PDLP Chapter 368: Unrest in Northwest China
Chapter 368: Unrest in Northwest China
That day, we farmed until dusk and dawn.
After the Fifth Prince finished his work, he hurriedly said goodbye to Luo Yu and said he would come again tomorrow.
Luo Yu returned with satisfaction. After calculating the time, he thought that he should be able to harvest a batch of autumn watermelons around October. However, he didn't know whether the watermelons would grow well when the weather was cooler. It was generally the right time to plant watermelons in the south. He estimated that he would have to build a gauze shed to keep the watermelons warm.
Qin Bingrui was busy all day. He took the Flying Tigers to Xinghua Village to plant watermelons. He explained the habits of watermelons to the locals and said that if the watermelons were grown, each one could be sold for two taels of silver. The villagers who were originally reluctant to plant the watermelons lit up their eyes when they heard the price.
Finally, we set aside two acres of land for planting. After all, the capital is located in the Central Plains, and the temperature will drop sharply in September, so we have to find a way to keep it warm.
Under the leadership of Pu Azhong and Pu Acheng, the Flying Tigers had grown into a full-fledged unit. Scholar Lao Jin, still in good health, had grown considerably stronger. Wei Wu, a skinny and timid young man, had grown into a muscular man, his weapon transformed from a sword into a bow with a tensile strength of 100 kilograms. The other members had also grown into strong and sturdy men, each possessing immense strength.
Qin Bingrui secretly asked Ye Yucheng to get a set of iron armor for the Flying Tigers. The armor weighed 20 to 30 kilograms when worn. The Flying Tigers had to wear it every day to exercise. They had to eat well and use good food every day. In addition, they had to improve their physical fitness, practice riding and shooting, practice using spears and swords, and then fight in the field with wild wolves, just like an elite force.
Qin Bingrui was very satisfied. These brothers truly wanted to fight for him. They were no longer the cowards without any faith and afraid of death. Lao Jin certainly understood the mission of the Flying Tigers. Now that Miss Qin and Miss Luo had reached this point, they had no choice but to give it a try. Perhaps their fate would be rewritten. Even if it wasn't, the Flying Tigers would still leave a deep mark in history. Lao Jin's life on earth was worthwhile.
Lao Jin's brainwashing was a resounding success. The Flying Tigers, recalling their own tragic lives, were now entering the capital and becoming part of the imperial struggle alongside Miss Qin. They were thrilled. Succeeding or dying was far more rewarding than digging the land for a lifetime and failing to even feed their families. Lao Jin was right: how could a sparrow understand the ambition of a swan, and how could a swan understand the will of a roc? Miss Qin, the woman they followed, was destined to change the world. They had endless motivation and energy every day, and each day filled them with more passion and hope!
Qin Bingrui suddenly understood that the ancients often launched peasant uprisings just to have a full meal.
After the watermelons were planted, Qin Luoqie felt bored again, but the hot summer was not suitable for planting anything else, so he had to give up.
Besides, apart from Zhu Jinyou, no one else has the time to verify whether these things were obtained from the southwestern mountainous areas. As for Zhu Jinyou's suspicion, he can't do anything to her.
Thinking of this, she got some cucumber and tomato seeds. Cucumbers should have been available at this time, but tomatoes had not yet appeared. She planted the two together, just as ornamental plants, and no one would suspect anything.
After ten days of planting in the palace, July arrived unexpectedly, and some not-so-good news also came.
It turned out that the Xixia City in the northwest was now difficult to defend. General Yan sent someone back to deliver a message that several nomadic tribes on the grassland had united and were preparing to attack and rob food.
It turned out that at the beginning of this year, there was a snowstorm in the north, which froze many cattle and sheep to death. The nomadic tribes in the northwest had almost eaten up all their food by the summer, and there was not much food left for the winter. When they heard that the emperor of Rong Dynasty was seriously ill and the dynasty was in turmoil, they decided to take the opportunity to rob Rong Dynasty. If possible, they wanted to take over the fertile land of Central Plains in one fell swoop.
This news came from the Yan family army. Yan Li brought back an army of 20,000 at that time. Now there are only less than 100,000 troops in the northwest border, and the several major nomadic tribes are said to have a total of 400,000 troops. This is a trend of completely conquering the entire Darong Dynasty.
The news first reached the ears of the Queen Mother and Prince Ning. Now, the tiger talisman was in Qin Bingrui's hands, and the Queen Mother had no choice but to fight her in person.
Qin Bingrui could never have imagined that one day the progress of history would suddenly accelerate.
Although it's a bit different from modern history, aren't the nomadic peoples of the northwest the Mongols, Dangxiang Qiang, Khitan, and other tribes? If these nomadic tribes joined forces to attack the Rong Dynasty, it would be really difficult to deal with! Currently, there are less than 100,000 troops on the Western Xia border. In the north, there are the troops of the Prince of Beijing, who are said to have 200,000 or so. It seems that only 100,000 troops from the imperial guards of the capital can be transferred to the northwest border to resist the enemy.
The Queen Mother wanted to take the opportunity to get the Tiger Tally back, so she suggested that Prince Beijing lead his troops to the northwest to assist General Yan and ask Qin Bingrui to hand over the Tiger Tally.
Qin Bingrui laughed heartily after hearing this: "Prince Beijing can just defend against the attack from the north. I've heard that the Jurchen and Khitan peoples in the north are not to be trifled with. They will definitely attack from multiple fronts and catch us off guard."
The Queen Mother's face turned pale. She never expected that such a shapeless woman would know so much about the situation on the border of Rong Dynasty.
"So what's Miss Qin's plan?"
Qin Bingrui sneered and didn't reply to her.
He turned to Miss Luo Yu, who was sitting beside him, counting on her fingers, and asked, "Sister Luo Yu, how do you think we should solve this problem?"
Luo Yu raised his head and looked at a room full of generals in armor, including the Queen Mother, His Royal Highness Prince Ning, the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guards, Envoy Yao, and several Grand Marshals and Ministers.
Everyone turned their eyes to her, and Luo Yu couldn't help but sit up straight.
"If I say something, I won't take it back. Do you still want to listen to me?"
The Queen Mother replied coldly: "Young lady, you know that there are some things you cannot say, so don't say more."
General Murong smiled gently, and his tone softened: "Miss, please feel free to speak."
Luo Yu uttered an "oh," stood up, and cast his gaze towards the generals. He said carefully, "If I were to tell you that this battle is a matter of life and death for our Great Rong Dynasty, I'm sure you generals would prioritize the survival of the nation and not allow the people to become slaves of a conquered nation, right?"
Several generals looked at each other, not knowing what she was going to say.
"Instead of internal strife and wasting the country's fortune, it is better to resolve the external threat first. I think everyone should temporarily obey Miss Qin's troop deployment orders. Her military record is not inferior to that of the generals. Besides, Miss Qin and I are both neutral parties and will not cause internal strife for no reason."
After saying that, she sat down again with an expressionless face and continued to play with her fingers.
Young Master Murong covered his mouth and laughed secretly. Miss Luo Yu was really lovely. She didn't ask for everyone's opinions at all. She clearly made the decision on her own. No one could influence her decision.
Qin Bingrui became excited when he heard this.
"I think what Sister Luo Yu said makes sense. No matter which side we entrust our troops to, if something goes wrong and civil unrest breaks out, wouldn't that give foreign enemies an opportunity to exploit? So, instead of doing that, I think it would be better for me to personally lead 100,000 Imperial Guards and General Yan to the northwest. Prince Beijing, you lead the troops to defend the northern region. As for the capital, Commander Feng and Commander Yao will guard it well."
General Murong stood up and echoed, "I am willing to lead the Murong army and accompany Miss Qin to the northwest."
"Well, you are worthy of being a good man of Rong Dynasty!"
Luo Yu raised his head and said quietly, "If that's the case, Miss Xia must go. She can control tens of thousands of birds and beasts, so perhaps she can help you."