In Xiangfan city, the palace.
The young King of Jing'an, Zhao Xun, was called to go to Guangling Daojing to quell the rebellion. So far, he has done nothing. The big Qingzhou is handed over to a blind man who is also young to preside over the overall situation. The outstanding achievements are not reduced to the point of using self-defilement to win the trust of the new King Jing'an. It can be described as a model of "the monarch and his ministers are compatible", somewhat similar to the pairing of King Yanchi and Nalan Youci.
After nightfall, the stars were shining, Lu Xu stood under the eaves and looked up at the bright starry sky. Next to him was the maidservant who was placed by his side in the Jing'an Palace. Grasshoppers on the ground, but this may not be the unique scheming of the young King Jing'an.
"Sir, if you let the prince only allow defeat but not victory, His Majesty the Emperor will probably blame the Zhao family for losing face at that time?"
"Of course it will, and it will be severely punished."
"Then why did the prince agree?"
"When the old and the new take over, once the emperor and the courtiers, the old relationship will be overthrown and re-established. Often, the degree of credit is not considered, but the degree of loyalty. In Qingzhou, it is almost enough to use thousands of lives to show loyalty. The old emperor deliberately suppressed whom, it was only for the new emperor to focus on whom to use as a foreshadowing, otherwise, who would think well of the new emperor? In history, most of the Ming emperors who retired from the stage immediately liked to act in such obscure ways, because they were worried that no one would be available for the new emperor. Moreover, chaos in the world is unavoidable, after this big defeat, His Royal Highness, apart from expressing his views with the emperor and the crown prince, can take advantage of the situation to take himself out of the troubled times and wait and see the changes."
"Sir, do you think you are a scholar who can know the affairs of the world without going out?"
"My gentleman is still much worse than Mr. Yuan in Tai'an City and Mr. Nalan next to King Yanchi."
"Mr. is too modest!"
The blind Lu Xu smiled and said nothing.
"Sir, please tell me some great truths casually. Although I don't understand, I like to hear it."
"How can there be so much reason, just full of complaints."
"Sir, don't be angry when I say something. If one day the prince uses me to blackmail you, sir, you can rest assured. It's very difficult to blackmail a living person with a dead person, isn't it?"
"Don't do stupid things. You committed suicide. With Zhao Xun's temperament, I am not far from death. Otherwise, he will have a so-called confidant who cannot be restrained, and he will not sleep well."
"Sir, are you giving me a lame excuse to live?"
"You're not stupid. But really, that's not a bad reason."
"Sir, you are a good man. Are you tired of living like this?"
"It's not tiring. It's easier to take a step back than to play chess and cheat people's money in Yongzi Alley a few years ago."
"Sir, I think, you have great wisdom!"
"But I still can't tell whether you are wearing new clothes or old clothes."
"Touch it and you'll know..."
"Um?"
"After taking it off."
"See no evil..."
"Sir, don't you always like to say that you are blind?!"
Lu Xu suddenly smiled.
Then he said softly: "Zhao Xun, Xun, "Huainanzi" calls it a beautiful jade, but if you break down the words and interpret it, isn't it the emperor of Yixu?"
Lu Xu sighed, "The backbone of my generation of scholars will be broken in a few days."
…
The same night, but far away at the border.
With the sound of broken horseshoes in the distance, Jizhou Goose Fortress, which is no less than a Bianguanxiong Township, was like a behemoth awakened. Almost instantly, countless lanterns and torches were lit at the same time, illuminating the fortress as bright as day. There is a moat on the outskirts of Yanbao. With the city gates wide open, the bridge is slowly lowered, and the seven or eight riders who came from a long way don't need to wait for a moment, they just ride on the bridge and enter Yanbao. In the cave, there are a large group of Li's direct descendants of Yanbao, including the old castle owner Li Chulin who lived in seclusion, Li Yuanya, the eldest son who drove back home from Jixi, and a group of big brothers who are difficult to meet on weekdays. Except for the eldest grandson Li Huoli who died suddenly after crossing the south of the Yangtze River for no reason, the Li family who is like the emperor of Jizhou is complete. The old castle owner's 80th birthday was not so grand. The leader of the seven or eight riders was an unfamiliar face, pale, and looked as if he could not bear the severe cold of the winter in the north. He was wearing a thick fox fur tribute from Liaodong. Wen Yang was very restrained, without any sense of domineering. Except for the father and son Li Chulin and Li Yuanya, no one in Yanbao knew the identity of this graceful man. However, through the brilliant lights and the corner of their eyes, others could still see the clue. It is the only Dazhu country in Liyang, the general Gu Jiantang, and the members of the Li family kneeling on the ground, except for the ignorant teenagers and ignorant toddlers, all guessed the identity of this man. What a great honor it is to have this distinguished guest here, what a glorious lintel is it? Maybe it was mentioned by Gu Jiantang before, Li Chulin and Li Yuanya just knelt to greet him, and didn't add any superfluous address. The man got off his horse and said with a gentle smile: "It's cold in the north, not to mention the "Book of Rites". With ten sticks in the court, the old castle master quickly got up, and everyone else stopped kneeling."
The six riders behind him dismounted at the same time, and the general Gu Jiantang in light armor and saber stepped forward silently to help the man lead the horse.
Li Chulin stood up cautiously, every wrinkle and crevice on that haggard and majestic vicissitudes of face exuded a strange brilliance. The tall old man still bent slightly after getting up, probably because he didn't dare to let the man five steps away raise his head and talk. As far as physical condition alone is concerned, Li Chulin, who is old and strong even though he is eighty years old, is really more like a "young man" than the man in front of him. The guests who visited Yanbao in the middle of the night could not hide their fatigue, especially under the invisible background of Gu Jiantang, the great master of martial arts, they looked more and more depressed.
As the man moved forward, the team began to fall apart, and at the same time, there was suspicion of usurping the host. The man in fur walked at the forefront, and specially called the old castle owner Li Chulin to accompany him. Gu Jiantang held his hand A horse followed closely behind, and then Li Yuanya, the four of them slowly walked in the front, then the five cavalry who each held a heavy army on the northern line of the dynasty, and finally the young and old of the Li family. Because the five people leading the horse separated their sights, they couldn't go to Gu Dazhuguo to join in the fun. The familiar faces of the Li family all began to look at the backs of these figures. The old Yanbao guy with vicious eyes recognized most of them, and then guessed the rest. Yes, it is inevitable to be speechless. These five people are all big figures in the military who are called generals with real power, and the lowest official position is also the fourth rank. It can be said that if these five people died in Yanbao, then half of the Liaobei line would be paralyzed. However, with Gu Jiantang, the number one swordsman in the world whether he wears a sword or not, these five generals should have difficulty in dying. Apart from their high position and weight, these five cavalry have one thing in common. Compared with Yang Shenxing, Yan Zhenchun and other spring and autumn veterans, although their military exploits are slightly inferior and their reputation is less, they are young, the oldest is less than fifty, and the youngest is even more He is only in his early thirties, and the battlefield at the border gates is less important than the officialdom of the dynasty. Therefore, it can be said that these five are destined to become the future military pillars of the Liyang court. Maybe the next Tai'an city The Minister of the Ministry of War will stand out from among them.
The man walked on the flat road paved with large bluestone slabs, looked up at several fire dragons with lanterns and torches stretching up, and said softly: "This is the first time I have entered Jizhou in my life, I should have come earlier. I The Zhao family is going to win the world immediately. I usually go to Qinqinfang to teach the Zhao family's children. Govern the world from above. That’s what I said, but I don’t seem to be doing very well, teaching by precepts and deeds, I think it’s even more difficult for some Zhao family’s children to attach importance to military affairs like the ancestors of the family.”
The old fox Li Chulin, who has cultivated to be a master, dare not interrupt the emperor's housework, no matter how courageous he is, he can only prick up his ears not to miss a word, as long as His Majesty, who is visiting in secret, doesn't ask questions, he insists on listening and not talking.
The man who was able to let Gu Jiantang lead a horse to guard him with peace of mind was none other than Zhao Dun, the son of the day who quietly drove the border. However, His Majesty the Emperor did not issue an edict for His Highness the Crown Prince to oversee the country when he left Beijing. Instead, he asked the Supervisor of Rituals to print a secret edict to Baiguo, the Ministry of Rites, when he was about to return from Jizhou. The samadhi is very good for those big bosses in the officialdom who wear purple robes to taste a lot. This was the first time the old man saw the emperor with his own eyes, but his heart palpitations were severe. Back then, the Han family ransacked and beheaded Jizhou, causing turmoil in Jizhou. The Li family of Yanbao who was married to the Han family was also affected by Chi Yu. The couples of the younger generation went to the execution ground in Jizhou City, not even letting their two young children go. The last two children who should have been surnamed Li were thrown to the ground together with their parents. Thinking about it until now, although Li Chulin felt a little guilty in his heart, he didn't regret it at all. Under the turmoil of the general situation, the lives of a few innocent people are nothing. The Han family changed from being loyal and loyal for hundreds of years overnight to collaborating with the enemy and treasonous ministers. For more than ten years, the government and the public have said that it is Bi Yaner's chief assistant's fake public nuisance, and even now it has become a powerful crime against Yushitai to impeach Zhang Julu. One, this makes the old man who likes to read history in his spare time unavoidably feel a little sad. All dynasties and dynasties are full of treacherous officials who exercise power to deceive the sky, and finally obey the law clearly. The chief assistant who is in the center but keeps himself clean is also very admired. If Zhang Julu hadn't insisted on supporting the northern frontiers against all opinions, and spent half of the dynasty's taxes to support the northern defense line, the old minister of the Ministry of War behind him would be here today. Certainly not so easy.
As for why today's son wants to go to Yanbao "overwhelmingly", after Li Chulin received Gu Jiantang's handwritten letter, he also had a private meeting with his eldest son Li Yuanya, and the answer he got was nothing more than three points. In other words, His Majesty the Emperor needs convincing evidence from all parties in Jizhou to rehabilitate the Han family. Yanbao, as an old wealthy family that has been rooted in Jibei for generations, is one of the victims of that year. The Li family stood up at a critical moment. Talking is more "irritating" than the impeachment of the Guozijian You Jijiu, and it can win the sympathy of the government and the opposition. It is the trend of the times for people to push the wall down, but not everyone is qualified to push the Zhang family's high wall that has stood in the temple for more than 20 years. Furthermore, Youzhou is restless, and there are some over-the-boundary and extreme actions at present. Tens of thousands of riders flee into the territory of Jixi. With Yang Shenxing's departure, the Yanbao Li family, which had seven or eight thousand private soldiers, would naturally fall into the sight of the court. The father and son guessed that in the end it was a personal matter of His Majesty and selfishness. After the two previous imperial conquests failed, the son has never patrolled the border today, and even the bustling south of the Yangtze River. I have never been there before. People in the world mistakenly think that today's emperor only pays attention to internal affairs and not border merits. This is definitely the opinion of the rural and vulgar peasants. Li Chulin always firmly believes that today's emperor has an extremely strong desire to conquer that Beimang, because it is the only one. A feat that can prove that he can stand shoulder to shoulder with the late emperor.
Emperor Zhao Dun gradually ascended along the Qingshi Road. The Yanbao path is also known as Qingyun Road. Jizhou officials all come here to seek a fortune, but for those who sit on the dragon chair, the officials dream of rising to the top. It's really not worth mentioning.
Li Chulin was a little horrified, saying that His Majesty the Emperor never forgot to exercise his body while working diligently. Everyone in Jizhou thought that this man, who was only fifty years old, could continue to sit on that chair and look north and south for a dozen or two years. Ten years, why is it actually so physically weak? Do you have to catch your breath every hundred steps? Could it be that Liyang, which is thriving day by day, is about to change? One must know that the current Liyang is not at peace, with internal and external troubles, millions of cavalry in Beimang staring at it outside, and the restoration of the Western Chu Kingdom inside, and the temples inside are also dark and windy, and everyone is in danger. If something happened at this time... Li Chulin really didn't dare to think about it any more, for fear that if he showed the slightest strangeness, he would be noticed by the emperor beside him.
The wild goose castle is like a mountain, advancing layer by layer, rising steadily. His Majesty the Emperor stopped to rest in a pavilion with a wide view on the "halfway up the mountain". Suddenly said: "Old castle master, you must have a countermeasure for my uninvited visit, but you should have thought too much and thought wrong, so I might as well tell you something from my heart, the reason why I came to Yanyan Fort, but I just want to take a closer look at that place."
The old castle owner of Yanbao seemed to be taken aback, subconsciously straightened his waist suddenly, and then quickly bent down heavily. The old man, who was used to the ups and downs of the wind and rain, trembled and dared not speak.
The emperor waved, and Gu Jiantang took a few steps forward.
Li Chulin wisely withdrew and waited at the bottom of the steps.
The emperor coughed a few times, and said in a difficult tone, "Jiantang, I have changed my mind. You will return to Beijing with me tomorrow, and you will send him a ride. Since I dare not see him, and none of the civil servants in the court is worthy, After much deliberation, I think that only you, a general with the title of Dazhu Kingdom, can be worthy of the title. I actually know a little bit about the thoughts he buried deep in his heart."
Gu Jiantang said calmly: "Does Your Majesty have something to say?"
The emperor hesitated for a moment, and laughed at himself: "Just tell him that the word 'Dun' in Zhao Dun's name is worthy of the world, but Zhang Julu is the only one worthy of shame."