In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 681 Tensions Rise, Strange Events Continue

Just as the people of Tianjin were commenting on the common people and expressing their feelings, hurried footsteps came from behind them.

Lu Yunyi arrived quickly with the main officials of the military command.

He spotted the old general at the head of the group immediately.
After a moment's thought, he knew who this person was—Huang Yingzhi, the Vice Commander of Beiping in Beizhili.

Huang Yingzhi was in charge of the defense of Wuqing County and Haijin Town in Tongzhou.
As a key node of the Grand Canal and an important transit point for grain transport, Haijin's importance is self-evident.

Therefore, Huang Yingzhi was also in charge of all matters related to the Grand Canal transport, making him a truly high-ranking and powerful figure.

"May I ask if you are General Huang?" Lu Yunyi's voice preceded his arrival.

A youthful face and a clear voice came into view at once.
Young, too young.

Huang Yingzhi felt that even his grandson was older than the visitor.

However, the attire worn by the visitor clearly indicated his official rank of second grade, making him extremely distinguished.

Huang Yingzhi quickly straightened his body, his face solemn, and bowed deeply:
"This humble officer, the Vice Commander of Beiping, pays his respects to Lord Lu."

Those around him followed suit, and a strange feeling began to spread.

"General Huang, please rise. There's no need for such formalities!"

Lu Yunyi stepped forward and helped him up without saying a word.

Huang Yingzhi felt the immense force coming from his hand, and he was shocked and somewhat surprised.

"A letter came from a friend in the capital. He said that the person before me is extremely skilled and exceptionally brave."

Seeing it today, I can see it truly lives up to its reputation. With that strength alone, one could easily establish oneself in the army.

Gathering her thoughts, Huang Yingzhi looked at Lu Yunyi and sighed:
"Lord Lu, I have long heard of your great name, but I have never met you in person."
Having met you today, I feel that...

"I've wasted the first half of my life."

"Hahaha, General Huang, you flatter us. Come inside and warm up."
I was well prepared for General Huang's arrival with the Tianjin garrison this time.

"Oh?"

Huang Yingzhi noticed Lu Yunyi's amiable attitude and was somewhat surprised:

"We've suffered quite a bit on our journey, eating and taking things along the way."
"Lord Lu is so kind; I'm really not used to it."

"The newly established Beiping Regional Military Commission was unable to intervene in the affairs of Liaodong, so it entrusted these military affairs to Beizhili."

General Huang's journey here is for the sake of my Beiping Regional Military Command, and he is suffering for them.

If we don't prepare ourselves, wouldn't we be ungrateful bastards?

As Lu Yunyi spoke, he led the visitors to the main hall:

"General Huang, please."

Huang Yingzhi felt a little uncomfortable at first.
Why are you being so enthusiastic? Is there something you want from me?
However, he quickly put the idea out of his mind.

While in Beiping, His Highness the Prince of Yan often mentioned this person, saying that they were good friends.
If something were truly wrong, they would directly seek help from the Prince of Yan, not come to him.

Amidst a multitude of thoughts, the group took their seats.

An official brought out steaming hot tea.
The wafting steam and the warm air inside eased their grim expressions and made them feel much more relaxed.

Lu Yunyi smiled and raised his hand:

"General Huang, we have already discussed military matters several times in previous letters, so there's no need to rush."
You have come from a long way and must be tired. Please take a rest.

"Try this tea. It's Pu'er from Yunnan; you might only find it here in the entire north."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing that it was Yunnan tea, Huang Yingzhi looked at the tea leaves in the cup.
The tea liquor is dark brown, the leaves are large, and a rich aroma permeates the air.

"Hmm, this is good tea. I never expected to find such good tea in the Northeast."

"Hahaha, if General Huang likes it, take some with you when you go to Liaodong and drink it on the way."

Liaodong is a harsh place; good tea is probably scarce there.

"Then thank you very much, Lord Lu."

After a conversation, both sides lowered their guard, and the atmosphere became less tense.

After a round of laughter and chatter, they finally got down to business.

"General Huang, do you plan to send the follow-up troops into the city today or tomorrow?"

I, the official, will arrange for a team to go and receive the escort.
"There are so many people, let's not disturb the people," Lu Yunyi asked with a smile.

"We will enter the city tomorrow. The brigade should still be several dozen miles away from the city."

"I arrived ahead of schedule with my personal guards to discuss the upcoming military mission with Lord Lu."

Hearing Huang Yingzhi's words, everyone present understood, but Tan Wei's expression was strange.

He had long heard that Huang Yingzhi in Beiping was in charge of the grain transport and transshipment.
He has a bad temper and is somewhat arrogant.
Why are you so kind today?

He looked up, there...
Lu Yunyi put down his teacup, his expression slightly serious, and waved his hand.

After that, Si Wusuan handed over a document.

"General Huang, this document shows the grain, weapons, and supplies that the Beiping Military Command has allocated with all its might this month. It is enough for six thousand people. Please take a look."

"Only six thousand?"

Before Huang Yingzhi could speak, a deputy general beside him exclaimed in surprise.

"Lord Lu, my troops number over 13,000 men and over 5,000 mules and horses, but the provisions for only 6,000 men are insufficient."

Huang Yingzhi swept his gaze coldly over them and shouted:
"Shut up!"

The lieutenant fell silent immediately, awkwardly shutting his mouth.

The atmosphere inside the room has changed somewhat.

Commander Liu Heiying, holding the document, said in a deep voice:
"General Huang, the Beiping Military Command has done its best to procure military equipment and provisions."

In order to support the three guards of Tianjin, the replacement of military equipment for all units under the command has been suspended.

They also spent a full 50,000 taels of silver to purchase grain from wealthy families in the city, hoping that General Huang would understand.

The expenses for six thousand people were already the limit for the Northern Pacification Command.

Huang Yingzhi remained calm as she met Liu Heiying's gaze, a hint of astonishment flashing in her eyes.

Although the person in front of me had dark skin and looked very mature,

But the youthful appearance of his face couldn't be hidden.

It must be Liu Heiying, who is also famous in Beijing.

Huang Yingzhi looked grateful:

"Many thanks to Vice Commissioner Liu for handling this matter. The three guards of Tianjin arrived in a hurry, and it is already excellent that they have enough supplies for six thousand people."

"My lord, it's not enough."

"Xiu Jie, you mustn't be rude."

The person beside him spoke again, this time ignoring Huang Yingzhi's gaze and finishing his sentence in one go.

He looked at Lu Yunyi at the head of the table and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture:

"Lord Lu, I am Yao Xiujie, Commander of Haijin Guard."
We received the military order in a hurry and rushed to Liaodong without stopping, carrying very little baggage along the way.

With only these resources, it would be difficult to fight the enemy in Liaodong.

We have traveled thousands of miles to Liaodong to protect the borders and ensure the safety of the people.
This would be of great benefit to the Northern Pacification Commandery; I humbly request Lord Lu's full assistance!

Lu Yunyi nodded slightly, turned his gaze to Yao Xiujie, and said calmly:
"Lord Yao, if I had known about this a month earlier, I might have had time to prepare sufficient supplies."

However, I received the news after the New Year.
Being able to prepare provisions for 6,000 people already involved purchasing 80% of the grain reserves from various grain merchants in the city at high prices.

If you don't believe me, you can inquire around the city. I have no reason to deceive you.

Yao Xiujie's expression froze, a hint of annoyance on his face, but he didn't know what to say.

They had known about the slow communication since their first exchange.

However, he still couldn't quite believe that such an absurd thing could happen.

He believed this was a delaying tactic by the Northern Pacification Command.
Such things are not unprecedented in past wars.

Taking a deep breath, Yao Xiujie straightened his back and said in a deep voice:

"Lord Lu, there are enemy raiders on the border in Liaodong, threatening the safety of Liaodong and Daming."

A single imperial decree transferred us from Tianjin to this place.
The brothers were all angry, and some in the army even complained.
They even said this was fighting for the Beiping Regional Military Command.

The atmosphere in the arena froze.
The expressions on the faces of the officials were rather unpleasant, but Lu Yunyi remained calm as usual.

Ignoring their strange looks, Yao Xiujie continued:

"Lord Lu, if the provisions are not replenished soon, it may shake the morale of the army. Please consider the long journey we have undertaken..."
Provide more support to ensure stability in Liaodong.

This way, we can provide an explanation both domestically and internationally.

Liu Heiying snorted and slammed the document in his hand onto the table with a crisp "smack," attracting the attention of everyone present.

"Lord Yao, after learning this news..."
There were rumors circulating in the Da Ning army that the imperial court would rather send troops from afar than let them, who were closer to the enemy, go and earn merit.

If your army has complaints, does that mean our army doesn't?

Not to mention the barbarians of Liaodong, even the elite troops of the Northern Yuan have been killed by my men.

In their view, going to Liaodong to fight was like getting free merit.
Now, not only are the merits gone, but the replacement weapons are also gone.

We soldiers are even more resentful. We understand the situation in Tianjin, but who understands us?

The atmosphere suddenly became tense, and neither side spoke again.
The silence was so profound that even the written records were covered in a cold sweat.

After some time, Huang Yingzhi smiled and tried to smooth things over:
"We are all neighboring commanderies, so it would be too formal to talk about what's yours and what's mine."

The fight against the Jurchens in Liaodong was also of great benefit to Beiping.
Six thousand men it is. We can replenish some in Liaodong.

Fortunately, this time the enemy was the wild Jurchens.

If it were the elite troops of the Northern Yuan, I would never have left under any circumstances.

"Just staying here, hahaha."

Lu Yunyi did not laugh after hearing this, but spoke with a slightly solemn tone:
"Lord Huang, the situation in Liaodong this time is suspicious in every way."

"The three guards from Tianjin still need to be extremely careful when they go there."

Huang Yingzhi narrowed his eyes slightly after hearing this, a question appearing on his face:

"May I ask who Lord Lu is?"

"Upon learning of the news, I sent several official letters to Liaodong, inquiring about what had happened."
But unfortunately, there has been no response to this day, and we don't know what's going on.

Lu Yunyi frankly told what he knew, while revealing a hint of helplessness.

"what?"

Upon hearing this, Huang Yingzhi's expression immediately changed, filled with uncertainty and doubt.

"Could it be that the war is not over yet?"

Lu Yunyi gently shook his head:
"At first, I also made the same guess, but I thought that if the war was intense, I should reply more quickly."

There's been no news from Liaodong, and I truly have no idea what happened.
The only thing I can do is ask my family to inquire carefully, but there has been no reply yet.

Huang Yingzhi looked puzzled.
If he remembered correctly, the Lord Lu in front of him was from Da Ning.

Lu Yunyi explained with a smile:

"Lord Huang, my wife is from the Liu family of Liaodong, and she is quite influential."

"Oh~"

Huang Yingzhi looked enlightened, and tugged at his somewhat messy white beard.
"I see. With Lord Lu serving in Daning, he is truly like a tiger with wings."

Lu Yunyi understood the metaphor in his words, chuckled, and felt a touch of self-mockery:

"General Huang, I learned of the fighting in Liaodong from the capital. How could it be like adding wings to a tiger?"

Huang Yingzhi and his deputy naturally did not believe this statement.
They exchanged a quick glance, assuming he was just making excuses.

Then, the group discussed the placement of soldiers and the transportation of provisions, and soon departed.

Soon, Huang Yingzhi and the others followed the yamen officials to the main camp located in the east of the city.

At this moment, numerous military tents have been set up here, and all necessary supplies have been prepared, awaiting only the arrival of the Three Guards of Tianjin.

When the two saw this scene, their expressions became somewhat strange.

In the central command tent, Yao Xiujie sat in a chair, holding a cup of tea, and said thoughtfully:

"The preparations are so thorough, it doesn't seem like they're deliberately making excuses."
In the past, sir, we would send troops to various places.
We'll have to take care of things like the military tents ourselves.

Huang Yingzhi sat not far from him, feeling the warmth of the brazier in front of him.
He shook his head slightly and glanced at him:
"You've been won over by such a small favor?"
How much money would it cost to set up some military tents and prepare some supplies?

Compared to the provisions and weaponry of six thousand men, it was insignificant.

Yao Xiujie, abandoning his previous fierce and stubborn demeanor, instead curled his lip in disapproval:
"My lord, I think..."
The resettlement provided by the Beiping Commandery is much better than what we would receive at home.

Not to mention Jizhou Town, we had to prepare everything ourselves, and we almost lost some military funds in the process.”

"Different."

Huang Yingzhi stroked his beard:

"The Northern Pacification Commandery is located outside the pass."

The Liaodong border incursions had the greatest impact on Liaodong, and then on this area.

He has to offer some benefits no matter what, since we're fighting for him.

The supplies for six thousand people were neither too much nor too little; they were quite ingenious.

This has made it impossible for me to push too hard, otherwise I would be at a disadvantage.

"My lord, is it believable that Lord Lu said he did not receive any letters or messages?"

Across from him, a general, who was also quietly baking with his hands outstretched, asked a question.

"You can believe that?" Yao Xiujie's voice suddenly rose.

"Letters about the war are delivered by express courier, who would dare to stop them?"
"Only one of three letters was received. It's absurd. They can't even lie properly."

But soon, he noticed Huang Yingzhi staring silently at the brazier, lost in thought, and he paused, slightly taken aback.
"Sir, you think so too, don't you?"

"No, I don't believe what he said."

Huang Yingzhi's words made everyone in the room suddenly raise their heads and look at him in astonishment.

He then took a letter from his pocket and handed it over.

"Shi Yu happened to be in Da Ning, and he gave me some information about the military headquarters' movements."
Whether it's the requisitioning of grain or military equipment, it all started in the last month.

Yao Xiujie took the letter and read the words on it.
"Is it Shi Yu from the Taxue Trading Company?"

"It's him. He's always been steady and reliable, and he never offends anyone."

Some of his businesses relied on this official for their services related to the grain transport.
He wouldn't dare lie to me.

With a sigh, Huang Yingzhi continued:
"With this incident in Liaodong, why not just send people from the nearby Beiping Regional Military Command?"
It was wrong of them to insist on bringing us here from so far away.

Is it that Lu Yunyi is incapable of fighting? Obviously not.

If that's the case, then there must be something even more mysterious and unknown to us that's involved.

"On my way here, I asked the commander what exactly happened in Liaodong."

He seemed somewhat evasive and unwilling to say more.

They just told us to get to Liaodong quickly and to be extra careful.

At first, I didn't think much of it, but now that I think about it... something's fishy.

Yao Xiujie had already finished reading the letter and believed some of his words.
"My lord, could this be a diversionary tactic?"

Does anyone have designs on the canal transport system controlled by the adults?

Huang Yingzhi shook her head helplessly:

“I only control a portion of the canal transport, not that much, so it’s not worth going to such lengths.”

The truth about what happened in Liaodong should only be known to people in the capital.
But you don't need to worry too much.
This force numbers 13,000, half of whom are elite troops in well-equipped armor.

"Fighting those savages is more than enough."

This eased the tension a little.

Yao Xiujie leaned back in his chair and said with some emotion:
"This young Lord Lu is indeed quite capable."
"Daning City feels more lively than Haijin Town and Tongzhou right now."

"He is indeed quite capable. I met Lord Zhou when I came here, and he was very impressed with him."

Huang Yingzhi's gaze pierced through the gaps in the military tent curtains.

Looking at the brightly lit outside, I felt a deep sense of emotion.

He then said:

"You all should rest now; the soldiers will enter the city tomorrow."
After a short preparation, we will depart for Liaodong.

This time, strive to achieve great merit and accumulate more honors for yourselves.

"Yes, my lord!"

(End of this chapter)