Yutai Bi

Chapter 188 The Battle of Tongues
Inside the Zichen Hall, three prime ministers and the Minister of the Ministry of War are urging the emperor to change generals: "Du Yansui went out for a month, not only did not quell the rebellion in Jiangnan Road, but instead let the rebels build a small court by themselves, and the female thief proclaimed the emperor. Du Yansui The crime deserves to be executed!"

"Where is Du Yansui marching now? Shezhou was besieged, did he lead the army to Shezhou? How about the casualties?" Gaozong asked in one breath.

The prime ministers looked at each other.

Liu Xiangdao: "Your Majesty, it doesn't matter what he is doing now. Just judging from the news in Jiangnan, if the suppression of the rebellion goes well, how can the female thief flee in a hurry, how can she call herself emperor? He even gathered [-] troops. The Huainan Army must have suffered heavy losses." The emperor should urgently call Du Yansui back to Beijing to question the crime!"

Gaozong gritted his teeth and thought, you all wish that Du Yansui would be defeated.Let me attach myself to you old ministers again, and I will never be able to hold my head up again.

"When did the eight-hundred-mile emergency report on Jiangnan Road start? Changing horses all the way, it will take ten days for the news to reach Chang'an, right? You judged that Du Yansui's army was defeated by the news ten days ago? You need to know that the change will be just in time." A big taboo for military strategists! I will wait and see how long that female thief can be arrogant!" Gao Zong pushed back abruptly.I thought to myself, Du Yansui, Du Yansui, if I can push back once, and send another urgent report, I'm afraid I won't be able to protect you either.

The three prime ministers wanted to elaborate, but Gaozong turned around and asked Hu Gonggong: "What did you find in the Queen's Palace?"

Several people were stunned.

Eunuch Hu stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, there is also a piece of white cloth with Wu Zhaoyi's birth date written on it. The Eunuch An that the princess mentioned had already hanged himself when he went."

Emperor Gaozong complained: "The empress is jealous, she dares to practice the art of disgusting victory in the palace!"

The veterans were startled, and they all knelt down to beg for mercy, regardless of urging the emperor to recall Du Yansui.

Liu Xiang is the queen's uncle, and he staggered his head and cried: "The empress has been married to the emperor for many years, and has a gentle temperament. The emperor must not listen to one-sided words. Someone must frame the queen!"

"Investigate! What ceremony did the Kaiguohou's mansion send to the palace today, and who sent it? How could there be a puppet that looks like Wu Zhaoyi in the empress's palace!" Gaozong ordered.

Fu eased his expression again, and helped the prime ministers one by one: "My lord, don't worry too much. This matter must be investigated and found out! Today's winter solstice, the bosses, let's go back to the house for a reunion. I believe that the matter of boredom will come to light one day. , Jiangnan will also have good news.”

After slapping and rubbing, Gaozong lightly sent the veterans out of the palace.

He called Yuchi Baoshu again: "Send someone to Jiangnan Road to investigate the news quickly. Be quick! I suspect that Yan Sui's trip will be blocked and the news will not be sent back."

Yuchi Baoshu remembered that the third younger brother's daughter-in-law was Mrs. Du Yansui's cousin, and her father hadn't been to the Golden Palace for more than ten years, but made an exception for the Du family. The Yuchi family seemed to be related to the Du family's rest and stood together.Knowing the urgency of the matter, he bowed his head and said, "Don't worry, Your Majesty, I will handle it now!"

Although the emperor used both soft and hard methods to prevent the veterans from requesting to recall Du Yansui for questioning, rumors once again spread throughout the city of Chang'an.

The grandparents and grandchildren of the Du family were happily eating vegetarian dumplings when the news came in.

"The female bandit leader claims to be the emperor?" Cen Sanniang was so shocked that her jaw almost dropped.She never knew that other than Wu Zetian, who founded the Great Zhou Dynasty, there were women who had been emperors.

In real history, in the fourth year of Emperor Gaozong Yonghui in Tang Dynasty, peasants in Zhejiang area unbearable to be greedy by officials and forced to plunder by tyrannical force broke out an uprising.The leading woman was named Chen Shuozhen, who proclaimed herself Emperor Wenjia.From a historical point of view, Chen Shuozhen was the first woman to proclaim herself emperor in Chinese history.It's just that compared with Wu Zetian's decades in power, such as Liu Ying and the light of the bright moon, they are really insignificant, and not many people know about them.

Like Cen Sanniang, even Wu Zetian's life is only known roughly, let alone unclear.

Mrs. Du made the same rebellion as the emperor: "Jiangnan Road to Chang'an, [-] miles away, and it will take ten days without sleep or rest. This is the news ten days ago, so Hugh panicked!"

Cen Sanniang humbly asked for advice: "Grandmother, Mr. Xianggong has been away for a month, why didn't you see a letter from the post station?"

Mrs. Du looked at her kindly and said: "The so-called 20-mile rush is because the post station specially raises the horses with the best legs, and they are only used for emergency military reports. You were born after the founding of the People's Republic of China, how did you know that wars started? It is a capital offense to expedite the delivery of a private message by 20 miles. I estimate that even if two horses alternate riding and rest for two hours a day, it will take [-] days to send a reply. [-] days ago, Yan Sui just arrived in Jiangnan Road. I'm not familiar yet, how can I just ask someone to write a letter to explain the situation, just wait."

However, the people of Chang'an who didn't know the situation were angry.People often throw rotten vegetables and leaves at the gate of the Duke's Mansion.Mother Cao in the kitchen also reported with a bitter face: "...the best vegetables are not sold to us. She said that the young master lost the country by defeating the army."

It's really unreasonable!Cen Sanniang told the old lady not to know.Changed into plain clothes, put on a veiled hat and quietly took the girl out of the house.

She deliberately went to the busiest wine shop in Chang'an City to inquire about the news.After listening to several restaurants, I entered a new restaurant and sat down, and I heard someone impassioned statement: "There are so many generals who don't use it, but one who only talks on paper. , Is it possible to give up the country to a thief woman?!"

Someone responded: "Why do we enter the Chongwen Museum? Isn't the purpose of studying to serve the imperial court and govern the country? Go to petition outside the Danfeng gate!"

Hu Lala stood up, a large group of young students wearing scholar scarves and Rusheng robes.

Chongwen Museum?Didn’t Erlang Saburo of the Cui family study in Chongwenkan?Cen Sanniang looked carefully, and she saw Cui Jidong among the scholars.

The students got up and went out, but Cui Erlang just stood still, and fell behind in an instant.

Instigated the students to kneel at the gate of the palace to put pressure on the emperor, so that the emperor summoned Du Yansui back to question the crime.I want to run away.Cen Sanniang was furious from her guts, she stood up and said loudly: "Everyone, don't listen to people's bewitching! You ruin your own future!"

Her voice was clear and crisp, and it sounded suddenly, attracting everyone to look back.

I saw a woman in a silver-white beard and a curtain standing between the couch in the corner.Standing beside her were two maidservants in blue dresses.

Among the students, an older student stood up and said, "What is this little lady's opinion? Why did you speak out to stop me?"

When Cen Sanniang saw that everyone stopped, she gave a salute and said, "My concubine listened to your generous report on state affairs yesterday, and I want to kneel down at the palace gate to ask for orders. There is something unclear in my heart, and I want to ask you talents. The troublesome people in the south of the Yangtze River rebelled, and the court sent General Du It only takes one month to go out to suppress the rebellion. The battle changes overnight. Even if the report is reported by a fast horse from eight hundred miles away, it will take ten days for the news to reach the court. It will take another day or two for the news to spread throughout Chang'an City. When you are sitting in the middle of the capital, you are only talking about the news of ten days ago, so how do you know the situation in the south of the Yangtze River at this time? Wouldn’t it be ridiculous to kneel at the gate of the palace and ask for an order because of the uncertain situation of the battle?”

She stretched out a finger and said in a relaxed tone: "This is one. Second, I find it extremely ridiculous to hear that you talk about talking about war on paper. You take the news from ten days ago and kneel at the gate of the palace. Thinking, want to force the emperor to change generals? You say that General Du is talking about soldiers on paper, what do you call this? I want to give you four words: Scholar is wronging the country."

All the students couldn't help being taken aback.

Cui Jidong winked, and one of the crowd shouted: "Don't listen to this woman's nonsense. The female thief claimed to be the emperor and gathered 300 people. Even if it was news about ten days ago, it was still news. But Du Yansui Except for the news that [-] people were annihilated half a month ago, there is no news so far, he must be defeated! If he is not called back to Beijing to question his crimes, I fear that the two Jiangnan provinces will all fall into the hands of female thieves tomorrow! Let's go to the palace gate to petition The sooner the court changes the general, the less suffering the people in the south of the Yangtze River will suffer!"

"Your Majesty is wise and mighty, and the three prime ministers and elders who assisted the government did not come up with the idea of ​​changing generals. Could it be that this talented man who incited the big guys to go to the palace to make troubles feels that he is wiser than the emperor and more knowledgeable than the prime minister?" ?" Cen Sanniang retorted, and changed the subject easily.

The two high hats were buckled, and the student pointed at her for a long time, and dared not say that the emperor was not wise, and that he was more talented than the prime minister.He only lingered on the news about Jiangnan: "We are deeply favored by the emperor, and we cannot see General Du wrong the country! If the court does not change generals to lead troops to suppress it, the Jiangnan rebellion will become more and more fierce. It seems that the Chinese New Year is coming soon , this winter is cold, how many people in the south of the Yangtze River will starve to death..."

"It's just a few words over and over again, can you have something new? You and Cui Jia Erlang are flirting. Could it be that the second son of the Founding Marquis taught you to take the lead? This is using you as a gun! Your feet are going to step out of the wine shop No, Second Young Master Cui is still standing in front of the couch without moving." Cen Sanniang pointed the finger at Cui Jidong before he finished speaking.

Sure enough, suspicions arose among the students.

Today is Cui Jidong's invitation to drink at a restaurant after school.It was also Cui Jidong who first brought up the topic.Look at the student who was yelling again, he walked closest to Cui Jidong.

Cui Jidong frowned and laughed: "Who am I, it turns out that Mrs. Du is fighting for your husband!"

"...Mrs. Du is of course afraid that General Du will be recalled for questioning. Can you believe what she said?" The student who was shouting before laughed disdainfully.

Mrs. Du is of course speaking for Du Yansui, how much do you believe what Cen Sanniang said?

"I don't speak for my husband, so why should I speak for those who want to frame him?" Cen Sanniang lifted her veil, revealing a delicate face.There was no makeup on the face, it was as pale as an ink painting.There was a trace of stubbornness between the brows, and he said frankly, "In ancient times, Mao recommended himself, and there were others who did not avoid relatives. Could it be that your teacher recommends you in the future, so you can't believe what he said? You are all talented people in the Chongwen Museum. This is the pillar of the court. Whether what I said makes sense, you just need to think carefully, and you will have the answer in your heart."

(End of this chapter)