The sky has fallen, and a bright moon is half-covered by idle clouds. The jagged and low clouds are floating uncertainly, and the ground is flickering with light and darkness, and there are many cloud shadows.
To the west of Wutouyi, the winding official road is lined with tree shadows, knee-deep weeds, swaying grass and rustling sounds, and occasionally a few weird bird calls coming from deep in the trees, which looks eerie and creepy. All of this is also
It seems to foreshadow the unrest tonight.
Not long after, a spark flickered faintly on the official road in the distance. As we got closer, we vaguely saw someone on horseback holding a torch high. As the torch swayed, a horse team walked along the official road, which was not very spacious, from west to east.
Come.
The size of the cavalry was not large, with more than eighty riders, and a young man sat on a bay-red horse.
He is about in his early twenties, wearing a curly beam crown and a purple undershirt. He has a majestic appearance and a handsome expression. His slightly thin face has frowning eyebrows and a gloomy look between his eyebrows, but the corners of his mouth are slightly raised.
An arc, revealing a bit of arrogance and contempt.
There were eight people guarding him, all wearing bright light armor. A round metal shield on the chest reflected the moonlight from time to time. These eight people were all majestic and sturdy.
Half a horse's head behind the young man, followed closely by a middle-aged general wearing two crotch armors. He closed his lips tightly and looked at the young man in front of him with his peripheral vision from time to time. If
Thoughtful.
In the second half of the cavalry was an arch carriage, with two windows covered with black cloth, and two lanterns hanging by the windows on both sides, swaying rhythmically as the carriage moved forward.<
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The leader of the cavalry saw the lights of Wutou Station in the distance, asked the middle-aged general for instructions, and then flew forward to explore the route.
The young man on the maroon horse didn't say anything. He gently touched the hilt of the sword inlaid with gems at his waist, looked towards the dark sky in the southeast, and let out a long sigh.
Not long after, the man who explored the way came back. He got off his horse in front of the young man and said with cupped hands: "Your Highness, there is a post station ahead of you. It is not big in scale, but it is also a sleeping place. However, if you are a small one, I suggest you go further.
Let's go directly to Jiangling, where the food and accommodation conditions are better. However, in the end, you still have to make a decision."
The young man did not answer the sergeant's question, but turned around and said to the middle-aged general beside him: "Master Sikong, you are here to escort me back to Jiankang. I can't decide whether to go or stop. Hurry up.
Speak, they are still waiting for your order." The tone was full of joking and dissatisfaction.
The middle-aged general's surname was Hou and his given name was Andu, and he was a close and beloved general of Emperor Nanchen.
Upon hearing this, Hou Andu quickly picked up the reins and urged his horse forward. He said with a smile: "Hey, look at what you said, isn't it going to shorten my life? Your Highness wants to go to Jiangling, so I urge the people to continue on their way.
If you want to stay in this small inn, I will order someone to inform the post manager to tidy up the inn to make your stay more comfortable. Whether you want to stay or leave depends on your words."
"This is not just talk. Yesterday you said you only had to drive for half a day, so we rested for half a day, didn't we?"
"Besides, your majesty's edict is just to escort you back to Jiankang safely, and to serve you carefully along the way. In a word, I will do whatever your highness says."
The young man raised his eyebrows and sneered, "Really? I am a proton who has been away from the country for several years and is living in a foreign land. How can my words carry such weight?"
Hou Andu said with a smile on his face: "Your Highness, you are the son of the late emperor and the cousin of the current emperor. Not long ago, you were appointed as the regular servant of Sanqi, the commander of the military in Xiangzhou, the general of Hussar, the shepherd of Xiangzhou, and the prince of Hengyang County. , five thousand households in the city, plus Zaolun and three chariots, a preacher in the rear, and twenty swordsmen. Looking at my great Chen, as far as I know, you are the first person to enjoy such an honor. "< /p>
The corners of the young man's mouth curved, but his eyes sparkled with coldness.
Hou Andu was not swayed by his sword-like eyes, and his face still had a respectful expression.
This guy was sarcastic and sarcastic to Hou An all the way and looked down upon everyone he saw. It was not because of his weird temper.
In fact, he is elegant, intelligent and eloquent, and he is well versed in political affairs. He is not someone who deliberately makes things difficult for his subordinates. However, his status is extremely noble and his status is respected.
This man is Chen Chang, the only son of the founding emperor of the Southern Chen Kingdom, Chen Wudi, Chen Baxian, who just passed away last year.
Chen Baxian was a man of few desires and was not fond of women. He only married two wives in his life, and he married the second one only after the death of his first wife.
Chen Baxian's first wife was named Qian. Before Chen Baxian reached the peak of his power, Qian followed him in all the wars and shared weal and woe. She gave him three sons in total. Unfortunately, it was very unfortunate that all three sons died in infancy. Qian also collapsed and died.
Chen Baxian's second wife was named Zhang Yaoer. She married Chen Baxian after Qian's death and gave birth to Chen Baxian's only grown-up son, Chen Chang.
For this son, Chen Baxian carefully cultivated him, ordered Chen Jun Xie Zhe and Jiyang Cai Jingli to assist Chen Chang in governing Wuxing, and sent Wu Jun Du Zhiwei to teach Chen Chang the classics.
Chen Chang can read at a glance, understand the meaning clearly, and analyze it fluently.
In October of the second year of Taiping, Chen Baxian gradually took control of the Liang Dynasty, deposed Liang Jing Emperor Xiao Fangzhi, called himself emperor, Emperor Chen Wu, and sealed Zhang Yaoer as queen.
If things continue to develop according to this trend, Chen Chang, Chen Baxian's only heir to the throne, should be crowned the great treasure after Chen Baxian's death.
But this was not the case. He later went to Jingzhou with another cousin, Chen Xu, and Emperor Xiao Yi of Liang Yuan made him a member of the Foreign Sanqi and a regular attendant.
After the fall of Jingzhou, he and Chen Xu were captured to Guanyou. The Western Wei Dynasty treated these hostages very politely because of Chen Baxian.
After Chen Baxian proclaimed himself emperor, he frequently sent envoys to ask the Northern Zhou Dynasty to release Chen Xu and Chen Chang, but the Northern Zhou Dynasty promised but did not send them.
After Chen Baxian's death, the Chen Kingdom had no heir to the throne. Chen Baxian's nephew Chen Qian took over the throne as Emperor Chen Wen.
The Northern Zhou Dynasty wanted to create civil strife for Chen, but instead immediately released Chen Chang.
However, Wang Lin, the remnant force of Nanliang, was stationed in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, and Chen Chang was not allowed to return, so he lived in Anlu.
After Wang Lin was defeated by Nanchen, Chen Qian worshiped Chen Chang as General Hussar and governor of Xiangzhou. Chen Chang then set off from Anlu to go to Jiankang.
In the past, Chen Chang was Chen Baxian's only son and the confirmed heir to the throne, while Chen Qian was just the son of his uncle Chen Daotan. The bloodline of the Tian family could be seen at a glance.
But because when Chen Baxian died, he was thousands of miles away in the Northern Zhou Dynasty as a hostage, so his cousin Chen Qian became the emperor by accident.
The former brothers have now become monarchs and ministers; their status has been completely different since then.
How can Chen Chang swallow this breath?
Now that the status of king and minister has been determined, although Chen Chang is unwilling to do so, he no longer wants to wander in a foreign land, so he has no choice but to return to Jiangzuo first.
Chen Chang knew his cousin Chen Qian too well. Chen Qian was more than ten years older than him and was his father's right-hand man. When his father conquered Guangling in the north, he sent Chen Qian to the front line to defeat the Czechs in every battle.
My father accepted Zen and made Chen Qian the king of Linchuan County, with two thousand households in the city. She paid homage to General Anton, the minister in charge.
When Zhou Wenyu and Hou An were defeated at Chuankou, their father ordered Chen Qian to join the army and reserve troops, but they were reluctant to do so, which shows that they relied heavily on him.
Whether it is military achievements or connections, Chen Chang is far inferior to this cousin.
Now that Chen Qian has become the emperor, he has become a minister, so he feels extremely depressed.
But no matter how unconvinced he was, what could he do at this critical moment of dynasty change?
Therefore, along the way, Chen Chang often challenged Hou Andu.
In his opinion, this person is the culprit who caused him to lose the throne.
When his father died, it was this man who forced his mother to agree to grant the throne to Chen Qian.
Hou Andu is Chen Qian's lackey. If you don't find trouble with him, who will you look for?
However, he also knew very well that Hou Andu was there to greet and protect him in name, but in reality he was monitoring him, and it was clear that he even had more sinister plans.
Chen Chang only brought eight of his personal guards, and the rest were from Hou Andu.
As long as he shows the slightest sign of abnormality, he will be destroyed immediately.
Therefore, I was very cautious along the way, and at best I was just quick to talk.
When Hou Andu saw that Chen Chang was keeping a straight face and said nothing, he said: "Your Highness, in fact, from my perspective, this place is not far from Jiangling. You can enter the city by walking for half an hour. The carriage and horse station in the city is naturally better than staying here. It's more comfortable and safer than in this barren mountain. You should make up your mind quickly!"
Before setting off from Jiankang, Chen Qian told him that he must escort the Prince of Hengyang back to Jiankang safely.
But, what is "safe escort"?
How to understand?
After the death of the late emperor, Chen Qian entered the court and settled in Zhongshu Province.
The Queen's Chapter Yao'er Order said: "Haotian is not concerned, and the gods bring disasters. The emperor of Daxing is about to donate to all the countries, and he leads the country to wail, and the whole world is like mourning. He is cruel and annoyed, and there is no one to care about. All the lonely people are rebelling against the country. There is no time limit, and a chief lord must be established in Ningyu County. Attendant, General Anton, and Wang Qian of Linchuan, who are from Jinghuang, belong to Wei Youzi."
"Build special merits in Muye, spread great achievements in Qianli, pay attention to the time of the day, bear the day of taking advantage of the opportunity, and assist the time of Yong. They are created with the same grass, tied to the 祧饥, and far away from the heart of the house. It is appropriate to serve as a great minister, and heir. Ying Baolu, so that the seven temples can be worshiped, and the people are in peace. The widows are still alive, and the babies are suffering from hundreds of deaths. They are lingering in search and interpretation, and they are full of excitement and emotion."
According to this decree, it seems that Chen Qian, the current saint, deserves the honor of being admitted to Chengda Temple. In fact, it is all done by Hou Andu and other Chen Qian's direct confidants.
Before Chen Qian ascended the throne, there was a dispute over the choice of the successor emperor. Many civil and military ministers supported Chen Qian, but Queen Mother Zhang Yaoer was reluctant to hand over the jade seal because of Chen Chang, the prince of Hengyang County. , the officials were hesitant and unable to make a decision.
At the critical moment, it was he, Hou An, who stood in front of the palace and made an impassioned speech. Those words are still fresh in his memory: "Today's affairs are still fresh in his memory: "Today's affairs are undecided, so there is no time to go far. King Linchuan has made great contributions to the world and must be established together. Today's events , the one who responds later will be beheaded!"
After saying this, he went to the palace with his sword, asked the Queen Mother to issue the seal, untied the current emperor's hair, pushed it to the soul of Emperor Chen Wu, worshiped him as the successor emperor, and presided over the funeral.
This feat of following the dragon is something no one else in the current dynasty can do.
With his extraordinary achievements, he moved to Sikong and still served as the military governor of South Xuzhou, the general of the northern expedition, and the governor of South Xuzhou.
Before deciding to welcome the Hengyang Prince back, Chen Qian secretly ordered him to enter the palace and handed him a letter from the Hengyang Prince. The words in this letter were very unreasonable, roughly saying that the current emperor had robbed him of his throne. If.
"The prince is about to arrive in the capital, and I need to find another vassal state where I will retire."
Although Hou Andu heard what the emperor said, he couldn't hear the underlying meaning.
After sitting on the dragon chair for a while, Chen Chang suddenly came back.
Give up your seat, you are unwilling to do so.
If you don't allow it, you are afraid that the civil and military officials of the court and the people will say that this emperor is unethical and selfish.
When Chen Qian was riding a tiger and was in trouble, Hou Andu stood firmly on Chen Qian's side: "Has there ever been an emperor who was deputized from ancient times? The humble ministers were too stupid to dare to obey Shao's order."
As for how to "safely" welcome the Prince of Hengyang County back to Jiankang, Hou Andu naturally had some thoughts.
When Chen Chang saw that Hou Andu wanted to rush to Jiangling, he also knew that this suggestion was the most feasible. However, he was angry and was unwilling to comply with Hou Andu's wishes. He immediately decided to stay at Wutou Station and return tomorrow morning.
Keep walking.
"No!" Hou Andu looked at Chen Chang's back as he urged his horse to gallop, with a cold smile that was imperceptible at the corner of his mouth.
This chapter has been completed!