Qiu Yizi also returned the greeting and asked, "Since you are here and you are flying under your father's banner, I guess Marshal Dai is here too, right?" In fact, Qiu Yizi had already seen Dai Luanxiang behind Dai Song, but as etiquette required, he had to exchange a few words of greeting.
Dai Song replied, "Yes, yes." Then he turned to Dai Luanxiang, who was about ten steps behind him, and said, "Father, it's not a bad guy. It's Qiu Yizi, Lord Qiu, who is here."
Upon hearing this, Dai Luanxiang immediately rode forward and said with a bow, "It turns out that it is Master Qiu who has arrived. I am sorry for not welcoming you in person."
Qiu Yizi bowed in return, but said, "Marshal Dai, I have something important to tell you. It's not convenient to talk here. Please find another place."
Dai Luanxiang was stunned when he heard this, thinking: You and I just met, and we didn't even say a few words, what important things could there be? But when he saw the unmistakable nervous expression on Qiu Yizhi's face, he guessed that he was not joking, so he nodded, pointed to a small hut on the rice field behind him and said: "That hut may be used by farmers to rest while farming. Just now, Dai wanted to ask for a bowl of tea but couldn't find anyone. Now this hut should be empty. If Your Highness Yi has anything to say, you can go there and talk to me."
Qiu Yizi looked in the direction Dai Luanxiang pointed and saw that although the hut was simple, it was surrounded by flat farmland, which made it easy to guard, so he agreed.
This hut was indeed very simple. It was only the size of a palm square and contained a table and three chairs. All of them were in such a dilapidated state that it seemed as if a gust of wind could blow them down.
Qiu Yizi, however, did not take it seriously and said to Dai Luanxiang, "Marshal Dai, I have something very important to tell you. The emperor has passed away."
Dai Luanxiang thought he had misheard, and asked hurriedly to confirm: "Your Highness Yi, I didn't hear it clearly, can you say it again..."
"The emperor has passed away." Qiu Yizi repeated.
Although Dai Luanxiang was only in his 50s, he was a veteran general with a lot of experience. This was the third time he had experienced such a major event as the emperor's death. So although he was a little surprised, he was able to hold himself together: "Alas! The emperor seemed to be in good health and in his prime. How could he die so suddenly?"
Halfway through his words, he sensed something strange, and stared at Qiu Yizhi, "Wait a minute. With His Highness Yi's status, after such a big incident, His Highness Yi should either be guarding the deceased emperor's body or helping Mr. Zhongli handle the affairs of the court. Why would he come to such a remote place? Could something have happened?"
Qiu Yizi nodded and praised, "Marshal Dai is really amazing. Every word he said hits the nail on the head. The emperor did not die of illness or from a serious disease. He was murdered by the villain Zheng Xin. Zheng Xin not only killed the emperor, but also Mr. Zhongli. He also wanted to harm me. I..." Then, Qiu Yizi told Dai Luanxiang what had happened.
Such a serious matter surprised even Dai Luanxiang. He was speechless and could only ask, "Your Highness Yi, is this matter really as you said?"
The death of the previous emperor and the ascension of the new emperor to the throne is a major event concerning the country and the people. Human life is not worth mentioning in the face of this matter. If you take a wrong step or say a wrong word, it will be a calamity. Dai Luanxiang couldn't help but be so cautious.
Qiu Yizhi knew the stakes of this, and just as he was about to answer, he heard the door of the hut being opened from the outside. A man came in and said in a decisive tone: "What kind of person is Mr. Qiu? How could he make up such a thing?"
Dai Luanxiang heard this and quickly responded, "Mother, how can you listen to this..."
The visitor was Dai Luanxiang's old mother. As the Dai family was a military family for generations, Dai's mother had a very high prestige in the court, especially among the generals, so everyone respectfully called Dai's mother "Old Lady".
The old lady was already over 80 years old, but she was still as domineering as a man: "Every man has his share of responsibility for the fate of his country. Although I am a woman, can't I speak up and make a statement on this most important matter in the world?"
Dai Luanxiang was a very filial man. Hearing his mother's words, he could only bow his head and listen to her: "Although Lord Qiu is young, he is the benefactor of our family. He has never failed in his work. How could he talk nonsense about such a big thing?"
After Dai Luanxiang heard his mother's words, he looked at Qiu Yizi with a shocked expression and asked, "Master Qiu, is this really true?"
Qiu Yizi nodded solemnly: "That's right. Zheng Xin, this thief, usually pretends to be a filial son and a loyal minister, but he was so cruel when he attacked, and even I almost lost my life. Now I think it seems like a dream. But at this moment, I can guarantee with my life that I have never lied once."
Dai Luanxiang finally believed Qiu Yizi's words. He frowned and walked around the cramped hut a few times, saying, "This matter is really troublesome!"
"That's right. It is indeed a troublesome matter. All the troubles in the world combined are not as troublesome as this. But I will never let Zheng Xin, a traitor who has no respect for the emperor or his father, succeed." Qiu Yizi said, "Marshal Dai is a gentleman, so I might as well say it clearly. I will cross the Yangtze River to the north and meet with His Royal Highness the Third Prince who is supervising the country in the capital Luoyang, and then send out a righteous army from all over the world to fight against Zheng Xin, the traitor!"
"Good! You are upright and righteous and cannot be bullied!" Qiu Yizi had just finished speaking when he heard Dai's mother praising him.
Qiu Yizi smiled bitterly and scratched his head: "I am just a junior who has received great favor from the emperor and has been taught by my master. I can't just stand on my own. I'm afraid I will have to resist this stubbornness. I dare not accept such praise from the old lady."
Dai's mother praised again, "Good, very good! This heart comes from the utmost sincerity. As the saying goes, heroes emerge from youth, and this is just the case." She turned her head to look at Dai Luanxiang and said, "Luanxiang, our Dai family has been blessed by the country for generations. When encountering something that harms the great unity, we can't just stand by and watch!"
Dai Luanxiang had gone through all these trials and tribulations in the past few years and was no longer that kind of passionate young man. He had to consider it more comprehensively and in detail, so he walked around the hut twice and said, "I'm afraid this matter is a bit difficult. Mother knows that I have been assisting in the Ministry of War for a long time and cannot come into contact with the army according to the rules. Although I have received the emperor's order to lead the army to the south, I don't have a single soldier under my command now, so I'm afraid I can't help Lord Qiu in any way..."
Qiu Yizhi immediately continued, "This matter is full of dangers and dangers, and I don't want Marshal Dai to get involved. But Zheng Xin is so mad that he may not let you go. Marshal Dai, who is so talented, may not let you go. The Marshal went south to Jiangnan this time. The emperor originally wanted to ask the Marshal to lead the army to guard Lingnan. Since it is such an important task, he must talk to Zheng Xin in person. Marshal Dai, please be careful in your response."
Dai Luanxiang was still thinking after hearing Qiu Yizi's words when his mother lost her temper and scolded, "Meet Zheng Xin? What do you want to do with this traitor? Does my son intend to continue working for this traitor? Wouldn't that make him a traitor who is colluding with the rebellion?"
Dai Luanxiang also knew his mother's straightforward and irritable nature, so he quickly helped her sit down and said, "Mother, this matter has not yet reached the point of being certain, and some things cannot be said too confidently. In my opinion..."
"In your opinion, is Lord Qiu lying to you?" Dai's mother immediately interrupted Dai Luanxiang.
Dai Luanxiang still had some doubts in his heart, so after hearing this, although he did not refute it on the spot, he remained silent.
Seeing this, Mother Dai was already anxious. She knocked the ground hard with her cane and said, "Master Qiu is the benefactor of our Dai family. Without him, we wouldn't be where we are today. Can you not believe his words?"
Dai Luanxiang replied in a low voice: "Private feelings are private feelings, and national laws are national laws... They are two different things... I am not talented, and I dare not sacrifice public interests for personal ones..."
At this time, "Mr. Bansong" Lin Shuhan, who had been silent for a long time, took a half step forward, bowed to Dai Luanxiang and his daughter, and said, "Dai Yuanrong, old lady, I am Lin Shuhan, and I am unjustly called 'Mr. Bansong'. I have a few words to say to you. I wonder if you are interested in listening?"
Dai Luanxiang was startled when he heard this, and hurriedly responded, "So this is Mr. Bansong? I have heard of you for a long time. If you have any advice, I am all ears."
The Han Dynasty system was to control the military with the civil, and to value the civil over the military. Although Dai Luanxiang was already a top military general, in the eyes of scholars he was just a top warrior. Over time, even Dai Luanxiang himself felt a little inferior in his heart when facing famous scholars. Therefore, when Mr. Bansong, whose literary reputation shook the world, spoke to him seriously, Dai Luanxiang was already deeply impressed.
Lin Shuhan said, "I have heard and taken to heart what Marshal Dai said just now. Marshal is steady and dignified, and he deserves the title of 'the best general in the country'!"
Dai Luanxiang couldn't help showing an expression of joy that he couldn't hide after hearing this - this so-called "the most famous general in the country" had neither been recorded in history nor been given a title by the court, and to put it bluntly, it was just a mutual flattery between generals. However, today, Lin Shuhan said it, and it was mentioned in his notes, poetry collections, and literary collections, so he could be considered to have left his name in history.
Dai Luanxiang was feeling quite happy when he heard Lin Shuhan change the subject and said, "Marshal Dai is a man of both civil and military talents. I, a mere scholar, admire him very much. But his insights today are not that great."
Dai Luanxiang was startled when he heard this, and hurriedly bowed and said, "Mr. Lin, if you have any insights, please feel free to enlighten me."
Qiu Yizi knew that Lin Shuhan liked to keep people in suspense when talking, and he would not reveal all his knowledge until he aroused your curiosity.
As expected, when Lin Shuhan heard Dai Luanxiang's urgent question, he was not in a hurry. He slowly stood up, opened the folding fan in his hand, and drove away a few small insects that began to appear in late spring and midsummer. Then he said, "Marshal Dai just felt that what Lord Qiu said was either exaggerated or alarmist, but it was not true. But in my humble opinion, I can't think of any reason for Lord Qiu to lie. Marshal, just think about it carefully - Lord Qiu is the emperor's adopted son, and he does things with a pure heart. He will neither survive in this world by being prudent and mediocre, nor will he act rashly to seek undeserved blessings. The 'unparalleled national scholar' recorded in history books is probably just like this, right?"
Dai Luanxiang was still thinking about this analysis when Lin Shuhan fired back at him like a string of cannonballs: "Putting aside his character and motives, Marshal Dai knows how insightful and intelligent Lord Qiu is, right? With his intelligence, even if he intended to do evil, he would be deliberate and unpredictable. How could he make up such easily exposed lies as the emperor's death or the prince's rebellion? If Lord Qiu was really obsessed with greed and didn't care about the consequences, he would have been crushed to dust in the court struggles."