12dz Chapter 924 As stupid as a pig
Chapter 924 As stupid as a pig
In an instant, the land of Kyushu was engulfed in war and plunged into turmoil once again.
however……
Yang Zheng had long anticipated that the White Lotus Sect and the Yuzhou rebels would pull this stunt.
The White Lotus Sect and the Yuzhou rebels believed that the 400,000-strong army was all of Yang Zheng's forces, and that even if Yang Zheng left some troops to guard his home, it wouldn't be too many.
It was obvious that they underestimated Yang Zheng's abilities.
Long before sending troops to Jingzhou, Yang Zheng had already stationed 100,000 troops on the borders of Youzhou and Qingzhou. It might be difficult for 100,000 troops to attack Yuzhou or Yuezhou of the White Lotus Sect, but it would be no problem at all to defend against the White Lotus Sect and the rebels in Yuzhou.
As a result, the White Lotus Sect and the Yuzhou rebels' attack on Yang Zheng's territory, attempting to make Yang Zheng unable to attend to both ends, unsurprisingly failed. They could only continuously deploy more troops, hoping to break through the Yang family army's defenses.
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"Urgent military situation, all unauthorized personnel please clear!"
"Urgent military situation, all unauthorized personnel please clear!"
"Urgent military situation, all unauthorized personnel please clear!"
Let's rewind a few days.
A lone rider sped into the city, heading straight for the palace along the capital's Qinglong Avenue, delivering the news of Yang Zheng's expedition to Jingzhou.
The capital was in an uproar.
Officials who were still at home dressed themselves with the help of their servants, and then anxiously left their homes to ride in sedan chairs to the palace.
Meanwhile, Xia Yuanyao, who was playing with his concubines by the pool in the palace, suddenly fell to the ground.
"What did you say?! That scoundrel Yang has really come to kill us?"
Xia Yuanyao, who had fallen to the ground in a disheveled state, stared intently at the eunuch who had come to report, his face full of panic.
The women by the pool couldn't help but hold their breath.
"His Majesty."
The eunuchs and maids serving by the pool rushed forward to help Xia Yuanyao up.
Xia Yuanyao didn't even glance at them, staring intently at the kneeling eunuch.
Facing Xia Yuanyao's gaze, the eunuch said with a look of fear, "Yes, Your Majesty! The news that just arrived by express courier is that the bandit Yang has split into two groups and has already captured several cities. He is burning, killing and looting in Jingzhou."
"That despicable thief Yang!"
Xia Yuanyao cursed angrily, but his heart was filled with panic.
Although he was stupid and completely incompetent, he knew that once Yang Zheng stormed the capital, he, as the emperor, would definitely not escape death.
The fear of death made his hands and feet cold, and he no longer had any desire to play. Forcing himself to remain calm, he ordered, "Quickly summon all officials for a meeting."
In fact, there was no need for Xia Yuanyao to summon them; the moment he received the news, the officials in the capital had already set off for the palace.
Therefore, less than half an hour after Xia Yuanyao gave the order, all the officials had arrived at the palace and then went with Xia Yuanyao to the Qin Zheng Hall, where court meetings were usually held, to discuss matters.
"My esteemed ministers, that traitor Yang's army is already upon us. What should I do?"
Looking down at the assembled officials, Xia Yuanyao asked in bewilderment, for these were the only people he could rely on now.
The officials who heard Xia Yuanyao's question looked at each other without saying a word.
Logically speaking, the imperial court should still have troops available, since when it sent troops to Yuzhou, it did not send out all the troops from the capital garrison, but left a portion of them to guard the capital.
Many of the officials present had participated in the reconstruction of the Beijing Garrison and were well aware of its current state.
Due to their corruption, the soldiers of the Beijing garrison were utterly ineffective in combat; otherwise, the million-strong army would not have collapsed so quickly...
In short, the remaining Beijing garrison soldiers had absolutely no chance of resisting Yang Zheng's ferocious army, so...
The imperial court's military strength is certainly not something we can count on.
The only way to stop Yang Zheng is to rely on the retainers of the various powerful families in the capital.
If it were any other rebels, the officials present would never have had the idea of using their own resources to help the court resist.
After all, for them, the fall of the dynasty was simply a matter of a new emperor. As long as they secretly contacted the rebels and provided them with financial assistance, their family's interests would not suffer any loss even if the dynasty fell. They might even be able to gain a higher position in the new dynasty.
But Yang Zheng is different!
Yang Zheng harbored a deep-seated hatred for powerful and influential families; the letters they had previously sent him had vanished without a trace, receiving no response whatsoever…
Yang Zheng's attitude was already very clear: he was unwilling to accept the help or dependence of these powerful families in the capital, and instead wanted to exterminate them all...
Under such circumstances, the powerful families in the capital could not stand idly by and watch Yang Zheng destroy the court; otherwise, they would face death and extermination of their clans.
After a moment of silence in the hall, Prime Minister Fan Jiu said resolutely, "Your Majesty need not worry. We have been favored by the court for generations and swear to live and die with it!"
"Excellent! The imperial court has treated us well, and we will not sit idly by and watch the court perish. Our clan is willing to contribute 3000 troops to help the court defeat the traitor Yang!"
As he said this, the official from the Ministry of Revenue felt as if his heart was bleeding. The retainers of powerful families were undoubtedly the elite of the elite, and 3000 retainers were enough to make him feel the pinch.
"Our Lu clan is willing to contribute 4000 troops to help the court defeat the traitor Yang."
"Our clan is willing to contribute 2000 troops and 100,000 shi of grain to help the imperial court defeat the traitor Yang!"
"..."
The officials present all expressed their pain with obvious regret. The cost of training a single retainer was several times higher than that of training a single soldier. Even for these powerful families in the capital, the thought of giving up thousands of retainers was painful.
If that brat Yang Zheng hadn't been so clueless, they wouldn't have had to pay such a high price!
Thinking of this, these officials couldn't help but hate Yang Zheng even more.
Seeing the officials contributing troops and money, Xia Yuanyao, seated on the dragon throne, felt his panic lessen and said with satisfaction, "My dear ministers are indeed very loyal! With your help, I will surely defeat that traitor Yang and restore peace to the land!"
The stupid Xia Yuanyao would never have known that if Yang Zheng hadn't refused the secret financial assistance from the powerful families in the capital, the officials present would not only have provided troops and funds, but would probably have secretly helped Yang Zheng conquer the capital and personally sent him, the emperor, to the execution platform.
"My esteemed ministers, we now have both soldiers and provisions. I wonder who should lead the army to defeat this traitor Yang?"
After praising the "loyal ministers," Xia Yuanyao discussed with a group of officials who would lead the troops.
As an emperor who only knew how to enjoy himself and had no real power, Xia Yuanyao couldn't even recognize all the officials in the palace, let alone anyone with the ability to lead an army.
Therefore, the selection of the commander still needs to be discussed with the officials present.