Xuanming Hall.
In February in the imperial capital, the delicate flowers are already showing their stamens, and they are clustered in or on every shade of light green. It's not yet lush, but it's already colorful.
The east wind brings the fresh scent of fragrance and spring mud, but the winter chill still lingers on the palace walls. In this chill, there is also a feeling of spring - it is because of the beautiful new music in Xuanming Palace. The court musicians use ingenious and superb techniques to play the intoxicating music, and with the clear and sweet voices of the singing girls, It seems like there is nothing, it seems like there is nothing, it spreads out slowly.
The song blew into the broad square in front of the temple. Two old men in purple robes and golden crowns lowered their eyebrows and knelt under the white marble railing with resolute expressions. They held tooth wats in their hands and their kneeling posture was upright.
The person on the left side of the two people is obese, with fair skin, thin eyebrows and long eyes that sometimes open and close. Although he looks a little tired from kneeling for a long time, his eyes staring forward are as calm as ever. This is the Grand Master Duanmu Xing. The actual presiding officer of the Wei Dynasty.
The old man on the right is tall and thin, with a gaunt face. Although he is wearing purple clothes and wearing vermilion, he still can't conceal his bookish aura. He is Situ Weiyu.
Slightly behind them was Taiwei Liu Sihuai, who arrived at the last step. Although the tall and burly Taiwei was over sixty years old, with only slightly frosted temples and thick eyebrows and tiger eyes, it was not difficult to guess how majestic he looked. But at this moment, Liu Sihuai restrained all his sharpness and just knelt silently behind Duanmu Xingxing.
Behind the three people, there were all the officials in the court, who looked like a great dynasty.
Except for Ming Peitang, Fufeng Hall, and Jiangnan Hall, which needs to take care of Sikong Song Yuwang, who has been bedridden since the spring, all the officials are basically there.
Although silent, there was silent oppression outside the palace at this moment.
Little by little, it pressed into the main hall.
Just one hour passed, and another hour... The palace was still silent.
However, the Shen and Su families arrived after Liu Sihuai and participated in kneeling in the palace together - for Shen Xuan, this was something that could not be helped. Duanmu Xing and Wei Yu had already brought 80% of the civil and military personnel to kneel in the palace for state affairs. However, the Shen family and the Su family were not among them. If word spread, the whole country would think that the Shen family and the Su family were timid or had no regard for their motherland. It was a matter of life and death for the country. This was a major event that left a name for cowardice and confusion in the history of history.
In order to prevent the family reputation accumulated over hundreds of years from being shamed by their own hands, although these two families did not agree with the Holy Society being forced to kneel down in the palace, they had to make a show of it at this moment.
By the third hour, the sun's shadow had already set in the west, and everyone in the kneeling palace had begun to feel unwell, fainted on the ground, or relied on their colleagues to support themselves. However, the door of Xuanming Hall was still closed tightly, as if he didn't know or feel anything.
It was as if the people in the palace were obsessed with being surrounded by beauties and concubines, and had no idea that the civil and military officials of the entire court were kneeling down outside the palace to beg for their lives.
It wasn't until it was getting dark that a servant in a scarlet robe held a silver whisk. He folded his hands in his sleeves and held the whisk between his elbows. He came out of the hall sweating profusely. He hurried to the white marble railing and whispered: " Gentlemen, please go back, Your Majesty... Your Majesty has gone to Mingguang Palace to visit the Imperial Concubine!"
Mingguang Palace is located close to Huishu Palace where the Queen Mother lives, and is quite far away from Xuanming Palace. The Holy Spirit chose to go to Mingguang Palace at this time, with clear intentions.
Duanmu Xing and Wei Yu looked at each other, their eyes full of bitterness... Although the servant's words were soft, it was only after a day of kneeling in the palace that anyone came out. At this moment, they all listened with bated breath. Liu Sihuai, Shen Xuan, Su Pingzhan and others all heard it clearly and couldn't help but sigh silently.
There was silence for a moment, but Duanmu Xing still shook his head and said solemnly: "It doesn't matter, I will continue to wait for the return of the Holy One!"
Seeing that he was so determined that he was going to give up, the chamberlain couldn't help but said anxiously: "It's late at night and the old master is old. Why is this necessary? Your Majesty already said before he left that he would be placed in Mingguang Palace today. !”
"Then I will wait until the Holy Spirit returns to the palace tomorrow morning to announce the truth!"
"What if Your Majesty stays in Mingguang Palace for a few days?" The chamberlain shook his head and said, "Your Majesty has made up his mind, why are the Grand Master and the princes doing this? To be honest, the Holy Master just heard that the princes and hundreds of officials are here. Yes... I'm very unhappy!"
But Duanmu Xing was determined and refused to leave no matter how much the chamberlain tried to persuade him. Among the people in the Kneeling Palace, Duanmu Xing was a first-rank official and the leader of a clan. He was the eldest in terms of seniority and one of the oldest in terms of age. If he doesn't leave, those who want to leave can't afford to lose face, so they have no choice but to kneel with him.
By midnight, more than a dozen people were already lying in the field. Duanmu Xing's figure also became rickety, and he occasionally looked back at his colleagues who had fallen due to exhaustion, with sad but persistent eyes... Shen Xuanwei couldn't stand it, and winked at Su Pingzhan. Weng's son-in-law agreed, so Su Pingzhan moved away. He leaned forward on his knees, gently pulled Duanmu Xing's sleeve, and whispered: "Brother Duanmu, I have something to say, can you listen to it?"
Perhaps because his physical strength had reached the limit after kneeling for a long time, Duanmu Xing was on the verge of collapse and had no intention of exchanging pleasantries. He said in a hoarse voice: "If Brother Su Xian wants to persuade me to stop, I can't obey my order."
"I am kneeling here just for the peace of Yanzhou." Of course, Su Pingzhan only spoke to persuade Duanmuxing to step down, but since Duanmuxing had already refused, he changed his words and said, "But The Holy One refuses to listen, and now he has gone to Mingguang Palace to avoid us. Is it possible that we will just spend a few days and let the land thieves take over?"
Duanmu Xing sighed.
He had already guessed what Su Pingzhan meant.
Sure enough, Su Pingzhan's voice was even lower: "The presence of hundreds of officials here shows that people's hearts can be used. Your Majesty usually doesn't ask about political affairs, why not...?"
"Can we just kill it first and then play it?" Duanmu Xing looked at the dark Xuanming Hall and said in a daze.
He is also the leader of a clan, and his status and qualifications among the noble clan are equal to those of Shen Xuan and Su Pingzhan. However, he was not as indifferent to Wei as Shen and Su. Even though the Duanmu family was also greatly suppressed because of the suspicion of the Holy Emperor, so much so that outstanding members of the family did not dare to show off, Duanmu Xing sincerely hoped that the Wei Dynasty could continue.
This is related to the fact that Duanmu Xing has been assisting the government since the last years of the late emperor, and he has basically been responsible for the management of the Wei Dynasty in recent decades.
The world belongs to the Shen family, at least in name.
But the actual manager of this world is Duanmu Xing.
From the late years of the late Emperor Yizong, the still young Duanmu Xing embarked on the road of being an important minister with the support of his family, and began his career in governing the world on behalf of the neglectful monarch.
After decades of hard work, even if Duanmu Xing is not completely incorruptible and self-reliant, he often has to compromise with the common interests of the noble clan and the needs of the Duanmu family. However, how can he have no feelings for the dynasty that he has devoted his whole life to? From the time of Emperor Xizong to the present day, none of the three generations of monarchs have been diligent in their administration. They have all lived in the harem all year round, feasting all day long. They only care about wine ponds, meat forests, beauties like jade, and do not care about the people or the country.
There were several feet of dust accumulated in the imperial study, but the Imperial Master's residence had long been used to the study having lights on all night long and staff busy all night long.
He assisted two generations of monarchs and used to make comments with a red pen.
Mediating among the intricate gentry, clan, and common people, struggling to maintain the operation and continuity of the Wei Dynasty amid heavy burdens, wind and rain - it seems that this kind of maintenance has become a habit. Even though he knew that the method of kneeling in the palace would inevitably make the Holy Lord think that the nobles were forcing the palace, the Holy Lord, who was already increasingly suspicious of the clan due to the incident in Yanzhou City, was furious and chose to oppose it to the end.
but…
Duanmu Xing still held on to hope for the best.
He did not want the Wei Dynasty to decline, let alone its demise.
He hoped that the Holy One would wake up and understand what urgency and slowness meant...
After all, even the prince failed to meet the Holy Emperor. Even if Duanmu Xing privately asked to see the Holy Emperor and begged him, the result would be the same.
Kneel in the palace.
This was the only way he could think of, whether he sought medical treatment indiscriminately when he was ill, or he was just trying to get away with it.
All in all, Duanmu Xing was desperate at this moment.
Jinxiu Duanmu, like the Wei family in Fengzhou, was a family with a prosperous literary style but no talents who were good at military strategy.
Otherwise, if Su Pingzhan could think of killing first and then showing off, how could Duanmu Xing not think of it
But just as the emperor was worried about the Liu family, Duanmu Xing was not worried about the Liu family leading the Donghu army to attack Yanzhou.
So the general must be changed.
Perhaps the only people who could replace the Liu family in commanding the East Hu Army were the Shen family and the Su family. Because what if we replace the generals with civilian backgrounds and imitate Lu Haozhi? Although the Donghu Army trained by the Liu family would not rebel with him, what if this person deliberately commanded the Donghu Army to be defeated at the hands of Lu Hao as a way to advance
Even if his family members are controlled, doing so in the current situation will definitely chill the other ministers of the common people in the court!
Once the hearts of the people are scattered, how can the gentry alone maintain such a great dynasty
Not to mention that if it weren't for the general who also came from the clan, even if he led the Donghu army to capture Yanzhou... he might not be able to hold back at that time. By then, what would be the difference from leading the army with the Liu family
But Duanmu Xing discussed with Shen and Su in private, but both families pretended to be confused.
After all, from the perspective of these two families, what if Yanzhou is taken back? The world is in chaos and the country has no clear leader. It is just a matter of procrastinating for a few more days. It is better to save some effort.
The most important thing is that the Holy One is clearly an old fool. When the nobles joined forces with Yichu two years ago, the Holy One still had some sense of clarity and gave in.
What time is it now? The Holy Lord plans to let Yanzhou fall into the hands of Lu Hao temporarily to bring down the Liu family... This kind of old and foolish Holy Lord is the most difficult to serve. If you are not careful, he will directly decree to kill you in a rage. Are you against it or not? Otherwise, the Shen family would immediately be pushed to the forefront - the Xiliang Army has not yet found a reason to enter the Central Plains! If not, would we just wait to die...
What's more, the world is in chaos, so there's nothing wrong with weakening the Liu family a little bit...
All in all, Duanmu Xing could not persuade the Shen family and the Su family to send people to lead the troops. He led the people to kneel here to see the palace, not only for the saints to see, but also for the Shen family, the Su family, and the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty.
Hearing Su Pingzhan's relaxed tone at this moment, Duanmu Xing was still not happy and said tiredly: "Then when will Su Xiandi plan to..."
Before he finished asking, Su Pingzhan said calmly: "Brother Duanmu misunderstood. What I mean is that we can just deal with matters in Yanzhou. Why bother the Holy One? Don't you know that the Holy One has been living in the harem for a long time these years?" , has it become a rule that he rarely interferes with foreign affairs?" (To be continued)