Chapter 27 The Eighth Prince, Bowing His Head to God for the Rest of His Life Mount Zhongnan stands majestically, like a natural barrier that separates the immortal and mortal worlds. The winding path at the foot of the mountain should have been quiet and peaceful, but it was blocked by the bustling crowd. The ancient mountain trail is narrow, and the flow of people is endless. Chen Ji looked at the long line of people in front of him, his brows furrowed and a look of helplessness on his face. "Sir, it's so crowded, I don't know when we can reach the top of the mountain, can you bear it?" He turned around and asked the young man in Confucian robes behind him with concern. Chen Ji also had some complaints in his heart. As a young master, there is no need for you to climb the mountain with these peasants. I hope you can change your mind. However, he didn't dare show it at all.
As a servant, you cannot be disloyal to the decision made by your master. The young master smiled calmly upon hearing this. "That's fine. Just treat this trip as a picnic to appreciate the beauty of the mountains and rivers." "After all, if you go up the mountain to worship the temple with sincerity, your prayers will be answered." After hearing this, Chen Ji dared not say anything more. He pushed the burly man in front of him with disdain and reminded him, "Don't squeeze me. You're sticking to me." Chen Ji pinched his nose. It was really too smelly to be squeezed together with these untouchables. I don’t know how a master of such a noble status could bear this. The air was filled with a mixture of smelly sweat and occasional body odor, which was really disgusting. Although the weather was cold, people were crowded together and were sweating profusely. His back was covered in sweat, which made Chen Ji frown. These people came from all directions and traveled long distances, with no time to take care of their personal hygiene, and the smell on their bodies was really unbearable. The smell of those greasy hairs made him feel even more upset. Not even a shower! The bearded man who was pushed by Chen Ji turned around and glared at Chen Ji, shouting in dissatisfaction: "Why are you acting like a woman, kid? Everyone, just squeeze in. It's not like you're going to die." When Chen Ji heard this, his face turned red immediately. He put one hand on his waist and raised the other hand high with his index finger raised, ready to explode. When had he ever been subjected to such arrogance in the palace? Just now. The young man next to him coughed lightly, interrupting the argument. The gentleman in Confucian robes took the initiative to step forward, bowed to the bearded man, and had a kind smile on his face: "My dear brother, this is my first time going out and I don't know much about the world. If I have offended you, please forgive me." The bearded man took a look at the gentleman in Confucian robes and saw that he was well-dressed and had an extraordinary demeanor. Not wanting to cause trouble, he snorted coldly and did not care too much: "Be more careful next time." When Chen Ji saw the young master speak, he immediately restrained his temper and dared not say another word.
He knew that the young master's interest should not be disturbed. What's more, his master came out in person to apologize for him, how could he continue to act recklessly? Chen Ji lowered his head even lower, forgetting for a moment the discomfort in his body. The young man in white didn't take it seriously and said softly: "Little Jizi, when you are out, harmony brings wealth." Chen Ji nodded quickly and said, "Yes, sir." His attitude became respectful and submissive. This young man is of extremely noble status, as he is the eighth son of the current Emperor Qing. It is not an exaggeration to call him a true dragon on earth. Prince Jing——Zhou Cheng. His mother was a noble concubine in the palace, and his mother's family was also a prominent family. He was crowned king at the age of thirteen, and the current emperor praised him for his virtue and kindness in front of all the ministers. When he was fifteen years old, he attended the government affairs. At the age of sixteen, he established a government in the capital and held great power. The real grace and power is great! However, the eighth prince has a very unique personality. He was extremely intelligent and when he was young he was obsessed with seeking immortality and the Huang-Lao philosophy. Later, Daqing's national fortune declined day by day, and it suffered repeated defeats in the north. Zhou Cheng suddenly realized that "learning Taoism cannot save the world." So he resolutely gave up Taoism and focused on military strategy. In just a few years, he distinguished himself in the debates at the Academy, defeating several great military strategists from Daqing in literary debates and gaining a great reputation in Kyoto. Four years ago, Bei Feng led an army of 300,000 soldiers south. In the same year, Lu's army led 30,000 people north to the Yellow River. Two armies confront each other. The whole country was shocked. At this time, it was Prince Jing Zhou Cheng who submitted the most and most resolute memorials of opposition. He was well versed in the art of war and knew that Tuoba Shuyi had mastered the art of military operations and was the best in the world in deploying troops and battle formations. Moreover, the enemy is powerful and is pressing forward. The only way to win is to hold on to the dangerous terrain. However, Lu's army went straight to the Yellow River, and the two armies deployed their battle formations. In Zhou Cheng's view, this was tantamount to hitting a rock with an egg, which was simply seeking death. In addition, Zhou Cheng learned a shocking news - the real commander of the Lu family army was actually a teenager in his early twenties. He had no military experience and spent the first twenty years of his life as a Taoist priest reading Buddhist scriptures in a temple. This news made Zhou Cheng furious. He cursed in the capital: "It is ridiculous that a small country can cause chaos!"
He submitted memorials many times, striving to have Lu Chen removed, but in the end, Wang Yang, the commander of Hulao Pass, guaranteed with his own life and took the blame from the court. Zhou Cheng was full of doubts. What was so special about a young man that he could win the favor of such an important official as Wang Yang, who was even willing to risk his life to protect him. I never expected that in just three months. News came from the northern battlefield that Lu Chen led his troops to three victories. Zhou Cheng studied the battle report carefully and was amazed at Lu Chen's way of using troops. He thought that his level of experience was no less than Tuoba Shuyi. He is indeed qualified to lead troops. However, Zhou Cheng also knew that the Lu family army was short of soldiers and could only rely on surprise attacks to win, which was not a long-term solution. Three months later, Lu's army was surrounded. Zhou Cheng was extremely anxious and summoned his advisers to study the terrain and river maps day and night to seek a strategy to defeat the enemy. After working together, everyone came to only one conclusion: With enemies pursuing from both sides and the mighty Yellow River behind them, Tuoba Shuyi used his troops prudently, fortified the city and cleared the fields. The Lu army was trapped in a desperate situation with no way out. Zhou Cheng knew that even he was powerless to save the situation and could only sit and wait for death. He sighed and waited for the news of defeat. However, half a month later, good news came. Lu Chen led his troops to cross the Yellow River three times, marched south to suppress the rebellion, and won a great victory. Shocked the world. The messengers from the north to the capital traveled day and night and wore out ten expensive horses. Holding the victory report, Gao Zhen knocked on the gate of the imperial city and said: "Great victory in the north." "Great victory in the north, Lu's army killed 60,000 enemies!" Kyoto is boiling. The biggest victory in twenty years. For a time, the imperial capital was filled with the dance of fish and dragons. Zhou Cheng looked at the short few hundred words in the battle report. Between the lines, it is like an army of iron horses galloping across an icy river. He couldn't calm down for a long time. Especially Lu Chen's words at the end, "Why don't men take Wu Gou and take over the fifty states of Guanshan?" He felt very happy, and Prince Jing's mansion held a banquet along the ten-mile-long street. On that day, he summoned many of his followers, sat around the fire, and analyzed the changes in the battle situation together. They talked a lot and expressed their opinions, but in the end, when all the analyses came together, they all sighed in unison.
"This man's use of military power is like that of a ghost or a god." In the following year, the Lu family army won numerous battles and always won hundreds of battles with fewer troops. They captured Yunzhou in half a month and Yanzhou in a month. We will conquer every attack and win every battle, and the army of the north wind will be terrified. The Lu family led 2,000 soldiers to the ferry, scaring the 30,000 northern troops into fleeing. Later, there was an order in the Beifeng Army that any deserter from the Lu family flag should not be executed. For a time, the Eighth Prince, who was most opposed to Lu Chen, became the person who most admired Lu Chen. That sentence "In the past four hundred years, no one has surpassed him in the use of troops." It came from the mouth of the eighth prince. He actually has another saying, but no one dares to spread it because of his status. "Bow down and worship God for the rest of my life." Lu Chen, whose courtesy name is Shenzhou. Thank you for your support I was shocked and bowed down to the reader. Godfathers, please come and check it out every day. It is important to follow up on new books! (End of this chapter)
