Months of calm passed quietly, and time entered the late autumn season.

With the rapid change of camp in Ling Cangshan's lineage, Wu Zhence's good fortune as a Huaiyang hidden dragon basically came to an end. Many of the Jiangnan families who were originally inclined to support him were shaken, and even began to secretly communicate with Zhao Yuanjin in the land of Jingchu.

After recovering from his injuries, Luo Yanxiong, the commander of the imperial army, commanded the army to launch a series of offensives, and Wu Zhence's troops lost a series of battles, losing four counties in a row for more than two months, losing tens of thousands of troops, and the territory was directly reduced by about half.

Although the losses of the imperial army are also not small, anyone with a discerning eye can see that unless strong foreign aid joins, Wu Zhence's future is not optimistic.

At this time, the 300,000 army under Zhao Yuanjin had basically taken shape, with more than 70,000 sailors, 200,000 regular troops, and 30,000 personal guards. The soldiers and armor are excellent, the grain and grass are sufficient, the morale is strong, and the overall strength is stronger than the imperial army in the south and Wu Zhence's troops combined.

Such a huge army building plan is impossible to carry out without a strong economic foundation, and the strength displayed by Zhao Yuanjin is enough to make the forces of all parties who do not know the inside story feel frightened and terrified.

At the same time, Zhao Yuanjin also used preferential policies to attract displaced people from other places to move into the Jingchu area, and ordered Yousi to register households and grant land to increase grain production and enrich the foundation of political power.

If there are young adults who are willing to join the army, they will not refuse, and during the training stage of recruits, they can eat rice, white noodles and plenty of meat, and the conscripts will gather for a while.

In the back garden of the mansion.

In the viewing pavilion, there were five or six dishes on the stone table, and Qin Feng and Zhu Yuntai were drinking and chatting.

“…… Judging from the current situation, at most on the eve of the New Year, the imperial army will approach Yangzhou, and the fall of Wu Zhence is inevitable. ”

Zhu Yuntai said: "At that time, the Duke of Chu will be able to wave his army and launch an offensive when Yangzhou City has just broken and the imperial army is exhausted. ”

Qin Feng nodded, it stands to reason that the winter weather is cold and freezing, which is not suitable for large-scale use of troops, of course, it is not absolute, if there is sufficient logistics support, it is still possible to start a war in the case of a large chance of winning.

At that time, Wu Zhence was finished, more than 100,000 imperial court troops were defeated and scattered, Shuzhong had not yet been unified, and there was no force in the entire southern region that could pose a substantial threat to Zhao Yuanjin.

"This New Year, maybe we have a chance to spend it in Jinling City." Qin Feng said with a smile.

"Well, it's possible."

Zhu Yuntai agreed: "I heard that more than a dozen principals of the Jiangnan Hao clan led by the Hong family had arrived in Xiangyang yesterday, and the Duke of Chu summoned them today, and it seems that they are planning to take refuge." ”

Qin Feng smiled: "It seems a little late, right?" However, it is also wise, otherwise it will be less beneficial if it drags on for a while. ”

To be honest, Qin Feng doesn't attach much importance to their refuge now, and the total amount of resources mastered by these dozen or so wealthy families may not be able to compare with himself. For Chu Guogong, at best, it is just the icing on the cake.

Qin Feng can help Zhao Yuanjin raise 300,000 male soldiers, and has the ability to support the consumption of 300,000 troops for a long time. But these dozen or so wealthy families have hollowed out all their family funds, and they may not be able to do the same thing, and even if they can, it is impossible to do it.

"However, once Zhao Yuanjin conquers Jinling, he can consider the matter of becoming king, the south will be peaceful, and our maritime trade can also be started." Qin Feng said again.

"This is natural, the ministers have been planning and preparing for a long time, and when the south is calm, everything will fall into place." Zhu Yuntai said.

In fact, not only river and sea trade, but also some common industrial consumer goods in the modern world are rare and rare objects for this world, and the windfall profits of cross-time and space trade, even if they are limited to the people, are much greater than arms smuggling.

Qin Feng had long had the intention to try this aspect, but because the world was turbulent and there was no stable and peaceful environment, this business was not easy to do, so it was not implemented.

When Zhu Yuntai said goodbye and left, Qin Feng thought about it and planned to go back to his room to read the book.

He is very interested in the historical development of this world, so when he has free time, he will look through some classic history books of this world.

From what he has learned these days, at least the legend of the Three Emperors and Five Emperors in ancient times, as well as the Xia, Shang and Zhou eras, there is no difference between the two worlds, except that at the end of the Warring States Period, Qin Shi Huang swept away the Six Kingdoms and unified the world, and since then the historical trend has begun to be different.

After the death of Emperor Yingzheng of Qin in this world, the eldest son Fusu did not listen to the false edict and cut himself, but led the army back to Xianyang with Meng Tian to ascend the throne and succeed to the throne, and executed Li Si, Zhao Gao and Hu Hai and other rebellious ministers and thieves, and then began to change the law, gradually implement a series of steady reform measures, stop many large projects that work hard and hurt the people, lightly pay for the meager endowment, rest and recuperate the people's livelihood, etc.

Without Hu Hai and Zhao Gao, the bastards were able to continue smoothly, and it was replaced by the new dynasty more than 400 years later.

In many cases, the direction of history depends entirely on the whims of a key person. Even in the main world, there are historians who have argued that if the eldest son Fusu changed his mind and turned the situation around, it was just a matter of one sentence, after all, with 300,000 elite soldiers in his hands and a famous general like Meng Tian to assist, how could Li Si and Zhao Gao and others be able to fight him?

It's a pity that this Fusu in the main world has a pedantic personality, and he didn't ask after seeing the false edict, and insisted on committing suicide despite Meng Tian's persuasion, so that Hu Hai could succeed to the throne with the support of Li Si and Zhao Gao, and within a few years, the foundation of the empire was lost, and the world returned to war.

I don't know how long later, a maid announced at the door: "Childe, the county lord has arrived." ”

Qin Feng glanced up, and saw Zhao Xinyue rushing in like a gust of wind, with a little worry and annoyance in her bright big eyes.

"What's going on to make you unhappy?"

Qin Feng asked gently, this Lori is young after all, she doesn't have any scheming city, and her thoughts are all written on her face.

"I heard that there are a few guests from my father's place today, and there is a hateful guy surnamed Hong who plans to give his daughter to his father as a princess, and wants to snatch away his mother's position." Zhao Xinyue leaned on his arms and said angrily.

Qin Feng's face changed slightly, and he asked in a low voice, "Who did you listen to this?" ”

"When I went back to see my mother today, I overheard a few maids muttering in the back garden, and people didn't know about it." Zhao Xinyue said.

“……”

Qin Feng was silent for a few seconds, how could a few subordinates learn such a secret? Most of them were secretly instructed by someone, and this girl was obviously used. As for the instructor...... It is likely to be her mother-in-law, Zhao Yuanjin's wife Lu.

Of course, it is impossible for the Lu family to harm her own daughter, and she is forced to be helpless in this way. After all, the head of the Hong family made such a request, if Zhao Yuanjin considered his own great cause, deposed the Lu family and married the daughter of the Hong family as the main family, it would be taken for granted in the eyes of the court and the opposition, how could a woman be important?

The Lu family had no other way, and they didn't dare to ask Qin Feng for help directly, and they didn't even dare to tell their daughter, so as not to end up with a reputation as a harem politician, which made Zhao Yuanjin displeased.

"I thought it was a big problem? That's what happened,"

Qin Feng smiled and rubbed her head: "Don't worry, as long as I am here, no one will be able to snatch away your mother's position as queen in the future." ”

This problem may not be solvable to others, but it is not a matter at all for Qin Feng, as long as he comes forward to say something, Zhao Yuanjin will definitely do it. Besides, the head of the Hong family himself was a little out of measure, and he dared to make such excessive demands, did he still think that he was dealing with Wu Zhence?

Zhao Xinyue suddenly turned her anger into joy, hugged Qin Feng and kissed her a few times. In her opinion, her future husband has great powers, as long as he is willing to help, there should be no unsolvable trouble in this world, right?

In the evening of the same day, Zhao Yuan held a banquet in the mansion to entertain those family heads, and Qin Feng was naturally among the invitees. He didn't do anything superfluous, just brought Zhao Xinyue and asked her to sit at the table with him.

During the banquet, Qin Feng's attitude towards these family heads was always lukewarm, and he was only friendly to the little county lords, and the meaning was self-evident.

Within two days, Zhao Yuanjin politely rejected the request of the head of the Hong family.

A few days later, a new group of men reinforced by Ling Cangshan arrived in Xiangyang City, and the leader of the team was an acquaintance.

“…… This is what the Patriarch has told me to bring you,"

In the study, the cold and glamorous and radiant Yun Qijun handed over the two jade boxes to Qin Feng, and his tone was cold and distant.

Qin Feng took it and opened it, and inside were three exquisite jade volumes, which were the Zhen Sect Exercises of Ling Cangshan's lineage: Kun Yuan Void Technique. Inside the other box were ten sheep fat jade bottles, which contained several different pills.

"There's a Fairy Lao."

Qin Feng checked it, and after the starship confirmed that it was correct, he was satisfied. The last time he asked Cang Minglu for the exercise books and cultivation resources, the other party may have been a little remorseful, so he dragged on for several months after going back, and finally sent it over today.

"Don't think it's because the patriarch is stingy and doesn't want to give,"

Yun Qijun seemed to have guessed his thoughts, and said unhappily: "In order to prepare these precious pills, it took several months of hard work for the sect leader and several elders to refine them, and then let me send them to you." ”

I was a little indignant in my heart, I had never received such good treatment from my teacher when I was in retreat, but now this outsider is more valued than myself, why?

"Looks like I still have to thank your ancestors." Qin Feng said with a smile.

"I don't need to thank you,"

Yun Qijun stared at him and said, "If you remember this favor, take out the weapon you hurt me in the first place, and let me observe it." ”

"Sorry, that's not possible." Qin Feng flatly refused.

"What if I have to?"

Yun Qijun's expression became colder and colder, and his jade hand slowly rested on the hilt of the sword at his waist: "Don't forget, the person standing in front of you now is the human immortal deity." ”

“……”