Chapter 719: Qian Buli's Struggle! (Thanks to my book friend Mandepulovsky for the reward!)

Although Shangguan Hongyuan's tone was very calm when he said this, but it sounded as heavy as a thousand pounds to Qian Buli's ears, making him break out in cold sweats and shudder...
Without any hesitation, Qian Buli knelt down in front of Shangguan Hongyuan and kowtowed to him.

While kowtowing, Qian Buli said sincerely:

"My Lord Prime Minister, Ye Mingsheng, that traitor who is worse than pigs and dogs, and I are just casual acquaintances. We are not close friends at all. If I had known that he was so ambitious, I would have killed him long ago and eliminated this vicious criminal for the court and for you, my Lord Prime Minister!"

"My Lord Prime Minister, I cannot coexist with this villain. We cannot live together! I wish I could eat his flesh alive, sleep on his skin, and grind his bones to dust! My Lord Prime Minister, please understand me!"

Seeing Qian Buli knocking his head harder and harder, his forehead already bloodshot, Shangguan Hongyuan gave him a light hand and said calmly:

"I know your intention to stay with me! I am just asking. If I didn't trust you, why would I keep you by my side?"

After hearing what Shangguan Hongyuan said, Qian Buli finally breathed a sigh of relief and said to Shangguan Hongyuan with tears of gratitude:

"Thank you very much for your trust, Prime Minister! I am willing to serve you till my death!"

In response to Qian Buli's statement, Shangguan Hongyuan nodded slightly and said:
"I know what you mean. It's getting late. You should go back and get some rest!"

"Thank you for your consideration, Prime Minister. Please rest early!"

After paying a deep salute to Shangguan Hongyuan again, Qian Buli bowed and left the tent.
After walking out of Shangguan Hongyuan's tent, Qian Buli finally let go. After walking seven or eight steps, a cold night wind blew over and Qian Buli felt a chill on his back. He touched his back with his hand and found that it was soaked with cold sweat. Qian Buli couldn't help but smile bitterly.

After a cup of tea, he returned to his tent. Although it was late at night, Qian Buli did not feel sleepy at all after Shangguan Hongyuan's treatment.

With the help of his guards, Qian Buli applied medicine on the wound on his forehead. Looking at his miserable appearance in the bronze mirror, Qian Buli couldn't help but smile.

He has been living on damn thin ice these years, with an abyss all around him. If he is not careful, he will end up in eternal damnation!
Qian Buli is the head of the Qian family in Luoan. He is the biological son of Qian Zhirui, who was once the third-rank Shaoqing of the Dali Temple. Although he is the biological son, he has no status in the Qian family because he was born to a concubine. Fortunately, Qian Buli is ambitious and passed the imperial examination. He is also very smart and sensible, so he is still very much loved by his father Qian Zhirui.

So with the help of Qian Zhirui, Qian Buli got a seventh-rank position in the Ministry of War. Although it seemed that his career was going smoothly, Qian Buli knew that this was the limit of what his family could do to help him. After all, the family’s political resources were mainly allocated to his eldest brother, rather than him, a bastard...

Therefore, in order to climb up, Qian Buli also thought about it carefully. Before the Luoan Incident, Shangguan Hongyuan, as the prime minister, was very powerful in the court. So Qian Buli thought that if he wanted to climb higher, the best way was to rely on the Shangguan family. If he could marry the daughter of the Shangguan family, it would naturally be the best.

Although he knew clearly that he was just a bastard son of the Qian family and it would be extremely difficult for him to marry the daughter of the Shangguan family, Qian Buli still did not give up. He felt that there were thousands of people in the Shangguan family and dozens of women of marriageable age. If he could not marry a direct descendant, it would not be a bad idea to marry a bastard daughter of a side branch.

However, to his disappointment, Shangguan Hongyuan was very powerful and the Shangguan family also became more powerful. Too many people wanted to establish a relationship with the Shangguan family, so not to mention the side branches, even married widows were in great demand. After working hard for more than a year and seeing that there was no progress, Qian Buli had no choice but to give up.

Although he had no choice but to give up the idea of ​​marrying a woman from the Shangguan family, Qian Buli did not give up on relying on Shangguan Hongyuan. At this time, a seventh-rank official named Qiu Qingquan came to the Ministry of War. It was said that this man was born in a poor family and his family had been farmers for generations.

After knowing this news, Qian Buli also became interested in Qiu Qingquan. After all, as one of the six ministries of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the Ministry of War was a powerful department in the court of the Great Zhou Dynasty and a very lucrative position. To be able to serve in the Ministry of War, even if it was a small one, he must have his own background and connections, and it was definitely not a position that an ordinary white-clothed official could hold...

With Qian Buli's unremitting efforts, he successfully dug out Qiu Qingquan's background. Qiu Qingquan was indeed born in a common family, but he had two younger sisters. The eldest sister was named Qiu Xueer, who was as beautiful as a fairy and was chosen by Shangguan Tingshu to be his concubine.

Although she was just a concubine, Qiu Xueer was very successful in getting pregnant and gave birth to two sons in three years. In addition, Shangguan Tingshu's first wife had never given birth to a son, so Qiu Xueer became a phoenix because of her sons and was very much loved by Shangguan Tingshu.

It was also because of this relationship that Qiu Qingquan was successfully promoted by Shangguan Tingshu under the influence of his sister and came to the Ministry of War as a seventh-rank official. After learning about this situation, Qian Buli couldn't help but envy Qiu Qingquan for having a good sister. If he also had such a sister and could get in touch with Shangguan Tingshu, then he wouldn't have to worry about his future!
With such envy, Qian Buli also had an idea. Qiu Qingquan also had a younger sister named Qiu Susu. Although she was not as bright and beautiful as her elder sister Qiu Xueer, she was also pretty, gentle and kind. If he could get Qiu Susu, wouldn't he become a brother-in-law with Shangguan Tingshu? Wouldn't this be a roundabout way to save the country and get in touch with the Shangguan family?
When he thought of this possibility, Qian Buli’s heart warmed up. However, although he had this idea, as a child of an aristocratic family, Qian Buli still had his own reserve. He was unwilling to marry Qiu Susu, the daughter of a commoner, as his principal wife. In his opinion, it was already very good for him to marry Qiu Susu as a concubine...

Under Qian Buli's persuasion, Qiu Qingquan also felt that his second sister Qiu Susu, although a concubine, was marrying Qian Buli, so he agreed to the marriage. But just when Qian Buli thought that things were a sure thing, Qiu Xueer intervened. This concubine of Shangguan Tingshu was not a simple character. She saw through Qian Buli's thoughts at a glance. She told Qian Buli very bluntly that you are just a concubine of the Qian family, nothing special, you can marry your sister, but she must be the legal wife! Otherwise, there is no way!

Qian Buli was also very angry about the conditions given by Qiu Xueer, and wanted to give up this option. However, he felt that there was no hope for his promotion, and Qiu Xueer began to plan for other husbands for Qiu Susu. Seeing that the relationship he had obtained was about to fly away, Qian Buli finally chose to compromise and married Qiu Susu as his wife.

Qian Buli was somewhat reluctant to marry Qiu Susu at first, but it must be said that Qiu Xueer was very supportive. She soon introduced Qian Buli to Shangguan Tingshu. In the third month after becoming Shangguan Tingshu's acquaintance, Qian Buli was promoted from a chief official to a deputy director of the Ministry of War!

Seeing that his choice was reported, Qian Buli’s reluctance dissipated a lot, and he treated Qiu Susu more gently and considerately. However, at this time, he had no idea that his speculative move would save his life a few months later...
Just three months after Qian Buli was promoted to the position of Deputy Director of the Ministry of War, the Luoan Incident broke out, marking the complete countdown for the Great Zhou Dynasty. As a member of the aristocratic family, the Qian family also chose Lin Shize. In order to keep the matter secret, the Qian family treated the illegitimate son Qian Buli as a discarded pawn and did not inform him of the plan to evacuate Luoan.

After the Luoan Incident, Shangguan Hongyuan, in order to retaliate against those who betrayed him, used those members of the aristocratic families who had not evacuated as venting bags and prepared to execute them. Qian Buli was also affected. At the critical moment of his execution, Qiu Susu found her sister Qiu Xueer and asked Shangguan Tingshu for help.

With Shangguan Tingshu's endorsement, Qian Buli successfully escaped. Qian Buli was very angry at his family for treating him as an abandoned child, so he drew a line with the Qian family in anger. At this time, the withdrawal of the aristocratic families took away many people in the court, including many vacancies in the Ministry of War. With Shangguan Tingshu's care, Qian Buli was promoted rapidly.

And more than a year ago, the 3,000 Shenwu guns supervised by Qian Buli were delivered on schedule, and he was appreciated by Shangguan Hongyuan and promoted to the left assistant minister of the Ministry of War, becoming one of the most senior officials in the Luoan court...

At the same time, Ye Mingsheng became Shangguan Hongyuan's main enemy, and the fact that Qian Buli had been too close to Ye Mingsheng was also dug up. However, with Shangguan Tingshu's protection, Qian Buli survived this difficult time!
However, Qian Buli never expected that Shangguan Hongyuan would take the initiative to bring up this matter today!

What does this mean, Prime Minister?

Is it to hit yourself?

Or is there another meaning?

Thinking that their food and grass were running out, but they couldn't even see the city gate of Jinzhong, Qian Buli realized something.

As the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, Qian Buli knew very well that in order to support Ye Mingsheng's eastern expedition, the Luoan court had put all its efforts and even spent all its resources to support the 200,000-strong army. Before the war, everyone in the Luoan court was very confident that they could wipe out Jinzhong within half a month, and even send troops to Yijing to eliminate Ye Mingsheng's rebellious regime in one fell swoop.

However, the reality disappointed everyone. The Yunbing War lasted for more than two months. The imperial army suffered heavy losses and the Luoan court was bankrupt. But now even the city wall of Jinzhong has not been seen, let alone capturing Jinzhong!

Therefore, even though they had captured five county towns and besieged more than 10,000 Fengwu troops in Dakou Township, this Eastern Expedition was still a failure.
The failed Eastern Expedition also severely damaged the Luoan court. For at least three to five years, the Luoan court would no longer be able to gather so many soldiers, food and supplies to fight against the Fengwu Army. Therefore, perhaps the Prime Minister should consider how to end this war to maintain the dignity of the Luoan court and himself!
Hearing that his old friend had defeated Xu Zhaojie in Hebei and Henan and was leading his troops to Yunbing, he would definitely launch a counterattack when he arrived in Yunbing.

The five counties captured from the Fengwu Army were the last fig leaf for the Prime Minister's Eastern Expedition. In order to prevent this Eastern Expedition, which had cost countless money and food and lost countless soldiers and horses, from complete failure, the Prime Minister planned this annihilation plan against the Fengwu Army's manpower.

In order to reduce the number of Fengwu Army soldiers in Yunbing and weaken its future counterattack power, considering this, the Prime Minister may force Ye Mingsheng to sign a humiliating treaty in the near future, forcing Ye Mingsheng to abandon his counterattack plan and give up these five counties!
So who will be sent as an envoy to Fengwu Army?

Thinking of this, Qian Buli's eyes couldn't help but flash with a gleam of light. He realized his own value and wondered in his heart what he should do if Shangguan Hongyuan really gave this matter to him?
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On the morning of June 16, it was just dawn.

Although he slept very late last night, Shangguan Hongyuan got up at 3:00 am because of his age and had something on his mind. Accompanied by his guards, he came to the watchtower in the camp, raised the monocular telescope seized from the Fengwu Army, and looked at Dakou Township in the distance.

The more than 70,000 soldiers under his command have been besieging the more than 10,000 Fengwu troops in Dakou Township for five days. If they had chosen to attack by force at the beginning, the Fengwu troops in Dakou Township would probably have been wiped out by now, and Shangguan Hongyuan would have won the greatest victory since the Eastern Expedition!

But Shangguan Hongyuan never did so. It was not because he was afraid of heavy casualties and did not dare to order his soldiers to attack Dakou Township. He had understood the truth that a kind person cannot be in charge of an army twenty years ago!

The reason for choosing to besiege but not attack was actually very simple, that is, Shangguan Hongyuan felt that it was not enough to just annihilate more than 10,000 Fengwu troops. He wanted to use these more than 10,000 Fengwu troops as bait to annihilate more of the Fengwu troops' manpower and prevent Ye Mingsheng from launching a counterattack again·······························
(End of this chapter)