The administrative region of Datang is divided into four levels: prefectures, counties, townships, and villages. The terrain to the east of Mount Tai is generally flat, and Qingzhou, where Pinglu Prefecture is located, is even more fertile and wild. The farmland outside the city is densely covered with rice paddies, and the cottages in each township and li are very dense.
The common people work at sunrise and rest at sunset. In recent years, it has always been a scene of busy farming on weekdays. The laboring people go out with hoes and hoes. In autumn, the harvest will ensure that they have enough food and clothing throughout the year.
But now, the farmlands outside Qingzhou City have been completely changed. The crops that are growing well have been trampled and destroyed, and they are no longer different from weeds.
Within a radius of tens of miles, apart from the armored soldiers with knives and the rangers galloping back and forth, the most eye-catching thing is the barracks stretching for more than ten miles.
That was the Xuanwu Army's barracks.
The Xuanwu Army had just arrived outside Qingzhou City, and although they were still preparing to attack the city, they were within their control for dozens of miles around. No matter the road or the important place, there is no sign of the Pinglu army.
The huge state city has become an isolated island, and it is necessary to face powerful enemies with weak strength alone.
In front of the city tower, several officials and generals gathered in one place, watching the Xuanwu army's camp in full swing - they were rushing to make siege equipment there.
Qingzhou officials will be centered on a civil official. This middle-aged man with broad eyebrows is now the highest-ranking person here. He was once attacked by King An of Hedong. power.
Cui Keli, secretary of the Jiedushi's mansion.
At this moment, Cui Keli was frowning slightly.
He has always been unsmiling, and he seems a bit too strict. Maybe he always has some worries in his heart about the world, and such worries are too big, especially in this chaotic world, so the burden on his shoulders is always It's heavy, it's hard to catch your breath, and it's hard to relax.
"Xuanwu's army claims to be 200,000, but in fact it is only 100,000. But now the entire Pinglu has only 20,000 to 30,000 defenders. Qingzhou is the place where the state is located, defense is the most important thing, but there are only 8,000 brave men .Eight thousand against one hundred thousand, the soldiers need one against ten."
The one who spoke was Qingzhou Guard General Wang Zhi, a burly man in his heyday, who came from the royal family of Qingzhou.
After Li Ye first entered Pinglu to subdue the major families in Qingzhou, this veteran general was not taken seriously at first, and then he was gradually recognized by Li Ye for his talent and entrusted him with important tasks.
Cui Keli knew the meaning of Wang Zhi's words: Qingzhou City is not easy to defend.
Of course it's not easy to keep.
Bianzhou was not close to Qingzhou, and the Xuanwu army sent troops to attack. All the towns, states and counties along the way were closed, and no one came forward to stop them, allowing the Xuanwu army to pass by.
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One hundred thousand soldiers and horses were able to drive straight in, which in itself explains a lot of problems.
It's not that the governors of the feudal towns and chief officials of prefectures and counties are no longer afraid of King An's power, but are facing the danger of their lives given by the great monk.
Cui Keli responded: "I have sent orders to the states to send troops to help. Later, I will arrange manpower, organize the young and strong in the city to help defend, and at the same time recruit all the big and small families and monks from the rivers and lakes, and let them go to the city to help the defenders. The general only needs to stick to it for three days, and I can guarantee that I will give you two thousand monks and thirty thousand young adults."
This is not a discussion, but an order. Wang Zhi clasped his fists to promise, and his spirits lifted a little: "With the help of the secretary in charge, Qingzhou can fight. Within three days, even if the last general dies in battle, he will never release a single enemy soldier." Enter the city!"
Cui Keli nodded: "Then there is General Lao."
Wang Zhi led the generals to inspect the city defense, but Cui Keli was still on the tower.
At this time, there was only one person left beside him, a young Confucian scholar dressed in a cloth shirt, with an elegant temperament and a refined demeanor.
Seeing that there were no other people around, the young Confucian scholar chuckled and said, "One hundred thousand troops besieging the city will inevitably control the main roads to block the reinforcements, and no matter how many young and strong people there are in the city, they cannot be compared with the elite soldiers. It is not an opponent in the regular battle formation of the army. Qingzhou City has become an isolated island, and it is not an easy task to face a strong enemy with a weak force."
Cui Keli should be very familiar with this strange man. After hearing what the other person said, he didn't even look back at him. "There are few easy things in the world."
Confucian scholar said: "Then senior brother is lucky, because there happens to be one right now."
Cui Keli: "Oh? Why didn't I find out."
Confucian scholar: "Senior brother is knowledgeable and resourceful. You should always know that the opposite of any difficult thing corresponds to an easy thing."
Cui Keli: "Easy things are always boring to do." Confucian scholars: "But some things are not easy, and you will die if you do them."
Cui Keli: "The battle in Qingzhou was indeed extremely dangerous before King An's return, but as long as King An returns to help, the offense and defense will be easier to carry out, and the difficulty will be reversed."
Confucian scholar: "I'm afraid that Qingzhou City will not be able to support King An's return."
Cui Keli: "If you don't try your best, how will you know the result?"
Confucian student: "Brother, don't you know that a wise man should have foresight?"
Cui Keli sneered, the patience on his face was exhausted, he looked back at his fellow apprentice, his tone was no longer kind: "For the sake of fellow disciples, this time I will allow you to leave alive. "
The Confucian scholar still said with a smile: "Brother's tone of voice is not kind to fellow disciples."
Trekley: "I've never been kind to my enemies."
The smile on Confucian scholar's face finally disappeared, and his voice became low: "Brother, do you think I'm Zhu Wen's lobbyist?"
Cui Keli said coldly: "Isn't it?"
The Confucian scholar shook his head, and said seriously, "I came back to Qingzhou this time under the orders of my master."
Cui Keli was slightly taken aback. The other party's previous words meant that he should abandon the defense of Qingzhou City. Of course, this was in Zhu Wen's favor. And he knew his junior brother very well, and the other party would never lie about this kind of matter.
He asked in a deep voice, "What do you want, sir?"
The Confucian scholar said: "Brothers should know the ambition of the master, because it has never changed - to help the world, to solve the downside of the people, and to seek the well-being of the common people."
Cui Keli: "Confucian scholars all have such ambitions. But there is more than one way to achieve ambitions. Aspirations do not represent choices."
Confucian student: "Does brother think that Confucianism chose Zhu Wen?"
Cui Keli: "It's not important."
Confucian scholar: "What is important?"
Cui Keli: "The important thing is that Confucianism did not choose King An."
Confucian scholar shook his head: "On the contrary, I don't think it's important."
Cui Keli: "The important thing is that I have chosen King An!"
The Confucian student was stunned, and then said coldly: "Brother, do you want to disobey Mr.? Do you not respect the order of Confucianism? Brother, you want to betray the teacher and become a rebellious person?"
Cui Keli sneered continuously: "I'm curious, why do you think Mr. An is not worth choosing?"
The Confucian scholar lowered his brows and narrowed his eyes, and his voice was sharp: "What Confucianism wants is to assist the new emperor to achieve the great cause of the real dragon. Now that the fortune of the Tang Dynasty has dissipated, King An is doomed to be unable to realize the ambition of ZTE. Wouldn't it be self-destruction to follow him? "
"Nonsense!" Cui Ke lied on the Buddha's sleeve and turned angrily. He looked at the Xuanwu Army camp outside the city, his brows and eyes gradually covered with frost. He paused for a moment, "It seems that outside of King An and Zhu Wen , Mister already has his own choice."
Confucianism said: "Of course Confucianism will make its own choice, which is the most suitable choice for Confucianism!"
Cui Keli sneered and said, "So you persuade me to give up Qingzhou because you want to harm King An."
Confucian physiology should say: "Although King An is destined to be unable to rejuvenate the country, he is the most powerful right now. Confucianism needs King An's foundation to be destroyed and the north to fall into chaos again. In this way, the princes chosen by Confucianism will have enough time Gather the crowd."
Cui Keli: "So you would rather the people in the north suffer from wars and wars in troubled times again?"
The Confucian scholar said: "Compared to the succession of a foolish king and unkind governance, it will bring disasters to the people of the world. Temporary pain is naturally acceptable and the price that must be paid. Brothers should understand."
Cui Keli nodded: "Then why don't you leave?"
The Confucian scholar was stunned: "What do you mean, brother?"
Cui Keli: "If the way is different, don't conspire with each other."
The Confucian scholar was finally angry, and he couldn't help asking: "Brother, do you really want to be rebellious, betray Mr., and Confucianism? Brother chooses the one who is bound to be defeated, so you are not afraid of death?!"
Faced with such questioning, the frost on Cui Keli's brows gradually dissipated, because his eyes had moved from the Xuanwu Army camp to the destroyed crops and burning cottages, and his eyes were gradually filled with sorrow and pain. flooded.
His heart was not calm, but his voice was steady, and he said: "There is never more than one road to the end. In troubled times, from Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoist soldiers, monks and scholars, everyone faces a choice. There are many more choices in the prosperous age. Maybe life is a choice, and I have made my own choice. In the next life, there is only one thing to do, and that is to persevere."
His eyes are gradually far away, his voice is gradually deep, revealing the strength of vicissitudes, and the wisdom of wisdom: "Maybe my body can't reach the end, maybe my ambition will be lost in the middle, maybe I can't go even if I am exhausted. Going out of the dark night, doomed not to see the rainbow after the storm, will fall on the muddy road, and can only be a person who died on the road."
"However, there are more than tens of millions of people with lofty ideals in the world. Most of them will never reach the end of their lives and their aspirations will not be realized. Even when they die, they can only be unknown. Without a majestic and tragic back, no one will Remember their names, and their heroism in throwing their heads and blood will not be recorded in the history. However, this is the real history, the history of ordinary people hidden under the glorious names and achievements."
"I, Cui Keli, am only seven feet tall. Maybe I don't have God's favor, maybe I don't have anyone to help me, but I am willing to fall on the road, as long as I am on the road. The road is in front of me, the sky is full of fog, even if there are countless thorns, even if there are tens of millions People blocked me, and I went forward. I, the Confucian scholars, did not seek to prove the Dao, but only to die in pursuit of the Dao.”
Cui Keli turned around again and looked seriously at the junior in front of him, this outstanding Confucian talent, "In the Spring and Autumn and Warring States period, a hundred schools of thought contended, and since the Han Dynasty, a hundred schools of thought converged and merged with each other. Today, there are only three schools of Confucianism, Taoism and soldiers. I Confucian scholars are no longer pure disciples of sages. They have also learned the art of vertical and horizontal, and also understand the struggle for power. There are thousands of roads to the end, and we must always choose the one that is easy to reach. This is understandable. .”
"But for me, Cui Keli, I am standing here today, so I have the responsibility on my shoulders to protect the millions of people in the five states of Pinglu and let them live and work in peace and contentment. This is a mission I cannot give up. Since ancient times, dynasties have alternated , Xing, the people are suffering, death, the people are suffering, the people of Pinglu live and work in peace and contentment is hard-won, I can't let it disappear."
"Go back and tell your husband that I, Cui Keli, have chosen my own lord. Whether he succeeds or fails, I will follow him for life. If he succeeds, I will rule the world. If he fails, I will rule the five states of Pinglu. death, I will bury his bones with him in this land where we have shed blood and tears!"
The Confucian scholar was speechless, staring at Cui Keli for a long time.
When Cui Keli said these words, his tone was steady and not very loud, but these words fell on the Confucian scholar's heart, but they set off a stormy sea, no different from the night rain.
His name is Zhang Zhongsheng, and he is one of the leading scholars of Confucianism.
The establishment of Confucianism has always been said that there are four sages, eight heroes and seventy-two outstanding people, which symbolizes the inheritance of Confucianism.
Cui Keli and Zhang Zhongsheng used to study at the same class, and worshiped under Wang Zaifeng, one of the four sages. Because of their outstanding talents and learning, they were both on the list of seventy-two scholars when they graduated.
The two were inseparable when they were studying, and they actually had a close friendship.
After a long time, Zhang Zhongsheng sighed and bowed his hands to Cui Keli, "Senior brother, since he has made up his mind, Zhongsheng has no other choice. Originally, this trip was ordered by Mr., and he thought it would be easy to achieve his goal, but he didn't want time to change. Now People are different."
He stood up straight, with a bitter smile on his face: "In the past, when you finished your studies and went down the mountain, I sent you to the mountain gate. I once joked that the school house is very good, and there are many right and wrong in the world. He took the diametrically opposite path, and became a stranger in front of the vulgar wealth and power. I never thought that the jokes in the past became prophecies."
Zhang Zhongsheng took out a greeting card from his sleeve, and handed it to Cui Keli with both hands, his mood was waning and his expression was gloomy, "On the sixth day of June, in Yangzhou City by the banks of the great river, Mr. and other three sages will comment on the Confucian scholars all over the world. List of outstanding seventy-two outstanding figures. This is a grand event of our sect, and scholars from all over the world will rush to go there, and I hope that the brothers can find time to go south."
Cui Keli took the post and was silent for a moment, "If you can get away, you should go."
Zhang Zhongsheng saluted again: "Brother, please leave now."
Cui Keli returned the gift: "Junior brother cherishes it."
When Zhang Zhongsheng walked down the tower and his back disappeared at the end of the long street, Cui Keli clearly felt that the world was impermanent. The two classmates who used to be drunk and sang songs countless times and fell asleep on their feet are drifting away in this chaotic world.
He retracted his gaze, turned around and faced the army outside the city again.
The sun was shining today, and the surrounding fields were lonely. In this isolated city, Cui Keli was at the end of the long sky, seeing the turmoil of the whole world. Countless people are running ups and downs in it, crying or laughing.
But the Qingzhou under his feet was shrouded in black clouds like destroying the city, and was being coveted by countless people with different thoughts.
When he was studying in the past years, he wanted to stand upright and use his shoulders to prop up a sunny day for the people of the world. When he walked down from the mountain gate, he walked towards the world, and now, he walked to Qingzhou City. Facing 100,000 enemy troops at this moment, he will use his seven-foot body and blood to defend this ancient city full of hope from countless people.
He walked on the road, and he might die on the road.