Dajing Sun and Moon

Chapter 68
The flowing water is gurgling, the fragrance of tea is curling up, the pavilions are hidden in square inches, and the couplets of writing, ink and poetry are hung as screens.

There was a gentle breeze and there was a rushing sound.

The six people sat around, Xia Houchun looked around, suspicious.

Although Liu Yu's presence here was beyond his expectation, it was reasonable, but Yang Zhong was there?

The nominal "third uncle" of my family is amazing. Not only did he go straight to the Ministry of War with "great vision and foresight as a general", he was the first choice for Wentao and Wulue.

Moreover, as a stepmother's mother's family, she won the trust of Emperor Jing. After she was first appointed to the Ministry of War, she was transferred to the Habayashi Army, and within a few years she took the position of commander-in-chief.

As I said before, Chen Xuanli, Yang Zhong, and other Dajing youths have all sat in this position. They have one thing in common—the confidant of Emperor Jing.

However, such a beautiful lady, how could she be a thief.

It's fine to choose to be loyal to his father, but why do you have to fight against the young master, or betray him!

With such a criminal record, don't blame the young master for not trusting you.

Seemingly aware of Xia Houchun's vigilance, Yang Zhong smiled wryly, and after pondering for a while, asked: "Your Highness, do you know why a humble official betrayed His Highness, and now you are here again?"

Xia Houchun said calmly: "Before leaving the capital, one of his subordinates informed that Commander Yang seemed to have escaped from prison and killed the guard."

He glanced at Wei Boyu, who had a calm face, and suddenly sighed softly: "Now the entire Taikang City blames Master Wei's death on Ben Gong. I never expected that Master Wei would 'resurrect from the dead'."

Wei Boyu smiled slightly, "It's Boyu's fault that His Highness suffered unfair injustice. If His Highness wants to convict you, it's up to you."

Yoha, it's pretty cool.

There was a hesitation in his heart, but Xia Houchun showed a wry smile on his face, waved his hands and said: "The guard is serious, I don't blame the palace, no matter what, it is good that Master Wei is safe."

Yang Zhong on the side suddenly knelt down on one knee, and said in a deep voice, "I am guilty of a lowly position, please punish me, Your Highness."

The people in the field looked at each other, Liu Yu secretly looked at Xia Houchun, Fang Chu squinted his eyes quietly, Wei Boyu lowered his eyes and lowered his eyes, and said no more.

After a little silence, Xia Houchun stared deeply at Yang Zhong for a while with his sleeves behind him.

I don't know how long it has passed before he said slowly: "But he ordered it?"

Xia Houchun was not stupid, he had never turned around before, but was a fan of the authorities, now that he escaped from the mud of Taikang, and looked back on the "Prince's Rebellion Case", he could naturally see something was wrong from those clues.

After thinking about it, he seemed to realize something just now. He suspected that the 'Prince Xia Houchun' had been tricked by Emperor Jing.

Also known as 'Fishing Law Enforcement'!
His "rebellion" caused him to lose the prince's henchmen, and also completely broke his family with Concubine Xiao, and dragged the dispute between the Xiao Party and the Royal Party to the surface. This is both a conspiracy and a conspiracy.

He hated it in his heart, no wonder the old guy dared to go to Tiandu Peak so reassuringly and boldly, so he was already prepared.

Maybe the confrontation between Zhang Xiang and Xiao Dang is also under his control.

I just hope that the old man doesn't underestimate Xuanzong's strength.

Otherwise, if you make a careless move, you will lose everything!
Thousands of thoughts flashed through his mind, but in fact it was only a few thoughts. After he sighed softly, he helped Yang Zhong up and said sincerely: "Sanjiu, you are a nephew of Zhesha. In fact, since that day, I have known the cause and effect. .”

He paused, and said calmly: "I thought he would sacrifice you, but seeing that you are safe now, I feel relieved."

Give the old man some eye drops, whether it works or not, put it on first.

Yang Zhong bowed his head in shame, looking hard to see.

Xia Houchun said a word of relief: "Since it was a misunderstanding, Commander Yang doesn't have to worry about it. The matter has already been turned over."

Yang Zhong's expression softened, and he said sincerely: "Your Highness has a heart that can carry Jiuzhou."

We got back together again, and the atmosphere in the pavilion was relaxed and happy.

After exchanging pleasantries, the topic naturally turned to Xia Houchun's going north.

"Your Highness is going north, I wonder if there is a good way to calm him down?" Fang Chu raised his eyes and asked.

From the eyes of the rest, Xia Houchun pondered for a while, and then replied: "To tell you the truth, it seems that Xiangfu Youyan was proposed by Zhang Xiang, but in fact it was planned by my palace."

He raised his eyes to look at Fang Chu, and said calmly: "But this is a last resort. If there is a change in the center, the position of the crown prince in this palace will also be in jeopardy."

Wei Boyu, who was silent and pursed his lips, his eyes turned cold, and he said in a cold voice: "There is no one in the country, and the Taoist slaves are made to act fiercely."

Liu Yu, who was sitting next to him, had a square face, and said slowly, "Your Highness, don't worry about the court situation. Now that the power of the three provinces has returned to Shangshu, apart from the fact that his subordinates can still refute the memorandum, Prime Minister Xiao of Zhongshu has been silent for many days, and he has never barked or bitten."

Xia Houchun looked sideways, and saw this man standing like a pine and sitting like a bell, with an upright appearance, a majestic and open manner, a thick but correct accent, and a slightly thicker Taikang accent, just like a person from Guanzhong.

Before he "advised" Emperor Jing to curb his selfish desires, he wrote a letter to the elite soldiers to govern. However, the government was so entrenched that it was almost terminally ill.

He provoked the center again and again, annoyed Emperor Jing and Empress Xiao, and was finally demoted to the South Road ten months ago. Because he took the first step and went south by water, he was three points faster than Xia Houchun and others.

A song played in the nine heavens in the morning, and three thousand in the south of the Yangtze River in the evening.

If you want to get rid of evil things for Shengming, you are willing to cherish the old age.

Although Dajing had hidden dangers, he did not give up, because Emperor Jing was still alive, and the crown prince was still alive!
There are Zhang Xiang in the country to contain the Xiao party, and there are loyal ministers and good generals like them in the local area, and they will inevitably repeat the mistakes of the former Yan.

After pondering for a while, Xia Houchun nodded and said, "Dajing's illness lies with Xuanzong, not just treacherous ministers and state thieves. And the Xiao Party relies on Xuanzong, who also has a big helping hand!"

He turned his gaze to Yang Zhong, and said softly, "Does Third Uncle know who this helping hand is?"

Yang Zhong frowned slightly, Wei Boyu raised his eyebrows and said, "Your Highness is referring to the Northern Manzi?"

Fang Chu picked up the purple sand pot, poured hot spring water down, and the oolong tea leaves in the cup drifted with the waves, rolling wantonly in the cup, just like an officialdom, up and down, going round and round, erratic.

He said with a smile: "This famous car cloud tea looks like a bar, round, tight and straight, silver and green, and the bottom of the leaves is green and even, with one bud and one leaf. The fragrance is as fresh as it is, refreshing the heart and lungs."

After the first wash, he poured hot water into it again, and a hint of fermented green tea lingered, causing everyone in the venue to raise their brows and subconsciously sniff it.

After serving the tea, Fang Chu said slowly: "It is inevitable for Yunxiao to go south. It is only morning and evening. This is also the consensus of the ruling and opposition parties, but how to deal with it is worth studying."

After handing Wei Boyu a cup, he breathed a sigh of relief, and said in a leisurely voice: "Governing a big country is like cooking a small dish. Don't be in a hurry, let alone be slow. You must relax and take every step at a time. I am afraid that the gains will outweigh the losses."

He smiled: "Taoism looks like a big tree with deep roots, but in fact, as long as you cut off its source, they will fall down and scatter the monkeys, which is nothing to worry about. But all of this requires slow knives and blunt meat, and warm water to boil the frogs, otherwise they will fall suddenly." With a strong dose of medicine, anyone will jump over the wall in a hurry."

He looked at Xia Houchun and said with a smile: "Isn't this exactly what His Highness used to do?"

Wei Boyu stared down at the tea leaves, his eyes sneaked into the tea, his faint expression seemed to arouse the cold pupils in the teacup, he raised his eyes to look at Fang Chu:
"At this time and then at that time, I can't wait to think about it slowly. Do I have to wait until the country is subjugated before thinking about it?"

Seeing that the two were about to quarrel again, Yang Zhong waved his hand to stop him, looked at Xia Houchun and asked, "According to His Royal Highness, could it be that the foreign aid from Wanning Palace is Yunxiao Kingdom?"

Xia Houchun sipped the tea and sniffed it carefully. After putting down the cup, he said, "Not bad!"

He said in a deep voice: "The Yunxiao royal family has regarded themselves as the masters of the Central Plains for generations, and their Dajing with me is not just a dispute between farming and animal husbandry civilizations, but also a dispute over the ever-expanding interests of various countries.

Therefore, there must be a war between the two countries, and this war, it is better to come early than late, and instead of being led by them, it is better for us to turn passive into active, take the north of Hexi in one fell swoop, and defend the enemy from abroad ! "

Fang Chu, who served the tea, shook his head and said, "I think that at present we still need to focus on differentiation and win-win, rather than confronting the entire Yunxiao head-on."

He paused, looked at Xia Houchun, and said in a concentrated voice: "Now Your Majesty is going to Tiandu Peak, Dajing is like a godless master, and those who are loyal to Dajing will soon raise their hands and surrender under the fierce attack of Dao slaves. People in our camp will soon fall apart."

He took a deep breath and said in a deep voice: "So we need to cultivate our health and rest, we need to take a breath, and we must not face Yunxiao head-on!"

He added: "At least not right now."

Xia Houchun remained silent. Fang Chu's refusal to be hostile to Yunxiao must not be his family's idea. He may represent the vast majority of anti-war alliances in the entire Dajing.

This is a disagreement, a difference in political views, and a compromise in view of the imminent civil strife in Dajing, which seems to be facing a split.

And Xia Houchun also realized that these people are not here to help him, at least they will not give him soldiers, horses, food and grass without reservation.

Looking around for a week, Fang Chu declined, Wei Boyu advocated that to fight against the outside world, we must first secure the inside, and first eradicate the Taoist slaves, so what about Yang Zhong?

Seeing the Prince's gaze sweeping towards him, Yang Zhong was silent for a while, and then said slowly: "I am different from you, I thought His Highness should take advantage of the opportunity of Yunxiao to go south, and take the army south, and garrison Taikang!"

With a bang, Fang Chu, who was about to lift the pot, knocked over the teacup and the purple pot, and scattered it all over the floor.

Wei Boyu stared suddenly, looked at Yang Zhong firmly, and said coldly: "Why, last year's conspiracy failed, does Commander Yang still want His Royal Highness to step on Taikang?"

This topic was too big, and Xia Houchun couldn't help feeling a little parched.

Like a cow chewing peonies, he gulped down three cups of tea, moistened his throat, waved his hands to stop the quarrel, and said helplessly to Yang Zhong:
"Third uncle can't talk nonsense. This time I went to Youyan. Firstly, it was justified, and I was ordered by the central government to appease the local area; secondly, it was to help the three prefectures to alienate the local military and government, so I dare not say what I just said. "

Yang Zhong glanced at Xia Houchun, seemingly full of deep meaning, noncommittal.

No matter what others say, Xia Houchun's heart of "conscientiousness with one heart and one mind" has never changed.

Bringing the army southward and knocking on Taikang, what is this if it is not treason?Could it be that he still wants to enter the palace for the second time?
Seeing that Xia Houchun keeps saying that it is for the people of Youyan, but in fact, they already know the east palace, the target of going north, and what is it if it is not a soldier?
Wei Boyu sneered in his heart, and all those high-sounding excuses were just a cover for military advice.

In the end, it was Fang Chu who reconciled the mud, and after appeasing the two parties, he asked again: "As His Highness said, if you want to keep the enemy out of the country, you need military and political assistance from all directions. I wonder if Your Highness is prepared?"

If you want to kill the enemy, how do you get the troops, horses, food and grass, how can you have a plan for the combat strategy, and many problems need to be solved urgently.

Xia Houchun looked at them and smiled slightly: "This is the reason why I came to pay a visit to Mr. Fang."

He stood up and bowed to Fang Chu: "Xiahou has no ink in his chest, and his stomach is empty. I came here this time to ask Lord Fang for advice on how to defend against the enemy."

Fang Chu's face softened slightly, and he helped Xia Houchun up, "The prince is serious."

Although this Luoyang magistrate was famous for his "virtuous and upright" discipline back then, few people know that this person once became the head of "Tanhua" with the talent of "governing the country".

It can be said to be erudite and talented, both civil and military, not under the "Taikang Eight Horses".

What Xia Houchun valued even more was that this person was the younger brother of the current Nankang army commander Fang Qiuya!
After a little deliberation, Fang Chu said slowly: "His Royal Highness goes north to defend against the enemy, and the first thing to do is to defend the frontier!"

"Nowadays, although we have built a defense line on the Dajing border, but the power and responsibility are scattered and not under each other, so that Yunxiao Tanma repeatedly crosses the border. Therefore, how to stop the thieves from outside the border is the most important thing."

The people beside him were not ignorant of soldiers, so Wei Boyu snorted coldly and said, "This sounds nice, but the border is long and wide, and only relying on the soldiers guarding the border, how can we make sure the border is tight? Not to mention the isolated terrain of the border town. How can you be safe with few people?"

Fang Chu waved his hand and said: "Otherwise, because the border town hangs alone outside the Great Wall, and its land is scattered with water, grass and green land, rich in fat and fertilizer, we can build a city to break off the road, and we can also garrison the pier forts in the Sushuo states. Waiting for supplies to form a bridgehead against the northern barbarians."

Xia Houchun was not a military rookie, so he said with a slight frown: "Building a city is not a trivial matter, let alone an easy task. If it is close to the land of Youyan, I am afraid that it will not be possible to build a huge frontier fortress city that can resist the iron hooves of the sky."

Fang Chu glanced at him, and said in a low voice: "My Dajing has sheltered the survivors of Southern Chu for many years, shouldn't they show it? Fear of becoming a place of corruption."

Xia Houchun clapped his palms and smiled, and said with relief: "So, nearly half of the money and grain for building the city have been filled."

Wei Boyu's eyes flickered, he smiled, his face was full of frost, and he said murderously: "The land of Youyan is far away from Tiandu Peak, and Taoist temples are all over three states and hundreds of counties. There are countless people's fat and people's anointing. If they are not eradicated this morning, no matter how small The disease of scabies will also become a serious problem."

Xia Houchun was delighted, this servant is really a 'blade that destroys Dao'.

Yang Zhong on the side suddenly said: "Now His Majesty personally went to Tiandu Peak, and restrained most of the Taoist forces. This opportunity must not be missed, and the loss will never come again."

Xia Houchun nodded lightly, he understood that this was indeed the old man's second hand, "In this way, the money and food are sufficient, and it is barely safe."

After Fang Chu pondered for a while, he continued: "In addition, I, Dajing, can choose a place near the water, build the moon city and occupy the head of the water, so that the Yunxiao cavalry can't go south to drink horses.

And outside of the Yuecheng Guanlou, the city was continuously cast to enclose the land, gradually eroding it, until it reached the capital of Yunxiao! "

Xia Houchun showed a smile: "Destroy the grasslands to restore farming, cast city walls to expand the borders, and cut the weeds to get rid of the roots. This move can be called dredging. If it is really implemented, the enemy in the sky will have nothing to worry about."

The silent Liu Yu raised his eyes and poured cold water on Xia Houchun: "However, under the premise of doing these things, Your Highness still needs a large army capable of fighting."

Fang Chu chuckled, nodded lightly, and said in a low voice, "And you have to be obedient."

Here comes the main event.

Xia Houchun stared at him and said softly, "Where do you guys think this army came from?"

(End of this chapter)