The ministers had been waiting for a long time. It was already Chen time and the morning court meeting was late.
His diligent Majesty never showed up, leaving all officials puzzled and worried.
"Why hasn't your Majesty come yet..."
"Eunuch Wang didn't come either, what's going on?"
"Could it be that His Majesty's dragon body is in bad condition?"
"Don't be ridiculous. Your Majesty is blessed by God. How can he be in trouble in his prime? There must be something involved."
"But in the more than ten years since Your Majesty has been on the throne, nothing like this has ever happened?"
The emperor's diligence was well known throughout the court. If it were not required by the court regulations, the emperor would have to engage in entertainment activities... I am afraid that the emperor would be nailed to death next to the imperial court.
However, recently, because of Ye Xuanfeng's serious illness, the emperor began to pay attention to his health and was less impatient than before.
"Old Chief Assistant, do you know the reason?" All ministers looked at Zhuge Qingshan.
Zhuge Qingshan shook his head slightly: "I am also very puzzled..."
"Wait a minute, there should be some emergency outside the capital, right?" a military official asked suspiciously.
Zhuge Qingshan secretly glanced at this person and secretly wrote down his name.
After a while, everyone who had been waiting for a long time finally arrived...Wang Feng.
"My lord, is your majesty okay today?" Chen Li, the minister of Dali Temple, asked when he saw Wang Feng.
There are still some unfinished matters in the recent case, and he plans to report them.
Wang Feng's expression was calm, mixed with a hint of embarrassment, and he didn't know how to explain it.
He simply did not explain, and just said: "Your Majesty has an order. He will not go to court early today, and the chief minister will discuss the affairs of Liangzhou with the ministers...just handle it properly."
"Not early?" Everyone was surprised and complained.
You should have said it earlier if you didn't want to go to court early. We all got up an hour or two earlier and took so long to come here, but you didn't go to court?
Someone captured the key words Wang Feng said: "Liangzhou? What happened in Liangzhou?"
The news came to Beijing late yesterday evening, and it was also secretly passed on, so naturally no one knew about it.
"Master Chief Assistant?" Xia Song, Minister of the Ministry of War, immediately left for duty. The experience made him feel bad.
Wang Feng nodded to Zhuge Qingshan and said: "The chief assistant will preside over this."
After saying that, he also slipped away.
Two pairs were left, looking at Zhuge Qingshan with eager and curious eyes.
Zhuge Qingshan knew that His Majesty had already dealt with this matter, but he still had to discuss it.
Then he told the public the details of how the camp in Liangzhou was almost blown up, how Beiliang took the opportunity to sneak attack, and how the city was almost destroyed.
"What?"
"Liangzhou was almost lost?" Xia Song was shocked.
"I remember that the commander of Liangzhou Camp is Wei Ran, the most outstanding boy of the Wei family. How come he has become so miserable in just a few years?" The military attachés were also a little surprised and did not believe that this would happen.
"How can He An turn the tide?" Some people questioned, thinking that the noble concubine's clan brother might not have this ability.
The Ministry of War and all the senior generals were aware of the military affairs and immediately questioned the matter.
"Wei Ran ordered the weapons to be collected and the military camps with disordered city defense and surveillance to be removed, which led to a sneak attack by Beiliang and the enemy troops broke into the city... Deputy General He An rushed out and easily took back control of the city gate with his Qianhu Camp directly under him.
, close the city gate to counter the enemy?"
The top boss in the military, the old Duke Ye Xuanfeng, who had not spoken for a long time, reviewed the details.
Zhuge Qingshan nodded: "That's it. Does the old Duke find it incredible?"
This matter, no matter what, will be a mistake of the military.
It is a good opportunity for the civil servants as a whole, but Zhuge Qingshan will not deliberately blame the entire military.
"I find it unbelievable... and I think it's absolutely impossible." Ye Xuanfeng's tone was calm, with a hint of doubt.
Everyone looked at him.
The military attachés were there to strengthen his strength.
"The old Duke is right. There is absolutely no way this matter is the truth. I think there is something hidden... Then He An... who doesn't know about his abilities?"
Wei Ran and He An were both from military-military families, and the Wei family and the He family were the mainstays of the country.
"The Liangzhou Camp is so important. If Wei Ran was so unaware of the importance and hidden dangers, he would not have obtained it from the generals in the first place."
"It's hard to say. There has been no war for so many years. Could it be that you are slacking off, or that you are so comfortable that there is something wrong with your thinking?"
"What do you mean?"
"Haha, just speaking frankly."
The military attachés from the Wei family and the He family started arguing on the spot.
Zhuge Qingshan looked at Ye Xuanfeng: "The old prince also thinks that He An doesn't have such ability?"
Ye Xuanfeng said: "The generals don't want to offend others, so as for me... I didn't agree with He An being sent to Liangzhou Camp as a deputy general. It's a pity that people are so indifferent."
A person who speaks softly?
Everyone shrank their necks.
Can these words be applied to you, Mr. Ye Guogong?
On the other hand, Zhuge Qingshan and other cabinet ministers blushed because they had recommended He An.
The reason is very simple. Wei Ran was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the Liangzhou camp, and He An was sent as an alternative supervisor, who could also supervise Wei Ran.
Everyone knows that He An's rapid rise was not due to the influence of his ancestors, but to his current imperial concubine.
It cannot be said that she is a noble concubine, but an emperor.
When a noble concubine married into the royal family, it represented the He family's support for the imperial power. Naturally, the emperor would reciprocate the favor and promote a few people from the He family to be put into more important positions.
He An is among them.
The cabinet naturally understood the emperor's intention, and also knew that promoting this matter would be beneficial to stabilizing the imperial power and conducive to checks and balances in the court.
Therefore, Zhuge Qingshan did not object.
At that time, many people in the military were opposed to it, especially Ye Xuanfeng, who even told the court about it, but he no longer had real power.
"Old Duke..." Cabinet Minister Yan Kuan coughed.
Ye Xuanfeng continued: "Everyone knows how He An got his official position... His qualifications, martial arts, record, and even his strategy for defeating the enemy... are not capable of defeating the others."
"The emergence of such a person has cut off the future of many military attachés, just like he cut off Wei Ran's future this time."
"He An has absolutely no such ability. I can guarantee that... Wei Ran was tricked this time, but He An became a hero."
"Also, Wei Ran sent people to disarm, and the Beiliang army rushed into the city... If the city gate, which is several feet high, is not opened from the inside, even a hard attack will have to waste some strength."
Ye Xuanfeng said disdainfully: "This is too much of a coincidence. I have never encountered such a coincidence in my entire life."
The officials were shocked.
Even Zhuge Qingshan's expression was still uncertain.
As soon as the old Duke said these words, everyone in the audience began to think.
The military attachés of the He family faction also became a little frightened.
In the military, it is very common to engage in small tricks for the sake of military exploits, and it is not impossible.
"The traces are a bit heavy." Xia Song also said lightly.
If it were someone else with Xia Song's temper, he would not agree with Ye Xuanfeng.
But that was He An.
Even if I beat Xia Song, I wouldn't believe it. He An has such ability, but Wei Ran is such a fool.
It can be seen that there must be something fishy...
Zhuge Qingshan sighed: "Your Majesty was also so suspicious yesterday. He was probably angry, so he didn't go to court today."
"I see……"
"Your Majesty has sent an order for the Xuanjian Division to arrest Wei Ran and bring him to the capital, and to show his merit to He An..."
Xia Song asked: "Since I want to show my merit, I'm afraid I have to be transferred back. Who will be sent to take charge of the Liangzhou camp?"
"Now I'm afraid that the national war is about to break out. Who can take on this important responsibility?" Mo Yuan said after watching the farce for a long time.
The eyes of a group of generals suddenly gleamed, and they no longer cared much about the truth of the case.
They all looked towards the Ministry of War and Ye Xuanfeng, hoping to be promoted and ordered to serve in times of crisis.
Ye Xuanfeng said: "If I were ten years younger, I would only have to sit in the Liangzhou camp, and Beiliang would not dare to invade."
"What the old Duke said is true, but I'm afraid that His Majesty is sympathetic to you and won't let you go out and take risks... Should we leave such dangerous things to us young people?"
"That's the truth..."
Ye Xuanfeng chuckled. Naturally, he didn't expect to go out, but when he glanced at the military attachés, he shook his head and was speechless.
There's no one he likes.
Excellent military attachés are already stationed on one side, and there are really not many generals and commanders in Beijing who are worthy of fighting.
The emperor will not easily send out capable old guys, because they have done too much and will not be rewarded if they continue.
Seeing that the military attachés were extremely eager, Zhuge Qingshan said calmly: "Your Majesty means that we need to be on guard for the national war, and He An will not come back for the time being... But it is hard to say whether he will be appointed to take charge, so we still need to prepare for a rainy day."
"Everyone express your opinions and recommend them to see if there are any generals who have been missed." Several people in the cabinet agreed.
The military attachés were all silent.
Recommended?
How to recommend?
Recommending others? I don’t like it... Recommending myself? I’m embarrassed.
During this stalemate, someone suddenly said: "Why not send a prince to take charge?"
"What?" Zhuge Qingshan and Ye Xuanfeng both looked at the man who made the suggestion with question marks on their faces.
The two people looked at each other strangely, as if they were saying: Are you out of your mind?
It is risky to let the prince control the troops outside. Besides, which prince has such ability?
The man realized that he had made a mistake and coughed: "I'm talking too much..."
Ye Xuanfeng said speechlessly: "Why send people? It is best to just order the three battalions near Liangzhou and deploy a few troops to defend Liangzhou..."
"Winter is approaching, and it's cold in the north and there is less food. Northern Liang must want to plunder, not attack the city."
"They must have feinted. Their real intention must be to bypass Liangzhou, go straight into the hinterland of the north, plunder and then withdraw as quickly as possible."
Winter is coming, Beiliang must not be able to afford it!
Ye Xuanfeng's words shocked everyone.
As expected of an old prince, he still has a sharp sword and a sharp eye.
"Yes, Liangzhou city is full of military households, and the entire Liangzhou camp... Beiliang will not fight head-on. They cannot attack the city in winter."
"We should remind the northern battalions to immediately form a chain of battalions to prevent Beiliang from crossing the border to snatch food."
Only then did all the civil and military officials wake up from their dream.
