son-in-law

Chapter 1311: Aspiring to be the Champion

Chapter 1311: Aspiring to be the Champion

sunset.

On the northeastern slope of Weisheng, a man with a handsome face stood facing the entire city with an imposing aura.

From above, soldiers on horseback were seen moving through the streets of the ancient city, converging towards the northeast. Birds flew across the sky, and on the ground, messengers carrying military documents emerged from the west and south gates, hurrying along roads leading to distant places.

A vast net is being woven out gradually and extensively.

Zou Xu faced Weisheng City, arms outstretched, waiting fearlessly.

But the city remained silent and unresponsive.

So he lowered his outstretched hand, then opened it again, repeating this several times. He circled around the area twice and then burst into laughter.

As we were preparing to leave, the city gate behind us creaked open.

The drawbridge lowered. Then, the city gate slowly opened, and the woman's figure appeared by the city wall. She pointed in this direction and perhaps said something like, "Wait a moment." But her voice was too soft, and he couldn't hear it clearly.

Zou Xu tilted his head slightly.

Lou Shuwan slowly descended the city wall. Where Zou Xu couldn't see, the generals took turns trying to persuade her, but Lou Shuwan looked at them and gazed at the distant, yet-to-arrive army, with a half-smile: "I'm going out to catch up with my nephew. As for how to ensure my safety, that's something you can think about."

She slowly mounted her horse. When Hu Changshu came over to take the reins and urged her to put on her armor, she shook her head and said, "I can't wear it today, I don't have the strength." She added, "If I have the chance after we get out, I'll kill him."

"Yes."

In the setting sun, two figures slowly passed through the city gate.

Zou Xu almost jumped up on the other side. He spread his arms, pointed in this direction, and shouted enthusiastically, "No weapons—" before spinning around in place.

Hu Changshu threw away the long knife.

The warhorses moved forward, gradually closing the distance. The two sides finally stopped when they were about ten feet apart. At this point, their appearances could be seen clearly, and their words could be heard. Zou Xu moved closer to his warhorse and gestured with his hand: "Let's stop here. If we get any closer, we probably won't be able to talk."

Lou Shuwan clenched her fist and coughed on her horse: "General Zou, are you afraid of me?"

"I'm being a little timid first, but I'm afraid of this man beside you. If he makes a move, I'll have to run." Zou Xu said with a smile, looking over here. Then he turned his head to examine Lou Shuwan for a moment, cupped his hands, and said, "Congratulations to Aunt Lou. You bear the nation's shame, yet you are the master of the state; you bear the nation's misfortune, yet you are the queen of the world. From today onwards, Aunt Lou has finally taken another step forward and become a true Princess of Jin!"

"We should thank General Zou."

"Of course you should thank me," Zou Xu said without hesitation. "Aunt Lou, you were still a bit lacking in experience in Jin. In the past two days, it was I who spread the idea in the city that the female prime minister was uneasy after leaving Jin. That's why you've returned, and that's why the whole city is so happy. Aunt Lou, this is what people call the will of the people. Just because they've supported you today by some twist of fate doesn't mean they're completely reliable. In the future, when you govern here, Aunt Lou, you must remain vigilant!"

A warm breeze blew across the hillside under the setting sun. Lou Shuwan, riding her horse, gradually changed her expression from a cold smile to a serious one. Her warhorse stirred slightly, and she lowered her head, thinking for a moment.

"I will remember General Zou's heartfelt words."

"Many years from now, I will still remember the scene of Aunt Lou beating the drum on the city wall today and being crowned as queen." Zou Xu smiled and spread his hands. "At least for now, I really want to take action here and kill an enemy like Aunt Lou, but I have great ambitions and I still have to keep my word."

"Oh." Lou Shuwan nodded. "You still have credibility."

"All's fair in war, as long as it doesn't damage trust, but taking action during negotiations is a different matter." Zou Xu pointed to Hu Changshu over here. "So please, Aunt Lou, restrain yourself a little, otherwise, there won't be any more opportunities for heart-to-heart talks like this in the future."

As the sun set, Zou Xu spoke eloquently, while Lou Shuwan, sitting on her horse, couldn't help but laugh. She stroked her warhorse and suddenly looked up to ask, "Have you colluded with the Jurchens?"

Zou Xu did not answer, but shook his head with a silent smile.

"Although the question might be a bit pointless," Lou Shuwan said, "why do this?"

"If it weren't for this, and the teacher came out of seclusion, I would have no way out."

"In your eyes, do I have a lot of weaknesses?"

"The Huaxia Army has conducted a detailed analysis of heroes from all walks of life. Aunt Lou, your problem has always been prominent. As a woman without an heir, you used your economic abilities to unite the various families in Jin. Although there were some benefits, they were all short-lived. You used the Huaxia Army's name to cover up various contradictions, and you acted like you were gaining an advantage by throwing tantrums in front of the Black Flag. As soon as you leave, Jin will fall apart. One assassination can solve all the problems. Tell me, what exactly are the families in Jin playing for?"

Lou Shuwan looked up and smiled: "You make sense... I always thought that of all the families in the world, only I was living a peaceful life recently."

"Peaceful times are due to the lack of external probing and the fact that various parties are unaware of the Chinese army's stance, thus holding back their attacks. But true gold must be tested by fire. For example, Liu Guangshi couldn't withstand the refinement and was burned to ashes in a fire. Tie Yan and Wu Qimei were merely waiting to die in the slow boiling water. On the other hand, He Wen deliberately instigated a split within the Fair Party, eliminating the wavering members and exposing himself to the elements for tempering. The most interesting case is the Zhou family in the southeast, who almost abandoned everything that originally belonged to the Wu Dynasty, seizing power from the powerful clan, establishing military academies, promoting young people to positions of authority, and advocating for respecting the emperor and repelling foreign invaders. They almost weakened themselves to the point of vulnerability. But once their own essence takes shape, these people become incredibly powerful. In this world, the virtues of a gentleman are like the wind, and the virtues of a petty person are like grass. Once you have a firm core, all sorts of external forces will flock to you."

In the sunlight, Zou Xu's words were fluent and resounding. He did not show the slightest fear or frustration. Lou Shuwan looked at him and asked, "Then... in your opinion, what should be the core of Jin?"

"Then surrender."

"Ok?"

"Surrender to me, or surrender to the Southwest," Zou Xu shouted. "It's a pity that Jin has never had the opportunity to establish a core power. In a broader sense, you are merely a hastily formed resistance alliance under the pressure of the Jurchens. As I said, Aunt Lou, you temporarily control all sides with your economic power. Although you can command them, each major clan has its own desires. Once you leave, they will immediately have to consider their own future... To have your own core power, you must first centralize authority. But to centralize authority, you must form your own interest group. Forming your own interest group leads to large-scale corruption, and large-scale corruption gives each household a reason to oppose you..."

What can suppress so-called corruption?

“Culture, or rather, the core of spirit, points to long-term benefits that can offset short-term corruption. For example, the ancient Confucianism that my father, Lao Dai, followed, the fairness that He Wen upheld, the Zhou dynasty’s respect for the king and resistance against barbarians in the southeast, and the four classes of people in the southwest—these are all reasons to curb short-term greed and lead people to noble paths. In these respects, Aunt Lou, you cannot do it.” Zou Xu waved his hand. “Furthermore, I have already launched the campaign, and Jin will become a battleground. There is no time for reform. If you do not surrender to me, this place will be trampled into wasteland again.”

Sitting atop her warhorse, Lou Shuwan gazed quietly at Zou Xu opposite her. At this moment, the two were essentially at the same level. She pondered for a moment: "Shandong also has the Huaxia Army and the Guangwu Army."

“It’s meaningless.” Zou Xu shook his head. “The Huaxia Army in the southwest may be invincible, but north of the Yellow River, you can’t stop the raging torrent of this turbid world.”

"He can fight his way out."

“It’s very difficult for a teacher to break through,” Zou Xu said, his tone gradually rising. “What he wants to do is the most fanciful thing in the world, the most long-term benefit. He wants people to be noble, to be loving, to abandon selfishness, to have everyone for me and me for everyone. He wants to destroy the clans and prevent the great clans from rising again through local administration, and then promote a world of equality for all through universal education and the slogan of the four classes of people. Even someone like me is a defective product in his eyes. To do such a thing, he first needs to accumulate the most comrades and the most solid core…”

"He is promoting the four classes of people, but you've gone too far..."

"Haha, that's because you didn't really listen to his lectures, Aunt Lou. Back in the Southwest, he even talked about a dream about communism..." Zou Xu paused, shaking his head, "Let's get back to this. Take the technical comrades in Dongcheng, for example. In the Southwest, they received a clean and honest education. But after they came to Shanxi, it was actually you, Aunt Lou, who corrupted them so that I could give them more and make more promises. So now, they have no choice but to come with me... Aunt Lou, you know the teacher was too harsh on them. You know, we're much better."

"..."

"So, if you join me, the regime in Jin can truly take root, and everyone's interests can be protected. This time, they will not suffer the loss of their families again. Aunt Lou, you can stand in front of him, and even defeat him. After defeating him, I will let him live. You, come with me."

Zou Xu's words were a wake-up call. Lou Shuwan remained silent, her gaze fixed on him calmly. After two breaths, Zou Xu knew that his casual attempt to persuade her to surrender had failed.

He smiled too.

"The completion of the new land policy will take another two to three years. A large-scale military campaign, seizing vast tracts of land and acquiring a large population, will in turn corrupt his officials. Many, like me, will fall into depravity, leaving the seeds of future problems and sowing the ground for future disasters. Therefore, he won't easily emerge. The most interesting thing is that perhaps because the teacher is a businessman, and he's promoting the 'investigation of things' and so-called capitalism in the southwest, these things could also render his efforts futile. He always does contradictory things… If he's not careful, he could become the Wang Mang of this world. And Aunt Lou, you see, I can only give him a challenge right now."

Lou Shuwan remained silent, stroking the neck of her warhorse as she pondered the conversation. After a moment, she said, "You said you've all discussed my problems..."

Zou Xu smiled and said, "I believe he mentioned these things in his letters to you, but he didn't go into too much detail."

"why?"

"You see, it was only after no one reminded you that you finally understood these things. In this world, you are also his disciple," Zou Xu smiled. "I am the one who set the questions for you, and as for Guanzhong, let's consider it your payment for the questions."

"Not expensive... very reasonable..." Lou Shuwan murmured and nodded.

"And if you, Aunt Lou, can finally solve the problem in Jin, he will surely be very pleased."

"If I had heard these words a few months ago, I would have been very happy too."

She sighed as she said this, then slowly turned her horse around, preparing to leave.

But at the very end, he turned his head and said, "I'm curious, you know it's impossible to persuade them to surrender, so why did you want to see me this time?"

"The teacher said in class that an enemy you can see is much easier to deal with than one you can't. Aunt Lou has undergone a transformation and is no longer the same person she used to be. I want to see it for myself."

"What did you see?"

“During this meeting, you hardly uttered a single word of argument.” Zou Xu raised his hand and sighed, “I think I’m probably going to die this time.”

"If you die, I will give you a proper burial to repay your kindness in asking me the question."

"No need."

……

On the open field, bathed in sunlight, Zou Xu smiled.

"—Then find a cauldron and cook me!"

……

At this moment, the setting sun was like blood.

Lou Shuwan rode her horse slowly toward Weisheng.

Zou Xu also mounted his warhorse.

Through the open city gates, assembled soldiers began to emerge, surging outwards, and momentarily brushing past the returning female prime minister.

Soon, the cavalry bypassed the area that might be a minefield and began their raid.

On the other side of the earthen slope, Zou Xu returned to the already prepared military formation. He shouted as he ran.

"I have come here with a foolproof evacuation plan. The various defecting forces will not be able to return to Jin, and they will be there to help us transfer. Weisheng still needs to defend the city, so the number of troops hastily attacking will not be large. If we can hold off the first wave, we will have a chance to survive. Once we reach Guanzhong, I promise you a lifetime of wealth and honor." He roared, "You can verify my credibility by asking the Gongchen Guards around you—"

In the blood-red sunset, a small but incredibly fierce battle unfolded—

……

boom--

Under the sky over Shanxi, the sounds of cannons and gunfire suddenly erupted. From there, five hundred li eastward, in the complex water-rich region where mountains and rivers intertwined, thunder continued to rumble incessantly in the sky.

With the arrival of the rainy season, the lakes and ponds have been experiencing continuous thunderstorms, turning their vast waters murky.

Amidst wind and rain, Liangshan Island stands alone, its sprawling houses branching out into two military camps, belonging to the 17th Army of the Huaxia Army in Shandong and the Guangwu Army of the Wu Dynasty, respectively.

The two armies were stationed together at Liangshan, and were as close as brothers, but they were also constantly competing with each other. Their daily training consisted mostly of simulated confrontations between the two armies. The football matches on the training ground and the daily martial arts competitions were all carried out between the two armies.

Two years ago, Liangshan was almost completely destroyed. Resources were scarce and everything needed to be rebuilt. The hungry soldiers didn't train much. This year, with the support of Shanxi, the stronghold has basically recovered. And because it is located in a marshland, there is no shortage of fish, so many training sessions have been doubled.

Even though it was raining, there were still drills or indoor cultural classes during the day, and the training grounds located on the mountainside of Shuibo were filled with incessant fighting every day. The elite soldiers of the two armies were divided into different groups and fought several rounds of battles from morning to night. When the weather was sunny, they trained in the sunlight, and when it rained, they rolled in the mud.

Of course, this was an opportunity reserved for the most elite scouts in the army; those who fought fiercely also had relatively sufficient supplies. At this moment, Zhu Biao, Lu Junyi, Wang Shanyue, and others gathered at the front of the drill ground, cheering on their team members with shouts that nearly blew the rain shelter off the roof.

In the muddy training ground, various objects were placed to simulate different terrains. In addition to simple fighting between squads, there were also coordinated attacks like those in the military.

Just as the fighting was reaching its climax, someone came in from outside the training ground and squeezed his way toward where Zhu Biao and the others were. Along the way, he couldn't help but punch and kick them a few times. When he was retaliated by several soldiers of the Guangwu Army, he couldn't help but show his ability to fight against many people by himself, stirring up the crowd into chaos.

"Hey! No noise allowed in the stands!" the guards maintaining order shouted.

"They're blocking my way! I have urgent orders!" Luo Ye shouted hysterically.

He was a mid-to-high-ranking officer in the army, born into a noble family. Aside from discussing battle, he was usually quite composed and elegant. Having seen much, he had helped in the staff and intelligence departments after joining Liangshan. At this moment, waving his arm, he parted the crowd, pushed his way to Zhu Biao's side, saluted, grabbed him, and was about to leave.

"W-what's wrong?" Zhu Biao, shirtless and eager to get off the field, was seeing Luo Ye's expression for the first time.

"Let's go, let's go, there's... something I need to do..."

Seeing Wang Shanyue, who still looked alluring despite the scar on her face, standing right next to him, Luo Ye didn't say much. Zhu Biao also glanced at Wang Shanyue subconsciously, then turned and followed. The two pushed aside the soldiers who were in a lively atmosphere and left the training ground, heading towards their own command post. Suddenly, they turned around and saw Wang Shanyue following them furtively.

"Hey, what's it to you! This is a military secret, get out of here!"

Wang Shanyue caught up in a few steps, her arm already around Zhu Biao's neck, in a friendly manner: "Stop talking nonsense. Luo Ye's condition must mean something serious has happened. Let's all discuss this together."

Although the two armies were said to be serving their respective masters, they actually went through difficult times together, and on the Liangshan side, they were not too separated.

Luo Ye dragged Zhu Biao back to the command post. He turned around, looked at Zhu Biao, then at Wang Shanyue, then back at Zhu Biao. After hesitating for a moment, he rushed to the table, not caring about anything else.

"According to... according to the information gathered and compiled from the north in recent days... the Jin Kingdom, the Jin Kingdom's eastern army appears to be assembling in large numbers, and Wanyan Chang, Wanyan Chang is heading south with great confidence, the Jurchen... the fifth southern expedition is about to begin—"

At the doorway, two drenched figures stood there, still with their arms around each other. They opened their mouths, and after a moment, Wang Shanyue realized what was happening, slurped something, and then reached out to wipe away what was either rainwater or saliva that had fallen from the corner of her mouth.

"W-what did you say..."

Zhu Biao turned his head away, looking dumbfounded: "This...this is a secret of our army, why don't you get lost..."

"Hahaha..." Standing between the table and the blackboard, Luo Ye laughed. He wiped the water off his face, slammed his fist on the table a few times, looked at the two of them, and then: "Hahaha... Ooh..." He covered his mouth.

In the latter half of last year, a letter came from the southwest informing him that his only surviving mentally ill sister had arrived in Chengdu. The high-ranking military officers hoped that he would return to Chengdu to report on his duties and visit his only family member. He did not go back.

That night, holding the letter, he sat by the water on the back hill, reading it over and over again; he almost... cried like that too...

this moment……

We've waited too long...