May 6th, Lin 'an, thunderstorm.
The Dragon Boat Festival had just passed, and the sudden heavy rain washed away the festive atmosphere in the south of Lin 'an yesterday. At the beginning of a new day, the officials of various ministries hurried to the court again. The scenery of the city seemed gloomy, very much like the atmosphere of the small court these days.
In the early hours of the morning, Li Shan came out of his home and took a carriage to the direction of the palace. He held the memorial to be presented today in his hand, and his heart was still hiding his worries about the situation in the past few days.
Since the news of the decisive battle in Hanzhong reached Lin 'an, the atmosphere in the small court had been silent, tense, and depressed. The officials went to the court every day, waiting for new information and changes in the situation. In private, undercurrents were surging, and various people secretly connected and began to make their own small calculations. In fact, more and more people were trying to contact the south and the west.
In order to cope with such a situation, the two forces headed by Left Prime Minister Tie Yan and Right Prime Minister Wu Qimei put down their prejudices on the surface. Yesterday, on the Dragon Boat Festival, they also held a big celebration to calm the hearts of the people. Unfortunately, it rained in the afternoon, and the celebration of Lin 'an "joyful" for the people could not last for a whole day.
These superficial things were not important. What would really determine the future of the world was the information from all sides that could not be seen clearly for the time being. The Huaxia army had won such a great victory. If it really wanted to sweep the world in one go, then although Lin 'an was thousands of miles away, the people in it had to make some plans in advance.
In such a troubled world, there were still countless people's will to be revealed here. How would Dai Mengwei choose? What plans did Liu Guangshi and others have made? What would the big families of the Wu dynasty who still had power at this time consider? What would the "fairness party" in the northeast and the small court in the south adopt? Only when these information could be seen clearly could Lin 'an make the best response.
He lifted the curtain and looked at the dark streets and alleys in the heavy rain outside, and sighed slightly in his heart. In all fairness, Li Shan, who was already the assistant minister of the Ministry of Personnel, was also a little anxious in the past few days.
But he was Wu Qimei's disciple, so these feelings naturally would not show on the surface.
The light of the oil paper lantern in front of the carriage was dim, only illuminating the darkness of the heavy rain. The road seemed endless, and the huge, seemingly seriously injured city was still sleeping. Not many people knew the scene that happened in the southwest more than ten days ago, which was enough to reverse the whole situation of the world. When the cold rain hit his hand, Li Shan could not help thinking, "Is our behavior right or wrong?"
This question had arisen in his mind for the first time in the past few days. But every time, it was suppressed by the obvious answer.
When the Huaxia Army killed the Emperor and rebelled, it, it was the world, of the country. Although it, it, and Emperor, the Dynasty, the Dynasty, and the Emperor. God Dynasty, Dynasty, Emperor, Emperor, and Boat.
Ever since Ning Yi killed the Emperor, countless calamities had come one after another. After the Jurchen conquered Bianliang, they suffered the humiliation of Jingping. After that, the promising emperor was no longer around. Everyone hastily supported Zhou Yong as emperor. Who would have thought that Zhou Yong would be such an incompetent emperor? Faced with the Jurchen's attack, he actually boarded a dragon boat and fled.
. After Zhou Yong left, the whole world, Lin 'an, fell into the hands of Jiu Zhenren. Who could save the people in the city? It seemed great to die, but someone had to stand up and endure the humiliation. Only then could the people in the city die less.
If the Huaxia Army could be here …
But it was useless to expect the Huaxia Army.
It was useless to expect the little Emperor, who did not care about the big picture and was self-opinionated.
Li Shan gritted his teeth and confirmed this series of principles once again.
Now that he thought about it, more than ten years ago, there was another Prime Minister, who was similar to his teacher now. That was Tang Ke, Tang Qinsou. Jiu Zhenren came and threatened to slaughter the city. The army could not resist, and the Emperor could not take charge. So, Tang Ke, who was in favor of peace, took the lead to plunder gold, silver, craftsmen, and women in the city to satisfy the Jins.
This experience was so humiliating that it could be imagined that it would be engraved on the pillar of shame a hundred or even a thousand years later. Tang Ke gave his favorite granddaughter to the Jins, took the blame, and then committed suicide. But without him, how many people could survive in Bianliang after the shame of Jingping?
The carriage moved forward in the rain. After a while, a huge black outline finally appeared in front of them. They had arrived at the palace. He picked up an umbrella and got out of the carriage. The wind in the heavy rain made him shiver. He pulled his robe and murmured, "I am willing to accept the will of Tang Qinsou."
Then he walked in through the half-open side door of the palace.
At this time, some officials had arrived. Occasionally, someone greeted him in a low voice, or whispered to each other as they moved forward. Li Shan also chatted with a few officials of the Right Prime Minister's faction. When he arrived at the side hall before the court and finished the inspection, he saw that his teacher Wu Qimei, Eldest Senior Brother Gan Fenglin, and the others had arrived. He went to greet them. At this time, he found that his teacher's expression and mood seemed to be a little different from the past few days. He knew that something good might have happened.
He could not bear it, so he went to the side and asked Gan Fenglin. Gan Fenglin smiled and said, "After the court is over, let's go to Teacher's house and talk in detail." This confirmed that something good had happened.
Not long after, the morning court began.
At this time, the emperor of the small court in Lin 'an was a young branch of the Zhou family. His name was Zhou Xu. He was a child not even thirteen years old. His parents had died when he was young, but he had starved and was obedient. Every morning, he sat at the top of the court while Tie Yan and Wu Qimei presided over the court.
These few days, the small court held morning court every day, and the officials who came every day were also waiting for news. Thus, after paying his respects to His Majesty, Left Prime Minister Tie Yan first told everyone a piece of news from the west.
This news involved the great scholar Dai Mengwei. It was said that this old man had played the role of god and ghost in the later stages of the southwest war. He had used an amazing trick to obtain a large amount of resources, manpower, troops, and political influence from Xi. He had not expected that in the battle of Hanzhong, Zong Han and Xi Yin had been defeated too quickly and too decisively. Before he had succeeded in obtaining these resources, the Huaxia army had already won. Qi Xinhan and Wang Zainan's troops had come to Xi City. This great scholar had mobilized the people of Xi City to resist stubbornly. When the news spread, everyone said that Dai Mengwei was too clever and that he would not live long.
For the people of Lin 'an, it was extremely easy to judge the direction at this time. Although he held the people hostage to gain self-respect, first, he had harmed a member of the Huaxia army. Second, the difference in strength was too great. Third, he was too close to the area under the jurisdiction of the Huaxia army. How could he allow others to sleep next to his bed? Perhaps the Huaxia army did not even need to take the initiative to attack the main force. It was just Wang Zainan's troops who had defected to him. Under the current situation, it was impossible for many troops to really dare to resist the attack of the Huaxia army in Xi City.
When it came to this matter, the people of Lin 'an actually had some thoughts of gloating. They had endured a lot of humiliation and infamy to occupy a place in the world. Dai Mengwei was not famous in the past, and his strength was not strong. In the blink of an eye, he won millions of soldiers and civilians and materials, and even got a good reputation for the people of the world. This made the mentality of the people of Lin 'an somewhat unbalanced.
After learning the news that the decisive battle of Hanzhong had ended, people looked pale and couldn't help but say a few words, "Dai Mengwei, you are smart. But look, you can't use a plan so excessively. If you hurt the harmony of heaven, heaven will punish you."
【
】
After all, Lin 'an was too far away from the southwest. This matter could be regarded as the only topic that could be used for fun in people's mouths. However, in the intelligence of Tie Yan in the court that morning, the situation in Xi City had developed unexpectedly.
In the afternoon of April 30, it seemed that after Qi Xinhan had consulted the high-level officials of the Huaxia army, a new order came from Ning Yi. On the first day of May, Qi Xinhan agreed to negotiate with Dai Mengwei. It seemed that taking into account the wishes of the people near Xi City, the Huaxia army was willing to let Dai Mengwei go, and then began a series of negotiation agendas.
At this time, the sky was just brightening, and there was a gloomy rainstorm outside. The hall was lit by flickering lights. When Tie Yan finished the incredible news, some people were in an uproar, and some were stunned. When did the Huaxia army, who were so fierce that they dared to kill the emperor, really pay so much attention to the wishes of the people and become so gentle?
"Is the Huaxia army retreating in order to advance? Is there a trick in it?"
"Dai Mengwei has only taken over the materials and people of Xi Yin for a few days. Even if he incites the will of the people, how many people can he incite?"
"In the past, it was hard to imagine that Ning Liheng would fish for fame to this extent!"
"Is it to make Dai Mengwei relax his mind and then attack?"
"If the Huaxia army wants to attack, why does he need to relax his mind …"
Everyone spoke one after another. Only when the official mentioned the fighting strength of the Huaxia army, he felt that it would boost the enemy's morale and diminish his own prestige, so he swallowed his words.
Tie Yan said, "This news was confirmed in the early morning of the second day of the New Year, and then it was sent at full speed by 800 li. The negotiations in Xi City have already begun. It seems that it is not a fake by the Huaxia army."
The spies in Lin 'an who could make connections near Xi City were not simple. Many of the surrendered forces were inextricably linked to the people in Lin' an at this time. Therefore, the credibility of the intelligence was still there. After Tie Yan finished speaking, there were already officials in the court stroking their beards, and their eyes lit up. Wu Qimei chuckled in front, and her eyes swept over the crowd.
"The Black Flag has defeated Zong Han, and has already occupied an absolute advantage in the west. He is the knife, and Dai Mengwei is the meat. Whether this knife will cut or not really depends on the mood of Mr. Ning. It is hard to say whether there will be variables in the negotiations in Xi City, but in my opinion, it is not impossible that the Black Flag is willing to let Dai Mengwei go. I think a few of you have already figured out the meaning behind this. "
Those who could stand in this court were all quick-witted people. At this time, when Wu Qimei pointed at them, most of them vaguely thought of something. Wu Qimei paused for a moment and then continued to say,
"The Black Flag has many reasons to directly attack Xi City, but if he really wants to give up the attack, there are at least a few things that can be confirmed now. First, if the Black Flag is not willing to take the territory in the hands of Lord Dai in Xi City, it means that he has no intention of advancing eastward for at least a few years. "
These words made the eyes of a large number of people in the court light up. Wu Qimei said there, "Second, the Black Flag is not only militaristic, but also wants to fight with us to win the hearts of the people of the world. This matter is also interesting …"
"Third, it is also possible that Mister Ning has noticed that he has conquered too many places, but there are too few people who are of the same mind as him. He seems to be following the will of the people and letting Dai Mengwei go, but the truth is that the Black Flag is already an arrow at the end of its flight and is unable to expand eastward … In truth, this is also the case in the south. 7,000 at Moat Bridge were defeated by 30,000, and 20,000 at Hanzhong were defeated by 100,000. The Black Flag is as glorious as the rising sun, but in this world, how can there be such a situation where one only hurts the enemy and not oneself? The Black Flag will injure 10,000 enemies but also 8,000 of himself. This situation is even more in line with our previous speculations … "
He looked around and spoke with confidence and assurance. Outside the hall, lightning streaked through the rain and thunder rumbled in the sky. Because of these words, everyone's eyes seemed to widen. By the time Wu Qimei finished speaking, many people in the hall had even more ideas and began to talk.
"If this is really the case, then there are many things that we can do …"
"The Black Flag has just won a victory and the territory under his control has greatly expanded. He needs people, and the people that can be used have to be able to write and calculate. Since this is the case, I have a plan …"
"In this way, Dai Mengwei is really lucky. This person can turn over the clouds and turn over the rain. Speaking of which … he is really lucky."
"You can't say that. Dai Gong saved millions of Han people from Xi Yin, and it can be said that countless people have been saved. He is the enemy of the Black Flag, and he has a righteous cause. In the future, when the Black Flag moves eastward, he will bear the brunt, and he may be a kindred spirit … "
The people in the hall were bustling with discussions. Although today's world was already full of heroes and forces, the decisive ones were the Jin Kingdom and the Black Flag. Now that the Jin people had withdrawn northward, they would not come to the Central Plains and Jiangnan for a period of time. Once the situation of the Black Flag could be determined, people in Lin 'an could more easily judge the future direction and decide their own strategy. Everyone spoke one after another. On the one hand, it was because they finally saw a clue to break the situation. On the other hand, it was also to express the anxiety and uneasiness in their hearts in the past few days.
In the next few days, whether this situation would change or not, they still had to continue to pay attention. But at present, this news could indeed be regarded as great news. Li Shan thought in his heart. When he saw Gan Fenglin, he was puzzled again. Eldest Brother just said that there was good news, but it would be said after the court was dismissed. Could it be that there was other good news?
He listened with this doubt. After a while, another big news came. It was that the Beiwei army led by Yue Fei had launched an attack on Quanzhou since yesterday. Other than this, the entire morning court was some trivial affairs.
After listening for a while, the young Emperor got up and left. Outside, he watched as the sky gradually brightened under the curtain of rain. Inside the Great Hall, under Tie and Wu, two people's leadership, they discussed many matters step by step before the court was dismissed. Li Shan followed Gan Fenglin and a group of colleagues to the Wu mansion. After arriving at the Prime Minister's mansion, he received a slightly later court meal. Wu Qimei also came over and finished the meal with everyone. She asked the servants to clean up and then began a new round of discussion.
"The news in the west has already been announced in the morning court. Today, we have gathered everyone here to discuss the matter in the south. The former Crown Prince did some things in Fuzhou. Looking at it now, I'm afraid there will be some unusual movements. Fenglin, bring the things here and pass them around for everyone to read. "
Wu Qimei said this with a smile, so it was obviously a good thing. As he spoke, Gan Fenglin brought a stack of things. Everyone looked at it and knew that it was the news paper that was published in Fuzhou. Li Pin had also published this in Lin 'an and had accumulated some reputation as a leader of the literary world.
After the Female Zhenren passed away, Tie Yan and Wu Qimei also published articles. Most of them were articles by themselves, their disciples, and their friends. They used this thing to establish their own reputation and arguments. However, because there were few professionals in this field, the judgment of the effect was somewhat vague, so it was difficult to say how useful it was.
At this time, everyone took the news paper and read it one by one. After the first person took the news paper, his expression changed. The people next to him gathered around and saw that it was written "Detailed Record of the Southwest War (I)". The beginning was about the news of Zong Han's defeat in Hanzhong and his escape. Then there was "The Principle of Investigating Things (Preface)". It first talked about Lu Ban, then talked about the Mohists' various defensive tools, and then talked about the southwest Wangyuan Bridge at the end of February …
Everyone was also stunned and could not help but look at the beginning of the news paper. After confirming that it was the news paper from Fuzhou, they became even more puzzled. The imperial court of Lin 'an and the imperial court of Fuzhou were in opposition, but both claimed to have inherited the legacy of the Wu dynasty and had an irreconcilable feud with the Southwest Black Flag. Of course, the most important reason was that the people in Lin' an knew that they were relying on the Jin Kingdom. Even if they wanted to rely on the Black Flag, they really couldn't.
But they couldn't rely on it, and Fuzhou, with its orthodox name, couldn't rely on it. Therefore, the news of the southwest war and the decisive battle in Hanzhong had been blocked in Lin 'an. Who would have thought that the imperial court of Fuzhou, which was even more unlikely to make peace with the Black Flag, was now building momentum for the Black Flag?
— — They want to rely on the Huaxia army?
The former Crown Prince Jun Wu was radical, but he actually wanted to risk the world's condemnation and rely on the Black Flag!?
Thinking of this, some people felt a chill on their backs. If they really did such a shameless thing, although the Wu dynasty had fallen in the hands of Zhou Junwu, the situation in Jiangnan was critical and imminent.
Everyone guessed this, then turned to look at Wu Qimei. Seeing that the Right Minister looked calm, their hearts calmed down a little. When it reached Li Shan, he counted the news papers. There were four in total, two different newspapers in Li Pin's hands. They were published on the second and third of May. Looking at the contents of the newspaper, he thought for a moment, then cupped his hands and asked, "Master, is there anything else that came at the same time as this?"
"Sijing has thought of it." Wu Qimei smiled and sat up straight in front of him. "Now that I've said it, you'll understand why the imperial court of Fuzhou is building momentum for the Black Flag, and why I say it's good news. Of course it's good news!"
The old man laughed and waved his hand. "The former Crown Prince Jun Wu has always been radical. When the imperial court of Jianshuo was still in power, he often became enemies with the court officials. This is because when the Jianshuo Emperor took over the throne, he became a monk halfway through. The former Crown Prince didn't learn the skills of an emperor. He was still young, and the situation was already dangerous. He thought that the civil officials were hurting the country, so he focused on military affairs. When the Jurchen people went south, he was active on the frontlines. After the Jianshuo Emperor and the dragon boat left, he went all out in Jiangning and defeated Zong Fu once. Later on, when Jiangning succeeded the throne, he reorganized the army, took back power, and killed many people. General Han and Yue led him to kill their way out, and finally reached Fuzhou. He tasted the sweetness of being the ruler! "
Wu Qimei waved her hand and her voice became louder and louder. "But how can an emperor be like this? He succeeded the throne in Jiangning in the name of the Jianshuo Emperor. From last year until now, some people saw him as the legitimate emperor. There were also many people in Fuzhou who took the initiative to go there and join the new emperor. But since he arrived in Fuzhou, he took back power more and more. He gave honor to the big families who came to join him, but he was stingy with giving them real power!
"In Fuzhou, the military power belongs to General Han and Yue! He uses the officials instead of the civil officials for internal affairs! He trusts the Princess Royal Residence more than he trusts the officials in the imperial court! As a result, the Ministry of War belongs to the two generals, and the civil officials have no right to interfere. He controls the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ministry of Rites is useless. I heard that a lot of people from Jianghu have been installed in the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Works has changed the most. Not only does he have to give titles to the craftsmen under him, but he also has to promote the craftsmen to higher positions … The craftsmen can do things, but does he know how to manage them? Nonsense! "
Wu Qimei tapped her fingers on the table, and her eyes were solemn. "These things have been happening for a few months! Some officials in the imperial court in Fuzhou can't see the future. Why did he become an official? Even if it's for the country and the people, he still has to protect his family, right? Many of the people who went to Fuzhou have big families and businesses, and they want a promise. But where does this promise come from? It comes from the power to keep your word. But this former crown prince, on the surface, naturally expressed his gratitude, but in reality, he gave you a position, but didn't give you power. He didn't want to fight for the country. Then … I repay him as a national scholar, but you don't treat me as a national scholar. "
He picked up the teacup and took a sip, then put it down. He said slowly, word by word, "Zhou Junwu has disappointed everyone's hearts."
…
The rain outside had gradually lightened, and the scenery in the courtyard was clear. In the room, the old man's voice rang out.
"… These things have been happening for a long time, and many people have long since made preparations in their hearts. At the end of the fourth month, news of the Battle of Hanzhong reached Fuzhou. This child's thoughts are different. Others want to seal up the news, but he doesn't. He takes advantage of the momentum of this matter to reform once more and seize power … look at this news paper. On the surface, it seems like it is telling the world about the war of the southwest, but the truth is that the words' investigating things' and 'reforming' are hidden within. The second half of the paper talks about the Confucian school, opening the way for Li Pin's new Confucian school. Zhou Junwu wants to use the black flag to annotate his' investigating things' and Li Dexin wants to use 'reforming' to annotate his new Confucian school. Hehe, if I annotate the five classics, then it would be better for the five classics to annotate me!
"… On the second day of the fifth month, the results of the Battle of Hanzhong were announced, and Fuzhou was in an uproar. On the third day, all sorts of news came out. They guided the public quite well, and I heard that there were even people secretly spreading the news that Zhou Junwu and Zhou Pei were studying under that Mister Ning. Like this, no matter how public opinion swings, Zhou Junwu will be in an invincible position. Unfortunately, there are far more intelligent people in this world than just Zhou Junwu and Li Dexin. Those who can clearly see the situation know that there is no way to persuade them … "
Wu Qimei took out a letter from her sleeve and slightly shook it. "On the afternoon of the third day, someone sent a letter saying that they are willing to talk, and they also brought this news paper along with them. Today is the sixth day, and over at Fuzhou, the former Crown Prince is certain to be fighting with both sides. I'm afraid that there will be many letters like this on the way … Ai, young people always think that the world is as tough as a knife, and they want to advance bravely. But the world is like a cake, and it has to be divided. If you don't divide it, then others can only go to another table to eat the cake … "
Wu Qimei did not pass around the letter. He stood there, facing the light outside the window, his face grave and stern, like the heartless portrayal of the world. His eyes, which had seen all the ways of the world, revealed seventy percent calmness and thirty percent cynicism. "… The road to death."
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