The Red Mansion: From a Small Pawn to a Leader

Overnight, a "mound of earth" several miles long and more than ten feet high appeared in the center of the battlefield between the Tang army and the Japanese. Looking closely, it was densely packed with the heads of the Japanese with shaved heads. This was the Jingguan.

Jingguan, Jing means high hill; Guan means gate-shaped. In ancient times, when people killed bandits and displayed their corpses after victory, they would build Jingguan to show off their military power and national prestige, and to deter the enemy.

The cold wind was howling and the breath turned into ice. The trenches were crowded with Tang army soldiers who came to watch the excitement. They were all so cold that their noses were running, but they were extremely excited.

A Tang soldier rubbed his hands and couldn't stop breathing: "Damn it! No wonder they were able to join the Imperial Guards, they did it so efficiently! Killing people in the first half of the night, and building a capital in the second half. It seems that there must be at least 30,000 or 40,000 people!"

Another Tang soldier: "30,000 or 40,000? Even more were burned to death! That smell..." At this point, he laughed, "I guess those killers in the Imperial Guards won't be able to eat meat for years to come."

Everyone laughed when they heard this.

In the distance, there were shouts of "The Japanese are coming, the Japanese are here to negotiate."

Everyone was startled at first, then they all ran over.

In the wind and snow, a group of Japanese came over holding white flags.

The Tang army soldiers who were watching burst into heartfelt cheers!

Inside the imperial tent, in front of a large charcoal fire, Li Hu was sitting on a recliner with a tiger-skin mattress covering his knees, reading official documents transferred from the capital.

"Your Majesty, General Wang is back." The voice of the officer on duty came from outside the tent.

"So fast?" Li Hu was slightly stunned. "Come in."

A corner of the curtain was lifted, and Wang Daniu came in.

Li Hu put down the document in his hand and asked, "Did the negotiation fail?"

Wang Daniu shook his head: "Heshen is talking there."

Li Hu looked at him: "Then why did you come back?"

"What is there to talk about? Either surrender or perish. They are not in a position to bargain."

Wang Daniu snorted coldly, "What the hell! A shitty general who I've never heard of dares to brazenly want to enter the emperor's tent. If Heshen hadn't stopped me, I would have chopped off his head with a knife!"

At this time, the voice of the officer on duty came from outside the tent: "Your Majesty, Xue Pan is here."

Xue Pan, didn’t he return to Shengjing City?

Li Hu frowned: "Let him in."

After a while, Xue Pan, wearing a thick fur coat, walked in and knelt down beside the tent door: "The criminal Xue Pan pays respect to the emperor!"

Li Hu looked at him and said, "Come here."

"Yes." Xue Pan bowed, stood up and walked towards Li Hu.

As Xue Pan approached, he was about to kneel down again, but Li Hu waved his hand and said, "Forget it." He then said to Wang Daniu, "Bring two stools."

"Yes." Wang Daniu answered and quickly moved two stools to the side of the brazier. He smiled at Xue Pan and said, "Uncle of the Emperor, the Emperor has granted you a seat."

Xue Pan knelt down again: "I don't deserve this."

Wang Daniu smiled.

Li Hu also laughed angrily: "Why, do you have any complaints against me?"

"The criminal dare not!" Xue Pan lay down.

Li Hu: "Then get up and sit down to talk."

Xue Pan lay there without moving.

Li Hu: "If you don't get up, I will send you to the cleansing room"

Xue Pan was frightened and stood up hurriedly, then sat down on the edge of the stool with his head lowered.

Wang Daniu smiled secretly, handed Li Hu a bowl of hot tea, and asked Xue Pan, "Uncle, would you like some tea?"

"No, no need to bother." Xue Pan lowered his head slightly.

Li Hu: "Make two cups of tea."

Little eunuch: "Yes."

Li Hu took a sip of tea, put it down, and looked at Xue Pan: "As soon as I returned to Beijing, you caused a murder case, and it caused a sensation in the city. Not only did it implicate your sister's reputation, but it also almost dragged the royal family into the water. I only asked you to go to Xue Ke, and you still feel so wronged?"

Xue Pan raised his head and opened his mouth without saying anything.

The young eunuch then brought the tea. Xue Pan took the tea bowl, lowered his head, and drank the tea silently.

Li Hu snorted and said, "Aren't you going back to Shengjing City?"

Xue Pan suddenly remembered: "Well, the weapons, shells and gunpowder have arrived." "Why didn't you say so earlier?!"

Li Hu glared at him and immediately said to Wang Daniu, "Let's not talk about this anymore. Tell the gunners to bomb the Japanese hard until they surrender!"

Wang Daniu answered excitedly: "Yes." and walked out in a hurry.

Li Hu turned his gaze to Xue Pan again: "If you do this again, I will definitely send you to the cleansing room."

Xue Pan was so frightened that he stood up hurriedly, swallowed his saliva, and answered, "Yes."

After a pause, he said, "Your Majesty, it's all right. The criminals have returned to Shengjing."

Li Hu: "Sit down. I have something to ask you."

Xue Pan had no choice but to sit down on the edge of the stool again.

Li Hu: "Have you ever seen Wang Ziteng's daughter?"

Xue Pan was startled at first, then his eyes widened: "The emperor has taken a fancy to her?"

Li Hu said angrily: "Why are you talking so much nonsense? Have you met him or not?"

Xue Pan: “I have seen him.”

Li Hu: "Does it look good?"

Xue Pan's eyes lit up: "It looks good."

Li Hu: "Do you want to marry her?"

"I do!" Xue Pan didn't even think about it.

Li Hu smiled and said, "Well, how about I grant you a marriage?"

Xue Pan was overjoyed, but then he seemed to remember something and his face fell.

Li Hu: "What's wrong?"

Xue Pan hesitated for a moment and whispered, "Mother won't agree."

Li Hu raised his eyebrows: "Your mother dares to disobey the order?"

Xue Pan knelt down and said, "This matter has nothing to do with mother. It's me, I, I don't want to marry the daughter of the Wang family."

Li Hu looked at him: "Really?"

Xue Pan was silent for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "Our Xue family is from a merchant family, we can't marry into the Wang family!"

Li Hu smiled and tried to find the good points in Xue Pan, that is, he was filial to his mother.

"No regrets?"

"No regrets!"

Li Hu smiled and nodded: "Okay. After returning to the capital, I will choose a marriage for you from among the imperial merchants who are well-matched."

After a pause, he said, "Since you still know how to be filial to your mother, please come back to the capital with me."

Xue Pan knelt down quickly: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace."

Suddenly, there was a deafening sound of artillery fire outside the big tent!
Black holes of fire were gushing out from the muzzles of the cannons, and blazing flames were bursting out from the Japanese camp!
Several more shells hit the Japanese hiding place, and countless Japanese were blown into the air. Immediately, screams and wails were heard, mixed with panicked cries.

Under the cover of shield soldiers, countless musketeers rushed to the vicinity of the camp and fired muskets into the camp. The dense bullets made the Japanese unable to raise their heads and they could only watch as the Tang army filled the trenches.

Under the Yellow Dragon Banner, Li Hu put down his telescope. Everyone had underestimated the Japanese and thought they could force them to surrender soon, but the battle lasted until today, and tomorrow would be New Year's Eve.

This is a perverted nation, cruel to others and even crueler to themselves. In the past, in order to defeat the Tartar court, the whole nation lived frugally, and donated the money saved from daily frugality to the Japanese government to buy advanced warships. It was even crazier during World War II, when almost everyone was a soldier, and it was extremely perverted. How could such a perverted nation surrender so easily? !

On his left, Wang Daniu was holding a monocular telescope and looking towards the Japanese camp, paying attention to the fighting there.

Li Hu stretched out a hand to catch the snowflakes falling from the sky, looking up at the sky with his eyes shining. If it were not for the purpose of reducing casualties, the Japanese camp would have been breached long ago. However, judging from the situation, the camp could be breached today and the siege could be ended.

"Attack!" Wang Daniu roared.

Li Hu raised his hand.

Behind him, a messenger holding a red flag waved the flag.

Then the sound of heavy drums began.

Roars of killing immediately rang out on the battlefield, and countless soldiers rushed towards the Japanese camp!
Wang Daniu put down the telescope and said: "With these Japanese captives, the ironworks in Anshan will soon be able to smelt and cast iron."

Li Hu smiled and nodded. (End of this chapter)