First Minister of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 301

...

At this moment, the guards at the gate of the camp came to report: Xu Xuanche had gone to Jiangling.

Gao Chong nodded and said with a smile: "It seems that he still has a bit of reason, and he still has the heart of official career."

Li Xiaogong was taken aback for a moment, and then wanted to understand the joints, Xu Xuanche might really be able to establish a miracle.

After all, Jiangling City is really easy to defend and difficult to attack, Li Xiaogong stormed for three days, Jiangling City was unscathed, and all kinds of city defense materials in the city, such as arrows, gold juice, etc., seemed to be inexhaustible.

But this is not surprising. After all, Jingchu is rich and well-known throughout the world. There has been no large-scale battle in decades, and there has been no civil disturbance. Jiangling City, as the largest city in the south, has millions of arrows in stock Surprisingly, there are tens of thousands of permanent residents living in the city, and the excrement produced every day is tens of thousands of catties, and very little is used for city defense.

Looking at the Jiangling City in front of him, which looked extraordinarily lonely under the setting sun, as if the girder was already on the verge of sunset, Xu Xuanche felt sad, staggered to the bottom of the city, prostrated himself on the ground, and shouted in a hoarse voice: "The guilty minister Yuezhou The chief executive, Xu Xuanche, king of Yan, begs to see the saint."

Liang Jun on the top of the city panicked when he heard the words, why is King Yan here... Didn't the sage and Mr. Cen say that King Yan has led hundreds of thousands of Yuezhou soldiers to support?For a moment, Xiao Liang's soldiers on the top of the city panicked.

A general guarding the city came in a hurry after hearing the words, and stretched out the city wall to check, "Really, is it His Royal Highness King Yan? Can you recognize the last general?"

"Liu Juncheng, I'm Xu Xuanche, open the city quickly," Xu Xuanche looked up, recognized the general who was also from the Yuezhou Army, and immediately shouted.

"It's really the King of Yan." Liu Juncheng was shocked. He was a county lieutenant in the county under the jurisdiction of Baling County. After following Dong Jingzhen and others, he recognized Xu Xuanche and immediately ordered: "Put down the hanging basket and pull the King of Yan up." , go and tell the saint.”

When Xu Xuanche went to the city, Liu Juncheng saw his face clearly. Although his hair was messed up and he was in a mess, he recognized at a glance that this was Xu Xuanche, the chief executive of Yuezhou and the King of Yan. Regardless of etiquette, he hurriedly grabbed Xu Xuanche's arm, "King Yan, what is this?" , What's going on here? What about King Qin's army in Yuezhou?"

Xu Xuanche was sad in his heart, seeing an acquaintance in Yuezhou, he hugged him and cried loudly, "It's over, it's over, the entire Yuezhou army is wiped out, Daliang...it's over".

Liu Juncheng turned pale when he heard the words, then he pushed Xu Xuanche away, and angrily said: "King Yan, you have the high hopes of a saint, and you are the king of Liang, how can you shake the morale of the army?"

Xu Xuanche shook his head and sighed: "It's good to try to restore the morale of the army, but it's useless. The death of the Liang Dynasty is a certainty. You should bring the king to meet the saint."

Liu Juncheng gritted his teeth and held the saber in his hand. He was one of the few Liang generals who were tough in the Tang army, but now he didn't dare to chop Xu Xuanche with a single knife, so he had to take him to the palace.

No need to report, after the city defense soldiers came to report earlier, the panicked Xiao Mian ordered the group of officials to be summoned to meet Xu Xuanche in the main hall.

As soon as they met, Xu Xuanche knelt on the ground, and shouted with grief: "The guilty minister Xu Xuanche has failed the saint's high expectations, and he deserves death."

Seeing this, Xiao Xian stood up abruptly, pointed at Xu Xuanche and asked tremblingly, "Yue, where are the Yuezhou soldiers?"

"After the criminal minister gathered his troops, he rushed to Jiangling King Qin to rescue him in the starry night. Unfortunately, he was ambushed by Jiaozhou Qiu and old thieves at Shangjin Lake. The Yuezhou soldiers... have been wiped out." Said reluctantly.

Hearing the news in person, Xiao Xian's eyes widened immediately, he clutched his chest and fell down on the couch, unable to recover for a long time.

Cen Wenwen's calm face was also pale, "King Yan, you said that Jiaozhou Qiuhe ambushed you?" Cen Wenwen keenly grasped the point and asked.

"That old thief has already surrendered to the Tang Dynasty," Xu Xuanche nodded, and said in a hateful voice.

Cen Wenwen closed his eyes, after all he predicted the worst outcome.

Hearing this, Xiao Xian yelled, "Old thief, dare..." After saying that, he rolled his eyes and passed out.

The ministers were in chaos and noisy, and Cen Wenwen shouted: "Be quiet, send the imperial doctor quickly."

After a while of tossing and turning, Xiao Xian woke up slowly, staring straight at the hall Pingbai, and sighed faintly: "God does not bless me, Xiao Xian is ashamed of my ancestors."

After a long time, Xiao Xian calmed down, looked at Xu Xuanche who was lying on the ground in the palace, his eyes were empty and calm, and he did not lose his temper like he did when he dealt with Lu Wang Wanzan. He waved his hand wearily: "Xu Qing, get up, The situation is difficult, and it is not your fault."

In fact, everyone present also knew that there were hundreds of thousands of soldiers in Jiaozhou, Qiu He secretly surrendered to Tang, and ambushed in the middle of the way.

"Your Majesty, let's surrender," Cen Wenwen said first, "Now there is no way to recover, and there is no possibility of restoring the situation, and it is useless to force it."

As soon as this statement came out, all the officials were silent, no one had any objection, and they all bowed their heads in silence.

Xiao Xian's face was flat, he looked at the expressions of the officials seriously, and then he smiled, and said with a mocking smile: "There are still [-] troops in the city, and there is enough food and grass. When the city is broken, you are afraid that it will be difficult to preserve it. Now, while the city is still there and the soldiers and horses are still there, go out and surrender first, so as to avoid the disaster of swords and soldiers, and you will not worry about not having the loyalty of the monarch. It is very good, very good."

All the ministers were immediately ashamed when they heard the words, and bowed their heads in silence.

Only Cen Wenwen looked as usual, and said directly: "Your Majesty came out while the city was not broken, one of which can save the people in the city from suffering, protect the people in the time of defeat, and still live up to Xiao Liang's reputation of running Jingchu for a hundred years;

The second is to strive for preferential treatment from Li and Tang, so that you will not lose your position as a prince in the future, and you can keep your wealth and honor for life."

At this time, Xiao Mian was exceptionally sober. Hearing the words, he shook his head and laughed and said, "Didn't Jingren hear about King Dou's death? How could he, Li Yuan, be a benevolent person? Besides, why should I be guilty of inheriting the inheritance of my ancestors? Why do you need him?" Li Yuan forgives."

Cen Wenwen was speechless, so he heard Xiao Mian continue: "However, one of what you said is true. I will protect the people from suffering when I surrender to death, and I am worthy of the support of the people of Jingchu for a hundred years. Heart to feed."

Hearing this, all the ministers burst into tears. Cen Wenwen's ancestors were Xiao Liang's ministers. Hearing the words, he suddenly lost his composure and fell to the ground crying bitterly. This cry was the Liang who had once again subjugated the country. Moreover, Cen Wenwen had a premonition that this time the country might be restored. It was Xiao Liang's last time.

"Xu Qing, are you here to persuade him to surrender?" Xiao Mian looked at the grief-stricken Xu Xuanche, his eyes were full of shrewdness. At this last moment, Xiao Mian, Emperor Mingfeng of the Great Liang Dynasty, seemed to have become the wise and magnanimous man he once was. , a benevolent and studious son of a subjugated country.

Xu Xuanche lowered his head in shame: "The guilty minister only wants to protect His Majesty, and has no other intentions."

"I believe in you, I will bestow this credit on you." Xiao Mian nodded, with a bit of appreciation, and then sighed: "You rest for one night, and after tomorrow you will not be King Yan of Daliang, and you will go out of the city to inform Tang Jun. I would like to surrender."

(End of this chapter)