Chapter 169 The fine tradition of the old Zhao family (8.4K)
Late at night.
The moon was bright and the stars were sparse, and not a trace of clouds could be seen.
The moonlight in early winter is clear, cold, light, and soft.
Like running water, it flows quietly from the starry sky, embellishing the ground with various colors.
Under this quiet and soft moonlit night.
At this time, in the east of Bianjing City, there was an aura in a building that was inexplicably...
Kill.
This is a mansion that occupies an extremely large area. Judging from the size of the lion in front of the door, it is a prince's mansion.
Follow the historical trajectory.
It would be renamed Prince Cai's Mansion three months later, and a prison case that would go down in history would occur, adding an insignificant stain to the image of Song Huizong in later generations.
Of course.
The reason why this stain is insignificant is not because the prison case is not well-known, but because Song Huizong is so dark.
However, Zhao Ji has not yet awarded a reward to the owner of the mansion at this time, so its name is still called
Prince Jian's Mansion.
When Xu Yun and Lao Su took advantage of the darkness and were led by their old acquaintance Wang Zhen, they arrived outside the mansion.
Xu Yun was surprised to find that no Imperial City spies were found around the mansion...
Instead, there were several well-dressed men standing in various corners, vigilantly observing what was going on around them.
Could it be that Zhao Ji didn't send someone to monitor Xiao Zhao?
This is obviously impossible.
Although Zhao Ji is mediocre, it is impossible to relax his surveillance on Xiao Zhao at this point.
So it's obvious.
Xiao Zhao must have used some special trump cards.
While controlling the surrounding spies, he also tampered with their relay links so that Shangfeng could not detect any abnormalities.
If you think about it carefully, this is not difficult to understand.
After all, Xiao Zhao is the biological brother of Song Shenzong, and he was also a strong contender for the throne before.
In addition, at this time, Zhao Ji has not completely swallowed up the remnants of the power left by the Queen Mother, so Xiao Zhao must still have some unknown trump cards.
For example, through some scheduling methods, the leader responsible for handing over information at night is arranged to be one of his own, etc.
In this way, after controlling the spies around him, the leader pretended that everything was normal, and the higher-ups of the Imperial City Department would naturally not care.
But the reason why the trump card is called the trump card is that it is non-repeatable and irreversible.
In other words, the trump card can only be used once, and once the bow is drawn, there is no turning back.
Basically, by the time dawn breaks, Zhao Ji will know that something has happened in Prince Jian's mansion, no matter how lagging his information means is.
What will follow is bound to be a violent storm.
In other words
Within a few hours from tonight to tomorrow morning, something big will happen.
Or to be more precise.
It is a major event that affects the destiny of the country.
dong dong dong
After bringing Lao Su and Xu Yun to the side door of the mansion, Wang Zhen knocked gently.
Less than a moment.
crunch
The side door slowly opened, and an old concierge poked his head out.
Wang Zhen came forward, whispered a few words to the concierge, and then handed the concierge something similar to a voucher.
After a while.
The concierge retracted the door and opened the side door wider.
Wang Zhen turned his head and whispered to Lao Su and Xu Yun:
"Uncle, Xiao Wang, please."
Lao Su glanced at the men outside the door a few more times, said nothing, and followed Wang Zhen into the mansion.
Then the three of them walked for a while, passed through several courtyard walls, and finally arrived outside a sealed courtyard:
"Uncle, little king, His Highness is in the house. The general will not go in."
Lao Su nodded to him and led Xu Yun to the door.
After hesitating for a moment, he gently opened the door.
Swish
As soon as the two entered the room, more than a dozen eyes were cast on them.
Among them were Xu Yun's acquaintances and strangers who had never met before, sitting in two rows.
The officials on the left have a strong aura, while those on the right have a chilling look, and some of them are even wearing armor.
Of course.
The most conspicuous one is the one sitting at the top
Xiao Zhao.
However, at this time, Xiao Zhao was still wearing regular clothes, plain and simple, and had not yet added the yellow robe.
Lao Su first nodded to a few acquaintances, then walked quickly to Xiao Zhao:
"To Su Song, a veteran official, to pay my respects to His Highness."
Seeing this, Xiao Zhao quickly supported him and said with emotion:
"Mr. Su, I haven't seen you for a long time. How are you?"
Lao Su nodded slightly and looked at Wang Hou and Lao Zhong beside Xiao Zhao:
"Chu Dao, Uncle Yi, you are indeed here too."
Lao Zhong would be involved in this matter. This was the judgment he made during the context diagram, and he was sure that Wang Hou was also there because of Wang's talent.
Wang Zhen is Wang Hou's distant nephew. Being able to send him to invite people means that Xu Yun's border commander line must have been successful.
The old man had an angry look on his face, looking like a furious lion king. Wang Hou looked at him and sighed:
"Mr. Su, I'm afraid you don't know something. The official has appointed Tong Guan to lead the Privy Council, intending to lure the Fuzhou Zhe clan into the capital and cut off his military power!"
"The Zhe family has been guarding the Central Plains, fighting against the barbarians and dissipated people outside. They have been generals for ten generations and have a loyal family. However, they are innocently suspected because they are descendants of the Zheju family of the Qiang people. Where is the justice?!"
"Your Highness even learned from the secret line in the palace that the officials still want to use fine iron techniques to punish me and Chu Dao for treason. Now Yongnian and Liu Fa have been secretly arrested and imprisoned."
"Our soldiers are not afraid of fighting, nor are we afraid of death. Wrapping one's body in horse leather is an honor!"
"But if he dies because of his incompetence as an official, how can I have the face to meet my descendants and destroy the ancestors of the two clans?"
"If we don't do anything at this time, we will also resurrect Li Mu and leave Gao Xie behind!"
After hearing what Lao Zhong said, several civil servants on the side could not sit still.
The leader, an old man in his seventies, stood up tremblingly and bowed his hand to Lao Su:
"Mr. Su, what the propaganda envoy said is absolutely true. Now there are nearly a hundred people in prison from both the military and the government, and there are many people with meritorious deeds among them."
"The officials want to revive Cai Yuanchang again. Once this thief is restored, the decades of hard work of the two generations of Immortal Emperors Shenzong and Zhezong will be destroyed in one day!"
As soon as the old man finished speaking, other civil servants also agreed.
"Mr. Su, what Bachelor Chiang said is true. Officials are stupid and immoral. We can't wait any longer!"
"Su Gong, for the sake of the country and the country, make a decision as soon as possible!"
"Ah, yes, yes!"
When Lao Su heard this, he sighed slightly.
The old man who spoke was named Jiang Zhiqi. He was currently a direct bachelor of Longtuge and a high-ranking member of the Yuanyou Party.
Now that Lu Dian, Fan Chunli and others are arrested and imprisoned.
Jiang Zhiqi and Li Qingchen became one of the highest-ranking 'leaders' in the Yuanyou Party.
Of course.
Fan Chunren, who was mentioned earlier, is actually a bit higher than the two of them in terms of qualifications, and he can be regarded as an old figure who has revitalized his generation.
But according to the historical trajectory.
This old man is extremely weak at this time, and will die suddenly in his sleep in more than thirty days. It is impossible for him to stand up and take charge of the overall situation now.
Then Lao Su turned his head and looked at Xiao Zhao:
"Your Highness King Jian, do you really plan to take this step?"
Lao Su didn't say the word "coup", but Xiao Zhao understood what he meant.
I saw the Prince of Song Dynasty, whose face had been tense all night, with an unsightly smile on his lips, and sighed:
"Mr. Su, I just want to live."
Lao Su couldn't help but remain silent.
After talking to Xu Yun tonight, he actually understood the context and roots of the entire incident better than anyone else.
So he knew it very well.
Except for Xu Yun, everyone here was pushed to this point by the general trend. Xiao Zhao is really not trying to be miserable.
Think of this.
He couldn't help but turn around and looked around.
At this time, Wang Hou and Lao Zhong had already put on their armor, as if they were ready to go to the battlefield at any time.
Coupled with the situation of the spies outside the door, something has reached the point where the arrow has to be fired.
The only thing they lack is a line of ministers or themselves who can appease the civil servant group.
After all, although the Yuanyou Party has a large number of members, the Yuanfeng Party cannot be ignored.
Even if you exclude treacherous officials like Cai Jing and Zhang Dun among them, there are still many upright people among them.
However, Lao Su was the only neutral prime minister since the founding of the Song Dynasty. He did not take sides and never participated in party struggles.
He has both status and connections. Even within the Yuanfeng Party, he has quite a voice and has betrayed many people.
Actually.
This is also Xu Yun’s conspiracy:
The coup is inevitable, this is the general trend, even if Xu Yun is killed, it will not change this result.
If Lao Su doesn't stand up, a group of innocent courtiers are destined to be implicated.
It is not even ruled out that some people will lose their lives because of "using heavy codes in troubled times".
But if Lao Su had stood up, not only would everyone be safe from accidental injuries, but at least the vast majority of good ministers would have been saved.
And he can use his prestige to appease most of the opposing voices and ensure a rapid transition of power.
Let's go to war and make plans
Lao Su slowly closed his eyes, and images suddenly flashed through his mind:
Shenzong was critically ill. Before his death, he held his hand beside the dragon bed and was so angry that he said:
"Zirong, the prince is young and the civil servants are courting Zuo, so I will entrust it to you."
After Shenzong died, Zhezong came to the throne.
He devoted himself to assisting the government and cooperated with Zhezong to restart the Battle of Hehuang. The two battles of Pingxia City made Xixia almost surrender.
Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. Zhezong died suddenly and violently at the age of twenty-five, without even passing down the imperial edict.
When he was about to choose the throne, he chatted and laughed with the Queen Mother and appointed King Duan.
King Duan
He robs women of the people, idles around, and behaves frivolously.
He is the one with the worst stroke rating among all the princes.
Although he has now become an official, Shenzong's words are still in his ears.
One day is a phase, a lifetime is a phase.
Think of this.
Lao Su couldn't help but raise his head and looked at Xiao Zhao:
"Your Highness, I would like to go to the palace with Your Highness."
Xiao Zhao was originally prepared to start a quarrel, but when he heard that Old Su supported him so simply, he was stunned for a moment, and then bowed with great joy:
"With Mr. Su here, this matter will be done!"
After Lao Su expressed his stance.
The atmosphere at the scene suddenly became a little more relaxed.
Yes, just a little.
After all, the big thing is what you have to do next. Once you fail, it will be easy to lose your head. No one can completely relax.
Then Xiao Zhao came to the main seat and bowed to everyone:
"Everyone, the situation is urgent tonight, so I won't say any more words or nonsense."
"Old General Zhong, I will leave it to you to arrange the combat missions."
Lao Zhong nodded to him and took a layout plan of the palace from Wang Hou.
Spread it out and hang it on the wall, while introducing:
"The Imperial City is located in the north of Bianjing City. The outer gates include the left and right Yemen, Donghua Gate, Tianbo Gate and Chenhui Gate."
"The inner gate has the left and right Changqing gates, the left and right Yintai gates, and the left and right Jiasu gates."
"The first squad of the Palace Forbidden Army is directly organized and managed. The internal commander is the military attache in undressed clothes. The other front troops are the organic-level force of the palace guards."
"Currently, most of the Imperial Guards in the capital are stationed in the imperial mausoleum. The person on duty in the palace is Taiwei Wang En. This person is a confidant of the official family and there is absolutely no possibility of instigating rebellion."
"So tonight I will personally lead the elite of the Western Army. The guard who enters the Xincao Gate from outside the city through the Xincao Gate is a die-hard loyalist of His Highness. We have already contacted him in advance."
"At that time, we will break into the palace through Donghua Gate, defeat the left and right Jiasu, and reach the forbidden area!"
Wang Hou also nodded. This plan was discussed between him and the old lady, and at the same time added:
"What Uncle Yi said is the best plan, but there are two main risks."
"First, the Western Army is stationed in the east camp outside the city. The dispatch must be extremely rapid and not give the imperial army in the capital any time to react."
"Secondly, Donghua Gate is easy to defend and difficult to attack. If you want to break into the forbidden area, you may have to go through a bloody battle."
As soon as Wang Hou said this.
The atmosphere at the scene suddenly became a bit more solemn.
To know.
At present, Tong Guan has not yet become Privy Councilor. Among the three imperial guards of the Song Dynasty, the one who is truly abolished is the Hebei Imperial Army.
Although the combat power of the Forbidden Army in Beijing is inferior to that of the Western Army that has been fighting all year round, the difference is not so outrageous that it is recorded as a multiple.
Not to mention the imperial army responsible for guarding the imperial city. They are the absolute elite in the capital and have extremely powerful combat capabilities.
According to the historical system of the imperial city.
The number of forbidden troops on duty in the palace every day is as high as more than 1,800.
Including the pro-military camp at the guard's office, the total number is more than 2,600.
More than two thousand people
Coupled with the city walls and other equipment in the palace, and giving them enough reaction time, they may not be able to attack it.
However, compared to Wang Hou, who looked like he was burning the boat, Xu Yun's expression was much more subtle, and he even wanted to laugh:
I wonder if Lao Zhong and others rushed to the door with their troops and found that the two palace gates on the east side were both wide open. Would they think that someone was planning to empty the city?
That's right.
Xu Yun is causing trouble again!
In his previous life, Xu Yun had been exposed to a lot of knowledge about coups in history after he went to sea to code.
So he knew it very well.
Throughout the coup process, the palace gate often became a solid barrier restricting the attackers.
If the city gate is not breached for a while, and subsequent defensive support arrives, it will be a complete failure.
Now, as the chief director behind this incident, how could he leave the entire big problem unsolved?
To solve this problem, we must first determine one thing:
The Western Army was stationed at Dongying outside the city, and the only way to enter the city was through Xincaomen.
If you want to enter the palace after passing the Shincao Gate, you must only choose from the two east gates.
Although Xu Yun didn't know the specific time when Xiao Zhao was going to cause trouble.
But as the situation in Beijing and China worsens, it is not difficult to judge roughly when it will happen, such as within a week or a week later, etc.
So I guess it's about time.
Xu Yun told Zhao Ji something through Guo Jing:
Your Highness, there was a true dragon transforming into the East China Sea a few days ago, and you are a living true dragon, so the dragon energy will be automatically attracted to the palace.
But dragon energy is something special. Once it enters the palace, it will be easily absorbed.
Therefore, the best approach is to open the east gate wide and do not leave guards inside.
When the time comes, I will draw a formation, and the dragon energy will be purified through Wende Hall, Chuigong Hall and Jiying Hall, and then it will be inhaled by you!
Zhao Ji was a master who even dared to open the city gates and release the Liujia Divine Soldiers when the Jin army attacked the city. He also called himself Daojun Emperor, so it was very easy to deceive him.
Not to mention that Guo Jing in this life is still a magic stick who has been strengthened by Xu Yun.
To be honest.
If you just look at what Guo Jing has done, there are probably few alchemists in history who can be more powerful than him.
Today we catch ghosts and subjugate demons, tomorrow if there is a comet there will be a comet, if there is an earthquake the day after tomorrow there will be an earthquake. Who can withstand this?
Even if Qin Shihuang and Emperor Wu of Han saw such a person, they would be granted the title of Imperial Master or something like that.
So after hearing about this.
Zhao Ji immediately agreed to Guo Jing's arrangement and left the two east gates open without any scruples.
After finishing the acupuncture drawing that day, Zhao Ji was deceived into saying, "I have the advantage." This matter is not common sense to outsiders.
His eyes returned to reality.
What Xiao Zhao is doing tonight is a real matter of life and death, and not a single second can be delayed.
Therefore, after assigning combat tasks, Lao Zhong and Wang Hou immediately set off with several generals.
Xiao Zhao, Xu Yun, Lao Su and a group of civil servants quietly left Prince Jian's Mansion on more than a dozen horses with their hooves wrapped in cotton cloth to silence them.
The six arts of a gentleman are etiquette, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and arithmetic, and horseback riding belongs to charioteer.
Therefore, even an eighty-year-old man like Lao Su has mastered a good equestrian skill.
Otherwise, do you think the God of Gaoliang River can leave at will?
Another quarter of an hour passed.
The group of people came to a landmark near the imperial city:
Large warehouse warehouse.
This is Uncle Zhao's property. After learning that something was going to happen, the area was cleared in advance.
Then everyone entered the bunker that had been set up and began to wait for news about Lao Zhong.
An hour later.
It was late at night, around two o'clock in the morning.
Just as everyone's palms were sweating, a rustling sound suddenly came from outside the house.
Another moment passed.
The tall figure of Lao Zhong quietly emerged from the door, and he hurriedly bowed to Xiao Zhao:
"Your Highness, the east camp outside the city has been successfully controlled, and all 4,396 elite Western troops under the general's command have entered the city!"
"There have been drastic changes in Beijing recently, and the government has issued a curfew. Now all the watchmen in the east of the city are our people. The troops entered the city extremely smoothly, but"
Seeing Lao Zhong hesitate, Xiao Zhao couldn't help but feel nervous:
"Just what?"
A trace of doubt flashed in Laozhong's eyes and he said:
"It's like this. After the troops entered the city, the old minister sent a few spies pretending to be drunkards to explore the situation."
"But the spies came back and told them"
"Donghua Gate and Chenhui Gate are wide open to the outside world. There is not a single figure on the wall, except for a few Taoist priests who are practicing."
"?"
A question mark floated on Xiao Zhao's face. He suddenly thought of something and asked:
"General Zhong, is there any fraud?"
Lao Zhong shook his head firmly, took out a roster from his body, handed it to Xiao Zhao, and explained:
"Chu said that after taking control of Dongying, he specifically counted the number of people and found that there were no troops in Beijing that had been transferred in advance. Everything was as usual."
"Maybe the officials are up to something again."
Xiao Zhao couldn't help but take a deep breath. It was too late to retreat due to the current situation. A trace of determination flashed in his eyes:
"The arrow has to be fired when it is on the string. General Zhong, prepare to enter the palace!"
"Got the order!"
Lao Zhong hugged Xiao Zhao, returned to the main army, and made final battle arrangements.
Soon, even Xu Yun, who had no combat mission, was assigned a machete.
as well as
A small bottle.
According to Wang Zhen, it is called
Crane top red.
Another quarter of an hour passed.
The large army was divided into two parts and slowly approached Donghua Gate and Chenhui Gate.
According to the original battle plan.
At this time, the army can light torches, give orders, mount ladders on the city wall, and start attacking and seizing the gate.
But the palace door that was now open made Lao Zhong and Wang Hou temporarily change their attention:
They selected an elite infantry fighting force called "Du", which was a staff of 105 people.
Then he split it into two and slowly moved towards the city gate.
A little over half an hour later.
Dutou bowed his head and sent a reply:
"Report, a total of twelve Taoist priests from the two palaces have been controlled!"
The old man glanced at him and asked sternly:
"There was no sound, right?"
Dutou smiled and shook his head, saying:
"Don't worry, half of the ten people are sleeping, and their snoring is louder than our footsteps. By the time they react, they have already been gagged."
A trace of doubt flashed through Xiao Zhao's eyes again, and he became increasingly confused about Zhao Ji's thoughts.
But soon, it still ordered:
"In this case, the entire army slows down and enters the palace!"
According to Lao Zhong and Wang Hou's previous arrangements.
After breaking through the Donghua Gate, there was a Right Jiasu Gate and a Left Jiasu Gate in front of everyone, a total of three gates.
If we can break through the Zuo Jiasu Gate, we will reach the Huangyi Palace by then.
Going any further is forbidden.
Therefore, no matter what Zhao Ji is up to, the Donghua Gate can be touched silently, which means that the Youjiasu Gate at the next level may be able to catch the Imperial Army off guard and increase the success rate of their actions.
But soon, after advancing for a while, the army discovered again
Youjia Sumen is also completely open, and there are no Taoist priests in it.
Xiao Zhao:
"0.0?"
What the hell is going on here?
Then came Zuo Jiasumen, but there was still no one there.
See this situation.
Even Wang Hou and Lao Zhong, who had decades of combat experience, became confused:
"0.0?"
But on the other hand.
Seeing that they were approaching the center of the palace effortlessly, the mood of the entire troublemaking group immediately rose a lot.
Looking at the extremely excited civil servants around him, Xu Yun felt inexplicably sentimental, even angry:
Perhaps that was how Xiao Zhao and his brothers felt when they were watching Song Huizong and Song Qinzong slowly walk out of Bianjing City and surrender.
To be precise.
Song Huizong at that time should have been countless times more outrageous than he is now:
Although the palace gates are wide open tonight, there are no strong enemies outside Bianjing, and there are Dongying guards inside.
After excluding special circumstances like Xiao Zhao, at least in theory there is a certain degree of safety.
But what about Jingkang at that time?
That was a real life and death situation.
Apart from being weird + cerebral palsy, Xu Yun really doesn’t know how to describe Zhao Ji.
Ever since.
that's all.
The group of people passed through three gates, which were originally planned to take a lot of time, and arrived at the forbidden Huitong Gate.
At this point.
Xiao Zhao and others were discovered as expected.
But in a sense.
The discovery or lack of discovery at this step is actually almost the same:
At present, 80% of the entire palace's security system is stationed on the north, south, and west sides, and they have no idea that the forbidden crystal has been stolen.
The only people left in the forbidden area were the Chongban in the palace led by Wang En and the personal guards of the Imperial City Division. The total number was no more than two hundred people.
200 versus 4396.
Even with the help of a five-meter high wall, it is not a fight of the same magnitude.
"Kill!!!!"
"rush!"
"Bang"
At this time, Zhao Ji was sleeping with a certain imperial concubine in his arms. He originally dreamed that he had conquered the Liao Kingdom and forced Yelu Hongji to open the city and surrender. He was visiting the concubine of Liao Xingzong.
As a result, I was suddenly jolted back to reality by the sound outside.
I saw the Emperor of the Song Dynasty rubbing his eyes, and a fire burst out of his chest.
I was about to call the eunuch to ask about the situation:
"Li Guding, give it to me"
As a result, before the words could be spoken, someone violently broke into the house.
"Bang"
The imperial concubine beside her suddenly woke up and quickly pulled the quilt to cover her body:
"ah!!!!"
However, I don't know if it was because he was exhausted by the drinking and sex, but Zhao Ji was still a little confused.
Suddenly, the shadows of Zhao Kuangyin, Zhao Guangyi and other ancestors dimly appeared in his field of vision. The background seemed to be in Chenqiaoyi?
at the same time.
Along with the shadow, there was also a cold word that penetrated his ears:
