Chapter 130: Li Ru, the Rumor-mongering Expert

At Hangu Pass, two days after announcing the dispatch of troops, Wang Jing led his troops slowly and leisurely to Pingyin County.

The newly appointed county magistrate Zhai Jie, with the wealthy families in the city, and five ox carts loaded with wine, food and valuables, personally went out of the city ten miles to welcome them.

"Greetings, my lord."

"Haha, I haven't seen you for a few days. You now have some of the majesty of a county magistrate."

Although Zhai Jie was still wearing coarse linen clothes, his eyes were calm, his figure was upright, and he had a simple Mohist sword slung around his waist. He already had the dignity and bearing of a local official.

Standing among a group of wealthy people dressed in silk and satin, even though Zhai Jie's clothes were the most shabby, he still looked like the moon surrounded by stars. People could tell at a glance that he was the one in charge here.

"What are you waiting for..."

Wang Jing, sitting on horseback, looked down and saw all the wealthy families he saw nodded and bowed with a smile on their faces: "We greet Marquis Qi."

Zhai Jie smiled and introduced Wang Jing: "These wines and food are all our tokens of appreciation. If you think it is not enough, we can also offer you treasures. We have no other intentions, we just want to be at peace."

Wang Jing was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. He had led his army across the border in a very aggressive manner. It was obvious that the local noble families and wealthy families in Pingyin County treated him like a mountain king and wanted to extort money from him.

In recent years, there has been unrest in all parts of the empire, so local wealthy families have become accustomed to spending money to buy peace.

No matter you are refugees, bandits, or imperial soldiers, I will not offend you. I will talk to you whenever I can. After all, you have a big family and a lot of wealth, so why would you risk your life for no reason?
Now that Wang Jing and Zhu Jun had a conflict, it didn't matter who was the rebel. Even who Emperor Liu Xie supported was not important to the local forces.

The local aristocratic families in Pingyin County did not dare to offend a big shot like Wang Jing, and would rather spend money to buy peace.

If Wang Jing did not accept their benefits, they would not be able to eat or sleep in peace.

Wang Jing was also very helpless about this. He was just passing by and was not here to ask for money.

The Northern Army has its own industries in Luoyang and even Bingzhou, including the salt ponds and wool industries in Hedong, the coal and iron mining in Bingzhou, and Mohist apprentices in Luoyang working in three shifts to make woolen textile machines and market them in Hedong. In addition, the "legacy" left by Emperor Ling Liu Hong has not been spent yet, so there is really no need for Wang Jing to go and buy land like Dong Zhuo.

Not only did you not make much money, but your reputation was also ruined.

We promised not to take a single penny from the people. Although there will certainly be various settlements of the aristocratic families and powerful clans in the future, now is not the time, and the reputation of the Northern Army cannot be ruined.

Therefore, Wang Jing asked Zhai Jie to help gather all the local leaders to the county government office, and then announced in public: "I will accept the food, but forget about the wine. Drinking is not allowed during war. This is military discipline. Although I am the leader of an army, I cannot violate it."

"Marquis Qi is strict in managing his army and sets an example himself. He is indeed the best general of the time."

"Yes, yes. Marquis Qi is like the reincarnation of Sun Wu and the resurrection of Wu Qi. No one in the world can compare to him."

A group of people surrounded Wang Jing and flattered him, throwing all kinds of compliments at him as if they were free.

Wang Jing raised his hand, pressed it, and then continued: "Don't worry, everyone. The Northern Army has always been strict in discipline and has never harmed the people. But if I don't accept the money you have given, I'm afraid you will not be able to rest easy. How about this, I will accept the money and register it in the book, and it will be considered as your donation of military funds. After this battle, I will give you a reward, what do you think?"

"Marquis Qi is joking. How dare we ask for anything in return?"

Since Wang Jing dared to give it, how could these people dare to take it?

As for the fact that the Bingzhou soldiers were innocent, no one took it seriously. The Zhou family of Fenyin in Hedong County was exterminated by you, Wang Yuanxu, just because they protested a few words at a banquet and refused to pay taxes. You tell me that they were innocent?

So it doesn’t count as robbery if the victim’s entire family is dead?

However, they only dared to think about these words in their hearts, for fear of losing their heads if they spoke them out loud.

The money you give away should be regarded as sending away the plague god.

As a result, Wang Jing took the money but did not leave. Instead, he stopped in Pingyin County and set up camp outside the city.

The wealthy families in the city could no longer sit still. They were all like ants on a hot pot, feeling extremely aggrieved. They thought Wang Jing was greedy. We had already paid, so why didn't this plague god leave? Did he think the money was not enough?

The rich people in the city were so anxious that they lost their appetite, but there were people who were even more anxious and worried than them.

In the dead of night, cicadas chirp and frogs sing.

Wang Jingzheng took the two books "The Army of Wind" confiscated from Li Jue and "Tian Zheng Wu Dian" presented by Xu Rong and read them carefully. The former was written by the military saint Sun Wu himself. It not only contains the mysteries of the military strategy of "as fast as the wind", but is also an extremely profound martial art in itself.

Combining his knowledge of aerodynamic principles, Wang Jing read "The Army of Wind" with great interest.

The "Tian Zheng Wu Dian" is equally extraordinary. It was written by Wei Liaozi, one of the four sages of military strategists. The method of refining the spirit in it is quite magical. After learning it, one can clearly observe the changes in the morale of the enemy on the battlefield.

It was because Xiang Yu learned this method that he was able to gallop across the battlefield, defeat the strong with the weak, and turn defeat into victory countless times.

Just when Wang Jing was absorbed in reading, Jia Xu and Li Ru asked to see him late at night.

Jia Xu was the first to speak. He presented the important intelligence that he had sorted out to Wang Jing: "My lord, the secret guards sent a secret report that Dong Cheng has sent troops to forcibly control Taicang and cut off the supply of the two armies at Hulao Pass and Liang County. At the same time, the emperor personally issued an edict to summon General Xu and Minister Xun back to the capital to report on their work."

Then Li Ru took over the topic. Previously, Wang Jing ordered him to send people to Luoyang to spread rumors. Now was the time to report the results: "My lord, rumors are spreading in Luoyang. People say that Liu Xie favors villains and distances himself from wise officials, and condones evil, which makes him unworthy of being the emperor."

Wang Jing smiled when he heard this, and looked at Li Ru unhappily: "Did the people say this or did you ask someone to say it?"

Li Ru was quite proud of this: "My Lord, although I was the one who sent people to spread this rumor, the fact that it has spread widely shows that the people in Luoyang have long been filled with resentment and are very dissatisfied with Dong Cheng and others."

Gossip can melt metal, and constant criticism can destroy a person. The higher the political figure, the more he is afraid of gossip. Therefore, never underestimate the power of rumors.

On a smaller scale, sometimes rumors can damage a person's reputation, confuse right and wrong, turn a good person into a bad person, and package a bad person as a good person.

On a larger scale, sometimes rumors can even shake a country, leading to division and war.

At the moment, Wang Jing wants to undermine Liu Xie's reputation among the people and shake the monarchist faction's already unstable political foundation.

You have to know that Liu Xie was forced to the throne by Dong Zhuo, which is untenable in terms of the political and legal principles of the dynasty. Liu Bian, the legitimate heir, was also killed by Dong Zhuo. Although Liu Xie had nothing to do with this, can you just not take the blame?

Now that Dong Cheng's incident had occurred, conscription and money-making had caused widespread resentment in the capital area, and the people were living in misery. Naturally, Liu Xie's legitimacy was in jeopardy, and he was almost uneasy on the throne of the emperor.

Li Ru's plan was very vicious. He deliberately tied Liu Xie and Dong Cheng together, and transferred the hatred and disgust of the people of Luoyang towards the royalist forces such as Dong Cheng to Liu Xie.

"My lord, the people of Luoyang are now full of resentment, and with Dong Cheng and his ilk imposing heavy taxes and levies, I'm afraid the young emperor will be unable to sit still."

Li Ru was quite proud of this, because the entire strategy was planned and executed by him, and the credit was almost certain.

Wang Jing was very moved: "Zhu Jun is also a famous general of the time. It is a pity that I cannot fight him in an open battle this time. When he was young, he defeated tens of thousands of rebels under Liang Long with 5,000 county soldiers. Later, he worked with Lu Zhi and Huangfu Song to quell the Yellow Turban Rebellion. He used the strategy of surrounding three sides and leaving one side, and wiped out 100,000 enemies in Wancheng, winning a great victory. He is really a great man of the time."

Wang Jing felt a little melancholy that he couldn't fight against such a famous general and commander.

Xin'an County, West Gate Tower.

Zhu Jun was summoning his generals to discuss military intelligence. Now, there were 20,000 troops stationed in Mianchi, Huayin and Anyi respectively. Local militia were also recruited to defend the city, forming a mutually supportive force.

If one place is attacked, the rest can cooperate in defense. The entire defense line is theoretically impregnable and cannot be conquered by the Bingzhou soldiers.

Zhu Jun is indeed one of the best generals of the time. It is rare that he can use this weak army to such an extent even under extremely unfavorable circumstances.

But just when everyone thought the situation was going well, the imperial edict from Luoyang arrived.

A young eunuch who had just come out of the palace read the imperial edict for a long time. Everyone then understood from his sharp voice that Liu Xie was actually urging them to send troops!
Everyone was stunned at once, with question marks all over their faces.

Wouldn't it be better to rely on a strong city and be ready for battle?
Why go out of the city to fight the enemy in the field?

Which bastard came up with this stupid idea?

Do you fucking understand the art of war?

A series of question marks kept flashing through everyone's minds, leaving them with nowhere to vent their anger. Zhu Hao, who was already in a depressed mood, even wanted to quit and cursed: "As long as we hold on, we will win. Why take the risk of fighting? What on earth is your majesty doing!"

Zhu Jun was also very angry. As for how strong Wang Jing and his Bingzhou soldiers were, no one had seen it with their own eyes, so it was hard to say.

But it is well known to the world that Wang Jing marched 300 miles in just a few days and captured Hangu Pass and Tongguan, two of the most important passes in the world.

Who would dare to claim victory in a battle outside the city with such an army?

"Father, this is an illegal order. You cannot obey it!"

"Yes, General, as the saying goes, a general is not always able to obey the orders of the sovereign when he is away from the court. Your Majesty must have been bewitched by a villain. As one of the Nine Ministers, you should write a letter to advise and remonstrate!" Many people petitioned, not because they were too timid, but because of the shadow of a person's reputation.

Wang Jingwu is so powerful and majestic, and has earned his reputation by fighting his way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Who dares to challenge him lightly?

Do you think you have a long life?

But before Zhu Jun could submit his memorial, Liu Xie's second and third edicts arrived one after another.

Three edicts in one day, strict orders to send troops!

If you dare to disobey orders, your property will be confiscated and your entire family will be exterminated!
Liu Xie was really anxious. In Luoyang City, all kinds of rumors were becoming more and more intense. The issue of the legitimacy of imperial power once again surfaced under the instigation of some people with ulterior motives.

As an emperor, how could Liu Xie tolerate his status and power being questioned?
Therefore, he had no choice but to order Zhu Jun to take the initiative in the battle, first annihilate Wang Jing and the Bingzhou soldiers, and then use the power of this great victory to suppress the opposition voices from within.

In Pingyin County, Wang Jing is waiting patiently.

Jia Xu received a pigeon message from the secret guard and immediately came to him to report: "My lord, Zhu Jun has sent out troops!"

"God help me too!"

Upon hearing this good news, Wang Jing smiled: "It seems that the young emperor is still impatient and actually forced Zhu Jun to send troops. He is really courting death."

Jia Xu looked indifferent, and obviously didn't care about Liu Xie's life or death. He calmly analyzed and said, "Zhu Jun was forced to fight with our army. At this moment, he has mobilized 20,000 troops and is advancing towards Mianchi from four directions: Xin'an, Huayin and Anyi. Among them, the one in Xin'an County is the most powerful, with 10,000 people. It should be the main force of the royal army."

Although Wang Jing only had 3,000 soldiers, he did not take Zhu Jun's 20,000 troops seriously. He said with a relaxed tone, "Although they are numerous, they are just chickens and dogs. It will be easy for me to destroy them."

Seeing Wang Jing so confident, Jia Xu immediately bowed and complimented him: "Since my lord has made up his mind, I will just wait and see."

In his opinion, although the Bingzhou soldiers were few in number, they had extraordinary combat power.

Even if the strategy failed, it didn't matter. From the moment Liu Xie couldn't help but force Zhu Jun to fight, victory was already on the side of the Bingzhou soldiers.

Unless a meteor falls at night or the Yellow River bursts its banks, such a disaster from heaven can wipe out the Northern Army, otherwise there is no possibility of Wang Jing failing.

Outside the city of Mianchi, the army was lined up with flags covering the sky.

However, Zhu Jun, the right cavalry general who was in charge of the central army, felt vaguely uneasy and could not calm down.

War is the continuation of politics.

But politics often interferes with war decisions, turning a victory that was once within reach into an irreversible defeat.

Although Zhu Jun had the advantage in military strength, he knew in his heart that he had fallen into a strategic disadvantage and had lost the most important initiative.

woohoo~
A long and majestic horn sound came from the western horizon.

A troop of 3,000 men slowly began to appear in everyone's sight.

They were clad in iron armor, holding long spears, with long swords on their waists and powerful crossbows on their backs. They marched through mountains and rivers with firm and calm steps.

Although they are few in number, they are full of fighting spirit and have an uplifting and vigorous momentum.

With thousands of soldiers working as one, the three evil soldiers transformed into invisible divine swords, gathered in the sky, and intertwined into a gorgeous sword formation that was eerie and dazzling.

Obviously, these three thousand armored soldiers were trained according to the standards of the three thousand Yue soldiers of the Yue State at that time, and their combat effectiveness is extremely strong.

"Marquis Qi is here!"

"How can only three thousand soldiers have such earth-shaking momentum? It's incredible!"

Many generals in Zhu Jun's army gasped and felt timid before the battle even started.

Wang Jing was very courageous. He rode out alone and went straight to the front of the two armies.

The gilded tiger-patterned armor on his body shone brightly with golden light, exuding boundless dominance. The powerful divine power and pressure directly made the 20,000-strong army breathless.

The power of one person can reach this extent.

Zhu Jun's subordinates, who had heard of Wang Jing's reputation before but had never met him, now finally witnessed the supreme style of the world's number one general.

"He is Qi Hou Wang Jing?"

"It's true that hearing about him is worse than meeting him in person. He is so majestic and domineering!"

Not only the sons of noble families who led the troops, but even many new recruits were intimidated by Wang Jing's courage and majesty, and felt both respect and fear in their hearts.

Zhu Hao, who was standing next to Zhu Jun, could not help but sigh: "I used to think that this boy was only a young man, but he had such a great reputation. It was probably because of the Taiyuan Wang family's secret promotion. I also thought that it was mostly others bragging. Now that I have seen it with my own eyes, I know that Qi Hou Wang Jing is really a genius. He has such achievements at such a young age."

Refining essence.

Refining Qi.

Refining the spirit.

The fully automatic training that Wang Jing activated with the Three Body Technique has now fully demonstrated its power. While others have to work hard to level up and gain experience, he can become stronger just by lying down. Naturally, his efficiency is far inferior.

Just like primitive handicrafts, even a master craftsman can't surpass the industrial production line in production efficiency.

Therefore, even though Wang Jing has only been practicing for two years, in fact, his cultivation and skills are equivalent to those of an ordinary master who has practiced hard for twenty years.

If it continues to grow, it will only become more terrifying.

Although they were enemies, Zhu Hao couldn't help but look up to Wang Jing. He felt that among all the so-called geniuses he had seen, no one could be compared with Wang Jing.

Punishing the Wuhuan, destroying the Xiongnu, suppressing the rebellion in Youzhou, and killing the bandits in Luoyang, these achievements and military accomplishments were beyond the reach of even his own father. He had fought hundreds of battles without ever being defeated, and this was talked about with great relish by people all over the world. Heroes and heroes wished they could follow him and fight on the battlefield with him to protect the country and the people.

Wang Jing came to the front alone, and the three armies fell silent.

"I am Qi Hou Wang Jing!"

A roar that shook the sky resounded through the clouds.

The endless crowds of people began to waver in their mood because of Wang Jing's words.

"Marquis Qi is here!"

In the team, many civilians holding wooden spears only realized at this moment that their opponent today was actually the great hero who killed Dong Zhuo, Qi Hou Wang Jing.

Many of them are native Luoyang people, so they naturally admire Wang Jing, who saved themselves and their families from the Xiliang Army. Many of them even regard Wang Jing as a savior, or even the savior who can end the troubled times.

After learning that the enemy was actually Wang Jing, the lower-level soldiers were furious.

"How can we be enemies with Marquis Qi?"

"But Your Majesty, he..."

"Your Majesty is nothing!"

Those who are brave enough will start cursing directly.

After all, in recent times, Liu Xie has relied heavily on Dong Cheng and others, and has exploited Luoyang and the surrounding counties too much, which has long aroused dissatisfaction among many people.

When Wang Jing was in Luoyang, were there ever so many exorbitant taxes?
Even for the sake of the people, Wang Jing angrily scolded all the civil and military officials in the court and spoke up for the interests of the people.

People are afraid of comparison. Once compared, the advantages and disadvantages will be revealed and the scam will not be able to continue.

The people don't care who is the emperor. Their most intuitive feeling is whether their lives are good or not.

When Dong Zhuo was in power, the people were treated worse than pigs and dogs, but now that Your Majesty is in charge, everyone is treated like a equal.

But when Wang Jing dominated Luoyang, everyone was living like a human being. After all, who would be willing to be a pig, a dog, a cow, or a horse for you, Liu Xie?

(End of this chapter)