nucmednet Chapter 638 Allies Meet
Chapter 638 Allies Meet
Upon hearing this, Liu Ye thought it was a compromise.
Lin San's prolonged stay in the capital was initially unknown, but now it's clear: Yang Sichang and his associates must be causing trouble behind the scenes. However, this also has an advantage: having a portion of the guards remaining in the capital acts as a pre-emptive ambush, ensuring their entry into the city won't attract too much attention. Combined with the guards' thousand-odd men, these two elite forces, while not causing much trouble in the capital, can certainly protect themselves—those incompetent Beijing garrison officers overestimate their abilities by claiming they can take on ten men at once.
“Declaring yourself king is out of the question; that kind of bandit-like behavior is petty. You should either kill Chongzhen and take his place. But for now, developing your strength cautiously is the best option. Let's not break ties unless absolutely necessary.” Liu Ye rejected Yan Guang’s last sentence, then looked up and shouted to the guards, “The army doesn’t have to enter the city, but I need to take a squad of my personal guards with me. If you can’t make that decision, call Yang Sichang.”
Upon hearing this, the garrison commander quickly went down to report. After a while, he returned to the city wall and said, "The higher-ups have agreed. Please allow the Earl of Pingnan to enter the city. After entering, someone will meet you and take you to the Shenji Camp in the north of the city for temporary accommodation, to await the Emperor's summons..."
Liu Ye hadn't expected the other party to be so agreeable; it seemed the real showdown would take place in the capital. He turned and instructed, "Mr. Yan, come with me into the city. Xu Yifan, Shi Ying, and Su Hongtu will lead troops to wait outside the city. We'll discuss and handle anything that comes up."
The crowd responded, "Yes, General."
The Yongding Gate, which had been closed for nearly a month, opened with a creaking sound, and Liu Ye led his guards into the city.
The guard on the city wall looked at the waves of soldiers below and clicked his tongue, saying, "This personal guard is quite a lot... almost a thousand men, right?" However, the higher-ups only said that the main army was not allowed to enter the city, but they didn't specify how many personal guards there should be, so he pretended not to hear to avoid offending anyone.
On the city tower, Yang Sichang, hidden inside, looked at Liu Ye and the others through the window, a gloomy expression on his face.
After Liu Ye and his group entered the city, a group of soldiers were indeed waiting by the main road. Upon seeing Liu Ye, they stepped forward and asked, "Are you General Liu of Qionghai Town? I am Li, a captain of the Beijing Garrison. I have been ordered to wait here. Please follow me."
Liu Ye and his entourage followed this Commander Li all the way to the Shenji Camp's garrison in the north of the city.
On the surface, this arrangement was thoughtful and considerate, saving them the trouble of finding accommodation. The Shenji Battalion was the elite of the Beijing Garrison, and even though many of its officers and soldiers were sons of nobles and did not live in the camp, the barracks were still first-class.
Liu Ye joked with everyone, "Minister Yang really went to great lengths to entertain us!"
Yan Guang snorted coldly: "Like a weasel offering New Year's greetings to a chicken, he's up to no good. On the surface, he's found us a good place, but in reality, he's just setting up the Shenji Battalion to keep a close watch on us. It seems we'll have to put up a good fight with this minister."
"We'll deal with whatever comes our way, just as it comes. Remember to 'take care' of Panda and Wang Hong; they're important witnesses in our negotiations with Minister Yang and the Emperor," Liu Ye instructed. "After we're settled, Mr. Yan and Qin Tian, along with a few men, will accompany me to Grand Secretary Wen's residence to pay our respects after dark." The capital is a treacherous place. Since we're going to be dealing with the Emperor, it's essential to find an ally like Wen Tiren to understand the situation in the capital and make an accurate assessment.
After nightfall, the group quietly left the military camp under the cover of darkness.
In the Wen residence, Wen Tiren listened to a report from a man in a tight-fitting outfit in his study.
"You mean that during the day, Yang Sichang attempted to use the Emperor's decree as a pretext to order the troops of the three towns to attack Qionghai Town from both sides, but in the end, it was Qionghai Town that led the charge and defeated the Tartar army?"
"Indeed, Qionghai Town not only repelled the Tartar attack, but also severely damaged its commander-in-chief, Ajige. The Tartars fled in panic, abandoning the more than 100,000 people and their valuables they had captured..."
Wen Tiren gasped, "I only knew he was strong, but I never imagined he was this strong..."
After a moment of silence, he waved his hand: "Alright, continue the search. Keep an eye on the situation in Qionghai Town."
"I obey my orders."
As soon as the man in the tight-fitting clothes left, the steward came to report: "Master, a guest has arrived."
Wen Tiren waved his hand impatiently: "I'm not seeing any guests today, I'm not in the mood..."
"Master, the guest claims to be from the south and is the person you most want to see right now!"
Wen Tiren was taken aback, then overjoyed. Apart from Liu Ye, he didn't know anyone else in the South. Could it be that he could just summon the devil?
"Quickly invite them in and bring them directly to the study."
After a while, a cheerful voice rang out: "Please forgive my lateness, Your Excellency!"
Wen Tiren quickly got up and went to the door of the study to greet him. He saw a smiling young man leading a few people over.
The two allies, who had never met before, finally met. Wen Tiren looked him up and down and said with a smile, "The Earl of Pingnan is indeed a handsome man, and even younger than I imagined."
Liu Ye smiled broadly: "Your Excellency flatters me, I dare not accept such praise!"
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Wen Tiren led Liu Ye, Yan Guang, and the others into the study and asked affectionately, "Does the Earl of Pingnan have a courtesy name?"
Liu Ye politely replied, "I am deeply grateful for the kindness of Governor Mu of Guangdong, who bestowed upon me the courtesy name Zhiwen."
Wen Tiren nodded. "He is both a warrior and a scholar. This is an evaluation of Guan Yu in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. It is meant to praise your ability to be both a warrior and a scholar, and you certainly deserve this evaluation."
"Your Excellency is truly erudite and possesses an exceptional memory; I am deeply impressed!"
Wen Tiren waved his hand: "Enough of the small talk. Although this is my first meeting with Zhiwen, we have long admired each other, so let's not mince words. I ask you, what is the purpose of your uninvited visit this time?"
"This is a long story, but if Your Excellency doesn't mind, I'll start from the beginning..." Liu Ye briefly recounted the events, from coming to Shandong to help Liang Xiaoming out of his predicament, to the Battle of Changyi, then the encounter in Tianjin, and finally the thrilling battle outside Yongding Gate.
"Your Excellency, I am a man of clear principles, distinguishing between gratitude and resentment. If someone treats me with respect, I will treat them with even greater respect; if someone offends me, I will retaliate in kind. Although Yang Sichang holds great power in the Ministry of War, I am not afraid of him. Any wrong I have suffered will be repaid tenfold!"
Wen Tiren stared at him and questioned, "Zhiwen, if you were just such a reckless person, you wouldn't have achieved what you have today. Your so-called seeking justice is just an excuse, isn't it? Do you think I would believe that a general would hold a grudge against the next Minister of War just to vent his anger? Tell me, what is your true purpose?"
Liu Ye chuckled: "Old foxes are still the wisest. My little scheme can't be hidden from you, Your Excellency. That's right, this is just an excuse. I want the territory of Shandong and Guangdong, and I want Qiongzhou Prefecture and Dengzhou-Laizhou region to be governed by the military and completely under my control! I ask Your Excellency to lend me a hand."