Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 411 Li Er (7500)

"Song Zhe, you have insulted me too much."

Inside the royal tent, Wanyan Guangzhi roared, shattering a wine cup in his palm, the warm wine flying out and landing on Yang Guokun's face. Yang Guokun wasn't angry; he simply wiped the wine from his face silently, his brow furrowed. He had successfully provoked Wanyan Guangzhi… But what did this have to do with Song Zhe?
He had a vague feeling that something was wrong.

"Your Majesty, Great Khan, please wait a moment." Yang Guokun, with a strange expression, was forced to interrupt Wanyan Guangzhi's rage: "May I ask, why did you bring up Song Zhe?"

Wanyan Guangzhi looked Yang Guokun up and down with some suspicion, as if wondering why Yang Guokun would ask such a foolish question.

Lao Tzu's royal court was destroyed by Song Zhe.

All of Laozi's women were stolen by Song Zhe.

She even wants to have his baby and asks for money as a wedding gift.

If we don't mention Song Zhe, are we supposed to bring up you, Yang Guokun? You're not even worthy of my attention.

Yang Guokun vaguely grasped some clue, his lips twitching: "Your Majesty, the Great Khan, you don't actually believe that Song Zhe was the one who attacked the Jurchen royal court, do you?"

Wanyan Guangzhi's expression also stiffened slightly. At this point, even an idiot could sense the problem: "Isn't that right? That guy always refers to himself as Song Zhe."

hiss!
Yang Guokun gasped!
He was shocked.

For the first time, he realized that there could be such shameless people in the world.

He had thought the Yang family was already despicable enough, but now he was surprised to find that in front of Song Yan, the Yang family was as pure as a white lotus flower.

Song Yan slaughtered the Jurchen tribes and trampled the royal court. On one hand, he used this achievement to gain unparalleled glory in Ningguo, and was promoted to a higher rank and title, becoming the only Marquis of Champion in the Central Plains. On the other hand, in the Jurchen territory, he called himself Song Zhe, diverting the trouble eastward. Even if these Jurchen barbarians wanted revenge, they would go to Song Zhe, not him.

This behavior is utterly despicable and shameless.

Considering Song Zhe's ordeal—two assassination attempts, one frontal raid, and an arrow piercing two of his testicles—it's clear he's been through a lot.

The man who used to hang his eggs has become a man without eggs.

The second time I stood at my doorstep, a single chrysanthemum had withered.

It is said that his rectum was twisted into pieces.

Even though Yang Guokun was a man of considerable experience, he had never heard of such a horrific injury before, and the thought of it always left him pale.

Could this be the Jurchen barbarians' revenge?
He had also heard that on the day Song Zhe died, a tall, burly man, facing northeast, committed suicide... The man's face was rugged and unlike that of a Central Plains person. Thinking this, Yang Guokun was almost certain that Song Zhe's two assassination attempts were definitely the work of the Jurchens.

I wonder how those Jurchen barbarians would feel if they knew they had targeted the wrong person for revenge?
I wonder how Song Zhe would feel if he knew that all his suffering and misfortunes were to shield Song Yan from disaster.
Most likely, they wouldn't feel anything, since they're all dead.

Song Zhe was somewhat unlucky, suffering a completely undeserved disaster. As for these Jurchens, they truly lived up to their reputation as barbarians from beyond the Great Wall. Didn't they do any research before seeking revenge? A little inquiry would have revealed that the person leading the troops in Pingyang was named Song Yan. It's rare to find someone so foolish.

Having figured everything out, Yang Guokun took a deep breath and slowly explained the hidden story to Wanyan Guangzhi. Wanyan Guangzhi's face grew increasingly gloomy and ugly, until finally his face was twitching uncontrollably.

These cunning people from the Central Plains.

With a smile on his face, Yang Guokun saw that the time was almost right before speaking again: "The deal that our Yang family wants to make with His Majesty the Great Khan is also related to this Song Yan. I'm not afraid to tell His Majesty the Great Khan that Song Yan is a blood feud with our Yang family, the kind that will never end."

"It's just that Song Yan, by using the Jurchen's head, became a hero in the mouths of the people of the Central Plains."

"Although the Yang family is powerful, if they kill Song Yan without a legitimate reason, they will inevitably be condemned by the people of Ningguo."

call.

Wanyan Guangzhi let out a breath.

The agitation in his chest was gradually suppressed by Wanyan Guangzhi, and his complexion returned to normal. He casually shook his hand to remove the broken pieces of the wine cup, then picked up a piece of animal hide and wiped the wine stains off his hands.

He hated Song Yan.

He hated Song Yan for taking his woman.

They hated Song Yan for causing the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Jurchen people.

He hated Song Yan's mockery even more.

But Wanyan Guangzhi was also an extremely cold-blooded animal. He could be angry or happy, but he would never let his emotions affect his will and judgment.

"You want to use someone else to do your dirty work?" Wanyan Guangzhi raised an eyebrow, his voice cold.

Yang Guokun smiled: "Using someone else to do the dirty work? No, this is sincere cooperation. After all, we have a common enemy. There's an old saying in the Central Plains: the enemy of my enemy is my friend..."

Wanyan Guangzhi's lips curled into a smile that kept people at arm's length: "Oh, no, Mr. Yang, it's not like that. I never trust friends, because my best friend once stabbed me in the chest with his own hands..." He pointed to his chest: "So compared to friends, I trust tangible benefits more."

"Since we are our common enemy, there is no reason for me to do the work alone, is there?"

"Aren't barbarians supposed to be brainless idiots? This Wanyan Guangzhi seems to have some cleverness after all." Thinking this to himself, but not showing it on his face, Yang Guokun laughed and said, "Of course." As he spoke, Yang Guokun glanced at someone beside him, who then got up and went to the back of the tent to retrieve a cargo box. Yang Guokun smiled smugly and took an oil paper package from the box.

turn on.

Inside are small, grayish-white particles, about the size of rice grains.

Wanyan Guangzhi's pupils contracted slightly. This is... salt.

The Jurchens did not know how to make salt, so they imported almost all the salt they needed from Ningguo.

For the Jurchen people, salt was an extremely precious strategic resource.

He then took out a curved knife from the cargo box, followed by a packet of tea.

After placing the three items in front of Wanyan Guangzhi, Yang Guokun finally spoke: "My patriarch hopes that the Great Khan will send troops to attack Pingyang and kill Song Yan on the battlefield." Although dying on the battlefield would leave Song Yan with a good reputation, the Yang family is very magnanimous and will not hold a grudge against a dead man.

Moreover, deaths on the battlefield are difficult to trace back to the Yang family.

"In return, the Yang family is willing to provide the Great Khan with five thousand iron scimitars."

"20,000 catties of salt."

"Three thousand catties of tea."

Gudong.

Wanyan Guangzhi's throat bobbed; to him, this was a considerable fortune.

The Jurchen people, known for their iron weapons, were few in number. In the past one or two decades of trading with caravans from the Central Plains, they had only forged around 30,000 weapons. Some of these were destroyed in the conflicts at Tong'an Chegu and Song Yan's chariot trampling of the royal court. They currently possess only about 20,000 iron weapons, and 5,000 iron scimitars are certainly not a small number. As for salt and tea, these are extremely precious resources. They use only very small quantities each time. 20,000 jin of salt is enough to feed their warriors for two months, and 3,000 jin of tea is enough to last for half a year.

Of course, these resources are limited to the brave warriors under their command; ordinary tribesmen are not entitled to enjoy such resources.

Yang Guokun could clearly see the excitement in Wanyan Guangzhi's eyes, and couldn't help but sneer inwardly. As expected of a barbarian who had never seen the world, these things were just a drop in the ocean for the Yang family, but for the entire Jurchen tribe, they were unimaginable wealth.

Yang Guokun pursed his lips and emphasized again, "This is only half. The Yang family will send the other half after the matter is completed."

"What is His Majesty the Great Khan's opinion? The Yang family has shown utmost sincerity in this transaction."

"Song Yan is nothing but a piece of trash. If the Jurchen army were to invade, they could wipe out Pingyang in an instant." Wanyan Guangzhi's chest burned with greed, his tongue tracing his lips. "But how will the Yang family transport these supplies? You must know that the border at Xinhou County is already sealed off..."

"The Yang family has its own methods. If the land route is blocked, the sea route will work the same way." Yang Guokun smiled, unconcerned. The prestigious Yang family owns seven or eight fleets, each with dozens of cargo ships... With such a small fleet, picking the smallest cargo ship would be more than enough.

Wanyan Guangzhi lowered his eyelids, not wanting Yang Guokun to see through his true thoughts: "In addition, I also need a million catties of grain... I have 30,000 elite warriors under my command. I can't let these 30,000 brothers go to war on an empty stomach, can I? Although my brothers can kill Ning people as easily as slaughtering chickens and dogs even when they are hungry, if Song Yan escapes because they are hungry, whose responsibility will it be?"

“No problem.” Yang Guokun casually shrugged. “That’s only right. The Yang family just wants Song Yan’s head. After it’s done, they’ll send over a million catties of millet.”

Damn, that's too little.

Wanyan Guangzhi finally understood what it meant to be rich and powerful.

He was very familiar with the situation in the Central Plains, knew the status of the Yang family in Ningguo, and knew that the Yang family was very wealthy, but he never expected that they were so wealthy.

Millions of kilograms of grain!

You agreed without even blinking?
It's as if this is just a trivial number... If I had known this would happen, I should have quoted three million.

"Grain, iron scimitars, salt, and tea will be delivered to the royal court in a month." Yang Guokun smiled and said, "If I may ask, when will the Great Khan be willing to send troops? I apologize, I don't mean to urge you, but I need an answer to report to the head of the family."

This was indeed a question that required serious consideration. Wanyan Guangzhi frowned and pondered it carefully in his mind. His fingers gently and delicately stroked the iron scimitar, as if it were the most tender skin of a peerless beauty.

After a long silence, Wanyan Guangzhi gave an answer: "We will send troops at the end of May and end the battle in early June."

“Winter is not easy on the Haixi Grassland.” Wanyan Guangzhi spread his hands: “As you have probably seen, the Wuji tribe is the royal court of the Jurchens, and the people are all pale and thin. Judging from this year’s situation, it will take at least until the end of April for the snow to completely melt. Before the snow melts, this kind of life will continue. This condition is not suitable for fighting. I need some time to let the people recover.”

"Of course, if the Yang family can provide enough food, this time can be brought forward. After all, in May and June, warhorses go into heat and get pregnant in large numbers, which will affect the combat effectiveness of the Jurchen cavalry and make them unsuitable for combat."

What a greedy fellow… Yang Guokun cursed inwardly. He wanted the Yang family to support the entire Jurchen tribe? What a pipe dream! The Jurchens weren't numerous, but there were still a million. Feeding a million people for two months… While the Yang family could afford to support them, they had absolutely no interest in being such a sucker.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty the Great Khan, these conditions are not something I can agree to. I need to go back and inform my patriarch." With that, Yang Guokun stood up. "Anyway, regardless of the circumstances, shall we celebrate the alliance between the Yang family and the Jurchens?"

Wanyan Guangzhi also stood up. Yang Guokun didn't immediately agree, but he wasn't disappointed. Following Jurchen etiquette, he gave Yang Guokun a big hug and laughed heartily, "The alliance is established. From now on, the Yang family will be my ally, Wanyan Guangzhi, and you, Mr. Yang, will be my best friend..."

Chalu's lips twitched behind him... Daji Liehan's best friend?

My last best friend, Mu Chi, even cooked his corpse to avoid waste. I wonder what will become of my second best friend, Mr. Yang?

"Mr. Yang, I'll leave the grain issue to you."

"Of course, please believe me, I will do my utmost to meet the Great Khan's demands." Yang Guokun smiled broadly, but inwardly he scoffed. What a joke! He wouldn't utter a single word about supporting the entire Jurchen tribe. If he were to raise such a condition at a family meeting, the family would definitely consider him incompetent.

The alliance was thus happily concluded amidst this atmosphere of mutual ulterior motives.

Yang Guokun didn't want to stay with the Wuji tribe for too long, and quickly took his leave after the alliance was finalized. To demonstrate his respect for his ally, Wanyan Guangzhi even gifted him seven excellent warhorses and personally escorted them for dozens of miles. Only when Yang Guokun and his party became tiny black dots in the snow did the smile on Wanyan Guangzhi's face gradually fade. In front of Yang Guokun, he deliberately didn't hide his deep-seated greed, successfully portraying himself as someone with a bit of cleverness, yet also greedy and arrogant. Such a person is often looked down upon.

As expected, Yang Guokun was no longer as wary as he had been at the beginning.

When Yang Guokun made the request that the Yang family support the entire Jurchen tribe, his reaction was not shock, but difficulty. His answer was not an absolute impossibility, but that he needed to discuss it with the head of the family.

This shows that the grain stockpiled by the Yang family was enough to feed the entire Jurchen tribe.

What kind of number would that be?

His scarlet tongue swept across his cracked lips, and the greed in Wanyan Guangzhi's eyes burned ever more intensely and frantically. Even Song Yan, his enemy, seemed less important compared to the Yang family.

To conquer the Central Plains, simply burning, killing, and looting is not enough. Once food is scarce, unpredictable chaos is highly likely to ensue.

Wanyan Guangzhi understood that war is all about logistics...

Of course, no matter what, Pingyang, as the gateway to the Central Plains, must be captured.

After capturing Pingyang, troops must be dispatched immediately, swift as a whirlwind and as fast as lightning, to raid Langya and annihilate the Yang family. The grain stockpiled by the Yang family will then become his logistical reserves for dominating the world.

"Your Majesty, the Great Khan, have you already formed an alliance with the Yang family?" Chalu couldn't help but ask.

"do you have any opinion?"

Chalu shook his head: "No, I'm just curious. Is this what people in the Central Plains often call 'colluding with each other'?"

"Get lost! I told you to study more about Central Plains culture, and what have you learned? Is this how you use the term 'colluding with each other'?" Wanyan Guangzhi was exasperated. This Chalu was a brave man, but he was extremely averse to the civilization of the Central Plains. He would rather fight a bear in the forest than waste time learning about the civilization of the Central Plains: "Remember this, it's called 'colluding with each other'."

in fact……

The Central Plains culture under Wanyan Guangzhi was not much better.

……

Jibei Prefecture!
Of the sixteen prefectures of Ningguo, Jibei Prefecture was probably the least well-known.

Jibei Prefecture is a small prefecture with a moderate area, a moderate population, and a moderately wealthy but not poor economy. It is usually not a busy place, and its name rarely appears in the imperial court.

But that was before.

In the past year, Jibei Prefecture has become quite famous.

Every time there is a court assembly, ministers will mention that Li Er of Liutang County, Jibei Prefecture, led the people in a rebellion. It has been more than two years since then, and the rebellion has not been suppressed. On the contrary, the territory he has captured has expanded to include several more counties.

At this very moment, five thousand Japanese soldiers were stationed at Yuer Bay.

This is a town.

It was only ten kilometers away from Li Er's sphere of influence. If Li Er were smart, he would probably have already learned from the scouts that government troops had appeared.

The Japanese soldiers remained encamped, but they were now clad in heavy armor, and their weapons were gleaming. A hint of excitement flickered in their eyes, clearly indicating that they were ready to engage in battle at any moment.

In the middle of the camp was a slightly larger tent.

There were only a handful of people in the tent.

Song Yan, the head coach.

The Ji brothers, Ji Gang and Ji Peng, who were subdued by the Five Tigers Soul-Severing Sect, and all members of the Five Tigers Soul-Severing Sect were incorporated into the scout team by Song Yan. Ji Gang and Ji Peng became the general and deputy general of the scout army.

The two captains among the five thousand Japanese soldiers, Hu Tianze and Che Weiheng, were able to stand out from the five thousand new recruits. Their strength and military skills are beyond doubt. Since these five thousand new recruits have not made any contributions on the battlefield, no one has been given an official position. They are only temporarily in charge of the troops as captains.

In addition, there is Mei Wu, the only military genius in the entire Ning Kingdom.

And Song Yan's personal bodyguards, Luo Tianyi and Luo Tianxuan.

Luo Tianyi and Luo Tianxuan knew very little about military matters and did not participate in the discussion. Ji Gang and Ji Peng were not much better than the two women.

Therefore, only Song Yan and three others actually participated in the discussion, and among the four of them was a map.

"Among all the rebel armies, Li Er of Liutang is the most special one." After nearly a month of rest, the ulcers on Mei Wu's back have almost healed, and the poison of the Drunken Horse Grass has been largely neutralized. However, the long-term torment and poisoning have still caused the old general to lose a lot of energy. He can walk, eat, and dress without any problems, but it is ultimately impossible for him to ride a horse and fight as before, dominating the battlefield.

His calloused fingers traced patterns on the map.

That area was clearly the territory of Li Er of Liutang.

A closer look reveals that Li Er now likely occupies half of the land in Jibei Prefecture.

This is not normal.

“Normally, after a rebellion breaks out, the first thing a rebel army does is to rapidly expand its territory. Only with a large enough territory can they have enough soldiers and enough food to recruit or even plunder. With food and soldiers, they have a chance to withstand the siege of the imperial court.”

"However, such blind expansion has a huge hidden danger, namely, the control over the territory cannot keep up with the speed of territorial expansion."

"When the territory expands to a certain extent, it's like a bowstring being stretched to its limit. All sorts of problems will erupt instantly: the restlessness of the people, the outward compliance but inward resistance of the landlord and gentry classes, and even the ambition of the generals and officers who have grown up because of the expansion of the territory, and the superficial unity caused by the lack of closeness and distance and the uneven distribution of benefits... All of this is enough to break the bowstring."

"What follows is the inaction of friendly forces when they are besieged by government troops, infighting, betrayal, usurpation, surrender, and even a second uprising within the rebel army!"

"There is only one reason for this: almost all the rebel armies were just makeshift groups at the beginning. They relied on their passion to kill corrupt officials and local bullies. As for how to develop in the future, there was no specific plan or rules. In particular, there was a lack of an effective system for the distribution of benefits, promotion of officials, and punishment. All rewards and punishments depended on the leader's whims."

“In the distribution of military merits and benefits, there are often situations such as nepotism, which naturally arouses dissatisfaction among other military leaders.”

"In order to have enough benefits to distribute and enough wealth to support the soldiers under their command, they can only expand their territory; as their territory expands, they become a greater threat in the eyes of the court, and the encirclement and suppression they encounter will be more brutal, so they need more soldiers to maintain their fighting strength; more soldiers, in turn, require more territory to support them... Once they fall into this cycle, they are not far from destruction."

Mei Wu spoke eloquently, perhaps because he felt guilty towards Mei Yingxue and his grandson Song Yan. Even though Song Yan had never called him "Grandpa" and clearly stated that he did not feel that Song Yan owed him anything, when Song Yan was preparing to subdue Li Er of Liutang, Grandpa Mei Wu still took the initiative to step forward without being invited.

Song Yan did not refuse. Although his mind was filled with military books from thousands of years ago, he knew very well that when it came to experience in leading troops into battle, even ten of him could not compare to the old man.

Hearing what Grandpa Mei Wu said, Song Yan thought about it seriously for a moment, then nodded... It really was true. Throughout history, there have been countless uprisings and rebellions, from Chen Sheng and Wu Guang in his previous life, to Zhang Jiao and the rebel king, to the An Lushan Rebellion that directly caused the decline of the Tang Dynasty, and even Hong Xiuquan, who claimed to be the younger brother of Jesus and was even recognized by Christianity...

This is true.

In the early stages, their territorial expansion was incredibly rapid, threatening to sweep across the entire country.

Later, it suddenly collapsed, then fell apart, and eventually perished.

“But Li Er is different.” Seeing Song Yan listening attentively, Mei Wu was quite pleased; the old man was very happy.
"Although I have long since retired from politics, I still have some understanding of the situation in Ningguo. Among all the rebel armies, Li Er is definitely the smartest one."

"After capturing Liutang County, he did not rush to expand his sphere of influence. In the eyes of the governor of Jibei Prefecture, he probably still felt that Li Er had no ambition and was not a threat. Therefore, the governor of Jibei Prefecture did not report the news of Li Er's rebellion to the court, but concealed the matter. After all, if the people under his jurisdiction rebelled, it would be a sign of his poor governance in the court, and he would most likely lose his official hat."

"Li Er took advantage of this opportunity to lead his men to arrest all the landlords in Liutang County, confiscate their property, and exterminate their families. They looted countless grains, most of which were distributed to the people of Liutang County, except for a portion used as military rations."

"The three consecutive magistrates of Liutang County were all scoundrels. They imposed countless exorbitant taxes and levies, and it is said that the taxes levied on the people will continue to accumulate for 180 years."

"For many people in Liutang County, this is the first time since birth that they have tasted the joy of having a full meal."

"Thus, the people of Liutang County won over the hearts of the people."

"Li Er took the initiative to remeasure the land in Liutang, confiscated all the land owned by the landlords, and then distributed it to the people of Liutang County according to their population."

"At this point, Li Er raised his voice and called out, and followers gathered in droves."

"The people of Liutang County are completely bound to Li Er, even if it's not for Li Er, but just for the food and land. When the government troops attack, they don't even need Li Er to call on them; a large number of people will voluntarily climb the city walls."

"Although these civilians were untrained and many of them were seeing blood for the first time in their lives, they were fearless on the battlefield and even more valiant than those veterans who had fought on the battlefield for many years. Even if they were stabbed multiple times and knew they would not survive, they would still grab the government troops and jump off the city wall to die together with them."

"Several times the number of garrison troops were easily repelled."

"Even so, Li Er did not continue to expand, but continued to hold Liutang, as if he had no great ambitions and was content to be a local tyrant in a county town... As a result, the governor of Jibei Prefecture, who failed in his first attack, once again concealed Li Er's affairs."

Song Yan didn't know much about Li Er.

Hearing Mei Wu's analysis, Song Yan was taken aback.

Isn't this just a game of wrestling and splitting points?
If it weren't for the fact that Li Er hadn't done anything else outrageous besides this, Song Yan would have even suspected that he might also be a fellow villager who had traveled from the same time and space.

"The governor of Jibei Prefecture probably thinks that this failure was just due to his carelessness, and that as long as he is better prepared next time, he will be able to suppress Li Er."

"When the governor of Jibei was regrouping his troops, Li Er did two things at that time."

"First, a recruitment order was issued."

"Recruit all talented individuals and skilled craftsmen from Liutang to manufacture armor, weapons, and bows and crossbows."

“Those with martial prowess can serve as commanders-in-chief or even generals.”

"Even among those scholars, Li Er treats them extremely well, recruiting talented individuals from among them as his advisors. Nowadays, the channels for advancement for scholars are mostly monopolized by aristocratic families and Bailu Academy. Ordinary scholars study hard for ten years but see no future. Even though Li Er only has a county, there are quite a few willing to submit to him."

"After recruiting these talented individuals, Li Er immediately ordered these scholars to compile a new law based on the current laws of Ningguo. From then on, all rewards, punishments and penalties in Liutang County, from Li Er to the generals, commanders and the common people, shall be carried out in accordance with this law."

"If there are any shortcomings, we will make deletions, revisions and additions."

"This law places particular emphasis on military discipline, prohibiting the harassment of civilians, the seizure of their property and food, the abduction of women, and the killing of innocent people to claim credit. It is of paramount importance in military discipline."

Song Yan's pupils contracted slightly. Sure enough, anyone who could be called Li Er was no ordinary person.

Song Yan even had a premonition that if it weren't for his appearance, it would most likely have been this Li Er who overthrew the Luo family dynasty and successfully ascended to the throne.

Truly a dragon among men!

(End of this chapter)