Yuan Cheng sneered coldly and said, "Gao Shouwen, do you think that the Queen Mother and I, as well as the princes in the court, are still like frogs in the well, people with blind eyes and ears, who still haven't seen through your treacherous schemes and intentions?
If you hadn't pushed the boat along with the current and taken advantage of the opportunity, how could you have made Yuan Huai and Yu Zhong become increasingly dissatisfied with the late emperor, and eventually rebelled suddenly?
And if you hadn't pretended to be deaf and dumb and added fuel to the flames, Yu Zhong would not have been able to take the power of palace confinement, and then the late emperor would have been killed. There would have been no rebellion in the Qin and Liang states, and the 100,000-strong army of Nanliang and Tuyuhun plotting against Guanzhong, let alone
There will be Rouran who will send troops brazenly and invade the six towns in the name of revenge.
In just three years, these three sudden changes caused great damage to the national strength of Yuan and Wei, which is now less than 50% of what it was during the late emperor's time...
Later, you secretly slandered him, causing the Queen Mother to gradually alienate Li Chengzhi, so that in the end, not only was he not rewarded for his independence, but he was trapped in the capital and suffered from neglect.
Then you sow discord and stir up trouble, which made Yuan Ying and I regard Li Chengzhi as a ferocious beast in troubled waters. We persecuted him many times and almost caused him to die in the capital. As time went by, he was forced to alienate himself from the imperial court.
…
At this point, it is not a storm that is unstoppable. If it can make him safe, he can be granted the title of Lulong, with Pingzhou facing the sea to the east, six towns to the north, Qingzhou to the south, and You at the back, so as to determine the power of the two states.
Cheng Zhi is the dragon trapped in the shallows and the tiger trapped in the cage.
But it was you who acted selfishly, regarding Li Chengzhi as a serious enemy, and the Shangdang surrounded and killed him. However, your methods were ineffective and you missed a move. In the end, you forced him to hide in the abyss and stalk the mountains and forests.
Even in such a situation, there is still an opportunity to turn things around. Even if he is sitting on Hexi and the West Sea, he has the advantage of firearms, but it is only in one corner. Not to mention that with the strength of our Yuan and Wei Dynasties, we can defeat the soldiers of Guanzhong and Six Towns
, it’s no problem to put him down.
However, you still don't know how to live or die, and you want to seize grain from the fire. First, you take advantage of the opportunity of resisting Rouran to hide the truth and draw firepower from the bottom of the cauldron, laying the foundation for the chaos in the five states and six towns of the North.
Then you suddenly raised the five states to rebel, and killed people with the help of a knife, leading Sun Dao and Luo Jian to fight, and the six towns also fell into your hands. In this way, the court and you were like two tigers fighting, and in the end, Li Chengzhi reaped the benefits.
A serious problem!
At this point, the storm is about to collapse, the building is about to collapse, and the country is in dire straits, and even the country is in danger of being destroyed. It is all caused by your greed and single-handedly doing it. Do you think the Queen Mother should hate you?
You are well-read in classics and history, and you are considered a knowledgeable person. How could you not know the principle of "He who starts out as a servant will have no descendants"? If it were anyone else, I would swear to kill all your Gao family, leaving no chickens or dogs behind.
Relieve the hatred in your heart.
And it is precisely because the Empress Dowager's surname is Gao that she cannot bear to have the Gao family's descendants left alone and unable to continue their incense, so she is willing to risk the disapproval of the world to give you the Gao family a way out. Ask me: Why is this?
Gao Shouwen, Gao Shouwen, as the saying goes, it’s hard to satisfy your desires, and you only have to push your limits, but that’s not the case..."
Every time Yuan Cheng said something, Gao Zhao's heart sank a little, until he was overwhelmed by the weight of a huge mountain. It also crushed his last trace of fantasy: whether he surrendered or not, Gao Ying would definitely kill him.
But Gao Ying is Gao Ying, and not everyone behaves like her, leaving no escape route.
Moreover, there are many wise people in the court, and there are countless clans, so don’t you believe that Gao Ying will be allowed to act unscrupulously and arbitrarily, leading to eternal disaster?
"If we want to fight to the death, we just have to fight. Why does the chief assistant need to come here to add fuel to the fire and make things worse?"
Gao Zhao asked pitifully: "It is said that one is declining and the other is growing: after my defeat of Rouran, 50% of the Yuan and Wei national strength still remained, but after my rebellion, all six towns in the north fell to me, and they drove out
The tiger swallowed the wolf, so Luo Jian and Yuan Zhi were defeated by Li Chengzhi, and the power of the Yan Dynasty was probably not as good as 30% of what it was during the time of the late emperor.
With 30% of the country's strength, it is not only necessary to defend against the Southern Dynasty, but also to pacify us, and to eliminate Li Chengzhi's disaster when the situation is weak. How difficult is it? It is better to be a piece of jade than to destroy it. Failure to defend is a bluff and intimidation.
How can words scare me, Mr. Gao?"
"Are you trying to intimidate you with great fanfare? You'll know in three days. Why should you get angry? I'm afraid you're in a hurry?"
"Am I in a hurry?"
"If you were not in a hurry, how could you drive the tiger to devour the wolf and induce Luo Jian to invade the West Sea? If you were not in a hurry, you would not have opened the door of convenience to escort the messengers to Cui Guang, Luo Jian, and Yuan Zhizou
Report an emergency to Beijing...
The reason why you act like this is just to pick up the favor and copy Li Chengzhi's old plan of "sitting on a mountain and watching the tiger fight", and to make both the court and him suffer, so that you can reap the benefits of the fishermen.
But both the imperial court and Li Chengzhi were forced into this situation by you, so they have been deeply enmity with you for a long time. How can we do what you want?"
Yuan Cheng smiled faintly and said, "So in order to destroy the country, the Queen Mother and I must first kill you, the thief... Even if we take ten thousand steps back, the foundation of our ancestors will eventually turn into ashes, that will definitely be the case.
Li Chengzhi took advantage of it, ask yourself, will he let your Gao family go by then?"
The veins on Gao Zhao's forehead appeared and disappeared, and his face turned blue and white at times.
What Yuan Cheng said was exactly what frightened him the most: After years of hard work, he finally made a wedding dress for Li Chengzhi? Now that the imperial court and the Gao family are at loggerheads, and his power is gradually declining, Li Chengzhi is getting stronger and stronger.
Feng, how can Gao Zhao be willing to do so?
And Li Chengzhi used tens of thousands of troops to defeat Luo Jian and Yuan Zhi in just a few months. Gao Zhao was even more heartbroken: If Li Chengzhi gained power, everyone would let him go, even his first servant.
That's why he was so anxious that he came up with a trick to divert trouble to the east. He also expected that the court would see through it, but now the court had no way out, and even if it didn't work, they could use gentle tactics to win over him.
But what if Gao Ying didn't follow common sense and would rather live in ruins than in ruins? What's more, he gave Li Chengzhi the same surname as Wang?
The messenger was given great convenience and escorted to Xi Kangsheng's camp until Yuan Cheng entered the city. He looked forward to the day and night, but he never dared to have such extravagant hopes. He only hoped to be awarded the title of Duke of the country and be granted a real title in the north.
Or Guanzhong.
In this way, even if he cannot make a comeback, he can still live with his country and his descendants will be rich and honorable.
But in the end it was Li Chengzhi who was favored?
The more he thought about it, the more unbalanced he became. Gao Zhao finally broke his composure and said with a cold laugh: "Li Chengzhi is extremely ambitious. Now he is even more powerful. How can he be subdued by a king in name only?"
"Gao Shouwen, are you dim-sighted? Where in this imperial edict does it say that Li Chengzhi was conferred a virtual title?"
Yuan Cheng pointed to the imperial edict on the case, "The Empress Dowager has decreed that if Li Chengzhi is willing to surrender, all areas east of the Yellow River, west of Biao, south to Qilian, and north to Junji will be his fiefs. You can listen to the tune but not the declaration."
, but he needs to pay tribute and become a vassal... Please explain it to me, why does he not surrender?"
Gao Zhao's pupils suddenly shrank, and his eyes turned red with jealousy: Isn't this a country within a country, which can be said to be the first of its kind in the Wei Dynasty?
He gritted his teeth and said: "With the division of territory and the rebellion, how will you see the ancestors of the Yuan family in the future?"
Yuan Cheng laughed out loud: "It's better than being plotted by a thief like you and completely losing this great country, right?"
Gao Zhao suddenly choked and was speechless?
No wonder Yuan Cheng was wise for half his life, but allowed Gao Ying to act arbitrarily, and ended up breaking his arm to survive?
Why not just give me Gao Zhao?
"That's it for now. There is no need to say more. I give you three days to fight or surrender, so that you can think about it."
Yuan Cheng stood up and said with a smile: "I will wait for you here for three days. If you want to fight, you can naturally cut off the sacrificial flag on the spot, or imprison me in the camp like the King of Qinghe."
Use it as a bargaining chip. I just don’t know if Xi Kangsheng will be forced by you...
If you are willing to surrender, don't look forward or backward, let alone cause more troubles. Release me from the city as soon as possible so that I can leave early and go to Hexi to deliver the decree to Li Chengzhi..."
Seeing that Yuan Cheng was so triumphant and seemed to have defeated him, Gao Zhao was so angry that his teeth were broken, but he did not dare to say a word of hate.
After being stiff for a long time, he said in a cold voice: "Allow me to think about it for three days, why are you in a hurry? Come, send His Highness and Shaoqing to a separate courtyard so that they can serve you well. If there is any neglect, I will definitely kill you..."
Naturally, this good waiter meant to be under strict supervision. Yuan Cheng didn't care, he just invited Li Daoyuan with a smile and left the tent together.
After the two left, Gao Zhaocai shouted coldly: "Come out!"
Just hearing a "squeak", a door opened out of thin air on the smooth wall. Gao Meng and Yuan Huan walked out of the secret passage one after the other.
After learning that the imperial court had sent Yuan Cheng as an envoy, Gao Zhao summoned Gao Meng to discuss things with him.
As for Yuanhuan, it is due to chance.
He was originally the general of Woye, but he was forced to rebel by the Lu brothers, but he defended Yuan Yi at all times during the period. Therefore, he later rebelled and was dismissed as a general. He was demoted and demoted to deputy general, but still guarded Woye.
But he had a secret in his heart and was afraid of being settled by the imperial court. So when Gao Zhao's governor Liu Zhen resisted Rou Ran, he took advantage of every opportunity to join Gao Zhao.
Just like a man who is affectionate and a concubine who is interested, they hit it off right away. When Gao Zhaobanshi returned to the court, he deliberately exaggerated his achievements a lot, reinstated him to his original position, and was reinstated as the general of Woye Town.
And if he hadn't secretly tipped off the news and cooperated with Gao Zhi inside and outside, cutting off Luo Jian's escape, Luo Jian wouldn't have been disheartened and had no choice but to make peace with Gao Zhao.
With some great achievements, he has naturally become Gao Zhao's right-hand man and guest at the table. Moreover, Yuanshi is one of the eight surnames of Pubei. His brother Yuanhuai, the king of Longxi, served as a lieutenant twice. The Yuanshi's children are all over the court and the army. Gao Zhaodan summoned him
, one is to make suggestions, and the other is to secretly contact Luo Jing to see if he can find out the bottom line of the imperial court.
The two of them were hiding in a dark room, separated only by a wall. Naturally, they could clearly hear the conversation between Yuan Cheng and Gao Zhao, so neither of them looked very good-looking.
The imperial court was not seeking to surrender. It was clearly pressing hard and not giving Gao a chance to survive.
Gao Meng's lungs were about to burst after hearing this, and his face turned livid: "This is too much bullying? It's nothing more than a fight to the death..."
Thinking that he was just farting, Gao Zhao glared at Gao Meng coldly, and asked Yuan Huan: "What about Yisi Zhou Zhijian?"
Yuan Huan had a bitter look on his face and frowned tightly: "It's hard to make a decision at the moment. I can only wait for news from Beijing and then think about it..."
Gao Zhao's eyes narrowed, and a surge of anger rushed into his mind.
Why wait for news from Beijing?
You only need to wait three days to see whether Xi Kangsheng was beaten for real or fake, and everything will be known.
If Yuan Cheng's life can be ignored, it shows the determination of Gao Ying and the court.
Yuan Huan had expected this, and was afraid of irritating himself or venting his anger on him, so he was vague and did not dare to speak out.
Gao Zhao held back his anger and said, "Then Yi Sizhou thinks that Li Chengzhi will surrender or not?"
What's so difficult about this?
Yuan Huan blinked: "Taiwei, this is a country within a country, and we live together with the country?"
Yes, who can resist this temptation?
Even if Li Chengzhi knew that this was the imperial court's plan to delay the war, he would definitely be overjoyed.
Moreover, he had never raised the flag of rebellion in the first place. Now he just obeyed the instructions but not the propaganda, and paid tribute year after year. There is no difference between before and after.
Then it's up to each of them to see if the imperial court can use a clever move to completely subdue Li Chengzhi by boiling a frog in warm water before he becomes powerful, or even to kill him. Li Chengzhi will be faster.
Without waiting for the court to cultivate and recuperate, he can conquer the world with his own strength.
But no matter what the outcome was, by the time the two parties turned against each other again, Gao Zhao would have been buried in the earth, and the Gao family's ambitions would have disappeared.
Thinking of this, Gao Zhao suddenly stopped being angry.
This is a conspiracy, that's why Yuan Cheng is aggressive and sure of himself, even if he is sure that he can figure this out.
Then it was a matter of how to decide: should the Gao family be destroyed forever and no chickens or dogs be left behind, or should some bloodline be left alive, at least not losing its incense?
However, Gao Zhao considered himself a hero for the rest of his life, and even Yuan Ke, who had a meticulous temperament and a wise and powerful spirit, fell into his hands. Even if he had a sword and an ax on his neck and had to struggle until death, how could he be defeated by Gao Ying's two imperial edicts and
Were Yuan Cheng's threatening words frightened?
He sighed quietly: "Mrs. Gao Ying's views are ruthless and ruthless in her actions, and she does not know what the overall situation is. But Xi Kangsheng, Xing Luan, and Cui Yanbo are all famous generals in the world and capable officials in governing the world, how can they be sent away in vain?
The lives of soldiers?
Therefore, let alone three days, as long as the spring is not warm and the ice disappears, the army outside the city will definitely not forcefully attack the city, so there will be at least two or three months of breathing space... But the difficult thing is how to break the situation:
Not only cannot we make Li Chengzhi surrender and be granted a title, but we must make him raise troops as soon as possible. Only in this way can the imperial court adopt a defensive weapon. Only in this way can we solve the urgent need of the Gao family..."
After listening to Gao Zhao's words, Gao Meng muttered: "Only by completely turning Li Chengzhi against the court, with no room for change, can he angrily start an army... And he has always been cunning, and even if he uses tricks, he may not necessarily pull it off."
effect……"
Who says tricks can't work?
A flash of inspiration flashed in Yuan Huan's mind, and he came up with a plan: "Lieutenant, why not divert the disaster to the east?"
Could it be that forcing Luo Jian to invade the West Sea was not a plan to divert trouble to the east, but what was the result?
On the contrary, it gave Li Chengzhi an advantage...
Just after being ridiculed by Yuan Cheng, at the moment when his anger could not be vented, Gao Zhaoyuan lost his former calmness and wisdom and asked in a deep voice: "Is that so?"
Yuan Huan whispered: "If Xi Kangsheng really attacks the city in three days, why not lure Li Shiliang and his son to defend the city as generals?"
Gao Zhao's eyes suddenly lit up: Killing someone with a borrowed knife?