Chapter 60 Chapter 60
Wei Zhuang and Ru Yin stood at the Wanli Bridge.Legend has it that Zhuge Kongming, Prime Minister of Shu, personally sent Fei Yi as an envoy to Soochow. When parting, the prime minister felt deeply that the journey was far away and the task of uniting Wu against Wei was arduous, so he said, "The journey of thousands of miles begins here." The bridge is also named Wanli Bridge.Follow the Wanli Bridge to the west and search along the Huanhua River, and you will find the former site of Du Fu Thatched Cottage.The original foundation of the hut still exists, but more than a hundred years of wind and rain have made this thatched hut look dilapidated and dilapidated.Pushing aside the weeds, the words "Sincerely Visiting Shaoling Thatched Cottage" were interestingly engraved on a cracked plinth.This made Wei Zhuang even more excited.He and Du Fu are both from Shaoling, so it seems that this is undoubtedly the site of the hut.
While Wei Zhuang and Ru Yin were having fun, two green-maned horses came walking along the Huanhua River in the distance.When the horse approached, the person who came jumped down and said in a panic: "Master Wei, you are here, let me find it easily!"
As soon as Wei Zhuang saw him, he was recognized by someone who was Luo Manzi, so he asked, "General Luo came in a hurry, is there something important?"
"Someone is coming from the emperor's side...the emperor's blood order is sent...something happened in Beijing..."
Wei Zhuang was startled, his thoughts were running fast, guessing what might happen in the palace.In the past few years, palace coups have become commonplace, but the Shu road is blocked, and most of the things only know the ins and outs after the matter subsides.Now that the emperor's blood edict came to Chengdu, there must have been a major event that endangered the life of the emperor.Before he had time to think about it, he told Ru Yin to go back earlier, got on another horse, and left quickly with Luo Manzi...
Under the guidance of two attendants, Wei Zhuang walked around the rugged palace garden and came to a side hall.Wei Zhuang looked up and saw that everyone had gathered in the hall: standing on the right were Zhou Xiang, Feng Juan, and Zhou Dequan, and sitting on a chair above Zhou Xiang was Xichuan Jiedu Deputy Envoy Zhang Lin.Zhang Lin was older and had made outstanding achievements, so Wang Jian treated him with special courtesy.The generals standing in sequence on the right are: the prestigious Jinhui, Wang Zongji, Wang Jian's longest adopted son, Wang Zongkan who pacified Pengzhou, and Xu Cun, the Jingnan general who has recently surrendered to Wang Jian—now he has been accepted by Wang Jian as a The son of Wang Zongbo.
Wei Zhuang immediately realized that since Wang Zongdi (Hua Hong) was guarding Dongchuan, Wang Zongyao had been bedridden for several months, and Zheng Xu invited him to guide the river, these people in front of him were already the most respected civil servants and generals around King Langya.
"See King Langya, my servant is late."
Wang Jian waved his hand to signal that he didn't need to be too polite, and then introduced to a person beside him: "This is the secretary in charge of the king, Wei Duanji."
The person beside him immediately said respectfully: "Junior Zhang Ge, I have heard the name of Master Wei for a long time, and I am lucky to meet you today."
Wei Zhuang raised his eyes and saw that the visitor was in his early twenties, with a handsome face, and his behavior looked like the son of an official.Just then Luo Manzi informed that the emperor sent someone to send a blood letter. Wei Zhuang didn't stay in the court for a long time, but he also knew the emperor's way of employing people.No matter how talented you are, you won't be able to use such a young man. Is it true that no one in the court can use it?While looking at this person, he searched hard for the name "Zhang Ge" in his mind.
Zhang Ge seemed to see Wei Zhuang's doubts, and took the initiative to explain: "My father used to be the servant of the household department in the court, and his name was Yuchuan." Wei Zhuang suddenly realized.Let's talk about Zhang Jun and Zhang Yuchuan in Hejian. Ten years ago, they were the most popular ministers in the court. They were the two most proud prime ministers around the emperor, along with Kong Wei and Kong Huawen.Only because of the failure of the crusade against Li Keyong, his reputation was discredited later.Just when Wei Zhuang Zhongju was serving in the court, the two prime ministers Du Rangneng and Wei Zhaodu were forced to death and killed by the town, and there was no one available in the court for a while.The emperor once again appointed Zhang Jun as the servant of the household department.Just now when Zhang Ge reported his father's name, he used the post of "Housebu Minister", which shows that this young man is very alert and deliberately avoided his father's experience of conquering Hedong.
Wang Jian signaled Zhou Xiang to show Wei Zhuang the emperor's blood edict.This is a piece of bright yellow brocade, the white corners indicate that it has been washed many times, and the dragon pattern embroidered on one side of the torn silk can be vaguely discerned - this is clearly the skirt of the emperor.Unfolding the brocade, the dark red blood soaked away, and the traces of fingerprints moved intermittently into a line of sixteen characters:
"I am trapped in Fengxiang, and life and death are hard to predict. I send high hopes to restore the country!"
Wei Zhuang was taken aback: The emperor was trapped in Fengxiang?Xishu is far away from Chang'an, and the roads are difficult and impassable. It is difficult to know what happened in the court in the first place.But looking at it now, if someone hadn't forced Chang'an and forced the emperor to take refuge, someone had hijacked the emperor to Fengxiang.
"Master Zhang came from Fengxiang?"
"It's exactly... Fengxiang Jiedu envoy Li Maozhen hijacked the emperor, and the emperor is now imprisoned in a cell, it's horrible..." Zhang Ge's words surprised everyone present.No one thought that Gui, the emperor of a country, would end up in such a situation.While covering his face with tears, Zhang Ge slowly told what he had seen and heard in Chang'an and Fengxiang:
"In the first month, Zhu Quanzhong, king of Liang, assisted Prime Minister Cui Daren in beheading the traitor Liu Jishu, and the emperor regained his treasure. After that, Master Cui insisted on controlling the military power of the Shence Army, and all the envoys of the Shence Army opposed it without exception. The emperor had no choice but to use it. An eunuch named Han Quanhui was appointed to take over the military power. But after this turmoil, the emperor has been thinking about getting rid of the eunuch who is in power all the time." Zhang Ge bit his lower lip involuntarily when he said this.These scholars hated the eunuch's dictatorship and chaos for more than a hundred years in the Li and Tang Dynasties.
"Oh, it's a pity that Master Cui made a wrong move and lost the whole game." Zhang Ge sighed, "In order to restrain Han Quanhui, Master Cui dispatched three thousand soldiers from Fengxiang and Li Maozhen, but he didn't know that these three thousand soldiers finally fell. Later, Master Cui ordered Zhu Quanzhong to enter the capital. When Zhu Quanzhong sent troops to Chang'an, Han Quanhui knew that the disaster was imminent, so he contacted Li Maozhen's 3,000 people and kidnapped the emperor to Fengxiang. My father was old and sick, and stayed in Chang'an. Write to the princes of various families, King Qin, to rescue you, let me follow the emperor around, and fulfill the loyalty of a courtier." At this point, Zhang Ge burst into tears.
He recalled his father's awe-inspiring desolation at the time of parting, the oath of "I am old for my father, but I want to die to be loyal".
He recalled the afternoon when the emperor was kidnapped, the sky was full of flames, and the entire Daming Palace was burning under the torch of the eunuch.He clearly remembered the scene where Han Quanhui used a knife to force the emperor out of the palace: the emperor stood on the stairs of Qiqiao Building with a sword in his hand, crying and yelling at him to stay.Han Quanhui gave an order, and several attendants carried the emperor to the outside of the palace.Just arrived at the Hall of Youth, the flames burning in the harem had dyed most of the sky red, and the thick smoke shot straight into the sky.The emperor put the sword around his neck and cried out: "I will die in my Daming Palace even if I die..." The misery made all the accompanying officials kneel down and cry, but no one dared to resist the eunuch.In the Sizheng Palace, the emperor was already alone. The empress, concubines, and princes supported each other, and the sound of weeping was endless... He recalled the sadness and hope in the eyes of the emperor when he visited the emperor in prison.The emperor bit his finger, tore off the skirt of his body, and wrote a bloody edict one stroke at a time, asking him to take it to Xichuan...
Zhang Ge continued to tell about the changes in Chang'an and Fengxiang, and the hall was shrouded in a depressive atmosphere.Thinking of the domineering eunuch and Li Maozhen, Wang Jianqiang suppressed the anger in his chest, ordered people to go down, took Zhang Ge back to the post house to rest, and discussed the plan of the Northern Expedition with his confidants.
"Everyone, if the emperor is in trouble, this time I plan to save the emperor..."
Wei Zhuang asked cautiously: "Does the lord really intend to conscript himself?"
"Li Maozhen is sitting in the south of Shannan, and it has always been my confidant's trouble. This time the emperor is in danger, and it is justifiable for me to send troops." These words also aroused the desire of the righteous sons to fight.Wang Zongji snatched: "Father, my son is bold to lead the battle! Please send troops to attack the states in the south of Shanshan." Seeing that Zongji took the lead, Wang Zongbo echoed: "My son, please go with my brother, and I am willing to serve as my brother's tent." Pioneer, don't hesitate to do anything!"
Seeing that the two titans were eager to fight, Wang Jian strengthened his determination to fight hard.He turned to Zhou Xiang and said, "Mr. Boya, I would like to invite you to follow the two generals Zongji and Zongbo as the advance guard. I don't know what you want?" Zhou Xiang, who had followed him for many years, would agree without hesitation, but Zhou Xiang hesitated One or two, he replied: "My lord, this Northern Expedition is of great importance, and it is no small matter! In my humble opinion, we should join hands with Dongchuan Jiedu envoy Wang Zongdi, and send troops on both sides to ensure nothing goes wrong."
Wang Jian was taken aback for a moment, and suddenly felt a chill run up his spine.He never expected that Zhou Xiang would mention Wang Zongdi at this time.When Hua Hong attacked Dongchuan four years ago, Hua Hong had a heavy responsibility on his shoulders. In order to win over this highly prestigious general in the army, Wang Jian adopted him as his adopted son and changed his name to Zong Di.After that, a series of military exploits forced him to hand over Dongchuan to him.If he hadn't been crowned King Langya by the Jin Dynasty, Zong Di and him would have been on equal footing in Liangchuan in name.During this Northern Expedition, Wang Jian did not want to use Zongdi.It's not that he doesn't trust this loyal general, it's really that he is afraid that Zong Di will not be able to reward him for his great achievements.
Wang Jian thought about it for a second, this battle is of great significance, and a brave and courageous person like Zong Di is really needed, so it is reasonable for Zhou Xiang to invite him.But for a while, he needed to find a way out for himself, after all what Zhou Xiang said just now made him very embarrassed.
"The king also intends to let him go to war. It's just that a few months ago in Dongchuan, a Taoist priest Du Congfa lured the people of Chang, Pu and He prefectures into chaos. Although the Wuxin army has sent troops to suppress it. I intend to let Zong Di stay in Dongchuan." Wang Jian felt that even he himself could not convince himself of this reason.Because Dongchuan was very peaceful under Zongdi's governance, the rebellion a few months ago was quickly suppressed.
Zhou Xiang immediately understood Wang Jian's thoughts: "My lord's words are true. It's just that when Fengxiang is attacked, Lizhou is the throat fortress. General Zongji can lead troops all the way north from Mianzhou and Jianzhou, but if Xingyuan Prefecture sends troops to rescue Lizhou If they enter the state, they will form a pincer attack on our army. And General Dongchuan Zongdi can just go north from Langzhou. First, he can block Xingyuan's reinforcements, and second, he can peek at the opportunity and go straight to Huanglong to destroy Xingyuan Mansion! At that time, two more If the army unites and continues to advance northward, then Yangzhou, Xingzhou, and Fengzhou can fall in one fell swoop!" Zhou Xiang's series of plans not only convinced Wang Jian, but also amazed all the people present.It was as if a map of Sanchuan was firmly imprinted in the mind of this counselor.
"Okay!" Wang Jian clapped his hands, "Mr. Yiboya. Zong Kan, report to Wang Zongdi as soon as possible, and ask him to count the 20,000 elites and be on standby at any time!"
Zhang Lin shook her beard and struggled to get up from the chair: "My lord is going to the Northern Expedition, I can't go with you anymore! I would like to stay in Chengdu with Duanji to collect money and food. Don't worry, my lord. With my old bones, you can do it." No worries!"
Wang Jian was touched and gave Zhang Lin a bow to the end: "Mr. Zhang has worked so hard, and Wang Jian pays homage to him!"
"My lord, how can this be done!" Zhang Lin quickly helped Wang Jian up, and for a moment, the four hands were tightly held together.
At this time, Wang Jian suddenly noticed that Jin Hui had been silent all this time, and he couldn't help but wondered: "Guangyuan, I saw you have been silent for a long time, but you are not feeling well?"
Jin Hui quickly covered it up and said, "I have something to say, I've been thinking over and over again, and I have to say it."
"Oh? What's the matter?"
"Your Majesty is going to attack the two rivers and make an elite northern expedition. You have to think about the rear. I have thought about it again and again. The rebellion of the three kings in Lizhou has been put down, Qiongzhou in the west is also in peace with the barbarians, and Meizhou in the south is expected to be guarded by Zhang Jie. , only the south of Jing in the east will be a big problem for me. I am afraid that after the Northern Expedition of King Langya, the two rivers will be empty, and I want to ask for orders to go to Dongchuan, and I can also wait for the opportunity to recover Kui Wansi Prefecture..."
Wang Jian suddenly realized.Having worked together for more than 20 years, he knows Jin Hui very well.Jin Hui doesn't want to fight for merit anymore!Zong Di pacified Dongchuan, he could only reward Dongchuan; and Jinhui's retreat made him very grateful - it was because of his old friend's consideration for him.On the other hand, Jin Hui had planned to capture Kui Wan Sizhou, and Wang Jian couldn't help admiring his courage.In the long run, Jingnan is also a place that must be contested.Therefore, he agreed to Jin Hui's request.
It's the middle of winter, and on the military field of Xingsu Mountain School in the north of Chengdu, 100,000 elite soldiers are ready to go.
Wang Jian was neatly dressed, and his thick armor rattled as he walked towards the tall parade platform.Looking at the troops neatly lined up in the valley, Wang Jian had mixed feelings in his heart—he thought of Wuyang, Xu Zhou; he remembered Zhou Dequan, Li Shitai, Zhang Jie, Tian Wei and other brothers at that time. They used a few sticks and a few steel knives to kill the rich and help the poor, and to sell illegal salt.At that time, how could he have imagined that one day he would be crowned king and command a hundred thousand troops!
But at this moment, suddenly a pang of bitterness came to my heart: Zhang Jie and Li Shitai were getting old like him, and Tian Wei even died in the battle of Dongchuan.Of the 100,000 people in front of us, many of them made great contributions in the capture of Xichuan and escaped death.Some of them followed me in Xuzhou when they were still half-grown children, and some of them fought Huangchao, restored Chang'an, and saved the emperor all by my side.But in the dark, he seemed to feel that this Northern Expedition was full of infinite murderous intent.
Zhou Xiang saw the melancholy on Wang Jian's face, so he asked, "What's on your mind, my lord?"
"Oh...no," Wang Jian concealed, "I saw that these generals who had escaped death were about to go to war. They have followed me for many years, and now the army does not have all the horses, and they still have to suffer on foot. Distressed..."
"Your Majesty, worry too much. It is their duty to conquer the world for soldiers, to charge into battle and sacrifice life and death. The Lord loves soldiers like children, and all the soldiers are willing to sacrifice their lives for the Lord. Now that Xichuan has been fighting for many years, it is true that there is a shortage of horses. , but this Northern Expedition is mostly mountain roads, and the cavalry is useless instead..."
Wang Jian was a little relieved: "Even if you are not worried about the Northern Expedition, a large number of horses will be needed to support this army. Boya, after the victory, you can find some opportunities for me to go to the Tibetans in Tubo. It is best to buy a large number of horses to enrich the army. .”
"My lord, Li Maozhen imprisoned the emperor in Fengxiang. It is difficult to go to Fengxiang for thousands of miles. It is not possible to defeat the enemy in one battle. Besides, Zhu Quanzhong's army is ready to march into Chang'an at any time to force Fengxiang. We may not be able to catch up with him. .”
Wang Jian blinked, looked Zhou Xiang up and down, and asked puzzledly, "What do you mean by that, sir?"
"My lord, do you still remember the story about the Lizhou City Inn? I asked my lord at that time, did you ever want to be king of the world? The Tang Dynasty is about to end! Although today's son is heroic and wise, he can't turn the tide and help the building. Will fall. Which of the Nanya Beisi in the court, Li Maozhen and Zhu Quanzhong in the court would not want to coerce the emperor to order the world? One day, the traitor will usurp power and the Tang Dynasty will be destroyed. What will the lord do?"
Wang Jian had to admit that what Zhou Xiang said hit the nail on the head, and every sentence was crucial.He said solemnly: "Oh! The two emperors, Li and Tang, have shown great kindness and trust to me. If I have the strength, I should do my best to keep the Tang family alive, even if I survive for a few more years... If I have enough energy to spare, I can only imitate Liu Xuande's embrace of Western Shu in order to protect myself."
"Exactly! But Uncle Liu relied on the power of three rivers to divide the world into three parts. My lord now has nothing more than the east and west rivers. If Shannan does not take over, it will be a serious problem for the heart. This Northern Expedition, it is very difficult to take Fengxiang and destroy Maozhen in one go; Come on, even if there are such conditions, it is impossible to rush ahead of Zhu Quanzhong. Therefore, in my opinion, the lord might as well take advantage of this situation to seize Shannan."
"Take Shannan with this battle?"
"Yes! There are many dangers and obstacles between Shannan and Fengxiang. Li Maozhen guards Fengxiang, so he will not expect too much from Shannan. But if the lord can break through Xingyuan and take Shannan in one fell swoop, then this can be a barrier between the two rivers. The three rivers are the corners of each other. Then you can keep it for self-sufficiency, and if you advance, you can break the Qinchuan Xiaohan. As Zhuge Kongming said back then, if something happens in the Central Plains, you can still rule the world..."
"Sheng read ten years of books! You really said what I dare not say! In this case, this Northern Expedition happened to attack the counties and counties in the south of Shannan in the name of rescuing the emperor!" There was a commotion, and then several war horses came to the front as they galloped through the dust.Seeing someone in the army trespassing on the school grounds without any discipline, Wang Jian was about to get angry, but when he looked carefully, the two generals sitting on the horses were Zhang Jie and Li Jian.
Before Wang Jian could open his mouth, Zhang Jie rushed across the military platform and shouted loudly: "Brother, you have forgotten your brothers in the northern expedition to the south of the mountain, which makes me sad!" Don't look at Zhang Jie who is over half a hundred years old, but this mountain Wearing Wenjia on his body, he looks less heroic than his youth.On the side, Li Jian's long beard fluttered on his chest with the wind, and a powerful big hand was holding on to the silk rein. His tall body reflected the majesty of a general.
Wang Jian stepped down from the high platform and came to the front of two generals.The two led the generals to get off their horses and kneel down: "See you, my lord!"
"Two generals, it's not that I've forgotten you, it's just that the long-distance trek this time was extremely difficult. You are all brothers and sisters who have followed me for 20 years. Now that you can enjoy a few days in your respective states and counties, how can I bear to let you go again? Tired...besides, the juniors are all grown up, so let them charge forward..."
"Brother," Zhang Jie took off his helmet and held it in front of his chest. Although his hair was gray, but the cow's heart bun was tied neatly on the top of his head, he looked full of energy. I'm used to white knives coming in and red knives coming out, so I'm not comfortable sitting in the governor's position!"
Li Jian said: "Your Majesty, in the past few years, Pengzhou, Anlizhou, and Pingdongchuan were all done by younger generations. You are just planning strategies in the treasure account of the Chinese army. But this time you went out to fight in Shannan and rescue the emperor yourself. Although the general is old, his muscles and bones are still stretched, he can draw the bow immediately, and can stab the enemy with a spear. The general is only willing to follow the king, and die without regret!" These words made Wang Jian's heart surge and his blood boil.He walked up to the high platform again with a clumsy step, and shouted at the 100,000 soldiers: "Soldiers, the emperor is in danger, write a blood book with this king. This king was ordered to rescue him in the Northern Expedition. As a citizen of the Tang Dynasty, you are now It is an excellent opportunity for you to make meritorious service. Today, I personally lead one hundred thousand elites to rebel against Li Maozhen, rescue the emperor and return to Beijing. If Fengxiang is not broken, I swear not to return to Shu!"
"If I don't break Fengxiang, I swear I won't return to Shu!" The orderly shouts resounded in all directions, shaking the mountains and the ground...