After a male student transmigrated into the body of a widow,

Chapter 248 Using Surname to Blackmail the Youzhou Army

In the spring of the third year of the Qianyuan era, General Gao Yuan plotted a rebellion, coercing the young emperor to usurp the throne. Five days later, he also forced the Empress Dowager to present the imperial seal, and then ascended the throne himself. At that time, Zheng Hao, the prefect of Youzhou and concurrently the commander-in-chief, was quelling a rebellion in the south. Having just received a secret edict from Emperor Qianyuan, he immediately led a light cavalry force to the capital at double speed. He joined the troops of Youzhou, swore an oath to punish the rebels, and issued a proclamation to all directions, saying: "Your subject Hao, acting on the late emperor's edict, has entered the palace to quell the rebellion, punish the disloyal, and secure the state."

His army was historically known as the army of justice.

The Youzhou army was arrayed on the border of the capital. Although it had not yet broken through the capital's defenses, Gao Yuan did not sit idly by and wait for death. When the Marquis of Zhenbei assisted Emperor Qianyuan in ascending the throne, he had personally witnessed the strength of the Zhenbei army.

The thought of the Marquis of Zhenbei filled Gao Yuan with rage. At the court assembly, facing the trembling officials below, he slammed his hand heavily on the armrest of the dragon throne, making a dull thud.

Upon learning that Zheng Hao had led a large army to the capital, Gao Yuan quickly reacted and ordered his men to bring the Marquis of Zhenbei out of prison. However, when the men arrived at the prison, they found that the cell where the Marquis of Zhenbei had been imprisoned was empty.

Without much thought, Gao Yuan realized who was behind this. What a Zheng Hao! His influence extends so far; his influence is everywhere.

His gloomy gaze swept across the court officials below. Now, no matter who he looked at, Gao Yuan felt that the other party seemed to be on the same side as Zheng Hao.

He said in a deep voice, "With the rebel army outside, what strategies do you, my esteemed ministers, have to deal with this?"

No one responded to these words in the court.

As early as when he usurped the throne, he killed a group of people and imprisoned a group of people who opposed him. Among them were many loyal and talented people. Now, the court is filled with either sycophants or people who want to protect themselves. No one will speak up easily. The Imperial Guard has 200,000 troops and the Youzhou Army has 50,000 to 60,000 troops. It seems that Gao Yuan's faction has won. However, the Youzhou Army is a righteous army. Once the proclamation is issued, people all over the world will help the Youzhou Army.

"Fine, fine, fine." Gao Yuan laughed in exasperation: "The rebel army hasn't even reached the city gates yet, and I can't even command you! Guards!"

Two rows of imperial guards quickly entered and stood on either side of the court officials. Without Gao Yuan's command, they skillfully drew their longswords. Although they did not directly point their swords at the court officials, the court officials perceived it as almost the same.

Gao Yuan pointed at the leading minister and sneered, "Come one by one. If you can't come up with a solution, go to the underworld and keep Emperor Qian Yuan company."

"Minister of Personnel, come here."

Upon hearing Gao Yuan call his name, the Minister of Personnel trembled. He was not the original Minister of Personnel; Gao Yuan had promoted him from Vice Minister to Minister of Personnel because he had responded loudly when Gao Yuan ascended the throne.

"minister……"

The Minister of Personnel swallowed hard. Flatterers are the best at reading situations. Now that Gao Yuan's usurpation is known to the whole world, the enemy's chances of winning against the armies from all over the country are slim. Even if the Youzhou army loses this battle, can Gao Yuan win every time against the armies that come after him?

However, if he doesn't offer a plan, Gao Yuan, being ruthless and cruel, will definitely not let him go.

With a clang, the Minister of Personnel's eyes widened, and then his head was severed from his body, which fell onto the main hall. Blood gushed from his neck and splattered on the nearby courtiers. His head rolled in front of one of them, who clenched his fist to keep himself from falling backward.

"The Minister of Personnel is unwilling to share my burdens. Next, I'll see which minister can relieve my worries."

"If there is no one else, it is not impossible to replace the people in the court."

"Your Majesty, I have a plan to repel the enemy."

Gao Yuan cast a glance at the other party and saw that he was dressed in the official robes of a fifth-rank official and was not a familiar face. He asked, "What plan do you have? If you can successfully repel the enemy, I will appoint you as Minister of Personnel and Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince."

Qiu Qiu stepped forward, ignoring the corpses and blood on the floor, and said to Gao Yuan, “Your Majesty, the Youzhou army is known as the army of justice, and they will surely care about the people. There are many people in the city. Why don’t we use the people to threaten Zheng Hao and put him in a dilemma?”

This cunning and despicable scheme is rarely used, but Gao Yuan is not a virtuous man, and Qiu Qiu's plan suits his taste perfectly.

Gao Yuan gave the other party an appreciative look, and then laughed heartily: "Not bad, not bad. From today onwards, you are the Minister of Personnel. If you can successfully repel the enemy, I will appoint you as the Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince and have you enter the Eastern Palace to teach His Highness the Crown Prince."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Qiu Qiu was overjoyed and bowed his head in thanks, his posture exceptionally respectful. However, Gao Yuan did not see the hint of coldness that flashed in his eyes when he lowered his gaze.

Before the Youzhou army even entered the capital's territory, they were intercepted by an army of 100,000. Tian Kang, Li Jian, and others lined up in the tent, waiting for the young commander-in-chief to give orders.

Tian Kang, unable to contain himself, said to Zheng Hao, "The enemy general is shouting insults and cursing at our army. I beg you, my lord, to give the order so that I may go and meet him."

Li Jian spoke up: "Please give the order, my lord, to allow me to lead light cavalry to confront the enemy."

Zheng Hao raised his hand, silencing the two. He glanced at them, a cold glint in his eyes: "In this battle, we should quickly take the capital, do you understand?"

Tian Kang and Li Jian agreed.

Then, Zheng Hao looked up at the young general beside him: "General Zhao Qi, listen to my command."

"The general is here!"

Zheng Hao: "You will lead the artillery and gunpowder armies to confront the enemy."

"promise."

Zhao Qi clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Within three days, this humble general will surely capture 100,000 enemy troops."

Zheng Hao waved, and Zhao Qi walked out of the tent.

Tian Kang looked expectantly at Zheng Hao, waiting for his lord to give him orders, but unexpectedly, his lord did not look at him, but turned to Deng Ting: "The Marquis of Zhenbei is almost at the border of the capital. You lead three hundred light cavalry to pick up the Marquis of Zhenbei."

Deng Ting accepted the order and left.

Zheng Hao left Li Xiu behind to guard the camp, while Gu Lin was busy treating the wounded soldiers with the military doctor. Watching the doctor disinfect the knives with candlelight and hot water before treating the wounded soldiers in the wounded soldiers' camp, Gu Lin breathed a sigh of relief.

Immediately afterward, he frowned, realizing he needed to get the alcohol out quickly to greatly reduce the risk of the wounded soldiers getting infected and dying.

A group of people strode towards them. Gu Lin turned his head and saw Deng Ting and the others surrounding a tall, disheveled man. As the man drew closer, Gu Lin recognized him: "Marquis of Zhenbei?!"

Deng Ting quickly explained the situation: "When the false emperor usurped the throne, the Marquis of Zhenbei refused to surrender even at the cost of his life. The false emperor did not dare to actually kill the Marquis, so he imprisoned him and tortured him. The lord ordered us to take the Marquis back to the camp for treatment as soon as we received him."

Gu Lin had the Marquis of Zhenbei moved into an empty tent, and then summoned the military doctor. The situation was urgent, and neither the military doctor nor Gu Lin and the others kept quiet. Gu Lin stood inside the tent and watched the military doctor remove the Marquis of Zhenbei's upper body clothing. When he saw the bloody, pus-filled holes that pierced through both sides of the ribs, Gu Lin clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and felt hatred towards Gao Yuan.

When the other party slandered Emperor Qianyuan and tricked the Marquis of Zhenbei into entering the capital, he was not angry; when the other party murdered Emperor Qianyuan and usurped the throne, he still did not feel much. At this moment, he finally understood why Zheng Hao wanted to seize power and take the throne. If they did not set their sights on that position, someone else would. If they did not sit in that position, they would eventually be at the mercy of others.

Marquis Zhenbei was loyal to the Qianlong Emperor, but Emperor Jian'an and Emperor Qianyuan were wary of him.

The military doctor treated the Marquis of Zhenbei. Gu Lin did not dare to disturb him. The Marquis of Zhenbei's injuries were not only on his upper body. When the military doctor was about to treat the injuries on his lower body, Gu Lin left the tent on his own.

After an incense stick had burned, the military doctor came out, and Gu Lin immediately asked with concern, "How is the Marquis's injury?"

The military doctor said, "My lord, don't worry. Although the Marquis's injuries are serious, someone should have applied medicine to him during the torture, so his internal organs were not damaged. He just needs to rest and recuperate for a while."

Upon hearing this, Gu Lin breathed a slight sigh of relief, then, thinking of the Marquis of Zhenbei who remained unconscious, asked, "When will the Marquis wake up?"

Army doctor: "Tomorrow at the latest."

Hearing the reply, Gu Lin calmed down.

The next day, when Gu Lin's men who were guarding the Marquis of Zhenbei saw him wake up, they immediately sent a message to Gu Lin.

Even before they could have breakfast, Gu Lin came over immediately.

The Marquis of Zhenbei sat up and saw the boy entering the tent. There was no awkwardness or distance as if they hadn't seen each other for a long time. He smiled and tried to speak, but because he had been unconscious for too long, he couldn't make a sound.

Gu Lin stepped forward: "Lord Marquis, do you feel any discomfort? I have already sent someone to summon the military physician."

The Marquis of Zhenbei spoke, his voice slightly hoarse: "He's fine after the medicine is applied. He should recover in a few days."

Gu Lin: "It would be best to have a military doctor take a look."

The Marquis of Zhenbei did not refuse the concern shown by the younger generation.

After a while, the military doctor and Deng Ting came in together.

After examining the Marquis of Zhenbei and confirming that he was alright, the military doctor informed Gu Lin.

Gu Lin then told him to go and brew the medicine. When he turned around, he saw the Marquis of Zhenbei looking up at Deng Ting.

"You saved me yesterday."

Deng Ting: "This humble general is on the orders of our lord to go and meet the Marquis."

My lord...

The Marquis of Zhenbei pondered these two words and realized the reason why Gao Yuan had imprisoned him.

While the Marquis of Zhenbei was deep in thought, Gu Lin turned to Deng Ting and said, "The Marquis has woken up. You go back to the front line and tell Mingzhang. I will relay the rest to the Marquis."

Deng Ting clasped his hands in a respectful greeting before leaving.

Gu Lin approached and sat on a chair beside the Marquis of Zhenbei's bed. He began to recount how Emperor Qianyuan had sent a trusted confidant to deliver an imperial edict to Zheng Hao, and how Zheng Hao had been ordered to rescue the emperor.

After speaking, Gu Lin lowered his eyes slightly and said, "Gao Yuan's arrogance and immorality in plotting to murder the late emperor are known throughout the land. The Youzhou army is a righteous force, and no one in the world has anything to say about their march to the capital to defend the emperor."

After a moment of silence, the Marquis of Zhenbei asked, "After eliminating the false emperor, what will become of the Youzhou army?"

While seemingly asking where the Youzhou army should go, the real question was what Zheng Hao would do after this battle.

"Master Hou."

Gu Lin's tone was slightly serious as he looked up at the other person. This was the first time the Marquis of Zhenbei had seen Gu Lin with such a stern expression.

Gu Lin: "Before leaving Youzhou Prefecture, Gu An hoped for our triumphant return and instructed me to bring you back safely."

The Marquis of Zhenbei's eyes flickered slightly, and his aged face showed a hint of weariness.

Gu Lin didn't say it explicitly, but the Marquis of Zhenbei understood that he was old and had misunderstood things. He always wanted stability but forgot that Daqian was not the Daqian of the past. The court officials were attached to Daqian and sucked its blood and flesh, while the people were displaced and their families were destroyed. Originally, he hoped that after Emperor Qianyuan ascended the throne, he could gradually change the current predicament, but Daqian's fate had run out and it would be difficult to produce a ruler who could restore it. Only by destroying the old and establishing the new could they embark on the bright road.

He said to Gu Lin, "A cunning rabbit has three burrows. Gao Yuan is a coward who is afraid of death. He has built many escape tunnels in the city and prepared several decoys. We would rather not let him escape than let him live. He is colluding with the southern rebels. Once he takes the young emperor and the empress dowager to the south, even if Ming Zhang has the imperial edict, as time goes by, when the young emperor grows up, Gao Yuan will have the upper hand, and Ming Zhang will be in trouble."

Understanding this, Gu Lin noted down the escape route the other party had described to Gao Yuan, and then sent someone to quickly deliver a message to Zheng Hao.

On the battlefield, the Youzhou army was invincible and its momentum was overwhelming. The 100,000 Imperial Guards were no match for them. In just three days, they were routed by the Youzhou army. The powerful cannons fired shells like thunderclaps, and wherever they hit, the people in the area were turned into pieces.

Faced with such an unprecedented weapon that could kill people like ants, the Imperial Guards were terrified, their morale collapsed, and they suffered repeated defeats. Some were captured by the Youzhou army, while others retreated back into the city.

Clad in golden armor and exuding an imposing aura, the young commander sat astride his steed, slightly raising his eyes to glance at the distant city walls.

Faced with the enemy army arriving at the city walls, the general on the city wall gave the order, and in an instant, thousands of arrows were shot towards the direction of the Youzhou army. But strangely, the Youzhou army was not afraid at all, and looked at the capital with eager eyes.

Zheng Hao spoke, his tone cold and stern: "Attack the city!"

"attack!"

A deafening battle cry swept towards the city gates and walls. The soldiers on the walls looked down at the dark mass below, filled with fear: "They've been fighting an army of 100,000 for three days, and they're continuing their attack without rest. Where do they get the energy?"

Aren't they tired?

As they were speaking, soldiers from Youzhou had already climbed the city wall. The Imperial Guards wanted to attack them, but when they looked up, they saw cannonballs carrying flames heading towards them. With a "bang," the soldiers and the city wall were shattered.

"stop!"

The Imperial Guard commander shouted, and Li Xiu and Zhao Qi looked up to see the enemy holding an old man in plain clothes by the neck, with a cold blade against his neck. "If you continue to attack, I will kill these civilians."

As soon as he finished speaking, rows of people were led up the city wall behind him.

"mean!"

"Despicable!"

Zhao Qi and Li Jian said angrily.

"What's next? Should we launch a full-scale attack?"

With the city wall within reach, Zhao Qi was unwilling to give up the military merit he had just earned.

Understanding how much his lord valued the people, Li Jian shook his head: "I have already sent someone to inform my lord and am awaiting his orders."

A messenger arrived at the rear and told the young commander what the Imperial Guard general had done. Zheng Hao did not reply. A general volunteered to go. He slightly raised his hand, tightened the reins, and was about to head forward when he saw Deng Ting, who had been away for two days, riding up and whispering a few words in his ear.

A cold glint flashed in Zheng Hao's eyes as he instructed Deng Ting, "Keep a close eye on these locations."

Deng Ting agreed, and Zheng Hao continued on horseback. Deng Ting and the other generals dared not stop him.

Because the Imperial Guards used civilians as hostages, the two sides, who were originally locked in a fierce battle, became deadlocked, and the Youzhou army glared at the Imperial Guards with burning eyes.

The Imperial Guard general laughed loudly: "Your Majesty is brilliant! This plan will indeed make the Youzhou army fear us like mice before a cat."

He deliberately shouted down, "Aren't you supposed to be a fierce and invincible army? Why have you suddenly stopped and stopped attacking?"

They made no attempt to conceal their arrogant and despicable nature.

"You scoundrel, how dare you shout in front of your grandfather?"

Zhao Qi angrily rebuked.

"Lord."

Li Jian spoke up, and Zhao Qi turned around to see the commander-in-chief, who was not supposed to be there.

Zhao Qi rushed forward to protect Zheng Hao, saying, "It's dangerous here, my lord. Please go back quickly. General Li and I are here. My lord, please don't put yourself in danger."

Li Jian didn't speak, but he moved closer to Zheng Hao to protect him.