Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 140 Brother Ming, I sent you some local specialties
"seeing is believing.

“No matter how much they boast, Pingzhou is still so desolate, even more deserted than before.

"Tsk, that's really unkind."

Cui Mingan, the governor of Youzhou, was ordered to enter Pingzhou by carriage. He followed the official road and took in the scenery of his neighbors.

There was no trace of people on either side of the official road.

Even the clerks who were responsible for daily road maintenance and mail delivery were nowhere to be seen.

It seemed as if within hundreds of miles, they were the only living people from Youzhou.

The governor's motorcade, including guards, entourage, and several carts of luggage, stretched for miles, and the lineup was truly luxurious.

But Cui Min sat in the middle of the huge team, still feeling a strong sense of insecurity.

Cui Mingan was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. The second branch of the Boling Cui family, to which he came from, was the undisputed number one family in the world and was revered by the world as the "crown of the aristocratic families."

The first edition of "Clan Records" edited by Gao Shilian and Wei Ting was the one that was sent back for revision by Li Shimin. It ranked Cui Mingan's family as the first class, surpassing the old Li family and other prominent families.

Then, in the second edition of "Clan Records", it was forced to the third place by a visible big hand.

This was like a loud slap in the face to Cui Mingan, and he became dissatisfied with the court from then on.

Even if he was given the titles of Governor of Youzhou, Shangzhuguo, and Founding Duke of Boling County, he was still the type that could not be appeased.

"The farmer from Longxi is so dishonest. He took advantage of me to appease the nobles in Hebei, and used Cui Gong on the left and Cui Zhuguo on the right.

"When he's not needed, he'll be kicked out to this chaotic, deserted place to clean up his son's ass."

Cui Mingan had lived a stable life. This was the first time in his life that he had taken a risk "alone", so he couldn't help but feel a little worried.

A duck is the first to know when the river water warms in spring. Ever since the turmoil in Pingzhou, the most panicked person has been the official of Youzhou, the neighbor to the west.

Because there was a military governor's office in Yingzhou to the east, which was itself a vassal state with a majority of barbarians. People were either removing people's skulls or thinking about how to remove people's skulls all day long, so my colleague Zhang Jian was very calm.

But the master of Youzhou is different.

Once Pingzhou gets into chaos, what should we do when those stinky outsiders come to Youzhou to beg for food?
Fortunately, after the Red Turban bandits started to cause trouble, no refugees fled from the northeast.

This made Cui Minggan feel relieved, but he couldn't help but sigh:

There are really not many people in this shabby place like Pingzhou.

Maybe the more than 3,000 households counted in the household registration system are all fictitious.
Cui Mingan had been living in fear for half a year, and finally this month, February, he received the imperial edict sent from Chang'an last month.

Leaving aside the official rhetoric, Xiao Cui saw through Lao Li's true intentions at a glance -

See if Lao Li’s sweetheart Li Ming has rebelled.

The imperial edict was urgent, but because of the sudden heavy snowfall north of the Yellow River in recent days, the speed of transmitting the message was greatly slowed down.

Taking care of the naughty kids for the leader's family, although I am extremely reluctant to take on this extra chore.

But Cui Mingan still packed his luggage immediately and set off as soon as possible.

“People in Longxi do things in an unauthentic way, but I cannot be unauthentic.” Cui Min chewed the dried fruit, thinking.

Li Ming, the son of Li Yuanji's first wife, the younger brother of Li Ling, the brother-in-law of Cui Yi of Boling Cui family, and the natural ally of Hebei gentry.

Liaodong, where he was in charge, was separated from Youzhou and the vast Hebei area that was dissatisfied with Li Shimin by only the Yanshan Mountain.

Interesting, very interesting.

"It's just that this brother-in-law is a little overrated." Cui Mingan murmured as he looked out the window at the cold and quiet time outside.

He also heard the rumor that "Li Ming seized the body of the Red Scarf bandits and occupied the outskirts of Pingzhou."

What kind of lies can confuse the people and incite civil unrest; what kind of soldiers can occupy a region with thousands of soldiers; what kind of people are as fierce as wolves and tigers and are invincible. As for raising an army to rebel against the Tang Dynasty, it is even more of a plus for Lao Cui.

The sound of the instrument was so magical that it seemed as if an army of heavenly soldiers and generals had been conjured up out of nothing.

But take a look at the actual situation.

“There’s no one living for ten miles, it’s even more desolate than usual, tut tut.

"Haha, what am I expecting? How much governance can a doll have?"

A lower-class state is a lower-class state. Compared with the prosperous Youzhou under his rule, it is not on the same level at all.

Cui Yi and Li Ling are still thinking about "that aspect", which is a bit too naive...

Just as Lao Cui was eating preserved fruits and complaining, he was advancing along the official road towards Lulong.

Suddenly, there was a loud drumbeat and the sound of swords and horses was heard.

A group of people suddenly appeared beside the official road.

They wore Tang armor but no helmets, and had all kinds of braids on their heads, so they were obviously not Han people.

The soldiers were obviously surprised to see people on the official road.

But after taking a closer look and realizing it was a convoy with thin skin and large fillings, his eyes immediately gleamed with greed.

"Goguryeo people? Have they already reached the official road near Youzhou?!"

Cui Mingan felt a sinking feeling in his heart.

The situation in Pingzhou has deteriorated to this point... No, he should be more concerned about his own safety.

Those barbarian troops were obviously not the kind of people who would "not harm a single hair".

It’s over. Is this a vicious plot by the Longxi people to take advantage of the opportunity to eliminate the high-ranking nobles in Hebei... Cui Mingan felt despair and anger flash through his heart.

Just then, a round of powerful music sounded in the woods.

"This tune...The Qin King's Breaking Formation Music?!" Cui Mingan was completely confused.

The luxurious motorcade, the deserted official road, the sudden appearance of enemy troops, and the seriously out-of-tune court music.

Various unrelated elements, pieced together in a random manner, gave him a rather surreal feeling.

Strangely, the music seemed to have a miraculous effect on the Goguryeo army.

Upon hearing this powerful voice, the greed on the Goguryeo people's faces immediately turned into fear, and their legs trembled.

No matter how the generals denounced them, they dared not take another step forward.

In the end, the entire army collapsed, abandoned the fat meat that was within their reach, and fled in panic.

"Could it be that the evil ghost heard the Vajra Mantra?"

Being trapped for unknown reasons and then escaped for unknown reasons, Cui Mingan became even more confused.

What a magical land this Pingzhou is...

But soon, all his questions were answered.

Suddenly, a team of light cavalry rushed out from the side and blocked the retreat route of the Goguryeo army.

Just when the barbarians were at a loss as to how to advance or retreat and their formation was completely disbanded, with the sound of drums and music getting closer and closer, two teams suddenly emerged from the depths of the dense forests on both sides of the official road at the same time.

They also wore Tang armor and no helmets, but they all wore red turbans.

There were no earth-shaking shouts of killing. The only sound on the battlefield could be the seriously out-of-tune but more passionate "Qin Wang's Breaking Formation Music".

This army that descended from the sky did so without saying a word. It formed a tight and orderly attack formation and marched to increasingly rapid drum beats, like an iceberg, silently, unhurriedly, and unstoppably pressing towards the Goguryeo people.

Cui Mingan could only see the determined backs of these red-turbaned men and hear the fierce sound of metal collision and the shrill screams for mercy.

The noise soon died down, and these red-turbaned men began to clean up the battlefield, count the prisoners, and treat the wounded.

Cui Minggan's convoy remained parked in the same place. Everyone was stunned, not daring to stay still, not daring to move around, and certainly not daring to run into the mountains.

Those people with red scarves on their heads are simply Shuras in the world!

The "chaos" in Pingzhou was far beyond their imagination, making them unable to even understand what they were witnessing.

In their eyes, the dark Yanshan Mountains seemed to have become an indescribable thing, and any human who dared to trespass would be devoured...

Just when they were standing there at a loss as to what to do, a rider jumped out from the Red Turban Army.

He is a young general with a red scarf on his head and looks heroic.

"Stop, stop, stop! Don't, don't come any closer!" The guards stood in front trembling, their hands holding the spears shaking.

The young general completely ignored these weaklings and shouted at the carriage: "How dare you? Heading into the battlefield? The villagers nearby all know how to take shelter!"

Don’t be afraid, that Shura seems to be able to speak... Cui Min’s mind was in a mess, and he stuck his head out reluctantly.

But he was stunned.

"General Xue?"

Xue Rengui was also surprised: "Envoy Cui?"

The two met once in Yingzhou.

Xue Rengui, who had always disliked the rich second generation, actually had a good impression of this generous and polite descendant of a noble family.

Meeting an old friend in a foreign place, even though he was just a nodding friend, Cui Mingan still breathed a sigh of relief and almost collapsed.

"General Xue, what are you doing..."

"As you can see, we guard the national border and protect the country!" Xue Rengui patted his chest proudly.

Lao Cui raised his finger tremblingly and pointed at his head:

"What's on your head..."

"The symbol of the Red Turban Army!" Xiao Xue didn't bother to hide his position.

Huh?! … Cui Mingan almost cried out in surprise.

Although he had some guesses in his mind when he saw this group of red-turbaned muscular men.

But now he couldn't believe it anymore.

How can a group of bandits who occupy the mountains and act as kings be capable of confronting the regular army head-on?

Moreover, the fight was not a back-and-forth one, but a crushing one, as if the other side was a bandit...

Besides, aren’t you, Xue Rengui, doing well as a guerrilla general in Yingzhou?
How did you get taken advantage of?

Bandits guard the country's borders, and traitors protect the country? !

Li Tang is so unkind, has he become like this? !
"Envoy Cui, I don't know what you want, but I suggest you don't go any deeper." Xue Rengui kindly advised:

"It's too dangerous for you to take the official road with so much luggage."

Cui Mingan suddenly remembered the real purpose of this trip and said to Xue Rengui anxiously:
"Take me to see His Highness Li Ming!"

…………

"Uh... Envoy Cui?"

In the Wuli Township Council Hall, Li Ming whispered a reminder.

"Ah? Oh! Hiss~"

Cui Mingan suddenly came to his senses and closed his almost dislocated jaw.

In the barren mountains, suddenly, thriving villages and communities sprang up, posing a great challenge to his cognition.

What surprised him even more was the looks in the eyes of these villagers.

His eyes were bright and shining like stars, as if he was the master of this land.

"Alas... As you can see, Pingzhou is facing the Goguryeo army of hundreds of thousands alone, and the battle is very difficult. In addition, there is also the traitor Murong Yan who occupies the only two county towns.

"We are facing internal and external troubles, and it is difficult to continue. The people don't even have grass to eat, and can only starve..."

Li Ming clapped Cui Mingan's hands and recited the complaining lines skillfully.

How can the northwest wind be so nutritious? The mountain people here are almost fatter and stronger than the people in Youzhou... Cui Mingan complained in his heart.

But he knew that Li Ming was not exaggerating at all.

The threat from Goguryeo was real. The two sides were separated by the Yanshan Mountains, and the coastal plains were filled with Goguryeo people.

And to the north of Pingzhou, the Goguryeo army was watching covetously.

Based on the experience at the end of the Sui Dynasty, Goguryeo dispatched at least 150,000 soldiers this time.

It is no exaggeration to say that the enemy has come out in full force.

Li Ming, as a lower-level state, not only withstood the full-force attack of a medium-sized country that had defeated the Sui Dynasty, but the people were even able to live and work in peace and contentment, with the people unaware of the war.

What an exaggerated operation...

"Your Highness, I remember that Pingzhou was not like this before..." Cui Mingan looked at the foot of the mountain curiously, where the people were working against time.

"How did you do it?"

"Of course..." Beat the local tyrants and divide the land... Facing the largest aristocratic family in the country, Li Ming swallowed the words on his lips.

Cui Mingan: “?”

Li Ming: "Of course, it is to optimize the allocation of non-renewable resources, rationally adjust the distribution and redistribution of income, improve production relations, and stimulate labor enthusiasm."

Cui Minggan: “Oh.”

Didn't understand.

"If there were no foreign enemies, I wonder how prosperous Pingzhou would become..." Cui Mingan sighed sincerely.

He was also proud of the fact that his brother-in-law was so capable.

"Goguryeo...is indeed a big problem at this stage." Li Ming's eyes suddenly became deep.

Outsiders may not be able to see it, but the situation in Pingzhou has indeed taken a sharp turn for the worse and is much more serious than before.

Although in terms of combat effectiveness, the Red Turban Army was far superior to Goguryeo.

But unfortunately, their army has more people than Pingzhou, and their main strategy is "Your arrows will eventually run out, but my skull is endless."

Even 150,000 pigs could bring huge trouble to Pingzhou.

What’s more, there are 150,000 regular troops?
At this time, Xue Wanche rushed into the meeting hall and shouted loudly:

"Your Highness, we are running out of arrows!"

"Not enough again?" Li Ming also jumped up and ran to the next door and yelled:
"Fang Yize! Yuchi Xunyu! Where are my damn arrows?"

"Don't be anxious, don't be anxious, rub it more, rub it more." There was the sound of two children's bodies being hollowed out.

Indeed, taking on an entire country alone has made Pingzhou extremely exhausted.

There is no generation gap in technology, and Li Ming has been in power for less than half a year, and the war potential here is on the verge of exhaustion...

Cui Mingan looked at the distressed Li Ming and moved closer, his tone unconsciously becoming more intimate:
"Your Highness, your sister Li Ling asked me to bring you some things."

"Oh? How is your sister doing in Hebei?" After hearing news about his family after a long time, Li Ming's stern expression softened a little.

"This is the winter clothes she knitted for you. I wonder if it fits you." Cui Mingan picked out a new piece of clothing from his bag.

Li Ming smiled bitterly and declined politely:

"This is a good day to reminisce about the past. If it weren't for the internal and external troubles that are making us so anxious, Your Excellency..."

"I am the uncle of your brother-in-law Cui Yi. In terms of seniority, Your Highness can call me uncle." Cui Min said with a dry laugh.

Li Ming subconsciously felt disgusted by this behavior of taking advantage of him.

But looking at Lao Cui's smirk, he realized that this guy had something else in mind.

"Uncle." Li Ming asked tentatively:

"As you can see, your little cousin has worked hard for the country and the people. I wonder when the court's support will arrive?"

Cui Mingan shook his head slightly:
"I am only a provincial governor, and I came to visit Your Highness by imperial decree. I am not aware of the court's arrangements.

"However, your sister also asked me to bring you some local specialties from Hebei. Please accept them."

Hey, you old man, you're taking advantage of me and laughing, can't you see I don't have time to chat...

Just as Li Ming was patiently complaining, Cui Minggan's followers opened the boxes of luggage in the car.

It's full of gold, silver and jewelry.

(End of this chapter)