diskusbooks Chapter 336 After the Great War
Chapter 336 After the Great War
A flurry of mortar fire resulted in thousands of casualties among the rebels. The overhanging towers of the city walls collapsed, and a man was found trapped in the rubble. When he was pulled out and examined, it turned out to be Qin Yongyi.
"How dare you, my son, rebel?"
When Zhao Hengzhen learned about this, he was furious and smashed his beloved inkstone to the ground on the spot.
After dawn, someone from the palace hurriedly rushed to the Zuowuwei camp outside the city with the imperial edict and the tiger talisman for mobilizing troops.
Unexpectedly, they were ambushed again on the way.
After a night of fighting, Zhu Biao had lost nearly two-half of his bullets and mortar bombs and was in urgent need of replenishment.
Inside the Eastern Palace, Zhu Biao saw Zhao Hui and said solemnly, "Your Highness, we used up a huge amount of ammunition last night. Although we're carrying more ammunition this time than before, if we engage in another major battle, I'm afraid we won't be able to hold out until the end."
Zhao Hui frowned upon hearing this and asked worriedly, "I already know what you're talking about. What should we do?"
Zhu Biao took out a letter without hesitation, handed it to Zhao Hui, and said, "I have written a letter to the Prince Consort, asking him to replenish my ammunition."
Zhao Hui didn't reach out to take the letter when he heard Zhu Biao say this. Instead, he said, "Since you're asking Sixth Brother for help and supplies, I won't read it. I'll just find someone to deliver it."
Zhu Biao stopped being pretentious and after saying goodbye, he hurried out of the East Palace.
……
As early as when the incident occurred outside the capital, Zhao Sheng's intelligence agency had already secretly launched an investigation.
As soon as the sound of gunfire rang out in the middle of the night yesterday, an express message was sent to Luancheng at the first opportunity, traveling 800 miles.
While Zhu Biao's letter was still on the way, Zhao Sheng in Luancheng had already received the information.
"Judging from the situation, a coup has already occurred in the capital. Someone is impatient and is planning a rebellion. We need to send an army, lightly armed and quickly, and also bring some ammunition to replenish the Special First Battalion."
Zhao Yongsheng, who came to deliver the intelligence, asked, "Who should we send?"
"It must be cavalry, and they must be strong. Have Ma Biao send a regiment to form a cavalry regiment and carry ammunition. Also, notify Wei Wu to also form a cavalry regiment and send it, also with ammunition."
Zhao Yongsheng listened to Zhao Sheng's words, thought for a moment, and nodded, saying, "This is the only way to proceed. I'll make the arrangements right away."
"Alright, we need to hurry up and make sure to bring enough ammunition. Also, tell them that upon arrival, while fighting on their own, they must also unite and share resources."
After Zhao Yongsheng left, Zhao Sheng felt that some things needed to be put on the agenda.
"Send someone to Cheng Ziyun to take this letter, and also this letter to Yuan Shan."
Zhao Sheng said this and handed the two letters to Liang Dong.
……
Yuan Shan opened the letter from Zhao Sheng, which roughly stated that his team should start training in the near future, and would be equipped with some grenades and infantry guns to strengthen the city defense of Yuanshi County.
Zhao Sheng was still not completely confident in Yuan Shan. The previous experience of Shi Ge forced him to be on guard, as he was not of the same race after all.
The letter from Cheng Ziyun was relatively simple, instructing Cheng Ziyun to select a regiment of soldiers from the team and concentrate on training them into a rifle regiment, and another company of people was needed to form an artillery company.
In addition, weapons such as grenades and landmines are also included in the training subjects.
Preparing for war and famine has always been Zhao Sheng's principle in governing the army and the county.
Now Zhao Sheng's army is distributed in Dingzhou, Weizhou and other places, stretching for 800 miles, but the number of people in the team around him is not large.
At this moment, he was also concerned about Kyoto, 800 miles south, and he wanted to do his best to support Zhao Hui in taking the throne.
The weapons in our hands are all produced by handicrafts. In order to keep the technology confidential, the number of people involved in the production is limited. It is difficult to produce hundreds of weapons such as rifles in a month.
You also need to spare some time to make other weapons.
The ammunition consumed in one battle may be a year's accumulation.
Fortunately, rifle bullets can be reused.
Therefore, the equipment brought by a regiment that set out from Jing County was basically gunpowder, yellow phosphorus, and some projectiles.
……
The regiment sent by Ma Biao's division was led by Cao Yibao. After eight hours of rapid journey, they approached the capital before noon the next day.
"Report, something seems to be happening in the Imperial City, and intermittent gunshots can be heard."
The messenger who went to negotiate returned and reported to Cao Yibao.
Hearing this, Cao Yibao felt something was wrong, but he didn't know what the situation was in the city, so he hurriedly asked Xiang Xinbing.
"Won't the North Gate let us in?"
"All city gates are sealed today. No one or any military unit is allowed to enter the city. However, Xizhimen is open to traffic."
Hearing the messenger's words, Cao Yibao looked at the troops behind him and shouted, "We will go through Xizhimen, but we must be cautious. Anyone who is not from our new army must not be trusted. If anyone has ill intentions towards us, we will shoot them."
After saying this, he drew the carbine from his shoulder and held it high in his hand.
The soldiers followed suit, gripping their rifles tightly.
The city was indeed in chaos at this time.
After the people sent by the palace were robbed, the military token and imperial edict were looted.
Zhao Hong hid among the rebels.
After learning about these two things, an idea came to his mind.
So he sent a eunuch by his side to give the fabricated letter and military token to the eunuch.
……
The deputy general of the Zuowuwei camp saw that the visitor was a eunuch. He seldom went in and out of the palace often and was not familiar with the eunuchs who delivered orders. But when he saw the handwritten edict and the military token, he determined that everything was true.
The emperor's handwritten letter read: General Hong Kui was injured and unable to lead the troops, and Prince of Yan Zhao Hui was plotting a rebellion. The deputy general of the Left Guard, Xun Milin, was ordered to lead troops into the palace to rescue the king, and the eunuch was to supervise the delivery of the letter.
Although he had doubts about the eunuchs supervising the army, the deputy general Xun Milin believed that as long as they did not interfere with military power, nothing else mattered.
He was in the military camp and had no idea that Prince Yan had become the Crown Prince.
On the way, they met Zhao Hong.
"General Xun, where are you going?"
Xun Milin was not familiar with Zhao Hong, but seeing that he was a prince, he dismounted and bowed, saying, "Greetings, King Yue. I am here to serve the king at the palace, following His Majesty's orders."
Zhao Hong pretended to be surprised.
"What did you say? A sudden change in the palace?"
Xun Milin didn't know why Zhao Hong was so surprised, so he asked, "Why did the King of Yue come to the capital at this time when he is not in his fiefdom?"
Zhao Hong handed over the imperial edict sent by the emperor last year and said, "My father urgently summoned me to the palace. It seems that he intends to confer a title on me. The specific details can only be known after arriving in the capital."
Xun Milin knew it was an imperial edict, so he didn't dare to accept it.
But when Zhao Hong opened the imperial edict, he saw that it did contain the words "summoning King Yue to the palace", but he did not dare to look closely at the other contents.
"In that case, General Xun, could you please tell me in detail what exactly happened in the Imperial City?"
He was in a hurry to get on with his journey, but the prince insisted on pestering him, so he dared not refuse.
"To be honest, the Prince of Yan entered the palace to plot a rebellion."
Xun Milin spoke in a very low voice, as if the matter was top secret.
"I see," Zhao Hong said, glancing at the eunuch behind Xun Milin. "As the emperor's sons, we must do our utmost to serve him. General Xun, I have a humble request. Is it appropriate for me to ask?"
Xun Milin was full of curiosity, wondering what Zhao Hong wanted to say to him.