In Xuzhou, Qin Zongquan, the envoy of the Zhongwu Army Jiedu, stood at the top of the city, looking at the iron armored formation stretching like the sea outside the city, with a terrified expression on his face.
The siege of the city was naturally Xuanwu Jiedu envoy Zhu Wen's soldiers and horses. In just ten months, Zhu Wen's troops had expanded from 100,000 to more than 600,000. The Xuanwu Army did not expand too much, and the other soldiers came from the feudal towns that Zhu Wen conquered.
Now Zhu Wen is armed with 400,000 soldiers and is aggressively attacking Xuzhou. When Qin Zongquan heard the news, he didn't even have the courage to lead the Zhongwu Army to fight. He just ordered to shrink his troops, abandoned all the counties in the north, and gathered the main force to stick to Xuzhou City for help.
At this moment, Qin Zongquan's eyes fell on the front of the army outside the city. There is a battle formation over there, the number of people is only five hundred, but it has the potential to swallow the world. Whether it is Qin Zongquan or the soldiers of the Zhongwu Army, they can feel the mountainous pressure on their shoulders without feeling too much.
Those five hundred armored men in white clothes were more snowy, wearing silver armor and holding spears, all of them were floating in mid-air, standing higher than the city wall of Xuzhou.
"That's the Taoist soldiers that Zhu Wen relied on to sweep away the various feudal towns?" Wu Gou lowered his eyes and said in a heavy voice, "How can ordinary soldiers stand against five hundred cultivators in the Realm Realm, wearing talisman armor and holding magic weapons?"
Qin Zongquan's expression was not only chilling, but also full of anxiety. Hearing Wu Gou's words, his voice was a little cold: "Since ancient times, mortal princes have competed in the Central Plains. Although many monks participated in it, there are also many reincarnated immortals. There is no way to deceive the enemy's leading generals and the will of the lord, so as to achieve a big victory. But such a situation where the Immortal Army Corps directly descends to the realm is unheard of! If the war is fought like this, what kind of deer will the princes of the world be chasing directly? It’s already been a long time since I took refuge in the Taoist sect!”
Wu Gou's eyes changed: "It's not without reason that the Daoist sect has controlled the orthodoxy of the world for so many years... It's not that there was no Daoist soldiers before they descended to the realm. The last time was when the chaos at the end of the Qin Dynasty. At that time, the elite army of the Great Qin Dynasty came to an end not long ago. , the combat power is still at its peak, it can be said that it is invincible, and there is no enemy in the world. If it weren't for the immortals who bewitched the minds of the important officials in the court and sent Taoist soldiers to the lower realms, those elite troops led by famous military generals would have wiped out the chaotic army long ago ... "
Qin Zongquan slammed his fist on the female wall, his eyes gradually turned red, and he gritted his teeth and said, "It's useless to say these things now, when will His Highness' reinforcements arrive?"
As early as when Li Ye pacified Hedong, Qin Zongquan ordered Wu Gou to meet Li Ye in Hedong, seeking an alliance to deal with Zhu Wen who was supported by Taoism.
At that time, Li Ye had a tough attitude and refused to agree to the alliance. Instead, he let the Zhongwu Army unilaterally obey orders. Qin Zongquan was still angry.
At any rate, Qin Zongquan didn't break his face with Li Ye, and completely rejected Li Ye's order, which preserved the possibility of cooperation between the two parties.
This time Zhu Wen swept across the Central Plains and sent troops to attack Xuzhou. Qin Zongquan sent people to Pinglu for help early on, hoping that the Pinglu army could take action.
In the whole world, only Pinglu, who also has the Great Brotherhood, can deal with Zhu Wen and save the Zhongwu Army.
Wu Gou said: "The envoy has already been sent out, and should have returned long ago. The reason why there is no news yet is probably because His Highness is also considering..."
In Wu Gou's view, Li Ye absolutely had no reason not to support the Zhongwu Army. Once the Zhongwu Army is destroyed, Zhu Wen will not have a worthy opponent in the Central Plains. At that time, the borders from the Yellow River in the north, the Huaihe River in the south, the sea in the east, and Tongguan in the west will all fall into the hands of Zhu Wen.
The Central Plains has been prosperous since ancient times and has a large population. Although the wealth of Huainan has surpassed that of the Central Plains, in terms of population, the Central Plains is still the largest. If Zhu and Wen are allowed to completely occupy the Central Plains, it will be the foundation of the real great cause.
...
Pinglu, Qingzhou City.
The government affairs hall of Prince An's Mansion was already full of people, the main seat was empty, Cui Keli sat in the lower seat, followed by Liu Dazheng, Shangguan Qingcheng and other generals. Now Cui Keli is presiding over the discussion, and what everyone is discussing right now is whether or not to send troops to rescue Xu Zhou, and how to do so.
When Li Ye was not in Pinglu, usually Cui Keli was in charge of the government, Liu Dazheng was in charge of the army, and when there were major issues, everyone would discuss together.
"Zhu Wen swept across the towns in the Central Plains. The rescue letters we received were not once or twice. The reason why we didn't send troops before was nothing more than fear of those immortal Taoist soldiers. Now the Taoist soldiers are not damaged. If the monster monks leave Pinglu, if Zhu Wen sneaks in, Pinglu will be in danger."
It was Liu Dazheng who was speaking, and his words were fairly straight-forward, "And Pinglu's immediate priority is to stabilize the north, manage the various feudal towns well, and establish His Highness' authority in the north. This is also the plan that His Highness made before he left. So this It will be the same sentence, before His Highness returns, the Pinglu army will not be involved in the war in the Central Plains."
Cui Keli pondered for a moment, and then slowly opened his mouth: "If the Zhongwu Army is not rescued, then Zhu Wen will have the entire Central Plains. If His Highness does not return in time, Zhu Wen will send troops from 'Henan' to attack Pinglu and 'Hebei', and we will There's no way to deal with it."
The opinions of the two basically represented the opinions of the officials. The opinions of the officials present were divided into two factions. They argued for a long time without any result. The same is true today.
After the discussion was over, only Cui Keli, Liu Dazheng, and Shangguan Qingcheng were left in the hall.
At this time, Cui Keli was able to express his thoughts without fear. He sighed and said with emotion: "The world is fighting, after all, it is the people of the world. If you want to join in, is this still a world war in the mortal world?"
"Although there are monks in the mortal world, they are very few after all, and there are very few real people. In front of the monks of the fairy court and the powers of the monster race, how are all living beings different from ants? A single shot from the fairyland can destroy a city, let the One hundred thousand people turned into dust, is this still a great war in the world?"
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After he finished speaking, Liu Dazheng and Shangguan Qingcheng remained silent.
At this time, a loud voice came from outside the door: "This chaotic world is no longer just a chaotic world, but a catastrophe of heaven and earth. What is a catastrophe? Chaos. Life is immortal and heavy, what is it called chaos? Immortals It was originally one, and this catastrophe swept the world, which is also the meaning in the title."
Cui Keli and the others looked out the door, but they didn't see anyone, but there was no strange expression on their faces.
It was Hong Haier who was talking. When they were discussing matters, the other party was also listening in, but they didn't show up to participate in the debate.
Cui Keli frowned and said, "Immortals and mortals are one, but immortals and mortals cannot be separated! In fact, I have never believed that mortal affairs should be mixed and decided by immortals. Since immortals don't care about making clouds and rain, and benefiting Common people, then mortal things should be done by mortals, and immortals just care about the fairy world. In troubled times, what is the matter with the immortal court intervening in the great battle? The unity of immortals and mortals is not a good thing in the first place. What God's will, public opinion is enough!"
Hong Hai'er smiled and said, "It's useless for you to tell me about this, the current situation is like this, do you still want to change it?"
Cui Keli lowered his eyebrows, and said seriously: "In the final analysis, this is the situation of the Taoist sect, not my Confucian sect! It's not even the common people of the world!"
Hong Hai'er didn't speak any more, and seemed to be lost in thought.
At the end, before Cui Keli got up, he said to Shangguan Qingcheng and Liu Dazheng: "I also invite the two generals to prepare for the battle, in case of emergencies."
"It's natural." Liu Dazheng said, "It doesn't matter whether the Pinglu Army is going to fight or not, it's necessary."
After leaving the palace, Cui Keli didn't go back to the official office, nor did he go back to the mansion, but came to an academy in the east of the city.
This academy was proposed by Cui Keli and built after Li Ye's approval. Compared with private schools, it has a larger scale and now has 3,000 students. Compared with Tai Academy, it accepts a wider source of disciples, including both officials and civilians.
According to the curriculum of the academy, every five days, there is time for Cui Keli to teach. No matter how busy he is with political affairs, he will come on time when the time comes.
The room where Cui Keli taught had only thirty desks, but there were hundreds of people attending the lecture. Not only the corridor outside the house, but also the yard was crowded, even the walls of the yard were covered with disciples. This is very unusual for Confucian students who have always valued etiquette.
Fortunately, Cui Keli was a scribe, so he didn't have to worry about people not hearing what he said.
After the lecture, when Cui Keli left the academy, it was already sunset.
A scholar stood outside the academy.
The setting sun cast his shadow long on the street.
"Brother, Yangzhou Literary Society, sir, together with the other three sages, commented on Confucian scholars all over the world, and then made a list of the seventy-two outstanding figures. Are you sure you don't want to go?" Zhang Zhongsheng asked with his hands clasped, his brows not without anger.
He had already left Pinglu, but now that June was approaching, Cui Keli, who had promised to go to Yangzhou earlier, suddenly said that he did not plan to go south, so he came to inquire angrily.
Cui Keli shook his head: "The situation in the Central Plains is changing, and Pinglu's political affairs are complicated. Being a brother is really inseparable."
Hearing this, Zhang Zhongsheng's eyes became more angry, so that his voice suddenly became louder: "Senior brother, as a Confucian disciple, you should know that this Wenhui is a grand event of Confucianism! With the talent of senior brother, after these years of precipitation, It may not be impossible to be included in the list of the Eight Heroes. When the time comes, the name will be spread all over the world, respected by scholars all over the world, and praised by future scholars, isn't it more important than mere common affairs?!"
Cui Keli was silent. He knew very well that if he didn't go to Yangzhou, not to mention being ranked among the eight outstanding, maybe even the status of the seventy-two elite would no longer exist.
Yangzhou is where the Huainan Jiedu Envoy governs the state. The current Huainan Jiedu Envoy Gao Pian has conquered most of Huainan's vassals and towns. The Confucian school held a literary meeting in Yangzhou to judge scholars from all over the world. It may not be that there is no intention to win over talents for Gao Pian's use.
In other words, Huainan Gao Pian was the last prince chosen by Confucianism.
Cui Keli didn't answer Zhang Zhongsheng's question directly. He turned around and looked at the plaque of the academy, and asked Zhang Zhongsheng: "Do you know why you want to run this academy for your brother?"
Zhang Zhongsheng didn't expect the other party to mention this suddenly, he was slightly taken aback, but also curious: "Why?"
Cui Keli, who was bathed in the sunset light, had a strange brilliance in his eyes, "Everyone says that Confucian scholars are useless in troubled times, and have no virtue in prosperous times. In troubled times, military strategists are prominent, and scholars don't know how to fight. They can only handle the head and tail for the military strategists, and their status is humble; in every prosperous age, scholars enter the court, but they are busy suppressing the military strategists, fighting for power and profit, or flattering the superiors, or seeking fame in the history."
"So people with lofty ideals all laughed at Confucianism, saying that since a hundred schools of thought contended, Confucianism has become the most unrecognizable, and it has simply forgotten its ancestors. The former people and nobles lightly sacrificed their lives for righteousness, and became monarchs and ministers. 'This kind of thing can be said... . . . "
He turned around and looked at Zhang Zhongsheng: "Yangzhou Literary Society, in the final analysis, is just a talk. Even if the so-called eight heroes and seventy-two talents can be bestowed with the holy artifacts of our sect, the power of the article's enlightenment will be greatly increased. More people are 'loyal to the emperor', but in my eyes, Cui Keli, this is no more important than a decree that can solve the autumn harvest problem of a village!"
Zhang Zhongsheng's face darkened: "Brother thinks so?"
He obviously disagreed with the other party's conclusion.
Cui Keli didn't argue with Zhang Zhongsheng, but looked up at the plaque in the academy again, and said slowly: "All the princes believe that in troubled times, it is not necessary to use Confucian scholars, because it is more important to understand the way of the battlefield, and to know how to farm and fight. Wait until the world is peaceful, and then use scholars." It is enough for the son to govern the country and study. Therefore, in the era when a hundred schools of thought contended, our Confucianism did not make much achievements, and it was not until Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty that it began to truly show itself in the world."
"However, scholars don't go to the battlefield in troubled times, they don't go to the border in prosperous times, they haven't seen the bloodshed in the desert, and they haven't seen the bones of the dead in troubled times. They will forget why the world needs great order, and why scholars want to enter the imperial court!"
"The Confucian scholars I want are not Confucian scholars like this. The scholars I want are those who can do something in troubled times, and can do more in prosperous times. They can not only calm the world, but also govern the world! There are such scholars in the world. , Troubled times can be peaceful, prosperous times can be governed, and the affairs of the world can be truly managed!"
"In this way, the people of the world will not go to burn incense and pray to Buddha and seek the protection of immortals because they are disappointed with the current situation, because they are overwhelmed by hard life, or because they are uneducated and ignorant!"
"If this world is really prosperous, there should be no incense in temples and Taoist temples, and there should be no need for immortals to exist!
"Immortals don't die, and the world is ruined! A true scholar should return the world to the common people, give thousands of blessings to the people, offer incense and fire, and kill the immortals in the sky!"
"Building a heart for the world, establishing a life for the people, inheriting the knowledge of the past, and bringing peace to all generations, this is what a scholar should do! This is the reason why I, Cui Keli, opened this academy!"
The sound of these words is like a golden spear, even better than a thunderous sound, and the lingering sound lingers on for a long time.
The voice fell, but Cui Keli didn't look back.
His figure is not stalwart, but there is brilliance on his shoulders.
Zhang Zhongsheng fell silent, thoughtful.
After a while, he woke up with a startled start, looked at Cui Keli with a look of intense horror, and cried out: "You... no wonder you didn't go to the Yangzhou Cultural Association, so... so you I want to set up another sect and form my own school of Confucianism!"
Cui Keli flicked his sleeves and snorted coldly: "Why not?"
Zhang Zhongsheng was speechless.
Because he discovered a more terrifying fact.
Cui Keli has a golden glow on his body.
He thought it was sunset light.
And now he found that it wasn't.
He took three steps back, pointed at Cui Keli, and said, "Wen... Wen Sheng! You... You are going to achieve the realm of Wen Sheng?! How is this possible!"
Cui Keli did not answer.
He just stared at the plaque in the academy.
That was his ambition and hope, the Tao to which he could die.
Academy name: Gentleman Hall.