Nearly a month after the end of the battle of defending the city of Guangning, finally came the imperial court's reward. Han Zhaoxing personally led the soldiers to the east gate to greet the envoy, while Yuan Sikong and Yuan Nanyu ran up the city wall again, just like they peeked at the Feng family's army that day, eagerly looking forward to the moment when their father would become an official to receive the reward.
The city wall is being repaired, and ruins can be seen everywhere. Under the thin snow, the dried pools of blood are black and blue. Standing on it, you can still recall the tragic war that day, which still makes people palpitate.
The chariot and horse team from the capital had already arrived at the city, Han Zhaoxing, Qian Anyu, Yuan Mao and other officials would come out of the city to greet them.
An envoy jumped out of the carriage, with a beard, slender eyebrows, and a hooked nose. He looked like a difficult person to get along with. He straightened his robes, and after saluting with the officials, he also Without further ado, I said directly: "I am Ge Zhong, the censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate. I am ordered by the emperor to patrol Liaodong, and to commend the meritorious soldiers who defended the city of Guangning in the first battle."
Everyone looked at each other in blank dismay, all of them became puzzled, and felt that something was wrong. The censors are dispatched by the sage, mostly for the purpose of inspecting the customs and customs, deposing (reading) officials, or if there are major cases in the local area, the censors should also be delegated for justice and fairness. Since it is a reward for soldiers, why send a patrol According to the censor
Qian Anxuan took the lead and said: "Master Ge must be tired after traveling so much, the posthouse has prepared thin wine..."
"No need, colleagues, please accept the order first." Ge Zhong stretched out his hand, and the entourage immediately presented the imperial order with both hands respectfully.
All the officials will quickly kneel down.
Ge Zhong spread out the imperial decree, and Lang Sheng read: "The foundation of the world is for the prosperity of the people. I bow to forgive the benevolent and benevolent, to put an end to disasters and chaos, to control the military of the barbarians, and to revise rituals and music to uphold the constitution. It cannot be said that it is not true. Yes. However, the barbarians betrayed their faith and broke the alliance, and messed up our territory. Therefore, barbarians and Xia have debates, and their nature is also a beast. Han Zhaoxing, the chief soldier of the Liaodong Prefecture, guarded the border for seven years, organized the army and ruled the system. Ning, withdraw the Jurchen Yi tribe for thousands of miles, save the common people, and revive my great power, the merits make up for the mistakes, and this is a special gift... "
Yuan Sikong listened to Ge Zhong's voice in a daze, and even doubted his own ears.
"Second, second brother?" Yuan Nanyu pushed Yuan Sikong hard, "What's the matter with this man? Why did the emperor reward Han Zhaoxing? He didn't do anything except defeat the battle."
Yuan Sikong pricked up his ears and listened carefully to Ge Zhong reading the emperor's rewards. He had already read about Chen Yulong, Hu Baicheng, and Liang Huiyong, but he didn't hear Yuan Mao's name.
Yuan Mao knelt on the ground, couldn't see his expression clearly, but his stiff back clearly expressed his doubts.
Yuan Nanyu was in a hurry: "Where's dad? The credits this man said are all from dad, how could it be Han Zhaoxing's?!"
Yuan Sikong tried his best to smooth the air, and said with difficulty, "... Maybe, father is the most credited, so I will read it at the end."
Yuan Nanyu was dubious: "Really, that's the best..."
Ge Zhong finished reading a long list of rewards, but from the beginning to the end, the names of Yuan Mao and Yuan Shaoxu did not appear. He closed the imperial decree and said loudly: "Where is the Qianhu Yuanmao guarding Guangning?"
"Ah, it's daddy's time!" Yuan Nanyu slapped the wall excitedly.
Yuan Sikong couldn't laugh, but seeing that Ge Zhong kept a cold face, how could he seem to be announcing the award
"My minister is here." Yuan Mao said in a deep voice.
"Ge Mou, under the order of the Holy One, supervised the case of Yuanmao, a thousand households guarding Guangning, arbitrarily arbitrarily arbitrarily in power, killing soldiers, and murdering Li Boyun, the governor of Liaodong. Come and take Yuanmao down!"
a bolt from the blue!
Yuan Mao raised his head suddenly, his face was ashamed.
"What?" Yuan Shaoxu's voice trembled unbearably, "My lord, what is the crime? My father was wronged!"
Yuan Sikong's heart was like being hit by a boulder flying across, and he forgot to breathe for a moment.
The officers and men of Guangning also panicked, shouting in confusion: "Lord Ge, this must be a misunderstanding."
"Master Ge, Master Yuan must have been wronged..."
Ge Zhong shouted: "Take this man down!"
The guards on the two wings were all from Guangning, they looked at each other and hesitated.
Ge Zhong said angrily: "What? Are you going to resist the decree? It seems that on the border of Guangning, the imperial decree is not as effective as Yuanmao."
The guards were so frightened that their faces turned pale, so they had no choice but to step forward and tie Yuanmao.
Han Zhaoxing stood aside, with a face of nothing to do with him, but his brows were slightly raised, and his eyes were filled with insidiousness.
Yuan Mao had already calmed down, he looked deeply at Ge Zhong, and said in a hoarse voice: "My lord, where did the crime of being a low official come from?"
"I'll let you know soon." Ge Zhongdao, "lock it up first."
"Second brother..." Yuan Nanyu cried in fright, he grabbed Yuan Sikong's hand vigorously, "Second brother, what's the matter? Why was father arrested? Didn't Master Li die heroically? How could father murder him? he!"
Yuan Sikong tremblingly said: "Father... Father was wronged, Father..." The huge fear completely swallowed him like an irreversible night, and his mind was completely confused. Not to mention arrogance and arbitrariness, the two crimes of killing soldiers and murdering officials of the imperial court are actually a serious crime of beheading!
"I know, my father must have been wronged, what should I do?" Yuan Nanyu cried, "What should I do with my second brother?"
"I..." Yuan Sikong felt his head was hot and confused, he slapped himself twice hard, his cheeks swelled immediately, and he was a little awake, he stared at Yuan Nanyu with red eyes, "Father was killed by someone Framed, it must be Han Zhaoxing. Let's go to elder brother, and Mr. Qian... also find a way to meet dad..."
Yuan Nanyu wiped away tears vigorously, and pulled Yuan Sikong up: "Second brother, let's go."
The two of them ran down the city wall and ran to Yuanmao's mansion, where they found Yuan Shaoxu and a room full of Guangning officials and generals, who were obviously making suggestions for Yuanmao's affairs.
"How could Mr. Yuan be framed like this? That day Mr. Li was going to envoy the Jin army camp himself, and we were all there."
"Yeah, we are all here, we can all testify, how did Lord Yuan become the murderer of Lord Li?"
"That's right, Lord Li gave the soldier talisman to Lord Yuan. Where did the word 'killing Duo' come from? It's bloody!"
"Hey, what's the use of you talking here, the key is to believe the Lord Xunguan."
Yuan Sikong looked around and saw Yuan Shaoxu sitting in a chair in the corner, holding his head in his hands, without saying a word, he and Yuan Nanyu ran over and shouted anxiously, "Brother."
Yuan Shaoxu raised his face. He was originally a teenager, but now he was depressed and his eyes were dim.
Yuan Nanyu sniffed: "Brother, is dad locked up? What should we do?"
Yuan Shaoxu said wearily: "I'm trying to figure out a way, don't get in the way here, go home and stay with mother, don't let mother know."
Yuan Sikong begged, "Brother, what can Kong'er do?"
Yuan Shaoxu said coldly: "You can't do anything, go back."
"Brother..."
"Master Qian, Master Qian is back!"
Yuan Shaoxu got up to meet him, and said anxiously: "Master Qian, what news have you heard?"
Qian Anxuan sighed: "Oh, Mr. Ge revealed to me that he has a secret letter written by Mr. Li himself to a friend in his hand. In the letter, he scolded Yuan Mao for coercing him, taking away the soldier talisman, and forcing him to go to the Jinying to die. For the safety of his family in Guangning, he can only..."
Yuan Si trembled from the air: "Nonsense!"
Everyone also shouted: "Impossible. You and I both know how Mr. Yuan is. At that time, Guangning was in danger, and the city would be destroyed at any time. What's the use of him taking the soldier talisman that can only dispatch 3,000 people?"
"Yeah, this is clearly a frame-up. Who is so vicious?"
"Do you still need to ask? Master Yuan who is most dissatisfied with taking the military talisman, it must be that..."
Before the man could speak, his colleagues covered his mouth: "Master Yuan has learned from the past, so you can shut up."
Qian Anxuan sighed again and again: "I don't believe that Yuan Mao would do such a thing. Mr. Ge is going to start investigating the case today, and he has ordered people to bring letters from Mr. Li's house for handwriting comparison, and he will have to interrogate himself later. Yuanmao, this matter... is troublesome."
Yuan Sikong clenched his fists tightly, bleeding from hatred for Han Zhaoxing in his heart. Han Zhaoxing must have set up a scheme to frame Yuanmao to avenge Yuanmao's seizure of power, and also to grab credit. This idiot who lost Qingzhou, Liaobei, and Huangshui can still survive in the world. God has no eyes!
Yuan Shaoxu knelt down on the ground, choked up and said, "Master Qian, please save my father."
"Master Qian, you must save Lord Ji Yuan."
A few months ago, the prefect of Liaodong at that time became official due to illness, and the imperial court had not yet appointed a new prefect. For the time being, Li Boyun, the governor, was appointed as the prefect. Now that Li Boyun was martyred, Qian Anyu, the prefect of Guangning, can be regarded as the most powerful civil official in Liaodong. , and the only one who can speak up.
Qian Anrong helped Yuan Shaoxu up from the ground: "Shaoxu, I am an official from the same hometown as your father. We have been friends for many years and will definitely help each other. I believe in his character. We will definitely find a way to clear his grievances." !"
"Yes! We must not let the thieves harm Mr. Yuan!"
Yuan Sikong held Yuan Nanyu's hand tightly. In the cold winter, their palms were full of sweat. He whispered to Yuan Nanyu's ear and comforted him, "Yu'er, don't worry, we will definitely rescue Dad. "
Yuan Nanyu stared at his red eyes, and nodded vigorously: "Father is a good man and a loyal minister, Lord Yushi will definitely investigate thoroughly."
Yuan Sikong's lips trembled slightly, and his heart sank like lead, almost exhausting all his strength.
He was afraid, he hated, he was angry, but he felt even more at a loss, seeing the adults in the room were all struggling, what... what could he do
No, no matter what you do, Dad, I will definitely rescue you!