Chapter 1337: Tears of Gratitude
In early August of the third year of Yingtian, in Tianjue Pass, Sun Yuantai, with a haggard face, prostrated himself on the ground, trembling as he received the imperial edict of the court's reward, with tears streaming down his face.
In this world, everyone has something to ask for, either fame or profit, but the words fame and profit cannot summarize everything.
In addition to fame and profit, some people also seek it as an obsession, a kind of self-satisfaction.
And what Sun Yuantai is asking for now is just like this.
Even though he was once lost in power, when he returned to the mountains and forests later, he understood what he wanted.
What he wanted was a dream, a dream in which he would be loyal to the country and the Holy Son of Heaven would distinguish right from wrong and sympathize with him as a minister, a good story of monarch and minister.
Throughout the ages, all famous and wise ministers have more or less had similar plots.
Because they have no shortage of fame, and profit is still not lacking, these are just accessories after they climbed to the pinnacle of power.
When you reach the peak, these things are nothing but clouds and smoke. The external has reached the extreme, so it turns from the outside to the inside.
Of course, everyone is different. Even if they go through the same process, the things that are finally transformed are different.
But what Sun Yuantai encountered at this moment directly hit the softness deep in his heart.
At this moment, he had already thought that only by sacrificing his life for the country could he repay the emperor's kindness.
Therefore, he burst into tears. In front of this imperial edict, the hardships and difficulties he had encountered in recent days, the huge setbacks and blows he had encountered, were no longer a big deal.
"General, His Majesty has another oral order. His Majesty said that if things are impossible, you must evacuate and save your useful body first. Only in this way can you serve the country and don't act on impulse."
"His Majesty also said that now the court is full of cysts. If there is no general, I am afraid that no one can lead troops in the future to compete with Zhao thieves..."
The eunuch who delivered the edict supported Sun Yuantai, who seemed to be blown down by a gust of wind, and said softly.
Such words would naturally not be included in the imperial edict. After all, the imperial edict was recorded in the palace to prevent the daring people from falsely transmitting the imperial edict.
But oral instructions were not so strict.
But the emperor could not recognize the oral instructions.
Indeed, it is said that the emperor's words are as good as gold, but the words are as good as gold in the imperial edict, not the words spoken casually.
"Minister, I accept the order!"
Sun Yuantai wanted to kneel down, but this time, he was firmly supported.
Facing the imperial edict, you must kneel, but facing the oral edict, you don't need to do so. Sun Yuantai had climbed to the pinnacle of power, so he naturally knew this, but he still did it, which shows how moved he was at the moment.
However, although he was moved in his heart, Sun Yuantai could not really run away because he could clearly feel that his body had already shown signs of exhaustion.
His life span was probably only one or two years.
Even if he escapes, given the current situation of the court, it will take at least two or three years of accumulation to use the army again.
Sun Yuantai predicted that if Zhao Cheng conquered Qingzhou in the future, he would never expand blindly.
Huang Tiandao, the predecessor of Yingtian Army, failed because of this.
In its heyday, it seemed to sweep the world and gather people with a single call, but from beginning to end, Huang Tiandao did not have a stable base and a stable rear area.
Subsequent events changed, and the world discussed the changes immediately.
Although Zhao Cheng is younger than Huang Tiandao, his methods are more fierce, sober, and cunning than Huang Tiandao, a rebel born as a scholar. He can see from all kinds of things in the South Wilderness that Zhao Cheng has learned from Huang Tiandao's failure, and has made innovations, integrating politics and religion, and turning the South Wilderness into an iron barrel.
In this case, even if Zhao Cheng fails in Qingzhou and flees to the South Wilderness, he can make a comeback by relying on the basic base of the South Wilderness.
It will not be like Huang Tiandao, who will have no place to stay in the world after a defeat.
In addition, Huang Tiandao was defeated because he divided his troops. Sweeping the world seems to be mighty and powerful. If he can really defeat the enemy in one fell swoop, he may not be able to change the world, but the power is scattered, and there is no way to defeat the enemy.
After sweeping most of the world, Huang Tiandao also left part of his power in the local area in order to obtain money, food and soldiers from the local area, so that when the noble families and powerful people counterattacked, this force was directly eliminated.
Sun Yuantai visited the southern wilderness, but he ruled the people by the people, selected militia from the people, and did not move the basic base of the army. At the same time, he killed the noble families, eliminated the powerful, relocated the population, and killed and dispersed the local group forces. In this case, the power was condensed.
This is also the advantage of the new country.
If Zhao Cheng is not stupid, he will not abandon this advantage and only pursue the expansion of territory.
It is said that the person who knows you best may not be yourself, but more likely your enemy.
Sun Yuantai undoubtedly knows Zhao Cheng very well.
He also feels that Zhao Cheng's tactics are powerful, but he also knows that this method is not impeccable, but has huge problems.
It seems refreshing to eliminate all enemies, but it will trigger a huge counterattack.
Killing the nobles and powerful will not allow the powerful forces of the nobles and powerful to support you. Instead, they will eliminate you at all costs.
In addition, it takes a long time to manage the basic base in this way.
Qingzhou is more vast, more populated, and more complex than Nanhuang. Even with the support of Nanhuang, it will take at least two years, or even more, to complete everything in Nanhuang, which gives the court an opportunity to accumulate strength.
And what he can do now is nothing more than martyrdom.
Burning the last vitality, dragging Zhao Cheng to Tianjue Pass, every day he delays, Da Cang can accumulate more strength, and the chance of winning will be one point more.
This is also the last thing he can do.
After the messenger of the imperial edict left, Sun Yuantai returned to his wooden wheel cart, and the arm that tightly held the imperial edict was still shaking.
"Instead of leaving the people of this city to the thieves, it is better to be loyal to the country..."
"Know me, blame me..."
"Even if I am haunted by evil karma after death, so what..."
In front of the gate of the mansion, Sun Yuantai sat on the wooden wheel cart, looking at the clear sky, but he seemed to see blood all over the sky.
…
In early August of the third year of Yingtian, Sun Yuantai changed the previous military order of not harming the people and began to forcibly recruit militiamen, one man per household. After two days of training, the men were directly sent to the city walls for defense.
For a while, the whole city was full of resentment, but Sun Yuantai directly mobilized a large army to suppress it.