Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Turbulent Jiangnan

Jiankang. Or known as Jinling or Jianye, which is later called Nanjing, it is located on the south bank of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River.Because it is exactly where the Yangtze River snakes and bends, standing on the city wall, it can be seen that the Yangtze River in the west flows from southwest to northeast.The width of the Yangtze River here is more than four miles. You can't even see the opposite bank from the city wall. You can only feel that the torrential river continues to the end of your sight. In this era of great division in the middle ages of China, the city of Jiankang was once the capital of six dynasties: Wu, Eastern Jin, Song, Qi, Liang, and Chen, and these six dynasties were called "Six Dynasties". important position in society. "Jiangnan", that is, the vast land south of the Yangtze River, has been developed in a planned way since then, and the population and productivity have both increased significantly.After the Sui Dynasty, it became the economic and cultural center of the Chinese Empire.

At that time, the number of households in Jiankang was about 200,000, and the population was nearly one million. It was the largest city in the world as famous as Wei's capital Luoyang.There are Xuanwu Gate and Guangying Gate in the north, Xuanyang Gate, Guangyang Gate and Jinyang Gate in the south, Jianyang Gate and Qingming Gate in the east, Ximing Gate and Changhe Gate in the west. High-rise buildings, the city street continues to expand beyond the city wall.In fact, the south main gate of Jiankang is actually Suzaku Gate, which is five miles away from Xuanyang Gate.When Xiao Yan attacked Xiao Baojuan, there was a fierce fight to the death at the Suzaku Gate.

There are over a hundred markets in Jiankang, and the ports along the Yangtze River are filled with more than 10,000 merchant ships.The materials concentrated in this metropolis are not only transported from Liang’s country, but also sugar, spices, ivory, coral, pearls, rhino horn, black sandalwood and other countless commodities from foreign countries thousands of miles away. In addition to the world's largest papermaking factory and brocade factory, Jiankang is also an industrial city that produces books, clothes, furniture, medicines, boats and carts, gold, silver and precious stones, and pottery.

Many foreigners can be seen here. People from Tianzhu, Persia, Lion Kingdom, Baekje, Silla, Wa Kingdom, Kunlun and other countries come across the sea. For the residents of Jiankang, seeing foreigners is no longer a thing Strange thing.During spring and autumn, the whole family will go to nearby scenic spots to enjoy flowers or red leaves. Places such as Xuanwu Lake in the north, Yanziji on the bank of the Yangtze River in the west, and Shizigang in the south are all quite famous. People living in this metropolis, no matter how high or low they are, enjoy the blossoming of peach and plum blossoms and listen to the singing of birds. It has been a very cheerful city in history.

The most prosperous area in Jiankang should be regarded as Hengtang!There are more than 20,000 to 30,000 beautiful prostitutes here, and there are also young male prostitutes called child molesters. Even late at night, there are lights and singing. "One hundred and eighty temples on all sides in the Southern Dynasties" means that the number of Buddhist temples in Jiankang City alone is nearly 500, but it is actually more than that.There are also many temples known as places where lovers meet.As for the floating boats on the river or on the canal, countless love affairs have happened.

The representative of such joyful time and space is Qi's "Donghunhou" Xiao Baojuan, the young emperor who is famous for saying "I was born for the ultimate joy in the world!" Some kind of monster is playing like possessed by a monster. For him, all existing things are toys. Killing the "six nobles" and other important ministers is an exciting game; the bloody fetus flying out of the mother's womb is a rare toy.Baojuan, who had been smiling until the fetus died, replied indifferently to the criticism of him: "But that's fun, isn't it?"

It's a pity that everyone except Baojuan didn't find it interesting.People's hearts gradually left him.Until finally Baojuan was killed naked and had his head cut off.Perhaps, until the last moment before he died, he still felt that his life was very interesting! When Liang Jianguo and Xiao Yan were on the throne, they killed the five royal families of Qi together.From the perspective of later generations, although it is an inhumane disposal.But there is not much blame in history.Even when they heard that one of the five was Donghun Hou Baojuan, the common people in Jiankang clapped their hands and applauded.When the father of Baojuan was usurping it.A total of twenty-nine people were killed, that is, "to wipe out those who inherit the blood of the dynasty."Compared with the brutality of the old dynasty Qi, the bloodshed of the new dynasty Liang is already minimal.

The only person who received sympathy was Baojuan's younger brother, Wang Baorong of Nankang.He once ascended the throne as Hedi of Qi for a while, but then gave way to Xiao Yan. Although he was only fifteen years old, he had to die.When Xiao Yan ordered Zheng Boqin, the envoy, to bring the wine, Bao Rong couldn't help laughing sadly: "I know that Qi Zhi's destiny is over, and he should be thankful for being able to die without pain!" When Baorong was unconscious after drinking, Zheng Boqin strangled him with a white silk. Although Baorong's death was a tragedy from a personal point of view, Qi's demise was welcomed by both the nobles and the common people; it ended with minimal bloodshed, the previous heavy taxes were no longer, and even prices could be reduced.Under Baojuan's rule, the people of Jiankang needed 5,000 yuan to buy a bucket of rice, but under Xiao Yan, it only cost 30 yuan to buy a bucket of rice.In addition to the considerable improvement effect on the bad-quality currency, another factor beyond the reach of human beings is that from the year following Xiao Yan's accession to the throne, the crops that had been poor due to bad weather turned abundant, and even the sky stood on the ground. Xiao Yan here.

"Donghunhou's weather was so bad, and now he can harvest year after year, it's the new emperor's benevolent government!" So the people supported Xiao Yan's rule of the world. Even in the far north, Xiao Baoyin, the founder of the country, was so angry that he gritted his teeth, but no one in Jiangnan would miss Qi's era anymore! Not long after he came to the throne, Xiao Yan had the evaluation of a famous monarch. It is true that he is a capable, diligent and generous monarch, but in fact, compared with Xiao Baojuan, Marquis of Donghun, even an ordinary monarch should have a lot of respect. Good review!

The concubine favored by Baojuan, who stepped on the golden lotus with her bare feet, was named Pan Yuer, whom Baojuan had known since she was a child. Speaking of which, Baojuan was still the emperor who realized his first love!The two of them get along harmoniously, but their happiness is based on the sacrifice of countless people. Pan Yu'er's father was originally a mid-level nobleman, and once framed others for false crimes and confiscated all his property.He even killed his whole family for fear of retaliation.It's just that he was the father of the emperor's favorite concubine, so he was not punished at all.In addition, Baojuan's neighbors are also the kind of vulgar people who "hate the poor and love the rich". When Xiao Yan entered the city and executed the four most hateful people next to Baojuan, the people were so happy that they danced until late at night Woolen cloth!

Although Baojuan is not interested in politics, he is very fond of architecture and gardening.For some reason, this is the case with almost no exceptions for the monarchs who have died.Building luxurious palaces and planning vast gardens, these are all things that cannot be done without a lot of money!Instead, heavy taxes are imposed, or the rich are killed and their properties are confiscated, resulting in a decline in the quality of the currency, which doubles and triples increases the hardships of the people.Pan Yuer is not actually the culprit of Baojuan Wudao, she just steps on people's lives innocently with her white and beautiful feet stepping on the lotus made of gold. In this way, Baojuan was killed naked, and Jiankang fell because of this.Pan Yu'er was first confined in the harem, and three days later, she was brought in front of the victor Xiao Yan. Xiao Yan is also a romantic figure, when Pan Yuer's rumored beauty appeared in front of his eyes, his heart could not help but be shaken. "It turns out that knowing this, it is really beautiful! It is understandable why Baojuan is so addicted." Since she is a beautiful woman who can represent the country, Xiao Yan, who regretted killing her, called Wang Mao to discuss: "This woman's crime of contributing to the evil government of Donghunhou is really serious. Although she should be punished, it is a pity to kill her. Is it feasible to include her in my harem?" The honest and thoughtful Wang Mao replied dignifiedly: "If the crime of subjugation is forgiven for the reason of beauty, what will the wise men of later generations say? If the justice of the law cannot be expected, then who will support the lord?" Xiao Yan couldn't put forward a counterargument with such a majestic orthodoxy, so he could only stop Napan Yu'er's idea of ​​staying in the harem.Even if you waver for a while, it is probably the condition of a famous king to give up immediately!In the end, Xiao Yan originally wanted to match Pan Yu'er to his subordinates as his wife; let her spend the rest of her life in peace, but was rejected by herself: "The concubine is the one who is favored by the emperor, so naturally she has no intention of becoming the wife of such a little-known little person. You should kill me!" As a result, Pan Yu'er was hanged as he had hoped.The exact age is unknown though.But if she is the same age as her childhood sweetheart Baojuan, she will be nineteen years old. I heard that her youthful beauty can still arouse men's lust even after her death! When I heard about Pan Yuer's death, I felt the most regretful about Cao Jingzong, who was known as a brave general. "What a pity! Why didn't you give it to me? I will definitely treat her well. Discussing with that old antique Wang Xiuyuan (Wang Mao) is a mistake in itself!" When he heard Cao Jingzong's speech above, Xiao Yan couldn't help but smile wryly, and told him that the 3,000 beauties in Baojuan's harem were his choice.After Cao Jingzong thanked the lord for his generosity, he went to the harem to pick out the beauties he liked, and not only one, he even picked fifty!However, Xiao Yan did not limit his number anyway, and in the end, these beauties were distributed to his subordinates and even the people. In this example, distributing women as objects has its own critique in later generations.But looking at it from the other side, it should be a realistic solution at that time to give women who have no property, occupation, or even skills to guarantee their lives.The harem was deep, and while waiting for the emperor's favor, these women spent years or decades like this before releasing them. "Expanding everyone's life" must be like this! After seven days in Yuzhou, Chen Qingzhi returned to the vicinity of Jiankang.He rode a long way from the north to cross the Zhuque River. It usually takes about five days for a strong man. Because Chen Qingzhi's riding skills are too poor, and Zhu Yingtai gets tired easily, it took two more days. Chen Qingzhi, who was riding alongside Zhu Yingtai, enthusiastically explained the current battle situation: "In other words, there shouldn't be an outpost this time!" Since the horse jumped up at this time, Chen Qingzhi almost fell off the saddle, so he could only hold the horse's neck hard and regain his balance in an ugly posture, but his mouth still did not stop during the process: "From now on, the weather is getting hotter day by day, and there will be more and more rain. Although the cavalry in the north are brave, they are not good at heat and humidity. The ground is wet, and the rivers and fields are full of water. If there is a formal Military action is unlikely!" "Will the Wei army retreat in this way?" "Zhongshan Wang and Yang Dayan are famous generals who have experienced battles, and they know that man is invincible! So they returned to the north in summer to prepare, and went south again in autumn and winter, riding the north wind, just like migratory birds." At this time, Chen Qingzhi didn't look like a warrior, but like a poet, no matter his expression or tone of voice.Zhu Yingtai looked at Chen Qingzhi, as if she not only wanted to see Chen Qingzhi's kind and sincere side. "Wei's iron cavalry just imagined going all the way to the end of the field! If we don't knock them down, it seems that peace is unlikely to come..." Chen Qingzhi suddenly shut up, turned around and smiled at Zhu Yingtai: "I'm sorry, brother must feel very bored. You must have a headache by talking so much at once!" "No, please don't take it to heart!" During the journey, the two have developed a relationship of calling each other "big brother" and "good brother".Although it is hard to tell, Chen Qingzhi is a general serving in the imperial court after all. At first, Zhu Yingtai was called "Your Excellency", but Chen Qingzhi responded with an unbearable expression, "Please don't call me that!" While brushing the dust off his sleeves, Chen Qingzhi changed the subject: "By the way, brother Xian said that he came to Jiankang to find someone. Do you have a place to live?" "No! Now we are preparing to search." "That's it! There is one other thing, the brother's sister seems to have a bad relationship with her father, I don't know why, can you tell me?" "Actually, it's because my sister-in-law likes learning very much, but because she is a girl, she is not allowed to study abroad..." "That's really pathetic..." "Do you think so?" "Of course! It's like forcing a boy who doesn't like martial arts to practice martial arts. Isn't it pitiful not to let a girl who likes learning go to school?" Zhu Yingtai smiled and said: "It would be great if my father thought the same as my elder brother! In this way, my sister-in-law will be happier." "Excuse me, how old is my little sister? Ah, by the way, I don't know the age of my younger brother either?" "My little brother is going to be nineteen soon! My younger brother is one year old..." Zhu Yingtai's words were carefully considered: "Liang Shanbo is twenty-three, the same year as elder brother..." According to Zhu Yingtai, Zhu Yingtai and Liang Shanbo met in the library in Jiankang three years ago.Libraries are also schools, and Jiankang is the capital of learning. Not only are there two large national schools, "Guozixue" where the children of the great aristocrats gather, and "Wuguan" where those from poor families study, there are also hundreds of other national schools. above library. Because Zhu Yingtai admired Liang Shanbo's high personality and profound knowledge, the two became friends. She thought that such a person would be able to understand her knowledgeable sister, so she introduced her to her.The two were very happy and formed a marriage contract, but they were strongly opposed by their father. "Is there any reason for objecting?" "Yes, it is said that another marriage has been arranged for my sister..." "Oh!" As if it was his own problem, a confused expression appeared on Chen Qingzhi's face.It is not difficult to defeat a hundred thousand enemies, but it is very difficult to change the object of love! "The so-called other marriage should be your father's own expectation, right?" "Yes, and he is quite enthusiastic." "Then my virtuous brother is on my sister's side!" "Well, can you understand?" "Of course!" For Liang Shanbo, who is his good friend and younger sister's fiancée, Zhu Yingtai can't be wrong to have considerable respect and love!This is not difficult to see from Zhu Yingtai's high spirits just by mentioning his name. "As a result, Liang Shanbo left because he thought that in order to gain your father's approval, he had to become famous, right?" "Yes, this makes my sister very sad." "Of course! Since he is a man of profound knowledge, he will definitely not be buried. Thinking about it, he should be working as an aide in a noble family now! Then, how should we find it more efficiently... " Chen Qingzhi rested his chin with his hand and thought.At this time, there seemed to be some commotion in the rear. Turning around, the clear sky in early summer was already covered with dust. A group of people approached on horseback, about a team of about a hundred riders.There is also a large carriage in the center, pulled by four horses, hung with silk curtains on all sides, and decorated with carvings on the roof and pillars, it looks like a very luxurious carriage.I thought it might be some great nobleman, but I didn't see the servants, instead they were all soldiers, which felt very strange. Chen Qingzhi and others pulled their horses to the side of the road to let them pass. When the queue passed in front of them, the curtain was suddenly lifted, and a middle-aged man leaned out from it and shouted: "Hey! Isn't this Ziyun?" "...This is... General Cao!" Chen Qingzhi returned a salute. This General Cao is Cao Jingzong, styled Zizhen.He is just fifty years old this year, and he is a general of the right guard who lives on a regular horseman. Cao Jingzong is not the kind of person that the authors of the biographies of great men like. He has some shortcomings.Of course, as a general, his achievements and bravery are nothing to say, but there are many criticisms of his conduct: "Lustful, lustful, big talker, ignorant of etiquette, bad alcoholism, wasteful, uneducated, treating literati as fools, arrogant, not serious, self-interested... The worst thing is a bad attitude!" When it comes to riding horses, Cao Jingzong's skills are far from Chen Qingzhi's by a thousand times, but he rides in a cart except for the battlefield, and there must be women in the cart, and even Chen Qingzhi heard that there is more than one! Through the curtain in front of my eyes, I can indeed see the figure of a woman, and it seems that she is not wearing clothes vaguely. "In such hot weather, I really want to take off my clothes! Although Jiankang is the capital of flowers like no other in the world, the heat in summer is really a fly in the ointment. Before the autumn wind blows, the only way to cool off is with wine and women!" Cao Jingzong's right hand is holding a cup made of rhino horn. "I got to where I am today after a lot of hard work. It's all about living a life I like, not living a gloomy life just to be praised by those rotten scholars!" Zhu Yingtai has a blatant dislike for Cao Jingzong's smile, no matter what kind of brave general he is or a senior official of the court, in Zhu Yingtai's eyes, he is just a lustful middle-aged man. Aware of Zhu Yingtai's gaze, Cao Jingzong turned around, but still had a face of embarrassment, or pretended not to know!After staring for a while with an expression like no one else, he turned back from Zhu Yingtai's side and said into Chen Qingzhi's ear: "Is this your molester?" Chen Qingzhi was completely speechless. While confirming that the extremely impolite words did not reach Zhu Yingtai's ears, he said forcefully: "No! It's really rude of General Cao to say that!" "Don't be angry, but, she really looks very good-looking." A wicked smile appeared on Cao Jingzong's face: "Ah, Ziyun! Don't be fooled by the dogma of those rotten Confucians! They don't know the joy of life at all!" This lustful middle-aged military general who wallows in the mundane world seems to consider himself the master of Chen Qingzhi's life.Although what he said was nerve-wracking, Chen Qingzhi didn't hate him. When Xiao Yan raised an army against the Marquis of Donghun, and Cao Jingzong joined him as his vanguard, Chen Qingzhi was an envoy.In the Battle of Dahang, Cao Jingzong faced the 30,000 troops of Shangdonghunhou. At that time, in order to make fun of Chen Qingzhi, who was still a young man, Cao Jingzong asked him, "Which side and how should we attack?" Chen Qingzhi just pointed at the enemy. A corner of the army said: "Charge here with about five hundred cavalry!" This was exactly what Cao Jingzong thought, which surprised him.After the victory, he also spoke highly of Chen Qingzhi.This is the first meeting between Chen Qingzhi and this brave general who disregards the constraints of the world... Along with Cao Jingzong and his party, Chen Qingzhi and Zhu Yingtai headed towards Jiankang.Chen Qingzhi explained Cao Jingzong's character, he is not a bad person, but Zhu Yingtai's response was still very severe: "Really? He said that the pleasures of life are wine and women. Isn't such a person so simple and ignorant, and also vulgar? This is the kind of person my brother hates the most!" "It is true that General Cao is vulgar..." Chen Qingzhi smiled wryly.Although he didn't want to be in tune with Cao Jingzong's outlook on life, seeing that Zhu Yingtai's fair face was dyed red, since he insisted so much, he couldn't say anything more. "Then, what does my virtuous brother think are the joys of life?" "My little brother thinks that it is undoubtedly knowledge!" Zhu Yingtai asserted with conviction. "Hahaha, that's how it is!" "Is there anything strange?" Seeing Zhu Yingtai's dissatisfied expression, Chen Qingzhi was stunned for a moment.So that's the case, no wonder Cao Jingzong thinks he is a child molester!He is indeed very beautiful.Just when Chen Qingzhi wanted to argue, a drunken singing voice came from Cao Jingzong's car: "I've read it, "Spring and Autumn", it doesn't say that you can't hug a woman!" Chen Qingzhi and Zhu Yingtai glanced at each other, the singing continued, and the voice was louder: "I have read "Mencius" and "Book of Rites", and they didn't say you can't drink alcohol!" Zhu Yingtai couldn't help being angry.Cao Jingzong's song is of course teasing Zhu Yingtai, presumably he heard the conversation between the two through the curtain. "Please forgive me for leaving the team for a while!" After saluting Chen Qingzhi, although Zhu Yingtai was still staring at Cao Jingzong's carriage, she quickly left the army column.Ride hard on the rough grass next to the road.Although Chen Qingzhi wanted to call him back, he didn't know how to speak.At this time, the curtain of the car was opened, Cao Jingzong leaned out of the car again, and after seeing Zhu Yingtai's appearance, he vomited "Oh!" full of alcohol.Chen Qingzhi protested: "General Cao, can you stop laughing at people so much!" "This is also one of the joys of life! By the way, Ziyun! Do you know why this person who follows you is so angry?" "That's because Your Highness Zhu is a serious and obsessed with cleanliness!" After Chen Qingzhi answered, Cao Jingzong looked at him with a strange expression: "Is that all?" "Is there anything else?" After seeing Chen Qingzhi's expression, Cao Jingzong couldn't help laughing: "Ziyun, you are indeed a genius! But sometimes geniuses are slower than ordinary people!" It seems that Cao Jingzong regards himself as an ordinary person.But regardless of Chen Qingzhi's expression, Cao Jingzong just turned his face away and changed the subject: "Taking this opportunity, let me introduce this person to you!" He points to a man on foot.Everyone in Cao Jingzong's party rode horses, but this man was the only one who stepped on the ground with his own feet.Chen Qingzhi had never seen such a giant man before. He seemed to be a circle bigger than Yang Dayan. He was wearing leather armor but no helmet, and his long messy hair was dancing in the wind.The skin is dark and shiny, like a doll made of ebony.A large and long iron rod protruded from his broad shoulders, and this iron rod is not round, but hexagonal, with iron implanted on it, if hit by it, it will definitely kill the skull Broken! "Zhao! Come here!" After hearing Cao Jingzong's call, the black giant stepped forward step by step.From a slightly farther distance, it seems that Zhu Yingtai is healed. It probably feels like seeing the statues of the ancient temple suddenly move! "This is His Highness Chen Ziyun, General of Wuwei, say hello to him!" "My name is Zhao Cao, and I am currently under the care of General Cao." The voice was loud and deep, but the tone was very gentle, which reminded Chen Qingzhi of an animal called an elephant that he had seen in Jiankang and paid tribute to Chenla. "He is currently serving as a military leader with me. I originally wanted to give him a higher status, but he himself has no desire to do so." Cao Jingzong stretched out his hand and patted Zhao Cao's thick wrist. "His appearance is a bit strange because he is from Yamagoshi." "Oh, I see!" Chen Qingzhi looked at the giant man again. Shanyue is one of the ethnic minorities who live in the vast mountainous areas in the south of the Yangtze River. The general height is lower than that of the Han people. A giant man like Zhao Cao is very rare.They walk like leopards on narrow mountain paths, climb trees like apes, and swim like fish.This is a very good quality for soldiers, so there are not many people who join the army. On Zhao Cao's chest was a string of rosary beads, which were larger than ordinary beads and seemed quite heavy. "Have you taken refuge in the teachings of the Buddha?" Zhao Cao who was being questioned showed a simple and ashamed expression on his face, which made Chen Qingzhi feel a little more fond of this giant man. "Why don't you answer? Zhao!" "Yes! This is the benefactor's relic..." "As long as this string of rosary follows him, he will be protected by a benefactor, and nothing bad will happen to him. Although he is young, he is very old-fashioned. This is his only shortcoming! Please give me more advice in the future!" As he said that, Cao Jingzong picked up the Qin Pipa in the car, sang the four strings and began to sing: "In March, when spring is coming to an end, the grasslands in the south of the Yangtze River are green, all kinds of flowers are in full bloom, and even warblers are flocking and dancing in the air." This is a song written by people who fled from the Southern Dynasties to the Northern Dynasties to miss their hometown.People who listened to this song all shed tears looking at their hometown, and some even returned to the homeland they left. At some point, all Cao Jingzong's army sang this song, even Zhao Cao, and Chen Qingzhi couldn't help but speak.As for Zhu Yingtai, although she was riding her horse with her back turned, she seemed to be singing in a melancholy tone. In this way, riding on the rhythm, this wonderful military column has come to the vicinity of Suzaku Gate. Xiao Yan was addicted to Buddhism, and his loss of judgment on state affairs began in old age. At that time, Xiao Yan not only recruited talents in the education system, but also stabilized prices in overseas trade, and abolished He imposed harsh punishments, and at the same time protected culture and art; externally, he filed a case on his own in the strategy against Wei, and selected commanders. He was an active and ambitious emperor. Personally, he likes poetry, dabbles in singing, dancing and music, also likes Go, riding horses, admiring flowers and birds, loving beautiful women... Basically his life is happy.As for Buddhism, he has good intentions, but he also does the same for Confucianism and Taoism, so naturally he has no voice of criticism. Chen Qingzhi, who returned to Jiankang, led Zhu Yingtai to his home.Although it is called a mansion, it is actually not a very big house, but because it is a single life, there are rooms for entertaining friends.After instructing the old servant and his wife to let the guests rest well, Chen Qingzhi wiped off the dust on his body, put on his official uniform and left home.The eunuch Xiao Yan sent to meet him had already prepared an ox cart and waited.In this era, most nobles used ox carts when they went out, and probably only Cao Jingzong and the like used horse carts! The place where the ox cart came was not the imperial palace, but Hualin Kingdom in the north.This is a vast garden built nearly two hundred years ago in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. After maintenance and renovation by successive emperors, there are hills, ponds, rose and peach gardens in the garden, as well as buildings such as Chaori Building and Xiri Building. There are rooftops, that is, astronomical observatories and so on. Xiao Yan believes that this garden can represent the essence of the beauty of the south of the Yangtze River. In addition to holding banquets and national tours and other entertainments here, scholars and literati are also gathered here to compile books, or to listen to reports. The following political and military judgments can be said It is an important place like an imperial court in the wild. Chen Qingzhi got off the ox cart in front of the door, led by the eunuch, passed through the garden where the butterfly swallows were flying, and passed through the cool forest, finally arrived at a two-story palace.The first floor of the palace is called Xingguang Hall, and the second floor is called Chongyun Hall. After stopping in front of the vast spiral staircase, the eunuch signaled Chen Qing to go upstairs. In the academy of Chongyun Palace, Xiao Yan was waiting for the young general.A cool breeze blows on the vermilion railing, and on the left and right sides of the red sandalwood table stands a beautiful woman, holding a brush and inkstone and books.With a wave of Xiao Yan's hand, the two women bowed silently and left. "You're finally back, Ziyun!" The emperor called Chen Qingzhi affectionately. "Since you're back, you must want something from me! Tell me, what do you want?" "Since you mentioned this, please give three hundred white horses." "Oh, three hundred white horses?" The emperor didn't answer right away. Since ancient times, there has been a saying that "ships from the south and horses from the north", and the same is true in military affairs. The north relies on cavalry as the main force, while the south relies on the navy to be powerful.Of course, Liang also had a cavalry team, like Xiao Yan himself was a master of horseback riding, but it was not an easy task to gather 300 complete white horses. Xiao Yan's fingertips tapped on the rosewood table. "If you don't necessarily want a white horse, don't say three hundred, even a thousand are fine. Why do you have to have a white horse?" "Excuse me!" Chen Qingzhi stared at the lord impartially, but it was not a provocative or oppressive gaze, but a feeling of complete trust in the lord. "I'll talk about this later! Let me report what I saw in the Huai River area now!" "Well, I want to listen! Ah, you can just sit on the couch over there! It doesn't matter, this is not the imperial court." Reported by Chen Qingzhi.Xiao Yan confirmed the place names on the open map on the table while listening to Chen Qingzhi's report.The long and precise report continued, and the sun slanted in, and it was already dusk. After listening, Xiao Yan nodded and said: "I see! As for the 300 white horses, I believe there must be a corresponding reason. Even if I am unworthy, I am always an emperor. I promise you! The 300 white horses will definitely be found for you!" "The Holy Grace is mighty, thank you in advance!" "And then? After finding all 300 white horses, will you be able to defeat the legendary Yang Dayan?" "Unfortunately, I guess that's another question!" Xiao Yan couldn't help but let out a bright laugh like a wry smile: "Hey, you are too realistic! The emperor has to work so hard to find 300 white horses for his subjects, at least you have to say that you will definitely bring Yang Dayan's head to me. Just do it!" "I'm terrified! According to my opinion, Yang Dayan's bravery is unparalleled in the world. This can be understood from the previous skirmish. Didn't our army lose Fuguo General Wang Hua and Longxiang General Shen Tianhua for this reason?" ?" Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes: "Neither of these two players is weak, but they were both defeated within one round!" "You're right!" "The luckiest thing among misfortunes is that Wang Mao is safe and sound. It's great that he didn't lose him!" "The battle between our army and the Wei army is not just fighting with Yang Dayan alone. This matter is what I have learned from this experience." "It seems to be quite worth looking forward to! By the way, since we want to meet the Wei army, we have to gather our troops! I hope that Wang Mao will be responsible for guarding Jiankang, so, Ziyun! Do you think the Huaihe line should be handed over to who?" "Forgive me for presumptuousness, and answer your question. You should have identified Wei Rui and Cao Jingzong as two generals in your heart, right?" From before, Chen Qingzhi directly addressed the generals who were seniors. Of course, the subjects should use honorifics to the emperor, but for the same subjects, and when answering the emperor's questions, there is no need to add honorifics! "Very good, that's what I think. It's just that in order to unify the command of the whole army, naturally we can't have two generals of the same rank, but one must be the commander-in-chief and the other the deputy commander!" Chen Qingzhi hesitated for the first time: "This is not a field where I can intervene..." "It's okay, just speak up! I just want to hear your straightforward opinion!" "Please forgive me! Can I let this matter be considered again?" Chen Qingzhi lowered his head, and Xiao Yan nodded in disappointment. This matter was also quite confusing to him.Then the topic changed: "No matter what, Ziyun! We can't stand here and wait for the enemy to attack!" There was light in Xiao Yan's eyes, which made Chen Qingzhi's eyes widen: "Does Your Majesty want to launch an offensive first before the Wei army?" "I have assembled an army of 300,000, and I am going to launch a direct attack on Luoyang. Wei Rui will attack Hefei first. It seems that the emissary missed you!" Some people in later generations ridiculed Xiao Yan as "a utopian peacemaker obsessed with Buddhism", but when he was in his prime, he had the overlord heroic spirit of "for the first time in history, he went from the north to the south of the Yangtze River and prepared to unify the world by force"! Xiao Yan was known to the world for his elegance when he was young, and he had a deep relationship with literati, the most famous of which were Shen Yue and Fan Yun. Shen Yue was sixty-six years old at the time, and his style name was Xiuwen.He was born in the Song Dynasty, but his father was killed by the crown prince at that time, and he became a bureaucrat after studying hard.He served the three dynasties of Song, Qi, and Liang, and knew the system and rituals in the court in detail. Xiao Yan also used it as the object of discussion.As a literati, he is especially known for his compilation of "Book of Songs". As for Fan Yun, he was fifty-six years old at the time, and his style name was Yanlong. He was one of the greatest poets in the Southern and Northern Dynasties. Headed by these two people, the ministers and literati were called to the Xingguang Hall; the gathering of poetry and wine began in the evening, which was exactly what Xiao Yan often did.But this time, the emperor also ordered Chen Qingzhi to sit at the same table. Seeing Chen Qingzhi's troubled look, Xiao Yan could only laugh and say: "You can be exempted when you write poetry!" Then he ordered him to sit down.And when he saw the seats, Chen Qingzhi couldn't help being startled, because although there was one seat vacant, on the square mattress next to him, there was a woman holding a slender palace lady's fair white hand in one hand and a big cup in the other. General Youwei, Cao Jingzong? Chen Qingzhi felt slightly relieved, probably because besides himself, there were other people present who were not suitable for this place!Before sitting down, he greeted Cao Jingzong. Although he wanted to salute, Cao Jingzong only nodded his head as if he thought he was bothering him, and continued his chat and laughing with the maid.Chen Qingzhi didn't feel displeased, but Cao Jingzong still did what he wanted to do amidst other literati and nobles' blatant criticism and criticism. After Xiao Yan took his seat, greeted him formally and made a toast, the poetry writing conference began soon.Although Chen Qingzhi could appreciate it, he didn't have the talent to compose poetry. He saw skillful poems come out one by one, sung gracefully by the court ladies, and Chen Qingzhi could only sigh in admiration.But after recovering, he found that Xiao Yan had already written the title and designated the rhyme, and after one person finished the poem, the next author was designated, and now it was Cao Jingzong's turn.最糟的是，曹景宗可使用的韵已经只剩“病”和“竞”两个字了。 “曹将军也真是可怜，居然只剩下这两个韵了！” 要踏上韵脚，基本上有简单的和困难的韵，而“病”和“竞”两个字则是众所周知的困难韵脚，陈庆之察觉到文人们的恶意，而必定会遭到嘲笑的曹景宗居然还敢出席这样的作诗大会，简直是自己找耻辱嘛！ “子震呀！你的真价值在于战场之上驱驰，即使作不出诗来也不会有人责怪你的！就罚一杯酒好了！” 萧衍出声了，他也意识到文人们的恶意。文人之间传来了低低的笑声，让陈庆之相当不快，而此时曹景宗却以明朗的声音回答皇帝： “诗已经做好了，我现在就咏唱给大家听听，请大家批评。” 是说：“出阵的时侯，妻子儿女们均十分地悲伤；而从战场上回来的时侯，则以热闹的音乐相迎。不知情的人问道那人是谁呢？原来是不输于汉时霍去病的名将呀！” 当应所有人都安静了下来，文人们的嘲笑冻结在空中，大家都望着曹景宗，没想到他用“病”和“竞”两个这么难的韵脚居然还能够作出这么好的诗，大出众人的意外。 “真是大棒了，子震！”萧衍感叹着，当场就把自己爱用的砚台送给了他。 ……诗会结束了，臣下们一一退出，这时已时近半夜，皇帝大概将和美女们渡过这个初夏的夜晚吧！曹景宗向陈庆之吐露着： “这些文人真是无聊至极！” “为什么这么说呢？大家都为曹将军的诗而感到吃惊，一定会对曹将军重新评价的！” “为什么会重新评价呢？” "This……" “只是因踏了一个固定型式的韵用作了首诗，那些家伙就会对我重新评价吗？即使我是个好色而欲求的人，只是会作首诗就能够消去所有的缺点吗？嗯？” 曹景宗叹了口气，充满光是闻到这一口气就似乎会令人大醉的酒味。 月亮虽被薄云所掩，但这云却反映了巨大都城的灯光，使得夜道依然薄明。从华林园退出的文人及贵族们的牛车在路面上鸣动着前进，而其中只有曹景宗和陈庆之是步行的。陈庆之之所以不坐牛车，是因为他不太会配合牛车的律动，可能会晕车而呕吐，因而准备徒步回家。本来曹景宗是有劝他一起坐马车的，但他拒绝了。他并不想坐上被使用于曹景宗情事的马车，于是曹景宗让马车先回去，和陈庆之一同步行在夜路之上。 即使是如穿着“旁若无人”这四个字所做之衣服的男子，有时也有气短的时候，他之所以要和陈庆之一同步行，大概也是想找个人吐露一番吧！ 这时曹景宗的述怀，到死为止说过不知多少次，连《梁书》上也有记载： “当我还是少年的时候，曾和友人一同骑马驱驰于山野之中，就像是追风一样，耳边风声呼号，呼吸也像火一样地热。我一箭就把鹿射倒，吃它的肉，喝它的血，而如今我成了宫廷的高官，要什么山珍海味、要什么美酒都有，却及不上当时的尘血……” 曹景宗的身体飘飘荡荡，确实是已经喝醉了，他又继续说道： “我真是出现在不该在的地方，可是这也是没办法的，就像今天一样。” 陈庆之沉默着，不知道该说些什么。虽然许多人都称陈庆之为天才，但他却很清楚地知道其实自己只不过是个黄口小儿，就像现在一样。 曹景宗是这样子，但是陈庆之又怎么样呢？他是不是也在不该在的地方呢？当他自问的时候。夜道却突然染成一片火红，尖锐的叫声割裂了夜晚。 "Fire!" 曹景宗的背后响起了叫声。两人往声音的方向看去，红色的东西蔓延着，那并不是住宅的灯火，凶猛跳跃着的，的确是火焰没有错！距离大约三百步（一步约一点四公尺）左右，从华林园退出之后，曹景宗和陈庆之是往南走的，也就是沿着长长的皇宫外墙前进着。 “喂！皇宫的门失火了！” “那边不是神虎门吗？” 愕然的两人将醉意投入夜空，立刻赶向了火焰燃烧的地方。