Chapter 46: Secretly Sent

  Xian Lian Chen just smiled, while Huan Tian rubbed his nose awkwardly and brought the topic back: "Our main task now is to develop He Tao well and prepare for the return of the 80,000 cavalry who killed them. At first, our decision was a bit hasty, without much consideration, we threw out these 80,000 cavalry in one go. Now it seems that we underestimated the three countries of Dongbei." After a pause, Huan Tian said with some concern: "When I went to Tie Shangshu's mansion today, I happened to meet Xiang Jun Tuan Zhang. He told me to be especially careful of Kasinbas, saying that this person is the number one general outside the pass, and has been undefeated in 60 years of battle. Although we haven't seen this person before, someone who can get such praise from Xiang Jun Tuan Zhang must be a remarkable person. To be honest, I'm really worried about them now."

  "Don't worry, my lord." Ruo Xiang smiled slightly: "General Blood Kill is deeply strategic, General Feng Jing is meticulous and calm, and General Xin Ke is bravely unstoppable. As long as they can work together in harmony, even if the front is a sea of knives and fire, they will dare to charge forward!"

  Haotian was still a bit worried: "I understand this, but since ancient times, this person has been reckless, I'm afraid he'll get into some trouble."

  "Husband, please be at ease. My father and second brother are both wise men. If the situation is not favorable, they will definitely stop your third brother. Moreover, although your third brother is a bit foolish, he is not someone who does not understand reason. And they are all your trusted generals, leading troops in a foreign land, they must work together to overcome this difficulty." Tian Yi comforted with a smile.

  "I'm still a bit worried, the cavalry they led is already all I can muster, if we take them away, the number of cavalry in Hetao has decreased to less than 30,000. Even with the addition of the 40,000 war horses that Lianchen just sent, the total number of cavalry in Hetao will not exceed 70,000."

  "My lord, with the strength of killing General Kasin and others, even if Kasin himself takes action, they will have the power to fight one battle. At worst, they can also reserve some seeds for the great army. Moreover, it is their good fortune to encounter an opponent like Kasin, and they must be delighted to have such a worthy opponent. And those soldiers who can persist in such a difficult environment will surely become the backbone of our Hetao army in the future. Why should my lord worry?"

  Hao Tian could only nod and say, "I hope it's as Mr. said, but we still need to be prepared for their return, I have a feeling that their comeback won't be so easy."

  Luo Xiang thought for a moment before saying, "In that case, we'd better immediately send a message to Xiang Cheng and Xuán Jī Jun Shi in the river bend area. The Blood Kill General's army will have to return to the river bend either through Fengling Ferry in Shizhou or Hukou Ferry in Anzhou. Although other places can also be crossed, it is difficult to guarantee the rapid passage of the army. Therefore, I think we should now prepare more boats for crossing the river and materials for building pontoon bridges, and inform Dúgū General and Biān General to make preparations to receive the army."

  "That's good too. Hmm, Mr., how about the negotiations with the three major families that you're in charge of?" Haotian said, tapping his head.

  Luo Xiang smiled faintly: "The subordinate has already visited the three princes, and the three princes are all deeply sympathetic to the tragic situation in Hexi Liu Zhou. As fellow subjects of the heavenly dynasty, the three princes are also kind-hearted people who care about the common people. After a round of negotiations, the three princes have agreed to provide one million stones of grain aid to Hexi each."

  Haotian nodded, 30 million stones of grain, after some adjustments, would be enough to support the 50 million people in the river valley for two months. However, he didn't believe the sanctimonious words that Lu Xiang had just spoken. What kind of place were the three major families if they really cared about the welfare of the people? If so, Qingfeng wouldn't have fallen to such a state. But Haotian noticed that Lu Xiang's tone seemed hesitant, and he couldn't help but ask curiously: "Is there something else? Has something happened in the river valley?"

  "The Hexi Corridor is now safe and sound, with the military advisor and Governor Chu cooperating seamlessly. The Righteous Brother and General Bian are also working hard to train their troops. With the efforts of officials at all levels, the Hexi Corridor has become a thriving scene. Under Governor Chu's suggestion, several new schools have been opened in Hexi, providing education for orphans who lost their families while cultivating talent for the future." Tianyi spoke up, "However, the military advisor and Governor Chu have another matter to report."

  "What's wrong?" Haotian asked strangely.

  "It was like this, back then due to the invasion of foreign tribes, the six states of the Yellow River suffered over two million casualties under the butcher's knife of the foreign tribes. As a result, countless orphans and widows were left behind. For those young children, we have arranged for them to enter school as much as possible. For those who are somewhat older, Lord Chu has also built some government projects to prevent them from suffering from hunger and cold. However, for those children between the ages of eleven and fourteen, Military Strategist Xuan and Lord Chu did not know what to do. If they were sent to school, they would be too old. If they were made to work, it would be unbearable. I also don't know how to solve this problem." Tian Yi said slowly.

  Haotian also had a headache, and he turned his head to look at Lu Xiang, saying: "I don't know what your esteemed opinion is?"

  Lu Xiang thought for a moment, then smiled and said: "Actually, this is not a troublesome thing. These children, as long as they persevere for a few years, will definitely become good recruits. My lord can set up a youth military academy to let them experience the style of the army first."

  "Youth Military Academy?" Haotian's eyes lit up, his heart racing with excitement. Lu Xiang was indeed the greatest strategist under heaven; such a question would no longer be a problem once it reached his hands. After a pause, he said: "Sir, this proposal is excellent. Although they are not yet of age to join the army, if they can receive systematic military training now, they will surely become the backbone of our Hetao Army in the future."

  Tianyi also nodded: "Sir, this idea is indeed very good. The Hesuote people have always been martially inclined, and it's just right for these children to learn military knowledge. Our Hesuote are now like a pack of wolves waiting in ambush, and they really need to lay a solid foundation now. It's not advisable to delay, so please ask the husband to make an immediate decision."

  "Uh-huh. Mr. Luo, please send a message to He Tao and let them prepare for the establishment of the youth military school immediately. As for the name of the school, let's call it Xuanyuan Military School since He Tao is originally from the land of Shen Zhou Long Xing." Hu Tian walked back and forth several times, hesitated for a moment, before saying: "Today at Iron Lord's residence, I heard Li Xiao Mao say that Iron Lord's eldest grandson, Iron Meng Jun, suddenly died in the army, while at the same time, two sons of Grand Master Sima Danggui also drowned to death when patrolling the Great River defense line. Thinking about it, I feel that this matter is quite suspicious, but I don't know where the problem lies, so I came back to discuss with everyone."

  Lu Xiang looked at Huang Tian with a profound gaze, then said: "Is the master thinking that their deaths were particularly suspicious, and therefore suspecting their cause of death?"

  "Not bad," Haotian nodded: "I think Iron General is a tiger son of the Jiang family, and he is the commander of the Qinglong Army. He is known for his bravery and martial arts skills, but he died suddenly in the army without any warning signs. And as for the two sons of Taishi, although I haven't seen them before, I've heard that they are one of the few talented and intelligent people in the empire. But they drowned to death while patrolling the Great River Defense Line. Both incidents happened after my emperor ascended to the throne and the Northern Expedition Army was defeated. Thinking about how powerful Taishi and Iron General were in their heyday, such a tragedy should not be covered up silently. So I suspect that there must be a problem inside."

  Looking at the three people with furrowed brows, Xian Lian Chen suddenly interjected: "General Tie Meng actually died from poisoning, while the two sons of Grand Marshal Sima were dead before they drowned."

  "What?" The three of them were shocked, even Lu Xiang's face changed color, despite his usual calm and collected demeanor. If what Xiān Liàn said was true, it could only mean that there was a powerful force at work, one that inspired fear, openly targeting the two of them. Otherwise, with their families' influence, they would not have let the matter drop. However, in the Qingfeng Empire, such people were a dime a dozen. Thinking this, the three of them looked even more displeased.

  Haotian was the first to come back to his senses, looking at Xian Lianchen's faintly smiling face with a serious expression: "Lianchen, what is going on? How did you know?"

  Xian Lian Chen De Yi smiled complacently: "Our Tian Wu Xing He is slightly inferior to Ming Xiao Ge in terms of intelligence gathering capabilities, but that's only because their history is longer than ours, and we have been restricted too much. On the night Iron Meng Jiang died, he had just received a letter from home and a box of pastries. The box of pastries was even personally sent by Iron Daren to the family servant, who had just finished reading the letter when his expression turned sorrowful and indignant, throwing the letter into the fire pit and burning it to ashes before eating the pastries, then spitting blood and dying. And that family servant, after seeing Iron Jiang spit blood and die, actually also took his own life beside him. The two sons of Taishi Sima Dangui were secretly in contact with a mysterious person while patrolling the Great River defense line. An hour later, they both drowned to death. And this mysterious person, although he never revealed his true face from start to finish, should be Taishi Sima Dangui himself according to our inference."

  "What?" The three of them were shocked again. Tiemeng was the only grandson of Tie Zhen, and Sima Dangui also had only two sons. If what Xianlindi said was true, why would they want to kill their own descendants with their own hands? They were both old ministers who held heavy power in the court for generations, what reason did they have to kill their only children? Even if they wanted to kill, they didn't need to do it themselves. Moreover, with their strength, even if it was the current emperor, they wouldn't dare to easily offend them, let alone kill their descendants. After all, the two of them were in high positions and had great power, no one knew whether they would do something unseemly in a state of extreme pain.

  "Lian Chen Niang, who else knows about this matter?" Luo Xiang suddenly asked.

  "It was just me and my master. The Iron General's matter was seen with my own eyes, while the Grand Master's matter was told by my master. However, my master also knew the severity of the situation, so he only told one person, me." Xian Lianchen said honestly.

  After a long time, Tian Yi finally said: "This matter will be settled for now and discussed again later. Husband, this Tian Shengjing is not comparable to our six states of He Suo. In the future, you should still leave the Hou Mansion less often. Lian Chen sister, immediately notify your 1,000 elite troops to arrive in the capital as soon as possible. As the situation in Tian Shengjing is unclear, Husband's safety is still the most important."

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