When Liu Rengui returned from Luoyang, Yun Chu, Wen Wen and Di Renjie went to Mingde Gate to greet him in person.
When they first met, Yunchu felt like he had seen a fake Liu Rengui.
In the past, Liu Rengui, although he was very slim in appearance, had a lion's mouth, a high nose, a long beard, was eight feet tall, and walked with a graceful pace, it seemed that he had shrunk a lot.
His back began to stoop, and his dark beard turned gray.
When he got off the carriage, his steps were obviously slippery. After being helped by Yun Chu, this iron-like strong man weakly said to Yun Chu: "Let's talk about it back to the county government office."
Liu Rengui, who was unable to walk safely but forced himself to walk, kept looking around with his cloudy eyes since he entered Mingde Gate. Seeing the dilapidated appearance of Nancheng, his Adam's apple kept twitching. After a while, he said to Yun Chu: "
Is the loss serious?"
Yun Chu said: "It's going to be demolished soon. Why is Mr. Liu so sad?"
Liu Rengui was stunned for a moment and said: "Demolition? Do you mean that things are still happening in Chang'an?"
Yun Chu said: "This is natural. If there is damage, it will naturally be repaired. The previous riot caused by the scholars just contributed to the advancement of the Nancheng development and reconstruction project. Isn't this great?"
Liu Rengui said in surprise: "A blessing in disguise?"
Yun Chu smiled slightly, helped Liu Rengui walk a few steps forward, and placed him on the steps under the copper bull. The two of them were bathed in the sunshine. Yun Chu sighed and said, "It's a blessing in disguise. However, during this period,
Chang'an has been a blessing in disguise too many times."
Liu Rengui nodded and said: "I know this is very difficult. You haven't given up. That's good. When I heard the news about you shaving your hair and leaving home, I immediately felt that Chang'an was doomed.
so far so good."
Yun Chu said: "Isn't the job of the transporter difficult to do?"
Perhaps because of the sun, Liu Rengui's dusty face had a smile on his face: "The food fodder for the border army and the food fodder for the Yingzhou army were all replenished by luck before New Year's Eve."
Hearing what Liu Rengui said was simple, Yun Chu's nose felt sore.
What is the food fodder for the frontier army? The food fodder for the Yingzhou army was lucky enough to be replenished?
The so-called border troops refer to all the Tang Dynasty border troops who went all the way from Liaodong to the west, crossed mountains, rivers, forests, grasslands, Gobi, and deserts to Yumen.
What is a lucky break?
It means that the food, clothing, ordnance, horses, and materials needed by the 370,000 government soldiers, auxiliary soldiers, Wu soldiers, and corvees on this line were all made up in half a year under the deployment of the old man in front of me.
The material supplies required by Xue Rengui's official army in Yingzhou are even more astronomical. The 120,000-strong army left Yingzhou, which was already remote and lacked supplies, and went all the way north to strangle the Xi people and Khitan people among the white mountains and black waters. How much supplies were needed?
How much supply can we support an army of 120,000 people to continue fighting without problems?
Not to mention how to collect materials, how to transport materials, and how to allocate materials.
Nowadays, when Liu Rengui talks about these epic-level hard work, it seems to be an understatement, as if an old farmer has just completed the routine of pulling weeds in the farmland.
"In the past, there should have been six transport envoys. Why are you the only one this year?"
"The imperial court has not sent anyone for a long time. I heard that since His Majesty was seriously ill, Shangguan Yi and the Queen were at odds. The Queen's order could not pass Zhongshu, Menxia, and Zhongshu, Menxia's memorial could not get the approval of the Queen. That's it.
It’s been delayed.”
Yun Chu sneered and said: "Liu Gong's official business has not been answered, but the envoys from Chang'an are sent three times a day. No matter whether it is the three provinces, six ministries, or the queen, they have not forgotten Chang'an while fighting."
Liu Rengui ignored Yunchu's complaints, looked at the end of Zhuque Street and said, "Shangguanyi died in Chang'an?"
Yun Chu said coldly: "The dignified Prime Minister was beheaded by an eunuch in the street!"
Liu Rengui lowered his head and coughed twice and said: "Hard work is not considered hard work. The real hard work is when you hand over your errands in Luoyang."
Yunchu whispered: "Is it really blood splattered in Ziwei Palace?"
Liu Rengui said in a low voice: "Zhang Yin, the regular servant of Sanqi, Xue Du, a member of the middle school, Han Cheng, the left minister of the Ministry of Industry, Lin Yuan, a regular servant of Taifu Temple, Gu Pulu, a young minister of Sinong Temple, and a group of newly promoted people.
The so-called Beimen bachelors clamored for Shangguan Yi to resign.
Wen Jian, the imperial censor, scolded him several times. Instead of restraining himself, these people beat Wen Jian on the spot. Later, Shangguan Yi ordered the Han general to come in and clean up Chaoyi.
Yi... Then, Zhongshu, his disciples, and the courtiers on the left and right took action one after another... The high and mighty Tang Dynasty Hall turned into a battlefield of flesh and blood.
I was standing at the door at that time, watching helplessly the lion-like appearance of this group of scholars who were originally industrious and ignorant of grains, which almost made me return to the battlefield of Baijiangkou in an instant...
In the end, eleven people died and countless others were injured.
The white jade pillars were almost stained red with blood, so many famous ministers and brave generals were struggling and wailing in a pool of blood, and many guards in the palace looked on with cold eyes... This is what I feel most chilling and cannot understand."
Although Yunchu already knew the situation, when he heard Liu Rengui, the person involved, say it again, he still felt a little chilly.
"Your Majesty, don't you care?"
"Your Majesty suffered from a headache, and he was escorted to the palace by eunuchs and concubines as early as the incident."
The warm sun of Chang'an shone on the two of them, and neither of them had any intention of talking.
After a while, Liu Rengui said again: "The fighting in the court spread to the city within half a day. The generals, servants, and servants of the nobles and nobles took to the streets with open fire, looking for those who had suspicions about their officials.
Opponents, when they meet, they fight, and for a moment, black smoke billows in Luoyang City, and the sound of killing is loud..."
Yunchu asked again: "Where is the prince?"
Liu Rengui: "It was only when the prince led three thousand cavalry into Luoyang that the fighting subsided. The prince, accompanied by me and other veterans, went to Shangyang Palace to see His Majesty. He obtained His Majesty's approval and obtained the power to supervise the country. It calmed down.
There was a dispute in the court, and I was able to return to Chang'an.
Why, don’t you know about the prince’s stay in Luoyang?”
Yun Chu shook his head and said, "I have nothing to teach the prince, so I quit my job as the prince."
Liu Rengui sighed and said, "You should go to Luoyang and serve in the army."
Yun Chu shook his head and said: "It is Pei Xingjian who should go to the army to take charge, not me."
Liu Rengui frowned and said, "Why?"
Yun Chu said: "Your Majesty chose Pei Xingjian, but he did not choose me."
"Why?"
"Your Majesty is probably worried that after I go to Luoyang, the prince will do the old things of Xuanwu Sect."
"Who will pronounce the decree?"
"No one came to read the decree to me. It was read to Pei Xingjian."
"So, you will preside over the reconstruction of the south of the city in Chang'an?"
"Yes, people can't be idle. Didn't Mr. Liu just say that there should be some people in this world doing serious things? What I am doing now is to do good things that actually benefit the country and the people."
Liu Rengui let out a long sigh and said, "Your Majesty is beginning to be wary of the Crown Prince."
Yun Chu said: "You might as well say that His Majesty has begun to indulge the Queen."
Liu Rengui: "Although he is seriously ill, His Majesty still has no intention of becoming the Supreme Emperor."
Yun Chu said: "This is something that can't be helped. After all, your Majesty knows clearly what it is like for Emperor Gaozu to be the Supreme Emperor. He doesn't want to be like Emperor Gaozu and hide in the Tai Chi Palace endlessly.
Have children.”
Liu Rengui shook his head and said: "At this time the year before last, the Tang Dynasty was still prosperous and invincible. After Mount Tai came back, the Qingping world became as depressed as it is now.
Fortunately, the prince supervised the country and Luoyang was pacified."
Yun Chu helped Liu Rengui to stand up and pointed to the construction site at the end of Zhuque Street: "There will be a Tianshu built to praise the virtues of all nations, one hundred and forty-six feet high and weighing two million."
Liu Rengui muttered: "What virtue is there to praise?"
Yun Chu smiled and said: "The internal strife in the Tang Dynasty is internal strife. People outside must praise the virtue of not killing in the Tang Dynasty!"
While Liu Rengui was looking at the scratches on the leg of a copper ox, he spit on it and wiped it vigorously with a handkerchief. He also complained: "You seem to be indifferent to what happened in Luoyang, and you are even a little happy?"
Yunchu chuckled and said, "Chang'an is my home."
Liu Rengui wiped it for a long time, but when he saw that he couldn't remove the scratches on the copper ox's legs, he said to Yun Chu: "A person like you should look to the world."
Yun Chu smiled and said: "It is the emperor who should look at the world, not me."
Liu Rengui looked back at Wen Wen who was following behind him and said to Di Renjie, "What a pity."
She smiled softly and said, "It doesn't matter, we are used to cleaning up messes."
When Liu Rengui heard what Wen Wen said, his originally gloomy mood seemed to be much better. He pointed to some ruins in the southern city that had been burned into rubble by the fire and said to Di Renjie, "It is a serious crime to set fire in the city!"
Di Renjie said: "Zhou Xing is handling it."
Liu Renguishou frowned and said dissatisfied: "Get rid of this person, Chang'an City cannot tolerate the existence of such a dark and poisonous insect."
Di Renjie said: "Zhou Xing is already packing his bags. He will leave Chang'an in two days and go to Luoyang to ask for merit for himself."
Liu Rengui looked at Yun Chu and said, "Are you really not planning to go to Luoyang?"
Yun Chu shook his head and said, "I won't go."
"Why, at this time, the prince needs your help the most."
When Yun Chu saw no one around him, he whispered: "Your Majesty's illness is very different from that of Long Yu Bintian."
Liu Rengui: "However, your Majesty is very seriously ill this time. I heard that he has lost the sight in his left eye and suffered from headaches three times a day."
Yun Chu looked at Liu Rengui: "The old immortal said that it is easy for your Majesty to know your destiny when you are old. If you take good care of yourself, it is not impossible for you to have good ears."
Liu Rengui spread his hands and said to Yun Chu: "Then just stay in Chang'an. Building Chang'an properly is the right thing to do."
Yun Chu said: "Who says it's not the case?"
Liu Rengui's eyes suddenly became sharp, he pointed at Yunchu and the others and said: "Watch the Chang'an gate, don't let dirty things like snakes, insects, rats and ants come in."