Chapter 24 Chapter Twenty-Four

The monk laughed: "The almsgiver is really a man of profound learning! Yes, according to legend, in ancient times, Chaofu and Xu Youjun were virtuous hermits. Emperor Yao admired Xu You's virtue and wanted to give him the throne, but Xu You didn't If he wanted to, he hid. Yao asked Xu You to be the governor of Kyushu. Xu You thought that his ears were dirty, so he went to Yingshui to wash his ears. The father of Chao blamed Xu You for not living in seclusion deeply. Originally, he wanted to use Yingshui Drinking his cattle, but in his eyes, the water that Xu You washed his ears was not worthy of drinking for his cattle, so he hurriedly took the cattle and left far away..."

Wei Zhuang sighed: "Yes! The ancients valued integrity and character so much, but why do I insist on asking for trouble?" The monk laughed and said: "This is just a legend. The land of Yingyang will somewhat make some scribes feel sad about living in seclusion. Those are the words and deeds of the ancients. From today's perspective, they are too pedantic. Wei Shizhu is naturally in love with Lord Tang, who cares about the whole world, why is he sighing so much? Presumably the county magistrate of Yingyang County has already advised him, does Master Wei have any plans to live in seclusion in this mountain?"

Wei Zhuang asked in panic: "Who is the mage, why do you know that I am here, and how do you know about my handover with Yingyang County?" "Sir, don't be surprised, the poor monk's Dharma name is Hong. I just said it, but the wandering monks have some old friends with Yingyang County. It's just that Wei Shizhu is Tianbao Prime Minister Wei Gong after he saw Su, and he has the talent to help the world. The world knows it!" He said again, "In today's troubled times, although the benefactor Wei is often not used by the emperor, there is no need to be anxious. Thinking that Jiang Taigong can still serve as the king of civil and military in his rare years, why should the benefactor worry? It is a troubled time. Wouldn't it be a pity for a great talent to be a little hidden?" After hearing this, Wei Zhuang suddenly became enlightened, and his heart relaxed a lot.

The next morning, when Wei Zhuang woke up, he couldn't find Chu Hong.Before leaving, he left a poem in front of this ancient temple, which was "Inscribe Yingyuan Temple": After Wei Zhuang returned to Luozhong, recalling the experience of these years, he thought more about the current situation.Chu Hong's admonition made him firmly believe that he would eventually have a chance to govern the country and the world.So, after saving for a long time, he finally created the handed down work that made him famous all over the world-"Qin Fu Yin".Soon, "Qin Fuyin" was obtained by Zhou Bao, the governor of the Zhenhai Navy.As soon as Zhou Bao got this article, he was shocked and fell in love with him, so he called Wei Zhuang as his guest. In order to meet the emperor as soon as possible and realize his dream, Wei Zhuang left Luoyang, and his family went south to Runzhou with Zhou Bao, and began a life of wandering in the south of the Yangtze River. .

In the third year of Zhonghe (883 A.D.), Li Keyong, the leader of Shatuo, led his troops to Hezhong and defeated Huang Chao's younger brother Huang Kui.In October, Li Guochang, a general of the Shatuo tribe, died of illness.At this time, Huang Chao, who escaped from Chang'an, still led his troops to attack the city and plunder the county.In the spring of the following year, Li Keyong led 50,000 troops across the river to the south, defeating the rebels in Taikang, Bianhe, and Wang Mandu.Soon, General Shang Rang surrendered to the Tang army.Huang Chao, who was being defeated steadily, had no way out, and finally committed suicide in Langhugu.Afterwards, Huang Chao's head was soaked in mercury, packed in a brand new yellow satin brocade box, and quickly sent to Chengdu to present it to the emperor Li Xuan.

Another vigorous peasant uprising ended in failure. However, this uprising has already shaken the foundation of Datang, and the time left for this once glorious dynasty is running out... Time flies like water, and it has been three years since I arrived in Chengdu.In the past three years, Li Xuan has sometimes been intoxicated by the wealth and prosperity of the Land of Abundance, and sometimes still misses the Daming Palace and Qujiang River in Chang'an.Perhaps, if he had been living through these years of war and upheaval, he would have strengthened his determination to work hard, but the gentleness of Jinguan City had made him lose his way and paralyzed his nerves in the muddled years. .But today, it seems destined to be a turning point. Huang Chao's head was sent to Chengdu, and a large number of prisoners of war were escorted here.This traitor who has made him miserable since he ascended the throne will also have such a day!Chang'an has been regained, the rebellion has subsided, he will return to the former palace, and the world may regain peace...

Putting on the crown, Li Xuan puffed up his chest and confidently stepped up the steps of the Daxuan Building in the north of the city step by step.He walked to the first-level platform and stood still, leaning down to wait and see: under the steps were neatly kneeling the concubines and concubines of Huang Chao captured in previous battles, a total of more than a hundred people.The high-spirited spirit just now was blown away by the scene in front of him. Li Xuan walked up to a young woman in the front row, looked at her fairy-like appearance, and couldn't help feeling pity in his heart.He stretched out his hand to caress the woman's white and smooth face, and asked softly, "Looking at your pretty face, you must be a son of honor and honor. You have received the kindness of the country, why did you become a thief?"

Unexpectedly, the woman raised her head coldly: "The mad thief is rebellious and rebellious. I think your emperor lost the ancestral temple with millions of people and relocated to Bashu. You can't reject the thief and blame me for being a woman. Dare to ask your majesty, what will you do?" Where is General Gongqing?" With just a few words, it was like a slap on Li Xuan's face, like a steel needle piercing into Li Xuan's heart, smashing his last trace of dignity to pieces.Li Xuan was so choked that he couldn't say a word, he looked at the woman angrily, and squeezed out a sentence through the gap between his teeth: "All of them will be taken to the execution ground to be executed!" In an instant, these rich and noble women knelt down together, sobbing in all directions. The woman who was talking to Li Xuan puffed out her chest righteously, glanced at Li Xuan condescendingly, smiled coldly, neither sad nor weeping, and as for the execution, she looked solemn.

"The emperor calm down," Zhang Jun persuaded, "I have two important matters to report to the emperor." Li Xuan suppressed his anger: "Let's talk." "Just received the report, Zhongwu Army Supervisor Yang Fuguang died ..." "What?" Li Xuan's heart trembled: During the days when he was in distress in Chengdu, the two names Zheng Tian and Yang Fuguang were once all his hopes and sustenance.He opened his mouth wide open for a long time, with a trace of sadness on his face, and he sighed after a long time: "Hey! Fuguang Zhongliang, since he led the Loyalty Army, he has made great achievements and contacted all Taoists. He can be an example for his ministers!"

"There is one more thing. Li Keyong and Zhu Quanzhong fought against each other at Shangyuan Post. Li Keyong has already sent his adopted son to send a statement to defend him." After finishing speaking, Zhang Jun presented a memorial with both hands . Li Yan frowned, thinking that this Shatuo man was capricious, and he would get carried away after just making some achievements, "Just read what it said in the letter." "Observe the decree." Zhang Jun took half a step back, opened the memorial and said, "I am a minister who is important to the court, and I am devoting myself to it. I dare not slack off in the slightest. I am afraid that I will owe the emperor's kindness. The five tribes of the Tatars went west and marched south, and achieved a little success in defeating the enemy. They also focused on the overall situation and rescued the eastern princes from fire and water. However, on May 14th, the army was stationed in Bianzhou, as Zhu Quanzhong planned, and the army set fire at night , the minister can only be exempted from himself, and there are more than 300 people who follow the army, generals and assistants, and none of the cards will return. The minister regards the imperial court as the king, and should wait for the imperial edict, follow the restraint, and return to the original way. Beg to send envoys to press Ask, send troops to punish, only ask the emperor to order!"

Li Xuan wondered: "If according to Li Keyong's words, he sent troops to rescue Bianzhou, how could Zhu Quanzhong avenge his kindness? Or did Li Keyong offend him?" Zhang Jun replied: "Your Majesty, I have heard that Li Keyong's gaffes after drinking were indeed offensive, but Zhu Quanzhong's Ye Xingbing's attempt to cut off the country's meritorious service is really treasonous. In my humble opinion, Zhu Quanzhong is an old general of Huang Chao, and he was defeated by Wang Chongrong. He surrendered out of desperation, his disobedience is obvious, only please Your Majesty to observe clearly!" Li Xuan lost his mind for a moment, he turned to Kong Wei: "What do Ai Qing think?" "Your Majesty, if you rest today, you should give the people a chance to recuperate. It is not appropriate to use troops at this time, and it is better to let Jinbian reconcile." "That's what I mean." Li Xuan was already afraid of another major war, and he only wanted to return to Chang'an safely as soon as possible.He said to Tian Lingzi again, "The thieves have been eliminated, so the capital has been recovered. You should make arrangements for returning to Beijing earlier." When Tian Lingzi thought of leaving the comfortable paradise, he was very reluctant to part with Chengdu.But he also knows that the emperor is his biggest backer, and only by keeping the emperor can he have his wealth.Although Huang Chao has been wiped out right now, all warriors with military power will not listen to the orders of the imperial court. Without an escort of elite soldiers, let alone revive the country's prestige in the future, even returning to Chang'an safely will be as difficult as climbing the sky.So he said: "Your Majesty, after the death of Jianjun Yang, Lu Yanhong, the leader of the Zhongwu Army, led his troops to plunder the prefectures and counties, disturbing the people. Not long ago, he entered the army to rejuvenate the Yuan Dynasty, and Niu Xu, the envoy of the Shannanxidao Jiedu, claimed to stay behind. It must be a serious disaster. Your Majesty, Han Jian and others in the Zhongwu Army are all loyal men. If they are called to belong to Your Majesty, they can be used as a strategic army." "Okay, I'll leave this to you." In addition, after Yang Fuguang's death, the Zhongwu Army remained silent for several days, weeping unceasingly.Lu Yanhong, who holds the greatest military power, became the general of this outstanding army.In the name of protecting the emperor, Lu Yanhong set off from Hezhong all the way to Shannan, plundering Jin, Shang and other states on the way, burning and killing all the places he passed. The number of people quickly grew to more than 30,000. Xingyuan, the seat of Shannan Xidao's government, has been uncharacteristically quiet since Wang Jian arrived in Xingyuan.The three meals a day are just two bites as if to deal with errands. After half a month, my face is a little haggard.Mrs. Zhou saw this and was anxious in her heart. She repeatedly asked several adoptive sons, but no one could guess what Wang Jian was thinking.Since marrying Wang Jian, her life has completely changed.In the past, she always worried about the food for tomorrow, the safety of her brother, and the future of her son, but now she doesn't have to worry about all of these.She began to travel all over the world with her husband.Although she has not studied for a few days, she is surprisingly sensible. Whenever her husband returns from an expedition, she can always give him a kind of homely warmth, and this kind of warmth always seems to be a luxury for soldiers who have been on the battlefield all year round. On this day, her younger brother Zhou Dequan came to visit her. She happily cooked two delicious meals and asked Dequan to accompany her husband to have a good drink.Two plates of hot home-cooked dishes and stewed noodles were brought to the table, and she boiled the wine in the basin again, then walked out the door with a smile, and closed the half-worn wooden door with both hands. Only Wang Jian and Zhou Dequan were left in the house.Wang Jian hadn't had a drink with De Quan for a long time, and he hadn't confide in his close friends for a long time.Before selling private salt, he and Dequan had a deep friendship. After years of fighting together and this kind of marriage, Zhou Dequan naturally became his most trusted sibling.On this day, Wang Jian simply drank a few more glasses.The wine in the glass swayed with the shadow of the candle, and apart from the sound of clinking glasses in the dark room, there was still a depressing atmosphere. After drinking several more glasses of wine, Wang Jian's face flushed.Dequan couldn't help breaking the silence, and said straight to the point: "Brother-in-law, since you entered Sichuan, you have been depressed, what's on your mind?" In a word, it seemed to stab Wang Jian's heart. He held the wine glass tightly with his right hand, raised his head, drank the remaining wine, and sighed again: "Oh! I feel very sad when the supervisor died!" "Yes, Supervisor Yang is a man of integrity and dedicated to the country. He is a loyal minister and good general who has never been seen in a hundred years. He treated our generals and soldiers in Xuzhou as much as a mountain. Since his death, most soldiers in the army are sad." "I joined the army from Xuzhou, and was subordinated to Du Shenquan and Qin Zongquan successively. It wasn't until the supervising army took over the Zhongwu military power that I felt like rain after a long drought! The supervising army is open-minded and treats us with kindness like a mountain. I made up my mind. He is always loyal to the military, and he is so heartbroken for the supervising army. Who would have thought that the supervising army would not wait until the day when the emperor rewarded him for his merits. Once the supervising army went away, Lu Yanhong relied on himself as a loyal general, and tried his best to fight against Zhang Yuhou. , seized the power of the Zhongwu Army. Look at these days, he burned, killed and looted all the way, and the famous name of the Zhongwu Army has been tarnished by him!" Zhou Dequan nodded: "Brother-in-law is talented enough to command the armed forces. Lu Yanhong has no virtue and talent, is jealous of the virtuous and capable, and is cruel. Brother-in-law is really unwilling to be subordinate to others!" Wang Jian picked up the wine glass and drank it down, and said bitterly: "De Quan, it has been ten years since we started the uprising in Wuyang and joined the army! How many ten years can life have? I am still in someone else's army A small general is the head. Although there are two thousand men in his hands, and there are confidant generals, but after all, fame and ambition are hard to develop! After the death of the supervisor, I repeatedly thought about what Wei Xiucai said, and felt that returning to Chengdu to escort It is the right way. I thought that when I entered Sichuan this time, I could meet the emperor. With years of meritorious service, I could be rewarded with an official position or a state or county, and I could also manage the people well and be a good official. But I never expected that we He actually followed Lu Yanhong and became a thief who plundered cities and counties!" Zhou Dequan reassured: "Brother-in-law, don't worry about such things. If the world is peaceful, the emperor will reward you for your merits after returning to Beijing. My brother-in-law is at the peak of the Spring and Autumn Period, and the future is boundless. Maybe, with your achievements and talents, you will be rewarded in the future." Can you reward a prince with a different surname!" "Don't just choose nice things to say," Wang Jian said with a wry smile, "The emperor will not be ignorant of what Lu Yanhong is doing now. If I ask the crime, how can I get rid of it?" "Why don't we leave him and ask Brother Shangjin and Brother Li to go together and draw a clear line with him? I heard that Eunuch Tian, ​​the eunuch next to the emperor, is a man of integrity. Why don't we send some gold and silver and let him find someone else?" Opportunity recruits us to Xingzai, isn’t this killing two birds with one stone?” After Wang Jian heard this, his hand stopped in mid-air, and the wine in his glass was shaking back and forth: "This is a good idea! Although Eunuch Tian is in power in the court, if we can use his power to find us a job with the emperor , This is much more powerful than the current situation!" After saying that, he put down his glass, "Can you handle this matter?" Dequan said: "Brother-in-law, don't worry!" "Okay! You go to the neighboring county to look for Guangyuan and explain the whole story. Guangyuan is careful, and he may be able to consider the details that you and I have never thought of." … After Zhou Dequan was sent away, Wang Jian felt a lot relieved.The melancholy clouds that had covered his face for many days gradually dissipated, he stretched himself, stepped out, and uncontrollably punched and kicked in the yard until he was sweating profusely before he felt satisfied. His wife, Mrs. Zhou, was leaning against the chai gate alone, watching silently, with a look of joy on her face.