Four lanterns

Chapter 29 Yuan Chongwen's Ambition Appears for the First Time

Two months later
"Your Majesty, General Shi Bingguo and two attendants entered Fengyuan from Qiuwu Gate, and his [-] elite troops camped outside the city gate without any presumption."Qi Daocheng is changing clothes at the moment, waiting for Shi Bingguo to see him.Shi Bingguo has been guarding Mengzi City since the time of the Taizu. As the saying goes, he will not accept the orders of the emperors abroad, but Shi Bingguo has done this very well to reassure the court. To the imperial court, the record is pending investigation.One day, Qi Dao became a test of Shi Bingguo's loyalty. He specially ordered the House of Representatives to impeach Shi Bingguo. After hearing the news, Shi Bingguo took off his helmet and armor, and rushed all the way from Mengzi to Fengyuan. Shi Bingguo arrived in four days.After entering the city, he went directly to the court to face the saint, and respectfully explained that the matter of impeachment was non-existent, and asked the saint to make a decision.From then on, Shi Bingguo made Qi Daocheng completely relieved.It can be said that in Fengyuan and Northern Qi, apart from relying on the Royal Xuanjia Army, Qi Daocheng trusted General Shi Bingguo the most.

"Report, Your Majesty, General Shi Bingguo has dismounted from the dismounted stele and is walking towards the imperial palace. It is estimated that he will enter the court in half an hour." The second announcement has arrived.The matter of dismounting the stele was an act of Qi Daocheng. At the beginning of Qi Daocheng's administration in the Northern Qi Dynasty, he faced all the veterans left behind by his father. Dismount here and enter the court on foot.At the beginning when the monument was erected, many old ministers relied on their merits and ignored them. Later, they were all dealt with by Qi Daocheng, who released his military power with a glass of wine or used treason.

Half an hour later, at the Northern Qi court hall, although Shi Bingguo was wearing armor, but his weapons had been disarmed, he half-kneeled on the ground, and paid his respects to Qi Daocheng.

"General Shi, it's been hard work. General, do you know why I asked the general to go to Beijing this time?" Qi Daocheng sat on the dragon chair and asked.

"Your Majesty, I don't know, but I heard that Your Majesty asked you to recruit [-] soldiers. Your Majesty has already ordered his dog Shi Lei to issue a recruitment notice in the area of ​​Mengzi. He obeyed His Majesty's instructions and did not take any coercive measures during the whole process. Residents are free to sign up." Shi Bingguo said in a straightforward manner.

"I heard from Yuan Chongwen and Yuan Shangshu of the Ministry of War that General Shi and Lu Beilu Xuanlang are friends. Is there such a thing?" Qi Daocheng continued to ask. Although Shi Bingguo didn't know why, he still respectfully answered His Majesty's question. "When Lu Xuanlang was young, he came to Mengzi City alone from Lubei City along the corridor between Lubei and Mengzi. At that time, Lu Xuanlang was in his twenties, full of vigor, and my minister was about the same age. He once drank and chatted with Lu Xuanlang in the suburbs of Mengzi. People can make friends, so we became friends. But since that day, Lu Xuanlang and I have only exchanged letters, and have not met each other. The correspondence has been reviewed by the Council of Admonitions, and no secrets have been leaked. If the Holy Majesty does not believe it, you can go to the Council of Advisors to mediate Check out the information."

"Ai Qing, I am serious. I mentioned Lu Xuanlang, but I just wanted to explain to you that Lu Xuanlang is a generation of heroes who stationed in the extreme north for our pan-continent and faced unknown and inhuman risks. Now that Lu Bei is destroyed, I don't know if General Shi Bingguo can do so. Like Lu Xuanlang, he shoulders the safety of my Northern Qi Dynasty." Qi Daocheng asked.

"As your Majesty said, I have always done this, and I firmly believe that I will do the same in the future, and my descendants will also do the same to keep the North safe for Northern Qi." Shi Bingguo knelt on his knees and kowtowed.

"In addition, Aiqing, the two thousand elites brought this time" "Don't worry, Your Majesty, they are the elites of our Shi family army." "Aiqing, listen to me, these 2000 people, I need to be incorporated into the Xuanjia Army, you see How are you?" "Your Majesty, the whole world in Northern Qi belongs to His Majesty, besides, His Majesty will take away these 2000 people. If Mengzi has my Shi family, there will be no chaos in the North." After the two monarchs and ministers finished speaking, Qi Daocheng waved his hand, signaling Shi Bingguo to return to Mengzi quickly, recruit troops to train, and guard the northern border.

Watching Shi Bingguo recede, Qi Daocheng murmured, "Yuan Chongwen said that great treachery and great evil and great loyalty and great kindness are two sides of the same coin. Shi Bingguo, you are too loyal. Chief Inspector, come here, pass on my words, let Qi Shaoyou check whether the two thousand elites are really elites, and check whether the Shi Family Army is really as loyal as Shi Bingguo said. Northern Qi, be loyal to me." After receiving the order, the Great Neijian headed towards the Xuanjia Camp.

Half a month later, General Bai Xin was ordered to enter the court.Bai Xin entered Fengyuan City through the same Xuanwu gate, dismounted from the stele, and walked to the pilgrimage to see him.

"General Bai Xin, I didn't listen to what you said when I visited Lu Bei last time. Instead, I asked Yuan Chongwen to speak for you. Do you have anything to add about Lu Bei?" Qi Daocheng asked.Seeing that Bai Xin shook his head, he said, "Your servant is a warrior. It is better for Yuan Shangshu to report the matter. Yuan Shangshu's report is already very detailed, and I have nothing to add."

"General Bai, it is a good thing to be loyal to your superiors. Do you know that Yuan Chongwen said in front of me that you did not do your duty during this survey, and you did not pay attention to the things I explained, so I sent you on the spot. Dai Ming, Minister of the Ministry of Rites, went to Tianji City to investigate the matter of Lu Bei." Qi Daocheng was not angry, but intended to test the alliance between Bai Xin and Yuan Chongwen.

"Since Yuan Shangshu said it, it means that I did not work hard enough. If Your Majesty and Yuan Shangshu have needs, I would like to visit Lu Bei again." Bai Xin did not argue, and directly resisted the guilt.Hearing Bai Xin's answer, Qi Daocheng couldn't help being surprised by Yuan Chongwen's tactics. In Bai Xin's words, it was vaguely revealed that Yuan Chongwen and Qi Daocheng held the same position in his heart. surpassed.

"General Bai, how is the recruiting that I ordered you doing?" Qi Daocheng asked.

"Your Majesty, I have already recruited 5 soldiers yesterday, and now we are still a little short of the [-] soldiers set by Your Majesty." "How did you recruit soldiers?" Qi Daocheng asked. "Naturally, Your Majesty doesn't need to worry about the details of this kind of thing. I understand that the Northern Qi crisis is approaching, and replenishment of soldiers is really an emergency measure. I promise that I will complete the task on schedule." Bai Xin replied, not listening to Qi Daocheng's implication. "I'm asking you how to recruit soldiers. I really don't know how Yuan Chongwen Shangshu brought you in, how he made you a general." "Your Majesty, the matter of recruiting soldiers is nothing more than recruiting young men, training them, and forming an army. , as long as you have combat effectiveness and pay the food and salaries on time, why should you care about how to recruit troops." Bai Xin was still quibbling. "That's all. General Bai has worked hard. Fengyuanguan still needs to rely on General Bai. The two thousand elites I brought this time will be incorporated into the Xuanjia Army. General Bai has no objection." Qi Daocheng thought about Bai Xin and Yuan Chongwen has already been tied to the same boat, but Feng Yuan's crisis is indeed imminent, and there is no benefit to a temporary change of commander, it is better to be careful, transfer the students of Tianxingyuan to dilute the strength of Yuan Chongwen and Bai Xin in the army, it is also a good strategy . "I listen to the order. It will be convenient for General Qi Shaoyou to hand over the military power later. If your majesty is fine, and the minister is on military affairs, it is the best policy to return to Fengyuan immediately." Yuanguan, after all, my own place is more comfortable and safer.Qi Daocheng had no choice but to agree. "Bai Xin resigns." After saying that, Bai Xin turned around and walked out of the hall. Qi Daocheng vaguely saw a smile on Bai Xin's face, but it was not real, and seeds of doubt were planted in his heart.

(End of this chapter)