Han Shizu

Chapter 128

At the end of June, there is only a small tail left in summer, and the sun is still releasing its heat vigorously. Passing along the way, there are still rolling heat waves and gusts of breeze, but it is not as fierce and vicious as it was half a month ago.

When the brigade traveled south, passing through Anyang, Xiangzhou, Liu Chengyou led the whole army to hold another public memorial ceremony to remember the dead people and soldiers.It has been almost three months since the massacre of Anyang, and the smell of blood has long since dissipated, but there are still a large number of traces of war remaining in the city walls, as if telling endless sadness.Without a generation, Anyang and even Xiangzhou will not be able to return to their original state.

Under the guard of a group of dragons, dragons and tigers, the car drove south slowly.Liu Chengyou's car is not luxurious, it can even be described as rudimentary. It can be seen at a glance, and there are not many shock absorption measures. Although the bumps are not particularly severe, they are still difficult to endure.

Liu Chengyou is okay, he is young, and he can bear it after getting used to it.Tao Gu, who lectured to Liu Chengyou in the carriage, was a bit difficult. After all, he was middle-aged and his immunity weakened. He had a bitter face, his body swayed as the carriage drove, and he had to maintain a certain sitting posture. , in order to maintain his Confucian demeanor, his voice trembled a little.

Liu Chengyou handed him a cushion on his back, and said, "Mr. Tao, you don't have to be so restrained. Use this cushion to take it easy."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Seeing this, Tao Gu immediately thanked him.He didn't have to endure the pain anymore, he took the cushion, put it behind his back, and leaned against the carriage, which made him feel much better.

He breathed a sigh of relief, but seeing Liu Chengyou sitting up straight and leaning against him, he felt a little embarrassed, and wanted to return the cushion to Liu Chengyou.

Liu Chengyou directly raised his hand to stop him, and handed him a bag of water to moisten his throat, and said, "Keep talking, I'm listening"

At this time, Liu Chengyou's image suddenly became higher in Tao Gu's eyes.

On the long journey south, when the road was boring, Liu Chengyou liked to ask Tao Gu and Wei Renpu to give him lectures, and today it was Tao Gu's turn.Tao Gu is a person who loves to learn by force, has a wide knowledge of classics and history, and has dabbled in all scholars, Buddhas and elders. He is more than enough to be a lecturer.

This person is definitely good at drilling, and is used to flattering, so he secretly figured out Liu Chengyou's preferences, knowing that he likes to listen to the biographies of historical records, especially recent and contemporary historical figures, so instead of talking about classics, he switched to historical records.He noticed that Liu Chengyou was paying attention to Wei Bo's affairs, so he told him about Du Chongwei today, and Liu Chengyou was really interested in this.

The first half of Du Chongwei's life was smooth and smooth. The first half of his life may have been a bit dull, but in the late Jin Dynasty, he was an extremely human minister and extremely honored and favored.Forbidden troops all the year round, when they go out, they will be commanders, calm down Daozhou, and take charge of expeditions.

With Du Chongwei's contemptuous attitude, he occupies the position of power, and even shoulders the danger of the country and the country, just because he is Shi Jingtang's brother-in-law.People, I don’t have a good background, and I don’t want to work hard. If there is a chance to eat soft food, I must seize it
Looking at Du Chongwei's resume, I found that there are only two shining points, one is to surrender Fan Yanguang to Yecheng, and the other is to kill An Chongrong to Changshan. of.However, this is Du Chongwei's "capacity for promotion".

For the rest, Du Chongwei did all kinds of bad things.Zhongduqiao threatened the surrender of the whole army, and the later Jin Dynasty perished, so I won't go into details.This person also has the common characteristics of warriors of this era, being greedy and fond of goods.

When An Chongrong was killed, he took all of his family's wealth and Changshan's public money, neither rewarded the soldiers, nor turned it over to the state treasury, but returned it to himself.In order to achieve virtue and festivals, we should pay more attention to the people, and tax and taxes will be added.

When the disaster in Zhenzhou was almost done, and seeing that there was really no money to fish for, he asked to return to the court, and then transferred to Wei Bo, and the bad government remained the same.

Yelu Deguang once concluded that he had three losses that caused China to gain but lose again. One of them is to include people's money and silk.However, Du Chongwei often did such things as borrowing money and silk from officials and people when he was still in the late Jin Dynasty.

Later Jin broke off diplomatic relations with the Khitan, and the Khitan invaded the south repeatedly, resulting in a shortage of military supplies for the frontier defense, as well as a shortage of food and grass.Hearing that Du Chongwei had [-] dendrobiums of grain in his private house, and the court exchanged tens of thousands of pieces of silk for the grain, he did not treat him badly, but afterwards he felt that his family property had been "lost", and he was quite upset.

He took on the responsibility of guarding against the Khitan invasion, but he only knew that Yingcheng was guarding, and he sat and watched Hu Qi raiding the people under his rule, but did nothing.There are often dozens of Hu Qi driving thousands or tens of thousands of Han people past the city, turning a blind eye and showing no intention of attacking.

The Battle of Yangcheng turned defeat into victory, a rare victory for the late Jin Dynasty against Khitan. Although Du Chongwei was the commander in chief, Li Shouzhen, Fu Yanqing, Zhang Yanze and others relied on Li Shouzhen, Fu Yanqing, Zhang Yanze and others to rush forward and retreat the enemy in a bloody battle.There is one thing to say, although Li Shouzhen is not much stronger than Du Chongwei, at least in the battle of Yangcheng, Li Shouzhen was still somewhat bloody.The same goes for Zhang Yanze. Although he later became a leading party, he was still the one who led the Khitan army to take Kaifeng.

And Du Chongwei stretched his hips from the beginning to the end.After the victory in the Battle of Yangcheng, there was a chance to continue to expand the results of the victory, the generals took advantage of the situation to pursue, but was stopped by Du Chongwei, and they withdrew their troops halfway.In his opinion, it is very rare to be able to save his life under the Khitan soldiers, how dare he pursue excessively
Tao Gu's narration was quite detailed, and it lasted more than half an hour. His mouth was a little dry, so he picked up the water bag again and took two swigs, while paying attention to Liu Chengyou's expression.

As for Liu Chengyou's expression, it was expressionless.

After listening to Tao Gu's introduction, in Liu Chengyou's mind, the image of Du Chongwei suddenly became "full".

"As Xue Huairang said, compared with Du Chongwei, his crimes are 'insignificant'."

After a few words of emotion, Liu Chengyou asked Tao Gu: "The so-called people's mouths can make gold, accumulate and destroy bones. The poem says that people's words are awesome. This Du Chongwei has behaved like this, and he has been cursed and resented. Doesn't he have any sense of shame and awe?"

Putting down the water bag, Tao Gu stroked his beard and said with a light smile, "Your Highness, I will tell you two more short stories."

"Du Chongwei was in Zhenzhou, and his arrogance was so fierce that many people fled. One day when he passed the city, he said to the left and right: "People say that I will drive out the people, so there are so many people in the city!"

"There is indeed some truth to this question! Why?" Liu Chengyou said, his tone full of sarcasm and contempt.

"I heard about the other one when I was still in Daliang. The whole division surrendered. After entering Tokyo, Du Chongwei was scolded by the citizens every time he entered and exited the thoroughfare. However, Du Chongwei just bowed his head and passed by. Afterwards, his expression was as usual, calm and composed."

"There are so many strange people and strange things in the world, but this Du Chongwei is a strange one. He has a thick skin!" Liu Chengyou said: "Shi Chonggui relies on such people as the country's ministers, pays them elites, and protects the country. How can the country not perish! "

"Your Highness is right!" Tao Gu immediately flattered him: "Du Chongwei is extremely covetous and cowardly, but the young emperor still entrusted him with the responsibility of his confidant, and the importance of the military and the country is really stupid. The demise of Jin is not the will of God. , It’s also man-made, and it’s your own fault.”

Nodding his head, Liu Chengyou asked again: "Just now you said that Feng Dao and Li Song both recommended Du Chongwei as handsome. If this person is so contemptuous, it is intriguing why these two gentlemen strongly recommend him."

Wen asked, Tao Gu rolled his eyes, opened his mouth, but changed his words temporarily and said: "The two gentlemen have their own ideas, but they are not something that the lower officials can explore. Maybe, there are other considerations?"

"When I get to Kaifeng, I want to ask Ergong about this matter." Liu Chengyou said casually.

Feng Dao and Li Songna, who were captured by Liu Chengyou from the Khitan people, had gone south to Tokyo with Liu Chengxun before, wanting to meet the new emperor of the Han Dynasty.

"I benefited a lot from Mr.'s explanation. You have worked hard, please go down and rest." Seeing that the sun had already set to the west, Liu Chengyou instructed Tao Gu.

"Resignation, my subordinate." Tao Gu also responded in a timely manner.

When the car stopped, Liu Chengyou yawned, lay down on his side, and stared at Tao Gu who bowed to get off the car.However, he recalled the report he received that day. When copying Xue Huairang's house, Tao Gu's hands and feet were a little dirty.For this, Liu Chengyou knew and didn't ask, just keep it in his heart.

Supporting his head, Liu Chengyou continued to think about Du Chongwei.Sometimes, some things are really incomprehensible. A notorious and incompetent person like Du Chongwei can become an envoy and hold the three armed forces.But if you think about it carefully, it's not completely incomprehensible. After all, they are relatives of the emperor. Maybe Jin Ting is the taller among the dwarfs?
During Zhending's inspection tour, Liu Chengyou also heard a rumor.It is said that Jin Emperor Mengchen went northward, and his journey was bleak. When he passed Zhongdu Bridge, his eyes were blurred with tears, and he yelled at Du Chongwei.But also a little ironic.

Now that I think about it, people like Du Chongwei, even if they own Wei Bo, have tens of thousands of troops, even if they have millions, what is there to be afraid of?

His elbow was knocked, and it hurt a little, so he just put it down, and felt drowsy, and explained to Li Chongju, the guard, to sleep.

When Liu Chengyou woke up, it was already dark, and the army was still heading south, but at a very slow speed, and the sound of wheels and footsteps was all around my ears, accompanied by the sound of insects coming from the field on one side.Lifting the curtain of the car, Liu Chengyou looked out, saw the hazy twilight around him, and asked, "Where are you?"

Hearing the sound, Li Chongju hurriedly rode his horse forward and reported: "Your Highness, we have already arrived in Liyang. Commander Xiang has been ordered to go to Dutou to set up a camp first, and we only need to wait for the Chinese army to settle in."

"En!" Liu Chengyou responded.With these capable subordinates, it is indeed possible to save a lot of worry.

At night, the weather became much cooler, and the breeze was blowing, which was very comfortable.Two candle lamps were lit in the car, and the flames flickered, reflecting Liu Chengyou's figure, reading at night with the lights on.

By the time they arrived at Liyang Village, it was already completely dark, but Guo Rong and Xiang Xun had arranged the camp very well, and they could "check in with their bags".When the car drove down, the camp was busy in an orderly manner, and each battalion entered the camp in an orderly manner under Xiang Xun's arrangement.

Dinner was already prepared, besides the Huotou army of our own army, the Liyang county magistrate also enlisted some cooks and women to help.Liu Chengyou had a brief interview with Li Yangling, and learned from him that the convoy of supplies transported by Ma Quanyi and Sun Li had already arrived at the south of the Yongji Qunan, entered the Dahe River, and headed for Kaifeng. up.

Counting the time, it was not much faster than Liu Chengyou. After all, it took a detour. The water transportation in the north is not as developed as in the south. The rivers and canals have not been dredged for a long time, and it is difficult to speed up if there is any unexpected situation on the road.However, it saves a lot of manpower.

Hearing that he had passed Li Yang, Liu Chengyou also heaved a sigh of relief. After passing here, he had already reached the place covered by the power of the center, and it was basically impossible for any "accidents" to happen again.

After eating briefly, Liu Chengyou called Guo Rong and Wei Renpu to accompany them to Liyangdu.

Liyang Ferry is at your feet. This important canal hub on the side of the big river is not small in scale and a little deserted.However, with the establishment of the Central Plains, this place has become a little more angry. There are some civilian ships docked beside the ferry, and there are even some inns on the shore.There are always people, but when the army comes, they are very low-key and honest.

Walking on the tidal flat, the canal is dark in the distance, only the lights on the table are reflected nearby, the light is very weak, but the sound of flowing water is very clear.

"Your Highness, ten miles to the southwest of the ferry is the diversion of the great river." Wei Renpu followed him and introduced him: "When the Lord of Liao returned to the north, he crossed here. The Hu people did not practice boats and came here by force. Many people were drowned."

"I heard something." Liu Chengyou said.

Guo Rong, who was beside him, also pointed in one direction and said: "From here, it goes northeast, leads directly to the main section of Yongji Canal, enters the Haihe River in the north, takes the waterway, and reaches Zhuozhou at the northernmost point. Since the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the country has used troops to the north. This is the way to transport money, food and military equipment.”

"It's just that there have been frequent wars and turmoil over the years, and the country is not prosperous, the money is empty, and there is no one to dredge it, so the rivers and canals are silted up, the water transportation is not smooth, and the transportation capacity is greatly reduced." Wei Renpu added.

Hearing this, Liu Chengyou said: "You are reminding me that the river canal will be improved in the future."

Wei Renpu said with a light smile: "But we can't rush for a while. When the country is stable, people's livelihood is restored, and the treasury is full, we can do what we can."

"That's natural. River control is an extravagant project." Liu Chengyou nodded his head.

Looking up at Li Yangdu under the night sky, he was a little dazed. After a brief silence, Liu Chengyou sighed: "I don't know when I will be able to see the scene of hundreds of boats competing for the boat and thousands of sails racing from here."

"As long as the country is peaceful, there will naturally be." Guo Rong said.

The conditions don't seem to be difficult, but it's not so easy to do it.

"The south of the river is Huazhou!" Liu Chengyou suddenly asked while looking at the south.

Wei Renpu replied: "Yes, it belongs to the Yicheng Army Jiedu like Weizhou, and defends Tokyo."

"According to the map, it's not too far from Tokyo!"

"The distance of more than two hundred miles can be reached in two days after crossing the river if there is no delay. If it is by water, it will be faster!" Wei Renpu explained.

Hearing this, Liu Chengyou pondered for a while, and then opened his mouth to give instructions: "Cross the river early in the morning and take the road. Send someone to cross the river and inform Huazhou, so that the other side can prepare for it!"

"Yes!"

(End of this chapter)