Zhurou

Chapter 8 Wailing
Facing Lu Xianzhang's question, the room was completely silent.

Zhang Li waited for a long while, but seeing no one speak, the blue veins on his forehead trembled slightly, so he had to go out and shout loudly: "With the strength of the northerners, if you want to go south, it will take no effort at all. It starts from Qingyang and goes west to Xingyuan. Going east to Pingyang, there are all Di cavalry marching in formation, and they will arrive here soon. Instead of waiting until the soldiers approach the city to make a fuss, it is better to attach a surrender form early—the northerners cannot bear the heat in the south, and they will still need scholars to act on their behalf..."

Hearing this, Zhao Mingzhi no longer hesitated, but stepped into the house, walked around the screen, and raised his voice: "Northern people can't bear the heat in the south, and from now on, I will definitely need my generation to take care of it—— Zhang Xielu, do you think so in your heart?"

Taichang Temple Xielu Zhang Li's Adam's apple rolled, his mouth was opened wide, the second half of the sentence that was about to come out of his throat, but it seemed to be caught by a dog and ran away, and he couldn't say it anymore.

When he turned his head to look, he saw Zhao Mingzhi, but Zhao Hong was nowhere to be seen. He immediately jumped up as if he had been stepped on, and said angrily: "This time, I am discussing matters for the court. All the ministers of my generation will settle down to their own positions. Your Majesty opened the dynasty, although the three princesses have merit in taking care of her, she can't do it for her..."

While speaking, he turned his head to look at his colleagues beside him, wanting to find some helpers to fight with him.

However, to Zhang Li's surprise, not only did the left and right agree, but they all looked at him with inexplicable eyes in unison.

More like... sympathy?
Even Lu Xianzhang, who had been stern to him just now, showed an expression of not being able to bear to look at him any longer.

This is, what happened?

Zhang Li's voice was stern, but Zhao Mingzhi was calm and relaxed.

She calmly said: "Dare to ask Zhang Xielu, according to our old regulations, is it appropriate for His Majesty to be young and the concubine to hang down the curtain?"

Zhang Li sneered: "Naturally appropriate. Although the third princess is honorable, she is still just an older peer. Do you want to open up new things and replace the dynasty with the princess? How can you be so long? Don't you hear..."

Seeing that the ceremony official was about to quote the scriptures and started to babble again, Zhao Mingzhi immediately interrupted him: "Ask Zhang Xielu again, Your Majesty occasionally feels cold, and Concubine Li is not feeling well. The two of you asked me to take the case on your behalf. With the secretary, I want to follow the example of Taizu's illness. Shi Huangmei, is this a story, or something new?"

Zhang Li was at a loss for words for a while, and in desperation, he blurted out: "At that time, our dynasty founded the country, and we were in a hurry to follow the power. Emperor Taizu had no choice but to do it..."

Zhao Mingzhi said calmly: "Then according to Zhang Xielu's opinion, today's Emperor Taizu lived in Xiazhou, and His Majesty moved to Caizhou. Compared with the Taizu Emperor, I am not in a 'last resort' situation." ?”

The whole court surrendered, the emperor was taken into captivity, and there were millions of refugees. The Great Jin Dynasty had been reduced to such a state. Unless Zhang Li was blind, how could it be possible to argue the facts.

He was so choked that he couldn't refute, thinking of the Supreme Emperor of Xiazhou and all his subjects, he felt grief and indignation, but secretly hated himself for running around day and night, lack of energy, which made it difficult for him to be eloquent in the past, even a woman , I had no choice but to stare at a small piece of floor tile under Zhao Mingzhi's feet, wishing to make a hole there and tell her to fall down and die.

Zhao Mingzhi said again: "If you follow the old rules in everything that the law firm says, then today is a small court meeting. According to the story, it was not called by His Majesty himself. With the duty of the law firm, you should honestly come to the Taichang Temple to do it. Isn’t it the one who should be discussing here?”

Zhang Li raised his head in disbelief, but when he looked around, several people showed approval, and even two or three people were slowly nodding their heads.

If Zhao Mingzhi said it, it was like slapping him in public, but the reaction of the courtiers made him even more embarrassing and angry.

In this room, quite a few people had the same official positions as him a few months ago, and their grades were only mediocre. It was only because many noble ministers were as loyal to the Supreme Emperor as he was, and they were taken captive to Xiazhou together, leaving too many vacancies. Tell them that there are no tigers in the mountains, and monkeys are kings.

In just a few days, this group of formerly self-proclaimed loyal scholars have changed their faces. They don't even want face, and they are like dogs to women and children?

He raised his head uncontrollably.

Across a screen, Zhao Mingzhi's face couldn't be seen clearly at all, but he was already cursing in his heart: What a bitter mouth!How can such a poisonous woman be my princess? !

Zhao Mingzhi didn't have time to talk to him about these things, so he just asked: "Today's court meeting, His Majesty occasionally feels unwell, do you have any urgent government affairs, if not, we can discuss it after His Majesty recovers."

All the ministers shook their heads.

Lu Xianzhang even said: "The Zhongshu has already accepted the playbook, please your majesty to review it as usual."

Tong Ping Zhangshi, who presided over the court meeting, also came out and said: "There is no emergency, please take care of the dragon's body, Your Majesty."

Seeing that the scene returned to calm, Zhang Li couldn't bear it any longer, and shouted angrily: "I have my own play! The Northerners are right in front of us. The Supreme Emperor, a group of clan relatives, ministers, and hundreds of thousands of people are still in the midst of burning oil. Please Your Majesty will make a decision as soon as possible, and I am willing to go to Xingqing Mansion to ask for a form of surrender, and to give up this body, I will save all the people from the fire and water!"

"Zhang Xielu." Zhao Mingzhi said coldly, "Do you really think that the common people will be able to live and work in peace and contentment after submitting the form of surrender and Your Majesty bowing his head as a minister?"

"Why not?!"

"So, the Supreme Emperor is now in Xiazhou. According to what you said, he is still in the 'burning fire cooking oil'. Is it because the letter of surrender handed out by the previous court was not good, or because you bowed your head in a bad posture? That's why the Di people treat him like this?"

Zhang Li said angrily: "If His Majesty hadn't ascended the throne and set up another imperial court, the northerners would be dissatisfied..."

Zhao Mingzhi confronted him coldly: "When the Supreme Emperor went north, His Majesty was also captured by the Di people. When did he ascend the throne? Could it be that he ascended the throne in Beiren's dream?"

One sentence Zhang Li said was blocked, and in the end, he was speechless again.

When the chief of ceremonies announced his retreat, everyone walked out of the house one by one, only one person remained at the end, and said to Zhang Li who was still standing there, "Maofu, you... well, why do you do this?"

Zhang Li's face was bruised and wounded, but he said stubbornly, "I have no regrets!"

His eyes were bloodshot, the fundus of his eyes were red, and there were faint tears rolling in them: "You have traveled thousands of miles away, and you still have your family and attendants with you, and someone brings hot water when you soak your feet. Have you ever seen the life of the Jin people in Xiazhou? What kind of life did the Supreme Emperor live?"

"You have never seen the Northern cavalry before. You don't know how powerful they are. You only know that you want to fight and don't surrender. If you can fight, how can I, Zhang Li, be so greedy for life and afraid of death? Are you really willing to be ridiculed by future generations?!"

"Dechen, if you have a way, you should help me. How can our soldiers and horses fight against the northerners? It's like hitting a stone with an egg, but it's just a loss of life! Your majesty is young and ignorant, let the three princesses and chickens be responsible for you!" Chen, the woman doesn't know the depth, could it be that all civil and military officials in the court are stupid, watching her die..."

When he said this, he couldn't help thinking of his wife and children who were detained in Xiazhou. Zi was about the same age as today's son, but he was stripped naked and hung upside down on a tree because he prevented Di soldiers from acting violently while drunk and did not allow him to insult his sister.

If I can't successfully surrender this time, how can those family members in Xiazhou survive?
I'm afraid it's hard to find even a grain of rice to eat?

Thinking of the things that many high-ranking officials, women of the clan, noble ladies, and even handsome men were forced to do for a bite to eat, Zhang Li didn't know whether he wanted them to live, or would rather they die immediately.

Thinking of this, he felt sad, unable to speak any more, fell to the ground and cried loudly.

(End of this chapter)