There was a lively and festive atmosphere in the Yang Mansion. Yesterday, Yang Yuanqing was named the General Manager of Youzhou, and Yuan Qing's relatives who had been apart for many years were reunited. It was like a festival in the Yang Mansion. To celebrate this kind of joy, Yang Yuanqing specially ordered that the personal guards of the Yang Mansion, every People rewarded him with money, and everyone in the Yang family was smiling, which made people happy and encouraging.
There was a lot of joy in the room, and Yang Yuanqing and his aunt were talking about their farewells. Although they had been separated for thirteen years, her aunt's appearance had basically not changed, except for a few wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. She was still as handsome and her smile was still gentle. The soft words made Yang Yuanqing feel a touch of motherly care.
"Is aunt still in Hengshan now?"
"We are no longer in Hengshan. A small group of us are in Hengshan, and most of us have moved to Danyang County. Thanks to the manor you gave us, we orphans in Nanhua Palace have a place to live and a source of food."
Shen Qiuniang's tone was full of emotion. She smiled and said: "This year's harvest is good. Everyone is planning to come to Beijing to see you and give you some fruits we grew by ourselves. I think I haven't seen you for many years." My Yuanqing child will be sent by me, and the old lady wants to see her great-granddaughter, so she insists on coming with me."
Next to her, Shen Wuhua has officially ordained as a nun, with the Buddhist name Guanyin. She is the leader of the nun. She is wearing a spacious bhikshuni robe, holding a string of rosary beads in her hand, her appearance is solemn and kind, and she holds Yang Yuanqing's two daughters in her arms.
Hearing Shen Qiuniang talk about herself, Shen Wuhua also smiled and said: "Although I am old, I didn't bother you along the way. When your arm hurts, I still take care of you."
Yang Yuanqing suddenly remembered that his aunt had been injured, and quickly asked with concern: "Isn't my aunt's arm healed yet?"
"The roots have fallen down in the early years, and there will be a dull pain in winter. But it is very good that you gave me this pair of bracelets. When I put them on, I feel warmth on my wrists."
Shen Qiuniang wears a pair of warm jade bracelets on her wrists. Yang Yuanqing bought these from Xiao Mian and gave them to her aunt. They have always been her most precious things and she was reluctant to sell them no matter how short of money she was.
Seeing the concern on Yang Yuanqing's face, she quickly smiled and said: "Don't worry, I usually pay attention to keeping warm, and I haven't had any pain in several years. It's just that this time we took a boat to Jingzhou, and the wind on the river was too strong, so the old problem was a little bit If you have an attack, you'll be fine once you get to the shore."
Shen Qiuniang held Yang Yuanqing's under-one-year-old son in her arms. She looked at Min Qiu and others in the room, and said to Yang Yuanqing sincerely: "Yuanqing, you are doing well. Auntie is very happy, but there is one thing about auntie." You must say it.”
"Auntie, if you have anything to say, just say it."
Shen Qiuniang sighed and said to Pei Minqiu: "Actually, I should tell Minqiu that although Yuan Qing is from the Yang family, in fact he is very alienated from the Yang family. He has been like this since he was a child, and his father does not regard him as his son. , it is not an exaggeration to say that he is an orphan. My biggest hope is that Yuan Qing can have a family of his own with prosperous descendants. You only have one son now. It is really too few, Min Qiu, do you understand what I mean?"
Pei Minqiu nodded silently, "Auntie, I understand what you mean, and I will try my best to do it well."
Shen Qiuniang smiled and said, "Okay, I'll just say this and won't be wordy about anything else."
At this time, the housekeeper said at the door: "Master, madam, the dinner is ready."
Yang Yuanqing stood up and said with a smile: "The dinner is ready. Let's go eat."
"Let's eat!" The two little girls rushed out first.
Yang Yuanqing supported his aunt, everyone chatted and laughed, and walked towards the dining hall together.
Yang Yuanqing's mansion was immersed in laughter, but the Yang mansion in Shangshanfang was shrouded in sadness. Yang Xuangan was removed from the posts of Shangshu and Taiwei, and was demoted to the post of Dongping County Prefect. This was undoubtedly a bolt from the blue for the Yang family.
It was even more serious than the dismissal of Yang Yue in the third year of Daye.
This means that the Yang family has lost its status as a high-ranking family and has been reduced from the most dazzling first-class family in the Sui Dynasty to a second-rate family. Apart from the glory that has gone with the wind, the Yang family can no longer show off anything else.
For the whole day, Yang Xuangan locked himself in his room, feeling extremely depressed. At this time, his heart was filled with hatred for the Zheng family. It was this hatred that made him lose any sense of guilt towards his wife. He believed that,
The Zheng family's attack on the Yang family must have been tacitly approved by the wife.
At this time, Yang Xuangan was thinking more about his major events. Without the halo of the titles of Shangshu and Taiwei, how many people would be willing to follow him to take action? His originally ambitious plan was poured out by a basin of cold water.
Now if he talks about taking action, I'm afraid even the family will oppose him.
Yang Xuangan clasped his hands behind his back and paced back and forth anxiously in the room. Do he really want to give up? Give up the great cause left to him by his father, give up his dreams for many years, and just live a life of humiliation and idiocy? He is not willing to do so! But when something happens, he also
Nothing left.
Yang Xuangan looked out the window at the dark night sky, and the conflict in his heart made him so angry that he almost shouted.
At this moment, the butler's report came from outside the door, "Sir, Duke Pushan wants to see you!"
Yang Xuangan was refreshed, he turned around and said: "Please, come to my study!"
Lin, the decadent spirit suddenly cheered up.
After a while, Li Mi walked in. As soon as he entered the door, he cupped his hands and said with a smile: "Congratulations!"
Yang Xuangan was startled. Li Mi congratulated him. Why was he so happy? He was confused, but he couldn't ask directly, so he smiled bitterly and asked Li Mi to sit down, and ordered the maid to serve tea.
After the maid served tea and retired, only Li Mi and Yang Xuangan were left in the room. Yang Xuangan then asked: "My dear brother is happy for me, why should I be happy?"
Li Mi smiled slightly and asked, "Are you upset that Duke Ming was demoted?"
Yang Xuan sighed and said: "Didn't my dear brother notice the oppression of the Yang family when he entered the house? Did you see anyone in the Yang family who has a smiling face?"
"This means that Ming Gong only saw the disadvantages but not the advantages. But in my opinion, apart from the loss of face, Ming Gong was demoted to the prefecture, and there was no other loss. On the contrary, Minggong was the prefect and could help with great things.
That’s why I want to congratulate you.”
Yang Xuangan's eyes gradually brightened, and he suddenly understood what Li Mi meant. He had already decided to rebel against the Sui Dynasty, so why should he care about promotion or demotion? For the purpose of rebellion, the prefect was much more advantageous than the minister.
After all, Yang Xuangan has been an official for more than 20 years and has rich experience. Today, he just got off the mark. Coupled with the huge psychological loss of being demoted, he couldn't see the situation clearly for a while and fell into sinking. Li Mi's words were like
The strong wind blew through his heart, and the fog in his heart was blown away, and his mind suddenly became clear.
Yang Xuangan pondered for a moment and then asked: "What I am worried about now is that I have lost my position as minister. Once I start an uprising, how many people will follow me?"
Li Mi laughed, "With Su Wei's high status, how many people would support him if he started an uprising?"
The words woke up the people in the mountain, and Yang Xuangan finally realized that if he caused trouble, others would look at his father Yang Su, not Yang Xuangan. The last big stone in his heart was gone. His heart suddenly became lighter, and he quickly raised his hands and said: "Then what should I do?
Please ask your wise brother for advice on how to act."
Li Mi was already confident and said with a smile: "I have three strategies that can help Duke Ming accomplish great things!"
"Speaking!"
"The first strategy is to keep your light hidden, Ming Gong can indulge in drunkenness, mihuo, I will not be able to detect the slightest bit of your ambition; the second strategy is to build the plank road openly and cross Chencang secretly. Since Ming Gong is the governor of Dongping County, you can
On the pretext of quelling the banditry in the territory, expanding the county's troops, and secretly recruiting troops. For example, Juyeze in Dongping County is the best place to raise troops. You can even send your children to pretend to be rebels and bandits to accumulate strength. Now there are bandits all over the world. Two groups appear in Dongping County.
It’s also extremely normal.”
When Li Mi said this, Yang Xuangan exclaimed, "Brilliant!"
Let his disciples pretend to be bandits. On the one hand, he can conceal his identity as a prefect and take care of him. On the other hand, he can secretly accumulate strength. This is a very clever plan. He smiled and said: "I now understand why it is easier to be a prefect than to start an uprising.
My dear brother is indeed knowledgeable, but what about the third strategy?"
"The third strategy is to use Northern Alliance with Yuan Qing. Yuan Qing is the general manager of Youzhou. If we can seize such an important force, then the world will have it at our fingertips."
The third strategy made Yang Xuangan fall into deep thought. After a long time, he sighed, "Yuan Qing won't help me!"
Li Mi shook his head and smiled: "It's not a question of whether he can help or not. If Ming Gong starts an uprising, he will have no way out. Will the emperor let him take over the military power again? Regardless of whether he wants it or not, he can only follow the uprising.
, so when Ming Gong starts the rebellion, he should not only consider his own conditions, but also consider those of Yuan Qing. He must wait until the conditions of both parties are mature before starting the rebellion, and he must not rush it."
"I see!"
Yang Xuangan nodded slowly, and then asked: "I'm going to Dongping County, will my dear brother still stay in the capital?"
"Of course I will follow. Not only that, I am also preparing to secretly raise a rebel army to help Duke Ming!"
At the same time that Li Mi went to visit Yang Xuangan, a carriage stopped in front of the Yuanshou Mansion in Guandefang. Yuan Hongsi got out of the carriage and hurried up the steps. Yuan Min had been waiting in front of the gate for a long time.
"Has everyone else arrived?"
"We're all here, just waiting for Fourth Uncle, please come with me!"
Yuan Min walked towards his father's study with Yuan Hongsi. Yuan Hongsi was about fifty years old this year. He was handsome, six feet two, tall and tall. He was currently a subordinate of Nayan, the prince's junior master, and an important minister of the imperial court.
He was also the representative figure of the Yuan family in the court.
Yuan Hongsi was the former general manager of Youzhou. He had been an official in Youzhou and stayed in the position of general manager of Youzhou for nearly seven years. He cultivated a large number of confidants in Youzhou. This time, Yang Guang suddenly changed his side, which caught him off guard.
, and also disrupted the Yuan family's deployment.
Today, the Holy Emperor officially issued a decree to appoint Yang Yuanqing as the general manager of Youzhou. This really made Yuan Hongsi worried. As soon as it got dark, he came to Yuanshou for discussion.
In Yuanshou's study, the eldest son Yuan Shangwu, the second son Yuan Shangjun, Yuanshou's younger brother Yuan Su, and another clan brother Yuan Wendu have all arrived, waiting for Yuan Hongsi's arrival.
Yuan Wendu was also highly regarded by Yang Guang. After Yang Yuanqing resigned as censor, he took over. However, Yuan Wendu was low-key and did not talk much. Today's meeting was extremely important, so he also came to participate.
"Sorry, I'm late!"
Yuan Hongsi walked into the room quickly, bringing with him a gust of wind. Yuan Shou smiled and waved his hand, "I've been waiting for you, sit down quickly! Min'er also sat down.
The Yuan family is divided into dozens of houses and has nearly a thousand people. Those who came to Yuanshou's study for a meeting today are all Yuanshou's most trusted confidants.
Yuan Shou looked solemn and said to the crowd: "Today we invite you to a meeting to formally discuss with you how our Yuan family should prepare and how we can regain the country that should belong to our Tuoba family...rs!.