There are piles of papers in the study, and volumes of maps are scattered on the floor.
A man in his fifties with gray hair and beard was sitting behind the desk. His face was haggard, his face was withered, and there was a look of deep worry between his brows. He was Lu Jiong, then the military governor of Huaixi and Xiangyang towns.
The defeat of Cui Yuan and Dengzhou happened under Lu Jiong's nose. He felt that he was not to blame and tried his best to recover. However, Li Lin took advantage of the great victory to bypass Nanyang and go straight to Chang'an. He was unable to stop it.
In the evening, hurried footsteps rushed to the door and said: "Master Fu, King Yong is here."
Lu Jiong was engrossed in thinking about things. He didn't hear clearly for a while and thought it was "King Yong is coming." He was surprised and happy, and stood up. He was very tall, more than seven feet tall. When he stood, his head seemed to be touching.
to the rafters.
"How did the rebels come? But they were pushed back?"
The servant outside the door heard Lu Jiong calling King Yong a rebel as soon as he opened his mouth. He was stunned for a moment and replied: "They came from Jiangling."
Lu Jiong had known that Li Lin would occupy Jiangling first and then rebel, so he frowned and said, "It's useful."
He has already stepped forward and opened the door.
Sunlight suddenly shone into the long-closed room. Lu Jiong squinted his eyes and took an official letter, only to realize that it was King Yong who came.
The next day, Lu Jiong met Xue Bai outside the city gate.
When they met each other, Xue Bai greeted them politely.
"I have long admired the name of Duke Lu."
"King Yong was joking. In the past two years, King Yong has been fighting in the south and north. I should have admired King Yong's achievements for a long time."
Xue Bai said: "A few years ago, my father-in-law was ordered to inspect Longyou. After returning to Beijing, he mentioned Duke Lu to me."
"oh?"
Xue Bai then told about that past incident. Yan Zhenqing once asked Ge Shuhan if he had met anyone who could succeed him in the process of his meritorious service and promotion. Ge Shuhan pointed to Lu Jiong, who was serving in the army in Longyou at that time, saying that Lu Jiong would be the future leader.
Be a governor.
Speaking of old things, Lu Jiong quickly waved his hands and said: "I'm ashamed, I failed to live up to the appreciation of my brother Shu Jieshuai."
The two became very close as a result.
When talking about the current situation, Lu Jiong was heartbroken, and his words revealed his dissatisfaction and regret for the saint favoring the eunuchs and escaping from Chang'an.
Lu Jiong did not hide anything from Xue Bai, saying: "Since the defeat of Dengzhou, I have contacted various states and counties to collect the remaining troops, assemble troops and horses, and work together to attack the Yongwang rebels. There have been many festivals, and the county guards have arrived.
, they are all loyal, diligent and upright people...are they introduced to King Yong?"
At the end of the conversation, Lu Jiong was actually a little hesitant and paused before speaking the last words.
Because Xue Bai is now in a state of mixed reputation among officials. Although he has made many achievements and has newspapers as a powerful tool to control public opinion, there are inevitably various rumors.
At least in the eyes of those important officials who joined forces in Nanyang, he was not a person worth dealing with.
Xue Bai didn't seem to have this kind of self-awareness. He didn't notice Lu Jiong's hesitation and responded directly: "I am very lucky to be able to overcome the difficulties together with you."
~~
What Lu Jiong said is true. Those who are joining forces in Nanyang and preparing to work together to serve the king are indeed people who uphold honor and integrity. After all, those who are selfish will often choose to wait and see the situation at this time.
Among those who have already arrived with their troops are the prefect of Yingchuan, Laigui, and the prefect of Wujun, Wei Zhi.
That day, when Wei Zhi learned that Xue Bai had arrived, his first reaction was that he was facing a formidable enemy and did not think that Xue Bai was a reinforcement.
The reason why they have a bad feeling towards Xue Bai is that they went to Chang'an to worship a few months ago. At that time, Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi had just sacrificed prisoners under the palace, while Xue Bai still stayed in Fan Yang. Some public opinions in the market came from Wei Zhi and others
They also heard that they had some sympathy for King Yong at first, but when they saw the emperor, the emperor complained about King Yong in front of them.
Li Cong did not say many things directly, nor did he dare to say them directly, but he expressed them in an insinuating way. In the process of meeting his ministers, he actually said several times that "you cannot imitate others and take credit for yourself" and "you need to stay away from people who act unscrupulously."
People" words like this.
After hearing this, Lai Ai, Wei Zhi and others had the most intuitive understanding of King Yong's hijacking of the Emperor. Seeing is believing. After that, they would not believe anything good they heard from Xue Bai.
When they left the palace, the eunuchs who led the way talked about "some people" insulting the emperor, and they were sharp-tongued and sarcastic. Although they did not call them by name, a sinister and treacherous image was already revealed.
King Yong lost his father when he was young and fell into slavery. His mind was twisted, dark, vicious, unkind, and ungrateful. The saints took pity on him and kept giving him awards, which made the world think that many of the achievements were made by King Yong.
King Yong also acted recklessly and wanted to imitate Anlu Mountain, but he refused to leave in Fan Yang.
"Now that we're here, let's meet and talk." Lai Yi sighed.
"Let's meet him for a while," Wei Zhi said.
So they each put on their armor and took their elite men with them to meet Lu Jiong and Xue Bai outside the camp gate.
You can see Lu Jiong's body as tall as a pillar from a distance.
But when Xue Bai also turned around and came to visit Wei Zhi, Wei Zhi was stunned for a moment involuntarily.
Lai Ai prided himself on being good at face recognition and believed that a person's eyes could not deceive him. But when he saw Xue Bai's eyes, which were calm, humble and kind, it was really difficult to overlap with the image he had imagined in his mind.
.
If it were the King Yong mentioned by the saint, no matter how hidden he was, no matter how deep the city was, a sinister person would definitely have an air of resentment in his eyes... But no, Xue Bai's eyes were like a well, crystal clear to the bottom.
Wei Zhi was also surprised, but took a step back unconsciously, thinking to himself that this man was so good at disguising, and he was indeed a traitor.
The two sides exchanged greetings. Xue Bai's attitude was very humble and he did not pride himself on his title or achievements. He said: "The princes understand the situation better. I will listen to the princes' arrangements on how to serve the king."
Lai Ai still couldn't tell whether he was telling the truth or not, so he didn't dare to tell the truth easily, so he didn't reveal their troop strength, equipment, and strategy.
Everyone was still unable to get to the point.
Xue Bai saw this, and when Lu Jiong arranged a simple reception banquet, he went there in plain clothes. After having two drinks, he once again used the old method of using Yan Zhenqing's relationship to win over everyone.
After drinking for three rounds, we talked about the current situation. Everyone felt sad and expressed their regret that the saint favored the eunuch again.
Lai Yi was a straightforward person. He felt that since everyone wanted to join forces to serve the king, they still had to eliminate their differences, so he held a wine glass and said to Xue Bai: "I have doubts in my mind and would like to ask King Yong to clear up my doubts, for fear of offending."
"I have something to say when I come to the public, but it doesn't hurt to say it."
"Just now King Yong said that you are the son-in-law of Duke Yan, but I have heard rumors that King Yong was promiscuous and had countless concubines. The Yan family couldn't bear it, so they left King Yong and lived in two places. But I don't know if this is true?"
After hearing this, Lu Jiong looked embarrassed and said quickly: "Come here, Governor, don't listen to rumors. King Yong, he is drunk."
"It doesn't matter." Xue Bai waved his hand, looked at Lai Yi, and said, "It doesn't matter. I was in Changshan when the rebellion broke out. I was afraid that I couldn't protect my wife and children, so I just sent her south."
If Lai Ai hadn't told him directly, he wouldn't have known how people viewed him.
This sincere answer still seems unable to erase his prejudice.
Lai Yi asked again: "I also heard that King Yong had colluded with An Lushan, so he knew about An Lushan's rebellion and secretly raised dead soldiers?"
"Are there many people in the government and the public who predict that An Lushan will rebel?"
"I heard that King Yong was extravagant. His mansion took up half of Xuanyangfang, and he plundered the women from the Jiaofang back to the mansion. Is this true?"
"Fake."
"Is there any ambiguity between King Yong and Mrs. Guo?"
"My sister-in-law and I have a brotherhood that cannot be slandered by others."
After asking many questions, there were still some things that made even Lai Yi hesitate to speak.
"There is a saying that King Yong is actually the illegitimate son of Anlu Mountain, so he was the son of a saint and Anlu Mountain in his early years..."
"Crack!"
With a loud bang, Lu Jiong finally stopped these questions and shouted: "That's enough, come to the prefect, today is too much!"
Xue Bai said: "If Lai Gong can't distinguish between rumors and rumors and has doubts, it's okay to ask. I act openly and there is nothing to avoid. But if you are deliberately humiliating and deliberately smearing, do you really think that I am weak and can't be bullied?!"
His tone was still calm, but he stood up as he spoke, his expression stern and inviolable.
Lai Yi took a deep look at Xue Bai. He actually had another question he wanted to confirm, which was the most widely circulated secret between Xue Bai and Yang Guifei. In this situation, he couldn't ask.
He stood up and saluted: "I deliberately tempted you and offended you. Please punish King Yong."
Xue Bai said: "I am here to eliminate the war and stabilize the country. This is a major national matter. All the gentlemen are famous in the world for their reputation, but if they are only entangled in some private matters, I will think that I have misjudged the person. If not,
Military affairs, farewell."
After saying that, Xue Bai turned around and walked away, no longer being polite to them.
~~
That night, Wei Zhi couldn't help but ask Lai Ai: "Lai Gong was the most polite in the past, why did he offend King Yong so much tonight?"
"If you want to join forces with him, you should know what kind of person he is."
Lai Yi didn't show any signs of annoyance, his eyes were filled with thoughts.
He wanted to make a judgment on Xue Bai's character in the shortest possible time.
Walking around, Lai Yi murmured: "If you are a deep-seated hero in the city, you should not show your emotions or anger. If you want to win over us, you should show your generosity no matter what, and you should not leave because of this; and if
Insidious villains are often narrow-minded, so how can they not complain when they are so humiliated by me?"
After thinking about it, Lai Yi finally raised his head and asked Wei Zhi: "What do you think of King Yong's reaction tonight?"
"straight."
Wei Zhi's answer was simple: "It's the 'zhi' that repays grievances with straightness."
"Yes." Lai Yi murmured, "King Yong is indeed straightforward in his actions."
"After this incident, I admit that I misunderstood King Yong before."
Lai Yi nodded, recalling the sage's complaints when he went to Beijing to perform his duties, and couldn't help but sigh: "The sage was assisted by King Yong, and became a civilized and military expert. He should have pursued his career to become a sage. Unfortunately, he mistakenly believed in the eunuchs, and the great situation has reached this point.
.”
Wei Zhi said: "Have you noticed? King Yong has never complained about the saint since we got along today."
Lai Yi was stunned, first of all he thought to himself: Who would say bad things about a saint?
But then I thought about it, since the saint favored Dou Wenyang and implemented various bad policies, how could the complaints from the government and the opposition be too small?
Even today, they, the officials of the country, revealed some attitudes through their words and silences, believing that the saint had an unshirkable responsibility for the situation.
On the contrary, King Yong, who was rumored to have evil intentions and intended to usurp, said nothing. He was always calm, did not complain, did not slander, and concentrated on doing things.
Thinking about this, Lai Yi's attitude changed greatly.
"It seems that King Yong is a person worthy of following."
"follow?"
Lai Ai said: "Today we are talking about King Qin, but once the soldiers and horses arrive in Chang'an, with King Yong's achievements and reputation, how can it not be implicated in the matter of Yi Chu? The prince is alone, how can he be King Yong's opponent?
"
He let out a long sigh, with a tone full of helplessness, and then continued: "If it weren't for such considerations, why should I consider King Yong's character?"
“Is it character that counts?”
When it comes to this topic, Wei Zhi's attitude becomes repulsive.
"I don't need to think about it to know that King Yong is far more talented than the prince. However, the reason why King Yong cannot establish a prince is not his character, but his status. Even if he is indeed the son of Prince Ying, his surname was Xue, he was a slave, and he was
How can we allow someone else's son to succeed to the throne if he has hundreds of descendants?"
Lai Yi said: "How come I don't know the truth, but..."
Before he finished speaking, a soldier ran outside the tent in panic.
"It's not good!"
"What's the matter?"
"News from the front, King Yong... King Yong has entered Chang'an City!"
When they arrived, Wei Zhi was stunned for a long time and looked at each other. Knowing that the situation no longer allowed them to look forward and backward here, they thought about it.
They knew very well that Li Lin was likely to gain the support of the Supreme Emperor and ascend the throne as emperor. In this case, the stable society would be in turmoil again.
~~
Lai Yi and Wei Zhi were not the only ones who rushed to Nanyang to join forces with King Qin.
Not everyone relied on their reputation and were suspicious of Xue Bai. There were still many generals who were in awe of him.
"The last general of the Huaixi Army, Wang Zhongsheng, met King Yong."
"Deputy envoy Liu Zhan has met King Yong."
"We are all strong men, so there is no need to be polite."
Xue Bai stepped forward to help the two generals who had come from Henan, and after asking a few questions, he learned that they could have come directly from Zhangguan to King Qin, but it was because they heard that he was in Jianghuai that he led his troops here specially.
They were originally under the command of Li Ao and once patrolled Bianzhou with Zhang. They also briefly came into contact with Xue Bai in Bianzhou. They were very envious of Xue Bai's soldiers and horses, who had enough money and food, many meritorious services and many rewards.
After saying this, Liu Zhan patted his chest and said proudly: "We are willing to follow King Yong to make great achievements!"
Xue Bai also heard that Li Lin had entered Chang'an, so he simply stopped waiting for Lu Jiong, Lai Yi, Wei Zhi and others, and directly marched towards Wuguandao with Wang Zhongsheng and Liu Zhan as the vanguard.
He seemed to have given up on the idea of joining forces with various troops, but as soon as the order was issued, Wei Zhi rushed over.
"King Yong, the road to Chang'an is narrow and the terrain is dangerous. It may be very dangerous to go deep alone. We should unite our troops in one place."
Xue Bai waved his hand and said: "When marching and fighting, the most taboo thing is not to be allowed to go out of the same door. Even if you don't believe me as a person, you can't hand over the troops and horses to my unified command. If we combine them, there will be a lot of harm. It's better for me to set off with a light army and save Chang'an first." .”
At this moment, although he still had that magnanimous expression, his intention to seek command was already revealed in front of Lai Yi and Wei Zhi.
They can refuse, and Xue Bai doesn't force it.
However, after Laiyi thought about it, he gritted his teeth and said, "Okay! I'll just listen to King Yong's unified arrangements."
Unexpectedly, Xue Bai continued to refuse.
"But it's inappropriate. If we act like this without an imperial decree, if I lead all the armies north to Chang'an, some people will say that I am plotting to usurp."
"King Yong once served as the Grand Marshal of the World's Arms and Horses, and now he is the Commander-in-Chief of the Jianghuai River. He should have controlled all the troops and horses." Lai Ai said, "We can testify for King Yong that King Yong intends to preserve the country and has absolutely no two intentions. !”
~~
Chang'an.
Li Lin stood on the tower of Zhuque Gate in the Imperial City, overlooking the neatly arranged squares in Chang'an City, his eyes seemed a little drunk.
Only when he returned to this city did he finally feel free.
In Jiangling, with the majesty of the Yangtze River and the vastness of the mountains and rivers in the world, he felt that he was imprisoned and exiled. Only here did he feel that he was standing on the top of power, and he could see the world when he looked around.
"cut!"
With this shout, the executioners swung their swords and chopped off the heads of hundreds of people to the ground.
Those are all eunuchs in the palace.
Since Li Lin told the world that he came to Beijing to clean up the emperor and eliminate traitors, he must fulfill his promise.
It also concealed his determination to replace the emperor.
Heads rolled to the ground one after another, and the stone floor in front of the Suzaku Gate was soon dyed red. The onlookers clapped their hands and cheered, and they didn't know whether it was because of instructions or sincere congratulations.
Li Lin enjoyed the cheers and felt the taste of power. Then she frowned and thought about what to do next.
He hasn't thought about it yet.
At first, I always thought that as long as I entered Chang'an, everything would be fine. But when I actually entered, I realized that there was much more to consider than I expected.
For example, his plan was very simple. He asked the Supreme Emperor to issue a decree, angrily scolding Li Cong for being unkind and unfilial and unworthy of being emperor, and deposed him. Then he ascended the throne and proclaimed himself emperor. But in fact, when the matter came to a close, Li Longji refused to do this.
If you do, you need to negotiate terms with him.
It was always Wei Jiansu who came to negotiate with Li Lin on behalf of Li Longji, and there were so many excuses.
First, deposing the emperor would bring disgrace to the clan and make the world laugh, and the society would fall apart. How could they face their ancestors? He also said that once this edict of deposing was issued, Li Cong would definitely resist with all his strength and fight with each other, with blood flowing like rivers.
.
Li Lin then asked the Supreme Emperor what he meant. They all agreed that as long as he sealed the sword and did not kill him, he would be released into Chang'an.
Wei Jiansu then said that the Supreme Emperor should take over the government again and still retain Li Cong's position as emperor. In this way, the situation would be the most stable. However, it was impossible for the country and country to be passed on to Li Cong's adopted sons. After Li Cong's death,
Li Lin can succeed him.
In this way, Li Lin marched his troops to the capital, and it was true that he was acting on the emperor's will to support the Qing Dynasty.
Of course he was unwilling to do so.
But after being put into Chang'an, his generals were quickly bribed by Wei Jiansu, and everyone was rewarded. They were busy buying houses and properties, or were obsessed with the singing and dancing of Beiqu; while the imperial army in Chang'an was in the hands of Guo Qianli.
Guarding the palace and staying still, there is a silent deterrence.
We must also consider that Li Cong has the ability to summon all the soldiers and horses in the world. Once Li Cong's army arrives, Li Lin may not be able to defeat the opponent.
After carefully analyzing the situation, and then considering Li Longji's suggestion, it seems very reasonable.
Helping the Emperor take back his power and become a prince with real power... This seems to be the best result Li Lin can get.
"Your Majesty, Mr. Wei is here."
"Let him come over."
Li Lin knew that Wei Jiansu was here to urge him again, but he still had difficulty making a decision, frowning deeply and pacing back and forth.
Soon, Wei Jiansu arrived. As soon as they met, he asked: "Has King Yong thought about it? Time is urgent and we need to send envoys to Fengtian to see the saint immediately, otherwise all the troops will arrive in Chang'an soon."
"Can't the Supreme Emperor order all the towns to support me?" Li Lin was a little anxious, and accidentally confided his feelings, and then added: "Li Cong is so stupid and favors the traitorous eunuchs, making it difficult for his adopted son to control his power.
If he continues to be emperor, I am worried that the ancestral country will fall into the hands of others."
"Things must be done step by step." Wei Jiansu said, "King Yong, don't worry. You are the most virtuous among the kings, and you will definitely inherit the legacy of the Supreme Emperor."
What he meant, to put it bluntly, was that Li Longji was convinced that he would die later than Li Cong.
However, Li Lin always felt that he would be at a loss in this way, so he still refused to agree, and asked someone to give Wei Jiansu a generous gift, intending to bribe Wei Jiansu and let this important minister clean up the situation in Chang'an for him.
Wei Jiansu was helpless and stomped away.
As soon as he left, Li Lin's general Ji Guangchen stepped forward and said: "Your Majesty, we made a decision early on!"
"How to decide?"
"There are only two choices. If you are determined to launch an army, the general will kill Guo Qianli immediately. If successful, he will take control of the imperial army, control the palace and city, and then send troops to fight against the enemy."
Even though Ji Guangchen said this, he was actually not very sure, especially after Li Lin trusted Wei Jiansu so much that the soldiers lost their fighting spirit.
He continued: "If your Majesty has no intention of launching an army, he should ask the Supreme Emperor to take charge as soon as possible..."
"Why?"
"Nowadays, all the soldiers and horses of the Qinwang, such as Guo Ziyi, Lu Jiong, Lai Yi, and Wei Zhi, may be willing to obey the emperor's will. As long as they no longer march to Guanzhong, the faint leader will lose his courage and can only delegate power. But if he doesn't do it again,
Determination, no one else mentions it, King Yong will soon attack Chang'an."
"Am I afraid of him?"
Li Lin's first reaction was unconvinced. She sneered and said, "Who the hell is he?"
~~
Wei Jiansu left the imperial city and went to the Daming Palace where there were many imperial guards. He checked the talismans before entering the Danfeng Gate.
Soon, he met Chen Xilie in the Zhongshu Province in the palace city.
"How is it?" Chen Xilie asked.
"King Yong still needs to consider it."
Chen Xilie couldn't help but shook his head but said nothing.
His position seems very similar to that of Guo Qianli. They are both former ministers of the Supreme Emperor, but they are still close to Xue Bai. At this moment, they are both truly important figures in Chang'an City. One controls the government and the other controls the imperial army.
Chen Xilie actually wanted to remind Wei Jiansu that although what Wei Jiansu was doing now was helping the Supreme Emperor gain power, in fact, just like Dou Wenyang helping the saint seize power, it was essentially causing the royal family to fight within themselves.
The more infighting among father and son brothers such as the Supreme Emperor, Saint, and Yong Wang, the weaker their strength will naturally be.
Who will benefit then?
They have all forgotten that the original cause of this rebellion was that the imperial court wanted to eliminate King Yong from his position as the Grand Marshal of the Army...