After a stick of incense had burned, the people began to flock to the streets, looking at the now empty avenue. There were no soldiers in sight, nor was there any trace of the female general.
"The marshal still went to the Northern Region."
"Have a safe journey, Marshal!"
"You must come back safely!"
Some scholars discussed in the street: "The journey to the Northern Region is long and the political situation there is unstable. It is a good thing for the Northern Region that the Marshal is going, at least he is brave and skilled in battle and has never been defeated. But for us, it is like a lord of a country leaving the capital, which will only make us uneasy."
"Isn't His Highness still here?"
"Your Highness... is, after all, a civil official. He is physically weak and powerless. If something happens to him..."
"What do you mean by this? What prejudice do you have against Princess Fengning of the Great Jin Dynasty! Which of these new decrees wasn't implemented by Her Highness? Without her, where would your promising future come from? It's all because Her Highness is protecting everyone!"
"Brother, please don't get agitated. That's not what I meant. I'm worried that His Highness won't be able to control the Xie family. Of course, I know His Highness is a monarch who comes along once in a millennium, but I'm just worried about him!"
"In short, you must never say such things again."
But even if we don't say anything and turn a blind eye, will the problem be solved? Obviously not.
Xie Lanzhi had naturally considered this point, and so had Si Xitong. Therefore, this was also a test for Si Xitong.
With so many members of the Xie family, as long as Xie Guangfu stands on Si Xitong's side, no one dares to disobey. Even without the marshal, he remains the undisputed second-in-command in the army, a position no one can challenge.
Not to mention that Xie Guang's combat strength is second only to Xie Lanzhi. Xie Lanzhi's strength far surpasses that of Superman, so she cannot be used as a standard, but Xie Guang is indeed a formidable fighter among fierce men.
Xie Guang moved directly outside the palace, essentially becoming a guard at the gate. The palace was staffed by Xie Lanzhi's personal troops, who, unlike the Xie army outside, only obeyed Xie Lanzhi and Si Xitong. Even Xie Guang's orders were ineffective against others.
Two thousand Xie soldiers were stationed at the north gate, guarded by Xie Feng, while Xie Fengling guarded the west gate. Xie Guang's army occupied the east gate, and only the south gate was under the control of other Xie clan members.
Beyond the South Gate lies the closest point of the abandoned Tianjing Canal to the river, but all the Xie family members at the South Gate are unable to swim.
The Xie family was well aware of this arrangement. Those from Xie Yan's lineage who had not participated in Xie Yan's power struggles, even if they had bet on the right horse, would only be barely surviving, and would not be given important positions again until three generations later.
The Xie Yan lineage has now been renamed the Xie Eleventh lineage, following the lineage of the Eleventh Elder.
Xie Shiyi's disability was all caused by Xie Yan. His relatives' army fell into his hands, and he himself had to be wary of them, so it was impossible for him to be placed in a favorable position.
The concerns of the scholars in Tianjing were not unfounded.
Si Xitong will not be a weak ruler who only causes his subjects worry.
On the day Xie Lanzhi left, she issued an order to mobilize 8,000 soldiers from Ma Jing's descendants and Ma Hong's nine Jin troops to be stationed in Tianjing to assist in the security of the southwest.
This decision caused a sensation throughout the Xie family. Previously, Her Highness only acted in agriculture and politics, never interfering in military or political affairs. Now that the Marshal had just left, her dispatching of personnel was tantamount to seizing power!
The Xie family members from the South Gate reported this to their clan and then to Xie Guang, hoping that he could step in and reject the decision.
When Xie Guang heard about this, he pretended not to hear. He thought nine thousand people were no big deal, and they were just being sent to the territory of those annoying people to annoy them. Why wouldn't he be happy to do it?
Besides, there are only nine thousand men, while their elite force numbers over two hundred thousand. Are they afraid of them? So Xie Guang didn't care.
The southwest side is the only plain in the southern gateway, with many hills and a riverine area in the middle about the size of a town. There are also three waterways leading to Weidu, making transportation very convenient and suitable for stationing.
If the Nine Jin soldiers were to move in again, the Xie clan at the South Gate would have to relocate north or south. The North Gate is guarded by Xie Feng, who was the greatest contributor to the killing of Xie Yan's lineage in Fengxi Town. He also despises Xie Yan's lineage the most; how could he possibly allow the Xie clan at the South Gate to move to his territory? Not even an inch.
The Xie family at the South Gate knew they were guilty of collateral damage, and they were fortunate enough not to be stripped of their military power. The newly surrendered Xie Eleven disliked the army and therefore ignored the matter. This was already quite magnanimous.
Even if the Xie family in the south gate were dissatisfied, they had no choice but to give up the land.
Some restless individuals cut off the route. When Ma Hong led nine thousand Jin soldiers into the Nanhe region, he found that the only passable road was blocked by giant trees and stones.
Ma Hong and the Jin soldiers were all clad in white silver armor, trained at great expense by Si Xitong. This Jin army, trained in the martial style of the Ma family army, was completely different from the Jin soldiers of Weidu and the Jin soldiers of Zheng Guogong in Bingzhou.
The silver-armored Jin soldiers each carried a dagger at their waist and legs. The Ma Clique army possessed extensive experience in close combat and medium-to-long-range battles, so they carried daggers specifically to deal with enemies at close range.
Each dagger had a blade specially made by the Ministry of Works.
Ma Hong led his men to clear the obstacles, but after they finally finished, the bridge at the next intersection was cut off.
He sneered, "Do you think playing these petty tricks can stop our Great Jin's silver-armored warriors from entering the Southern River region!"
The captain beside him added, "His Highness has ordered us to reach the town of Hedi before nightfall. We will then contact the grain merchants of Weidu from a small wooden embankment in Hedi."
"Is it a member of the former Jin dynasty's royal family?" Ma Hong knew that Her Highness had been secretly transferring people loyal to her to various places where the new orders were being carried out. However, she had only sent a very small number of people.
If we talk about the important shares of Weidu, the Xie family accounts for 30%, Si Lei accounts for 40%, and of the remaining 30%, 20% is divided between the Northern Region and Shiguo Prefecture, 10% is divided between foreign merchants and the remaining 10% between grain merchants of the current Silver Armor Jin Army.
Extremely inconspicuous, even Si Lei was too lazy to pay attention to the former Jin dynasty official who had fallen into the position of grain merchant. Xie Shi Dike had been a grain merchant for a while, but he only wanted 1,000 catties of grain at a time, and he had to haggle over the price. He was the most troublesome customer for many grain stores in Weidu, and some grain stores even blacklisted him.
This man was named Sima Mingji. He was Si Xitong's youngest cousin, and he was twenty years old this year. So Xie Shi had been keeping an eye on him for half a year, but seeing that Sima Mingji was stingy and poor, she stopped paying much attention to him, but still sent people to keep an eye on him.
The captain replied, "Yes, Lu Ping is the elder brother of Shi Maogong, the Marquis of Xiaoning."
"Duke Luping? So Princess Yongning, Si Caifeng, who traveled with the marshal, is his sister." Ma Hong suddenly remembered such a person.
Before the alliance between the North and South, Crown Prince Li Li of Yelü had already arranged for Princess Yongning to marry him, thus forming a marriage alliance between the two countries.
Now that Xie Lanzhi is personally leading Princess Yongning Si Caifeng to the Northern Region, even the old Khan Beiluo has to acknowledge that she is a relative of the state and sends a large number of gems, sheep and horses as gifts.
Ma Hongdao said, "Go and cut down trees to build a bridge. Didn't I teach you this during training?!"
"Yes!" The silver-armored Jin soldiers went up the mountain one after another.
After the bridge was built, Ma Hong brought a map and deliberately took a detour. He figured Xie Jun at the South Gate wanted them to take a detour, so they did. What did a little hardship matter, as long as he reached the town of Nanhedi?
Ma Hong's journey was particularly arduous, and he even encountered a huge pit. Xie Jun, who set up the obstacles, wanted to injure him, preferably leaving him disabled.
At night, Ma Hong barely managed to lead nine thousand people to the town of Nanhedi, and one hundred people were injured along the way.
Ma Hong couldn't stand it, so that very night he led a hundred men to the military camp at Nantianmen and set fire to the kitchen.
The military camp's kitchen exploded! This caused Xie Jun, the entire army, to rush out of his tent without even properly dressing. Ma Hong, however, also managed to slip away and secretly message Si Xitong about the explosion. Ma Hong was stunned; he had only wanted revenge and hadn't expected to stumble upon Xie Jun's secret.
The following day, Xie Meixiang, the deputy envoy of the Western Guard, personally led a thousand men to investigate the South Gate military camp and seized 150 catties of gunpowder.
Xie Meixiang discovered that the gunpowder was hidden in the kitchen. No wonder the clan had been searching but hadn't found it; it seems the most dangerous place was actually the safest. No one expected someone to dare hide such a dangerous thing in the kitchen.
Xie Jun at the South Gate never expected that the gunpowder, which had been contained in water tanks to prevent explosions, would be ignited by a fire last night. They usually had someone specifically assigned to watch over the cooking process, never daring to let their guard down. Who would have thought that Ma Hong and his gang would be so audacious as to set a fire?
Now, Ma Hong's arson incident has not only not been blamed by Si Xitong and Xie Shi, but he is instead considered a hero.
Xie Qing, the leader of Xie's army at the South Gate, and his two sons were all captured by the Xie family. The middle one was captured by Si Xitong's Western Guard. Overnight, the commander of the South Gate was replaced. The soldiers and officers below him were also reassigned to various Xie army posts, scattering them and preventing any cohesive force from ever being formed again.
Xie Lanzhi didn't eliminate them before precisely because the 70,000 troops chose her as their leader, so she yielded a little. As long as they behaved themselves, they would still retain their rightful positions. Xie Lanzhi was fair in rewarding and punishing. Now that Xie Qing of the South Gate has brought this upon himself, it's no wonder Xie Lanzhi is determined to wipe them out. Besides, it was the matriarch of the Xie family who discovered this, not her.
Si Xitong conducted a detailed investigation of Xie Bing, who was at the bottom of the South Gate. This group of people had no leader, and as long as they were well controlled and their ideology was promoted, they could basically be reformed.
Only hereditary military households would be so stubborn.
That night was also the first night Xie Lanzhi left.
The bed in Lanzhang Palace felt empty; even the thickest quilt couldn't keep her warm. Without that person by her side, Si Xitong felt a chill in her heart.
In the dead of night, she stood at the palace gate, draped in a golden phoenix robe, gazing up at the brightest star, recalling their sweet kiss.
Zhang Changle jumped down from the roof at the opportune moment and whispered, "Master, there are still seventy-two stubborn resisters at the south gate, all of them commanders of over a hundred. Some are even military talents. What do you think..."
Si Xitong gazed at the sky, her gaze quickly shifting to the palace. From the high ground of Lanzhang Palace, one could overlook the entire Qianmen complex and see as far as the streets of the common people. It was pitch black outside, while the surrounding area was bathed in colorful lights, like a city that never sleeps. The suburbs of the capital and the capital city were indeed worlds apart, just like the difference between heaven and earth in terms of status.
Lan Zhi once said that although there is a big gap between the rich and poor in modern times, people's basic life is peaceful and prosperous. People occasionally have a little money to eat out. Although their three meals a day are not very exquisite, they have chicken, duck, fish and meat.
Electricity is something everyone can afford.
There's no shortage of food in the outskirts of Beijing now, so everyone should have enough money to buy some candles. When they got married, the people in the outskirts of Beijing spontaneously lit up the streets. Now it's pitch black and you can't see anything.
She asked, "How is life for the people in the suburbs of Beijing? Can they afford candles?"
Zhang Changle asked in confusion, "According to my understanding of that area, many merchants in the suburbs of Beijing rent houses from local residents, which allows many local residents to make a living. They can certainly afford candles. Moreover, the Ministry of Works is currently inventing a new type of oil lamp, which will soon be put into use. So, son, candles are relatively much cheaper in comparison."
"In other words, the people in that area can afford candles." Si Xitong's tone instantly turned icy cold: "Merchants with money wouldn't care about a few candles, but why isn't there a single lantern in the outskirts of Beijing?"
Zhang Changle suddenly fell silent. He couldn't very well say that the Xie family imposed a curfew every day, and who would dare to defy it? The officials in the court had repeatedly impeached the Xie family for their curfews disturbing the people. Every evening, they wouldn't even allow candles to be used. They claimed it was for security. In reality, that area was the most convenient for Xie's army to patrol. As long as the people were restricted, it seemed they would encounter fewer troubles at night. Therefore, the people in that area had to return home by sunset; if they didn't return in time, they could only wait outside until dawn.
There's no logic in the world that someone can't go home once it gets dark.
“That gentleman does not eat without working,” Si Xitong said. “We should send our men to guard that area; we must not follow the example of the Xie family, who lacked benevolence.”
Zhang Changle said, "Your Highness, should the seventy-two military households of the Xie family be sent to the Xie family headquarters...?"
Si Xitong said calmly, "They will all be executed."
"I will not keep useless people."
Changing the subject, she added, "Ma Hong made a great contribution as soon as he arrived in the town. How do you think I should reward them?"
Zhang Changle didn't think highly of this person, only feeling that he was unruly and difficult to control, but His Highness admired him greatly. He even specially assigned him the task of training the Jin army.
Since his master had asked, he had no choice but to say, "General Ma Jing made great contributions during the reign of the late emperor, defeating the three generals who marched south and north. This was also one of the few achievements of the late emperor."
After Ma Jing's death, his followers scattered. His son and grandson were skilled warriors, but their straightforward personalities often offended Jing Chen. When they made a mistake, Jing Chen seized the opportunity to dismiss Ma Hong and his men, sending them to guard a small town. Ma Hong simply quit and left Tianjing with his men. He was never seen again.
Only when Shi'an Hou Si Xi Nian squandered his fortunes did he anger Si Xi Tong's stubborn temper, and only then did he show his face once and get chosen by Si Xi Tong.
For Si Xitong, personality is not important for the time being; she only needs talented people who can fight bravely on the battlefield.
“If you really want to reward him, this is just pushing him into the limelight. Let the Xie family notice him sooner.” Zhang Changle believes that the story of Ma Hong blowing up Xie Jun’s kitchen at the South Gate is also true, and it’s hard to guarantee that Xie Jun won’t seize the opportunity to deal with him.
Si Xitong laughed it off: "What's there to be afraid of? Just make up a reason to reward him. Once he gets cocky, he might not even be afraid of Xie Jun."
"Your Highness?" Zhang Changle asked in surprise, "You did this on purpose? Why?"
Si Xitong said, "What I need right now is not some person of great talent and ambition, but soldiers who dare to fight against the Xie family without the slightest fear. Not those vassals who only know how to flatter the Xie family."
Nowadays, there are too few generals in Tianjing who are truly courageous and fearless, making it easy for them to become cowardly and weak.
What she needs now is someone who can train an army that is no less capable than the Xie family's.
Soon in the town of Nanhedi, Ma Hong received not punishment, but a reward.
"Ma Hong, formerly the General of Jiu Jin and now the garrison commander of Nanhedi in the new Tianjing, has made meritorious contributions in exposing the Xie family's internal traitors. Therefore, he is rewarded with one thousand taels of gold, five thousand shi of grain, and thirty bolts of white silk cloth. In addition, his merit of loyalty to his lord will be recorded in the military register."
"Your Majesty, I accept the decree! May Your Highness live a thousand years!" Ma Hong was extremely excited. He thought he had caused trouble by blowing up the kitchen, but who knew he had stumbled upon a den of thieves and ended up saving face for His Highness.
He's so lucky!
Zhang Changle carefully put away the imperial edict and handed it to Ma Hong. Behind him, a row of people pushed the reward carts into the town.
Ma Hong thought that gold and cloth couldn't be eaten, and they had to rely on Tianjing and Weidu for food, drink and clothing, so it would be better to exchange them for some real goods.
He quickly consulted with Zhang Changle, saying, "Commander Zhang, could we exchange all the gold for grain, or for things like military posts or weapons?"
Zhang Changle gave him a special look, and sure enough, he was honest; whatever he thought of came true.
He agreed, "Sure, and you don't need to worry about not having enough food. The people below know what to do."
Afterwards, he actually had someone take the gold cloth away, gave it to Ma Hong at a rough price, and then went back to the capital to find a merchant with whom he had good connections to secure the deal. The merchant was short of goods, so he bought up the grain at the grassroots level. Because he could make a lot of money, he was willing to spend a little money to get the grain together as soon as possible and send it to the town of Nanhedi.