From a son-in-law to a favorite of the empress

Chapter 822

This night was destined to be sleepless.

Zhou Yuan's plan was to unveil everything on July 12, and all actions would be launched, and he would launch a final reckoning against the island bandits at lightning speed.

So at dusk on July 11, the second hour after sending Gou Yun and others away, he had already arrived at the government office of Ningbo Prefecture.

After three years, seeing Li Zhaolu again, Zhou Yuan couldn't help but feel a little dazed.

This middle-aged man who was full of righteousness at the beginning was now haggard and gray-haired.

Three years of fatigue and hard work constantly wore away his body, making him look more than ten years older.

But he seemed to be in high spirits. Seeing Zhou Yuan, he couldn't help laughing and said, "When a scholar has been away for three days, he should be treated with new eyes. Wuxia A'mon is now a military prince. Should I call you Prince or nephew?"

Zhou Yuan bowed and said, "Uncle, I haven't seen you for a long time. How are you doing recently?"

Li Zhaolu waved his hand and said, "I can't compare with you young people, but I can hold on for another ten years."

"You are the commander-in-chief of this battle. All the teams are here to listen to your orders."

"Let's have a meeting!"

Zhou Yuan glanced at the people around him. There were many unfamiliar faces, as well as old acquaintances like Li He and Zhuang Xuansu.

Walking into the well-decorated meeting room, Zhou Yuan saw the huge map hanging on the wall at first glance, which clearly marked the veins of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian and Guangdong provinces.

"Meet the Marshal!"

Everyone saluted together.

"Everyone, please sit down."

Zhou Yuan responded calmly, saying, "Li He, have the troops arrived?"

Li He stood up and clasped his fists, saying, "Reporting to the Marshal, the troops of Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Jiangxi provinces totaling 110,000 people are all in place, and the main participants are limited to the 50,000 elite troops under my command."

"The Jiangxi Commander-in-Chief led an army of 30,000, stationed in Guangxin Prefecture and Raozhou Prefecture respectively to prevent the island bandits from fleeing eastward."

"The Jinling Jiedushi led an army of 30,000, all stationed in Huizhou Prefecture to block the island bandits' way to Beishan."

"I will leave 6,000 troops stationed in Lin'an Prefecture, and the remaining 44,000 troops will be divided into four routes to encircle and suppress Shaoxing Prefecture, Ningbo Prefecture, Yanzhou Prefecture, Jinhua Prefecture, and then transfer to Quzhou Prefecture, Chuzhou Prefecture, Taizhou Prefecture and Wenzhou Prefecture."

Zhou Yuan nodded and said, "This Marshal has already ordered , let the Fujian Commander lead the army to station in Jianping Prefecture to block the island pirates' way south. "

"From now on, the island pirates have no way out except to go out to sea."

Speaking of this, he said coldly: "Regarding the collusion between the noble families and the island pirates, has the inner court prepared a complete list?"

Zhuang Xuansu said: "The list has been prepared. There are 31 families or merchants who cooperated with the island pirates in smuggling. Among them, there are nine families who helped harbor the island pirates and provide intelligence. Among them, there are three families who helped the island pirates deceive the court army and caused a tragedy."

Zhou Yuan immediately said: "The groups that harbored the island pirates and provided intelligence will all be exterminated, and the groups that helped the island pirates deceive the court will all be exterminated. "

As soon as these words came out, everyone's faces became serious, and two of them were already pale.

Li Zhaolu could not help but say: "Marshal, the crimes of exterminating a clan and exterminating nine clans must have ironclad evidence, otherwise His Majesty will not agree, and the cabinet review will not pass."

Zhou Yuan said coldly: "For treason, what evidence is there? What is there to judge? Just suppress militarily, wipe out the land with swords and weapons, and leave no one alive."

"If they like to be traitors, then send them to reincarnation and let them roll around as beasts in the next life!"

"In addition, any court official who colluded with the island bandits, no matter the degree, will also be executed with nine clans!"

"Zhuang Xuansu, you are the head of the Internal Court Department, and there must be no omissions in intelligence. You must keep a close eye on the people outside the major families. No matter where they flee to, they must die. This is called eradicating all evil."

"Ye Mian, the Southern Pacification Envoy, will arrive in Ningbo Prefecture tonight. The entire Southern Pacification Department's Tiqi will cooperate with you to kill the traitors and confiscate their property."

This is going to be a river of blood!

Thirty-one families or merchants, eleven of them will die...

This time it is even more cruel than Yangzhou. Zhejiang merchants are finished, all of them are finished.

Those who smuggled salt were almost exterminated, and those who smuggled in collusion with the enemy were even more difficult to escape the law.

Zhou Yuan continued: "Li Zhaolu, you are now the governor of Liangjiang. You are responsible for the internal inspection of the system. Catch all those who collaborated with the enemy and betrayed the country, and behead them in front of the people."

"At present, Fujian and Guangdong provinces are doing this. They use blood to cleanse the land, cleanse the grievances of the people, cleanse their resentment, and cleanse the land of Dajin, so as to move towards a new era."

"Regarding the laying out of the new law, it is time to start implementing it. Taking advantage of this wave of blood and rain, the aristocratic families will no longer dare to resist the land survey. After the land survey, the land tax will be distributed according to the acreage.". "

After speaking, Zhou Yuan looked at the map and said in a deep voice: "The speed must be fast, and the opponent cannot be given any buffer time. During the entire combat process, no prisoners should be taken, and all should be killed. No one is allowed to stay."

Li He couldn't help but say: "Even the generals will not be left? Perhaps keeping them can ask for a richer reward."

Zhou Yuan said: "Come to this land to make trouble, death is the reward they deserve most, we don't need anything else."

"In the future, when the overseas market is developed and there are enough ships, we can have whatever we want."

He slapped the table and said loudly: "Everyone! If the war in the past few years was a war to quell the rebellion!"

"This war is a war to establish a country!"

"The whole world is watching how our ancient civilization is transforming."

"If we are weak, we will welcome robbers! If we are strong, we will welcome believers!"

"Starting tonight! Unveil the curtain! Kill all the island bandits on the southeast coast! "

……

Rush!

Five thousand troops rush madly!

All night long! Rush to Ming County, Zhangzhou Prefecture!

Guan Lu's identity is very special. He has no official position, but he is actually Zhou Yuan's right-hand man. Even the governors of various provinces have to give him face.

So when the intelligence was sent to the Fujian Provincial Government, Zou Xueqing was shocked and hurriedly asked the commander-in-chief to send troops to support Zhangzhou Prefecture.

Time is very tight. God knows whether it will be in time. They can only do their best.

At this moment, in the inner bay of Zhangzhou Prefecture, four battleships and two cruisers have already docked. First, they bombarded the dock, and then set fire. The spearmen disembarked and began to advance toward the shore in an orderly manner.

The target was Ming County, and the route was very clear. They would directly sweep away any villages they encountered along the way.

Fortunately, these villagers had received advance notice and had already evacuated.

But what about Ming County? As a small county in a remote area, the population was less than 60,000. The county did not even have a city wall, only a dilapidated city gate, and it could not stop the invasion of the musket army at all.

There were only more than a dozen constables and only 400 permanent garrisons. This time, there were as many as 1,000 Dutchmen, and almost everyone was armed.

Should we abandon the city and flee? Or fight to the death?

"Escape! Organize the people to escape too! It's better than sending yourself to die!"

A young man clenched his fists, and his face was red with anxiety.

The middle-aged man shook his head and sighed: "We can't escape. It was too late when we received the intelligence. The people were carrying things in large and small bags, carrying burdens and pushing wooden carts, and they couldn't run far at all."

"If we escape, they will become pigs and sheep staying here. ”

The young man shouted: "Even the county magistrate has fled! What are you, the county magistrate, doing here!"

The middle-aged man was silent for a long time.

He sighed and said: "My child, I was a coward during the riot in Yunzhou."

"This time we are not facing mobs, but foreign barbarians, which is different in nature."

"Although the county magistrate is a small official, he also represents the court of the Jin Dynasty and our nation!"

"Dad wants to fight to the death and live and die with Ming County."

"Although I am unable to win, I must use my old and weak body to boost the prestige of the country and maintain my blood."

"This time, Liu Liang will not leave."