The cattail leaf fan was still swaying gently, and the fire was burning brightly.
Zhang Jue's eyes were filled with thoughts, and he raised his hand to take down the wine pot from the stove. It was a little hot, but he didn't care. He poured it into the cup, but it was already empty.
"Zhang Mao, go get me some wine..."
After opening his mouth, Zhang Jue realized that he was having a secret discussion with Li Xia today, so he opened the door and took a look outside, only to see that the courtyard was empty and soldiers were guarding the wall.
"Feiyu, wait a minute, I'll get the jar of wine."
He walked to the yard, took a breath of the cold wind, and saw Li Xia's guards resting outside the yard, and then he remembered whether Li Xia suspected that he was looking for someone to surround him or something.
This kind of thing would inevitably make people upset. The last thing he wanted was for the brothers Pao Ze, who had been through life and death, to become suspicious of each other.
Fortunately, Li Xia didn't show any suspicion today, which made people feel more relaxed...
When he arrived at the wine kiln of the post house, he took a jar of bad wine and returned to the hall. Zhang Jue sat down by the stove again, poured the wine into the pot, and spoke in a dull tone.
"When I was eighteen years old, I went to Diaoyu City to join the army. I first followed Ran Zhizhou and Ran Tongpan. The two gentlemen taught me how to read and calligraphy, and taught me to be loyal to the emperor and serve the country. After Yu Shuai died, Ran Zhizhou resigned, and I followed General Wang, and I was also loyal to the emperor and served the country.
.I never thought of rebelling against the Song Dynasty. You know, the Paoze brothers in Diaoyu City never rebelled against the Mongolian army that was twenty times their size."
"Well, two gentlemen, Ran Jing and Ran Pu, were invited by Commander Yu to build Diaoyu City and have done great service to the country. How are they doing now?"
"After Yu Shuai passed away, the two gentlemen returned home. Mr. Da Ran died of illness that year, and Mr. Er Ran died in a revelry last year after hearing the news of Meng Ge's death."
"Pity."
Li Xia took the cup, clinked it with Zhang Jue and took a sip.
Zhang Jue finished a drink and said: "I don't quite understand what you said, but I know you must have a point. This country is not easy to save, as Yu Shuai said back then... But no matter how clear the truth is, I
Deep down in my heart I feel that I am deeply indebted to the country, and I feel guilty for rebelling like this."
"You are both rational and reckless. You are both a temperamental person and a high-minded person. It is inevitable that you will have entanglements." Li Xia said: "I don't want to embarrass others. I plan to wait until the situation is determined. The Song Dynasty has died.
I’ll let you make the decision again. But recently I realized that I can’t let it go on like this anymore.”
"Let me think."
"good."
Li Xia can still say a lot.
For example, the recapture of Guanzhong and Dali; for example, the flag may not actually be raised this time, but the flag must be prepared. The court may be frightened and compromise, allowing Sichuan and Shu to issue coins...
For Zhang Jue, it is not important.
Zhang Jue mainly felt that he couldn't get over it.
Even if there are countless things wrong with the Song Dynasty, he still has a loyalty...
He and Li Xia have different ideas.
People's thoughts are very different. In the past years in Sichuan and Sichuan, there was Zhang Shi who was cut into pieces by five horses and refused to surrender, and there was also Yang Dayuan who first killed the envoys and then offered the city to surrender.
What a person thinks may be different from time to time. Is there any certainty?
The atmosphere in the room became dull.
Zhang Wenjing was a little tired, so she lay in Li Xia's arms and squinted. Li Xia gently stroked her hair, not knowing what she was thinking.
They don't feel that there are outsiders present, and such an action would be too intimate.
There was no politeness or red tape from beginning to end. This was Li Xia expressing his trust in Zhang Jue...
Sudden,
"Let's have a fight!"
Zhang Jue put down his wine glass heavily and raised his eyes to look at Li Xia.
"Let's just have a fight. If I lose, I'll listen to you. If I go against him, don't ask me to choose. You can find a way to recommend someone to be this commander. I'll kill the prisoners wherever I go.
it's the same."
"Come."
Zhang Wenjing sat up suddenly and became energetic.
She was looking forward to seeing Li Xia fight with someone.
But then, when Li Xia and Zhang Jue walked into the courtyard, they pulled out their swords with a "swish" sound.
"If you want to fight, be serious about it. Otherwise, if you don't get rid of the knot in your heart, the fight will be in vain."
"good!"
Zhang Jue flexed his muscles and grinned. The previous dull look disappeared, and his eyes were filled with excitement.
"Zhang Mao! Bring me my axe!"
"yes!"
The attendant named Zhang Mao was a member of the Zhang Jue tribe, but he was only sixteen or seventeen years old. He was a little dull. Zhang Jue did whatever he said and actually carried a big ax to the courtyard.
Seeing this scene, the personal guards on both sides were a little panicked.
"Deputy Commander, this is too..."
"Commander..."
Zhang Wenjing lost the excitement of watching the excitement, her eyes were a little anxious, she took a few steps on the spot, stamped her feet, turned around, went to recruit her guards, and whispered instructions.
Li Xia and Zhang Jue didn't care, one threw the scabbard, the other raised the ax, and ran into each other without saying a word.
"when!"
Fire splattered everywhere.
…
The big ax Zhang Jue held looked scary, but he suffered a bit during the competition.
A single strike of the ax could cut someone's head to pieces, and he didn't want to take Li Xia's life, so he couldn't help but hold back when he did it.
However, Li Xia stabbed Zhang Jue hard with every sword strike.
Sure enough, after twenty rounds, Zhang Jue struck the air with an axe, and was already somewhat exhausted.
Li Xia suddenly thrust out his sword and stabbed Zhang Jue's throat.
The angle of this sword is tricky and the speed is extremely fast.
The sword light flashed, and Zhang Jue's guards around him were shocked.
"Deputy Commander!"
Zhang Jue was unable to react in time.
This sword stabbed directly at the throat. He didn't think Li Xia could hold back his strength.
——It would be ridiculous if one loses one's life due to a fight.
This thought flashed across my mind, and I felt a chill in my throat.
The tip of the sword touched Zhang Jue's neck. Unexpectedly, the sword's momentum actually stopped.
Zhang Jue looked up and couldn't help but be a little surprised.
"Good swordsmanship!"
"I won." Li Xia said.
He looked very serious.
Zhang Jue smiled bitterly, feeling sad and inexplicably relaxed.
All in all, I tried my best and can feel more at ease after making the choice.
Li Xia picked up the scabbard, but did not say more about the matter, but asked Zhang Jue to re-enter the hall.
…
"I lost..."
"Listen to me first." Li Xia raised his hand and said, "I know you are loyal and I won't force you. Today Japan has some information for you. My people came to Lin'an. I originally wanted the imperial court to send someone to
General Wang Jian was guarding Longxi, but he was recalled to Lin'an."
"Recall Lin'an?" Zhang Jue's frustration immediately disappeared. He already had a bad premonition in his heart and asked in surprise: "Why?!"
"You see."
Li Xia took out the information and handed it over.
Zhang Jue quickly took it and looked at it for a while, his expression becoming more serious.
There was anger bursting out of his eyes.
"Why is that?! Doesn't the imperial court trust General Wang?!"
"I have long been worried that he will be the master." Li Xia said: "You don't have to worry. For the time being, General Wang is fine. He is just trapped in Lin'an. What I want to say is that the court has noticed our friendship. If you
If you don't fight back, it will be difficult to go into battle to kill the enemy..."
Zhang Wenjing sat in the back and glanced at Li Xia again.
She understood best why Li Xia didn't talk about Wang Jian first, but wanted to have a fight with Zhang Jue.
This is the magnanimity and power of Li Xia.
Bringing it out first, even if it is true, will inevitably appear to be provoking, so it is better to surrender with force first.
In addition, Li Xia's strategy to persuade Zhang Jue was like this: first to eliminate his resistance, and then bring up the most important thing.
…
Sure enough, this last incident touched Zhang Jue the most.
He recalled the time when he and Wang Jian were stationed in Diaoyu City, as if they were still vivid in his mind...
Wang Jian first followed Meng Gong to defeat the enemy at Jinghu, then moved to Sichuan and Shu, followed Yu Jie to attack Hanzhong, defend Shu, and defend Diaoyu City.
In the Battle of Diaoyu City, he was the first to kill the Mongol Khan, but he was later hidden in the ice to this day.
The national treasure of Jin was beheaded to sacrifice the flag, and the words "Fight to the death!" are still in my ears...
He served as a soldier for forty years.
Forty years of fame and dust...
"Bang!"
"Boom!"
Zhang Jue suddenly stood up and kicked the wine bottle in front of him.
The jug broke and the warm wine spilled all over the floor.
"Damn it! If you go against it, go against it..."
"ah!"
Screams suddenly sounded.
With a "click" sound, arrows were already nailed to the window coffin.
"careful!"
"Enemy attack..."
Li Xia lifted up the desk, pulled Zhang Wenjing behind him, and hid behind the desk.
Turning his head again, he saw Zhang Jue hiding behind a pillar, the look of sadness and anger on his face still lingering, and a hint of surprise in his eyes.
Be surprised but not alarmed.
"Whose person?"
Zhang Jue spoke quickly and said: "Believe me, it was definitely not arranged by me..."
~~
At the same time, Lin'an.
"Ding Daquan is dead."
"died?"
Cheng Yuanfeng nodded and said: "He moved from the Nankang Army to Guizhou for resettlement, and was killed on the way."
Ye Mengding asked: "Who did it?"
Cheng Yuanfeng shook his head, not caring who killed Ding Daquan.
"It may be that someone in the local area hates him deeply, or it may be someone in the court who is instigating it, or even a disciple of you and me. It is meaningless to investigate this matter. What is important is that the pacifying envoy of Zhouzhou Road also knows Chongqing.
Ma Qian of the government had been recommended by Ding Daquan. Hearing the news, he felt very panicked and turned to me, and I ordered him to get rid of Li Xia."
"Is it possible?"
"When Wu Xi rebelled, Sichuan and Shu officials launched troops to attack them. Yang Juyuan, An Bing, Zhao Yanna, Li Haoyi, Li Haogu, Li Gui, etc., a vigorous rebellion was put down in just forty-one days. Seventy
The men broke down the door with a big ax and entered Wu Xi's place. Li Gui beheaded Wu Xi and split his body."
Cheng Yuanfeng reached this point and said: "Ma Qian may not have the ability of these loyal ministers and righteous men, but Li Xia does not have the power of Wu Xi."
Ye Mengding asked: "When will we do it?"
"We've already started." Cheng Yuanfeng stood up, picked up a few letters from the cabinet and put them on the case, saying, "This is the reply Li Xia gave me years ago. He really refused to enter the court."
He closed his eyes, feeling disappointed in his heart and disappointed with the official family.
To protect the Song Dynasty, one had to be wary of all military generals. The officials should have issued an edict as soon as they noticed that Li Xia had different intentions, depriving Li Xia of military power and calling him back to the court.
It's a pity that the officials didn't dare. If they had to ask Li Xia if he was willing, Cheng Yuanfeng was helpless.
Presumably both Li Xia and Jia Sidao thought that he was rigid in doing things and did not dare to let go.
But, who doesn’t have a way to hide it?
To this day, do you really think he can't risk it?
"We were all deceived by Li Xia. I sent someone to ask Ma Qian, and the defenders of Diaoyu City all said that Li Xia and Zhang Jue had a close friendship. They impeached each other back then to show the late emperor. As expected, Zhang Jue did not
Agree to eradicate Li Xia."
"Also, Zhang Jue's ancestral home is Fengxiang. How can he be truly loyal to the Song Dynasty?"
"Ma Qian wanted to get rid of Zhang Jue first and control the military power in Chengdu. I agreed." Cheng Yuanfeng said: "Regardless of whether it succeeds or not, I forced the officials to express their stance, but Jia Sidao has already taken advantage of it. This secret order
The Chongqing government took action without authorization, which is a grave crime... When the snipe and the clam quarrel, the fisherman will benefit."
Ye Mengding said seriously: "I can share the burden with you."
"No. Ye Gong is the emperor's master, so he should not leave the court just like this. From now on, Jia Sidao must not be allowed to modify coins, practice public land laws, and plan laws..."
"Does the Right Prime Minister think that he should be dismissed from office?"
Cheng Yuanfeng nodded and said: "Today, the officials dare not see me again. There is a rumor among the palace people that 'every time I threaten to resign and return to my hometown, the official can only entrust state affairs to these old men.'"
"Did Jia Sidao take action?!"
Anger burst out from Ye Mengding's eyes.
After that, he suddenly felt at a loss and could not care about the power struggle with Cheng Yuanfeng. He tried his best to persuade him to stay: "But if even the right prime minister is removed from office, the country's power..."
"There is no way to avoid it. Over the past year, the Sacred Heart has gradually fallen on him. Sooner or later, this disaster will happen." Cheng Yuanfeng sighed: "If I can eliminate one powerful vassal for the Song Dynasty before I retire, that will be enough."