On the south bank of the Yangtze River, a large ship was sailing toward the north bank. Standing on the bow was a woman dressed in a palace attire with a silver damask and jade coat. The woman was in her fifties and looked noble, but her expression was slightly awkward and nervous.
She is the princess of Qingcheng and the fourth daughter of Zhu Yuanzhang's cousin. She is older than Zhu Di. Zhu Di had always had a good relationship with his fourth sister's family when he was in Beijing. Seeing that King Yan's army has arrived on the north bank, he will cross the river once he has raised all the ships.
Before the troops of King Qin arrived, Zhu Yunwen followed Fang Xiaoru's advice and asked his fourth aunt to come forward to negotiate a peace in order to slow down the enemy's army.
The princess of Qingcheng was just a woman. Before Zhu Yuanzhang conquered the world, she was already an adult girl, so she had no chance to read or write. Although she was a princess, she was actually just a simple peasant girl.
Military and national affairs...
"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. The emperor said that this matter is just a dispute between uncle and nephew. He asked me to find Xiao Si'er to make peace with him. We are living together as a family. How can one's tongue not touch his teeth? What is it?
We are close relatives. No matter how hard it is for the fourth child, now he has led troops to fight here. It is time for him to express his anger. I will persuade him to go back to his home in Peiping. The family will still be harmonious and happy. That will be great...
…”
Princess Qingcheng's mind became active when she thought of this, and she began to think about how to talk to her fourth brother when he saw her.
In the capital, Zhu Yunwen at the Jinluan Palace said anxiously: "Where is Mei Yin? He has 400,000 troops and is close to Yan Ni. He is my greatest reliance. Why has there been no action so far?"
Fang Xiaoru said: "I think Prince Consort Mei didn't know that Yan's rebel army had reached the Yangtze River, so..."
"nonsense!"
Zhu Yunwen was furious: "Did I ask him to go to Huaishang to see the scenery? Didn't I give him an army of 400,000 just to stop the Yan army from going south? Could it be that he had 400,000 troops and huddled in the military camp all day long, doing nothing about foreign affairs?
Don’t you know this at all? The loyal ministers from Suzhou, Ningbo, Huizhou, Leping, and other places all led their troops to come to the king. When King Yan went south, more than 100,000 troops passed by Huai’an City. Wouldn’t he know?”
In desperation, Zhu Yunwen ignored the courtesy he had always shown to the other party and scolded him for nonsense. He didn't realize that his tone was very different from usual.
Fang Xiaoru said nonchalantly: "Or perhaps, Prince Consort Mei is worried about being taken advantage of by the enemy, so she wants to hold on to the city..."
After four years of fighting, an idiot will understand some military principles. No matter how stupid Zhu Yunwen is, he can't accept such a childish reason. He said angrily: "What is he going to stick to? If I am gone, if my country is gone,
What's the point of sticking to Huai'an? Yan Ni has already crossed Huai'an and reached the Yangtze River. He has an army of 400,000. Is it possible that he doesn't have a single scout? With so many troops mobilized, countless refugees fled, including King Qin of Suzhou, Ningbo, Huizhou, and Leping.
After hearing the news, all the teachers rushed to the capital, but he is still in Huai'an and doesn't know anything? Is he a dead man!"
Zhu Yunwen's cheek suddenly twitched, he nervously grabbed Fang Xiaoru's hand, and asked nervously: "Mr. Xizhi, did... did Mei Yin also surrender?"
Fang Xiaoru hurriedly said: "Mei Consort is a loyal minister who cares about his life. How can he betray the emperor? Your Majesty, don't worry. Maybe... Mei Consort has already sent his troops to take the Yan army's retreat. Your Majesty, don't worry." Fang Xiaoru said.
He winked at Zhu Yunwen repeatedly.
Zhu Yunwen was startled at first, and then he came to his senses: "Yes, no matter what the reason is for Mei Yin to stand still, it must not be mentioned at this time. The civil and military officials are already panicking. Mei Yin's 400,000 elite soldiers are the key to fighting against King Yan. King Yan has crossed Huai'an
When the army approaches the Yangtze River, if Mei Yin marches out with an army of 400,000 soldiers and attacks from behind, not only can he break the siege of Nanjing, but maybe this head-on confrontation can also annihilate all the Yan troops who are fighting against the odds. This is the hope of the city of Nanjing.
Wherever you are, you cannot disrupt the morale of the army.
Zhu Yunwen silently let go of his hand, glanced at the civil and military personnel, and said loudly: "Yes, the Northern Army has many cavalry, coming and going like the wind, and as fast as lightning. The Prince Consort Mei didn't know that the Northern Army had reached the Yangtze River.
The imperial edict was issued, and Prince Consort Mei was ordered to immediately send out troops after receiving the edict, seize the enemy's rear route, and contain the Northern Army from going south. Shandong Tiexuan and others have already sent the Qinwang's troops to cut off the enemy's retreat. As long as we delay for a few more days by negotiating a peace, all Qinwang
As soon as our troops arrive, the siege of Jinling will be lifted!"
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In the Yan Army camp, Princess Qingcheng met Zhu Di. The two had not seen each other since Zhu Di came to Peiping in the 13th year of Hongwu. Now more than twenty years have passed, and the heroic young man has become
A middle-aged man himself has changed from a young woman who still retains her charm to an old woman who has put on weight. She is old.
Especially Zhu Di, who had been suffering from strokes, meals and sleeping in the open in the past few years, sometimes without taking off his armor for several days, and who had fought countless battles in the past few years, so that his face was covered with weather and frost, and his temples were already gray in the prime of life, which made people uncomfortable to look at.
"Little four!"
Princess Qingcheng's heart softened, and she burst into tears when her little fourth sister called out. When Zhu Di saw the fourth sister who used to hold hands and lead him to play on the streets when he was young, he couldn't help but feel a little emotional, and quickly stepped forward to grab Princess Qingcheng's hand.
He held his hand and said sadly: "Fourth sister, you are getting old."
"Yes, yes, the fourth child back then... now has gray hair, and we... are all old." The siblings held hands and looked at each other, sighing.
Zhu Di let Princess Qingcheng into the big tent and held a banquet in honor of her. After some quarrel between the parents, Princess Qingcheng turned the topic to business. She first talked about it with the clichés of close relatives, and then said:
"Xiao Si'er, this is our Zhu family's housework. Is there any need to use knives or guns? No matter how you put it, the emperor is your nephew. As an uncle, you have to let him take care of it, right?
"
Zhu Di was not completely sure that he would fight across the Yangtze River. The Yangtze River was not easy to cross. The imperial court still had naval forces, but his Northern Army was not good at water warfare. Behind him, Mei Yin, the consort with 400,000 troops, had no idea why.
Thinking about it, it seemed that he didn't know that he had already reached the Yangtze River, and kept his troops stationary. However, if Mei Yin suddenly sent out troops and forced them with 400,000 people, his cavalry would not be able to gallop freely in this water town in the south of the Yangtze River. The detour space is limited and they would fight head-on.
It's hard to guarantee that you won't suffer a loss if you come down.
Further back, He Fu, who had escaped from him, and Tie Xuan from Jinan were also dispatching troops. Once they cut off their retreat and supplies, the consequences would be disastrous, so he knew that he could not stay here for long.
He could not take Jinling quickly, and the final result was to return to Peiping as soon as possible. He knew that the fourth sister must have been sent by the imperial court to plan a "peace", but in fact it was a delay in the war, so he had already thought about it.
As soon as the princess of Qingcheng finished speaking, Zhu Di said seriously: "Fourth sister, before the soil of my father's imperial mausoleum was dry, my brothers were frequently killed, and they were cruel to harm others. What else can be said about this? Yes, This is our Zhu family's housework, but this housework was deceived by outsiders and made bloody! The emperor listened to the words of the slanderers and his heart was as solid as stone for his closest relatives. My brother has reached this stage today. Is it possible that he is willing to do so? Is it?"
When he said this, his eyes overflowed with tears. Princess Qingcheng was speechless when she thought of King Zhu Bai's family of Xiang, King Dai, King Qi, and King Zhou all being prisoners. She was just a simple and kind village woman. If she was being reasonable, she would be no match for Zhu Di, so she could only mutter: "But... he is the emperor after all. The emperor has already issued the 'Edict of sin against oneself'. As an uncle, how can you still punish him?" How about it? Xiaosier, when my sister came, the emperor said that as long as you are willing to withdraw your troops and stop fighting, the emperor is willing to rule across the river with you and divide the country equally..."
Zhu Di immediately interrupted Princess Qingcheng's words: "Sister! This country is the foundation of my father. As a descendant, how can you be a prodigal son and divide the ancestors' property first? The Ming Dynasty was divided into two. , How ridiculous! My brother doesn’t want half of the country! He just wants to take the head of the traitor in the court!”
Princess Qingcheng said in embarrassment: "Little fourth son..."
Zhu Di took a breath and said: "Fourth sister, think about it, my younger brother was granted a vassal territory by the emperor Kao, but the whole city of Peiping has become a thorn in the emperor's side and ceded half of the land. Is the emperor really so sincere? Brother On the day when the army was raised, it was announced to the world that the army was raised in Jingnan only for the sake of the Qing emperor, to kill the traitors and the traitors, to establish the ancestral society, and to stabilize the world. It was not about an inch of land. When the emperor wanted his ministers to withdraw the army, he only had to kill the traitors and the ministers would visit the Xiaoling Mausoleum. As the Emperor of the Chao Dynasty, I only serve as a vassal, and I no longer want him. If the traitor is not eliminated, I will never return to Peking. This is the emperor's plan to delay the war. I can hide it from you, sister, but I can't hide it from Zhu Di!"
Princess Qingcheng was dumbfounded by what he said. She didn't know how to respond. After thinking about it, she had to say: "Then... fourth brother, which traitors do you want to kill?"
Zhu Di touched his sleeve, took out a notebook, pushed it in front of Princess Qingcheng, and said solemnly: "My brother, here are twenty-nine traitors in the dynasty!"
Princess Qingcheng was surprised and said: "So many?"
Zhu Di said: "The three culprits are Fang Xiaoru, Huang Zicheng, and Qi Tai. Our Ming Dynasty personally killed each other. In the four years of war, countless soldiers and soldiers were killed and wounded. It was all because of these three people who stirred up dissension. They are the chief culprits. These three people must die! The rest of them must die!" If the twenty-six people are willing to bow their heads and confess their sins, they do not have to be killed."
Princess Qingcheng breathed a sigh of relief and thought to herself: "It's better to kill only three than to lose half of the country. Since the fourth son has said so publicly, the emperor only needs to kill the three bastards who instigated my family to kill each other." "Tang Xingzi, Xiao Si'er can't help but be so stubborn anymore."
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Zhu Yunwen was looking forward to it in the court. He proposed the condition of dividing the river and ruling the country. This was a difficult problem for Zhu Di. If Zhu Di agreed, he would be convicted of treason. All the problems of peace and stability would become a big problem. It's a joke. He dare not agree to it, but it is impossible for Zhu Di not to be tempted by such a favorable condition. After all, whether he can capture Nanjing is still in doubt, but Jiang Zhi can be easily obtained, as long as he hesitates for a few days. , your own reinforcements have arrived.
Not wanting Princess Qingcheng to come back, she brought him a list of twenty-nine ministers. In addition to Fang Xiaoru, Huang Zicheng, Qi Tai, Jing Qing, Lian Zining, Huang Guan and others were also included.
All of them were ministers who advocated reducing the vassal state. Zhu Di did not agree to his conditions, but instead led his army. As soon as the list of "war criminals" was announced, it immediately caused an uproar in the court.
The officials who were listed on the "Treacherous Officials List" were all very angry. The officials who had not been included in the list were all relieved. Li Jinglong, Ru Chang and other officials from the main peace faction took the opportunity to make a noise and asked the emperor to kill the three traitors to thank King Yan.
Many ministers from the centrist camp couldn't help but feel incomprehensible when they reached this stage. Just four years ago, who would have thought that King Yan would be what he is today, and who gave him the majesty and majesty he has today? With the imperial court's thousands of miles of territory and millions of powerful soldiers, how could it be possible to deal with an eight-year-old king?
A vassal king who started with a hundred people fought and fought until he reached this point today. Even if the three traitors who rank first among the war criminals of King Yan are not traitors, are they not mediocre officials?
For a time, they also wrote letters of impeachment. They did not ask the emperor to kill Fang Xiaoru, Huang Zicheng and Qi Tai, but they also suggested that these three people were mediocre and harmed the country. They should reduce their positions to the people and never use them. In this way, they might be able to rest.
The Wrath of King Yan.
When Fang Xiaoru saw that the crowd was in a heated mood and everyone was speaking in unison, he couldn't help but get angry from shame, and immediately started shouting loudly. It was rare for this great scholar to get angry. Occasionally, when he got angry, his beard flew up and his spit flew everywhere, but the situation was so horrifying that all the ministers did not dare to speak anymore.
Unexpectedly, just as the civil and military officials calmed down, one person suddenly stepped forward and angrily rebuked: "The court hall is where hundreds of officials discuss politics and issues. The country has reached such a stage, can't we still tolerate people who dare to speak out?
"
Fang Xiaoru looked angrily, and when he saw the person clearly, his eyes widened in shock. Lian Zining! It was Lian Zining who had just returned to Beijing on a starry night and was on the same list of traitors, and he actually stood on his opposite side. Lian Zining
Ning was a young man who wanted to reduce the vassal state, and he also insisted on the policy of reducing the vassal state. However, he really hated Fang Huang Zhiliu's ability. Seeing that Fang Xiaoru was still showing off his Confucian style, Lian Zining finally couldn't help but stand up.
Fang Xiaoru was suddenly struck by thunder, and his psychological defenses were defeated. Looking around, he felt that every pair of eyes he saw was full of hatred and contempt. Li Jinglong flicked his nails and said boringly: "Mr.
, Your Majesty! When Emperor Jing cut down his feudal vassals, seven kings forced the palace, and the world was in danger. Chao Cuo took the initiative to seek death to pacify the kings, and finally bought time for Emperor Jing. Since Mr. Xizhi took the world as his own responsibility, why didn't he die to block the reign of King Yan?
Where is the mouth? King Yan has made such a condition, as long as you die, King Yan will have no excuse, how can he dare to break his promise to the world!"
Fang Xiaoru's face turned as red as a chicken's blood, and he shouted angrily: "Fang Xiaoru, why should I cherish this life? How can I, as a minister, trap the emperor in injustice!"
"Bah!" Li Jinglong curled his lips and replied with one word.
"Okay, okay, gentlemen, please stop arguing. Now that King Yan has rejected my terms for peace, what do you think we should do now?" Zhu Yunwen saw that his own people were quarreling first, so he had to come out to smooth things over.
Li Jinglong immediately said: "Please punish the three traitors!"
Fang Xiaoru said: "The Yangtze River can be used as a hundred thousand soldiers. The ships in the north of the Yangtze River have already been burned down. No matter how brave the northern soldiers are, can they still fly across the natural chasm? Besides, the weather is hot and prone to plague. As long as we stick to the Yangtze River, we will not go out.
In the tenth day, Yan Ni will definitely retreat. If he dares to bravely cross the river with a bamboo boat and die in vain in front of my imperial navy, what is there to fear!"
Zhu Yunwen hesitated and said: "But who can be sent as a general to lead the navy to resist the enemy on the Yangtze River?"
Liao Ping, the minister of the Ministry of War, came out and said: "Your Majesty, Commander Chen Xuan, the original commander is the navy soldiers and horses, and the navy in Beijing and Ying are all his old troops. At this critical moment, only Chen Xuan can lead the navy to fight."
It can match the arrogance of the enemy Yan Ni!"
Fang Xiaoru felt a little hesitant after hearing this. Chen Xuan was Xu Zengshou's old subordinate. Originally, he was worried that he would have a relationship with the King of Yan, so he cut his military position and let him lead the army... However, in the past four years, he has been in charge of politics.
Regardless of whether he recommended people or not, he made mistakes almost every time, and his self-confidence was lost long ago. The navy has its own way of fighting, and it will definitely not work if it is replaced by a general who is not used to naval warfare. Chen Xuan is the commander of the Ministry of War.
The one recommended by the minister should be accurate. I don’t have a suitable candidate in hand. If the recommendation is inappropriate again, it will really be a public outrage.
Thinking of this, Fang Xiaoru remained silent.
Zhu Yunwen saw that Fang Xiaoru had no objection, so he nodded and said: "Okay, I will send an order immediately, let Chen Xuan lead the navy, line up on the Yangtze River, and resist the Yan army in the north!"
p: There are a lot of things going on at home these days, but the number of updates has not dropped because of this, but people are more tired. Jingnan is about to enter its final moment. The four-year Jingnan is over, and the protagonist will also start a new life journey. Please
Cast your *** and recommendation votes and let us say goodbye to Xia Xun!