Chapter 718 End the war with dignity!
June 15, 1:00 pm

In the residence of Murong Yuliang in Yujing, a slender shadow was slowly walking towards the back garden of the residence. She observed the situation around her vigilantly. Seeing that there was no one around, she cleverly found a letter in the crack of an inconspicuous courtyard wall...

After receiving the letter, this person looked around again, and when she saw that no one was watching her actions, she left in a hurry. After a cup of tea, she returned to her room, took out a copy of the Analects of Confucius with an old cover, and translated the secret code in the letter by comparing it with the contents.

Half a cup of tea later, looking at the secret code she had translated, a hint of disbelief appeared in her eyes!
At the hour of Hai, a carriage slowly stopped in front of the mansion, and Murong Yuliang, looking tired, slowly got out of the carriage.

As Ye Mingsheng handed the Duan family over to him to deal with, Murong Yuliang also officially promoted the reforms in Hebei and Henan according to his ideas.

As the reform deepened, various things emerged one after another. In order not to disappoint Ye Mingsheng's trust and realize his own ambitions, Murong Yuliang worked very hard during this period. He arrived at the Governor's Office on time at noon every morning and did not come back until midnight every night. Sometimes he even lived in the Governor's Office when he was so busy.

After returning to the mansion and seeing the butler Wang Chao approaching, Murong Yuliang asked:
"Is the Madam asleep?"

Wang Chao nodded slightly and said:

"Madam fell asleep not long ago after taking the tranquilizer!"

Hearing this, Murong Yuliang nodded slightly, with a look of heartache in his eyes. His wife Wang had been in good health, but she was frightened by the assassin in the assassination incident in Dazhang Town, and she had some mental problems. She is now taking sedatives, but it is still difficult for her to fall asleep every night. Even if she falls asleep, she sleeps very lightly and is easily awakened. After being awakened, it is difficult to fall asleep again...

Murong Yuliang had originally agreed to rest with Wang tonight, but because Ye Mingsheng would be leaving Yujing the day after tomorrow, the Hebei-Henan Provincial Government had to present an overall reform plan to Ye Mingsheng before he left, so Murong Yuliang had to work overtime tonight.

Although he had agreed to rest with Wang, Wang had just fallen asleep not long ago. If he returned to the room, Wang would most likely be woken up, and then Wang would be unable to sleep again. Thinking of this, in order to let Wang have a good sleep, Murong Yuliang immediately opened his mouth and ordered:

"Ask the kitchen to make me a bowl of wontons with extra coriander, and warm up a pot of rice wine for me and send it to Madam Chen's room!"

"Yes!"

Although Murong Yuliang had dinner with his colleagues in the Governor's Office at around 15:00 today, it was already 11:00 p.m. and more than three hours had passed. Murong Yuliang was somewhat hungry, and it was difficult for him to fall asleep when he was hungry.

After a cup of tea, Murong Yuliang knocked on Chen Yiyu's door. Chen Yiyu, who was already asleep, looked at the tired Murong Yuliang and welcomed him into the room. She let Murong Yuliang lean on the armchair, and she massaged Murong Yuliang's shoulders very considerately.

Half an incense stick of time later, the butler brought the wontons and wine. Although he was starving, Murong Yuliang did not eat too much. Instead, he chewed slowly and gracefully. It took him half an incense stick of time to finish a bowl of wontons...
After filling his stomach, seeing that it was already late at night, Murong Yuliang felt a little sleepy, so he hugged Chen Yiyu and went to bed. Although he was very sleepy, as the saying goes, when you are well fed and warm, you will crave money. Although Murong Yuliang is in his forties, he still has the passion of a young man.

After a fierce battle, Chen Yiyun looked at Murong Yuliang, who looked very tired, and said with great concern:

"Master, you are already a provincial governor, and you can't be promoted any higher in the Fengwu Army. Why do you have to work so hard? Master, you work so hard every day, and I feel so sorry for you!"

Listening to Chen Yiyun's words, Murong Yuliang smiled, shook his head and said:

"The Marshal has entrusted the government affairs of Hebei and Henan Province to me. I must make achievements! Let the Central Plains regain its former prosperity!"

So I can’t rest now. When I retire in ten years, I can really go back to my hometown and have a good rest! ”

Chen Yiyun nodded obediently upon hearing this:

“Master will surely be able to do it! People outside say that Master is a man of great talent, a pillar of the Fengwu Army, and is trusted and respected by the Marshal. The Duan family’s matter is so serious that they are about to be confiscated and exterminated by the Marshal. The Marshal refused to see others who came forward to plead for mercy, but as soon as Master came forward to plead for mercy, the Marshal immediately let the Duan family go…”

Hearing Chen Yiyun say this, Murong Yuliang was a little surprised and immediately asked:
"Who told you about this?"

Chen Yiyun said without hesitation:
"That's what the servants said!"

Murong Yuliang shook his head and said:

"This is all just nonsense!"

After saying this, Murong Yuliang seemed to have thought of something and sighed deeply, his expression showing great melancholy. Seeing this, Chen Yiyu also lay quietly in Murong Yuliang's arms.

Although he knew that telling some things to Chen Yiyu was not a good thing, the pot of rice wine he had just drunk also took effect. Murong Yuliang, who was under tremendous pressure, felt a little drunk. He suddenly had the urge to talk. He wanted to find someone to talk to, otherwise he would feel uncomfortable holding it in.

After hesitating for a moment, Murong Yuliang said slowly:

"I have finally figured out one thing these days. The reason why I was able to save the Duan family is not because I, Murong Yuliang, have a lot of face!"

"But the Marshal has no intention of doing anything to the Duan family now!" Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise appeared on Chen Yiyun Baixi's face. She said in disbelief:
"Master, I heard that the Chief Secretary had entered all the businesses of the Duan family to investigate the tax evasion of the Duan family over the years!"

“The Censorate has also sent people to investigate the murders related to the Duan family in recent years. Many people in the Duan family have been arrested because of these things…”

Listening to what Chen Yiyun said, Murong Yuliang shook his head and said with some emotion:

"What you see is just an appearance. It took me several days to figure it out. If the Marshal really wants to attack the Duan family, he can just give an order to confiscate the Duan family's property and exterminate the entire clan. When the evidence of the Duan family's crimes is made public, no one will be able to say anything!"

"But the Marshal didn't do that. Instead, he asked the Chief Secretary and the Provincial Procuratorate to investigate the case and look for evidence in such a high-profile manner. The Marshal did this because he wanted the Duan family to ask for mercy. Then the Marshal refused to see anyone, which made the Duan family more and more anxious. They had no choice but to come to me in the end!"

"When I came to plead for the Duan family, the Marshal went with the flow and let the Duan family go. In this way, I have done a great favor to the Duan family. The Duan family will definitely accept my favor and assist me in my next work! The Marshal did this to help me subdue the Duan family!"

After listening to Murong Yuliang's words, Chen Yiyun blinked her beautiful eyes and said:
"Isn't this a good thing, sir?"

Murong Yuliang smiled bitterly and said faintly:

"It seems like a good thing, but do you think the Marshal will really let the Duan family go?"

Hearing Murong Yuliang say this, Chen Yiyun was speechless for a moment and didn't know what to say, while Murong Yuliang sighed softly again·····················
In his opinion, Ye Mingsheng's imperial ambitions are becoming more and more profound, which is not a good thing for him. Take the matter of the Duan family for example. In his opinion, Ye Mingsheng did not really let the Duan family go. Ye Mingsheng was just using the Duan family before they died!

But this is definitely not a good thing for Murong Yuliang!
First of all, the Duan family has made great contributions to the Hebei-Henan reform led by him, and when the time comes, Ye Mingsheng will turn his back on the Duan family. Should he save the Duan family?
Writing a letter to Ye Mingsheng to save the Duan family would first of all make Ye Mingsheng offended. Secondly, he would most likely be attacked by people arranged by Cui Shao, saying that he was a protector of the Duan family and that the Duan family was in cahoots with snakes and rats.

If you don't write a letter to save the Duan family, then it will undoubtedly discourage your subordinates. The Duan family has made great contributions to the Hebei-Henan reforms led by you, but if something goes wrong and you don't say a word, who will be able to help you in the future?
In short, it’s a dilemma!

In addition, although Ye Mingsheng appeared to value the Murong family and appointed him as the governor of Jiyu and Murong Hui as the censor of Youyan, Murong Yuliang knew in his heart that this was just Ye Mingsheng's superficial effort. Ye Mingsheng was using this method to show the world that he did not reject all the aristocratic families.

Cui Shao was the backup plan left by Ye Mingsheng. Although there was no evidence of the assassination in Dazhang Town, Murong Yuliang could feel that Cui Shao was behind it. Cui Shao might even have planted a stalker next to him, which was consistent with Cui Shao's usual sinister tactics!

He believed that the Coordination Office would be able to discover Cui Shao's methods, but the Coordination Office only mentioned Xu Zhaojie but did not say a word about Cui Shao. This is really thought-provoking...
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While Murong Yuliang in Yujing couldn't sleep at night, Shangguan Hongyuan in the Sanchuanjiang camp in Jinzhong was also unable to sleep!

"Master Prime Minister, the food and grass supplies from Jinyang have arrived!"

Qian Buli, the left assistant minister of the Luoan imperial court's military department, who was accompanying the army, walked into Shangguan Hongyuan's tent and whispered to Shangguan Hongyuan:

Shangguan Hongyuan felt relieved after hearing this. The reason why he hadn't fallen asleep yet at the hour of Hai was because he was worried about this batch of food and fodder.

Now the food and fodder he brought with him was only enough to support the army for about five days. Other items like medicines and gunpowder were almost gone. Medicines were the most scarce among them. The distribution of medicines to the seriously injured had been stopped ten days ago. Even now, some lightly injured soldiers could not get enough medicines for treatment.

If there is no sufficient supply of food and fodder, Shangguan Hongyuan must consider how to end this war!
"How much food and supplies have been transported?" Shangguan Hongyuan asked:
Qian Buli hesitated for a moment and said:
"There are only two thousand dan of grain, one thousand doses of various medicines, one thousand kilograms of gunpowder, three hundred artillery shells, and two thousand muskets..."

As soon as these words came out, Shangguan Hongyuan narrowed his eyes and said coldly:

"Why are these the only ones sent here? Why aren't the artillery pieces sent here?"

Although he understood that it was becoming increasingly difficult to deliver supplies from the rear after the war had lasted for two months, Shangguan Hongyuan was disappointed to learn that these were the only supplies in this batch. He could still tolerate the other things, but what could he do with only two thousand shi of grain?

He had as many as 70,000 soldiers and horses around Dakou Township. In the absence of supplementary food, each person needed one pound of food every day to have sufficient physical strength. This meant that they needed at least 70,000 pounds of food a day, or 580 dan of food. This meant that the newly delivered 2,000 dan of food was only enough to support them for more than three days.

Feeling Shangguan Hongyuan's tone, Qian Buli felt miserable in his heart, but he still explained:

“My Lord Prime Minister, these are the things we looted after exercising control over the rear! Besides, the rear also has to support the logistics of the Hujie Army and the Xuanwu Army, which is already very difficult to sustain! As for the Zhengdong Cannon, it weighs several thousand pounds. The rear has given all the pack horses to the cavalry. Now there are enough pack horses in the rear to pull the Zhengdong Cannon…”

These words calmed Shangguan Hongyuan down. Qian Buli was a little worried when he saw this. Although his explanation just now was true, he did not tell Shangguan Hongyuan that the supplies coming from Jinyang were not just these, but also included 5,000 dan of grain, 2,000 doses of medicine, tens of thousands of kilograms of gunpowder, 20 Zhengdong cannons, 5,000 muskets and so on!

However, on the way from Jinyang to Sanchuanjiang, the escort troops responsible for transporting the supplies encountered repeated harassment from the Flying Tiger Battalion of the Fengwu Army. Under the destruction of the Flying Tiger Battalion, only these were left when they were delivered to Shangguan Hongyuan!
Qian Buli naturally did not dare to tell Shangguan Hongyuan about this situation, otherwise it would be tantamount to offending the two big bosses, Chen Jingyu, the commander of the Supervisory Department, and Feng Han, the governor of Yunbing.

At this time, Shangguan Hongyuan naturally had no idea about the twists and turns in Qian Buli's mind. He had already begun to consider how to end this Yunbing war in a decent manner!

After thinking for a while, Shangguan Hongyuan seemed to have thought of something, looked at Qian Buli and slowly said:
“Buli, if I remember correctly, you and Ye Mingsheng were close friends...”

(End of this chapter)