When Fang Jie heard the name Cui Zhongzhen, he suddenly felt sad, and in an instant he recalled Cui Lueshang's desolate back when he left Chang'an. Because a piece of paper is definitely not the answer to the real test question, he completed his trip to Chang'an ahead of schedule.
Although even without that answer, he might not be admitted to Yanwu Academy.
But this kind of sadness, Fang Jie felt the same.
Reinvigorated, revived. The sadness and will in this name are even more touching.
Fang Jie immediately changed his clothes and went out quickly. Cui Zhongzhen was already waiting for him in the living room. When Fang Jie entered the door, he couldn't help being startled, because the dark-faced and strong man in front of him was not the same person as the elegant scholar who laughed and talked about love in his memory.
"You are..."
Fang Jie paused, not knowing how to say the following words.
"Cui Zhongzhen, a lowly official, I have met the imperial envoy!"
Cui Zhongzhen saluted solemnly and meticulously.
Fang Jie hurriedly stepped forward to help him up: "Brother Cui, where are you from?"
Cui Zhongzhen looked at the people around Fang Jie, and Fang Jie immediately understood what he meant, he turned to Hei Zizi and the others and said, "Brother Cui and I are old friends, you go out first."
Chen Xiaoru and others resigned, Fang Jie took Cui Zhongzhen's hand and sat down on the chair: "It's been a while since I saw you, why do you look like a different person."
He could feel that the person in front of him was much stronger than the Cui Lueshang in his impression. Not only has the body become stronger, but the determination on the face cannot be pretended. Only those who have experienced ups and downs will have this qualitative change.
"After I returned from Chang'an, I was disheartened. I wanted to study and write and find a place to be a teacher for the rest of my life. But my father scolded me severely, and this good scolding woke me up like enlightenment. Seeing that I came out of the decadence, my father asked someone to change my name on the household registration, and then sent tens of thousands of taels of silver to Li Yuanshan's army in the northwest, and put me in as a school lieutenant."
Hearing these words, Fang Jie's expression changed suddenly.
Cui Zhongzhen knew that he had misunderstood, and quickly explained: "As a result, not long after we arrived in the northwest, Li Yuanshan turned against Li Yuanshan before he could make any military exploits. Li Xiaozong and I led the troops to fight out from Youxiaowei, and rescued Xujun. The king and the Minister of the Ministry of War fled all the way to Langru Mountain. After that, they gathered the remnants and kept fighting with the Mongolian and Yuan Tartars and the rebels. Recently, we have rectified tens of thousands of horses and attacked the rear of the rebels one after another. It's a mess... But after all, the troops are limited, so King Xu Jun sent me to Yongzhou, I never thought I'd meet you here!"
When Fang Jie heard the name Li Xiaozong, he was still a little unhappy. It sounded like this person did not follow Li Yuanshan to rebel, but became one of the current King Xujun's titans. With Li Xiaozong's strength and attainments in the art of war, it is not difficult to stand out. Fang Jie only said that he did not expect that this person would choose to stand on the opposite side of Li Yuanshan.
Cui Zhongzhen saw that Fang Jie's face softened and continued: "The prince has sent people to report to the imperial capital. As soon as the imperial court's anti-rebellion army arrives, our people will cooperate with the army. The suppression of the rebellion is just around the corner. But the prince also knows that the imperial court will not mobilize troops all at once. A while ago, Li Yuanshan sent heavy troops to try to encircle and suppress us, so the prince asked me to come to Yongzhou for help. This place is closer to the northwest than to the imperial capital. If we can ask General Luo to send troops, even if it is just Chen Bing in Huangyang Road, it will be relieved our pressure."
"You already went to see Luo Yao?"
Fang Jie asked.
"not yet."
Cui Zhongzhen smiled and said: "Before I entered the city, I heard that the imperial court sent an imperial envoy to Yongzhou. After entering the city, I found out that it was you! I asked my subordinates to find a place to settle down, and then hurried away come to you."
Fang Jie knew that Cui Zhongzhen really regarded himself as a friend, so he was also very excited: "I never thought that you would go to the northwest to join the army, let alone see you in Yongzhou. You don't want to find a place to stay." It's time to live here, after I settle down, I will go with you to meet Luo Yao..."
Speaking of this, Fang Jie's heart tightened suddenly: "Did Luo Yao know about your entering the city?"
"Before I come, I'll send someone to find out about General Luo's residence and other things. After all, it seems rude to visit the door, so I plan to start with the steward of his mansion. My people should still be buying at this time." Gift, find an inn to settle down."
"Don't let Luo Yao know."
Fang Jie said eagerly, looked outside and pulled Cui Zhong to cheer up: "Let's go inside and talk."
…
…
When they reached the inner hall, Cui Zhongzhen asked, "What's wrong?"
Fang Jie poured a cup of tea for Cui Zhongzhen, sat down, and briefly explained his visit to Yongzhou this time: "Your Majesty is worried that Luo Yao will not send troops to the north, and Luo Yao is still pretending not to know about the Northwest Army. Defeat. If he was willing to send troops, he would have made an offer to lead troops to quell the rebellion. I'm afraid he will..."
"Murder and silence?"
Cui Zhongzhen's expression changed.
"I can't say well either."
Fang Jie shook his head.
Cui Zhongzhen understood Fang Jie's meaning, if Luo Yao really had no plans to send troops, then he would look for them hastily, in order to cover up his thoughts, Luo Yao would not guarantee that he would kill someone to silence him. At that time, even if the imperial court wins, Duke Xu returns to Chang'an and asks again, Luo Yao only needs to say that he has never seen him before, and he can prevaricate. And if Luo Yao admitted that he had seen him, the court would naturally investigate his refusal to send troops.
Thinking of this, Cui Zhongzhen broke out in a cold sweat.
"If you hadn't reminded me, I might have visited him tomorrow morning."
Fang Jie thought for a while and said, "King Xujun treated me well in Chang'an, and Mr. Mou also showed me kindness. And since I have received this job, naturally I won't do nothing. You and your people are here first. I will stay here, and if someone asks me, I will tell you that you are looking for my buddies from Chang'an. I have a shop in Chang'an City, and I can cover it up. Wait until I test Luo Yao's tone first, and then you decide whether to see him or not. .”
"What if he refuses to send troops?"
Cui Zhongzhen asked.
Fang Jie pondered for a while and said: "If he refuses to send troops, I will summon the left avant-garde general and the peace trade officials as an imperial envoy and ask him face to face. If he is determined to rebel..."
Cui Zhongzhen said: "You and I will both die!"
Fang Jie sighed: "Don't be impatient, I'll visit Luo Yao tomorrow. You can stay with me first, and wait until I get some news tomorrow."
He paused, but still couldn't help asking: "Li Xiaozong is Li Yuanshan's nephew, why didn't he follow Li Yuanshan, but followed Xu Junwang?"
Cui Zhongzhen said: "When I arrived in the Northwest Youxiaowei, I served as Li Xiaozong's personal captain. Later, when Li Yuanshan conspired against him and led the Mongolian and Yuan cavalry to attack the imperial army, I originally wanted to escape by myself. Xiaozong found me, and after discussing with me, he took his cronies and followers and killed them together. He also burned Li Yuanshan's supply camp. We fled all the way to the west, and met the besieged King Xujun and Lord Mou on the way, Li Xiaozong Let people tie branches to the horse's tail to bluff and frighten away the Mengyuan people, and rescue King Xujun."
"Maybe...he just thought that Li Yuanshan's rebellion would not succeed."
Cui Zhongzhen glanced at Fang Jie and couldn't help asking, "Why did you ask him?"
Fang Jie sneered and said, "This man and Li Yuanshan are carrying 3,000 life debts, and I will get them back sooner or later. Although you are familiar with him now, I don't intend to hide it from you. The imperial court has found out that Li Yuanshan and his troops led the massacre of more than 800 Fan Gu border troops and more than 2,000 civilians, but reported to the imperial court that it was the people of Meng Yuan who killed them."
"this… "
Cui Zhongzhen was surprised: "Why!"
Fang Jie told about Li Yuanshan's plan to massacre the city in order to kill Wu Peisheng, and Cui Zhongzhen's face became as ugly as paper: "You mean, Li Xiaozong knew that Li Yuanshan was planning to rebel a long time ago?"
Fang Jie nodded.
A flash of panic flashed in Cui Zhongzhen's eyes: "If he knew that Li Yuanshan was going to rebel, why did he have to wait until Li Yuanshan's rebellion became a fact before leaving? If he really just wanted to protect himself, then exposing Li Yuanshan in advance is far more important than later. It is safe to run away at the risk of being killed. If he had told King Xu and Lord Mou about this matter in advance, then the 700,000 troops marching west might not be completely annihilated!"
Fang Jie understood what Cui Zhongzhen meant.
"no."
Cui Zhongzhen stood up and said eagerly: "If it's according to what you said, then Li Xiaozong's side with King Xu is not guaranteed to have some nasty intentions. After King Xu gathers all the remnants of Zhengxi, he will hook up with Li Yuanshan to send troops... If this is the case, Prince Xu and Lord Mou will be in danger. I have to send someone back immediately, before I came, Prince Xu was discussing to attack Li Yuanshan's rear area."
"Okay, you send someone back first."
Fang Jie stood up, patted Cui Zhongzhen on the shoulder and said, "You don't have to be too impatient. Li Xiaozong didn't collude with Li Yuanshan to harm King Xu for more than a year. Maybe I guessed wrong."
"Either way, it's a hidden danger."
After Cui Zhongzhen said something, he hurriedly said goodbye and left. Fang Jie looked at his back and murmured: "Li Xiaozong... If you are really in collusion with Li Yuanshan, and wait until King Xujun gathers up the remnants of the army before you do it, then your crime will be worse than killing Fan Gu." The people are even bigger, how can we allow you to continue to live?"
…
…
After Cui Zhongzhen left, Fang Xie couldn't calm down. After he wrote the secret letter, he sent someone to secretly send it to the shop of Jubaozhai, and asked the people from Jubaozhai to send it to Chang'an City as soon as possible. Cui Zhongzhen came before he could sort out his own affairs, which made Fang Jie more and more impatient.
Waiting for his subordinates to come back and say that the person from Jubaozhai had sent the secret letter, he breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that he had to change his strategy. If he continued to pretend to be living in Yongzhou as before, the war in the northwest would be even worse. But when he came, the emperor didn't ask him to urge Luo Yao to send troops. If he did this rashly... Luo Yao sent troops or not, the emperor would be annoyed because he made his own decisions.
This errand, which seemed supposed to be easy, became more and more difficult.
The problems encountered now have made Fang Xie's initial plan to travel for a few months completely nullified.
"Do you care about the Northwest matter or not?"
Fang Jie asked himself.
If he really wore the imperial envoy uniform and summoned all the officers and generals of Ping Shangdao and Zuo Qianwei to question Luo Yao in front of them, would he still have a way out
He fell into deep thought, and his brows became tangled into two mountain ridges.