The spring sunshine shines through the window paper on the table, and a box of peach cakes is placed there, looking very delicious.
Yuan Zai stretched out his hand, picked up one, put it in his mouth and chewed it. He closed his eyes and savored the taste that melted in his mouth. As for the hard biscuits on the side, he had not yet taken a bite.
He is not greedy, but Chang'an City is short of food now, and food can demonstrate power more than anything else. Just this small box of peach cakes, which I might not be able to buy for ten thousand guan, but he can get it Being filial to others is power.
Yuan Zai has always been accommodating, and his relationship with Yang Guozhong and Xue Bai is sometimes distant and sometimes close, and they have never been at odds with each other. Last time Li Cong's palace changed, he secretly cooperated and was one of the first officials to support Li Cong. Now, He has been appointed as a doctor to manage the money and food in Chang'an City.
He is very good at doing this, and he is determined to rule the whole world. He can naturally handle the affairs of a small corner of Chang'an very appropriately. The strange thing is that Xue Bai is always on guard against him and never relaxes in his inspection. While Yuan Zai was dissatisfied, he also thought with disdain that if he really wanted to be greedy, who could see it?
There was a knock on the door, and Yuan Zai picked up a stack of official documents as if nothing had happened, casually covered it on the box of peach cakes, and said, "Come in."
An official in blue robe walked in and said: "Mr. Yuan, this is the military ration book you want."
"Leave it alone." Yuan Zai responded calmly.
The green-robed official was about to turn around and go out when a "gurgling" sound suddenly came from his stomach. Yuan Zai then raised his head and glanced at him and said, "You look strange, you just arrived at the Ministry of Finance?"
"Hui Yuan Langzhong, yes."
Yuan Zai thought to himself that Xue Bai had transferred a group of officials to the Ministry of Household Affairs just a few days ago to pay for food. This person should be Xue Bai's person. When he was asked, he did not take the initiative to give his name. He did not know whether it was because he was stupid or because he did not want to attract attention. .
"What's your name?"
"Xiaguan Ye Ping, a native of Raozhou, Jiangnan West Road."
"Ye Ping?" Yuan Zai thought for a while and murmured: "I seem to have heard your name before, 'White jade is not a treasure, I don't need a thousand gold pieces. Remembering a thousand pieces of paper, holding thousands of books in the heart', this poem is Did you write it?"
"Does Mr. Yuan actually know?"
"Sure enough, Wang Changling personally selected your poems for the first issue of "Tianbao Wenxiu"." Yuan Zai said with a smile, "That's right."
Ye Ping's stomach rumbled again, and he was a little surprised. He responded: "I am a low-ranking official with a humble talent. I am ashamed to have such an opportunity."
Yuan Zai picked up the biscuits on the table and handed them over. Ye Ping was stunned for a moment, and when he raised his eyes, he saw that the powerful doctor Du Zhi had a friendly look on his face, full of the charm of a man of power.
"Eat, my quota is larger than yours. Sit down, eat, and drink some water... Since you have such an opportunity, you must be very popular with Xue Lang, right?"
Ye Ping sat down carefully, took two mouthfuls of the biscuit, and responded: "In recent years, countless students from poor families have stood out because of public newspapers and literary newspapers. How can I be so virtuous and capable?"
Yuan Zai didn't believe it and asked, "Have you seen Xue Lang?"
Ye Ping's eyes couldn't help but light up, and he replied: "I've seen it before. First, when Xue Lang was demoted, he went with Chang Gun to see him off outside the city. Later, the Hanmen Poetry Society was established, and Du Fu also brought him here several times. Now he is at the top of the city. I can see him more often."
Yuan Zai just wanted to know if Xue Bai had appointed a new person to keep an eye on him, so he asked like a casual chat: "The Humble Poetry Club?"
Ye Ping said: "It is a society formed by those of us who come from humble backgrounds. We have cultural meetings every month, as well as our newspapers and schools."
After Yuan Zai heard this, he was a little puzzled and said: "Why didn't you invite me to join the society? Not to mention that I also come from a poor family. At that time, bamboo and paper were becoming popular, and I was publishing classics and history books under Yang Zhang's family."
"When Dr. Yuan Zhong was invited, it must be that Dr. Yuan Zhong was not around when we came to the door, so the concierge wouldn't let us in..."
While talking, there was a sudden noise outside.
Yuan Zai heard that something was wrong and went out of Shangshu Province in person. He saw an old man sitting on a carriage talking in the middle of the long cross street of the imperial city, with many officials standing around him.
He pushed through the crowd and squeezed forward, and soon heard the old man's slow but powerful words.
"You and the younger generation may not recognize me anymore. I am Cui Yuxi, whose courtesy name is Hongfan. I was named Viscount Qinghe and became an official in Zhongshushe. He was born in Wushuifang, the southern ancestor of Cui family in Qinghe. My father's name is "Rong". .”
As soon as these words came out, everyone was in awe. Cui Rong was a famous official in the Wu Zhou Dynasty. His articles were elegant and well-known. Together with Su Weiwei, Li Qiao, and Du Shenyan, they were collectively known as the "Four Friends of Articles". One of the founders of meter. This shows his reputation among officials and literati.
Cui Yuxi added: "Today, I want to confess my sins to the saint. In the spring of the seventh year of Tianbao, my seventh brother Cui Qiao was the Minister of Rites. You must all remember that the number one scholar that year was Xue Bai. Cui Qiao At that time, he told me that 'Xue Bai had evil intentions', and the reason why he refused to nominate Xue Bai as the number one scholar was because he believed that when serving as an official, character is more important than talent."
More and more officials arrived. When they heard the word "Xue Bai", they knew that today's matter was not simple.
"However, Xue Bai coerced public opinion, encouraged the scholars to cause trouble, and confused right and wrong. He said that Cui Qiao's failure to rank him on the list was because of his sinful and lowly status, which made people angry. At that time, even I didn't notice it. Right and wrong, I came forward to ask the Right Prime Minister to demote Cui Qiao, thinking that I was being impartial. But many years have passed, and it is only today that I can see that Xue Bai has a bad character and a wolfish ambition!"
"What nonsense are you talking about?!" Ye Ping was shocked. He shouted and was about to step forward, but was quickly blocked by someone.
Cui Yuxi ignored those who questioned him, and continued in an old and powerful voice: "Do you know, gentlemen? An Qingxu is ready to surrender and has told the truth about the rebellion - you think that Xue Bai, the famous loyal minister who conquered the rebellion and Dingxing, It is the main culprit that caused the rebellion!"
Many years ago, it was here that Du Wulang incited a group of poor men to besiege Cui Qiao. At that time, he understood that the most important thing in creating a storm of public opinion was not to be justified or unreasonable, but to heighten the atmosphere and Emotions ignite.
Today is Cui Yuxi's turn. He doesn't need any evidence at all. The most fundamental reason for the whole thing is that Xue Bai's attitude towards the family's food payment aroused their anger. Then, when the angry person spreads rumors, the uninformed people will naturally act like they are innocent.
They swarmed like flies on their heads.
"You guys think Xue Bai welcomed the saint back? You're wrong, he was the one who forced the saint out of Chang'an. Do you still remember the fireworks that suddenly exploded above Xingqing Palace that night?!"
"Let me tell you, Xue Bai kidnapped the saint and took away the remaining grain reserves in Chang'an City, not to defend the city at all, but to rebel!"
"Fortunately, His Highness the Crown Prince has sent an envoy to appease An Qingxu. An Qingxu has only one request, to kill Xue Bai. However, His Highness is benevolent and righteous, but he still has scruples. We will go to Taiji Palace and ask the saint to issue an edict to punish the traitors and pacify the rebellion.
, restore stability to the Tang Dynasty!"
"..."
Words like this were not only spoken by Cui Yuxi, but had spread to the ears of all the officials in Chang'an City in a very short period of time.
They didn't think they could kill Xue Bai just by talking. Instead, they had sent people to contact Chen Xuanli, Wang Sili, Li Chengguang and other generals earlier. What they were doing at this time was just to build momentum and force them to
These generals just made up their minds.
Especially Chen Xuanli, who holds the imperial army and has the highest prestige. He has always been loyal to the saint. As long as Chen Xuanli expresses his stance, the overall situation will be decided.
Therefore, they encouraged more and more officials to rush to Tai Chi Palace.
In other words, these nobles and nobles from well-known families and elegant personalities would naturally not come forward in person. But today is different. First, because Xue Bai accepted their rations, which made them feel an unprecedented crisis. Second, Xue Bai
Bai has kidnapped Saint, and today their move is to rescue him.
Wouldn’t it be foolish for the rescuer not to actively strive to appear in front of the saint?
"Let's go to Tai Chi Palace to see the saint!"
The crowd in the imperial city was heading north, as if a great court meeting had been held during the day.
When Yuan Zai turned around, he could no longer find Ye Ping. Nowadays, most of the officials in the court were from the family. Even those who entered the official position through the imperial examination were mostly from famous families. Ye Ping was from a small and humble family.
Mixed in it, like a grain of sand, it has been buried.
"Brother Gongfu."
Suddenly someone shouted. Yuan Zai looked at the person and saw that they were Li Qiyun and Li Jiayou, so he nodded.
These two people were both born in the Li family of Zhao County, and were of the same age as Xue Bai. Not long ago, Yuan Zai saw them working with Xue Bai, looking like they were united.
Talented people from well-known families are born with a calm and confident temperament. Although their official positions are far lower than those of Yuan Zai, they can interact with each other freely and interact with each other as equals.
"You two are also going to the 'Qingjun Side' of Tai Chi Palace?" Yuan Zai asked. He used a very serious word, but there was a smile on his face, which softened the severity.
Li Jiayou said: "The food rations of my clan have also been requisitioned, and there are many uncles and brothers of mine there. But if Xue Bai is killed, the rebels will surrender. I don't believe it."
Li Qijun said: "I am afraid that Ji Sun's worries are not in Zhuan Yu, but within Xiao Qiang."
Yuan Zai nodded, and it could be seen that among the famous noble families, there were still some sober people after all.
"It is useless to argue about right and wrong at the moment." Li Jiayou said, "We want to talk to Xue Bai to see how to calm down the public anger. Does Brother Gongfu know where he is?"
Yuan Zai shook his head and said, "I don't know."
"Then what choice will Brother Gongfu make?"
Yuan Zai would never place a bet rashly. He raised his hands and bowed to the sky, saying: "I will do my duty and fulfill my duty as a minister."
Li Qijun took a deep look at him and seemed to see his wavering. He cupped his hands and continued to look for Xue Bai with Li Jiayou. Yuan Zai watched their backs, hesitated slightly, and followed the crowd towards Tai Chi Palace. go.
They parted ways. On one side were the famous children with five surnames and seven hopes, who did not care about their own interests and were trying to save the situation; on the other side were the common people who were born in poverty and had finally climbed to a high position, thinking about how to protect themselves. Sometimes, looking at Which class a person belongs to may not only depend on their origins, but also where their hearts are. Their origins will not change, but their hearts will.
~~
A sky street passes through Zhuque Gate in the imperial city and leads directly to Chengtian Gate in the palace city.
The Imperial Guards standing guard in front of Chengtian Gate, holding halberds, changed their expressions slightly when they saw the ministers and nobles coming towards them with great force.
"I request to see the saint!"
"Please ask the saint to punish the traitors and pacify the rebels!"
Such a cry fell on Chen Xuanli's ears through the vermilion palace wall. He frowned with two thick eyebrows, thought about it, and went to find Gao Lishi again.
Gao Lishi has been a lot lazy recently and doesn't often accompany the saint. Today he moved a deck chair and sat on the corridor, staring at the clouds in the sky in a daze.
Chen Xuanli walked up to him, looked up at the sky, and listened. He could indeed hear the noise coming from the distance, so he asked doubtfully: "Can't you hear it?"
"I'm getting old." Gao Lishi sighed, "You know, many years ago I asked the saint to ask for help. My legs and waist hurt when I stand for a long time. Others admire me for my majesty, but what I want is the opposite. It’s time to live a leisurely life after becoming an official, so you don’t have to worry so much every day.”
"Don't think I'm stupid." Chen Xuanli said, "I can see something is wrong. Have you ever been so careless before?"
"But you still went back to Chang'an."
Chen Xuanli said: "That means I believe you."
"Since you believe me and just sit back and wait, you and I are old, so let's leave the matter to the young people to solve."
"How can I sit still if you refuse to tell the truth?" Chen Xuanli stared at Gao Lishi for a while, and when he saw that he still closed his eyes and said nothing, he said: "Okay, then I will do it my way!"
Gao Lishi said: "The saint has not issued the decree yet..."
"What I uphold is the will of the saint! What the Manchu minister said today, that Xue Bai had ulterior motives and incited rebellion, is a matter of imperial decree!"
Chen Xuanli strode away without looking back.
Gao Lishi moved his fingers as if he wanted to stop him, but in the end he stopped and murmured: "The saint's intention."
The two talked about it, but it was he who was persuaded by Chen Xuanli.
Over there, Chen Xuanli walked to the top of Chengtianmen City, looked down at the ministers, summoned his generals, and issued military orders one after another.
"Go and take Guo Qianli into custody, and you will command his troops!"
"Here!"
"Lead a team of people to find Xue Bai and bring him to face the Holy Spirit. If there is resistance..." Chen Xuanli hesitated, but finally said: "If there is resistance, take it down immediately."
Rather than saying that he was forced by these ministers to kill Xue Bai to quell public anger, it is better to say that he wanted to use this incident to capture Xue Bai and find out some truth.
"Here!"
"Go and invite the Crown Prince to come down and tell him that the situation is boiling and no one but His Highness can calm it down."
"Here!"
After the arrangement was completed, Chen Xuanli ordered someone to announce to the minister that he had gone to arrest Xue Bai. As soon as he got it, he would ask the saint to find out the matter, punish the evildoers, and give everyone an explanation.
In front of Chengtian Gate, more ministers and ministers gathered than at the Great Court Meeting. After hearing Chen Xuanli's statement, everyone felt relieved.
"It seems that Chen Xuanli has made up his mind."
"I have known for a long time that Xue Bai has aroused public anger. What will happen to him?"
Suddenly, someone hurried over and said, "I haven't found Xue Bai yet, but I found that Wang Rao had gathered troops."
It has to be said that these ministers are extremely powerful, have good ears and eyes, and can get information in advance.
"What do you mean? Do they still dare to touch us?"
"Killing ministers is good at killing ministers, unless Xue Bai really wants to rebel..."
"The saint is coming!"
Somewhat unexpectedly, the saint's ceremonial chariot suddenly appeared on top of the Chengtianmen city.
Everyone was overjoyed and worried that the saint was being held hostage by Xue Bai and wanted to protect this treacherous villain.
Cui Yuxi comforted everyone and said: "Since Chen Xuanli has made up his mind, the saint must have got rid of Xue Bai's hostage."
So, all the ministers looked up, waiting for the saint to issue an order to eradicate the traitor.
~~
And on the Zhuque Gate across the entire imperial city from Chengtian Gate, Xue Bai was holding a telescope and observing the situation in the imperial city.
When he heard the sound of horse hooves and saw the king's rare troops approaching in formation, he had a trace of pity in his eyes and ordered: "Except for the Zhuque Gate, close all the gates in the imperial city."
The flag order was waved and spread far away. From Hanguang Gate, Shunyi Gate, Anfu Gate... the imperial city gates began to close one after another. This was to control the situation, and at the same time, it also left the ministers with nowhere to go.
escape.
Wang Rao's horses have already passed the Zhuque Gate, and are driving along Tian Street towards Cheng Tian Gate. The troops and horses he brings are not many, and more troops are still near Chunming Gate, but they should be enough to deal with these nobles.
"Let's go."
Xue Bai put down his telescope and walked down to the city.
He will not just wait here, but will personally face the family's anger against him.
However, on the Heavenly Street, the king suddenly reined in his horse. Because in front of him, a group of people suddenly shouted and ran past, as if to stop his soldiers and horses.
It was a group of officials, mostly in blue robes and green robes, and many of them were officials. Only occasionally could I see some red robes.
"Don't move forward!"
Wang Rao frowned, drew his sword in his hand, and murderous intent flashed across his face. After a moment, he realized that something was wrong, because he did not feel the arrogance of wealth and wealth from these officials.
"Xue Bai was wronged!"
"The Chang'an family wants to kill Xue Bai for paying grain, but the soldiers and the people are hungry, how can they defend the city?!"
"How can the court believe that the rebels will surrender easily?!"
With these shouts, Wang Rao finally realized that these people were actually here to support Xue Bai.
This matter was outside their plan. In order to keep it secret, except for the core personnel and close confidants, they did not contact many people, let alone create momentum.
However, time was running out now, and his soldiers and horses were actually blocked by these people. On the other side of Tianjie, the officials gathered in front of Chengtian Gate were also alarmed.
"Get out of the way!" Wang Nan shouted loudly, "Don't block the road."
He was still thinking about what words he should use to drive away these officials, when a horse rushed to his side, it was Xue Bai.
"Someone in the court is secretly treasonous and wants to open the city gate. You must get out of the way immediately! Don't stop General Wang from suppressing the rebellion!"
"It's Xue Lang!"
One of the people in the team supporting Xue Bai was Ye Ping. He looked around and saw Xue Bai coming on horseback wearing armor. He felt relieved and quickly retreated to the roadside. He raised his arms and shouted: "We will follow Xue Lang to put down the rebellion."
!”
"Suppress the rebellion!" Wang Nannan immediately led his troops forward.
When his soldiers and horses were rushing towards Chengtian Gate like a stream of water, Ye Ping quickly followed and shouted at the same time: "There are rebels in the city who are trying to eliminate Zhongliang. Now that the army has put down the rebellion, I advise you to wait until you know how to return."
"
Soon, the officials just now also shouted with him, creating momentum for Xue Bai.
"careful!"
There was a sudden conflict ahead, and screams broke out repeatedly. Guards from aristocratic families on the streets of the Imperial City on both sides rushed towards us, shouting reports as they ran.
"Xue Bai rebelled! The imperial city was blocked..."
In the chaos, a stream of arrows hit Ye Ping. He couldn't avoid it. Fortunately, another official next to him grabbed him.
The two immediately took shelter under the wall of Sinong Temple nearby.
"Thank you very much. May I ask your benefactor's name?"
"Huayin Yao Runeng."
"Brother Yao also believes in Xue Lang?"
"It's not important." Yao Runeng is a middle-aged scholar. He squints his eyes slightly when looking at things. Although he knows that there is danger ahead, he still moves forward. "I still plan to become famous through newspapers, so naturally I am on Xue Bai's side."
After hearing this, Ye Ping suddenly thought of something and exclaimed: "I know you!"
Since the rise of newspapers and stories, there have been many newspapers in Chang'an City that publish essays and stories, famous ones such as "Chang'an Stories" and "Tianbao Miscellaneous Records", and Yao Runeng is the one who often compiles articles in these newspapers. He is good at writing
Anecdotes about famous people at that time.
Ye Ping had been curious about this person for a long time, because Yao Runeng wrote "The Deeds of Li Linfu" and even knew the name of Li Linfu's family assets clearly.
At this time, he couldn't help but asked: "Brother Yao, I wonder where you come from? Are you so knowledgeable?"
"What kind of background can I have? If I didn't have this way of making a living while being able to hear and reach the princes, I'd probably have to sell my family to be able to qualify for the imperial examination."
Ye Ping felt ashamed. His background was even worse than Yao Runeng's. If he hadn't become famous in newspapers, he wouldn't even be qualified to sell his family.
"In this way, you and I are both ordinary people from a poor family who have received favor from Xue Lang. At this time, it is time to step forward."
"good!"
Yao Runeng responded, quickly took out a piece of paper and charcoal from his sleeve, scratched a few times, and wrote down something.
Suddenly, a group of forbidden troops in front broke away from the formation and rushed in their direction. At the same time, they shouted: "Under the orders of General Chen, Xue Bai is captured. Anyone else who is not involved should get out of the way."
Yao Runeng raised his head again but was unable to react in time.
"Brother Yao, be careful!"
"Hey!"
In the flash of lightning, a fast horse came rushing towards him. He pulled Yao Runeng away and turned the horse's head to confront the imperial guards.
The knight on the horse was high-spirited and shouted: "Are you following General Chen's orders, or are you following the Holy Order?! Are you going to defend Chang'an, or are you infiltrating the rebels?!"
~~
"Sorry, Xue Bai and Wang Nan came with their troops to kill us, accusing us of infiltrating the rebels."
"He dares?!"
The ministers in front of Chengtian Gate obviously did not expect that Xue Bai would be so rebellious and so resolute. They were frightened and frightened. When they heard that the imperial city had been sealed, their faces turned pale with fear.
But soon, they figured out a way.
"Quickly, please ask General Chen to open the palace gate and let us enter the palace city!"
"General Chen, open the palace gate!"
Suddenly, countless ministers began to wave to the top of the city, urgently asking Chen Xuanli to open the palace city and let them in.
At this time, the imperial driver finally slowly arrived at the city gate.
Chen Xuanli was about to give the order to open the palace gate, but turned around and saw that the royal mantle was still hung on the imperial chariot. Yang Yuhuan stood up from the phoenix chariot, glanced at him, and signaled to a small yellow gate to hold an imperial edict.
"General Chen." Yang Yuhuan also stepped forward and reminded in a low voice: "Don't be impulsive. Before doing anything, please think about the consequences."
Chen Xuanli frowned and responded: "The saint's intention..."
"The situation has reached this point, which shows that the saint's intention is wrong. Does General Chen not want to give the saint a step down?" Yang Yuhuan said: "Don't worry, as long as General Chen stops now, he will still be one of our own."
Chen Xuanli was silent for a while, turned his head, and from the corner of his eye could see Wang Jinpo's troops approaching the palace wall. Farther away, there was a cavalry group that stopped all the troops he sent out.
Sweat was dripping from his forehead. Finally, he reached out to take the imperial edict and unfolded it. Immediately afterwards, his pupils trembled. He saw the words "Jiaxue Baitejin, censor doctor, to track down the spies in Chang'an",
He knew that once the decree was issued, a massacre would occur under his nose.
"this?!"
"General Chen." Yang Yuhuan said the last word again. This time, she used a voice that only the other party could hear, "You think you are following the saint's will, but you forgot one thing - you
You are the one who shares the same secret with Xue Bai. If you don’t support him, who will protect you if the matter is exposed?"
Chen Xuanli was stunned and his eyes widened with fear in his eyes.
"As expected, you..."
Yang Yuhuan shook his head and said: "It's all for the sake of the stability of the country, let's pass on the decree."
Chen Xuanli closed his eyes helplessly, and after a long time, he finally gave the order.
"There are rebels under the city. Close the palace door and don't let them in!"
"Here!"
"Preaching the imperial edict..."
Soon, increasingly desperate and angry shouts sounded outside the palace gate.
On the other hand, Chen Xuanli also felt unwilling to do so, so he clenched his fists tightly.
He had already suspected it, but he was not sure. But now it seems that the saint in the palace is indeed a fake.
~~
"Zhang Xiaojing?"
On Tianjie, Yao Ru could not help but get excited when he heard Zhang Xiaojing's name. Regardless of what he was doing, he stepped forward and asked, "I've heard of you. You have experienced the Chencang Incident, right?"
"Go away!" Zhang Xiaojing shouted, but then asked curiously: "How did you know?!"
"I was writing "The Deeds of Yang Guozhong" and I asked a lot about it, but there was one question. Where did Yang Guozhong go after the Chencang Incident?"
"I shot him."
Zhang Xiaojing responded casually, pushed Yao Runeng away, and went to cooperate with Wang Nanlan in besieging the minister.
Yao Runeng staggered back a few steps, lowered his head, and wrote down on his paper "Knight Zhang Xiaojing shot Yang Guozhong." After that, he looked at Zhang Xiaojing's back in the chaos and felt that there must be more to discover about this matter.
But the screams all over the sky have already begun to sound...