Chapter 108 Li Hu, remember this name!
Shi Xiangyun picked up a piece of cake and suddenly remembered: “Where is Sister Bao? Why can’t I see Sister Bao?”

Tanchun: “She hasn’t been feeling well these past two days, so she hasn’t come.”

Shi Xiangyun was stunned for a moment and said, “Isn’t the Imperial Household Department selecting talents these days? Why is she doing it at this time?”

It was no secret in the Jia family that Xue Baochai took part in the selection of the Imperial Household Department.

Tanchun blinked her eyes. It seemed that after the Xue family came back from going out that day, they heard that she was not feeling well. Could it be that she was not selected because of her family background?

After some jokes, Shi Xiangyun coquettishly hugged Lin Daiyu’s arm and said, “Sister, I want to eat Suzhou food too.”

Lin Daiyu nodded at her with a smile and said to Qingwen, “Tell the kitchen to add a few more Suzhou dishes.”

Qingwen: “Yes.”

Just as Qingwen walked out, Zijuan came in with a maid.

Zijuan: “Miss, Madam Xue sent someone to give the girls flowers to wear.”

“Hello girl.”

The old woman held up a small brocade box and said with an apologetic smile, “This is a new flower pattern from the palace, made of twelve pieces of gauze. Two pairs of light-colored ones will be given to Miss Lin, and the rest will be given to each of the other girls with a pair.”

Lin Daiyu: “I am tired. Go back and take me to pay my respects to my aunt. Xueyan.”

Xueyan took the brocade box.

The woman: “Yes.”

Lin Daiyu said to Zijuan: “Give this maid five hundred coins.”

Zijuan: “Yes.”

The old woman said: “Thank you for the reward, young lady!” and followed Zijuan out.

Shi Xiangyun had already reached out to take the brocade box, and when she opened the lid, she saw a newly-made artificial flower made of gauze made in the palace.

Tanchun seemed to have thought of something and retracted her outstretched hand.

Shi Xiangyun was a person who spoke out of her mind: “Hey, I heard that the unsuccessful girls will be given flowers.” When she said this, she was startled. The flowers in her hand fell into the box, and then she put the box on the kang table.

They looked at each other and remained silent for a long time.

Lin Daiyu blinked her eyes a few times. Xue Baochai was not participating in the selection of concubines, but in the selection of female officials to serve people. She was unlucky and would not be released from the palace to marry freely until she was 25 years old.

Failure in the selection meant that Xue Baochai was free to marry. Being able to marry freely was not necessarily a bad thing.

At this time, Qingwen came in and said, “Miss, the wine and food are ready.”

Lin Daiyu: “Okay, let’s eat first.”

Life is like this, when some people are happy, some people are sad.

In the central military tent, Hong Zhou sat on a tiger-skin mattress in front of a low table with a gloomy face, looking at the generals kneeling on the ground.

The general’s armor was torn and his body was covered in mud, but it was still apparent that it was the armor of the Plain White Banner.

With a “slap”, Hong Zhou slapped the low table with his palm, frightening the kneeling Zhengbai Banner general.

“Waste! All of you are waste!” Hong Zhou’s face was ferocious and he slammed the table so hard that it made a loud noise.

The general said: “I deserve death!” He knocked his head against the wall with a bang.

Hong Zhou grabbed the tea bowl on the table and threw it onto the felt carpet in front of the low table!

The tea bowl didn’t break and kept rolling out of the tent.

Hong Zhou was stunned.

The general was still kowtowing, and his forehead was already red and swollen.

Hong Zhou took a deep breath and asked, “How did your leader die?”

The half-conscious general raised his head, took a breath, and replied: “My lord, the commander was hit by the Han artillery just as he was on his horse, and the two Jiala Ezhens also died in the battle.”

Hong Zhou closed his eyes and asked again, “Is Gushan Ezhen in charge of military affairs now?”

The general swallowed his saliva and said, “Gushan Ezhen also died in the battle.”

Hong Zhou’s expression suddenly changed: “What did you say?!”

The general said: “Gushan Ezhen was ordered to lead five Niulu to attack from the river. The Han people’s artillery fire is too fierce.”

Artillery, it was this damn artillery again! The coalition forces he led were forced out of the Great Wall by the artillery of the Shenji Camp.

Hong Zhou ripped open his collar in annoyance. The Plain White Banner belonged to the upper three banners, and there was no leader in the banner. It was led by the emperor himself. He, as the deputy governor, was only assisting the emperor in managing the affairs under his banner. Now the son of the Han emperor was not captured, Yulin was not taken, and the troops were lost. How could he explain this to the emperor?

He knew the emperor’s temper very well. If he failed to achieve results in Datong, the new accounts would be settled together with the old ones. Not to mention his brothers, even his own sons would be skinned alive!
In addition, the Zhengbai Banner cannot suffer any more losses, otherwise there will be no way to explain to the emperor.

Thinking of this, Hong Zhou picked up a pen and started writing.

After finishing writing, Hong Zhou picked up the ink paper and blew on it, then shouted, “Come on!”

A personal guard came in in response.

Hong Zhou handed over the handwritten order: “Take this king’s order and follow him to the Yike Zhao League to tell them to withdraw immediately!”

The personal guard shouted back, “Yes!” and led the general out.

At this time, a personal guard came in and cleaned up the tea foam and tea bowl on the felt carpet.

Hong Zhou: “Go up to the tent.”

The personal guard replied: “Yeah!” and retreated.

There was a call from outside the door:
“The prince is coming to the tent!”

“The prince is coming to the tent!”

Then there were three cannon shots like thunder, followed by the sound of deep drums.

Hong Zhou immediately picked up the pen, spread out the blank paper and started writing quickly.

He wanted to submit a letter of apology to the emperor.

The drums grew louder.

Then there was the sound of uniform running, and a team of Eight Banners generals in helmets and armor ran in and stood solemnly on the left side of the big tent.

After a while, several Mongolian princes and their nobles hurried over and stood on the right side of the big tent.

Hong Zhou didn’t look up and continued writing quickly.

Suddenly, a burst of hurried horse hoof sounds came in, and everyone looked over.

A soldier of the Plain White Banner galloped over here at the whip of his horse, dismounted outside the big tent, and then rushed in and knelt before Hong Zhou: “Your Highness, this is the information collected from Yulin!” Then he took out a cowhide envelope from his bosom and presented it with both hands.

The guard took the leather envelope and placed it on the low table.

Hong Zhou put down his pen only after he finished writing. He tore open the seal and looked at it. A confused look appeared in his eyes, and then he continued reading.

After reading it, Hong Zhou frowned and asked, “Have any of you heard of a Han Chinese general named Li Hu?”

The Eight Banners generals looked at each other and answered in unison: “Never heard of it.”

The Prince of Chahar and several Mongolian princes looked at each other and replied, “We have collected information on all the famous Han generals, but we have never heard of this man. I think he is an unknown person.”

“Nobody?”

Hong Zhou was very happy. How could a small person defeat more than 10,000 soldiers of the Plain White Banner? Under his command were local troops gathered from all over the country. Doesn’t this mean that the Jurchens are all useless? ! !

Hong Zhou grabbed the letter and said to the Prince of Chahar: “From now on, your Chahar tribe will take the lead.”

The Prince of Chahar looked unhappy, but he had to answer: “Yeah!”

“Li Hu, remember this name. Sooner or later I will kill him with my own hands!” Hong Zhou, with red eyes, looked particularly scary at this time.

Everyone was startled and answered in unison: “Huh!”

Hong Zhou stood up and said loudly: “Starting tomorrow, we will take the initiative to attack and force the Han people to fight a decisive battle with us, and then we will defeat them in one fell swoop!”

Everyone answered in unison: “Yeah!”

Hong Zhou waved his hand and said, “You all go back and prepare.”

Everyone bowed and then left with different feelings.

Hong Zhou sat down slowly. He didn’t tell anyone what happened in Yulin, not only because he was worried about affecting morale. If he told anyone, the Mongols would definitely not be happy. They would either support the Yik Zhao League or send someone to replace the Zhengbai Banner.

He was unwilling to do this, as there were tens of thousands of elite Han people on the opposite side.

As for the Ikh Ju League, he didn’t think that Li Hu would dare to lead a makeshift group of troops, all of whom were infantry, into the grassland.

What Hong Zhou didn’t know was that Li Hu had already entered Hetao.

(End of this chapter)