Without money, what is the point of being a traitor?

Chapter 130

Pei Yuan jumped off his horse and painted on the ground with a knife. With a few strokes, he drew a map with vague outlines.

Lu Ting also dismounted, came over and asked, "What is this?"

"Map." Pei Yuan answered concisely and continued to sketch.

In order to be accurate, Pei Yuan subconsciously started with a few familiar points and then drew the outline.

Lu Ting looked at the pebbles that Pei Yuan had placed on the ground, pointed at one of them, and asked casually, "Where is this?"

Pei Yuan looked at it and said, "Nanjing."

"What about here?"

"Suzhou." Pei Yuan looked at it patiently.

"What about here?"

Pei Yuan said, "Shanghai."

Lu Ting, "Oh."

Lu Ting was an expert on military affairs, so he roughly understood the position with the help of the previous point prompts. The crooked horizontal line represented the Yangtze River, and the curved vertical line represented the boundary between land and sea.

With these references, those messy lines are easier to judge, and the locations of the Huaihe River, the Grand Canal and the Yellow River are determined in turn.

Then, I could see clearly the areas represented by several other stones.

Pei Yuan drew a line on the ground with his sword, pointing and saying, "The reason why the Bazhou rebels are so difficult to kill is that they have a large number of war horses. Once the situation gets bad, the large group of horse thieves will break away from the auxiliary troops and baggage and evacuate quickly."

"As long as these core bandits are not eliminated, they can raid prefectures and counties at any time and raise a large team."

"Therefore, it is impossible to completely eliminate it and eradicate it."

Seeing that Lu Ting remained silent, Pei Yuan continued speaking.

"Those baggage and auxiliary troops slow down the rebels' marching speed, but they are an indispensable part of the army. As long as Lu Wan gives the rebels a break, they will definitely not make up their minds to just abandon them. This will create a situation where the rebels who are hoping for a lucky break will be held hostage by the slow-moving auxiliary troops. If my prediction is correct, in order to completely wipe out this bandit, Lu Wan will definitely surround them from three sides and leave one side open, exerting pressure step by step, and forcing the Bazhou rebels to move south."

"The rebels are all from the north and are unfamiliar with the geography of the south. As long as we force them into the Huai River basin, the chances of victory will increase greatly. If the rebels in Bazhou misjudge the situation and choose to cross the Huai River during the dry season, they will completely fall into the trap of the court."

"By then, there will be the Yangtze River to the south, the Dabie Mountains to the west, the sea to the east, and the imperial army blocking their way from behind. The cavalry of the Bazhou rebels will have nowhere to escape."

"It's just that the Bazhou rebels are so powerful today, and it's not for nothing."

"If my analysis of the general situation is correct, they will definitely take this route, first come here, then turn back and attack here, and finally threaten Huai'an. In order to ensure the safety of the Grand Canal, Lu Wan can only move down along the inner line of the Grand Canal to cut off the offensive of the Bazhou rebels. In this way, there will inevitably be a gap in the thick defense line in the north. The Bazhou rebels can counterattack again and kill back to Shandong and Henan..."

Pei Yuan was flipping through the small maps of Gu Dayong and Liu Qi, pointing at the ground in front of him, holding a feather fan and a long scarf, and talking eloquently.

Lu Ting was shocked to see Pei Yuan analyze the current situation so clearly and thoroughly in just a snap of his fingers.

In particular, when Pei Yuan compared the possible route of the rebels' advance that he had just drawn with the intelligence he had, it was exactly the same, and he had guessed it all correctly.

As a result, Lu Ting's opinion of Captain Pei was raised again.

His attitude became more sincere.

"Then based on what Captain Pei saw, what should we do?"

Pei Yuan pretended to point a knife at a place on the ground and said, "The key point to break the deadlock is in Xuzhou."

Then he explained, "Lu Wan wants to use auxiliary troops and baggage to hold back the Bazhou rebel cavalry, so he will not dare to launch a fierce attack. If Eunuch Lu returns to the capital as soon as possible to recommend Bai Yu, it will still be in time."

"When Eunuch Lu and Bai Yu have reorganized their troops and reached Xuzhou, we will go..."

Pei Yuan thought about it for a long time and had a general idea, "Let's go to Pizhou and station there."

Lu Ting quickly asked, "Why is it Pizhou?"

Pei Yuan only remembered that there was an important place for crossing the river in Pizhou, but he couldn't tell the specific details.

So he said, "Liu Liu and Liu Qi are like rats that have been driven into a dead end. Once they find that there is no way forward, they are most likely to flee back. And because they suffer from the disadvantages of not knowing the geography, they are likely to tend to take the familiar road and flee back along the way they came."

"And along the way they..."

Pei Yuan used his knife to repeatedly draw on the route map of the Bazhou rebels' southward march. "The most critical line of defense is in Xuzhou. As long as the Bazhou rebels break through the Xuzhou defense line and force their way across the river, they can shake off the main force of the court and enter the rear area where all the troops have been withdrawn."

"In the entire Xuzhou defense line, the most vulnerable point is Pizhou."

"Because they crossed the river from Pizhou when they went south, there is a high probability that they would choose Pizhou first when they return."

After hearing what Pei Yuan said, Lu Ting suddenly felt that his "talent in commanding troops" and "ability to restore the country" were completely inadequate in front of a powerful man like Pei Qianhu.

Then think about those who killed sixty enemies together with him, including the first-rank Left General, the second-rank Censor-in-Chief, and the Commander-in-Chief.

It is true that Pei Qianhu is the only hero in the world!

He thought about it for a moment and confirmed with Pei Yuan, "Captain Pei, could it be that he wants us and Bai Yu to garrison Pizhou and block the way for the Bazhou rebels to cross the river?"

Pei Yuan shook his head and warned seriously, "Bai Yu's abilities are sparse, and the troops available to the court are probably a motley crowd, so the timing of the decisive battle is particularly important."

"If you stay in Pizhou and stop the rebels from Bazhou from crossing the river, you will inevitably encounter a fight between trapped beasts and die."

Lu Ting asked hurriedly, "What does Captain Pei mean?"

"Wait until the Bazhou rebels cross the river, then you can attack. At that time, they will have just broken through the imperial court's encirclement, and they will be at their most excited and unprepared. You can bluff, make a fuss, and chase them from behind."

"The rebels in Bazhou escaped from the encirclement, their fighting spirit waned, and they were like frightened birds, eager to escape the pursuit of the imperial army."

"Then the enemy army will most likely collapse. You don't have to focus on achieving great results. Just chase the auxiliary troops and seize the baggage. As long as you win an unquestionable victory, the emperor will definitely replace Gu Dayong with Eunuch Lu."

After hearing this, Lu Ting felt as if everything in front of him suddenly became clear.

At this time, he thought of something else, and regardless of the embarrassment, he asked in a low voice, "What should we do if our troops are useless and the enemy army has not been defeated?"

After hearing this, Pei Yuan looked at Lu Ting in surprise.

Lu Ting was confused by Pei Yuan's look and felt guilty for a moment, "What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"

Pei Yuan looked at Lu Ting and said to him earnestly, "The governor-general and deputy governor Bai Yu wants to atone for his crime, so he must be eager to make achievements. Eunuch Lu and Bai Yu are on the same boat, so it can be said that they rise together and fall together. It has come to that point, are you two still pedantic? How could you two gain nothing?"

Lu Ting was stunned, then he patted his head belatedly.

Just now, I was completely led into the rhythm by Pei Yuan, and I even forgot about the traditional Ming Dynasty skill of falsely reporting military achievements.

Everyone is falsely reporting their military achievements, how can he have any face?

According to the procedure, the one who reported the achievement was Bai Yu, the deputy governor, and the one who reviewed it was his eunuch Lu Ting, the military supervisor, right?
Lu Ting was in high spirits, and felt that the road to becoming the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department was open to him. He came to his senses and asked eagerly, "What will happen next?"

Pei Yuan smiled when he heard this, and scratched the ground with his knife, messing up the map.

Lu Ting was stunned and asked in confusion, "What does Qian Hu mean by this?"

Pei Yuan slowly mounted his horse and said to Lu Ting, "If I am still alive by then, I will tell Eunuch Lu everything I know."

Upon hearing this, Lu Ting immediately understood what Pei Yuan meant.

He said sincerely, "To be honest, I have always valued Captain Pei. If there is anything I can do to help, I will definitely not refuse."

When it came to negotiating terms, Pei Yuan was not polite.

"Are the things I just mentioned still useful to Eunuch Lu?"

Lu Ting thought about it and said seriously without exaggeration, "It's like a rebirth for me."

Lu Ting returned to the palace this time with the help of Xiao Jing, but as an old eunuch of the Hongzhi Dynasty, Xiao Jing was also slowly being marginalized.

This time, Lu Ting finally got the chance to go south, but Pei Qianhu showed up and messed up his plan. Not only did he fail to accomplish his plan, but he also suffered heavy losses in terms of personnel.

After Lu Ting returns to the palace, the door leading to the Imperial Household Department will probably be completely closed to him.

If you are luckier, you can be sent to a border town to serve as a eunuch guarding the town.

If you are unlucky, you might have to spend your retirement in the imperial mausoleum.

But if Pei Yuan's plan could succeed, then Lu Ting would have a smooth road ahead with his merit in suppressing the rebellion in Bazhou.

Pei Yuan smiled when he saw Lu Ting coming up, "Then when Eunuch Lu takes power, how about I use what I said just now to exchange for a Jinshi with you?"

"Jinshi?" Lu Ting was puzzled and looked at Pei Yuan. "How can a military officer like you pass the imperial examination?"

Pei Yuan has thought it through.

He smiled and said, "He is one of my brothers. He is well educated and even won the first place in a county exam in Jiangxi. I heard from him that it would not be difficult for him to pass the next imperial examination. But it is not certain whether he can pass the imperial examination. It is good to have Eunuch Lu to help him pay attention."

Pei Yuan's favor is no longer useful to him.

He has already got the biggest card that the Zhengde Dynasty can get. For him, instead of continuing to stack military positions, it is better to cash in elsewhere.

Zhang Cong didn’t consider it.

This is the most powerful weapon among Pei Yuan’s circle of friends that has the best chance of becoming the Prime Minister, and it is also the cornerstone of subsequent plans.

Therefore, Zhang Cong had to continue to fail the exam again and again and honestly follow history to become a Jinshi of Emperor Jiajing.

What does it mean to have a good family background?

In March of the 16th year of Zhengde, Zhu Houzhao, the Dharma King of Daqing, passed away; in April of the 16th year of Zhengde, Zhu Houcong, the Emperor Wanshou of Xuandu Territory, succeeded to the throne; in May of the 16th year of Zhengde, a Jinshi was selected by the Emperor Wanshou of Xuandu Territory when he went to Fengtian Hall. What a pure and red family background!
There was a reason why Zhang Cong chose to stand decisively by the emperor's side and help him turn the tide when all the civil and military officials in the court were suppressing the Emperor Wanshou of Xuandu Realm.

Because this was the first serious thing Zhu Houcong did after fulfilling his duties as emperor, the first gift package he gave out to newcomers, and they were also the first group of political thugs on whom the young emperor Zhu Houcong placed all his hopes.

Therefore, Zhang Cong had to wait until May of the 16th year of Zhengde before he could appear in the Fengtian Hall.

He must be a Jinshi of the Jiajing period, not a Jinshi of the Zhengde period.

Excluding Zhang Cong as an option, there are not many places where Pei Yuan can use this favor.

After much thought, it seems that only the fat brother Ouyang must enter.

Ouyang Bijin himself had no special political significance. He was able to hold a high position partly because he was indeed a good examiner, and partly because he had a good brother-in-law.

Therefore, Pei Yuan didn't care too much about using Ouyang Bi to help things go wrong.

When Zhang Cong helped Emperor Wanshou of Xuandu Realm to get through the most helpless early period and begin to mature politically, that was when his sworn brother Ouyang Bijin and brother-in-law Yan Song would be able to show their talents.

As for now, a Jinshi who can be put to use as soon as possible is much more important than those miscellaneous concerns.

Lu Ting paused for a moment, then said frankly, "With my current status and position, I have no way of interfering with the imperial examinations of the Ministry of Rites. But if Captain Pei's plan succeeds this time and I get this great credit, then it should be no problem for me to win a Jinshi in the next imperial examination."

Those who understand the liberal arts exam, the imperial examination, will understand.

Since the top seven candidates were all from Jiangxi in the past, Lu Ting had a way to select a designated candidate from Jiangxi for the next exam.

Pei Yuan was overjoyed when he heard this.

"In that case, I would like to thank Eunuch Lu in advance."

Lu Ting shook his head after hearing this. "Why thank you? What I have done is not as good as Captain Pei's few words just now."

The two parties reached a deal, each got what they needed, and both felt more at ease.

Although Pei Yuan's previous plan was well-planned and well-coordinated, its error tolerance rate was extremely low.

If Pei Yuan wanted to trick Lu Ting on purpose, and if he concealed some fatal key in a certain link, Lu Ting might have died without a burial place.

Perhaps it was the exchange of interests that made the relationship between the two parties much stronger. Lu Ting thought about it and confided another thing in his heart, "I have another matter and I would like to hear Captain Pei's opinion."

Pei Yuan knew that he still needed help from Lu Ting in the next two years, so he immediately said politely, "Eunuch Lu, just tell me. I will help you and will never refuse."

After hearing this, Lu Ting pondered for a while before slowly speaking, "Our family is not close to the current emperor. Although the Seven Tigers in the palace often fight fiercely, they are still very united when facing outsiders. If our family wants to realize this military achievement, we will inevitably have disputes with them. What should we do then?"

Lu Ting was a eunuch, not an external official. It was difficult to get any specific rewards for his military achievements except a few more stones of rice.

In the end, the positions that people were fighting for were the powerful positions in the palace, such as the Imperial Household Department, the Eastern and Western Factories, and the Imperial Stables.

Now these positions are firmly controlled by the Qihu.

If Lu Ting achieved military merit but could not squeeze out a position for him, then all his efforts would be in vain.

Pei Yuan thought about it and said without hesitation, "This is not difficult. Eunuch Lu can start from two aspects."

"One is division. As long as the eunuch can successfully quell the rebellion, the army's credit will belong to the eunuch, and a single word can determine the wealth and honor of everyone. Most of the eunuchs in the palace are military officers, and the eunuch can distinguish the importance of the eunuchs and create conflicts between them. Even if the Seven Tigers are united, as long as the people behind the Seven Tigers are divided, they will not be able to accomplish anything."

"The second is to raise wolves. I hope that you will not be stingy with your military exploits, and take the initiative to share them with other eunuchs in the palace. If you are greedy for your own merits, no matter how great your merits are, you will only get a position. After that, you will have to face the siege of the Seven Tigers and the jealousy of other eunuchs."

"How can this last long?"

"If you are willing to share the credit, then there will be more people who can fight against the Seven Tigers with you. Maybe you can even take a few more positions from the Seven Tigers. With this, although you get less, you can preserve more."

"I heard that the eunuchs Zhang Zhong and Zhang Xiong in the palace are quite capable. If Eunuch Lu comes out to supervise the army, why not try to join forces with them?"

(End of this chapter)