Chapter 1683 King Wu: Are you here to persuade us to join?
Jinling City, Palace Garden, Duanming Hall
As Hao Jiru, the head of the Hao family, and King Wu captured the Governor's Mansion, the soldiers and horses of the Jiangnan Camp also took over the entire towering palace city at this moment.
King Wu was silent for a moment and said: "Everyone, now that we have captured the city of Jinling, we should strike while the iron is hot and call on officials from Jiangnan provinces to join us in this righteous cause."
Although he is eager to ascend the throne and practice Zuo, the overall situation is still uncertain at this time, and people still need to unite people.
Hao Jiru twirled his gray beard under his chin with his hand, and said with a kind smile on his face: "Your Majesty, in the south of the Yangtze River, the Wang family of the former Yangzhou salt merchants wants to transport money and food to the Beijing camp and supply the army."
King Wu turned to look at Annan Hou Ye Zhen, who was sitting on the Grand Master's chair, and said with approval: "The Wang family is so loyal and courageous?"
Hao Jiru was silent for a moment and said: "Back then, when King Wei was patrolling salt in the south of the Yangtze River, he persecuted the eight major salt merchants in Yangzhou in every possible way. Now that we, the Jiangnan scholars, have revolted, the Yangzhou salt merchants will certainly have their revenge and their grievances."
When King Wu heard this, his bright eyes flickered and he said in a low voice: "That King Wei has really done many unjust things and has enemies all over the world."
Hao Jiru's face was deeply furrowed, and he said in a clear voice: "King Wei has always been surly and vicious, and often tortures and kills people. It's not surprising that he has so many enemies."
King Wu's face paused slightly and he said: "There are many families in Jiangnan who have enmity with King Wei. How do you plan to treat them, Mr. Hao?"
Hao Jiru thought for a while and said: "Your Majesty, I have already asked Quanzi to contact various families. He wants to summon all the families who are dissatisfied with King Wei, and if they have money and strength, they can jointly attack the guards.
king."
King Wu Jingjie praised: "Only when we share the same hatred of the enemy and unite our will to achieve success, King Wei is opposed by so many people in the world. I don't believe that he can still sit on the Diaoyutai in Shenjing."
In the hall, everyone was talking a lot, and the atmosphere in the hall was quite lively and noisy for a while.
Shen Fang, the governor of Liangjiang, sat in the hall and looked at the people in the hall with an inexplicable emotion in his heart.
Under the thin and loose eyebrows of the King of Wu, his cold, sparkling eyes flickered and he said, "Jie Yue, Minister of the Ministry of War, has not come yet?"
"Back to your lord, Mr. Xie is saying that he has a leg problem recently and is just resting in bed at home." At this moment, a servant came close and reported.
Hao Jiru was displeased and said coldly: "This old fox, even now, still only cares about protecting his own life, and has no regard for the country of the Han Dynasty!"
Shen Fang lowered his voice and said in a low voice: "Mr. Jie Lao may not be very optimistic about our ability to win consecutive battles and enter the Shenjing."
Since ancient times, it has been difficult to conquer the north from the south, not to mention that the southern troops were weak in combat.
There was a hint of dissatisfaction on Hao Jiru's beard-covered face, and he said, "He's got it wrong."
King Wu said: "What Mr. Hao said is that now we, the scholars in the south of the Yangtze River, are working together and are in high spirits. As long as we follow the steps, we can conquer from the south to the north and unify the world."
Hao Jiru said in a low voice: "What the prince said is that now that the world is already in a state of uproar, we are just waiting for people with lofty ideals to rise up and make a cry."
King Wu was silent for a moment and said: "The top priority now is not the Northern Expedition, but to capture the Jiangbei camp and resist the intrusion of the Jiangnan navy."
Hao Jiru looked at the King of Wu under his thick eyebrows with a hint of gray, and said warmly: "Your Majesty, why don't you see the Marquis of Annan, Ye Zhen?"
King Wu said: "Yehou has just gone to organize the Jiangnan camp."
Hao Jiru said: "Your Majesty, there are still many generals promoted by King Wei in Jiangnan Camp. These people have to be guarded against."
King Wu said warmly: "Many of them are descendants of officials in the south of the Yangtze River. Now they can follow Ye Hou, so it is not easy to be alone. Besides, now is the time to employ people, and it is more important to reunite people's hearts. It is really not appropriate to mess up the situation."
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Under his thick eyebrows, Hao Jirü's eyes were piercing and he said warmly: "What the prince said is true. It can be said that he knows everything well."
King Wu waved his hand and said: "At present, the enemy is the most important, so you don't need to pay too much attention to these trivial details."
Afterwards, King Wu and Hao Jiru talked for a while, and then Hao Jiru left.
In the next four or five days, the entire Jiangnan officialdom seemed to fall into a brief madness.
Because the rebellion in Jinling was so earth-shattering. After the Bashu Rebellion in the first year of Jianxing, there was another rebellion in the world, but this time it was in Jiangnan where the weak scribes were prevalent.
Jinling, Shisuo Lane, Shen Zhai——
In the front hall, the windows are bright and clean, and the fragrance overflows, seeming to permeate the entire wing, refreshing the mind.
Shen Fang sat down with the chief secretary to talk, twirling three locks of beard under his chin with his hand, and said: "Jiangnan's move this time can be said to be in harmony with nature and at the right time. I believe that soon, all the governors of the world will respond in unison.
No matter how brave and skillful King Wei was at that time, and good at making decisions, he could not escape the support of the people of the world!"
Lu Chaoyun was silent for a moment and said loudly: "What Dong Weng said is that the so-called good people will get more help, but the bad people will get less help. No matter how headstrong King Wei is, people in the world will rise up to attack him. No matter how arrogant and domineering he is, he will be captured in one fell swoop.
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Shen Fang looked worried and said: "King Wei still has some die-hard party members. I think it is a stroke of luck that we can end up with a confrontation between the north and the south."
Lu Chaoyun's clear and clear eyes showed deep eyes. He was silent for a moment and said: "Dong Weng, does King Wu really want to help the Han Dynasty and support the eighth prince Chen Ze who is standing in the Shenjing City?"
Shen Fang said coldly: "Whether King Wu really wants to support the eighth prince or wants to steal the treasure himself, that will only happen after the Shenjing City is captured."
Bai Sixing said: "Dong Weng, if King Wei really sends troops to capture Jinling, how will Dong Weng plan to decide?"
Shen Fang's face was solemn, with a calm look in his eyes, and he said loudly: "If that day comes, I just want to admit defeat."
It has been eight years since he took office as the governor of Liangjiang. During these years, he has wandered in the officialdom for many years. If he does not make any achievements, he will be old and will no longer have the opportunity to realize his ambitions.
Although this time there is such great danger, it is an opportunity to realize one's ambition.
Bai Sixing was silent for a moment and said: "Dong Weng is so magnanimous and magnanimous, I admire him even though he is humble in his position."
Shen Fang waved his hand and said, "It's just an ordinary man's ambition."
While several people were talking, a young servant stood up outside the study and said loudly: "Sir, His Highness the King of Wu sent someone to say that he had something to discuss in the palace."
Shen Fang glanced at Lu Chaoyun, the judge who was sitting not far away, and said in a low voice: "Just after the court, people came over."
Lu Chaoyun said: "Dong Weng, maybe there is something wrong."
Shen Fang nodded, stood up, and walked quickly outside.
…
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Jinling, among the palaces——
Side hall, study room
King Wu was dressed in a python robe and sat behind a lacquered wooden table. He had a fat face and an emerald crown on his head. His fair and clear face showed unspeakable excitement.
As the heir of Emperor Taizong, he has a pure bloodline and has the legal right to inherit the throne. Nowadays, the Chongping bloodline is in doubt and is being manipulated by powerful officials. As the heir of Taizong, he has no hesitation.
At this moment, a young eunuch quickly entered the study and reported, "Your Majesty, someone is here."
King Wu put down a brush in his hand and said, "I will go out to greet you now."
While talking, he walked around a rectangular lacquered wooden table and came to the eaves of the corridor. When he saw Shen Fang, a prosperous smile could be seen on his face, and he called: "Master Shen, you are finally here."
Shen Fang bowed his hands and said in a low voice: "I have seen the King of Wu. I have made the King of Wu wait for a long time. I am ashamed of myself."
King Wu smiled, supported him with both hands, and said, "Master Shen, there is no need to be more polite. I didn't wait long."
While the two were chatting, they entered the palace and took their seats.
Shen Fang's face paused slightly, and he looked at King Wu intently and said, "I don't know what important matter the prince has summoned me to?"
King Wu's face paused slightly. Under his sword-shaped eyebrows, his eyes were deep and he said loudly: "Master Shen, now that the soldiers of the Jiangnan camp have been replaced, if you want to attack the Jiangbei camp, you still need to stock up on countless grains. As a household minister, Master Shen Sir, I need to put more effort into taking care of it recently."
Under Shen Fang's thick eyebrows, he looked at King Wu with eyes that were condensed, his eyes twinkling, and he said in a low voice: "Don't worry, Your Majesty, I will definitely fulfill my duties and live up to Your Majesty's trust."
King Wu said: "In addition, the Ministry of Revenue does not need to deliver this year's autumn grain to Shenjing, which can also reduce some of the burden on the people in the south of the Yangtze River."
King Wu's white and plump face was clearly full of smiles, and he said: "Master Shen was once the governor of Liangjiang and a minister of the border areas. He has always been known for his ability in planning. I have heard about this for a long time."
Shen Fang was silent for a moment, sighed, and said, "I'm sorry to say that, if I hadn't offended King Wei, I wouldn't have ended up sitting on the bench now."
King Wu said: "When the army arrives in Beijing, I can avenge my previous humiliation. At that time, people in the world will know Master Shen's ambition and talent."
Shen Fang was silent for a moment and said warmly: "Thank you for your kind words, Your Majesty."
King Wu nodded and said: "Master Shen thinks that if King Wei wants to send troops to suppress the rebellion...the rebels, how should he deploy his troops?"
Shen Fang thought for a while and said in a low voice: "Right now, the soldiers and horses of the Jiangbei Camp can be mobilized, and in addition, there is the Jiangnan Navy located in the Chongming Sand Sea."
King Wu nodded and said: "So during this period, we are considering how to resist the imperial court's counterattack. If we can resist the imperial court's troops, the overall situation of peace in Kyushu will be decided."
Shen Fang said "Yes".
At this moment, a servant entered the study and said: "Your Majesty, Mr. Dong from the Ministry of Personnel, Mr. Yan from the Ministry of Works, and Mr. Kuang from the Metropolitan Procuratorate are outside the palace gate asking to see the prince."
When King Wu heard this, his watery eyes flickered, and he whispered: "Xuan, um..."
When he reached his lips, he quickly changed his words and said: "Invite people in."
Shen Fang was keenly aware of King Wu's slip of the tongue, his old eyes flickered, and a sense of awe surged in his heart.
This King of Wu clearly wanted to ascend the throne himself, he was really ambitious.
No wonder he behaves like a king to his ministers, praising him and wanting to recruit himself.
Not long after, Dong Chongxue, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Yan Mao, the Minister of the Ministry of Industry, and Kuang Chun, the imperial censor of Zuodu of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, entered the study.
"I have met His Highness the King of Wu. He is a thousand years old and a thousand years old." The three of them responded in unison to the King of Wu with straight faces.
At this moment, King Wu looked a little dazed, as if he really thought he was the new emperor, and whispered: "You three, please get up quickly."
"Thank you, King Wu." Dong Chongxue and the other three whispered.
King Wu said: "Come, please take a seat and serve tea."
The former eunuch in the palace now picked up a blue and white porcelain teapot, walked quickly to the front, filled the blue and white porcelain tea cup, and handed it over at once.
King Wu smiled and said, "Three of you came to the palace to see me, but you don't know why?"
Are you here to persuade me to join?
Well, I can only think about this kind of thing. Even if I try to persuade him to join me now, he is not suitable for ascending to the throne.
Dong Chongxue said: "Your Majesty, now the appeal has been sent to Jiangnan and Fujian, Zhejiang, Huguang and other provinces, but there is no response from all places."
King Wu said in a deep voice: "It is understandable that the governors of the provinces of Fujian and Zhejiang hesitated to wait and see. It's just that the officials in Huguang and other places are the township party of Mr. Li Ge. Now in the court, King Wei is dictatorial and domineering. Is this so? Indifferent?"
Shen Fang said: "When Mr. Li Ge started an uprising in Shenjing City to quell the traitors, they stayed there and did nothing. The Chu party in the capital also stood by and watched, which shows their character."
King Wu nodded and said in a deep voice: "If you say this, you can't expect too much. Fortunately, the people in my Jiangnan are all powerful and unyielding people."
Shen Fang nodded, and several other Nanjing officials nodded in agreement.
Over here, Shen Fang discussed some details with King Wu, but left the palace without lingering.
In the next few days, some gentry in the south of the Yangtze River actively worked for the "rebellion" army of King Wu and others, donating money and materials, and transporting soldiers, as if they were going to confront the northern court.
An Nanhou, Ye Mansion
Ye Zhen sat on a red lacquered wood Taishi chair in the hall, wearing the bullfighting uniform worn by his uncle, with a look of thought on his resolute and calm face.
Ye Kai opened his mouth and said: "Father, in recent times, King Wu has frequently met with officials from the Six Ministries of Southern Province in Jinling."
In fact, Ye Zhen had not thought about sending Ye Kai to Shenjing as a pledge before, but he decided to do it after considering one thing. In order to win the trust of King Wu, Hao Jiru, Shen Fang and other people, if Ye Kai was not with him When people around me ask questions, it's not easy to prevaricate.
Ye Zhen's droopy eyelids slowly opened, his eyes were fierce, and seemed to be shining a little, and he said: "This is preparing for the small court."
Ye Kai said: "Father, what you mean is that the King of Wu has no intention of the Northern Expedition, but just wants to establish his own business in the south?"
Ye Zhen sneered and said: "Even if this is not a show, why does King Wu use the Northern Expedition? Both the northern frontier army and the Beijing camp are elite in all battles. As long as the iron cavalry goes south, the southern soldiers cannot resist it."
What are the soldiers and horses in the north? They are all veterans who have participated in the battle to destroy the country. Even if the Jiangnan camp really followed the King of Wu, Hao Jiru and others to plot rebellion, it would not be possible at all.
Ye Kai looked a little surprised and said: "The King of Wu wants to seek a confrontation between the north and the south with the imperial court."
Ye Zhen said disdainfully: "It's just wishful thinking."
Ye Kai was silent for a moment and then asked hesitantly: "What is father's next plan?"
"According to King Wei's wishes, wait and see who else will jump out." Ye Zhen said coldly.
Ye Kai nodded, his eyes seemed to be shining brightly under his thick eyebrows.
Ye Zhen's face was as cold as frost and he said: "After the opposition forces in Jiangnan are purged, it will be just around the corner for the world to change their surnames."
After five to ten years of hard work, it is not impossible to change the dynasty, but King Wei is afraid that he will be impatient and eager for success.