The VIP Inn where Zhou Kuan lives is located on the north bank of the West Lake. The location is relatively remote. The reason why Huang Guinian did not arrange Zhou Kuan to stay in the VIP Inn in the city is mainly because Zhou Kuan was armed with thirty cavalrymen. Huang Guinian could not make the decision.
We can temporarily arrange them in a distinguished hotel outside the city, and then move them into the city after reporting to the emperor for approval.
However, Zhou Kuan didn't care very much. He was not here to inspect the sufferings of the people in Lin'an. He was just communicating with the court in advance on behalf of Chen Qinglai. In fact, he was telling them that this time our prince has brought an army of 100,000, and he hoped that the court would not be nervous or afraid.
Just when Zhou Kuan returned to the VIP hotel, a subordinate came to report, "Prime Minister Li Guang has been waiting for a long time."
Zhou Kuan quickly walked into the courtyard and said apologetically: "I went out to visit my boss, so I kept Mr. Li waiting for a long time."
Li Guang came to contact Zhou Kuan on the emperor's order. He waited for nearly a quarter of an hour and felt a little uncomfortable, but it was not a matter of getting angry now, so he suppressed his slight dissatisfaction.
“I wonder who is Duke Zhou’s old boss?”
"Haha! My old boss is Mr. Lu, and I just went to visit him."
"Oh? How can Mr. Lu be Duke Zhou's old boss?"
It seemed that the imperial court did not have his own resume. Zhou Kuan invited Li Guang to sit down in the lobby and ordered his men to serve tea. Then he said to Li Guang: "During the Xuanhe period, I served as the envoy to Xiangzhou of Hebei. Xianggong Lu served as the envoy to Hebei at that time. Naturally, he
He's my old boss."
"It turns out that Duke Zhou was also an old minister of Xuanhe. How did he go to Sichuan and Shaanxi later?"
Zhou Kuan smiled and said: "The Jin soldiers invaded Xiangzhou, and I abandoned my post and fled to the Taihang Mountains, where I followed Wang Yan. Later, Wang Yan left the Western Army and entrusted me to General Chen. I have been General Chen's staff ever since, and now
Served as the judge of the Xuanfu Envoy of Sichuan and Shaanxi Province."
"I see, it's not easy for Duke Zhou!"
Li Guang said something very polite and useless. He suddenly discovered that the imperial court knew nothing about the situation in Sichuan and Shaanxi. Zhou Kuan said that he was the judge of the Xuanfu Envoy of Sichuan and Shaanxi, which was definitely wrong. It is said that Chen Qingna
There were two sets of official positions beside him, and they didn't even know Zhou Kuan's real position.
But now was not the time to ask about this matter. Li Guang asked again: "Why tens of thousands of Sichuan and Shaanxi cavalry appeared in Huzhou? Can Duke Zhou explain it?"
Zhou Kuan smiled slightly and said: "To be precise, there are 30,000 cavalry. We are just one of the late emperor's guards, guarding the late emperor to come to An'an."
Li Guang was about to swear. He was clearly Chen Qing's army, but he actually found an excuse to say that he was the late emperor's bodyguard. It was so shameless, no! Li Guang suddenly realized, "What did Duke Zhou say just now? One of the bodyguards,
How many troops are coming?"
"There are 100,000 troops in total, and 30,000 cavalry are only part of them."
"What!"
Li Guang stood up abruptly, his face changed drastically, "One hundred thousand troops! What on earth do you want to do?"
"Ms. Li, don't be nervous. I made it very clear just now that we are just the late emperor's bodyguards. Our only mission is to ensure the late emperor's safety. We have no other intentions."
'Hold it! Hold it! Don't be nervous.'
Li Guang forced himself to calm down. He slowly sat down again, took a deep breath and said, "I don't know your real position. How should I call you?"
"I am indeed the judge of the Xuanfu Envoy of Sichuan and Shaanxi. There is no problem for Mr. Li to call me Judge Zhou."
"Okay! If there is any negligence, please forgive me. I heard Huang Shaoqing say that Judge Zhou communicated with us in advance on behalf of Prince Chen, so we should just be honest with each other. Tell me the truth. Prince Chen led one hundred thousand
What is the intention of the army coming to An'an?"
Zhou Kuan shook his head and said with a smile: "Ms. Li, please don't think too much. What I just said was the truth, to protect the safety of the late emperor."
"What about Prince Chen? His safety is at stake?" Li Guang said unbearably.
"Our county prince came to An'an this time. His main duty is to command this army. He is not here to report his duties to the court, nor is he here to meet the emperor. This army is not to protect him. Of course, if someone wants to harm him, the army will
To protect his safety."
Li Guang finally understood that the other party would never admit that Chen Qing brought these 100,000 troops to threaten the imperial court, but insisted that they were here to protect the emperor. In this way, they could stand firm both morally and legally.
"I understand, then I want to tell you that these 100,000 troops will never be allowed to enter Lin'an Mansion."
Zhou Kuan shook his head, "Xiangong Li told me that it was useless. I can only guarantee that the thirty thousand cavalry will stop at Huzhou and will not take a step forward until the late emperor gives new orders."
"Then where are Chen Qing and the other 70,000 troops now? Okay! Tell me, where are the late emperor and his 70,000 guards now?"
"I don't know where the late emperor and the other 70,000 bodyguards are now? I think they will arrive soon."
"boom!"
A teacup was thrown hard on the wall, smashing it into pieces. The emperor Zhao Gou roared like thunder: "He just wants to rebel and seize my country. He actually leads an army of 100,000 to come to An. He doesn't need to bother. He wants to kill me."
Cut off his head and send it to him."
Zhao Gou roared like thunder, and there was silence inside and outside the royal study. Everyone bowed their heads in silence.
Li Guang knew that he could only speak on his own at this time.
"Your Majesty, calm down your anger and give Chen Qing ten courages. I'm afraid he won't dare to rebel. If there is no excuse to protect the late emperor, I believe that he will never dare to lead a hundred thousand troops to come to An."
"The late emperor?"
Zhao Gou was so angry that he was shaking all over and stared at Li Guang fiercely, "Tell me first, if he is the late emperor, then who am I? Are there two emperors in the Song Dynasty?"
Li Guang gritted his teeth and said: "Your Majesty! If the late emperor refused to issue an edict to abdicate, legally he is indeed the emperor of the Song Dynasty. Chen Qing grasped this, so now the situation has become dangerous. Your Majesty must be calm and calm.
Dealing with dangerous situations.”
Zhao Gou narrowed his eyes and said, "I understand. Chen Qing pushed him out to compete with me for power. If I abdicate, he will be Chen Qing's puppet emperor, right?"
At this time, Qin Hui said: "Your Majesty, the affairs of the world are not what Chen Qing wants to do. Your Majesty has been on the throne for more than ten years. The people of the Song Dynasty, both inside and outside the court, have long believed that your Majesty is the emperor of the Song Dynasty, not a captive."
The one who went there only served as emperor for one year and then lost his country. He was no longer worthy of being emperor and no one would recognize him.
What's more, Chen Qing's method of coercing the emperor to control the princes was already Sima Zhao's intention. Everyone knew that he could seize His Majesty's kingdom by force without having an army of 100,000. There is no simple thing. The key is the people's hearts. I believe that all
No one will support him."
Xu Xiantu also said: "If your Majesty calms down, I would also like to say a few words."
After all, Zhao Gou was the emperor and had a endurance that ordinary people did not have. He had quickly calmed down from his anger. He glanced at the eunuch at the door, and the eunuch immediately stepped forward to clean up the ceramic shards.
"I was a little out of control just now, now you say it!"
Xu Xiantu said slowly: "Your Majesty, I am paying attention to details. Their 30,000 cavalry must have come from Wuhu County. They couldn't stop after entering Lishui Road. They could only stabilize in Huzhou. They stopped in Huzhou, which is still two days away from Lin'an.
Baili, this in itself is not invasive. From this we can see that Chen Qing's visit to An'an this time is not invasive either.
Secondly, he said that they were to protect the imperial brother who oversees the country. This is actually true. It would be better not to send 3,000 people to protect him. If he sends 10,000 people to protect him, the risk is still very high. If he sends 50,000 people to protect him, the safety is still very high.
It can be guaranteed, but since we can send 50,000 people, why not send 100,000 people, which can not only ensure safety, but also deter us and prevent us from competing with him for Sichuan again."
"So security and deterrence are Chen Qing's goals, and the ultimate goal is to prevent us from competing with him for Sichuan?"
"Yes! Wei Chen thinks so."
Zhao Gou nodded, "Okay! Let me be more pragmatic. He really wants to send an army of 100,000 to intimidate me, but I have no choice. But I need to know where his 70,000 army is now?"
Li Guang sighed and said: "Your Majesty, Wei Chen thought about it all the way. Wei Chen suspected that they are at sea now and that they came by sea."
"Sea route?"
Zhao Gou suddenly turned around and stared at the map of Hangzhou Bay on the wall. He had escaped from here twice to the sea. He was really familiar with this sea area.
