The old palace in the capital has a history of hundreds of years. Although it has been repaired several times, it has not changed much. The old house naturally has a kind of quietness. In the deep palace, even if it is scorching hot outside, the inside of the palace is very clean and cool.
It's just that the coolness seems to seep into the cracks of the bones at the moment, and with Emperor Changzhi's face that is about to come, it makes Fu Shen's old cold legs start to ache.
"Your Majesty, the north has been decided for a while, the people are in urgent need of recuperation, and the new policy of the imperial court has just begun to be implemented. With all due respect, this is not a good time to deploy troops. The issue of the southwest can be put aside for a while, and it will not be too late to discuss it when the imperial court recovers."
Emperor Changzhi snorted coldly, his face gloomy, obviously not listening.
Fu Shen was not mentally prepared for the current scene. He knew that Emperor Changzhi had sent messengers to the southwest, but he didn't know that Duan Guihong had made the emperor so angry - he entered the door under the scorching sun, and Emperor Changzhi greeted him with the words "Xiping". The king of the county will rebel in a few days. Fu Qing, I will give you this banner of raising troops to retaliate."
It was only after Fu Shen asked carefully that he figured it out. According to the old system, May and June should be the days when each dependent country pays tribute. A few years ago, the imperial court was busy with wars and had no time to take care of these matters. This year, the orthodoxy was restored. Several foreign envoys came to congratulate on Zhengdan, and some tributes have also arrived in Beijing a few days ago. This was originally something to be happy about, but Emperor Changzhi was concerned about the southwest recently, and carefully read the gift list presented by the Ministry of Rites.
I don't know if I don't see it, but I found out that the three dependent countries, Annan, Zhenla, and Linyi, bordering the southwest, seemed to have made an appointment. They didn't come during Zhengdan, nor did the tribute come!
Emperor Changzhi was very worried, and ordered officials of the Ministry of Rites to find out what was going on. Who would have guessed that before the special envoy of the Ministry of Rites set off, the envoys of the Three Kingdoms arrived late with credentials.
The writing of the country is gorgeous and grand, but the central idea is only one: the three kingdoms should lift the affiliation with Da Zhou and be on an equal footing, and then no longer pay tribute to Da Zhou.
These three swords were inserted into the sore spot of Emperor Changzhi. He was originally unhappy for the affairs of the King of Xiping County. At this time, the Three Kingdoms suddenly came and said that it was not Duan Guihong. Who would believe it
Fu Shen didn't think that Emperor Changzhi was a stubborn person before, maybe it was Yan Xiaohan's illusion, so he still hoped that Xiaozhi would be reasonable and emotional: "Your Majesty is tolerant. Annan and other countries suddenly have this This is indeed incredible, but it may not necessarily be related to the southwest. The imperial court has not communicated with other countries for several years, and there may be other hidden details. Think twice."
"Fu Qing," Emperor Changzhi said suddenly, and said coolly, "Do you think that I am not tolerant enough to the King of Xiping County?"
Fu Shen: "I dare not."
"The Jiedu envoys want military power, protect themselves, and enter the temple, and I have agreed," said the Changzhi Emperor. "If the Southwest returns to the Central Plains, it will be treated the same way. Why would he refuse?"
Fu Shen took a peek at Emperor Changzhi, whose face was sinking like water, and sighed silently in his heart, feeling that another violent storm would follow.
Although Duan Guihong can't be said to hate the Da Zhou royal family, but it is estimated that he will not bow his head to the surnamed Sun again in his lifetime. It's just that Fu Shen knows the secret behind it, but the others don't. Judging from the current stalemate between the two parties, it does seem that the King of Xiping does not want to be ruled by the Son of Heaven anymore, and intends to become the king by himself, and vice versa.
"Duan Guihong has been operating in the Southwest for many years, and is known as the 'King of the Southwest'. There is great chaos in the Central Plains, but he is safe and sound as his emperor in the Southwest. I can tolerate all these," Emperor Changzhi said, and finally became a real fire. , patted the table and said: "I sent messengers to the southwest again and again, and gave him enough face, but what about him? He put my face under his feet and stepped on it!"
Fu Shen had nothing to say, so he could only say, "Your Majesty, calm down."
Emperor Changzhi sneered and said: "I can see it, Duan Guihong doesn't look down on the court's small favor and favor, he has long been against it. Guard the southwest, recharge your energy, and then form an alliance with the Three Kingdoms, then you will be able to stand on your own. King, dominate one side, and be on an equal footing with the imperial court."
"Raising tigers is a problem," he muttered to himself in a low voice, "it's really a problem to keep tigers."
"Your Majesty," Fu Shen was silent for a moment, and finally spoke up to persuade, "King of Xiping County..."
"Fu Qing doesn't need to say anymore," Emperor Changzhi said gloomily, "I know that he was once under the command of the predecessor Yingguo, and he was an old part of your Beiyan army. Fu Qing goes back and thinks about it carefully, don't hurt Beiyan for a chaotic minister and thief. military loyalty."
Fu Shen's face froze for a moment, then he immediately returned to his expressionless face, bowed and said, "Follow Your Majesty's teachings, and I will retire."
The sun was overwhelming outside, and Fu Shen walked out with a chill in his heart. When the heat wave hit him, his temples suddenly ached like needles. The palace wall was dazzling red, and before taking a few steps, they met another red-robed official who was even more dazzling than the palace wall.
It was the Minister of Officials, Xue Sheng Xue, who had a deep grudge with Fu Shen for various reasons, although he had never confronted him head-on.
In fact, Xue Sheng was not too old, and he didn't look too old. He was just lined by the handsome and handsome General Fu, and he was a little haggard. The two looked at each other silently, leaving nothing but embarrassment. In the end, Xue Sheng bowed his hands to him, Fu Shen nodded in return, and the two passed by indifferently.
After leaving the palace gate, the carriage from the family was waiting outside. Before Fu Shen approached, the servant boy who was enjoying the shade under the tree suddenly ran up to him and saluted agilely, "Hello, Mr. Guo."
Seeing that he was stopped, the driver jumped out of the car and planned to come over, but was stopped by a gesture from Fu Shen. He lowered his head and asked the boy, "What's the matter?"
"My master is waiting for you here, and I invite the grandfather of the country to come to Jinghe Building for a drink in the evening." The servant respectfully presented the famous post with both hands: "This is my master's famous post, and you will know it when you see it. ."
Fu Shen glanced at the words "Kuangshan Academy" and immediately understood. He quietly put the famous post in his sleeve, nodded and said, "I see. Go back and tell your master, since you have been warmly invited, That would be disrespectful.”
Jinghelou is a long-established brand, and Huaiyang cuisine is a must in Beijing. When Fu Shen entered the door, someone was already waiting in the private room. Gu Shanlu, dressed in casual clothes, stood up to greet him: "The general is here, please come in."
The last time he saw him off outside the city, Gu Shanlu was still a little censor with little power. After some turmoil, he was highly used by Emperor Changzhi in Jiangnan and was promoted to the chief inspector, ranking among the nine ministers of the Yanying Palace. one. After returning to Beijing, he still sits in the Metropolitan Procuratorate, in charge of impeaching the pickets, and making reports.
This person's position is very subtle. He was born in the south of the Yangtze River, but he was not a child of a high school. When he was young, he studied at Kuangshan Academy and studied under Zeng Guang. Gu Shanlu had been unknown until now. The first time he made his appearance was in the case of the Dongta mission, but the mission case was not settled, and his teacher was sent to prison again, and he was in a rut for half a year. In the end, it was Fu Shen who asked Yan Xiaohan to take him. The teacher fished it out.
Therefore, when Gu Shanlu was in the Jinling court, he always stood on the line with the old ministers in the north, but the new nobles in the south of the Yangtze River treated him differently than others. After arriving in the capital, he made a lot of attempts to win over the Jiangnan faction in the Yanying Hall.
Although censors are not liked by courtiers, they are indeed a great weapon to deal with political enemies.
However, Gu Shanlu has always had an ambiguous attitude. Looking at the gentle and elegant, the city is no less shallow than the old foxes, except for now—
"As the imperial censor, it is inconvenient to communicate with the general in the open, so I hope you forgive me for making this decision. I took the liberty of inviting the general to come here today because of the matter that your majesty has been worried about recently."
Fu Shen turned the glass with his fingers, not surprised at all that he was straight to the point, and asked calmly, "Is he looking for you too?"
"That's right," Gu Shanlu filled him with wine, "Your Majesty wants to launch an army against the southwest, and you must first obtain the consent of Yanying Palace. Now the forty-eight palace officials seem to be scattered, but in fact there are only a few leading ones. He is the only one. After a test, you can roughly understand the attitude of Yanying Hall."
"Your Majesty wants me to lead the army," Fu Shen said, "I tried hard for a long time to persuade me, but I didn't persuade me."
Gu Shanlu smiled bitterly and said: "When I entered the palace in the morning, His Majesty was furious about the affairs of the Three Kingdoms of Annan. He instructed the Supreme Court to impeach the King of Xiping County, so that he could be regarded as a famous teacher. And this matter, I see Yanying Palace. Not necessarily against it.”
Fu Shen: "I would like to hear the details."
Gu Shanlu said: "The independence of the southwest will do all the harm to the court and not one benefit. First, it is too close to Jingchu and Lingnan. If the King of Xiping wants to expand his power, these two places will be the first victims. Second, it is Connecting Annan and Chenla, if the Southwest forms an alliance with these small countries, it will not only be difficult for us to communicate with the countries in the South China Sea on land, but also the shipping will be affected.”
"And after the army recaptured the capital, the court and the opposition fluttered up and down. I heard that you were blown away by the sky and the ground. The Beiyan iron cavalry are all heavenly soldiers and heavenly generals. We have to weigh it, but if you are leading the army, you will not have so many concerns."
Fu Shen sneered coldly, "You really look down on me."
"One more thing," Gu Shanlu said sternly, "The Prince of Xiping County used to be an old part of the Beiyan Army, and has a close relationship with you and the Duke Ying's mansion. Many eyes in the court are staring at you, I'm afraid that one This is no exception. Once a mistake is made during the Western Expedition... Gua Tian Li Xia, it will be unclear."
"Do I need to be so preoccupied?" Fu Shen picked up the glass, took a sip of wine, and laughed at himself: "If I want to do something, I have to wait until now?"
"It's because you didn't 'do something' that made some people feel uneasy," Gu Shanlu said, "The general's power and reputation are extremely high today. When you really plan to do something, who can stop you? ?"
He sighed softly: "General, as the saying goes, 'Don't be afraid of ten thousand, just be afraid of what happens'."