Yuan Cheng suddenly raised his head and stared at Gao Ying.
Regardless of the past, it has been nearly four years since the Empress Dowager took the throne. Yuan Cheng was her ears, eyes, confidants, and ministers, and he knew Gao Ying very well.
But he never thought that one day, Gao Ying would be so stupid?
Governance across the river...Do you think Li Chengzhi is an idiot?
Not to mention that now tens of thousands of Xihai troops have forcibly crossed the river, it is only a matter of time that the land of Longxi falls. Even half a month and two decades ago, the river had not been lost, and when the enemy troops were still in Hexi, Li Chengzhi would never agree to anything.
Governed across the river.
Sun Tzu said: The force is like a crossbow, and the knot is like a machine. It is like an arrow on the string, which has to be fired.
Zhuge also said: There are three forces in marching troops, one is heaven, the second is earth, and the third is human.
According to the heavenly power, the sun and the moon are clear and bright, the five stars are in conjunction, the comets are not harmful, and the atmosphere is harmonious.
In terms of terrain, the city is steep with heavy cliffs, the waves are thousands of miles away, the stone gates are secluded, and the intestines are winding and fertile.
The person who is in charge of human power is the sage general and the virtuous general. The three armies follow the rules of etiquette, the soldiers follow their orders, and the food and armor are well prepared. Those who are good generals.
But now, Li Chengzhi has relied on the timing of heaven, the power of the place, and the interests of others, and is invincible to those who go towards him. What's more, as Sun Tzu said, he is like an arrow from a bow that has to be fired. Once it is fired, it will be out of control.
.
This is the so-called all-out effort. And how could Li Chengzhi weaken his own army and destroy his own spirit?
Seeing Yuan gaping with his mouth open, like a clay sculpture, a fierce light flashed across Gao Ying's face: "Does King Ren Cheng think it's inappropriate?"
More than inappropriate?
Now that the situation is at stake, it is like a hungry wolf that has jumped into the sheep coop, and there is no difference between Chao Yan and a lamb waiting to be killed.
It’s okay not to think about how to escape, but you want to beg for mercy from hungry wolves in order to survive?
What a joke...
Yuan Cheng was terrified, but still clenched his teeth and kowtowed to the ground three times: "Queen Mother, please think twice..."
This wailing cry really shocked Yuan Quan.
Yuan Cheng was scared to death just now and his whole body was trembling with fear. In the blink of an eye, he suddenly became so bold?
He was suspicious in his heart, but when he saw that Liu Fang, You Zhao, the Queen Mother, and even Qin Song who was waiting at the foot of the stairs looked like this, Yuan Quan couldn't help but start thinking.
Just now, Yuan Cheng must have known full well that the Queen Mother did not want to take responsibility, so she naturally wanted to find someone to take the blame. After many attempts, Yuan Cheng was the most suitable person, so she was so frightened.
He must have known that if he had been more obedient and accepted the crime voluntarily, he might not have been able to save his life. But Yuan Cheng was so stubborn that he dared to confront the Queen Mother?
While thinking secretly, Yuan Quan suddenly thought: The Queen Mother had just ordered Qin Song to pass on Gao Zhao. When he met Yuan Cheng, who was "ruling across the river" and burst into tears, it suddenly felt like a blessing to his heart: If you don't understand the hatred in Li Chengzhi's heart,
, Not to mention ruling across the river, even if Guanzhong is ceded to him, I'm afraid it will be difficult to stop the swordsmanship.
The reason why Li Chengzhi raised the army was because he was forced to do so. For example, his servants were Yuan Ying, Yuan Cheng, Yuan Jia, and Gao Zhao.
Now Yuan Ying and Yuan Jia have passed away, leaving only Yuan Cheng and Gao Zhao... If the imperial court wants to seek peace with Li Chengzhi, it will definitely report the crimes of these two people to the world, and it is more likely to take these two people to plead guilty to Li Chengzhi...
Yuan Quan suddenly realized this and couldn't even turn his eyes.
No wonder that after Cui Yanbo's defeat, the Queen Mother went out of her way and would report Yuan Cheng's crimes to the court whenever she came to court. Was this the original idea?
It's over... Yuan Cheng's life may not be saved.
And this is only the second thing. What Yuan Cheng fears most is that if the Empress Dowager's wish comes true, he will be found guilty of "causing harm to the country and the people". If he can't save his life and reputation, it doesn't matter. Whether he can keep his family in a small city is still a matter of debate...
While I was making random suspicions, I heard a loud shout from outside the palace: "Your Majesty, Queen Mother, Lord Pingyuan County wants to see you!"
Hearing the Queen Mother shout "Xuan" again, Gao Zhao walked into the hall: "I have met the Queen Mother, Your Majesty!"
"Get up!"
Gao Ying held back his anger, waved his sleeves, and asked again: "Have you thought about what I said to you a few days ago?"
"It is the duty of a minister to share the worries of the country and the king. Even if the ministers go through fire and water, they will not hesitate to die..."
Yuan Cheng suddenly turned around and stared at Gao Zhao. He saw his expression was desolate, as if he was disheartened. There was a hint of enlightenment in his heart, and he suddenly felt excited.
Although Gao Ying has a weak ear and mediocre talents, he is not so stupid that he is worse than a pig.
Could it be Gao Zhao's idea?
"Gao Shouwen, if it weren't for traitors like you, how could we have made our country besieged on all sides and be in a precarious situation? Now you still dare to be greedy and bewitch the Queen Mother?"
"Does it make sense to be the king of the city?"
Gao Zhaoshi straightened up calmly, "If Gao could have foreseen the future, he would have predicted that today would happen. He would not have been encouraged by His Highness's tongue-in-cheek and would have thrown himself into a trap and sought death..."
Yuan Cheng was startled.
Right? Gao Zhao was more afraid of death than he was, otherwise he wouldn't have surrendered his weapons so simply out of fear of Li Chengzhi's revenge.
But now that he knew it was a dead end, how could Gao Zhao dig his own grave?
Then who else could it be besides Gao Zhao?
While he was secretly wondering, he heard a cold shout from Gao Ying: "Your Majesty is weak and cannot bear to sit for a long time. He must be tired. I will go ahead and send him back to the palace. I would like to trouble all the ministers and they must discuss a charter today."
Qin Song, order your warriors to guard the palace gate, and wait for the discussion to come out first and last, and then submit it to me..."
Regardless of the dumbfounded ministers, Gao Ying took the little emperor and stood up. Without waiting for everyone to send him off respectfully, one large and one small disappeared behind the screen.
Yuan Quan's face was filled with astonishment: "Queen Mother...what does this mean?"
"What else can you mean?" Gao Zhao sneered, "If King Ren Cheng doesn't agree, we will all have to accompany him in prison here..."
"Promise what?"
Yuan Cheng's eyes were about to burst, "Don't think that I don't know Gao Ying's plan: firstly, to force me to make amends for her, and secondly, to use the head on my neck to beg for mercy from the traitor... It's simply a wishful thinking..."
Yuan Quan was shocked: "Are you crazy?"
Even if this is the case, you can't tell it. Aren't you afraid that the Queen Mother will smash the jar and raid the palace of Prince Rencheng?
It has reached this point, there is nothing that Gao Ying cannot do...
Yuan Cheng gritted his teeth and said, "The Queen Mother is crazy!"
Gao Zhao laughed loudly: "What your Highness said is wrong. It should be that the officials in this court and the Yuan and Wei Dynasties are all crazy..."
Before his laughter ended, he raised his finger again and glared at Liu Fang and You Zhao: "Liu Bowen (Liu Fang's word), You Boshi (You Zhao's word), what are the intentions of the two of you to submit to the Queen Mother?
Such a poor policy...do you think Li Chengzhi is a stupid pig?"
This is really the plan proposed by these two people. What do they have in mind?
Yuan Cheng and Yuan Quan were both stunned. One gritted his teeth and the other was at a loss.
Liu Fang remained silent, looking at Gao Zhao with a smile but not a smile. She seemed to be disdainful, but also seemed to be disdainful.
You Zhao snorted coldly: "Okay, if asking for peace is a bad idea, then why is it a good idea to ask the county magistrate?"
Gao Zhao was stunned for a moment, and his breath was stuck in his throat, which made him feel uncomfortable.
If he had a good plan, why did he need to be coaxed to the capital by Gao Ying, and now he was like fish on the chopping board, ready to be slaughtered by others?
Yuan Quan let out a sharp breath and asked urgently: "Even if there is no good plan, it will not cause His Royal Highness King Rencheng and Duke Gao to lose their lives in vain, and further encourage the arrogance of the anti-thieves?"
"Having never tried it, how could the Taiwei know that Li Chengzhi would not make peace?"
Liu Fang sighed softly and bowed to Qin Song again: "Si Qing, at this time, why do you need to cover up? I believe the Queen Mother must have a special order. If so, please take it out as soon as possible..."
"Where is the important order?"
Qin Song laughed dryly, groped in his sleeves, took out a piece of white silk, and handed it to Liu Fang, "There was only the seal presented by the Minister and Wei Qing that day. The Queen Mother ordered her officials to find it in case of emergency...
…”
Whatever!
Liu Fang pondered for a moment, then handed it to Yuan Cheng: "His Royal Highness was entrusted with important tasks by Emperor Gaozu (Yuan Hong) before he was crowned. He first appointed Chijie as the General of the Northern Conquests. After a few months of peace, he was later moved to the General of the Western Conquests.
, the rest of the month will be Di Qiang.
Later, he successively became the general who conquered the south and conquered the east, Dingliang, Yi, Jing, and Xuzhou, and shocked the two Huaihe Rivers... Even the Empress Dowager Wenming (Empress Dowager Feng) also praised Her Highness, "The wind god spits out hair, and the virtuous voice is gentle and graceful, so he should be regarded as a great leader."
As the leader of the clan'.
The world only regards His Highness as a leader of the country, a man who appreciates beauty in writing, and a minister who governs the world. But they forget that His Highness once dominated the world and frightened Jiang and Wu. Compared with Zhongshan King (Yuan Ying) and Raoyang Gong (Yuan Yao), he was more powerful.
Nothing less than that.
Therefore, we all know that whether he attached the memorial of Duke Gao to patrol the West Sea or helped the King of Zhongshan to be wary of Li Chengzhi, it was all because His Highness was far-sighted and wanted to prevent the slightest change... However, bad luck and unfavorable years made Li Chengzhi even more unforgettable.
He failed in his efforts...so the fault does not lie with His Highness..."
Is it not my fault?
Then why did you still frame me to make up for her sin?
"Don't think that with a few words of praise, I will get carried away? It's better to let Shangshu know: Yuandao Town would rather be killed in Zhaoyang Hall today, would rather be scolded as a traitor by the world and be spurned by the world than be like the Queen Mother.
willing……
If you really want to bear the name of 'causing disaster to the country and the people' and 'treacherous and sycophantic minister', how will you see your ancestors after your death?"
Liu Fang sighed: "Your Highness has misunderstood. Even the Queen Mother does not dare to force you to submit. How can I be so bold? I have seen it before..."
"What's there to see?"
Yuan Cheng gritted his teeth and sneered, but still opened the watch.
With just one glance, his pupils suddenly shrank: "Three strategies to defeat thieves"?
Now in the whole world, besides Li Chengzhi, who else can be this "thief"?
His heart was stunned, and he glanced at ten lines. The more he looked, the more shocked he became. His eyes were as wide as the eyes of a cow. His face was bright and dark, and he was uncertain.
There were only a few hundred words, but he read it more than ten times, fearing that his eyes would be dazzled and he did not even dare to blink his eyelids.
What is the difference between Liu Fang and You Zhao's plan to defeat thieves and the original plan he suggested to the Queen Mother to borrow troops from Tuyuhun and Rouran, and then encircle the West Sea?
It was nothing more than openly building a plank road, secretly crossing Chencang, mediating with Li Chengzhi in the name of negotiating peace, and then secretly mobilizing soldiers from Shandong and Huaihe Rivers, using light chariots and simple cavalry, passing through Yongzhou, Liangzhou, and Wudu to enter Tuyuhun, and then striking out unexpected troops and weakening the economy.
Raid Zhenyi by the water river, Xihai...
In the past, Yuan Cheng would definitely feel sympathy for each other and say, "Gentlemen see the same thing." But now, he can only say, "Hehe."
What's more, there are great scholars like Liu Fang and You Zhao who are well-known all over the world. They dare not say that they know everything about military affairs, but they are definitely not proficient at anything.
In the past, I only thought that Gao Zhao was causing trouble, or that the Queen Mother was in a state of panic, but she didn't think it was really Liu Fang and You Zhao's fault?
Yuan Cheng smiled coldly: "After withdrawing the Southern Expeditionary Army, how can we guard against Daoyi (Nanliang)?"
"Now there are 300,000 troops in Huaihe, Shandong, Henan, and Shu. It is not necessary for them all to go north. Maybe 50% or 30% is enough..."
"It's a joke... Thirty percent is only less than 100,000. And do you know how many armies each of Tuyuhun, Rouran, Cui Yanbo, etc. who were defeated by the West Sea had? Even if they don't count the strength of the people, just the elites will be enough.
Five hundred thousand? And from the beginning to the end, the Xihai soldiers were less than one hundred thousand, and it took no more than a month..."
Yuan Cheng continued to sneer, and raised the memorial in his hand, "I dare to ask Shangshu and Wei Qing how good they are. Dare I say that with only 100,000 southern troops, they can encircle Wei and save Zhao? Just by what you said in the table
Question: Xihai was originally strong on the outside but weak on the inside, but now it is at the end of its strength?"
You Zhao said again: "This is not a lie by us, but a secret statement by Yuan Zhi..."
Yuan Zhi, where did he come from?
No matter Yuan Cheng, Yuan Quan, or Gao Zhao, they were all stunned.
"How is it possible? He was defeated by Li Chengzhi at Juyan Lake, causing the entire army to be destroyed. If he had not died for his country, he must have surrendered to the West Sea. How could he send a secret memorial?"
Yuan Cheng's eyes narrowed to a slit: "Afraid it's not the traitor Li Chengzhi who used the name of Yuan Zhi to trick us into going deep in alone?"
The secret memorial was obtained from the Queen Mother. How could Liu Fang and You Zhao know whether it was true or false?
The two looked at each other and then looked at Qin Song.
Qin Song understood and replied loudly: "This secret memorial came from Dunhuang Sabao (the Hu Shang leader appointed by the imperial court), and was specially sent to Beijing by the embroidered envoy via Bailan and Songfan (the great city of Tuyuhun), bypassing the West Sea. Also.
Please ask the Yuan Dynasty's old friends, confidants, and family members to argue, it should be true..."
Yuan Cheng was in the heat of the moment, and he was quarreling with whomever he saw: "If you say it's not true, then it's not true?"
Qin Song was not annoyed. He pondered for a moment, groped in his sleeves, took out a piece of silk with written words on it, and handed it to Yuan Cheng: "Your Highness will know after reading it!"
Yuan Cheng was dubious and took it.
First he looked at the code at the beginning and end, and then searched the letter for a while. A hint of surprise appeared in Yuan Cheng's eyes: Is it really sent by the Dunhuang embroidery envoy?
After Yuan Hui moved to be the governor of Liangzhou, it was originally planned that Gao Meng, the governor of Xiazhou, would be moved to the post of leader of the central army and also take charge of Xiu Yi Zhi. However, Gao Meng rebelled before even entering Kyoto, so Xiu Yi Zhi should not be left vacant for too long.
, he was temporarily replaced by Yuan Cheng, who was most trusted by Gao Ying at that time.
It was not until he went to Rouran as an envoy last winter that he was temporarily entrusted to Qin You. It has been more than three years. So I don't know everything in detail, but I have at least a superficial understanding.
At least he could still recognize some of the hidden signs and secret words in the secret music.
We also know that in any important border town, there will always be embroidery envoys lurking. Dunhuang is bordered by Gaoche, Gaochang and other countries in the Western Region to the west, Tuyuhun to the south, and Rouran to the north. It is also the hub of the Silk Road. How could there be no embroidery envoys?