. The rice was ignited with tung oil, and the fire burst into flames." The staff said, picking up a broken arrow from his sleeve and handing it to Mr. Ge, "This is the name of the village that was picked up after going down the mountain. of."

Mr. Ge took it in his hand and looked it over, and handed it to other people to read. Everyone is a civil servant, and he didn't see any way from a broken arrow, so he said: "Go and invite Mr. Yang."

After a while, Yang Ertong was invited to Gefu.They were not very familiar with each other before, but since that parade, they have had a little contact with each other, but most of them are hearing each other's opinions and deeds from Su Wanru's mouth.

"Master Yang." Master Ge handed him the arrow, "Look at this arrow, what kind of tricks do you have?"

Yang Ertong took the arrow and came over, looked around for a moment, frowned and said: "This arrow is not an arrow used in the army, it looks a little strange, and there is no way to tell from it."

Everyone looked disappointed.

"The other party didn't leave any clues?" Yang Ertong asked.

Master Ge nodded, "The other party is cautious. When our people arrived, they didn't even find half of such an arrow. This half was sent by a nearby villager."

"That's it." Yang Ertong raised his eyebrows, went out with an arrow, and scratched a few times on the bluestone slab. Not only was a white mark drawn on the slate, but a little black and blue marks were left behind, as if on the bluestone. Painted, his eyes lit up, he looked back at Master Ge and said, "My lord, I know where this arrow came from."

"Where." Master Ge was very surprised, "Master Yang, tell me quickly."

Yang Ertong was thinking about the arrow in his hand, looked at the crowd, and said, "There is an iron shop in Liaodong. Back then they made weapons for Li Maoan. Later, after Liaodong surrendered, the head of the iron shop was beheaded by the Marquis of Zhennan. The people in the shop were all imprisoned in the big prison in Liaodong."

"These man-made arrows have a characteristic, that is, they like to scrape a thin layer of varnish on the arrowheads. Once the varnish is painted, it doesn't take time to polish the arrowheads, which saves a lot of effort." Yang Erdao: "This is something most people don't I know, it was my brother from Liaodong who told me that this group of people are thieves, and they cheated Li Maoan for an unknown amount of money."

Lord Ge's eyes lit up, and he said in a deep voice: "So these people were released from the prison in Liaodong? Or are these arrows made before they were imprisoned?"

"Looking at the quality of the arrow, it should be new." Yang Ertong said, "Nine times out of ten, these people were released secretly."

The matter in Liaodong has subsided, and no one will pay attention to them now, so it is easy to deceive the upper and lower.

"Then send someone to investigate secretly." Mr. Fang asked, "Should I return this matter to the eldest grandson of the emperor?"

Everyone just look at me and I look at you, and then Mr. Ge said: "This matter is just an inference and has no basis at all. We should wait until we find out and then report back."

"Yes." Yang Ertong chuckled, and said, "I just guessed, how can I speak seriously about random guesses. Don't hurt me, my lords."

Everyone smiled and bowed their hands at Yang Ertong.

"Then I'll go." Yang Ertong said, "We still need to distinguish the boundaries between civil and military." Saying that, he laughed and left.

Master Ge immediately ordered his staff to arrange people to investigate, and said to everyone: "What are your opinions on this matter?"

"You have to take the opportunity to do something." Master Cui looked at Master Ge, "I have an idea."

Mr. Ge said: "Please." Everyone entered the study again and closed it. Mr. Men Ge said: "The matter of food and grass must be settled immediately. Lord Hou believes in us, and we must not delay his retreat."

"My lord." The staff went back and forth, "My lord, Nurhachi sent a letter into the customs, and it was sent to the capital by someone sent by the Marquis."

Master Ge was taken aback, and asked, "But what is it?"

"A peace agreement." The aide replied, "Nurhachi asked for a peace negotiation."

Everyone looked at each other in blank dismay, which was really surprising. No one thought that Nurhachi would want to negotiate a peace.

"Summer is coming, and it is the most important months of the year for them. If they miss these months, they may not have a harvest this year. Could it be because they couldn't procrastinate, so they negotiated a peace." Mr. Fang said humanely.

"Things won't be that simple." Shi Daren said, "Shall we go to the palace first?"

Several people nodded, each of them asked their attendants to go home to get their official uniforms, and went outside the palace gate to ask for an audience, but after a while, some servants came from the palace and announced them into the palace.

At this moment, everyone in the imperial study room was already persuading Zhao Zhiang.

"This negotiation letter was sent back by the Marquis of Zhennan, which means that the Marquis is also willing to negotiate a peace. Your Majesty, please think again."

"That's right. Right now, the imperial court is in trouble, and the national treasury is empty. It's almost impossible to make ends meet. If we fight again, this battle won't last long. If we lose by then, it won't be the condition." Xu Liren said: "It's better to calm down the matter temporarily , wait for a few years when the national strength is strong, and then raise troops."

"From a long-term perspective, it's really not easy to impress at the moment. Dazhou can't toss about it anymore. The people don't have the ability to toss it anymore." Xu Liren said, wiping his tears, "What the people are looking forward to is nothing more than a Taiping, why can’t we give them peace.”

Zhao Zhiang didn't speak, but the firmness in his eyes was obviously weaker than before.

No money, no food, this is a big problem.

"Your Majesty." Master Ge led the crowd into the door, knelt down to salute, Zhao Zhiang looked at them, and asked, "Are you also heard about it? That dog thief has brought a peace agreement."

Master Ge stood up and glanced at Xu Liren, then asked Zhao Zhiang, "My lord, what did the peace agreement say?"

"Let me cede all the way to Hami along the Liaodong line, and retreat a hundred miles from the city gate." Zhao Zhiang knocked on the table and said: "He said that he has prepared for 12 years, so everything is sufficient. He does not want to win this battle, but he can fight us. Last ten years."

ten years?Master Ge was taken aback. This was not an exaggeration. With so many people on the other side, it would take ten years to fight a battle, which is quite normal.

But they have ten years but are unable to support ten years.

Ten years, then almost three or four out of ten of the national power in these ten years will have to be invested in this battle.

No one dared to say yes.

Especially since there is not even enough food and grass at the moment, Mr. Ge suddenly fell silent.

"My lord. The land outside the pass is not fertile, there are not many people, and the people are not well-off. If we give them, we will move the people away. The city will be moved fifty miles back, and the loss will not be heavy." Xu Liren said: "I am willing to go. Let's talk, back fifty miles."

Master Ge glanced at Xu Liren from the corner of his eye, raised his eyebrows and asked: "Master Xu, have you calculated, and fifty miles, how much is it?" He said again: "These fifty miles are not only fifty miles, but also the face of the ancestors. But there's never been anything like this."

"Master Ge is really forgetful." Xu Li said humanely.

Master Ge laughed, and said: "It seems that Master Xu's slavishness has been deeply rooted in his bones. Could it be that you can't forget the oppression of the previous tyrants and look forward to their return?"

"Don't talk nonsense, you have to be responsible for your words." Xu Liren said: "When did I have such a meaning or say such a thing."

Master Ge countered: "Master Xu is clear." After speaking, he looked at Zhao Zhi'ang with his sleeves, and said, "Your Majesty, fight as soon as you fight, and the Marquis of Zhennan didn't back down, so we can't give up. Today's fifty miles is the bottom line , Once it breaks through, there will be a second fifty miles and a third fifty miles in the future. We must not allow such a thing to happen."

"No one is willing." Xu Liren said: "Master Na Ge, tell me, what can you do to support these ten years?"

Mr. Ge replied: "With the power of the whole country, it is impossible to survive these ten years. What's more, we have to have confidence in Zhennanhou. With him, it will never take so long."

"A joke." Xu Liren said: "How can the great responsibility of the country be placed on the shoulders of one person. If Zhennan Hou is not around one day, is it possible that Lord Ge has the ability to go to battle?"

Master Ge said humanely: "It is an honor for my subjects to protect the family and the country. It is an honor for my subjects to die." Lord Ge and Zhao Zhi'ang said: "My lord, the humble minister is the leader of the battle. Ten thousand deaths cannot retreat."

He knelt down, and several adults behind him also knelt down and said in unison: "We must not retreat for fifty miles."

He now knows why someone suddenly burned the grain and grass for two purposes.One is to break Shen Zhan's back, but to frighten everyone.Then vote for a peace letter.

It looked like a peace negotiation, but in fact it was showing off their might and forcing them to surrender.

"A reckless man." Xu Liren said: "The Great Zhou Dynasty has only been in existence for a few years, and the most urgent task is to develop the national power. If the whole country is blindly fighting, the result will only be relatives and enemies. Ten years later, if he wants to enter the customs, he will not come back Vote and."

Mr. Ge was still talking, Xu Liren suddenly continued: "There is one more thing, I want to ask Mr. Ge." After a pause, he continued: "You have a lot of private contacts with the Marquis of Zhennan. Does the Holy Majesty know about this? Are you on the march? General, walking around with the ministers, I can't help but wonder if you have other plans."

"Your Majesty." Xu Liren said: "Now the military power is in the hands of the Marquis of Zhennan. If he has a different intention, the consequences will be unimaginable. Please be careful and take it seriously."

Everyone's complexion changed drastically, Master Ge sneered, "So, it is also possible that Master Xu colluded with Nurhachi internally and externally, collaborating with the enemy and treason?"

"You!" Xu Liren was about to speak angrily, but Master Ge raised his hand to interrupt him, "You must pay attention to evidence, Master Xu, you can eat indiscriminately, but you can't talk nonsense."

Zhao Zhiang leaned on the chair with folded arms, seeing the quarrel below, he turned to look at Zhao Xu, and asked, "Fourth, what do you think?"

Zhao Xu replied: "I think that I can sit down with Nurhachi and have a talk. Baili can't give in, but it doesn't mean that the other party must not accept other conditions."

Everyone was stunned, looked at Zhao Xu, and heard him say: "It's better to return this peace agreement first, deny the conditions he raised, and see what he says." After a pause, he said: "I really think that he is just It's a bluff, and it is bound to raise conditions."

That's a good thing to say.

"What about the food and grass?" Master Cui asked.

Zhao Zhiang paused, and replied: "I have already taken out the money from the private treasury, and will send it outside the customs soon." The money in his private treasury was given to him by Su Wanru, and he didn't take much, only half a month rations.

"What to do with the rest, everyone will figure out a way." Zhao Zhiang said.

In the afternoon, I sent a letter back to Nurhachi and sent it outside the customs. Shen Zhan didn't even read it and sent it to Nurhachi...

What is said in the letter is the same as what Zhao Xu said, Chengguan will not retreat, let him change other conditions.

The letter was sent back three days later, and Nurhachi asked for three conditions, "100 million taels of gold, cloth and food, and Shen Zhan's head!"

Zhao Zhiang showed the peace agreement to everyone in the morning, knocked on the armrest, and said with a smile: "What do you think of this condition?"

Not to mention whether the 100 million taels of gold can be taken out, but Shen Zhan's head, whether to take it or not.

Master Ge didn't speak, and winked with Master Cui and others, they all fell silent, looking at everyone's reaction.

There was silence in the hall.

No one spoke for a while, Zhao Zhiang asked: "Xu Aiqing, what do you think?"

"My lord." Xu Liren took a step forward and replied, "Except for the head of the Marquis of Zhennan, other conditions are acceptable."

Saying is tantamount to not saying.

"However, if you can sacrifice one person's life to save all people from suffering, this is a great righteousness, and death is worthy of death." Xu Liren said: "If you ask the Marquis of Zhennan about this matter, I think he will agree."

There was silence all around, and suddenly someone asked: "Master Xu is also willing to die for righteousness?"

"Naturally," Xu Liren said, "If offering this head can save all the people, I am willing."

Master Ge's eyes lit up when he heard this, and what he was waiting for was your words, "Your Majesty, I have a letter from the Marquis of Zhennan here. He asked me to pass it on to Your Majesty."

"Yeah." Zhao Zhiang took the letter from Eunuch Du, opened it and took a look, his eyes swept across the crowd, looking at Xu Liren, "Xu Aiqing take a look."

Xu Liren should have received the letter, his face turned pale and he trembled with anger.

In Shen Zhan's letter, he asked Xu Liren to sacrifice the flag. He said that after master Xu's blood sacrifice, Nurhachi's head would be obtained within ten months, if not ten years.

Someone snickered.

This is standing up and talking without back pain. It is easy to let others die, and you are full of righteousness, but when it is your turn, it is completely different.

Lord Ge laughed loudly, and said: "Master Xu, for the sake of the people of the world, you should go to sacrifice the flag!"

Xu Liren's expression was extremely ugly.

After retreating from the court, Yang Ertong looked for Mr. Ge outside the palace gate, and said in a low voice: "Did you find the clue?"

"It has been harvested." Lord Ge and Yang Ertong said as they walked, "As Lord Yang said, those people are no longer in prison, and those arrows must have been made by them."

Yang Ertong nodded, and said in a low voice: "I entrusted my brothers and found one of them. First, I will give you the address of the prisoner, and then you can send someone to interrogate you. You will definitely gain something." After he finished speaking, he looked around, Quickly stepped back and left.

Mr. Ge was a little excited, grabbed the address and quickly put it in his sleeves. Behind him, Xu Liren came with a group of disciples and colleagues. Mr. Ge got on the sedan chair with a flick of his sleeves, and walked away.

Xu Liren was very angry. Shen Zhan had clearly prepared this long ago. He quickly returned to the mansion, and his staff greeted him, and said in a low voice: "My lord, there are rumors that the Su family lived in the mansion of Xiaoshan in the Chengdu mansion, and even married Shen Zhan." Cham got married at the end of last year."

Xu Liren's eyes lit up, "It's true, are you sure?"

"It can't be confirmed." The staff replied: "Whether it's true or not, I'm afraid I have to send someone to find out the truth in person. Both Shen Zhan and that Su family are shrewd and cunning people. Maybe this is a trap. But I really want to find out." It’s not easy either, Chengdu Mansion is like an iron bucket, it’s hard to find useful news.”

Today's letter made him look very ugly, Xu Liren decided that no matter how difficult the matter is, he must seize this excellent opportunity, "Send someone there, and no matter how much it costs, we must find out."

"Yes!" The staff said yes and left.

Xu Liren went to the study, quickly wrote a letter with a pen, called someone to send it out, and hurried all the way to the border.

It was at the end of May when Su Wanru got the news of the peace talks, and it was the second day after Nurhachi's second letter of peace talks was discussed in the court. There is really Nurhachi's internal support."

"Father." Su Wanru said: "Did Xiao Hanqing mention this matter before, does he still have someone in the court?"

Could it be that they missed someone at the time?

"It's possible." Xiao Shan said, "But Xiao Hanqing didn't tell me these things, so I don't know who that person is."

If there is such a person, then it is likely to be Xu Liren. Lord Ge told her that he was held hostage that day because Xu Liren pushed him.

"Hijacking and burning food and grass, followed by the peace agreement. It seems that they must have some tricks." Su Wanru was silent for a moment, then said thoughtfully, "I want Shen Zhan's head...I know."

Xiao Shan looked at Su Wanru in a daze.

"Frame Shen Zhan." Su Wanru said: "It is very possible that they will frame Shen Zhan for treason in the next step. Now that he has a large army in his hands, he is easily framed. You must order everyone who knows his identity to keep it a secret. From today We're all going to be reclusive at first."

"Okay." Xiao Shan said: "I will strengthen the investigation, and I can't be taken advantage of by those people."

Su Wanru agreed, but she felt it was very hateful. She walked back and forth a few times stroking her belly, stopped and said in a deep voice: "No, whether it's Xu Liren or not, we should kill him first."

"Shen Zhan will be away, and it is inconvenient for him to do many things, and it is impossible for him to have the energy to guard against them all the time," Su Wanru said, "Since the person who burned the grain and grass can't be found, it means that whoever we say he is is who he is." That's it."

As she spoke, she sat down and borrowed Xiao Shan's pen and ink to write a letter to Mr. Ge.

"Why haven't you given birth yet?" Su Wanru was extremely anxious, "I want to go back to Yanjing, even if I can't help him, I can still get some news."

Xiao Shan comforted: "It's okay, take ten thousand steps back, Xianzong will be fine. In the end, it's Zhao Zhiang who suffers."

"Yes!" Su Wanru was right when she thought about it, she looked at Xiao Shan and said, "However, if dirty water is spilled, it would be disgusting enough."

　The monthly ticket is doubled today, thank you everyone!So awesome, what a da!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)