〖In July of the 22nd year of Xiande, Dayong sent envoys to seek peace. The monarchs and ministers of Southern Chu were quite afraid to fight, Xu Zhi, and there were people in the court and people who praised the lord of the kingdom, broke the middle of Shu, rejected Dayong, and accepted the throne of Jin emperor. The Lord was confused by the words, and believed what the King of Qi said that day, so he promised that he would be promoted to the emperor on the first day of the eighth lunar month, and he would go up to Dayong, wishing to be the country of brothers. At that time, the wise men in the DPRK came to the table to persuade him, and the lord of the country was angry and rebuked a lot, and Jiang Zhe was also among them. First, Jiang Zhe wrote the "Book of Remonstrance on the Throne of the Jin Emperor". The words were deep and earnest, and the tone was passionate. He denounced the lord's injustice. The lord was furious and wanted to kill him. Punishment." The lord calmed down his anger, and said in the edict: "Forcing the order to be an official, never use it." Jiang Zhe accepted the order, or persuaded him to forbear for the time being, until the camera persuaded the lord to take back the order. Jiang Zhe only said: "Thunder, rain and dew All are the kindness of the king." He retreated calmly, and everyone respected him.
— "The History of Chu in the Southern Dynasties: The Biography of Jiang Suiyun"〗
Seeing my cold expression, Chen Zhen's expression was hesitant to speak, and I said lightly, "What do you want to say?"
Chen Zhen hesitated and said: "Sir, you have a lot of connections with Dayong, but why are you so sad about the matter of Prince De?"
I was silent for a long time before I said: "Dayong has a prosperous talent, a strong military, and has a wise ruler and worthy ministers. It can be said that the opportunity for the unification of the world lies in the development of Dayong. Although I am outstanding in southern Chu, I have cultivated in literary and neglected military affairs. , There are many people in Jiangnan who are weak and weak, and it is difficult to get rid of the abuses. I knew from the beginning that Nan Chu would die in Dayong, it was just a matter of time, so when I participated in the scientific examination, I did not plan to work hard for Nan Chu. Han Sheng, it is impossible for me to have power in Nanchu, even if I can achieve a position below one person and above ten thousand people, Nanchu is not a place where I can make great achievements, not to mention I have self-knowledge, I can't make peace, Wu can't decide a country. What I am good at is making plans and winning thousands of miles. If there is no wise ruler and worthy ministers, I can't play any role, but I am from Nanchu after all. When I met Prince De, I hoped that he could be the wise ruler in my heart, but unfortunately he was not. He was a loyal minister, not a hero. The people of Dayong, I have met King Yong and King Qi. His Royal Highness King Yong is a king, and he must be a generation of holy masters. Although His Royal Highness King Qi is a bit reckless, he is also an overlord. I have never met Prince Li An, but I want to be able to resist King Yong for a long time, then it is extraordinary. I am an ordinary person, so I always do not want to offend King Yong and King Qi, just to save my life in the future."
Chen Zhen said: "Your Excellency once offered advice to Prince De and Prince Yong respectively, but for what?"
I said lightly: "I didn't need to tell you these things, but since you are willing to serve me, then I might as well say it bluntly, I have offered advice for Prince De, and now I have achieved my goal, there is no need to talk about the strategy to break the city. Now that the strategy has seen results, why do you think it will be King Qi attacking Southern Chu this time?"
Chen Zhen thought for a while and said, "It must be Prince Li An who is worried that King Yong's credit is too great to control."
I closed my eyes and said, "That's right, I forced the King of Shu to death at the beginning, not so that Dayong could not rule Dongchuan better, but for the sake of the princess, Mrs. Jinlian. Sure enough, when Mrs. Jinlian arrived at Dayong, Emperor Yong Li Yuan loved it. Her beauty will be included in the harem. If the King of Shu is still there, Emperor Yong will not be able to do this, and King Yong will not be angry because of this. Otherwise, why do you think King Yong will be embarrassed by the attack of the prince next time? ."
Chen Zhen said doubtfully, "But I have never heard of King Yong's remonstrance."
I smiled and said, "How could King Yong remonstrate face to face on this kind of thing? Unfortunately, even the secret remonstrance will inevitably be scorned by the emperor. Prince De doesn't know what will happen next, so King Yong sent messengers to ask for advice. , I let him pretend to be poisoned and support the border gates, although the status and safety of King Yong were kept, but it also made him further away from his father and brother, this is the whole content of my alienation strategy."
Chen Zhen looked at me in surprise, and said, "My subordinates never thought that the reason for your illness would be the reason why you plan for King Yong."
I shook my head and said, "Don't admire me too much. In fact, the conflict between King Yong and Emperor Yong and the crown prince was already very sharp. I just added fuel to the fire, and King Yong's current predicament is not without benefits for him. King Yong is determined to win the throne, then the unification of Dayong will be unstoppable. All I do is to buy some time for Nanchu. If Nanchu is strong, then King Yong will have to slow down. Nanchu Gouan It is not impossible for the last two or three years, but now the lord of the country has destroyed the Great Wall by himself. After the death of Prince De, there is no more generals in Nanchu who can fight against Dayong. Rong Yuan is not enough, Lu Xin is stupid. Loyal but lacking in strategy, all the important officials in the court are short-sighted, and those with a little talent are either addicted to wine or sex, or they are hidden in the countryside, Chen Zhen, or the civil strife in Dayong. I think Southern Chu will also be out of security within a few years, but Also because of the civil strife in Dayong, I expect that there will still be some remaining forces in Southern Chu, and they will be separated from Jiangnan Shu, if Dayong wants Jiangnan to be healthy, it is impossible to get it without more than ten years.
Chen Zhen wrote down my words and asked, "So, what should we do next, my lord?"
I said lightly: "Nan Chu can't do anything anymore. After I go back, I will resign immediately, and then we will wait in Jianye. I think my chance for revenge will come soon."
Chen Zhen asked: "If it is after revenge, King Yong and King Qi are very important to the adults. If Nanchu is destroyed, I am afraid that both His Royal Highnesses will come to recruit the adults. How will the adults deal with it."
I was silent, and then said: "I thought I would be willing to take refuge in Dayong, but I found that I couldn't. After the demise of Southern Chu, I naturally hope that I can live the rest of my life in peace. If King Yong and King Qi refuse to let me go, then I have to stay away from the Central Plains. , If I am unfortunately captured by them, I will not be buried for Nanchu. After I avenge, I will temporarily hand over the power around me to you. For Dayong, my power is too small, if I am by my side , but it will be noticed, and even be covered in disaster, if it is hidden in the dark, it may save my life."
Chen Zhen hesitated for a moment and said, "Sir, why don't you let Master Li lead them."
I shook my head and said, "Xiao Shunzi is more useful around me. He is strong in martial arts and meticulous. He is my confidant and friend. If he is outside, he will not be calm enough to hide his power well."
Chen Zhen nodded convincingly and said, "Since that's the case, my subordinates obey."
When I returned to Jianye sadly, I learned that the lord really regretted it. He accepted Prince De’s posthumous form, appointed Rong Yuan as the Minister of War, guarded Xiangyang, and appointed Lu Xin as the Grand Governor. I saw that his demeanor has not diminished back then. His son, the young marquis, Lu Can, my student, is already a 21-year-old majestic boy. I heard that Lu Can has become the pioneer of Lu Xin's men over the years. Brave and tactical in combat, he was well received in the Southern Chu army. Not long after I got home, Lu Can came to visit. After all, I used to be his teacher. Lu Can excitedly told me that the art of war I taught him when I was bored back then had benefited him a lot. This time he came to ask me if I would like to continue teaching him art of war. Indifferently said: "I was just talking about soldiers on paper back then. It makes sense for the little Marquis to ask the Marquis for advice." After sending Lu Can away, I felt a pain in my heart. This student who was taught in front of me back then has become Nan Chu. The general, thinking of everything he will face in the near future, how can I not be sad? After thinking about it for a long time, I sent Chi Ji to Lu Can some army formations that I had sorted out, and told him not to talk about it to outsiders, maybe I The military formation can make him victorious several times on the battlefield, although the final result may only be more deaths, but this is his fate and Nan Chu's fate, and this is my last contribution to Nan Chu.
Not long after, someone wrote a letter saying that the lord of the country was wise and martial, and that he had broken the Shu Kingdom first in a few years, and this time he would have defeated the Yong army. In terms of his virtue and ability, he should be promoted to the emperor and compete with the Dayong Chamber. Zhao Jia's ears are too soft. After listening to it, he actually believed that he was destined to return. He forgot the blood and tear-stained last table of the Prince of De, who was forced to death by him. Persuade into the table.
After I listened to it, I originally wanted to resign first. After thinking for a long time, I wrote a chapter "Book of Remonstrance on the Throne of the Jin Emperor". As soon as I handed it over, the king was really furious. It clearly stated that although the attack on Shu was successful, the benefits of Dayong were higher than those of our country, and the strength of the two armies was also very obvious. I also mentioned that the defeat of Dayong this time was only because King Qi led the army to fight too much. Tough, Xiangyang is strong, and now that Prince De has died in the army, I have no other generals in Southern Chu who can be compared with him, and Dayong's foundation has not been damaged. Reasons to attack Nan Chu, then Nan Chu is in a loss, I am afraid that it will be difficult to resist Dayong's offensive. I rarely write my true opinion on this watch, because this is the last watch before I leave Nanchu. If the lord of the country is really willing to accept it, then I would rather dedicate all my talents to Nan Chu, even if he dies on the battlefield, he will not regret it.
Unfortunately, what I expected happened, the king was so angry that he almost sent an order to behead me immediately. Finally, I was persuaded by the servant I bought in advance through Xiao Shunzi, and I was removed from the official position. Originally, I wanted to officially resign, but in the end, I took this form to make the final gamble. Sure enough, I was dismissed from office. In this way, Nan Chu and I had no more entanglements, and the grievances and grievances were eliminated. When I listened indifferently to the chanting of the official who came to pass the decree, I almost wanted to laugh. In this case, Dayong should have no high-sounding reason to accuse me, so he can't use the reason for pardoning me. I have surrendered. The person who passed the edict was Liu Kui, who was second in the class with me. He is now obedient to the lord of the country, and he wrote this edict for the lord of the country. Full of regrets, Liu Kui said: "Brother Jiang Nian, you don't need to be depressed. Although the lord of the country said that he would never use it, after a few years things will fade, we will speak for you. Brother Jiang Nian is sincere, for the sake of the Southern Chu community. At that time, the lord of the kingdom will definitely be reactivated."
I ignored his comfort and said lightly: "Thunder, rain, and dew are all your kindness, how dare a lower official have the slightest complaint, I joined the army a few years ago, but the root cause of the disease fell, and I have been recuperating at home for the past few years. It shouldn't be a vegetarian meal." After seeing off the guests, I said lightly, "Let's go, let's go home."
Before I took Chen Zhen and others out of the gate of the official department, I saw Liang Wan motioning to me on a carriage, Chen Zhen looked at my gloomy face and whispered: "Sir, no, son, please don't. forget… "
I stopped him, walked up and said, "It turned out to be Miss Liang, I don't know what orders you have."
Liang Wan smiled and said, "It's not easy to talk here, please get in the car and talk."
I got into the car with a smile, and said to Liang Wan, "Alright, please give me a ride, Miss. I'll just go to the North Gate."
Liang Wan waited for me to get in the car, gave instructions to go on the road, and asked with a smile, "This time, the champion, who spoke bluntly and remonstrated, ended up in such a pitiful way. Back then, when Bigan cut his heart, Zixu Shenjiang, although a loyal minister, was a loyal minister. The world laughs because of what he does, if the champion does not dislike it, I have quite a acquaintance in Dayong, and I am willing to recommend you to serve as an official in Dayong."
I smiled slightly and said, "Miss is now the confidant of the Queen of Nanchu, and the righteous daughter of the former king. She doesn't care about Nanchu, but she works for Dayong. It's a bit of a disagreement."
Liang Wan said contemptuously: "Who cares about the power and position of Nanchu, the champion of the first prize is very clever, and His Royal Highness King Qi has praised it many times. If he is willing to change his ways, he must have a bright future, and his future is boundless."
I smiled without saying a word, and kept turning the jade ring on the middle finger of my right hand with my left hand. It was the relic of my beloved wife. After a long time, I said: "Miss has been in Nanchu for many years. Although she has made outstanding achievements, it is only because of the power of Dayong. The end of friendship with Yong is imminent, and then I will ask Miss to cherish it." After that, I ordered the car to stop, and before getting out of the car, I said lightly, "Farewell advice, please don't blame Miss."
Liang Wan watched me leave in bewilderment. She didn't understand why I refused to surrender and advised her to be careful. After thinking about it for a long time, she thought to herself that he was waiting for a price. , I was afraid that you would not surrender, so I ordered to move on.
After I got out of the car, I recalled the beauty of Hua Rongyue who was so close to me, and my heart was filled with disgust. Such a woman should really be torn to pieces. I think if Dayong really only relies on her to lead the Jiangnan spies, then I would doubt it. The wisdom of the people in Dayong. However, when I think of the rumors in recent years, it is said that Liang Wan did not marry because she had an affair with the lord of the country. This time the lord of the country declared himself emperor. As far as I know, Liang Wan's secret operation is an indispensable factor. She is indeed an outstanding person. She was a spy, bribed courtiers, and spread rumors. I didn't stop her actions. Now the lord of the country regards her words as Lunyin. In this way, Dayong's employees will still look at their opponents, so the secret spy leader in Southern Chu, I With such a beautiful female spy.
After me, there were many people who tried to dissuade him from proclaiming emperor, but they were all ignored by the monarch. Advice, the blue blood stained the royal steps, but unfortunately the lord did not wake up, I did not participate in these disturbances, I am just a commoner now.
In this way, on August 1st, the lord of the country officially declared himself emperor and announced the change from Yuan to Hua. I remembered that when the lord of the country succeeded to the throne, he ordered to use the title of Xiande era. Using the new year's title, it seems that the lord of the country still has ambitions, but unfortunately, the ambition is sparse, and there is no perseverance.
At the same time, in Dayong's territory, Prince Yong's Mansion, Li Zhi looked at the information in his hand and said, "Liang Wan is too arrogant, she doesn't know the benefits of being cautious in her words and deeds, if it wasn't for her sect, I would never condone her so much. ."
A gentle-looking middle-aged man with a black beard sitting beside him said, "Your Highness, Fengyimen is the leader of Dayong Baidao, and they made great contributions during Dayong's establishment of the country. Now their hands are too long, Liang Wan served His Royal Highness and acted in Southern Chu, but she often made her own decisions. She was also very close to the Prince and the King of Qi, and Qin Zheng, the prospective concubine of King Qi, was Liang Wan's junior sister. I suspect that they were ready to support the Crown Prince's succession to the throne. ."
King Yong said coldly: "No doubt, I have already obtained the information that Fengyi Sect passed their disciples, the imperial concubine Ji Guifei, the emperor's favorite concubine, to the emperor, saying that I am self-respecting, and if I succeed to the throne, I will definitely kill my brother and kill my brother. , Although the Crown Prince is a little less talented, but as long as he sends worthy officials to assist, he can govern the world better. Well, it's just because I refuse to accept their disciples as princesses. A group of women, delusional control of the world, I Li Zhi is not a puppet Clay sculpture."
The middle-aged man said worriedly: "But the Fengyi Sect is very powerful. If you try to obstruct His Highness's ascension to the throne, what can you do? Alas, your subordinates are not good at planning, and you cannot share your worries for His Highness."
Li Zhi's eyes flashed and he said, "If that person is willing to come under my command, he will definitely be able to deal with Fengyimen. In fact, I'm not afraid of Fengyimen's martial arts. Although their martial arts are strong, I have already established a good relationship with those famous Shaolin schools. At least it can prevent Fengyi Sect from using force, what I worry about is that they are long-sleeved and good at dancing, and they are good at sowing discord.
The middle-aged man said, "I always hear His Highness talk about Jiang Zhe. His subordinates are very eager to see him, but is His Highness confident that he will serve his life?"
Li Zhi smiled bitterly and said: "How can I put it, it's not difficult for him to serve as an official under me, but it is difficult to make him serve his life faithfully. This person is unpredictable, and he doesn't pay much attention to prosperity, wealth, society and people's livelihood. How can I make him fall in love with an indifferent person. I received information, he gave advice and was dismissed by Nanchu. I was shocked when I saw his badge. I know everything like the back of my hand, if such a character cannot be used by me, it is a real regret for Li Zhi in his life."
The middle-aged man took the badge that Li Zhi handed him, looked at it for a long time, then raised his head and said: "Your Highness, you must send someone to Nanchu immediately, if we can't get this person, our great cause will be difficult to achieve, and Fengyimen is not blind, If they see this person doing it, they will definitely recruit him, if he becomes the prince's staff, we will be in danger."
Li Zhi smiled and said, "I believe that Fengyimen does not have the ability to convince him. The performance of 'for the country and the people' that Fengyimen is good at can't move him, and Li An has no chance of letting him surrender, but King Qi is very It is possible to make him submit. This time, King Qi sent a secret letter, talking about meeting Jiang Zhe in Nanchu, and Jiang Zhe saved his life. Although King Qi was reckless, he treated people with enthusiasm. If Jiang Zhe followed him, Qi The king must obey his words. That is our big crisis. Now that the king of Qi is recovering from illness, I have informed my father and emperor, and I will attack Nanchu immediately. As long as I break Chu first, Jiang Zhe will definitely fall into my hands. Ziyou, we do We should send people to Nanchu, not to say surrender, but to grasp Jiang Zhe's whereabouts, and if you want to say surrender, no one can succeed except this king."
At this time, the guard outside the door loudly begged to see him. After entering, he knelt down and said, "Your Highness, Your Majesty has ordered His Highness to enter the palace to discuss the matter of attacking Chu."