Great Han Empire
Chapter 332 The rain is coming
Chapter 332 The rain is coming
Cai Yong, who is famous all over the world, has returned to Beijing.
In the past, a group of old friends who collated the Five Classics and hundreds of classics in Dongguan (National Library of Han Dynasty) and compiled "Han Han Ji" greeted them a hundred miles away.Shang Shu Lu Zhi, Shi Zhong Han Shuo, Tai Le Ling Zhang Xun, Tai Xue Jijiu Ma Rixun (read di) and the pale-haired Cai Yong embraced tightly.
"Ten years, ten years." Cai Yong murmured excitedly, tears streaming down his face, "I'm finally back."
In the autumn of the first year of Guanghe (178 A.D.), the Son of Heaven asked about policies at the Chongde Office of Jinshangmen in Nangong. Cai Yong, who was Yilang at the time, spoke out and advised him. Huo Yu is treacherous and evil, accusing the Taiwei Zhang Hao, Guanglu Xun Weizhang, Changshui Xiaowei Zhao Xuan, Tunqi Xiaowei Gai Sheng, etc. recommended by the Zhongguan are villains who are greedy for fame and wealth, and also said that the officials in the capital It is rumored that there is a senior official in the palace named Master Cheng, who is about to become a serious disaster for the country, the emperor please be on guard.This performance was seen by Qiu Cao Jie, the chief minister at the time, and he added fuel and vinegar to the four words, which immediately caused an uproar.
The Master Cheng that Cai Yong mentioned was Cheng Huang, the Zhongchang attendant, and Cheng Huang's son-in-law was Yang Qiu, a famous cruel official in the Han Dynasty, that is, the Yang Qiu who later beat Zhongguan Huang Menling Wang Fu and his son to death.Yang Qiu is a cruel official with harsh punishments and laws, and has nothing to do with corruption. He is a clean and honest official, defying power, and has political achievements and talents, but he has a severe temperament and will retaliate.When Yang Qiu was a minister, he had a feud with Cai Yong's uncle, Cai Zhi, but Cai Yong's opponent Da Honglu Liu He and Yang Qiu were good friends.Several people colluded together and framed Cai Zhi and Cai Yong's uncle and nephew, and sent the two of them to prison, and then they were sentenced to abandon the city.Fortunately, Lu Qiang and a group of ministers persuaded them to die, so the emperor spared them the death penalty and exiled Shuofang.Yang Qiu still didn't let them go, and sent someone to chase them all the way, but the assassin admired Cai Yong and ran away halfway.When he arrived in Shuofang, Cai Yong offended Wang Zhi, the prefect of Shuofang at that time, and the younger brother of Wang Fu, the order of Huangmen.In the second year, although the emperor pardoned Cai Yong and let him return to Beijing after the advice of a group of ministers including Lu Zhi, Cai Yong was worried that he would be framed by his enemies after returning to Beijing, so he refused to accept the imperial edict and fled to Wu County. .
This time, Zhu Mu, Zhu Jun's son, was ordered to find Cai Yong.After Cai Yong received the imperial decree from the emperor, he knew that he could not come back, so he reluctantly took his 12-year-old daughter Cai Yan back to Luoyang, where he had been away for ten years.
Old friends haven't seen each other for ten years, and they tell each other their hearts, and they all feel that time flies, and at the flick of their fingers, things are different.
Old friend Yang Ci has passed away, and enemies Cheng Huang, Yang Qiu, and Wang Fu have also returned to the underworld, but the world is more miserable than before.
"Bo Jie (read jie), the situation in central Beijing is extremely dangerous now, and a catastrophe is approaching." Lu Zhi sighed, "You are already fifty-five, and your life has been rough, you should go home early and live a stable life. "
Cai Yong smiled bitterly, and said gratefully, "Zigan, I know, I don't want to come back at all. I came to Beijing this time to meet old friends. I'm old and time is short, so I came here before I died. Look at you, secondly, I want to see His Majesty, I haven't seen him for ten years, and I miss him a little..."
"Bo Xie, I want to warn you, don't make the same old mistakes again." Ma Rizun interrupted him with a wave of his hand, and said solemnly, "Your Majesty wants to see you, but you have to keep your mouth shut no matter what. Don't cause trouble again."
Cai Yong lifted his lips, wanting to say something, but he didn't say it after all.His old friend's love made him really hard to say.The reason why he came back was to persuade His Majesty to do a little bit more for the precarious Han Dynasty in his lifetime.He hoped that His Majesty would be able to eradicate traitors and use talents to revitalize the great man.
Lu Zhi obviously saw Cai Yong's thoughts, he let out a long sigh, and slowly persuaded: "Bo Jie, do you know the situation in Kyoto today?"
Cai Yong cupped his hands and said, "Zigan, I would like to hear more about it."
"You are in Jiangdong, have you heard of the leopard Li Hong?"
"I heard that he is a bloody and cruel general, he is very favored by His Majesty, and now he is an important general." Cai Yong nodded and said, "People from Jiangdong said that His Majesty deliberately cultivated him for the purpose of being a great general. It's for the emperor's order. From my point of view, His Majesty is raising tigers to cause trouble, and wants to send the Han Kingdom into the abyss of subjugation. Zigan, why did you suddenly mention him?"
Lu Zhi pondered for a while, then said: "The complex situation in Beijing and China today, with undercurrents surging and dangers everywhere, has a lot to do with him. Whether the Great Han Congress will perish is already in his mind."
Cai Yong's expression changed in shock, and he asked in a voiceless voice, "Is it so serious?"
Ma Rixun told Han Shuo, and Zhang Xun also looked at Lu Zhi in horror, his eyes full of doubts.
"Today's Li Hong holds a heavy army and is in charge of the military affairs of the three prefectures and two counties north of the Yellow River. threaten."
"He recruited the Yellow Turbans in Bingzhou, appeased the refugees to reclaim the land, and then used the Bingzhou farmland as a bargaining chip to force the court to reopen the salt and iron. His wanton trampling of the Han law and the atrocities that violated the ancestral system are jaw-dropping. Think about it, if a The important officials of the imperial court can do whatever they want, what kind of impact will he have on the country, the imperial court, and the subjects of the Han Dynasty? If in the future, the guards of borders everywhere follow suit, and the ministers are more important than the emperor, then what is the imperial power? Where is the might of Heaven?"
"It's ridiculous that the emperor and ministers ignored the country and the community for their own selfishness, and allowed Li Hong to do anything wrong. Some ministers even contributed to the flames and tried their best to help Li Hong, lest the world would not be chaotic. It's sad."
"The Son of Heaven is mediocre and short-sighted, needless to say, but the Sangong Mansion and the General's Mansion are also so short-sighted, which is really disappointing. If the salt and iron discussion cannot be passed, the imperial court will be able to firmly control the finances of the Zhenbei General Headquarters. Come on, although Li Hong has near-term worries, he has no long-term concerns, but now everything is too late, too late."
"Although the Zhenbei General's Department is clearly in charge of the military affairs of the three prefectures and two counties north of the Yellow River, it has actually monopolized the military and political power in Bingzhou and Hedong. Now Li Hong wants soldiers and money. If He quelled the rebellion in Youzhou, stabilized the northern border, and succeeded in farming in Bingzhou, I wonder, who else in the world can restrain him?"
"A five-year agreement?" Lu Zhi smiled miserably, "After five years, can His Majesty still restrain Li Hong?"
"Li Hong's calamity is still better than the calamity of rape and eunuchs, but the emperors and ministers of the Han Dynasty turned a blind eye, and each of them indulged in power struggles and couldn't extricate themselves. In the future, they will definitely suffer the consequences."
"Li Hong's misfortune is the same as the misfortune of eunuchs, all caused by His Majesty for his own self-interest. They are backed by a powerful imperial power. We are weak and weak, and it is impossible to compare with them. I am afraid that in the future... "
Cai Yong, Ma Rixun and others were dumbfounded.
"Zigan, the treasury has no money, and His Majesty is clinging to his own private treasury. Under such circumstances, it is a helpless move for Zhenbei General Headquarters to propose to reopen the salt and iron. Without money, Bingzhou Tuntian will fail immediately, and Immediately, the refugees will riot, so our Great Han Kingdom will not be the same..." Ma Rixun hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice, "Zigan's words are biased."
"The rebellion can be put down one by one by Li Hong. The rebellion is gone, and Li Hong's soldiers are basically finished. At that time, although the great country was devastated and dying, the Great Han Kingdom was still there. As long as the Great Han Kingdom was still there, it would be There will be a day of rejuvenation, but if we don't even have the Great Han Kingdom..." Lu Zhi lamented, his face full of sadness.
"Zigan, things haven't reached that point yet, don't you want to be so discouraged?" Zhang Xun said.Zhang Xun is in his 50s, thin and thin, with a pair of wise eyes in deep-set eye sockets.He was born in a family, and this time he also resolutely opposed the imperial court's reopening of salt and iron.
"Things are already moving towards this point." Lu Zhi shook his head and said, "The imperial court is now deeply involved in the struggle for imperial power. All the powers in Beijing and China are fighting for their own destiny and future. Who has the time to take care of it?" Li Hong? As long as your Majesty and the imperial court can put down the rebellion and defend the northern border, Li Hong will agree to anything he wants? When one day Li Hong's wings are full-fledged, and the powers of all parties in Luoyang are fighting for the emperor's line, blood will flow like a river, what will Li Hong do? What to do? If he is a loyal minister, the Han Dynasty will prosper, and if he is a traitorous minister, the Han Dynasty will perish, but no matter whether he is a loyal minister or a traitorous minister, he is a powerful minister of a generation. Is this a disaster or a blessing for the Han Kingdom?"
"That's why I said that the rise and fall of the Great Han Kingdom will depend on Li Hong's thoughts in the future."
The plump, honest-looking Han Shuo said: "Zigan, Li Hong is just a martial artist, young and light, without knowledge, and can't read many big characters. How can he have such a deep scheming? Are you too much?" Do you value him?"
Lu Zhi smiled wryly, and said: "Look at how the proposal of salt and iron passed this time, and you should understand what Li Hong is capable of. The proposal of salt and iron was miraculously passed when the government and the opposition shouted their opposition in unison. Now, the imperial edict has been issued for the whole country, I would like to ask you, can you do it? But Li Hong did it, so can we still say that he is a rough martial artist?"
Lu Zhi shook his head again and again, and said in disbelief: "I really can't believe that Li Hong, who is already an important general, is actually a barbaric martial artist in your eyes. Could it be that the military achievements he made with one knife and one gun are fake? ? Is his invincible record also fake? You look down on Li Hong so much, no wonder those ministers in the court, this is the tragedy of our great Han country."
There was silence in the carriage.
"Zigan, can you tell me how the proposal of salt and iron was passed?" Cai Yong said suddenly, "Perhaps, we can see from it whether Li Hong is an ambitious minister of power, and whether he will be a person who will bring disaster to the country and the people in the future." Traitor and traitor."
===
Lu Zhi frowned deeply, and the wrinkles on his forehead were tightly glued together.
"The reopening of the Salt and Iron Discussion was initiated because of the farmland, and the farmland was initiated to appease the Yellow Turbans, and the Yellow Turbans were recruited because they were forced by the situation in northern Xinjiang, so they had to do it."
"There are three major worries in northern Xinjiang today, each of which is related to the survival of the Han Dynasty. The first is the rebellion of Zhang Ju Zhang Chun, an ant thief in Youzhou. The founding of the country and proclaiming the emperor must rely on something. Naturally, this reliance is the support of the Xianbei people and Karasuma people behind it. Therefore, the pacification of Zhang Ju and Zhang Chun's rebellion is different from the previous pacification of thieves. It takes strength and time. If the invasion is successful, Youzhou will fall into a long-term war. Under the current situation, the Han Kingdom does not have the financial resources to undertake a protracted war. If the Han army is weak, Youzhou will only have two endings, or the state will fall and the rebellion will continue. Or the years of war will drag down the entire Han Kingdom."
"The second is the Huns. The contradictions between the various ministries of the Huns court have been going on for a long time, but they have been suppressed by the Xianbei people and the Han Kingdom. The threat of the Huns from the front and back has eased a lot, so the conflict finally broke out. The rebellion of the Tu various ethnic groups was only the beginning of the civil strife among the Huns. Once the Xianbei intervened, the various tribes of the Huns would immediately be in chaos. This is my Great Han Kingdom."
"The third is the Xianbei people. Although the Xianbei people were hit hard in western Xinjiang, their strength still exists, and they also occupy the northern part of the four counties of northern Xinjiang and the two counties of Yanmen and Shangjun. If the Xianbei people are not driven out of the country, How can our Great Han Kingdom be revived? How can the subjects of our Great Han Kingdom face their ancestors?"
"Everyone, look at the current situation in northern Xinjiang. As long as the Han army is dragged on the Youzhou battlefield and the Huns take the opportunity to invade, the war in our northern border will erupt immediately. Even if we try our best to quell the chaos between the ant thief and the Huns, we still have power to spare." Fighting against the Xianbei's re-invasion? What do the Xianbei want? It's just the northern frontier county. When we are unable to resist, will the entire northern frontier county be handed over? Do we still have the ability to regain the lost territory?"
"As early as the beginning of the year, I told Your Majesty and the ministers that the invasion of the Xianbei people and the rebellion in Youzhou were probably the beginning of Murong Feng's plot to invade our northern border prefectures. Since the death of the king Tan Shihuai, the Xianbei people have In the end, it was Murong Feng who could support the overall situation of Xianbei. Murong Feng's ambition is known to the world. Xijiang was defeated, and the cavalry of Helian and Danhanshan were wiped out, and the strength of the royal court of Danhanshan was greatly weakened. The royal court of Danhan Mountain exists in name only, but at this time the ministries of Xianbei took advantage of the opportunity. Murongfeng deliberately created this situation in northern Xinjiang, did he just want to be a master of Xianbei in the middle? And what about Tuobafeng? He just wanted to occupy the north Is it the four counties of Xinjiang?"
"As long as Murongfeng is not dead and the Xianbei people are not dead, there will be no peace in northern Xinjiang. Whether it is the Ant Thief in Youzhou or the Xiongnu in Bingzhou, they are just pawns in Murongfeng's hands. However, if we take advantage of the fact that the Xianbei people have not recovered At the moment of vitality, if we wipe out the Ant Thieves and Huns in Youzhou with lightning speed, then we will seize the opportunity, we can completely smash Murong Feng's plot, and we can regain the four counties in Northern Xinjiang."
"Huangfusong and I have discussed this matter many times in private. Later, we wrote our ideas into a document and sent them to the Zhenbei General Headquarters, hoping to attract their attention. Li Hong used to be Murong Feng's attendant, and he went through many experiences in northern Xinjiang. He is very familiar with Murong Feng and northern Xinjiang affairs, so he quickly wrote back, agreeing with our inference on the situation in northern Xinjiang, and said that he would do his best to put down the rebellion and regain the territory."
"You all know what happened later. In order to help Li Hong reorganize the army and accumulate strength as soon as possible, Huangfusong and I tried our best to persuade His Majesty to agree to Li Hong's recruitment of the Yellow Turban Army, and we also delayed Li Hong's division of troops many times. Wan did not expect that Li Hong would start to appease millions of refugees to reclaim land and farmland immediately after recruiting the Yellow Turban Army."
Lu Zhi let out a long sigh, and continued: "It is a good thing to benefit the country and the people, but the premise of farming is that the country has strong treasury reserves and continuous and stable tax revenue. It is a very prosperous and stable environment, but what about now? Under what circumstances did Emperor Wu of this dynasty implement the national policy? The conditions were so good at that time, and it took ten years to see results. Although Bingzhou and Hedong are now There are ready-made fields reclaimed by the predecessors, but the treasury is empty and the wars are endless. Under such circumstances, can we see results in ten years?"
"Northern Xinjiang needs money to counter the rebellion, northern Xinjiang needs money to garrison the border, and northern Xinjiang also needs money to farm. As long as any of these three loses money, northern Xinjiang will be in chaos. At that time, the Han army will be defeated and the Hu people will invade and farmland will fail. The refugees rioted, and the northern border of the Great Han Kingdom was completely lost, and the defeat was imminent. Li Hong obviously also considered the consequences, so he offered a proposal to reopen the salt and iron, and used the benefits of the reopening of the salt and iron to support farming. Use state taxation to support counter-insurgency and frontier defense. But the question is, all the money he uses to farm the land is borrowed from wealthy businessmen on credit. Can the profits of salt and iron be repaid in five years? Will the farm be successful in five years? After five years , if the farming fails, will he continue to ask for the re-opening of salt and iron? So I said to His Majesty, at this time, farming is not for the benefit of the country and the people, but for the harm of the country and the people. Sooner or later, my Han country will give this heavy burden Live and drag."
"If Li Hong wants to regain the lost ground and stabilize northern Xinjiang, he must gather strength to go north to suppress the rebellion. To go north to suppress the rebellion, he needs a stable Bingzhou. There must be two conditions, one is a lot of money, and the other is a stable court. Sima Li Wei of the Zhenbei General's Mansion came to Luoyang with these two missions."
===
"When Li Wei came to Beijing, only the Taiwei Mansion agreed to discuss salt and iron, while Situ Sikong's mansion opposed it."
"Master Taiwei agreed to reopen the salt and iron. There are reasons he has no choice. He disagrees with this proposal. The farming failed, the refugees rioted, and the northern border was lost. He must be convicted and dismissed. He was convicted and dismissed for violating the ancestral system. However, comparing the two, of course, the latter is the most beneficial to the precarious Han Kingdom. Although it is to quench the thirst of the Han Dynasty, it is also the hope of revitalizing the Han Kingdom, so he chose without hesitation. The latter. Master Taiwei only thinks of suppressing the rebellion, of stabilizing the Great Han Kingdom, and of feeding and clothing the refugees, but he doesn’t think about what kind of harm Li Hong’s powerful power will bring to the crumbling Han Kingdom in the future. .”
"Because of the special relationship between Lord Sikong and the general, of course he must stay consistent with the general and advance and retreat together, so Li Hong only needs to tell the general a word. He only needs to promise that he will never lead his troops to the south when the northern border is uncertain. The general is about to repay Li Hong, and the content of the repayment is naturally to agree to reopen the salt and iron."
"The rest is that Master Situ does not agree. There is only one way to make Master Situ agree, and that is to make Master Situ more powerful, so as to resist the threat of the general to them. How to make Master Situ more powerful? That is The position of Taiwei. If the proposal of salt and iron is passed, Lord Taiwei will take the blame and dismiss him no matter what, so as to calm the voices of crusade from all parties in Beijing. Once Lord Taiwei leaves, Cao Song will succeed him, then Zhongguan and Xu The power of the clan will rise sharply in no time, and occupying two seats among the three princes, it cannot but be said to be powerful, especially in the court and outside the court."
"Why did you choose Cao Song among the Zhongguan and the Xu family? Cao Song is the son of Cao Teng, a Zhongguan. There were too many famous people who entered the court and became important ministers of the country because of Cao Teng's recommendation. Second, Cao Song is honest, low-key, popular in Beijing, and has a very harmonious relationship with the royal family. His appointment will not be opposed by the emperor. Two choices."
"Then how can the general give up the fight for the position of Taiwei and support Cao Song instead? I don't know what method Li Wei used, but I can be sure that it was the Zhongguan who assassinated He Yong, and the reason why the Zhongguan was here At this moment, he must have heard something from Li Wei. He Yong was assassinated, the strength of the general was damaged, and he had to agree to Li Hong's request. At this time, his only choice was Take a step back for now, hide your strengths and bide your time, and gather strength to deal with traitors."
"The next thing went very smoothly. The Sangong Mansion approved the reopening of the Salt and Iron Discussion through a joint discussion, and then the Taiwei was dismissed. The three governments jointly recommended Cao Song to succeed the Taiwei. So far, Li Hong's two goals have been achieved. "
"Because Cao Song was appointed as the Taiwei, the power of Zhongguan and the Xu Clan rose sharply, and the power of all parties in Beijing and China was evenly matched, and the tension in Luoyang quickly stabilized."
"At present, whether it is to suppress the rebellion, stabilize the northern border, or the future struggle for imperial lineage, the emperor needs Li Hong, and the middle officials and the emperor are closely related. Only with the emperor can the middle officials have the power, so They didn't dare to make things too difficult for Li Hong, as for the general, he couldn't do without Li Hong's help for his own future and destiny, and in the end we are the only ones left to oppose Li Hong."
"In this battle of salt and iron, we have the loudest voice of opposition and the most resolute attitude, but we have also suffered the greatest loss. Among the three princes, we have not had a place for us. This is probably the first time in the history of this dynasty. Li Hong's purpose for doing this is too obvious, he just hopes that in the future, matters related to farming and salt and iron can be agreed by the Sangong Mansion without any hindrance."
"This is the situation that Li Hong deliberately created for the success of Tuntian and the stability of the capital, so I said that he is manipulating the situation in Beijing behind his back. Now, do you still say that he is a warrior? Does he pose no threat to the Han Kingdom?"
===
After hearing Lu Zhi's words, the people in the carriage felt heavy in their hearts. They were even less confident and worried about the future of the Great Han Kingdom.
"The powers of all parties in Beijing and China are evenly matched, and if one pulls one hair, it will move the whole body. If there is a dispute over the imperial rule in the future, I am afraid that all will be damaged." Zhang Xun sighed, "If Li Hong has ulterior motives, the future of our Great Han Kingdom is indeed worrying. .”
"Who is this Li Wei?" Cai Yong asked, "General Zhenbei has this person to help him, and he is like a tiger with wings. If this person cares about the big man and is loyal to the country, it will be a good thing to stay by Li Hong's side."
Ma Rixun hurriedly introduced: "He is a scholar from Wu Jun. He came to Taixue to study the year before last. Because of his outstanding talent and learning, he was favored by Master Zhu Jun and accepted as his disciple. After the salt and iron dispute, he has already become famous in Luoyang. In my opinion, he is not an outstanding talent, but a genius. The future of the Great Han Kingdom depends on their generation."
"Is he very young?"
"Under twenty, very young." Ma Rizun said with a smile, "At his age, I'm still studying at home."
"Oh?" Cai Yong said in surprise, "Master Zhu's disciple must be very outstanding. I want to meet him when I arrive in the capital."
===
Cai Yong quietly entered Luoyang and lived in Ma Rixun's mansion.
In the evening, old friends from Beijing and China who heard the news came one after another. We hadn’t seen each other for ten years, and we were very happy to be together again.
After Zhu Mu settled Cai Yong, he immediately went home to visit his parents and his wife and children.When Zhu Jun and his wife heard that their son was back, they were overjoyed, and they sat beside their son on one left and one on the right, asking questions non-stop.Zhu Jun heard that Cai Yong was at Ma Rizun's mansion, so he hurried to visit him.
Zhu Mu is about 30 years old, with a handsome appearance and a modest demeanor, much like his father.Holding a pair of young children in his arms, he asked his mother, "Is Xiao Lan's whereabouts?"
Zhu Mu's mother nodded happily.It's not easy for Zhu Jun to ask Li Wei, but his wife wants to.Li Wei didn't dare to hide it from his future mother-in-law, so he confessed everything.Mrs. Zhu had already heard from Sun Jian that Xiao Lan was snatched away by this kid. Although she was a little sad, she certainly hoped that Xiao Lan would marry this tall and handsome Li Wei.This kid has been out for a year or two, and he will be a high-ranking official with two thousand shi. If he will get it in the future, he must be a talented person.In the past, when Taoist Shi Zizhu saw Xiao Lan, he said that it was the wife of the Sangong Jiuqing, but now it seems that it is not bad at all.Mrs. Zhu is happy.Since Li Wei arrived in Beijing, she didn't come to eat at home for a day, so she sent someone to remind her, which made Li Wei, who was so busy and devastated, grinned happily.
"Where is little sister now? Are you at home?" Zhu Mu asked eagerly.
Seeing her mother-in-law winking at her, Zhu Mu's wife understood, and immediately coaxed the two children out to play.After listening to his mother's words, Zhu Mu asked in disbelief: "Xiao Lan is now the master of Zhenbei General's Mansion? Mother, you must have been deceived by Li Wei, right?"
"It's true. It's more senior than yours. Xiao Lan even wrote me a letter. How could it be fake? I heard that when General Zhenbei was not in the camp, Xiao Lan was in charge."
"What about the letter?"
"Burn it for your father."
Zhu Mu laughed loudly and said, "This General Zhenbei is really the number one hero in our Great Han Kingdom. It's an anecdote that a 16-year-old woman is in charge of General Zhenbei's mansion. Mother, what are you going to do? Xiao Lan married Li Wei?"
Zhu Mu's mother smiled and nodded, "I discussed it with your father, and your father agreed, but because..."
"Are you in trouble?" Zhu Mu smiled, "Although my lord father listens to my mother's family affairs, this matter is really difficult. Unless Li Wei's men find a chance to chop off that big big seed, otherwise..."
"What are you talking about?" Zhu Mu's mother scolded, "You've only been an official in Beijing for a few years, why are you covered in blood? Are you going to kill someone when you get home?"
Zhu Mu laughed so hard that he couldn't breathe. While carefully apologizing, he said, "Mother, Xiao Lan is 16 years old. If she doesn't get married, no one will want her."
"Your father doesn't care about this matter, and I have nothing to do, so I leave it to you. If you don't finish this matter, don't go back to Wu County."
Zhu Mu was suddenly dumbfounded.
At this moment, Li Wei's voice came from afar, "Brother Gongding, Brother Gongding..."
"Good boy, I was just looking for you, and you came to the door." Zhu Mu muttered, saluted his mother in a hurry, turned around and ran out.
"Zhong Yuan..."
When Li Wei saw Zhu Mu, he greeted him with a happy face.In order to wait for Zhu Mu, he had been stranded in Luoyang for several days.Wang Yun and Zhu Jun, who are in charge of the General's Mansion, are best friends. A few days ago, he quietly greeted Zhu Jun, saying that the General's Mansion had revealed to Xu that Li Wei and Li Hong and others snatched the bride in the street. Boss, the implication is to ask Zhu Jun to inform Li Wei to leave as soon as possible.Although Li Wei was a little worried, he didn't dare to go back. He only completed two of the three things Li Hong confessed, and the remaining one was a major event related to his lifelong happiness, so he stayed and gave it to Zhen by the way. Northern General's Mansion recruits talents.
The two brothers hadn't seen each other for more than a year, and they were very happy, but before they could say a few words, Zhu Mu lifted up Li Wei, who was taller than him.Zhu Mu has been practicing martial arts with his father since he was a child, and his martial arts are still good.Li Wei laughed loudly and said, "What's the matter now, brother? Are you trying to get rich and kill yourself?"
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Zhu Mu scolded pretending to be dissatisfied, "Mother said that she won't let me leave Beijing to Wujun unless your matter is settled, so I'd better settle you first."
Li Wei chuckled, and said in a low voice: "Brother, what's the point of being an official in Wu County? Take a look at Bingzhou today. That's a good place to be loyal to the country. Would you like me to introduce you?"
Zhu Mu immediately understood what Li Wei was thinking.He put down Li Wei, put his arms around Li Wei's shoulders and said with a smile: "Who came up with this idea? You have so many ideas, no wonder you will soon become famous all over the world."
"Brother, it wasn't my idea. Brother Wentai told me this before he left." Li Wei smiled, "Brother, it's too far away from home in Wujun, so go to Bingzhou, it's more than 1000 miles away Ah, and besides, the brothers are all there, brother Qiansi is also there, we are all together, so we can take care of everything."
Zhu Mu thought for a while, and said, "Zhong Yuan, if this matter gets out, it will hurt my father's face..."
"Brother Gongding, how long do you think Xu Clan is still alive?"
Zhu Mu was startled, looked around, pulled Li Wei and said, "Let's go back to the room and talk."
===
When the emperor heard that his teacher Cai Yong had returned, he was overjoyed and immediately ordered Cai Yong to enter the palace.The Son of Heaven stood outside the door of the Imperial Study Room, and before Cai Yong finished his salute, he hurried forward to help him up.The two monarchs and ministers greeted each other and walked into the house happily.
The emperor felt very guilty when he saw Cai Yong's thin body and gray temples.Ten years ago, I was deceived by Yang Qiu, Liu He and others, and almost killed my husband. Although I pardoned my husband later, my husband was already disheartened, and he lived in a foreign country and never came back.I thought I would never see my husband again, but fortunately, my husband came back when I needed him most.
The emperor recruited Cai Yong to return to the court, or to pave the way for Xiao Donghou to inherit the imperial line.Now, he has Li Hong, an important general on the outside, and middle officials and clans on the inside. What is missing is the support of the gentry bureaucrats.He wanted to move Cai Yong with his teacher-student relationship, and draw Cai Yong to his side.With Cai Yong's identity and reputation, he can completely persuade and influence a large number of gentry bureaucrats. As long as he gets his support, it is basically foolproof for Xiao Donghou to inherit the imperial line.
The emperor chatted with the teacher for a while, and then the two played a song together.The emperor was very excited, took Cai Yong's hand and said: "Sir, the Queen Mother also wants to see you, let's go to Yongle Palace."
The Empress Dowager made careful preparations long ago. She not only entertained Cai Yong with a feast, but also gave Cai Yong's daughter a beautiful dress and a set of precious accessories.
The queen mother said: "Mr.'s child has lost his mother since he was a child. He has been wandering around with you for ten years. He has suffered a lot. It is not easy. Later, Mr. will become the teacher of Dong Hou and Princess Changping, and he can often take the child with him. Come and play in the palace." As he said that, he asked Xiao Donghou and Princess Changping to give Cai Yong a teacher's ceremony.Cai Yong was so moved that he burst into tears, thanking him repeatedly.
But as soon as Cai Yong left the gate of Yongle Palace, he immediately realized that the matter was serious.The Great Han Kingdom is now in a turmoil due to the dispute over the imperial line. He just returned to Beijing and immediately got a foot in it. In the future...he dare not think about it, his whole body is soaked in cold sweat, what does the emperor say in his ear , He didn't listen to a word, he was full of thoughts on how to ask His Majesty to resign.
Back in the North Palace, before Cai Yong could speak, the emperor said first that he wanted to ask Cai Yong to rebuild the Hongdu Gate for him.The emperor thought that all the students of Taixue were disobedient. If the princes were abolished and the concubines were established in the future, it would be very troublesome for all the students of Taixue to make trouble outside the Beigong gate all day long.Cai Yong is knowledgeable, well-versed in classics and history, fond of numerology, astronomy, mastering rhythm, good at drums and qin, painting, and rhetoric. The door is the most suitable, and it can also attract a large number of Taixue students to the Hongdu Gate, so that in the future, it may be possible to avoid troubles caused by the students.
Cai Yong refused without hesitation.The emperor felt ashamed and sat in a daze on the table.
Cai Yong said, whether it is good in Fu or calligraphy and painting, there are many students who are good at Taixue, so why spend money to build Hongdu Gate?It is enough to learn not to learn in Taixue.In the past, many people from Hongdumen became officials, but they turned out to be treacherous villains who harmed the country and caused Hongdumen's reputation to be discredited.
Although the emperor was unhappy, it was hard to say anything.He thought to himself that now you are Dong Hou's teacher, and in the future Dong Hou will inherit the great power, and you will still be the grand tutor to assist Dong Hou, so you have to rely on your help in many things. Since you don't do it, then forget it. Find someone else.
However, as soon as the subject changed, Cai Yong immediately resigned. He said that he had been living in a foreign country for many years, and he was exhausted physically and mentally. He wanted to go back to Chenliu's hometown to spend his old age. Your Majesty, look at a group of old friends in Beijing.I met His Majesty today, my wish is fulfilled, I am going home.
The emperor was furious, and he was about to scold people with his small eyes.He sincerely invited Cai Yong to return to Beijing, entertained Cai Yong with joy, and finally got such a result.But the emperor held back. When he saw the white-haired Cai Yong kneeling on the ground, his heart ached, and the anger in his heart disappeared immediately.The scene of Cai Yong teaching him how to play the piano is still vivid in my mind.The emperor shook his head and let out a long sigh.
He got up and helped Cai Yong up, and said sadly: "Sir, it's up to you."
After Cai Yong said a few words of apology, he bid farewell.The emperor followed Cai Yong silently and sent him out of the imperial study.
Seeing Cai Yong's figure gradually disappearing, the Son of Heaven was saddened, and couldn't help shouting: "Sir, please stay a step."
The emperor hurried back to his room and picked up the piano that he had used for more than ten years on the piano platform.Since Wang Meiren's death, he has been playing Wang Meiren's piano, and this piano has been left unused on the piano stand for several years.Cai Yong was invited to come today, and the emperor wanted to play a piece with him, so he ordered someone to debug it.
The Son of Heaven solemnly handed the piano to Cai Yong, and said in a low voice, "This is my Qin. It was the one I used when I was learning the piano with my husband. We will see each other forever, sir. I will keep it as a souvenir. Bar."
Cai Yong was very sad, took it with tears in his eyes, kneeled three times and kowtowed nine times, choked up and said: "Your Majesty is so kind, I can't repay you. When I leave, I will offer another book to repay Your Majesty."
===
The emperor walked back to the imperial study and opened Cai Yong's memorial.
The emperor looked at it carefully from beginning to end, and couldn't help but sighed, "Sir, you are too much."
The emperor handed the memorial to Jian Shuo, who was on the side of the attendant, and then walked back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back, very angry.
Jian Shuo looked at it, dumbfounded.Cai Yong still had the same temper. In the memorial, he urged His Majesty to stay away from traitors and sycophants, and to value talents and capabilities. He scolded the old middle-ranking officials and the young middle-ranking officials. He also mentioned Li Hong and Jian Shuo, especially Li Hong. Cai Yong said that he was like Li Hong This kind of bloody and barbaric person, the minister who caused trouble for the country, should not be reused at all, but should be arrested and killed to punish the officials of the world.That's all, but he then advised His Majesty to put the great Han society as the most important thing, don't go against the sky, don't abolish the heirs and establish the concubines, so as not to be punished by the heavens and lose their lives.
Jian Shuo was dumbfounded when he saw it. Did the old man stay outside for a long time and went crazy? He could say such things, he could also write such memorials, even ten thousand lives would not be enough.
But Cai Yong can't kill him, especially at this time, let alone kill him.
Jian Shuo immediately knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, Mr. Cai is old and confused, let him go home."
The muscles on Tianzi's face twitched violently twice.
Jian Shuo knew that the emperor was furious, so he hurriedly played again: "Your Majesty, would a normal person write such a memorial to seek death? Your Majesty, Master Cai also has a 12-year-old daughter. He is not for himself, but for himself." Your own daughter should think about it? Therefore, Mr. Cai must be crazy, his mind must be abnormal, and His Majesty must not mind it."
The emperor let out a long breath, and his anger gradually calmed down.
===
Jian Shuo left the imperial study room and ran to the Shangshutai like flying.
"Lord Lu, hurry up, hurry up..." Jian Shuo called out breathlessly, "Mr. Cai has gotten into trouble, tell him to leave the capital quickly."
Huangfusong and Lu Zhi were taken aback.Lu Zhi grabbed Jian Shuo's sleeve nervously, and asked in a trembling voice, "Master Jian, what trouble did Mr. Cai get into?"
Jian Shuo gave a rough account of the whole story, "Mr. Cai scolded me and General Zhenbei, it's nothing, but he absolutely shouldn't, and in the memorial he advised His Majesty not to abolish the concubine and establish the concubine, and said that His Majesty If you do this, you will be punished by God."
Lu Zhi's eyes darkened, and he almost fell to the ground.Huangfusong was so shocked that his face paled, he swayed and sat down on the table.
"My lords, hurry up, it's too late. Mr. Cai can't die now. If he dies, the scholars in the capital and the students of the imperial school will start a fight, and the capital will be in chaos." Jian Shuo said palely. .
Lu Zhi was stiff all over, and patted Jian Shuo's shoulder gratefully, "Thank you Lord Jian, you'd better go to His Majesty's side as soon as possible, and let us know immediately if anything happens."
Jian Shuo ran away without looking back.
Lu Zhi and Huangfusong stared with big eyes and small eyes, their souls flew away.Cai Yong's misfortune was serious.Although everyone in the world knows that His Majesty wants to abolish the concubine, but that is to say, no one has ever mentioned that Cai Yong's memorial pierced this thin layer of window paper, pushing His Majesty and the general directly. To the battlefield of duel.It is tacitly understood by everyone that playing hands and feet in private is completely different from knife-to-knife, gun-to-gun confrontation.
Once Cai Yong is killed, the news of the memorial will inevitably spread throughout the world, and the emperor's abolition of his wife and establishment of his concubine will become a fait accompli.At this time, the emperor only needs two ways to stabilize the hearts of the people in the world, one is to immediately confer the eldest prince as the prince, or to overthrow the general and make the little prince the prince. There is no third way to go.But no matter what method the emperor takes to save this situation, it will inevitably set off a bloody storm in Luoyang.
When the country is in such a crisis, Luoyang is in chaos, and the consequences are unimaginable.
"Is Cai Bozhe crazy? What does he want to do? Does he want to ruin the Han Kingdom completely?" Lu Zhi said weakly and bitterly, "The situation in Luoyang has just stabilized, but he was blocked and smashed to pieces. "
"Zigan, don't complain." Huangfu Song forced himself to be calm, waved his hands and said, "This matter, it will come sooner or later. I will leave the palace immediately and send Bo Jie out of the city."
"Yizhen, what if..."
Huangfu Song gritted his teeth and said in a low voice: "Send [-] miles of quick cavalry and ask Li Hong to immediately gather troops and horses and station troops in the Yellow River."
===
Jian Shuo was sweating profusely and ran to the door of the imperial study, his expression changed instantly.
"Who's here?"
The little eunuch standing at the door replied: "Da Changqiu, Mr. Zhao, Zhongchang attendant Zhang Houye."
Jian Shuo was in pain and almost cried.
"Go to Shangshutai immediately and tell Lord Huangfu or Lord Lu that it's going to snow."
The little eunuch looked up at the sky, puzzled.Isn't there sun in the sky, why is it snowing?He didn't dare to ask, and ran away in a hurry.
===
The news of Cai Yong's return immediately reached the ears of all parties in the capital.Everyone knows what the emperor's purpose in inviting Cai Yong to come back at this time is.Once Cai Yong is reused by the emperor, the power of the gentry bureaucrats will immediately come back, especially Cai Yong is a staunch eunuch, and such people cannot be kept.So as soon as Cai Yong left, Zhao Zhong and Zhang Gong came running back.Zhang Gong is very active this time.His younger brother is the current Zongzheng Zhang Hao, who was scolded by Cai Yong as a traitor when he was a Taiwei ten years ago, so the Zhang brothers and Cai Yong had a deep feud.
As soon as the two of them entered Shang's study, they saw Cai Yong's memorial.The two were also dumbfounded and dared not speak for a long time.Zhao Zhong was thinking, He Jin, a butcher, is staring at the middle officials, and there are a group of gentry bureaucrats behind him. Even if they help the eldest prince inherit the imperial line, the butcher and those scholars will not let him go. The opportunity took the opportunity to overthrow the general and support the little Donghou.As long as the emperor is here, the old officials like me will be fine.
Zhao Zhong immediately said: "Your Majesty, if you don't kill Cai Yong now, someone else will kill Dong Hou in the future."
This sentence is enough.
===
When Cai Yong came back to Ma Rixun's mansion, the Ma mansion had already gathered more celebrities and scholars who had heard the news.Zhu Mu also came with Li Wei.
Seeing the young Li Wei, Cai Yong felt that he was really old. He smiled and said to Zhu Jun who was standing beside him: "Gong Wei, I envy you. Look at your disciple and your son. He is the mainstay of our Great Han Kingdom. Hey, it’s too late to be disobedient.”
Huangfu Song rushed into the mansion.
The guests in the mansion saw the well-known Huang Fusong rushing towards him with his official robes in disregard of the occasion, all of them turned pale with astonishment.
Cui Lie, who was standing beside Cai Yong, clapped his hands and laughed, "Brother Yizhen, could it be that the barbarians have come to kill you?"
Huangfu Song looked at Cai Yong in shock, and shouted loudly: "Bo Jie, are you crazy?"
Cai Yong stroked his beard and smiled, calm and composed.
Zhu Jun hurriedly asked, "Brother Yizhen, what happened?"
"Bo Xi has caused a great disaster." After Huangfusong said a word, he turned around and shouted to Ma Rixun, "Quickly, pack up Bo Xi's things and come here soon. I will send Bo Xi out of the city first."
He grabbed Cai Yong's sleeve and ran out of the mansion while dragging it.
At this moment, there was a sudden sound of horseshoes outside the mansion.
Huangfusong's expression changed drastically, he turned around and dragged Cai Yong to run towards the back door.Cai Yong grabbed Huangfusong, "Forget it, Yizhen."
Huangfu Song tugged twice, let go angrily, and shouted: "Bo Jie, why are you so confused?"
Cai Yong smiled lightly and said: "I'm not confused, the traitor must be killed, the crown prince must be established, and the country must prosper. This is our bounden duty."
He turned to look at Ma Rixun and said, "I just want a girl, please."
===
(End of this chapter)
Cai Yong, who is famous all over the world, has returned to Beijing.
In the past, a group of old friends who collated the Five Classics and hundreds of classics in Dongguan (National Library of Han Dynasty) and compiled "Han Han Ji" greeted them a hundred miles away.Shang Shu Lu Zhi, Shi Zhong Han Shuo, Tai Le Ling Zhang Xun, Tai Xue Jijiu Ma Rixun (read di) and the pale-haired Cai Yong embraced tightly.
"Ten years, ten years." Cai Yong murmured excitedly, tears streaming down his face, "I'm finally back."
In the autumn of the first year of Guanghe (178 A.D.), the Son of Heaven asked about policies at the Chongde Office of Jinshangmen in Nangong. Cai Yong, who was Yilang at the time, spoke out and advised him. Huo Yu is treacherous and evil, accusing the Taiwei Zhang Hao, Guanglu Xun Weizhang, Changshui Xiaowei Zhao Xuan, Tunqi Xiaowei Gai Sheng, etc. recommended by the Zhongguan are villains who are greedy for fame and wealth, and also said that the officials in the capital It is rumored that there is a senior official in the palace named Master Cheng, who is about to become a serious disaster for the country, the emperor please be on guard.This performance was seen by Qiu Cao Jie, the chief minister at the time, and he added fuel and vinegar to the four words, which immediately caused an uproar.
The Master Cheng that Cai Yong mentioned was Cheng Huang, the Zhongchang attendant, and Cheng Huang's son-in-law was Yang Qiu, a famous cruel official in the Han Dynasty, that is, the Yang Qiu who later beat Zhongguan Huang Menling Wang Fu and his son to death.Yang Qiu is a cruel official with harsh punishments and laws, and has nothing to do with corruption. He is a clean and honest official, defying power, and has political achievements and talents, but he has a severe temperament and will retaliate.When Yang Qiu was a minister, he had a feud with Cai Yong's uncle, Cai Zhi, but Cai Yong's opponent Da Honglu Liu He and Yang Qiu were good friends.Several people colluded together and framed Cai Zhi and Cai Yong's uncle and nephew, and sent the two of them to prison, and then they were sentenced to abandon the city.Fortunately, Lu Qiang and a group of ministers persuaded them to die, so the emperor spared them the death penalty and exiled Shuofang.Yang Qiu still didn't let them go, and sent someone to chase them all the way, but the assassin admired Cai Yong and ran away halfway.When he arrived in Shuofang, Cai Yong offended Wang Zhi, the prefect of Shuofang at that time, and the younger brother of Wang Fu, the order of Huangmen.In the second year, although the emperor pardoned Cai Yong and let him return to Beijing after the advice of a group of ministers including Lu Zhi, Cai Yong was worried that he would be framed by his enemies after returning to Beijing, so he refused to accept the imperial edict and fled to Wu County. .
This time, Zhu Mu, Zhu Jun's son, was ordered to find Cai Yong.After Cai Yong received the imperial decree from the emperor, he knew that he could not come back, so he reluctantly took his 12-year-old daughter Cai Yan back to Luoyang, where he had been away for ten years.
Old friends haven't seen each other for ten years, and they tell each other their hearts, and they all feel that time flies, and at the flick of their fingers, things are different.
Old friend Yang Ci has passed away, and enemies Cheng Huang, Yang Qiu, and Wang Fu have also returned to the underworld, but the world is more miserable than before.
"Bo Jie (read jie), the situation in central Beijing is extremely dangerous now, and a catastrophe is approaching." Lu Zhi sighed, "You are already fifty-five, and your life has been rough, you should go home early and live a stable life. "
Cai Yong smiled bitterly, and said gratefully, "Zigan, I know, I don't want to come back at all. I came to Beijing this time to meet old friends. I'm old and time is short, so I came here before I died. Look at you, secondly, I want to see His Majesty, I haven't seen him for ten years, and I miss him a little..."
"Bo Xie, I want to warn you, don't make the same old mistakes again." Ma Rizun interrupted him with a wave of his hand, and said solemnly, "Your Majesty wants to see you, but you have to keep your mouth shut no matter what. Don't cause trouble again."
Cai Yong lifted his lips, wanting to say something, but he didn't say it after all.His old friend's love made him really hard to say.The reason why he came back was to persuade His Majesty to do a little bit more for the precarious Han Dynasty in his lifetime.He hoped that His Majesty would be able to eradicate traitors and use talents to revitalize the great man.
Lu Zhi obviously saw Cai Yong's thoughts, he let out a long sigh, and slowly persuaded: "Bo Jie, do you know the situation in Kyoto today?"
Cai Yong cupped his hands and said, "Zigan, I would like to hear more about it."
"You are in Jiangdong, have you heard of the leopard Li Hong?"
"I heard that he is a bloody and cruel general, he is very favored by His Majesty, and now he is an important general." Cai Yong nodded and said, "People from Jiangdong said that His Majesty deliberately cultivated him for the purpose of being a great general. It's for the emperor's order. From my point of view, His Majesty is raising tigers to cause trouble, and wants to send the Han Kingdom into the abyss of subjugation. Zigan, why did you suddenly mention him?"
Lu Zhi pondered for a while, then said: "The complex situation in Beijing and China today, with undercurrents surging and dangers everywhere, has a lot to do with him. Whether the Great Han Congress will perish is already in his mind."
Cai Yong's expression changed in shock, and he asked in a voiceless voice, "Is it so serious?"
Ma Rixun told Han Shuo, and Zhang Xun also looked at Lu Zhi in horror, his eyes full of doubts.
"Today's Li Hong holds a heavy army and is in charge of the military affairs of the three prefectures and two counties north of the Yellow River. threaten."
"He recruited the Yellow Turbans in Bingzhou, appeased the refugees to reclaim the land, and then used the Bingzhou farmland as a bargaining chip to force the court to reopen the salt and iron. His wanton trampling of the Han law and the atrocities that violated the ancestral system are jaw-dropping. Think about it, if a The important officials of the imperial court can do whatever they want, what kind of impact will he have on the country, the imperial court, and the subjects of the Han Dynasty? If in the future, the guards of borders everywhere follow suit, and the ministers are more important than the emperor, then what is the imperial power? Where is the might of Heaven?"
"It's ridiculous that the emperor and ministers ignored the country and the community for their own selfishness, and allowed Li Hong to do anything wrong. Some ministers even contributed to the flames and tried their best to help Li Hong, lest the world would not be chaotic. It's sad."
"The Son of Heaven is mediocre and short-sighted, needless to say, but the Sangong Mansion and the General's Mansion are also so short-sighted, which is really disappointing. If the salt and iron discussion cannot be passed, the imperial court will be able to firmly control the finances of the Zhenbei General Headquarters. Come on, although Li Hong has near-term worries, he has no long-term concerns, but now everything is too late, too late."
"Although the Zhenbei General's Department is clearly in charge of the military affairs of the three prefectures and two counties north of the Yellow River, it has actually monopolized the military and political power in Bingzhou and Hedong. Now Li Hong wants soldiers and money. If He quelled the rebellion in Youzhou, stabilized the northern border, and succeeded in farming in Bingzhou, I wonder, who else in the world can restrain him?"
"A five-year agreement?" Lu Zhi smiled miserably, "After five years, can His Majesty still restrain Li Hong?"
"Li Hong's calamity is still better than the calamity of rape and eunuchs, but the emperors and ministers of the Han Dynasty turned a blind eye, and each of them indulged in power struggles and couldn't extricate themselves. In the future, they will definitely suffer the consequences."
"Li Hong's misfortune is the same as the misfortune of eunuchs, all caused by His Majesty for his own self-interest. They are backed by a powerful imperial power. We are weak and weak, and it is impossible to compare with them. I am afraid that in the future... "
Cai Yong, Ma Rixun and others were dumbfounded.
"Zigan, the treasury has no money, and His Majesty is clinging to his own private treasury. Under such circumstances, it is a helpless move for Zhenbei General Headquarters to propose to reopen the salt and iron. Without money, Bingzhou Tuntian will fail immediately, and Immediately, the refugees will riot, so our Great Han Kingdom will not be the same..." Ma Rixun hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice, "Zigan's words are biased."
"The rebellion can be put down one by one by Li Hong. The rebellion is gone, and Li Hong's soldiers are basically finished. At that time, although the great country was devastated and dying, the Great Han Kingdom was still there. As long as the Great Han Kingdom was still there, it would be There will be a day of rejuvenation, but if we don't even have the Great Han Kingdom..." Lu Zhi lamented, his face full of sadness.
"Zigan, things haven't reached that point yet, don't you want to be so discouraged?" Zhang Xun said.Zhang Xun is in his 50s, thin and thin, with a pair of wise eyes in deep-set eye sockets.He was born in a family, and this time he also resolutely opposed the imperial court's reopening of salt and iron.
"Things are already moving towards this point." Lu Zhi shook his head and said, "The imperial court is now deeply involved in the struggle for imperial power. All the powers in Beijing and China are fighting for their own destiny and future. Who has the time to take care of it?" Li Hong? As long as your Majesty and the imperial court can put down the rebellion and defend the northern border, Li Hong will agree to anything he wants? When one day Li Hong's wings are full-fledged, and the powers of all parties in Luoyang are fighting for the emperor's line, blood will flow like a river, what will Li Hong do? What to do? If he is a loyal minister, the Han Dynasty will prosper, and if he is a traitorous minister, the Han Dynasty will perish, but no matter whether he is a loyal minister or a traitorous minister, he is a powerful minister of a generation. Is this a disaster or a blessing for the Han Kingdom?"
"That's why I said that the rise and fall of the Great Han Kingdom will depend on Li Hong's thoughts in the future."
The plump, honest-looking Han Shuo said: "Zigan, Li Hong is just a martial artist, young and light, without knowledge, and can't read many big characters. How can he have such a deep scheming? Are you too much?" Do you value him?"
Lu Zhi smiled wryly, and said: "Look at how the proposal of salt and iron passed this time, and you should understand what Li Hong is capable of. The proposal of salt and iron was miraculously passed when the government and the opposition shouted their opposition in unison. Now, the imperial edict has been issued for the whole country, I would like to ask you, can you do it? But Li Hong did it, so can we still say that he is a rough martial artist?"
Lu Zhi shook his head again and again, and said in disbelief: "I really can't believe that Li Hong, who is already an important general, is actually a barbaric martial artist in your eyes. Could it be that the military achievements he made with one knife and one gun are fake? ? Is his invincible record also fake? You look down on Li Hong so much, no wonder those ministers in the court, this is the tragedy of our great Han country."
There was silence in the carriage.
"Zigan, can you tell me how the proposal of salt and iron was passed?" Cai Yong said suddenly, "Perhaps, we can see from it whether Li Hong is an ambitious minister of power, and whether he will be a person who will bring disaster to the country and the people in the future." Traitor and traitor."
===
Lu Zhi frowned deeply, and the wrinkles on his forehead were tightly glued together.
"The reopening of the Salt and Iron Discussion was initiated because of the farmland, and the farmland was initiated to appease the Yellow Turbans, and the Yellow Turbans were recruited because they were forced by the situation in northern Xinjiang, so they had to do it."
"There are three major worries in northern Xinjiang today, each of which is related to the survival of the Han Dynasty. The first is the rebellion of Zhang Ju Zhang Chun, an ant thief in Youzhou. The founding of the country and proclaiming the emperor must rely on something. Naturally, this reliance is the support of the Xianbei people and Karasuma people behind it. Therefore, the pacification of Zhang Ju and Zhang Chun's rebellion is different from the previous pacification of thieves. It takes strength and time. If the invasion is successful, Youzhou will fall into a long-term war. Under the current situation, the Han Kingdom does not have the financial resources to undertake a protracted war. If the Han army is weak, Youzhou will only have two endings, or the state will fall and the rebellion will continue. Or the years of war will drag down the entire Han Kingdom."
"The second is the Huns. The contradictions between the various ministries of the Huns court have been going on for a long time, but they have been suppressed by the Xianbei people and the Han Kingdom. The threat of the Huns from the front and back has eased a lot, so the conflict finally broke out. The rebellion of the Tu various ethnic groups was only the beginning of the civil strife among the Huns. Once the Xianbei intervened, the various tribes of the Huns would immediately be in chaos. This is my Great Han Kingdom."
"The third is the Xianbei people. Although the Xianbei people were hit hard in western Xinjiang, their strength still exists, and they also occupy the northern part of the four counties of northern Xinjiang and the two counties of Yanmen and Shangjun. If the Xianbei people are not driven out of the country, How can our Great Han Kingdom be revived? How can the subjects of our Great Han Kingdom face their ancestors?"
"Everyone, look at the current situation in northern Xinjiang. As long as the Han army is dragged on the Youzhou battlefield and the Huns take the opportunity to invade, the war in our northern border will erupt immediately. Even if we try our best to quell the chaos between the ant thief and the Huns, we still have power to spare." Fighting against the Xianbei's re-invasion? What do the Xianbei want? It's just the northern frontier county. When we are unable to resist, will the entire northern frontier county be handed over? Do we still have the ability to regain the lost territory?"
"As early as the beginning of the year, I told Your Majesty and the ministers that the invasion of the Xianbei people and the rebellion in Youzhou were probably the beginning of Murong Feng's plot to invade our northern border prefectures. Since the death of the king Tan Shihuai, the Xianbei people have In the end, it was Murong Feng who could support the overall situation of Xianbei. Murong Feng's ambition is known to the world. Xijiang was defeated, and the cavalry of Helian and Danhanshan were wiped out, and the strength of the royal court of Danhanshan was greatly weakened. The royal court of Danhan Mountain exists in name only, but at this time the ministries of Xianbei took advantage of the opportunity. Murongfeng deliberately created this situation in northern Xinjiang, did he just want to be a master of Xianbei in the middle? And what about Tuobafeng? He just wanted to occupy the north Is it the four counties of Xinjiang?"
"As long as Murongfeng is not dead and the Xianbei people are not dead, there will be no peace in northern Xinjiang. Whether it is the Ant Thief in Youzhou or the Xiongnu in Bingzhou, they are just pawns in Murongfeng's hands. However, if we take advantage of the fact that the Xianbei people have not recovered At the moment of vitality, if we wipe out the Ant Thieves and Huns in Youzhou with lightning speed, then we will seize the opportunity, we can completely smash Murong Feng's plot, and we can regain the four counties in Northern Xinjiang."
"Huangfusong and I have discussed this matter many times in private. Later, we wrote our ideas into a document and sent them to the Zhenbei General Headquarters, hoping to attract their attention. Li Hong used to be Murong Feng's attendant, and he went through many experiences in northern Xinjiang. He is very familiar with Murong Feng and northern Xinjiang affairs, so he quickly wrote back, agreeing with our inference on the situation in northern Xinjiang, and said that he would do his best to put down the rebellion and regain the territory."
"You all know what happened later. In order to help Li Hong reorganize the army and accumulate strength as soon as possible, Huangfusong and I tried our best to persuade His Majesty to agree to Li Hong's recruitment of the Yellow Turban Army, and we also delayed Li Hong's division of troops many times. Wan did not expect that Li Hong would start to appease millions of refugees to reclaim land and farmland immediately after recruiting the Yellow Turban Army."
Lu Zhi let out a long sigh, and continued: "It is a good thing to benefit the country and the people, but the premise of farming is that the country has strong treasury reserves and continuous and stable tax revenue. It is a very prosperous and stable environment, but what about now? Under what circumstances did Emperor Wu of this dynasty implement the national policy? The conditions were so good at that time, and it took ten years to see results. Although Bingzhou and Hedong are now There are ready-made fields reclaimed by the predecessors, but the treasury is empty and the wars are endless. Under such circumstances, can we see results in ten years?"
"Northern Xinjiang needs money to counter the rebellion, northern Xinjiang needs money to garrison the border, and northern Xinjiang also needs money to farm. As long as any of these three loses money, northern Xinjiang will be in chaos. At that time, the Han army will be defeated and the Hu people will invade and farmland will fail. The refugees rioted, and the northern border of the Great Han Kingdom was completely lost, and the defeat was imminent. Li Hong obviously also considered the consequences, so he offered a proposal to reopen the salt and iron, and used the benefits of the reopening of the salt and iron to support farming. Use state taxation to support counter-insurgency and frontier defense. But the question is, all the money he uses to farm the land is borrowed from wealthy businessmen on credit. Can the profits of salt and iron be repaid in five years? Will the farm be successful in five years? After five years , if the farming fails, will he continue to ask for the re-opening of salt and iron? So I said to His Majesty, at this time, farming is not for the benefit of the country and the people, but for the harm of the country and the people. Sooner or later, my Han country will give this heavy burden Live and drag."
"If Li Hong wants to regain the lost ground and stabilize northern Xinjiang, he must gather strength to go north to suppress the rebellion. To go north to suppress the rebellion, he needs a stable Bingzhou. There must be two conditions, one is a lot of money, and the other is a stable court. Sima Li Wei of the Zhenbei General's Mansion came to Luoyang with these two missions."
===
"When Li Wei came to Beijing, only the Taiwei Mansion agreed to discuss salt and iron, while Situ Sikong's mansion opposed it."
"Master Taiwei agreed to reopen the salt and iron. There are reasons he has no choice. He disagrees with this proposal. The farming failed, the refugees rioted, and the northern border was lost. He must be convicted and dismissed. He was convicted and dismissed for violating the ancestral system. However, comparing the two, of course, the latter is the most beneficial to the precarious Han Kingdom. Although it is to quench the thirst of the Han Dynasty, it is also the hope of revitalizing the Han Kingdom, so he chose without hesitation. The latter. Master Taiwei only thinks of suppressing the rebellion, of stabilizing the Great Han Kingdom, and of feeding and clothing the refugees, but he doesn’t think about what kind of harm Li Hong’s powerful power will bring to the crumbling Han Kingdom in the future. .”
"Because of the special relationship between Lord Sikong and the general, of course he must stay consistent with the general and advance and retreat together, so Li Hong only needs to tell the general a word. He only needs to promise that he will never lead his troops to the south when the northern border is uncertain. The general is about to repay Li Hong, and the content of the repayment is naturally to agree to reopen the salt and iron."
"The rest is that Master Situ does not agree. There is only one way to make Master Situ agree, and that is to make Master Situ more powerful, so as to resist the threat of the general to them. How to make Master Situ more powerful? That is The position of Taiwei. If the proposal of salt and iron is passed, Lord Taiwei will take the blame and dismiss him no matter what, so as to calm the voices of crusade from all parties in Beijing. Once Lord Taiwei leaves, Cao Song will succeed him, then Zhongguan and Xu The power of the clan will rise sharply in no time, and occupying two seats among the three princes, it cannot but be said to be powerful, especially in the court and outside the court."
"Why did you choose Cao Song among the Zhongguan and the Xu family? Cao Song is the son of Cao Teng, a Zhongguan. There were too many famous people who entered the court and became important ministers of the country because of Cao Teng's recommendation. Second, Cao Song is honest, low-key, popular in Beijing, and has a very harmonious relationship with the royal family. His appointment will not be opposed by the emperor. Two choices."
"Then how can the general give up the fight for the position of Taiwei and support Cao Song instead? I don't know what method Li Wei used, but I can be sure that it was the Zhongguan who assassinated He Yong, and the reason why the Zhongguan was here At this moment, he must have heard something from Li Wei. He Yong was assassinated, the strength of the general was damaged, and he had to agree to Li Hong's request. At this time, his only choice was Take a step back for now, hide your strengths and bide your time, and gather strength to deal with traitors."
"The next thing went very smoothly. The Sangong Mansion approved the reopening of the Salt and Iron Discussion through a joint discussion, and then the Taiwei was dismissed. The three governments jointly recommended Cao Song to succeed the Taiwei. So far, Li Hong's two goals have been achieved. "
"Because Cao Song was appointed as the Taiwei, the power of Zhongguan and the Xu Clan rose sharply, and the power of all parties in Beijing and China was evenly matched, and the tension in Luoyang quickly stabilized."
"At present, whether it is to suppress the rebellion, stabilize the northern border, or the future struggle for imperial lineage, the emperor needs Li Hong, and the middle officials and the emperor are closely related. Only with the emperor can the middle officials have the power, so They didn't dare to make things too difficult for Li Hong, as for the general, he couldn't do without Li Hong's help for his own future and destiny, and in the end we are the only ones left to oppose Li Hong."
"In this battle of salt and iron, we have the loudest voice of opposition and the most resolute attitude, but we have also suffered the greatest loss. Among the three princes, we have not had a place for us. This is probably the first time in the history of this dynasty. Li Hong's purpose for doing this is too obvious, he just hopes that in the future, matters related to farming and salt and iron can be agreed by the Sangong Mansion without any hindrance."
"This is the situation that Li Hong deliberately created for the success of Tuntian and the stability of the capital, so I said that he is manipulating the situation in Beijing behind his back. Now, do you still say that he is a warrior? Does he pose no threat to the Han Kingdom?"
===
After hearing Lu Zhi's words, the people in the carriage felt heavy in their hearts. They were even less confident and worried about the future of the Great Han Kingdom.
"The powers of all parties in Beijing and China are evenly matched, and if one pulls one hair, it will move the whole body. If there is a dispute over the imperial rule in the future, I am afraid that all will be damaged." Zhang Xun sighed, "If Li Hong has ulterior motives, the future of our Great Han Kingdom is indeed worrying. .”
"Who is this Li Wei?" Cai Yong asked, "General Zhenbei has this person to help him, and he is like a tiger with wings. If this person cares about the big man and is loyal to the country, it will be a good thing to stay by Li Hong's side."
Ma Rixun hurriedly introduced: "He is a scholar from Wu Jun. He came to Taixue to study the year before last. Because of his outstanding talent and learning, he was favored by Master Zhu Jun and accepted as his disciple. After the salt and iron dispute, he has already become famous in Luoyang. In my opinion, he is not an outstanding talent, but a genius. The future of the Great Han Kingdom depends on their generation."
"Is he very young?"
"Under twenty, very young." Ma Rizun said with a smile, "At his age, I'm still studying at home."
"Oh?" Cai Yong said in surprise, "Master Zhu's disciple must be very outstanding. I want to meet him when I arrive in the capital."
===
Cai Yong quietly entered Luoyang and lived in Ma Rixun's mansion.
In the evening, old friends from Beijing and China who heard the news came one after another. We hadn’t seen each other for ten years, and we were very happy to be together again.
After Zhu Mu settled Cai Yong, he immediately went home to visit his parents and his wife and children.When Zhu Jun and his wife heard that their son was back, they were overjoyed, and they sat beside their son on one left and one on the right, asking questions non-stop.Zhu Jun heard that Cai Yong was at Ma Rizun's mansion, so he hurried to visit him.
Zhu Mu is about 30 years old, with a handsome appearance and a modest demeanor, much like his father.Holding a pair of young children in his arms, he asked his mother, "Is Xiao Lan's whereabouts?"
Zhu Mu's mother nodded happily.It's not easy for Zhu Jun to ask Li Wei, but his wife wants to.Li Wei didn't dare to hide it from his future mother-in-law, so he confessed everything.Mrs. Zhu had already heard from Sun Jian that Xiao Lan was snatched away by this kid. Although she was a little sad, she certainly hoped that Xiao Lan would marry this tall and handsome Li Wei.This kid has been out for a year or two, and he will be a high-ranking official with two thousand shi. If he will get it in the future, he must be a talented person.In the past, when Taoist Shi Zizhu saw Xiao Lan, he said that it was the wife of the Sangong Jiuqing, but now it seems that it is not bad at all.Mrs. Zhu is happy.Since Li Wei arrived in Beijing, she didn't come to eat at home for a day, so she sent someone to remind her, which made Li Wei, who was so busy and devastated, grinned happily.
"Where is little sister now? Are you at home?" Zhu Mu asked eagerly.
Seeing her mother-in-law winking at her, Zhu Mu's wife understood, and immediately coaxed the two children out to play.After listening to his mother's words, Zhu Mu asked in disbelief: "Xiao Lan is now the master of Zhenbei General's Mansion? Mother, you must have been deceived by Li Wei, right?"
"It's true. It's more senior than yours. Xiao Lan even wrote me a letter. How could it be fake? I heard that when General Zhenbei was not in the camp, Xiao Lan was in charge."
"What about the letter?"
"Burn it for your father."
Zhu Mu laughed loudly and said, "This General Zhenbei is really the number one hero in our Great Han Kingdom. It's an anecdote that a 16-year-old woman is in charge of General Zhenbei's mansion. Mother, what are you going to do? Xiao Lan married Li Wei?"
Zhu Mu's mother smiled and nodded, "I discussed it with your father, and your father agreed, but because..."
"Are you in trouble?" Zhu Mu smiled, "Although my lord father listens to my mother's family affairs, this matter is really difficult. Unless Li Wei's men find a chance to chop off that big big seed, otherwise..."
"What are you talking about?" Zhu Mu's mother scolded, "You've only been an official in Beijing for a few years, why are you covered in blood? Are you going to kill someone when you get home?"
Zhu Mu laughed so hard that he couldn't breathe. While carefully apologizing, he said, "Mother, Xiao Lan is 16 years old. If she doesn't get married, no one will want her."
"Your father doesn't care about this matter, and I have nothing to do, so I leave it to you. If you don't finish this matter, don't go back to Wu County."
Zhu Mu was suddenly dumbfounded.
At this moment, Li Wei's voice came from afar, "Brother Gongding, Brother Gongding..."
"Good boy, I was just looking for you, and you came to the door." Zhu Mu muttered, saluted his mother in a hurry, turned around and ran out.
"Zhong Yuan..."
When Li Wei saw Zhu Mu, he greeted him with a happy face.In order to wait for Zhu Mu, he had been stranded in Luoyang for several days.Wang Yun and Zhu Jun, who are in charge of the General's Mansion, are best friends. A few days ago, he quietly greeted Zhu Jun, saying that the General's Mansion had revealed to Xu that Li Wei and Li Hong and others snatched the bride in the street. Boss, the implication is to ask Zhu Jun to inform Li Wei to leave as soon as possible.Although Li Wei was a little worried, he didn't dare to go back. He only completed two of the three things Li Hong confessed, and the remaining one was a major event related to his lifelong happiness, so he stayed and gave it to Zhen by the way. Northern General's Mansion recruits talents.
The two brothers hadn't seen each other for more than a year, and they were very happy, but before they could say a few words, Zhu Mu lifted up Li Wei, who was taller than him.Zhu Mu has been practicing martial arts with his father since he was a child, and his martial arts are still good.Li Wei laughed loudly and said, "What's the matter now, brother? Are you trying to get rich and kill yourself?"
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Zhu Mu scolded pretending to be dissatisfied, "Mother said that she won't let me leave Beijing to Wujun unless your matter is settled, so I'd better settle you first."
Li Wei chuckled, and said in a low voice: "Brother, what's the point of being an official in Wu County? Take a look at Bingzhou today. That's a good place to be loyal to the country. Would you like me to introduce you?"
Zhu Mu immediately understood what Li Wei was thinking.He put down Li Wei, put his arms around Li Wei's shoulders and said with a smile: "Who came up with this idea? You have so many ideas, no wonder you will soon become famous all over the world."
"Brother, it wasn't my idea. Brother Wentai told me this before he left." Li Wei smiled, "Brother, it's too far away from home in Wujun, so go to Bingzhou, it's more than 1000 miles away Ah, and besides, the brothers are all there, brother Qiansi is also there, we are all together, so we can take care of everything."
Zhu Mu thought for a while, and said, "Zhong Yuan, if this matter gets out, it will hurt my father's face..."
"Brother Gongding, how long do you think Xu Clan is still alive?"
Zhu Mu was startled, looked around, pulled Li Wei and said, "Let's go back to the room and talk."
===
When the emperor heard that his teacher Cai Yong had returned, he was overjoyed and immediately ordered Cai Yong to enter the palace.The Son of Heaven stood outside the door of the Imperial Study Room, and before Cai Yong finished his salute, he hurried forward to help him up.The two monarchs and ministers greeted each other and walked into the house happily.
The emperor felt very guilty when he saw Cai Yong's thin body and gray temples.Ten years ago, I was deceived by Yang Qiu, Liu He and others, and almost killed my husband. Although I pardoned my husband later, my husband was already disheartened, and he lived in a foreign country and never came back.I thought I would never see my husband again, but fortunately, my husband came back when I needed him most.
The emperor recruited Cai Yong to return to the court, or to pave the way for Xiao Donghou to inherit the imperial line.Now, he has Li Hong, an important general on the outside, and middle officials and clans on the inside. What is missing is the support of the gentry bureaucrats.He wanted to move Cai Yong with his teacher-student relationship, and draw Cai Yong to his side.With Cai Yong's identity and reputation, he can completely persuade and influence a large number of gentry bureaucrats. As long as he gets his support, it is basically foolproof for Xiao Donghou to inherit the imperial line.
The emperor chatted with the teacher for a while, and then the two played a song together.The emperor was very excited, took Cai Yong's hand and said: "Sir, the Queen Mother also wants to see you, let's go to Yongle Palace."
The Empress Dowager made careful preparations long ago. She not only entertained Cai Yong with a feast, but also gave Cai Yong's daughter a beautiful dress and a set of precious accessories.
The queen mother said: "Mr.'s child has lost his mother since he was a child. He has been wandering around with you for ten years. He has suffered a lot. It is not easy. Later, Mr. will become the teacher of Dong Hou and Princess Changping, and he can often take the child with him. Come and play in the palace." As he said that, he asked Xiao Donghou and Princess Changping to give Cai Yong a teacher's ceremony.Cai Yong was so moved that he burst into tears, thanking him repeatedly.
But as soon as Cai Yong left the gate of Yongle Palace, he immediately realized that the matter was serious.The Great Han Kingdom is now in a turmoil due to the dispute over the imperial line. He just returned to Beijing and immediately got a foot in it. In the future...he dare not think about it, his whole body is soaked in cold sweat, what does the emperor say in his ear , He didn't listen to a word, he was full of thoughts on how to ask His Majesty to resign.
Back in the North Palace, before Cai Yong could speak, the emperor said first that he wanted to ask Cai Yong to rebuild the Hongdu Gate for him.The emperor thought that all the students of Taixue were disobedient. If the princes were abolished and the concubines were established in the future, it would be very troublesome for all the students of Taixue to make trouble outside the Beigong gate all day long.Cai Yong is knowledgeable, well-versed in classics and history, fond of numerology, astronomy, mastering rhythm, good at drums and qin, painting, and rhetoric. The door is the most suitable, and it can also attract a large number of Taixue students to the Hongdu Gate, so that in the future, it may be possible to avoid troubles caused by the students.
Cai Yong refused without hesitation.The emperor felt ashamed and sat in a daze on the table.
Cai Yong said, whether it is good in Fu or calligraphy and painting, there are many students who are good at Taixue, so why spend money to build Hongdu Gate?It is enough to learn not to learn in Taixue.In the past, many people from Hongdumen became officials, but they turned out to be treacherous villains who harmed the country and caused Hongdumen's reputation to be discredited.
Although the emperor was unhappy, it was hard to say anything.He thought to himself that now you are Dong Hou's teacher, and in the future Dong Hou will inherit the great power, and you will still be the grand tutor to assist Dong Hou, so you have to rely on your help in many things. Since you don't do it, then forget it. Find someone else.
However, as soon as the subject changed, Cai Yong immediately resigned. He said that he had been living in a foreign country for many years, and he was exhausted physically and mentally. He wanted to go back to Chenliu's hometown to spend his old age. Your Majesty, look at a group of old friends in Beijing.I met His Majesty today, my wish is fulfilled, I am going home.
The emperor was furious, and he was about to scold people with his small eyes.He sincerely invited Cai Yong to return to Beijing, entertained Cai Yong with joy, and finally got such a result.But the emperor held back. When he saw the white-haired Cai Yong kneeling on the ground, his heart ached, and the anger in his heart disappeared immediately.The scene of Cai Yong teaching him how to play the piano is still vivid in my mind.The emperor shook his head and let out a long sigh.
He got up and helped Cai Yong up, and said sadly: "Sir, it's up to you."
After Cai Yong said a few words of apology, he bid farewell.The emperor followed Cai Yong silently and sent him out of the imperial study.
Seeing Cai Yong's figure gradually disappearing, the Son of Heaven was saddened, and couldn't help shouting: "Sir, please stay a step."
The emperor hurried back to his room and picked up the piano that he had used for more than ten years on the piano platform.Since Wang Meiren's death, he has been playing Wang Meiren's piano, and this piano has been left unused on the piano stand for several years.Cai Yong was invited to come today, and the emperor wanted to play a piece with him, so he ordered someone to debug it.
The Son of Heaven solemnly handed the piano to Cai Yong, and said in a low voice, "This is my Qin. It was the one I used when I was learning the piano with my husband. We will see each other forever, sir. I will keep it as a souvenir. Bar."
Cai Yong was very sad, took it with tears in his eyes, kneeled three times and kowtowed nine times, choked up and said: "Your Majesty is so kind, I can't repay you. When I leave, I will offer another book to repay Your Majesty."
===
The emperor walked back to the imperial study and opened Cai Yong's memorial.
The emperor looked at it carefully from beginning to end, and couldn't help but sighed, "Sir, you are too much."
The emperor handed the memorial to Jian Shuo, who was on the side of the attendant, and then walked back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back, very angry.
Jian Shuo looked at it, dumbfounded.Cai Yong still had the same temper. In the memorial, he urged His Majesty to stay away from traitors and sycophants, and to value talents and capabilities. He scolded the old middle-ranking officials and the young middle-ranking officials. He also mentioned Li Hong and Jian Shuo, especially Li Hong. Cai Yong said that he was like Li Hong This kind of bloody and barbaric person, the minister who caused trouble for the country, should not be reused at all, but should be arrested and killed to punish the officials of the world.That's all, but he then advised His Majesty to put the great Han society as the most important thing, don't go against the sky, don't abolish the heirs and establish the concubines, so as not to be punished by the heavens and lose their lives.
Jian Shuo was dumbfounded when he saw it. Did the old man stay outside for a long time and went crazy? He could say such things, he could also write such memorials, even ten thousand lives would not be enough.
But Cai Yong can't kill him, especially at this time, let alone kill him.
Jian Shuo immediately knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, Mr. Cai is old and confused, let him go home."
The muscles on Tianzi's face twitched violently twice.
Jian Shuo knew that the emperor was furious, so he hurriedly played again: "Your Majesty, would a normal person write such a memorial to seek death? Your Majesty, Master Cai also has a 12-year-old daughter. He is not for himself, but for himself." Your own daughter should think about it? Therefore, Mr. Cai must be crazy, his mind must be abnormal, and His Majesty must not mind it."
The emperor let out a long breath, and his anger gradually calmed down.
===
Jian Shuo left the imperial study room and ran to the Shangshutai like flying.
"Lord Lu, hurry up, hurry up..." Jian Shuo called out breathlessly, "Mr. Cai has gotten into trouble, tell him to leave the capital quickly."
Huangfusong and Lu Zhi were taken aback.Lu Zhi grabbed Jian Shuo's sleeve nervously, and asked in a trembling voice, "Master Jian, what trouble did Mr. Cai get into?"
Jian Shuo gave a rough account of the whole story, "Mr. Cai scolded me and General Zhenbei, it's nothing, but he absolutely shouldn't, and in the memorial he advised His Majesty not to abolish the concubine and establish the concubine, and said that His Majesty If you do this, you will be punished by God."
Lu Zhi's eyes darkened, and he almost fell to the ground.Huangfusong was so shocked that his face paled, he swayed and sat down on the table.
"My lords, hurry up, it's too late. Mr. Cai can't die now. If he dies, the scholars in the capital and the students of the imperial school will start a fight, and the capital will be in chaos." Jian Shuo said palely. .
Lu Zhi was stiff all over, and patted Jian Shuo's shoulder gratefully, "Thank you Lord Jian, you'd better go to His Majesty's side as soon as possible, and let us know immediately if anything happens."
Jian Shuo ran away without looking back.
Lu Zhi and Huangfusong stared with big eyes and small eyes, their souls flew away.Cai Yong's misfortune was serious.Although everyone in the world knows that His Majesty wants to abolish the concubine, but that is to say, no one has ever mentioned that Cai Yong's memorial pierced this thin layer of window paper, pushing His Majesty and the general directly. To the battlefield of duel.It is tacitly understood by everyone that playing hands and feet in private is completely different from knife-to-knife, gun-to-gun confrontation.
Once Cai Yong is killed, the news of the memorial will inevitably spread throughout the world, and the emperor's abolition of his wife and establishment of his concubine will become a fait accompli.At this time, the emperor only needs two ways to stabilize the hearts of the people in the world, one is to immediately confer the eldest prince as the prince, or to overthrow the general and make the little prince the prince. There is no third way to go.But no matter what method the emperor takes to save this situation, it will inevitably set off a bloody storm in Luoyang.
When the country is in such a crisis, Luoyang is in chaos, and the consequences are unimaginable.
"Is Cai Bozhe crazy? What does he want to do? Does he want to ruin the Han Kingdom completely?" Lu Zhi said weakly and bitterly, "The situation in Luoyang has just stabilized, but he was blocked and smashed to pieces. "
"Zigan, don't complain." Huangfu Song forced himself to be calm, waved his hands and said, "This matter, it will come sooner or later. I will leave the palace immediately and send Bo Jie out of the city."
"Yizhen, what if..."
Huangfu Song gritted his teeth and said in a low voice: "Send [-] miles of quick cavalry and ask Li Hong to immediately gather troops and horses and station troops in the Yellow River."
===
Jian Shuo was sweating profusely and ran to the door of the imperial study, his expression changed instantly.
"Who's here?"
The little eunuch standing at the door replied: "Da Changqiu, Mr. Zhao, Zhongchang attendant Zhang Houye."
Jian Shuo was in pain and almost cried.
"Go to Shangshutai immediately and tell Lord Huangfu or Lord Lu that it's going to snow."
The little eunuch looked up at the sky, puzzled.Isn't there sun in the sky, why is it snowing?He didn't dare to ask, and ran away in a hurry.
===
The news of Cai Yong's return immediately reached the ears of all parties in the capital.Everyone knows what the emperor's purpose in inviting Cai Yong to come back at this time is.Once Cai Yong is reused by the emperor, the power of the gentry bureaucrats will immediately come back, especially Cai Yong is a staunch eunuch, and such people cannot be kept.So as soon as Cai Yong left, Zhao Zhong and Zhang Gong came running back.Zhang Gong is very active this time.His younger brother is the current Zongzheng Zhang Hao, who was scolded by Cai Yong as a traitor when he was a Taiwei ten years ago, so the Zhang brothers and Cai Yong had a deep feud.
As soon as the two of them entered Shang's study, they saw Cai Yong's memorial.The two were also dumbfounded and dared not speak for a long time.Zhao Zhong was thinking, He Jin, a butcher, is staring at the middle officials, and there are a group of gentry bureaucrats behind him. Even if they help the eldest prince inherit the imperial line, the butcher and those scholars will not let him go. The opportunity took the opportunity to overthrow the general and support the little Donghou.As long as the emperor is here, the old officials like me will be fine.
Zhao Zhong immediately said: "Your Majesty, if you don't kill Cai Yong now, someone else will kill Dong Hou in the future."
This sentence is enough.
===
When Cai Yong came back to Ma Rixun's mansion, the Ma mansion had already gathered more celebrities and scholars who had heard the news.Zhu Mu also came with Li Wei.
Seeing the young Li Wei, Cai Yong felt that he was really old. He smiled and said to Zhu Jun who was standing beside him: "Gong Wei, I envy you. Look at your disciple and your son. He is the mainstay of our Great Han Kingdom. Hey, it’s too late to be disobedient.”
Huangfu Song rushed into the mansion.
The guests in the mansion saw the well-known Huang Fusong rushing towards him with his official robes in disregard of the occasion, all of them turned pale with astonishment.
Cui Lie, who was standing beside Cai Yong, clapped his hands and laughed, "Brother Yizhen, could it be that the barbarians have come to kill you?"
Huangfu Song looked at Cai Yong in shock, and shouted loudly: "Bo Jie, are you crazy?"
Cai Yong stroked his beard and smiled, calm and composed.
Zhu Jun hurriedly asked, "Brother Yizhen, what happened?"
"Bo Xi has caused a great disaster." After Huangfusong said a word, he turned around and shouted to Ma Rixun, "Quickly, pack up Bo Xi's things and come here soon. I will send Bo Xi out of the city first."
He grabbed Cai Yong's sleeve and ran out of the mansion while dragging it.
At this moment, there was a sudden sound of horseshoes outside the mansion.
Huangfusong's expression changed drastically, he turned around and dragged Cai Yong to run towards the back door.Cai Yong grabbed Huangfusong, "Forget it, Yizhen."
Huangfu Song tugged twice, let go angrily, and shouted: "Bo Jie, why are you so confused?"
Cai Yong smiled lightly and said: "I'm not confused, the traitor must be killed, the crown prince must be established, and the country must prosper. This is our bounden duty."
He turned to look at Ma Rixun and said, "I just want a girl, please."
===
(End of this chapter)
Tap the screen to use advanced tools
Tip: You can use left and right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.
You'll Also Like
-
The Void Walker in American Comics
Chapter 5 hours ago -
Fantasy: Fishing for the Innate Holy Body Taoist Fetus
Chapter 717 5 hours ago -
I'm not caught, so why do they say I'm an evil god?
Chapter 489 5 hours ago -
After the global recovery, I traveled through
Chapter 309 5 hours ago -
Life Winner Training Guide
Chapter 231 5 hours ago -
Game Extraction APP
Chapter 194 5 hours ago -
The Remnants of the Uchiha Are Forced To Save the Ninja World
Chapter 1471 15 hours ago -
Red Moscow.
Chapter 2746 15 hours ago -
My Understanding Defies Heaven: I Create Laws and Preach In the Heavens.
Chapter 769 15 hours ago -
Okay, Okay, I’ll Take the Credit, Right?
Chapter 513 15 hours ago
