After sending Zhou Qing out on the expedition, Lu Yuan's military camp outside Luyang City was half empty in an instant.

He originally had 15,000 soldiers under his command, plus 5,000 Linwu County people and Qixingmen disciples to form a pioneer camp. Now that Zhou Qing has taken away 10,000 soldiers, there are only 5,000 soldiers and 5,000 soldiers left in the barracks.

The number of troops in his hands was reduced by half, and his combat power was reduced by more than half, which made Lu Yuan suddenly feel a lot less secure.

So in order to fill the sense of security, and also to enhance his strength, the recruitment that he had been planning was put on the table.

Now Lu Yuan has no shortage of silver taels in his hands, after fighting a battle of thieves, he has savings in hand, in addition to the funds to support the development of Luyang Mansion, he also has more than 100,000 taels of silver in his hands, as well as nearly two million taels of assets.

If all these huge wealth of three million taels are used to expand the army, it will be enough for Lu Yuan to recruit 50,000 troops and support the expenditure of the army for a year.

Of course, what Lu Yuan needs is a long-term army that can be maintained continuously, and it is impossible to really recruit so many people.

And with his current territory, Luyang Mansion is completely controlled, and the financial taxes here are completely taken by himself, and he does not need to hand over a dime to the court.

On the Shaoyang Mansion, although it is not Lu Yuan's territory, since the past two years, the county government has acquiesced that the government's finances and taxes are used to support his army.

Therefore, the finances and taxes of Shaoyang Mansion can also be controlled by him.

Shaoyang Mansion can collect 500,000 taels of silver a year, and in addition to the various expenses of the prefecture and county, it can also leave 300,000 taels of silver for Lu Yuan to raise the army.

Luyang Mansion is still recovering, but according to Sun Siwen's estimate, after two years of recovery, it should also be able to provide 400,000 taels of silver and taxes every year, of which about 250,000 taels can be left for Lu Yuan to raise his army.

In this way, it is 550,000 taels of silver, which is almost enough to support an army of 10,000.

Being able to solve the problem of eating and drinking for 10,000 soldiers and horses undoubtedly reduced Lu Yuan's great burden, allowing him to save more money and use it to recruit more soldiers and horses.

So after careful consideration, he decided to recruit another 15,000 men and expand the size of his army to 30,000.

30,000 people, with Lu Yuan's current savings, plus the financial support of Shaoyang and Luyang, can almost maintain an army of this size, and the expenditure for two years is consumed.

And after two years, what if there is no money?

Lu Yuan felt that in two years, his territory would definitely be more than the current two prefectures, and he might be able to raise an army by then.

It's really not good, it's a big deal to lead troops to fight the Miao people.

To the south of Luyang Mansion, but there are still three mansions occupied by the Miao people?

With such a large area of territory, if you can grab one or two prefectures, you can consume some soldiers and horses, and at the same time solve the remaining military expenses.

"It's such a big fanfare to fight the Miao people, I'm afraid that it will really attract the holy woman of the Five Poisons Sect and ask her to give me an assassination prepared by Venus."

When Lu Yuan thought of the Holy Maiden of the Five Poisons Sect, he had a headache.

Now that his development in Dongting County is threatened by this woman, it is really uncomfortable that he can't fully expand his power at any time.

With a sword hanging over his head, the feeling of falling at any moment can almost be described as being unable to sleep at night.

This kind of torture made Lu Yuan feel a little resentful in his heart. Not only to the holy woman, but also to the court: "More than two months have passed, and the court has not yet discussed the result?"

When can I send a few innate sect masters over and directly beat that Five Poisons Sect saintess to death, and completely get rid of this henchman. ”

It has been more than two months since the fall of Baling County.

For such a long time, the imperial court has not discussed a way to deal with it.

The 50,000 elites of Tianmen Mansion were also dragged by the Zhou soldiers, and they were unable to go south to recapture Baling City.

The military rations of the Pingshu army were cut off, and the news reached the Xichuan front, which had seriously shaken the morale of the front-line army.

Seeing this, Bai Mengyang, the seriously injured Marquis of Wu'an, had to order the army to continue to retreat, abandon Anyue City, which had been defended for half a year, and retreat all the way back to Yuzhong Mansion.

The land of Anyue Mansion and Tongchuan Mansion was given to the Xishu thieves and the Zhou people.

In the land of the ten prefectures of Xichuan, only the three prefectures of Yuzhong, Linjiang and Wushan were suddenly left, and they were still in the hands of the imperial court.

The Xishu thieves and the Zhou people were suddenly victorious, and even took advantage of the withdrawal of Wu'an Hou to send an elite army to pursue, defeating the evacuated imperial army several times, and beheading tens of thousands of prisoners.

The soldiers and horses of the imperial court were almost defeated.

When they withdrew to Yuzhong Fucheng, after a little counting, the original 150,000 army was only a little more than 100,000.

What a terrible word.

But even if they fled back to Yuzhong Mansion, the Xishu thieves and the Zhou people did not give up, and the two sides joined forces with 200,000 troops, approaching the city of Yuzhong Mansion again, and drove Wu'anhou out of Xichuan County in one fell swoop.

Whether this intention is arrogant or not, Lu Yuan doesn't know.

But he knew that even if Wu Anhou and the others wanted to retreat, there was no way to retreat now.

Because the Yueyang Mansion in Baling City has been occupied by the Miao people.

The retreat of the Pingshu army of the imperial court has been lost, even if they want to leave Xichuan County, they have to cross the river first and conquer Yueyang City.

If they can't recapture Yueyang City, the faster Wu'an Hou retreats, the faster they will die.

So in the final analysis, it is still when the imperial court will be able to send men and horses to recover Baling City.

"Could it be that the imperial court is really dizzy and plans to give up the hundreds of thousands of Pingshu troops, as well as the entire Dongting County?" Lu Yuan thought of this possibility, and his heart was a little shaken for a while.

Although I know, normally speaking, anyone with a little brain can't choose this.

can't stand it, now Dayue is in the last days of the dynasty!

As the saying goes, when a country is about to die, there will be demons.

Who knows if the Yan Zhugong and the Son of Heaven are a demon in the court now?

If there are really a few stupid people who are determined to toss and disperse this court, they will go over this rotten shelf, and they may really be brought down.

For those who eat meat, sometimes you need to be in awe, and sometimes you really can't look up to it.

That's it.

Lu Yuan didn't know how he should view the imperial court.

The operation of those people in the court is really too fascinating.

Many policy strategies are suddenly holy and stupid.

This schizophrenic act is not only torn apart by watching, but even these people in their place, when it is executed and understood, sometimes feel driven crazy.

No one knows what the next operation of the imperial court will look like?

This kind of lottery-like feeling is too much of a test of the heart.

……

Luck seems to have swept Lu Yuan.

Just when he was worried about the delay in the imperial court's movement, the imperial court, which had been waiting for a long time, finally gave a strategy for dealing with Dongting County.

Lu Yuan had been waiting for the imperial edict for more than a month, and it finally came down.

Along with the edict, there were also the new county guards and lieutenants of Dongting County, as well as the counterinsurgency army assembled by the imperial court.

"Fengtian carries the emperor, and the edict says...... Lu Yuan, the general of Fenwu, led the army to level the thieves, fought dozens of battles of all sizes, broke 50,000 thieves, and restored the Luyang trap......

This rebellious achievement, the whole country is excited, the imperial road has a dimension, the mandate of heaven is long, the holy order, and the general Lu Yuan is promoted to the general of Pingxi, in charge of the Pingmiao war in Dongting County. He gave the Marquis of Luyang and sealed 10,000 households in Luyang County.

The emperor's grace is vast, and he is reluctant to ......

Announce to the world, and make the salty envoy known. ”

In the military camp outside Luyang City, Lu Yuan set up an incense burner and eucalyptus table at the camp gate, and at this time, he led the troops behind him to salute Chu Wei, the envoy of the Yellow Gate of the Imperial Court, who was announcing the edict in front.

After waiting for a while, after reading the edict of thousands of words, Chu Wei put away the edict and handed it to Lu Yuan, and said with a smile in his hand: "Lu Pingxi, the emperor's grace is vast, and the Holy General Dongting County's military affairs are all entrusted to the general, which can be described as extremely long."

I also hope that the general can live up to the grace of God, beg the thieves, and quell the rebellion of the Miao people. ”

Lu Yuan received the edict, and said with joy on his face: "Don't worry, angel, please tell the saint." As long as I, Lu Yuan, am here, I will not give up with the traitors of the Five Poisons Sect. ”

This time, the officials given by the imperial court were very generous.

General Pingxi, a heavy general, is ranked in the third rank, and he is already at the same level as a county guard, and he is not inferior to the servants of the various departments in the court. He is a real senior general.

Not to mention that he was given the title of Marquis of Luyang, although this decision did not have much practical benefit, but in a certain aspect, it gave him the name of ruling Luyang Mansion.

It can be regarded as a complete recognition of his control over Luyang Mansion.

This kind of nominal benefit has a great impact on people's hearts.

"Oh, yes. Lu Pingxi, the lower officials here and the officials sent by the imperial court officials to report their bodies. ”

Chu Wei remembered something, and turned back to a retinue behind him, who suddenly brought a wooden box, and after opening it, there was a stack of officials inside, he pointed to this stack of officials and smiled: "The imperial court has great trust in the general, and Long En is infinite."

Previously, the general asked the officials in Luyang Mansion to ask for officials, and the imperial court had all agreed, and the general could check one or two here. ”

Lu Yuan looked at the wooden box and didn't mean to check it. Gesturing to the guard behind him, the latter quickly took the wooden box and stepped aside.

These don't tell him or something, it doesn't mean much to him.

Anyway, now in Luyang Mansion, Lu Yuan has the final say, whether those officials have the court to sue or not, it just makes them look more formal.

What should be done is still done, and it does not affect anything.

But it's a good thing to be more formal in name, so he's in a better mood.

In a good mood, Lu Yuan looked at Chu Wei in front of him, and couldn't help but invite warmly: "The army has prepared a banquet, the angel should move, we can have a drink together." ”

His steady nature is still stable at this time.

Even if it was a singing and dancing banquet, he didn't go to Fucheng, but chose to be in a military camp with an incompatible atmosphere.

Chu Wei looked at the upstart of the court in front of him, and he didn't mind the simplicity of the army, and said with a smile: "The general is invited, dare to disobey his orders." ”

So the two moved to the rear tent.

At this time, the banquet was set up in the camp tent, and the most famous chef in the city personally took action and brought all the dishes in the building.

The girls in the fragrant garden also tried their best to sing and dance, play and sing, showing their graceful posture.

Lu Yuan and He Chuwei drank three rounds, and gradually became acquainted.

From the banquet, I learned that this Chu Huangmen, although he was only a petty official from the sixth grade. But the origin is not low, and the family is a member of the Wujiang Chu clan.

Wujiang Chu is the top family in Dayue, with a heritage of thousands of years, a family of more than a dozen princes, protégés and former officials all over the world, it can be said that the real nobles of the dynasty.

What's even more rare is that a family like the Chu family is not just a simple heirloom of poetry and books, but also a family that can practice military calligraphy and martial arts.

Just like this Chu Wei, he is not only familiar with the scriptures, but also cultivates the Chu family's family exercises, and his strength is about to reach the second rate.

And people like him are not the best among the younger generation of the Chu family. On top of that, there are more outstanding ones.

'The Dayue Imperial Court has been established for more than 300 years, and its strength is still quite sufficient. Especially those who stand in the imperial court and control the world, they should not be underestimated.

The head of the Wujiang Chu family, I heard that he is also a first-class master in the rivers and lakes, and the clan has inherited the exercises that directly point to the innate nature, but for some reason, in recent generations of the Chu family, no one can become congenital.

In addition to the Chu family, the Shuyang Bai clan where Wu'an Hou Bai Mengyang is located, the last Dongting Lieutenant who has died, the Liuhe Li clan where Wuyang Hou Li Liang is located, and several other innate grandmasters are also from these gate valve families.

There are six surnames and seven clans in the national dynasty, which refers to the thirteen top gate valves located in Linhai County.

If these families are all like the Bai family and the Li family, then the background of this court should not be underestimated. ’

After talking with Chu Wei in front of him, especially after the other party seemed to want to serve a deterrent purpose, intentionally or unintentionally after telling some secrets of the court and the secrets of the family, Lu Yuan couldn't help but have a more intuitive understanding of the strength foundation of the imperial court.

The Dayue Imperial Court is in decline, after all, theoretically, the six surnames and seven clans in Linhai County all have the strength to cultivate innate masters.

But in fact, counting the dead Marquis of Wuyang, Li Rail, there are only five innate grandmasters in the imperial court. Of the thirteen families, only one-third of them can cultivate innate grandmasters.

In this respect, Da Yue is indeed in decline.

But it's a bit of an exaggeration to say that he really can't do it.

After all, there are still four innate grandmasters in Dayue now, and among the six surnames and seven clans, although most of them do not have innate grandmasters, the masters whose strength has reached the top level can also make up one or twenty.

If you count the intermediate forces of the various races, those second- and third-rate clansmen, this power is even more terrifying.

Relying on the above alone, the Dayue Imperial Court may be able to say that it will decline, but it would be an exaggeration to say that it will end immediately.

At the very least, with the strength of the imperial court, it is no problem to hold the Jiangdong basic territory of Linhai, Yuzhang, Jian'an and Guangling counties.

'Before, I was a little sitting in the well watching the sky, lonely and unheard, and looking down on the court. ’

At this time, Lu Yuan couldn't help but feel deeply ashamed of some of his previous judgments.

At this time, Chu Wei seemed to want to make a move to bring up the deterrent power of the imperial court, and at this time he took the initiative to bring up another topic: "The general knows that the imperial court has requisitioned 100,000 soldiers and horses from the Beijing Division, and is ready to send it to Dongting to conquer the traitors of the Five Poisons Sect and recover Baling City." ”

When Lu Yuan heard the news, he was slightly shocked in his heart, and then he was overjoyed.

After more than two months of friction, the court finally made a move.

He almost thought that the imperial court really planned to ignore the Pingshu army and Dongting County. It turns out that I haven't moved for so long, and I'm preparing for a big one.

Good, good.

With a force of soldiers and horses, the attention of the Five Poisons Sect will be on the main force of the imperial court to counter-rebel, and it is difficult to gather on him.

The clouds overhead instantly dispersed most of them.

Lu Yuan almost wanted to laugh out loud in his heart, but he still resisted his impulse and hurriedly asked, "Dare to ask Lord Chu, when did this happen?" When will the army arrive, and who will be the commander? ”

Chu Wei glanced at Lu Yuan, still with that gentle and elegant appearance, and said with a smile: "The army was already prepared before I set off, and set off to set out for camp.

I was on a clipper boat, and I was in the stars, so I came early.

However, calculating the distance, the army should have reached Yuzhang County, and it is estimated that it will reach Dongting County in a few days. At that point, the general will be able to hear the news.

As for the commander of the army. ”

When Chu Wei said this, he restrained his smile, and his expression was also a little respectful: "The commander of this expedition is the general of Zhengxi, the county guard of Dongting, and the Marquis of Wucheng. This time, Lord Shangguan, entrusted by His Majesty, led 100,000 male troops to pacify Dongting County.

The deputy marshal of the army is the protector of this dynasty, the captain of Dongting, and the holy monk of Jihui of Baifeng Temple.

With these two adults taking action this time, these rebellions of the Five Poisons Sect will definitely be exterminated. ”

After Chu Wei said the above news, he couldn't help but have a trace of pride on his face, and it could be seen that he was very confident in this lineup.

After hearing this, Lu Yuan couldn't help but be secretly shocked.

The Protector of the Country, who was invited by the emperor to preach the Dharma in Beijing, was loyal to negotiate the conditions with the imperial court at this time and officially joined the camp of the imperial court?

Does the addition of this one mean that the remaining four Jianghu forces with innate grandmasters in the rivers and lakes of Dayue will slowly merge with the imperial court and become a part of the imperial court?

If that's the case.

Then with the help of these Jianghu Grandmasters, the imperial court will be able to have five more innate grandmasters at once, and it will have ten innate grandmasters.

The original dilemma of insufficient innate grandmasters was alleviated in an instant.

And also.

That Zhengmiao coach Wu Chenghou Shangguan Ming, where did this come from?

In the official system of the imperial court, the only person who can add a martial character in front of the title can only be the innate grandmaster.

But Lu Yuan remembered that among the several imperial court masters he was familiar with, there was no Marquis Wu Cheng, and there was no one named Shangguan Ming.

Thinking of this, Lu Yuan asked, "Lord Chu, Ben Jiang has never heard of Marquis Wu Cheng before. This Shangguan Marquis, I don't know where he came from? ”

When Chu Wei heard the inquiry, he took a sip of wine and said with a smile: "Marquis Wu Cheng is from the Shangguan clan of Jintan, and he has been cultivating martial arts in the clan before, and he has not walked around much in the officialdom, so his reputation is not obvious.

However, at the beginning of the year, Lord Shangguan cultivated to make great progress, successfully broke the entrance of heaven and earth, and entered the innate realm.

It's just that although he has broken through, Lord Shangguan has been busy retreating and stabilizing his cultivation, so he has not been known to outsiders.

This time, the court was martyred, and the Marquis of Wuyang was unfortunately assassinated by traitors.

So in order to repay the country's kindness, Lord Shangguan became a general, was named Marquis of Wucheng, and served as the commander of the seedling recruitment. ”

In the light stroke, Chu Wei exploded a big melon again, and pretended to be a small one.

And Lu Yuan was shocked again.