Chang'an is good

Chapter 562 Winter Snow
The four words "go all or nothing" have always meant great adventure.

And when the king of a country tries to use these four words on the important matter of the survival of the government and imperial power, he will inevitably encounter more criticism and opposition.

But at this moment, in the Manlu Palace, although the atmosphere among the ministers was extremely solemn and solemn, there was strangely no objection, including Ma Xingzhou.

Since they are the emperor's confidants, they know the emperor's tactics and temperament. They understand that once the emperor really decides something, it will be difficult to overturn and change it.

Secondly, standing in this position, standing above tens of millions of people, they are destined to know the full picture of the current situation better than ordinary people, or even other officials -

Even if the DPRK and China do not respond to the current situation through military means, it can still be regarded as a huge "adventure."

King Rong Li Yin holds the troops of the three armies, and the final ownership of Lingnan Road is currently unknown...

Li Fu revealed in the "Confession" that Duan Shiang's rebellious behavior was directly related to King Rong. This incident damaged King Rong's reputation. It was a good thing for the court, but it was not entirely a good thing...

They were worried that King Rong, who now had a large army in his hands, would simply stop caring about the opinions of the people in the world and instead choose to seize the throne first -

As for the literary turmoil caused by the imprisonment of the Cui clan, they all know who is behind it... This matter will eventually come to an end, but once the court makes a compromise, the country's politics and law and the majesty of the emperor will be ruined. It can no longer be picked up.

If the DPRK and China do not want to compromise, and cannot bear the increasing public criticism, they can only break the situation from another angle: that is, to fundamentally resolve all arrogant voices.

As long as the power of King Rong Li Yin fades away and the power of intimidation is regained in the court, the incited literati will "calm down" and consciously keep silent.

All in all, all the signs at the moment indicate that the body of the country that the emperor is guarding now that may collapse at any time must require a strong dose of medicine to bring death to life in order to have the possibility of resurrection.

At this time, it was also the best time these ministers could think of to mobilize troops.

Previously, the emperor was resolutely unwilling to use the troops in the capital because of the crisis in Luoyang. At that time, King Rong's ambition was clear, and the capital was in a situation of being attacked from both sides. No matter which side mobilized troops, it would give the other side an opportunity to take advantage of it - Duan Shiang's identity and intention After it was revealed, the courtiers were even more shocked to realize that this was the strategy devised by Prince Rong's Mansion to divert troops from the capital. It just proved that the emperor's original decision to station troops in the capital and send secret orders to Huainan Road to support Luoyang was correct.

The emperor changed his mind at this time because the timing was different——

Duan Shiang died, King Fan Yang was executed, the crisis in Luoyang was temporarily relieved, and Fan Yang's army was defeated. Chang Sui Ning, the governor of Huainan Province who had accomplished all this with his own hands, was very kind-hearted at this time and had no intention of threatening the capital. Instead, he continued to lead his troops northward...

Of course, there were also people in the court who secretly regarded Chang Sui Ning's move as a manifestation of his evil spirit - this guy went north simply because he wanted to continue to occupy the territory.

As far as the current situation is concerned, it is really difficult to define whether Chang Suining's personal trip to the north is a sign of kindness or an animal heart... But in any case, since she has not openly called the capital, the court can concentrate on dealing with Rong. The king's trouble.

And the Bian Chunliang Rebellion has almost subsided, so the crisis in the southeast has also been lifted, and the other forces have not yet caused serious trouble. Beijing is relatively safe at this time——

Looking back at Prince Rong's Mansion, Duan Shiang's plan failed, and Prince Rong's reputation was stained. Many people who had gathered in the name of his benevolence and righteousness were at the moment when their hearts were wavering. If troops could be sent out quickly at this time, they could catch Prince Rong's Mansion off guard as much as possible. .

Moreover, the imperial divisions had a reputation. They first sent out troops to punish the Shannan West Road Jiedu envoy for refusing to enter the capital to harbor evil intentions. After the Shannan West Road was broken, they would then question the guilt of King Rong for instigating Duan Shiang to commit rebellion...

If Xiao Min makes good progress on Lingnan Road, he can lead his troops from the south to intimidate the Qianzhong Road, and then form a pincer attack with the imperial troops on Jiannan Road, which will increase his chances of victory.

The emperor had arranged everything, and she was already ready to fight back against Li Yin when she decided to use Xiao Min to deal with the dispute on Lingnan Road.

Emperor Shengce decided to use 150,000 troops from the capital to send troops to the Shannan West Road.

Among the 150,000 troops, there were more than 60,000 Xuance troops.

These more than 60,000 Xuance troops gave the emperor more confidence and gave the courtiers more confidence.

If this battle can be won, even if it is delayed for a longer time, as long as King Rong's power is weakened, the court can use the name of the prince to quickly consolidate the situation and stabilize people's hearts!

This is the best possibility that the courtiers can think of based on the current situation, but no one can predict the final outcome...

At this point, the court and the emperor no longer had a more appropriate and dignified choice.

After everything was agreed upon, Emperor Shengce personally prepared the order to mobilize the troops and came down the imperial steps. Ma Xingzhou and other ministers led the frightened prince to kneel down, lowering their robes, and then kowtowed deeply.

This worship is not only worshiping the emperor, but also worshiping the fate of the country and dynasty that hangs on a thread.

All the ministers left one after another until only one person was left on his horse and boat.

Finally, the emperor above him said to him alone: ​​"Don't worry, Mr. Ma. If this battle can be won, I will do my best to save Ma Wan's life and bring her back to the capital safely."

Ma Xingzhou kowtowed again and thanked him.

It wasn't until he resigned and exited the Manna Hall that an imperceptible sigh escaped his lips.

He knew that the saint's words were meant to comfort and to show mercy. As a minister, he should be grateful...

But at such a juncture, the saint's words could be regarded as solemn comfort. Could it be that he wanted to settle his mind?
Therefore, the saint may not have complete trust in him... He still suspects that because of Wan'er's involvement, there is a possibility that he will defect to Prince Rong's palace at the critical moment.

Even though he had to comply with the saint's wishes and reluctantly risked his granddaughter's marriage to Yizhou, now the situation has changed, and his loyal actions at that time have actually become a barrier in the saint's heart.

This conjecture is disrespectful, but it is precisely because of the subject's understanding of the monarch that he made such a disrespectful conjecture.

He couldn't say that the saint was wrong. The emperor was alert and vigilant. Why was he wrong?

As a minister, your only duty is to be loyal.

Ma Xingzhou stood quietly for a moment with complicated emotions before lifting his legs and walking down the white marble steps.

There was a chill in the wind, blowing up the corners of his official robe.

After returning to his mansion, Ma Xingzhou sat quietly in his study for a long time before writing a letter again.

This is the first time he has written to his granddaughter after Yu Zeng's previous incident.

That time, on the order of the emperor, he asked his granddaughter to spy on Yu Zeng's relationship with Prince Rong's Mansion, and he was almost convinced that his granddaughter would no longer have a chance to survive.

His granddaughter was "lucky" to survive, but this time... as a grandfather, he wanted to let his granddaughter die in a more straightforward way.

Just as the two countries are getting married and war is imminent, the getting married princess is destined to become an obstacle and tragedy.

It is their fate and honor to die for their motherland.

When Ma Xingzhou was distracted, he thought of Princess Chongyue who married Beidi. Although it was sad and deplorable, she was also extremely respectable, wasn't she?

Even though Wan'er was not as capable as Princess Chongyue, from the moment she personally made her choice, it became her unavoidable duty to die for the country and not to "embarrass" the emperor.

Over the past few months, Ma Xingzhou, who had become much older, quietly watched the handwriting on the letter in front of him become dry little by little, and finally threw the intolerance and guilt in his heart into the evening wind of the winter moon.

The sky was gloomy in the evening, and the cold wind blew across the skin on his face, making Prince Li Zhi couldn't help but shiver. But no one knew that when he left the Manna Hall, his inner clothes were almost full of cold sweat.

He was blown by the cold wind all the way back to the East Palace, and the cold sweat still lingered on his body.

This time there was no sound of reading the storybook in the inner hall, but a servant came in holding a copper pot and marinated tender mutton.

When Li Zhi walked in, he saw Wei Miaoqing instructing the maids to use tongs to put the lit smokeless charcoal fire into a small stove.

Seeing him come in, the palace lady who was holding a charcoal fire couldn't move her hands to salute. Although she said "See you, Your Highness" in a hurry, she didn't appear to be panic-stricken.

This small detail, which was usually enough to be severely punished by the Eastern Palace Lady Shi, now made Li Zhi feel inexplicably relaxed.

"Your Highness came back so early today." Wei Miaoqing did not expect Li Zhi to come back, and she did not hide that she had not asked anyone to prepare Li Zhi's bowls and chopsticks. She just naturally told the palace attendants: "Bring an extra bowl and chopsticks!"

Li Zhi had become quite familiar with Wei Miaoqing these days. At this time, the former was filled with worries, and after reluctantly twitching his lips, he subconsciously said: "The imperial court is preparing to send troops..."

After Wei Miaoqing was stunned for a moment, he did not ask where to send troops, but said: "The matter is over, let's eat the pot first!"

Li Zhi was speechless when he saw her pointing to the copper pot that had been put on the stove by the palace servants and saying, "But it's the mutton pot."

"Sit down quickly." Wei Miaoqing took the lead and sat down cross-legged, pointing to the seat opposite and urging Li Zhi.

Li Zhi took off his cloak and sat down silently, but he had no appetite at all. At this juncture, how could he have any intention of eating pot?

"...How come this mutton is so fresh and tender?" A quarter of an hour later, Li Zhi couldn't help but said: "It's fresh but not sour, it's really delicious."

The maid on the side smiled and said: "Go back to your highness and pickle the egg whites and ginger slices for half an hour in advance."

"Hasn't Your Highness ever cooked meat in a pot before?" Wei Miaoqing asked curiously, holding half a bowl of mutton soup, looking at Li Zhi who seemed to have never eaten anything good.

Li Zhi smiled in surprise: "In this East Palace alone, there is rarely a chance to sit quietly and eat a pot."

For many years, he ate whatever was brought to him in the kitchen. Even when he was free, he never dared to ask for any preferences, for fear of being notorious for being indolent and greedy for pleasure.

Thinking of this, Li Zhi took another piece of meat that was both fat and thin and put it into his mouth. Suddenly he thought of Wei Miaoqing's words praising him for being good at staying alive.

Now that I think about it, he is indeed a person who knows nothing but is naturally very good at surviving.

The pot was steaming, and the palace maid opened the window a little.

Wei Miaoqing held the bowl in one hand and the chopsticks in the other, looked out the window at the darkening sky, and muttered: "Since it is a cold winter this year, the snow should be coming soon."

In mid-November, a heavy snowfall fell in the capital.

As the heavy snow covered the entire capital, there was also a turbulent and tense atmosphere.

The court mobilized 150,000 troops to attack the governor of Shannan West Road.

This battle was led by a veteran of the Xuance Mansion who had not been near the front line for many years and was already in a semi-retirement state. There were eunuchs in the military to oversee the battle. He was also accompanied by a close civil servant of the emperor who had already set off before the heavy snowfall.

On the day the army set off for the expedition, the empress, who had been ill for many days, wore a heavy coat and was accompanied only by an elderly nun, and returned to her old residence next to the Elephant Garden.

The snow is like flakes, falling in pieces.

In Dali Temple, above a small and dark cell, there was a palm-sized hole that was too small to be called a window.

The cold air pressed down from there, and the snowflakes fell equally.

Wearing only a thin prison robe, Cui Hao sat cross-legged and looked up at the falling snow.

He had thought about seeking death countless times, but in the end, he became a greedy person who prevented his tribesmen from seeking death.

Even so, there are still weak tribesmen who cannot endure this harsh winter.

Cui Wei looked up at the gray sky, and the scene of his father's death flashed before his eyes, and he also thought of the past.

Choosing King Rong does not mean that they can survive the crisis smoothly. No path is guaranteed to win or lose. This has been a gamble from the beginning.

Nowadays, their tribesmen scattered around Jiannan Road are all working for King Rong, and in prison, they also play the role of manipulating Wenxin's public opinion for King Rong.

On the day when the imperial court sent troops, Cui He heard the commotion outside, and an older jailer spat at him through the cold prison bars and said: [The troops are sent out this time by the Xuance Army. Wait until they hear back. Good news, the court will execute you again, see who dares to stop you! 】

At that time, Cui Ai didn't refute, just sat there numbly.

Duan Shiang's defeat in Luoyang gave the DPRK the confidence to send troops, and his father's decision made him feel strangely happy: at least the person who defeated Duan Shiang was Chang Sui Ning.

At this moment, under the falling snow, Cui Hao closed his eyes and smiled silently and sadly.

When the capital was shrouded in the first snow, the Lingnan area was still warm.

Seven days ago, an imperial envoy arrived in Daozhou with a secret order, asking Xiao Min to order troops and set off for Lingnan Road as soon as possible.

Xiao Min suggested that he should be given half a month to wipe out the remnants of Bian Chunliang's troops before heading to Lingnan, but the imperial envoy flatly refused.

After Li Xian died, Xiao Min pursued Bian Chunliang all the way to Daozhou and recovered several cities. Today, Bian Chunliang's remaining troops are less than 5,000.

Along the way, Xiao Min knew that his actions were not very fast. He should have eliminated Bian Chunliang's disaster earlier, but Bian Chunliang was in desperate situations several times, but he always managed to find a glimmer of hope...

Xiao Min knew very well that what caused all this was not the difference between him and Bian Chunliang, but the role of public sentiment.

Especially near Daozhou, this is the place where Bian Chunliang started his uprising. In the eyes of many people, it was precisely because they had suffered unfair treatment from the court that Bian Chunliang had the unscrupulous move to seek justice for them.

Most of them didn't say it openly, but in their hearts they all regarded Bian Chunliang as a hero who saved the world.

Xiao Min has been dealing with the people here for a long time to prevent them from rioting, but he has been unable to truly confirm Bian Chunliang's hiding place.

Bian Chunliang was not dead, and Xiao Min was still a little uneasy in his heart, but the imperial envoy had taken back his military talisman, and then handed the gold-bronze Zhuya scepter, which represented the identity of a Jiedushi envoy, into his hands.

(Today’s update comes after I had two wisdom teeth removed at one go and was given painkiller drips)

good night!