Han Shizu

Chapter 796
At dusk on the western mountain, the carnival in the Crystal Palace came to an end for the time being, and the melodious sounds fell silent for a while.The palaces inlaid with pearls and agates everywhere, under the reflection of lamps and candles, emit brilliant light and are dazzling.

The beauties dispersed, and the servants in the palace carefully cleaned up the mess. The air was filled with the smell of alcohol, not the fragrance of the essence of grain, but instead, it was rotten and stench.In the brocade tent with bead curtains, among the carved jade couches, Meng Chang, who was tired from playing, lay on it in an indulgent posture, holding a delicately crafted silver jug ​​in his arms.

"Lady!" There was a slight greeting from outside.

"Where's the official?" A gentle voice of inquiry sounded, and from that pleasant voice, it seemed that a little bit of dissatisfaction could be felt from the beauty.

"The official has already fallen asleep!"

Soon, the bead curtain was lifted, and there was a crashing sound. Concubine Xu Hui stepped on the high-quality blanket lightly in lotus steps, and sat on the edge of the couch with her round buttocks, looking at Meng Chang.

Meng Chang tilted his head slightly, his cheeks showed a mass of rich rosiness, and his drunkenness was hard to dissipate.Although he is a little fat, Meng Chang is still a handsome uncle, his forehead, eyebrows, eyes and nose can be described as handsome.However, from his facial expression, one can clearly feel a kind of desolation and exhaustion.

Feeling something in her heart, Concubine Xu Hui's frowning eyebrows relaxed a little, and her beautiful face revealed a look of love and pity, which was a distressed expression.Stretching out her slender jade hand, she gently caressed Meng Chang's face, her red lips parted slightly, and she sighed silently.

Wiping off the wine beads left between Meng Changxiu's beard, he noticed the wine jug he was holding in his arms, and took it out after exerting all his strength.As soon as the jug was thrown away, Meng Chang woke up immediately, opened his misty eyes, took a while, noticed Concubine Xu Hui, and said softly, "You're here!"

A bad smell of alcohol came out of his mouth, Meng Chang pretended to have a headache, Concubine Xu Hui hurriedly sat up, hugged him in her arms, and gently massaged his forehead with her hands.

Meng Chang showed an expression of enjoyment, and then sniffed Meijiao Niang's jade fragrance, showing a fascinated expression, as if immersed in a comfortable harbor.

While massaging, Concubine Xu Hui hesitantly persuaded: "Officials, you can't go on like this anymore. You're intoxicated, wasting your time, and neglecting government affairs."

If other concubines persuade him, Meng Chang will definitely be furious, but this is his favorite concubine Hui.His eyes cleared up for a while, and then dimmed, and hugging the beauty's slender waist, Meng Chang said in a downcast manner: "I will let the ministers take care of the affairs of the court, don't worry, we just need to be here in this crystal palace, playing the zither and playing harmoniously, and sharing leisure time." Just have fun!"

Regardless of Meng Chang's tone and demeanor, there was a hint of depression. Seeing this, Concubine Xu Hui couldn't help but feel depressed, and said: "The country is precarious and the country is in turmoil. Although the concubine is only a woman, how can I enjoy it with peace of mind and charm the king?"

"Don't worry about the gossip outside!" Hearing this, Meng Chang comforted her.

Concubine Xu Hui wanted to persuade her again, but a servant hurried in, stood outside the curtain and said, "Officials, Privy Envoy Wang Zhaoyuan and Deputy Envoy Han Bao are asking to see you outside the hall!"

"Did you say anything?" Meng Chang asked casually, somewhat reluctant to part with Concubine Xu Hui's jade body.

"It is said that there is an emergency military situation!"

"Military situation? The two of them can discuss and deal with it!" Meng Chang responded.

Seeing his reaction, Concubine Xu Hui took the initiative to stand up, bowed gracefully, and said: "The two envoys have come hand in hand, there must be urgent matters, the officials must not neglect, the concubine will leave first!"

After finishing speaking, without waiting for Meng Chang to persuade her to stay, she left quickly, moreover leaving the Crystal Palace and going back to her peony garden.

In the hall, Meng Chang tidied up his appearance before receiving the two privy envoys.Wang Zhaoyuan, who hurried into the room, saw the ceremony, and ignored the displeasure on Meng Chang's face, and said, "Your Majesty, there is an urgent military situation from the north!"

"Urgent military situation? Could it be that there is something wrong with Zhao Jiwen again?" Meng Chang obviously hadn't fully sobered up from the drunkenness, his mind was a little chaotic, and he subconsciously said.

But he quickly reacted, opened his eyes wide, and stared at Wang Zhaoyuan nervously: "The situation of the northern army! Has the Han army changed?"

Taking a deep breath, Wang Zhaoyuan said with a serious face: "Lizhou reported that the Northern Han Dynasty had sent troops southward on the seventh day of this month. It sent thousands of troops in advance to attack Sanquan under the leadership of the Han general Wang Renshan!"

"How could it be!" Hearing this, Meng Chang's face became gloomy, as if he had suffered a major blow, and he was still puzzled: "Is there a mistake in the military situation? How could the Northern Han Dynasty disregard the dignity of the big country and go to war without declaring it?" In the first half of the year, the imperial court did not delay and discount the annual tribute, so how dare the Northern Han Dynasty tear up the peace treaty and invade it brazenly?"

Seeing Meng Chang's reaction, Wang Zhaoyuan yelled loudly, as if he wanted to shake his soul back with a high voice: "Your Majesty, I have already said that the Northern Han Dynasty will never die to destroy me, and sooner or later send troops to swallow up my great Shu country. It is not surprising that the Han army is going south. Now that the Han army has launched, it is useless to talk more, and the court should quickly find ways to deal with it and support the northern troops to defend against the enemy!"

Hearing what Wang Zhaoyuan said, Meng Chang calmed down slowly, but still at a loss, he murmured: "It's finally here."

"Your Majesty!" Beside Wang Zhaoyuan, the deputy privy envoy Han Baozheng yelled loudly, with sharp eyes and bearded hair, he said, "Northern invaders and southern invaders, Great Shu is at stake, if you don't think about supervising and defending against the enemy, why do you make such a senseless appearance? "

Han Baozheng is a veteran in Sichuan, he fought with Meng Zhixiang in his early years, he has always been known for his bravery and tough style, and he is also outspoken.After the peace talks between Han and Shu, he was appointed as a deputy privy envoy to assist Wang Zhaoyuan. The current defense line established by Hou Shu in the north is due to his merits. After all, the veteran has rich combat experience.
In fact, the generals of the later Shu Dynasty are very weak. They have been in the country for more than 20 years. They are active in the military, leading troops to fight, guarding the borders, and they are still some veterans from the founding period. Young talents have not been discovered and promoted.

At this moment, seeing Han Baozheng, an old general, glaring at Kong Zhang, Meng Chang regained his depressed spirit, stood up, straightened his robes, and said, "Commend all civil and military officials to discuss matters in the hall!"

It was only the beginning of autumn, but the wind blowing in the Shu palace was extremely cold and bleak, making people feel subconsciously low and depressed.It had been a long time since Meng Chang had been promoted to the palace to discuss matters, but when he reappeared in front of the ministers, he faced the large-scale southward advance of the Han army.

For many Shu officials, it was actually expected, but when this day really came, they still couldn't help being panicked.Dozens of civil and military officials from the Shu court gathered to discuss state affairs, but they each held their own opinions and argued endlessly.

Regarding the attack by the Han army, there were mixed opinions. Some suggested sending envoys to inquire about peace, some suggested guarding the checkpoints and waiting for the enemy to retreat, some suggested increasing troops and sending food to take the initiative to attack. Of course, the surrender faction who suggested that Meng Chang directly surrender was indispensable.
There was a lot of discussion, but they couldn't come up with a set of effective measures. It was a mess, even more chaotic than the market in Chengdu. Hearing all kinds of suggestions, Meng Chang's head swelled.

A loyal and upright veteran like Han Baozheng naturally couldn't see the unbearable performance of the ministers of the Shu court, and denounced them for their haste, which is disgusting.As a result, another wave of controversy and criticism was triggered.

In the end, Meng Chang couldn't take it anymore, and announced the dissolution of the dynasty, leaving only Li Hao, Wang Zhaoyuan, Han Baozheng and a few civil and military officials.

Back in the study, Meng Chang couldn't help being furious, and launched a map cannon-like attack: "The ministers of the Manchu Dynasty are all mediocre. hateful!"

"Your Majesty, calm down!" Seeing Meng Chang's anger, Prime Minister Li Hao lowered his head slightly to persuade him.

After venting a bit and feeling better, Meng Chang looked at Wang Zhaoyuan and Han Baozheng, and said directly: "The matter has come to this point, how to deal with the Northern Han invasion to the south, we have to rely on the ministers here. Is there any charter for the Privy Council?"

Upon hearing this question, Wang Zhaoyuan replied seriously: "Your Majesty, I have discussed with the bureaucrats, and we have no retreat in this war. The Han army has spent the past three years in Qinfeng and Hanzhong reorganizing the army, accumulating millet and arranging weapons. The purpose is clearly revealed. This trip to the south, we must have the heart to destroy the country, if we want to protect our foundation in Dashu, we can only resist with all our strength!"

(End of this chapter)