The emperor would rather have a

Chapter 141 This year I'm twenty, a regional governor

The Qingni Ridge suffered a major defeat, and Li Tinggui, the commander of the Pengsheng Konghe Army and the military governor of Baoning, was captured alive. All the thousands of elite imperial guards who went on the expedition were lost at Qingni Ridge.

This news both shocked and terrified the Shu Kingdom's court.

Li Tinggui was a trusted minister of Meng Chang, the ruler of Shu, and commanded the troops guarding the capital. He was also a former subordinate of Meng Zhixiang, the first ruler of Shu. That's why Meng Chang trusted him enough to send him to be the leader of the Northern Route Army.

However, Li Tinggui had only led several thousand soldiers of the Weisheng Army to the south of Qingni Ridge and stationed there for a few days when they were directly defeated by a surprise attack from the Zhou army's vanguard. Even Li Tinggui himself was unable to escape. This was like a bolt from the blue.

At the court assembly in Chengdu, Shu, Meng Chang flew into a rage and berated Wang Zhaoyuan, whom he had placed high hopes on.

Wang Zhaoyuan, who compared himself to Zhuge Liang, no longer dared to boast. He could only kneel in the main hall in fear and trepidation, bowing his head and remaining silent.

At this moment, Prime Minister Li Hao stepped forward and said, "The defeat at the front is not entirely Wang Shu's fault. Although it was a bit rash to send troops out of Qingni Ridge, no one expected the Zhou army to launch a surprise attack halfway. The situation on the battlefield is ever-changing and unpredictable."

Seeing that someone was speaking up for him, Wang Zhaoyuan cast a grateful glance at Prime Minister Li Hao and quickly replied, "If we don't send troops while the Zhou army is still establishing itself, it will be too late once the four prefectures of Qin and Feng are settled."

"It's all because Zhou Jun's commander, Li Yi, was too cunning. He managed to sneak up on our camp south of Qingni Ridge without anyone noticing, taking a side road."

Zhao Chongtao, the military supervisor who had escaped from Qingni Ridge, knelt to the side and echoed, "What the Grand Commandant Wang said is right. In my humble opinion, even if our army did not take the initiative to send troops, the Zhou army would still attack our camp. The blame lies with the military forces of the garrison near Xingzhou. They received orders but dragged their feet and refused to come to our aid. We are helpless alone!"

Wang Zhaoyuan and Zhao Chongtao took turns shifting their responsibilities to others.

However, what they said wasn't entirely unfounded. The Shu Kingdom's imperial court ordered the garrison troops near Xingzhou to detach their forces to assist in the defense of Qingni Ridge. However, while the imperial guards in Chengdu had already arrived, the troops from the surrounding garrison troops were still making preparations, and it was obvious to anyone with eyes that they were just dawdling.

Meng Chang was silent for a moment, then sighed and waved his hand, saying, "Get up, all of you!"

Although he was somewhat dissatisfied with the two men, they were, after all, his trusted confidants and close advisors. Compared to the old subordinates left by the late emperor, he trusted the people he had personally promoted more.

Since ascending the throne, Meng Chang has found pretexts to kill many of his arrogant former generals, and now he can only rely on these confidants.

Upon hearing this, Wang Zhaoyuan and Zhao Chongtao quickly bowed in thanks and stood up.

Meng Chang looked at Prime Minister Li Hao and asked, "Minister Li, how do you think our dynasty should deal with the invasion of the Zhou state?"

Li Hao bowed and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive my frankness. The four prefectures of Qin and Feng have been lost and cannot be taken back for the time being. At present, the Zhou army is at the height of its power, and our army should avoid its sharp edge and not rashly launch an attack."

Meng Chang frowned, unwilling to give up, and couldn't help but ask, "What should we do if the Zhou army marches straight into our heartland?"

Li Hao said in a deep voice, "The Zhou Kingdom did not launch a large-scale invasion this time. The first time, they only used the troops of the Fengxiang garrison to attack. After being defeated at the foot of Weiwu City, they sent several thousand troops of the Imperial Guard General to provide support."

"With the strength of the Zhou army, it might be enough to attack Qin and Feng, but to penetrate deep into our territory is nothing but a pipe dream. The Zhou emperor sent a letter of surrender through the envoy from Jingnan. The letter was arrogant and rude, and aggressive, trying to force Your Majesty to submit. But if you really want to destroy our dynasty in one fell swoop, why bother with such hypocrisy?"

"I believe that the Zhou state intends to use this to pressure our dynasty into acknowledging the loss of Qin and Feng. The Zhou emperor has absolutely no intention of waging a full-scale war against our dynasty."

Meng Chang thought about Li Hao's words carefully and found them quite reasonable. If Zhou Guo really wanted him to surrender and become a vassal, he should at least wait until his army was pressing in and he had no power to resist.

Who would ask someone to surrender at the very beginning of a fight... unless the Zhou emperor looked down on Meng Chang!

Thinking of this, Meng Chang's worries lessened somewhat, but he was still very unhappy and angrily cursed, "When the late emperor led his army into Shu to establish his foundation, Guo Wei was just a stray dog. How dare an adopted son with no legitimate claim bully me like this!"

Despite their outbursts of anger, they had no choice but to accept the fait accompli. After further discussion, the officials in the court reluctantly acknowledged the loss of Qin and Feng.

Meng Chang then ordered more troops to be sent to Jianmen Pass and other places to strengthen the defenses.

Then, another official letter was drafted and sent via a detour through Jingnan to the capital of Zhou, Tokyo, as a response to the Zhou emperor's letter of surrender.

After finishing his duties in court, Meng Chang was still feeling frustrated and left the main hall to go directly to Lady Huarui.

Meanwhile, in a palace garden somewhere in the imperial palace.

Lady Fei, the Flower Bud, is personally preparing a dish called "Scarlet Sheep's Head" or "Wine Bone Sausage," a unique creation of hers.

Select a clean white sheep's head, simmer it with red ginger and spices, then take it out and roll it up tightly. Press it with a white jade stone, then marinate it with fine wine to let the wine flavor penetrate to the bone. Finally, slice it into paper-thin pieces. It has an endless flavor.

The process of making this "wine lees" is complicated and time-consuming. If it weren't for the emperor's fondness for it, Lady Huarui would not have been willing to put in the effort to make it.

Meng Chang entered the hall, where Lady Huarui was intently slicing mutton head meat. Her delicate hands moved gently up and down, peeling off thin slices of meat, demonstrating her exquisite knife skills.

The summer weather was hot and dry. Lady Huarui wore a light gauze dress that revealed the color of her undergarments, outlining her graceful figure. From behind, her figure was slender and curvaceous.

In this situation, Meng Chang felt all his irritation dissipate, and he stopped to admire the beautiful woman and delicious food, which complemented each other perfectly.

"what?"

Lady Huarui finished preparing a plate of "wine and bone lees," picked it up, and turned around when she saw the emperor standing behind her. She exclaimed in surprise and said coquettishly, "Your Majesty, why didn't you make a sound when you arrived? You startled me."

As she spoke, Lady Huarui turned around and placed the plate on the table. At this moment, Meng Chang strode forward, wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, and a look of infatuation appeared on his chubby face.

"My beloved consort understands me best. Knowing that I haven't had a good appetite these past few days, she prepared this wine and bone lees in advance."

Lady Huarui chuckled, picked up a piece of meat, and gently fed it to Meng Chang, saying softly, "Your Majesty is the sovereign and father of the people of Great Shu, working tirelessly day and night to govern the country. I cannot share Your Majesty's burdens, but I can only do my part in this meal."

Meng Chang chewed on a slice of meat, looking quite pleased with himself, and said, "Back then, I feasted every day and found the dishes to be stale and unappetizing. I couldn't even bring myself to eat them. It's all thanks to my beloved concubine's skillful hands that she came up with the idea of ​​making this wine and bone lees dish. I never get tired of it."

As they spoke, the two walked hand in hand to their seats. A palace servant, understanding the situation, brought wine and bones to the table, while others brought wine, food, and dried fruit.

Seeing that the emperor was in a good mood, Lady Huarui kindly advised, "The ministers will take care of the affairs of state and the court. Your Majesty should take care of your health and not overwork yourself."

Meng Chang sneered, "How can I be at ease? In just over a month, the entire Qin and Feng provinces have been lost. Especially that Wang Zhaoyuan, who claims to be the reincarnation of Zhuge Liang, but in the end, he's completely useless!"

Lady Huarui said softly, "I have heard that the Central Plains is full of rebellious soldiers and bandits, and the emperor changes every few years. Perhaps the Zhou Kingdom will also fall into chaos soon. What will Your Majesty have to worry about then?"

Hearing this, Meng Chang was in a much better mood and nodded with a smile, saying, "My beloved consort is right. When the Central Plains are in chaos, I will personally lead my troops eastward and unify the world!" As a man, he naturally wanted to show his prowess in front of his woman. At this moment, Meng Chang was full of heroic ambition, as if he had already foreseen the day when he would rule the Central Plains.

Lady Huarui looked at the emperor with a smile, her eyes filled with reverence, but in her heart she sighed softly... She had been by Meng Chang's side for many years. Others might not know much about the emperor, but how could Lady Huarui not know?
Meng Chang was indeed not a foolish emperor. He ascended the throne at the young age of 10. At that time, a group of arrogant former generals of the late emperor did not take him seriously. They were all corrupt and acted recklessly.

However, only a few years after Meng Chang ascended the throne, he swiftly arrested and punished a group of arrogant military generals, and exterminated their entire clans.

Over the next decade, he implemented sweeping reforms, gradually eliminating the old generals who had followed the first ruler of Shu into the country—either by execution, demotion, or dismissal—and finally firmly grasped control of the state.

However, as time goes by, people tend to become complacent. With the long period of peace in Shu and the stability of the regime, a culture of extravagance began to emerge from top to bottom, and Emperor Meng Chang took the lead in indulging in luxury.

Lady Huarui had been in the palace for over ten years and had witnessed all of this. The emperor was not a man who could endure hardship; he had grown accustomed to a life of extravagance and debauchery, and his body had been largely worn down by wine and women.

Walking a few more steps will leave you breathless, but strolling around the inner gardens of the palace is fine.

As for personally leading troops into battle... that would indeed be a bit difficult for the emperor.

However, Lady Huarui only thought these words to herself. She knew that as a woman, she should not speak out on matters of state.

Moreover, during this time she heard a lot about the Zhou Kingdom from Li Erniang, and only then did she realize that the people and things in the Zhou Kingdom were so different from those in the Shu Kingdom.

In her view, the Central Plains was too chaotic. Today you kill me, tomorrow I kill you. A group of ambitious warriors were killing each other. Just thinking about it was terrifying.

"My beloved concubine, what's wrong?" Meng Chang asked, noticing that Lady Huarui seemed lost in thought.

"nothing."

Lady Huarui shook her head, then chuckled softly, "I have little knowledge and do not understand state affairs. But Your Majesty has selected virtuous and capable officials and worked diligently to govern the country over the years, which has allowed the people of Shu to live in peace and prosperity. With Your Majesty's achievements and virtues, you will surely one day rule the Central Plains."

"This temporary setback is nothing. What can the Central Plains do, no matter how powerful it is?"

Meng Chang, slightly smug, said, "In the twenty years since I ascended the throne, several dynasties have risen and fallen in the Central Plains, but only my Great Shu Kingdom has endured for so long. Hmph, the Zhou Kingdom is nothing but a clay chicken and a tile dog. Let's see how long Guo Rong can be so arrogant!"

……

Even in Tokyo, thousands of miles away, the Later Zhou court learned of the great victory at Qingni Ridge.

Along with the good news came letters of apology from Wang Jing and Li Yi.

Although the frontline commanders have the authority to make decisions on the spot, the war in the four prefectures of Qin and Feng has come to an end, and the imperial court has not ordered any action to provoke the Shu army at Qingni Ridge.

Therefore, Li Yi did not become complacent because of his great achievement. Instead, he sincerely wrote a letter to apologize, and Wang Jing also signed it, since he had given his consent.

Of course, the imperial court had no intention of pursuing this matter. As long as they could defeat the Shu army, they could downplay other issues.

Emperor Chai Rong even praised the frontline commander for his decisive actions, for seizing the opportunity and completely eliminating the threat posed by Shu to the four provinces of Qin and Feng.

Not only is it not excessive, it should be rewarded even more.

After some discussion, the Later Zhou court decided to send an envoy with an imperial edict to Qin and Feng, and the envoy was once again Cao Bin. Since he had already been to the front lines last time, there was no need to choose another person this time.

Half a month later, Cao Bin was once again ordered to go and commend the soldiers of the western expedition. When he came last time, the court only knew that Li Yi had captured Weiwu City and was leading his troops straight towards Guzhen.

But this time was different. Not only were the four prefectures of Qin and Feng all captured, but the Shu army that was defending Qingni Ridge was also defeated, and the western expedition was truly over.

late July.

Cao Bin, accompanied by a large entourage of officials, arrived in Qin and Feng. Besides bringing an imperial edict to reward the soldiers, he also brought the court's specific arrangements for the four prefectures of Qin and Feng.

The officials who came with them were appointed by the Later Zhou court to take over Qin and Feng.

Of the officials appointed by Later Shu, a small portion remained in their original positions, while the majority were transferred to Tokyo for other assignments.

At the same time, Cao Bin also brought an imperial edict to appease the soldiers and civilians in the Qin and Feng regions.

The content was nothing more than that Qin and Feng had returned to China, and that the Great Zhou Emperor, out of compassion for the people's hardships, had specially issued an edict to exempt the Qin and Feng regions from all exorbitant taxes and levies, etc.

As for the surrendered Shu soldiers, the emperor ordered that some of the elite troops be selected to serve as local troops in the four prefectures of Qin and Feng. The remaining surrendered soldiers were given money and provisions and sent back to Shu.

However, these matters were handled by specialists, and Cao Bin's main task was to convey the emperor's bestowal of honors.

Among them, Wang Jingqian, the main general of the western expedition, was appointed as the military governor of Xiongwu in Qinzhou and concurrently served as the commander of the western border. He was also given the title of Grand Tutor and was rewarded with a brocade robe, a jade belt, a silver saddle, and countless gold and silver treasures.

Of course, Wang Jing was a veteran general who had served several dynasties and had been a military governor for many years. This reward was a promotion, but it was nothing special; the honor outweighed the substance.

But the rewards bestowed upon Li Yi were different.

Outside Guzhen.

Li Yi went out to greet Cao Bin as before, and then the two entered the military camp hand in hand.

The two did not rush to talk this time, because Cao Bin had brought the emperor's bestowal of honors, and the imperial edict needed to be read aloud first.

"Li Yi is promoted to Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guard Cavalry, concurrently holding the position of Military Governor of Lizhou, and is awarded a brocade robe, jade belt, and silver saddle..."

Even though Li Yi was mentally prepared, he still couldn't hide his excitement when he actually heard the words "Jiedushi" (military governor).

All things considered, he is only twenty-one years old this year, or twenty in Western years, yet he has already officially entered the ranks of Jiedushi!

(End of this chapter)