Rebirth of Shuangshu

Chapter 84

Duke Wu of Zheng passed away.

The gates of the capital of Zheng State were closed.In theory, no one can enter or leave before the new monarch takes office.

Queen Zheng died 20 years ago, and Zheng Wugong did not appoint a new queen after that.The queen gave birth to a daughter, but no legitimate son.

Zheng Wugong spent his whole life in military affairs, and he did not ask for his son, nor did he leave a will.

In this way, you young masters will have to rely on their strength to rise to the top.

Duke Wu of Zheng had fifteen sons and seven daughters.But not all sons are qualified to earn the throne, such as the children of those maidservants, and some illegitimate children who are raised outside the palace and are not recognized.

Among the young masters who are qualified to be in charge, there are actually only two who really have the power to earn a position: Eighth Prince Ran and Ninth Prince Tu.

Gongziran represents Zheng Guo's anti-war forces.Prince Tu represents Zheng Guo's main battle force.

The father-in-law of Gong Zitu is Sima Yongji, who controls the army of Zheng State.Zheng Guo's military supported him.

Gong Ziran's biological mother is Zheng Wugong's beloved concubine, and his uncle is Zheng Guozhu Zheng Zichan.Although Zheng Zichan had passed away, his son Zheng Zihui inherited the mantle and took control of the civil servants of the State of Zheng.

Martial law has been imposed in the capital.Everyone is waiting for the winner of this game from top to bottom.

Fangfei Garden in Qingcang Mountain.

Everyone was tense for a few days, and then relaxed after a long time.

There was no siege around the palace, and it was changed to patrol in groups at twelve o'clock.People inside can come and go freely, mainly to guard against outsiders.

Lin Xiaoxiao came to the mountainside farmhouse immediately.

I thought that the news I heard from Huzigui was first-hand, but I didn't expect Cui Panpan to know more than them.

The two drank under the elm tree.

Cui Panpan makes tea.Lin Xiaoxiao felt that she should get a piano.

Lin Xiaoxiao watched Cui Panpan's unhurried movements, and sighed: "I always feel that you are more suitable for this era than I am."

Cui Panpan shook his head: "It's not like you and I drink tea in this era, I learned it from later generations."

Lin Xiaoxiao took a sip of green tea to moisten her throat: "Duke Zheng Wu is dead, who do you think can take over?"

Cui Panpan pondered for a while and said: "On the day the death knell rang, many hermits living in Yulin rushed into the city. They are a force that should not be underestimated."

Yulin is very close to the capital, and its location is quite subtle. In front of the mountain is the official road leading to the capital.Those who choose to live in seclusion here mostly hold the idea of ​​going out of the mountain at any time.

"I saw it, but can those people stand up to the army?"

"The bell rang that day, and then the city gate was closed. Can you see a large number of troops entering the city?"

"That's not it."

"If the army is stopped outside the city, it's just for display. There are five hundred defense troops in the city, which belong to the private army of the state and are not under Sima's command."

"Who has the warrant of the Defense Force now?"

"you guess?"

".I'm not familiar with them, so I can't guess."

"Zheng Wugong's queen has passed away for more than 20 years. During these 20 years, Gong Ziran's biological mother, Concubine Xian, took the responsibility of the queen and ruled the harem."

"Didn't the son rely on his uncle? His uncle Zheng Zi passed away a few years ago, didn't it affect the status of their mother and child? I have met his cousin Zheng Zihui before, and it feels normal."

"Zheng Zihui is not as good as Zheng Zichan, but Xianfei is as famous as Zheng Zichan. The title of Xianfei is obtained by herself, and she is well-known among the harem and the nobles in the capital. It is said that Zheng Wugong has been taken care of by Xianfei after he was seriously ill. Even changing clothes and going to the toilet is not done by them, let alone taking food and medicine."

"So powerful? That young master has no hope at all?"

"In the current round, Young Master Tu's party members are bound to lose, but the follow-up is hard to say."

"How to say?"

"If Young Master Ran can take advantage of the situation to suddenly wipe out the young master, Zheng Guochaotang will be able to stabilize. But if the young master is allowed to run away suddenly, there will be endless troubles."

"How do you know the secrets of these capitals?"

"It's not a secret. There is no TV network in these days, people's favorite entertainment is gossip after dinner, and the most popular among the public is the private affairs of the royal family."

In this era of pursuing virtue and fame, if someone scolds the Duke on the street, the Duke not only cannot kill him, but also praises him with "good scolding".

As the saying goes, "a wall has ears".There are no secrets in the court.

In the streets and alleys, people love to talk about the secrets of the palace, especially the stories of the princes of the royal family fighting for power and profit.The vicissitudes of life are changing vividly, as if those people have seen it with their own eyes and heard it with their own ears.

"You didn't go to the city, where did you hear these gossips?"

"By the water pool. Chun'er and I go to the water pool every day, whether it's fetching water or washing clothes. When the sun is good, the water temperature is suitable, and we will often meet other people."

Not everyone can live in Yulin.There is no one who lives here that does not have a connection with the capital.

Regardless of the fact that Cui Panpan was assigned to guard the tomb, her house has a field signboard.She and Chun'er, two weak girls, lived on the mountain and had never been harassed, all because of the "Tian" signboard.

"It seems that I have underestimated the monks in the mountains. By the way, your nominal husband is a general, and he also supports the young master?"

"Of course. Even my nominal natal family supports Young Master Tu."

Cui's family is a big businessman, doing big business.Wherever Zheng Guo's army goes, they can do business there.Otherwise, the Cui family is a married daughter and a contributor, what they want is fame and fortune.

"Then aren't you in danger?"

"Where is the danger?"

"After the young master is in danger, most of the dissidents will be eradicated. Both the Tian family and the Cui family are in danger. Oh no, the Tian family will not be in danger, only the Cui family will be in danger."

At this moment, in the capital city of Zheng State, the martial law has lasted for several days due to the death of the king.

Whether it is a nobleman's mansion or a small household, the courtyard door is closed tightly, and even the voices inside are much quieter.People seem to fear being too loud and being heard outside.

In fact, Zheng Wugong died two days before the death knell, and it was the concubine Xian and the national teacher who decided not to mourn.

Zheng Guo's national teacher is a close friend of Zheng Zichan, who was once the right-hand man of Zheng Wugong with Guozhu.The concubine Xian had an alliance with the national teacher.

In two days, they worked together to make arrangements.

In the palace, Concubine Xian held the warrant of the guards, first closed the city gate, then surrounded the palace, and made peace with the forbidden army inside and outside.Completely control several key points such as the palace and city gates.

In the imperial court, the national teacher came forward to connect with the civil officials, controlled the government and the people's customs, and controlled the way of speech in the capital.

On the day when the news was announced, Sima Yong had no time to mobilize the garrison outside the city, nor did he have the chance to contact the military attache inside the city.

Yongji was also astute, he didn't force his way into the palace to confront the concubine Xian, but brought Prince Tu and his wife to the Sima Mansion, and then ordered the servants in the mansion to guard the mansion to the utmost to save the life of Prince Tu.

That's it.

Concubine Xian and the national teacher pre-empted the attack, but ignored the most important person——Gongzi Tu.When they thought about cutting the weeds and roots, Young Master Tu had already entered Yongji's protected area.

Sima Yongji holds the military power of Zheng State, and there are many swordsmen under his sect.Unless the virtuous concubine and the national teacher do not condone human life, it will be difficult to win the Sima Mansion.

Martial law in the city for the past few days is actually the anti-war faction trying to attack Sima Mansion to catch Prince Tu.They sent people to attack or sneak at night. Some of them entered Sima's mansion and never came out, and some of them threw their bodies from the wall the next day.

Seeing the days go by, Sima Mansion still stands in the capital, but the anti-war faction suffered heavy losses.

Concubine Xian and the national teacher feel that this is not going to work, so they can only give up arresting Prince Tu for the time being, and it is more important for Prince Ran to succeed as Duke.

On the eighth day after the gates of the capital were closed, the gates were opened again.

The first to go out of the city is a group of nobles riding fast horses.There were about fifty riders, rushed out as soon as the city gate opened, and went straight to the distance.

Just yesterday, the anti-war faction and the main combat faction reached a reconciliation.

Sima Yongji gave up the position of Sima, and handed over the military amulet to the national division for safekeeping, and handed it over after a new Sima was elected.

The anti-war faction gave Young Master Tu a way out, provided that Young Master Tu left the capital and went to the southern fiefdom.

Both sides made concessions, and both got what they wanted most.

The moment the city gate was opened, the cavalry rushed out to escort the young master to the south.

Yongji is still in the capital, and the military talisman has been handed in, but there are some things about military power that need to be clarified.However, this was just an excuse he made, and he didn't want to leave the capital, the center of power.

Gongzi Ran succeeded to the throne and became the new Zheng Guogong.The capital ushered in a new atmosphere.

The first thing to do is to elect a new Sima.Sima is in charge of military affairs, not only assumes the responsibility of attacking foreign countries, but also undertakes the obligation to protect the country.

Young Master Ran discusses matters with his cronies.Zheng Zihui recommended General Tian Mu.

"Tian Mu is nearly [-] years old. He has fought abroad for many years. He has made great achievements in battle. He should have been promoted to the general because of his military achievements. Yongji deliberately suppressed Tian Mu for many years in order to let his son Yongjiao ascend to the position of general. He once transferred Tian Mu's military achievements to Yongjiu.

Although Tian Mu and Yongji are friendly on the surface, they are actually at odds in private.Bu Ruo appointed Tian Mu as Sima, and used his power to seize Yongji's prestige in the army.Given time, Yongji will be safe from danger. "

"Tian Mu has made a lot of military achievements in these years, and his reputation in the army seems to be better than that of Yongji. If Tian Mu is Sima, he may be another Yongji, or even worse than Yongji."

"I heard that Tian Mu's military achievements are related to his wife's family. If you suppress his wife's family and cut off his arm to weaken his power, it can also be regarded as a warning."

"Do you have a more suitable candidate than Tian Mu?"

"Since there is no one more suitable than Tian Mu, let's choose him."

So, when Lin Xiaoxiao and Cui Panpan were joking, Cui Panpan's husband, Tian Mu, became Zheng Guosima, and her natal family was copied.

In this era, killing gentry is very troublesome and requires a clear reason.Even the king of the country cannot kill soldiers at will unless he has committed a major crime that is generally recognized.

But checking merchants doesn't have to be so troublesome.

Even if the status of merchants has risen over the years, they cannot join the gentry.In this day and age, there are many things that money cannot buy.

No businessman can do business completely cleanly. A random search can find a lot of problems, and a house can be ransacked if there is a reason.

All of the Cui family's property was rushed into the state treasury.All members of the Cui family were reduced to slavery, waiting to be sold.

Only two Cui family members survived, one is Cui Panpan who is still guarding the tomb in Qingcang Mountain, and the other is Tian Mu's wife Cui Zhiyou.

Cui Panpan was forgotten.

Cui Zhiyou was able to save his life because of Tian Mu's face.It is also ironic to say that the Cui family's catastrophe is also because of their relationship with Tian Mu.

At the beginning, Tian Mu needed money from the Cui family for military expenses, so he married the daughter of the Cui family.Now Tian Mu was promoted to Sima, but he didn't take action to save the Cui family.

Tian Mu is a smart man.

From the way he dealt with the Da Cui family back then, it can be seen that he is a tolerant person.He saw that the difficulties of the Cui family were actually caused by the lord beating him, and he admitted it in a low-key manner as a smart one.The gesture he endured was also surrendering to the new ruler.

Then it was how to deal with Cui Zhiyou.

Cui Zhiyou was only 12 years old when she married Tian Mu.Not long after she married, Tian Mu led troops to attack Hu State.Afterwards, Tian Mu spent most of his time leading troops outside, and the number of times the husband and wife met could be counted on one hand.

As Mrs. Tian, ​​Cui Zhiyou stayed alone in the vacant house for four years, but now her natal family has been in decline.

This girl is only 16 years old this year.

Divorcing his wife will damage his reputation, Tian Mu does not intend to divorce Cui Zhiyou.The best way is for Cui Zhiyou to die of illness himself.

At this time, Tian Mu thought of Qingcang Mountain.

On this day, Lin Xiaoxiao and Cui Panpan were playing chess by the pool.Playing Go, not Mahjong.

The weather is getting hotter.

Under the trees by the pool, enjoy the cool air and cool off the summer heat.

The two were playing chess, but they talked a few words with the people around them from time to time.

During these days, everyone's topic still revolves around the nobles in the capital.

For example, the Xinguohui titled the lady as the queen, for example, the Xinguohui would not invite a certain son to be crowned son, and for example, what did the queen mother like recently, and so on.

Ordinary topics often reveal hidden messages.

Lin Xiaoxiao grabbed a leaf that had fallen on the chessboard and threw it under the nearby tree.

"It's too boring to stay on the mountain all the time. At this time in the past, I would study with the children in the village and carve the bamboo slips as a diary. By the way, since I came to Zheng State, I read fewer books. Have you ever entered the city? Is there a way, when shall we go to the city for a stroll?"

"Have you ever been to the city?"

"No, the marriage team can't enter the city at will, I don't want to trouble others for a little thing."

"There's nothing interesting in the city. The dirt lumps are piled up. The roads in the city are all dirt roads. If you don't take a carriage to get in and out, you have to eat a mouthful of ashes."

"No way, the main roads of Huaguo's capital are paved with stones. Isn't Zhengguo's capital not as well-built as Huaguo's capital?"

"Zheng Wugong only knows how to fight wars, and the looted funds are piled up in the treasury and moldy. Few people these days have the consciousness to engage in infrastructure construction."

"Didn't there be that Zheng Zichan before?"

"Zheng Zichan advocates using war to support war, invading other small countries, and plundering other countries' wealth to fill the treasury. In troubled times, don't even think about building infrastructure. Even if a good road is built, it can be destroyed in one battle."

Lin Xiaoxiao suddenly remembered something, lowered her voice and said, "I remember the Seven Heroes of the Warring States Period without Zheng Guo."

"Qin, Chu, Qi, Yan, Zhao, Wei, Han," Cui Panpan paused and continued, "Zheng Guo was the first vassal state to dominate, but was destroyed by South Korea later. However, here The reality of the current situation is very different from the history we know, and we cannot make judgments based on the history known to future generations."

(End of this chapter)