kingnovel Chapter 1078 Identity
Chapter 1078 Identity
With his exceptional intelligence, how could Xiaoyuer not glean his father's painstaking efforts from this conversation?
This profound and unique paternal love is the source of his confidence that, despite losing his mother at a young age, he was still able to stand firm among his cousins and the scions of prominent families in the capital.
And he hopes that he can be a source of confidence for his father in the future!
So when his father said his last words, Xiaoyuer just smiled and didn't answer.
…………
Rebellion is no small matter. As Zhang Ping'an had expected, the incident shocked the court and the public. This was an army that the court had been paying for for so many years, and to rebel like this was a huge shock. For a time, the court was abuzz with discussion.
Each of them had their own little thoughts in mind.
Su Zheng felt a sinking feeling in his heart, realizing that the Great Zhou Dynasty was a dilapidated ship in need of repair everywhere. Before one hole could be plugged, an even bigger hole appeared.
It's so frustrating that it leaves you completely helpless and filled with despair.
Zhou Pu flew into a rage and demanded that his court officials come up with a solution, using both the imperial court and the harem as targets for his anger.
Cui Rong was also surprised that in just a few years someone would rebel. In her opinion, those refugees were nothing and could not amount to anything. The most important thing now was that her own people had rebelled and her border troops had rebelled!
That would be a different story. If they were to join forces with an external enemy and attack from within, the consequences would be dire!
The major clans could no longer remain uninvolved and all agreed to send people to quell the rebellion.
But who to send is the problem!
The endless arguments among the people about the generals who quelled the rebellion unexpectedly made Su Zheng's work of collecting provisions and funds much smoother.
Before long, they had gathered the necessary provisions from various border regions.
He didn't dare to delay for a moment and immediately arranged for people to escort the shipment.
Only after solving this troublesome problem did he return to the task of quelling the rebellion.
After much discussion, a third-rank military officer from the Li family was chosen, who was a cousin of Li Chong.
By the time Zhang Ping'an learned of the news, the army had already set off, boasting a force of 100,000 elite soldiers.
Zhang Ping'an didn't quite believe this number. He had been in the Privy Council for many years and knew the court's combat strength and troop distribution best. Even if he left for several years, things wouldn't change much; they would only get worse, not stronger.
The imperial court was already short of supplies, and the deployment of so many troops this time would have cost a considerable amount, so it was unlikely that sufficient provisions could be prepared.
Therefore, the imperial court cannot afford to fight for a long time; it is best to fight a quick battle and achieve a decisive victory.
Zhang Ping'an was worried that "the southeast is Zhong Zheng's home turf. If he doesn't confront us head-on and drags this out for two or three months, the court will be in a very passive position."
"Yes, if I were Zhong Zheng, I definitely wouldn't fight head-on either. Once the army runs out of supplies, no matter how many soldiers they send, it won't make a difference," Xiao Yu'er thought after putting herself in Zhong Zheng's shoes, and realized that it was really hard to say who would win this battle.
“I know your father-in-law’s cousin. He’s quite capable in leading troops, but he’s always led troops in the northern heartland. Suddenly sending him to the southeast might not be suitable for him. The southeast is full of miasma and hills, making marching less convenient than in the north. In short, the outcome is really hard to say!”
After saying that, Zhang Ping'an thought for a moment, then suddenly picked up a pen and began to write a letter.
After seeing it, Xiaoyuer asked, "Dad, who did you write this for?"
"This is for my senior brother. Although we haven't seen each other for many years, we are still fellow disciples and occasionally exchange letters. Our relationship is much closer than that of ordinary people. I'm writing to him to ask about the situation in the southeast."
"He's probably powerless now; the government is practically useless."
“Although southern Fujian is also located in the southeast, it has not been fully affected yet. Besides, he has been operating in southern Fujian for many years and still has some connections and prestige. He certainly knows more about some things than we do.”
Before he finished speaking, Zhang Ping'an had already written a letter with swift strokes. He blew on it to dry it, then found an envelope, sealed it up, and ordered someone to send the letter away by fast horse.
Then, turning to his son, he continued, "Moreover, if southern Fujian is really affected, I hope he can bring his family to Huainan for refuge."
Little Fish's eyes lit up as he thought of something, and he asked, "Father, is it because you value his connections in the navy over there?"
“How could your father be as snobbish as you say?” Zhang Ping’an rolled his eyes at his son. “I just appreciate talent. My senior brother has a good background, good learning, and good character. I don’t want to see him die in a foreign land when he’s old. Besides, he has so many clansmen waiting for his protection.”
“If he can really come to Huainan, whether or not he can help me, I will at least give him food and a place to settle him down.”
"You refused your second uncle's letter saying he wanted to bring his family to Huainan to join us," Xiaoyuer laughed. "Luckily you didn't agree, otherwise I would have had to find a way to reply to them. They're all such a handful."
"They are relatives after all, so don't make things too awkward on the surface. Let's handle things one thing at a time," Zhang Ping'an advised.
"Now, it all depends on whether we can win this battle. If we win, things will be fine, and there's still a chance for things to turn around. But if we don't win, I'm afraid things will take the worst possible turn!"
"Yes, let's wait and see the final result," Little Fish nodded.
After hesitating for a moment, he said, "Recently, my maternal grandfather has been sending people to our residence to ask me to visit him. I heard he's not in good health and is resting in bed with a cold. I'm wondering if something might happen. I don't know if it's just an excuse. What if my grandfather brings up the matter in the southeast when I get there? I'm afraid I won't be able to refuse! Father, what do you think..."
“Go ahead,” Zhang Ping’an waved his hand and said gently, “There are still many things we can learn from your maternal grandfather. It’s good to visit him more often. He just made a big profit from your Uncle Ge. I suspect he knows that I was behind it.”
"As for the matter in the southeast, you can just push all the blame onto me."
“I’m not afraid of anything else, but I’m afraid that my maternal grandfather will mention Zhong Zheng’s identity. He must know about Zhong Zheng’s relationship with our family,” Xiaoyuer said, half worried and half troubled.