Chengxintang was originally the residence of Li Jing, the lord of the Southern Tang Dynasty. After Li Yu came to the throne, it became his residence. On weekdays, he mainly studied and painted here, recited poems and wrote poems, or invited friends from the same Taoism to sit and discuss Taoism.
It is about elegance. Influenced and infiltrated by two generations of talented emperors, Li Jing and Li Yu, this Chengxintang exudes a cultural atmosphere inside and outside, which is elegant and far-reaching and different from the commonplace.
Li Yu succeeded to the throne, and it only lasted for two years. However, what his father left to him was not a stable and prosperous country, but a mess of internal and external troubles and a deteriorating situation. Even a man with great talent and strategy, faced with this situation of internal and external difficulties, it was a coincidence.
It is difficult for a woman to make a meal without rice, but what about Li Yu?
He is just a romantic and talented man who likes literature and classics. Being an emperor is really difficult for him. Of course, on the other hand, in this era, Li Yu's performance in succeeding to the throne has fallen faster and more thoroughly than in the original time and space, which is not out of place.
The situation has collapsed to the point of no return, and immersing yourself in one's own hobbies may also be a means of escape.
However, even if he deliberately turned his back on what was going on outside the window, the pressure from the Central Plains court still made Li Yu feel deeply, especially the edicts and invitations one after another, which were like reminders, hitting his will.
Panic, fear, and at a loss what to do. In fact, Li Yu had already lost hope for the future after hearing that the imperial court was preparing for the Pingnan War. At first, he had not thought about accepting Emperor Liu's invitation and heading north to Tokyo. However, he did not
dare.
Of course, it is not entirely true to say that we completely give up resistance and let the floods destroy our country and overthrow our ancestral temples. For example, the personnel transfer for the defense of the Yangtze River is a manifestation of struggle. However, apart from this, it seems that there is no other way to think of it.
What a useful measure. People are always complicated. Even if they are in despair, they may not be without a trace of hope in their hearts.
At this time, Li Yu still had a trace of fantasy.
In the Chengxin Hall, Li Yu is sitting on the main seat. The Lord of Jiangnan Kingdom is very handsome. He has a crown on his head and exudes the aura of books. He looks like a Confucian scholar. Perhaps he is too drunk and looks a little frail and white.
With a face that is paired with slightly melancholy eyes, this kind of temperament can easily arouse a woman's affection.
Also present in the hall were several important ministers of the dynasty, including Prime Minister Xu Xuan, Guangzheng Yuan Assistant Minister Chen Qiao, Privy Councilor Feng Yanlu, and Minister of Civil Affairs Zhong Mo. These four people are the main figures holding the main power in the Jinling court today.
However, looking at its condition, it gives people a sense of decline and decay. Xu Xuan, as a famous scholar in the south of the Yangtze River and a veteran of three dynasties, has always been close to Han Xizai. He was a reformist before. However, in terms of writing and talent, this is
He is a great person, but his ability to govern the country is always lacking, and he has no impressive political achievements.
Chen Qiao is also an old minister, a loyal minister, and can be regarded as a truly loyal person left by Li Jing to Li Yu. Since Li Yu took the throne, he has advised and urged him several times, hoping that he can cheer up and prosper the country. He is also the clearest person in the court.
, who opposed the imperial court most fiercely and hoped to strengthen military equipment to fight against its annexation. However, after all, he was just a civil servant, passionate and eloquent, but when it came to military affairs and military affairs, he was actually powerless.
Feng Yanlu came from a well-known family and inherited his brother's political capital. Personally speaking, he was also well-informed and his moral character was much higher than that of his brother Feng Yansi.
Although Kuanglanyu fell, it was really difficult for him.
As for Zhong Mo, there is no need to mention it. Up to now, if there is anyone in the Jinling court who does not know about his connection with the court, he is blind. Zhong Mo has always been a "peace-seeking faction"
Leaders have gone to Tokyo more than once as envoys.
What is more helpless is that the only people Li Yu can rely on are these people. In the past two years, it is these people who have been able to ensure stability and maintain the normal operation of the government.
It is obviously impossible to say that there are no talents in Jiangnan. Jiangdong has been full of talents since ancient times. But as monarchs, neither Li Jing nor Li Yu had the wisdom to recognize and employ people.
In addition to the four ministers, there is also an official, Jinling Ling Chen Qi, a well-known strong command in Jiangnan. He has a tough temperament, is not afraid of powerful people, ghosts and gods, and is especially evil. And his hurried entry into the palace this time can turn Sui Zui
Li Yu was awakened in the midst of romance, and it was obvious that something big was going on.
But it was the fishermen of the Yangtze River who found some pontoons in the river. They drifted eastward from the upper reaches. After opening them, they found a letter. The letter was written in the letter. It was also the Emperor of the Han Dynasty's Pingnan Edict and a message to the people of Jiangnan. This is
Cao Bin, who was upstream, followed the example and ordered people to do it, which was the same old trick of attacking people's hearts and minds.
At this time, Li Yu was restless, with a sad face, holding an edict in his hand, his hands trembling slightly, and his handsome face looked a little pitiful at this time. His lips trembled slightly, and he murmured to himself: "It turns out, in
In the eyes of the imperial court, I am such an ignorant and ignorant person. Do the people in Jiangnan also view me in this way?"
Seeing that Li Yu was actually affected by this edict and fell into self-doubt, Chen Qiao became anxious and immediately said: "My lord, this is all a crime, a trick of the Northern Han Dynasty to mess with my heart, don't take it seriously.
Please also quickly order the government and military along the river to confiscate and destroy this mailbox if they encounter it!"
However, Li Yu couldn't help but frown, looking a little painful. He was thinking that he seemed to be able to get a little bit of the story in this edict...
However, Chen Qiao's words finally had some effect. After coming back to his senses, Li Yu asked: "Does the imperial court really want to send troops to attack and destroy our country? Is war really inevitable?"
Obviously, Li Yu, the leader of the Jiangnan Kingdom, still has some illusions in his heart, although he knows in his heart that they are just illusions. As the prime minister, Xu Xuan spoke, and his elegant face was also shrouded in gloom at this time, and his tone
Heavy: "My lord, the Northern Army's march to the south is inevitable. We can no longer take chances. For the present plan, we must think about strategies to deal with the enemy and develop defensive methods. Otherwise, the country will be in danger and the ancestral temple will collapse before our eyes.
!”
Well, Xianggong Xu said a lot, but nothing was implemented in practice, but he had to admit that this was a knowledgeable statement and the actual situation. Feng Yanlu sighed and also told some bad news: "The king, Runzhou has been
News has come that the Northern Army is massing southward and setting up troops on the north bank. Obviously, the troops are about to be mobilized!"
"What's the policy of the Privy Council?" Li Yu asked immediately after seeing Feng Yanlu's words.
"For the former, navy and army troops have been mobilized to support Jingkou, and other passes have also been arranged. It will not be easy for the Northern Army to cross the river!" Feng Yanlu said without confidence.
"Can the imperial court's 300,000-strong army be stopped from coming south?" Li Yu was not a stupid person. He could not detect Feng Yanlu's guilty conscience and murmured with a wry smile.
His appearance made Chen Qiao quite dissatisfied. He took a step closer and said loudly: "Master, the coming of the Northern Army will definitely destroy our country. The foundation of the three generations of the Li family is in danger. At this moment,
You should cheer up your spirit, coordinate civil and military affairs, deploy troops and generals to resist the enemy. Although the Northern Army is large, we still have 200,000 troops and millions of people. If we can work together as one, we may not be able to repel the enemy and ensure the delay.
Guo Zuo!"
Chen Qiao's words were those of a scholar, and his impulsive words and deeds were even a little rude. Because he was a civil servant and loyal to the public, he could tolerate it. If Lin Renzhao and the generals dared to do this to him, they would probably punish him.
Trying to stabilize his mind, Li Yu asked Chen Qiao: "Do you have a strategy to retreat from the enemy?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Qiao said directly: "Most of our elite troops are gathered in Runzhou, and the Northern Army is also gathering troops in Yangzhou. Lin Renzhao, the general of the Zhenhai Navy, has the talent. As long as he can stop the Northern Army at Jingkou, as long as he can hold on to other places stably,
That’s it. In addition, I suggest that the imperial court continue to recruit young men for training, especially to strengthen Jinling’s military strength!”
Well, Chen Qiao's strategy, to put it bluntly, is to leave it to Lin Renzhao and other generals, and capture some strong men to expand the army, which will give them a strong momentum...
Li Yu also agreed with this, but other than that, he couldn't think of any other way.
However, looking at Zhong Mo who had been silent, Li Yu took the initiative to speak: "Zhong Qing, the country is in a critical situation, what are your suggestions?"
During this period, Zhong Mo significantly reduced his political activities and did not make any statements in the court. He was also a smart man. If Wang Shi came south and the two countries fought, he would continue to advocate surrender for fear of arousing public anger and losing his life.
Especially for radicals like Chen Qiao, it is very dangerous when the real thing comes.
Zhong Mo's reputation in the Jinling court over the years can be said to be mixed. On the one hand, he is the core figure of the capitulation faction. However, Zhong Mo has also put forward many systems and strategies to benefit the people and government, but they have not been adopted.
Just accept it.
It is not that Li Yu has not heard about his reputation. Direct ministers like Chen Qiao have criticized Zhong Mo more than once, saying that he has ulterior motives. Therefore, Li Yu is also wary of Zhong Mo. Of course, it is also because Zhong Mo was bright and clear before.
Banner supported his succession and supported himself, and Li Yu was somewhat grateful to him.
In his conflicted mind, Zhong Mo continued to be a high-ranking official in Jinling. At this time, facing Li Yu's inquiry, Zhong Mo thought for a while and said: "I am just a scholar and have no knowledge of military affairs. If war is inevitable,
There is really nothing I can do. However, if we can hold on and send envoys to express our sincere feelings to Tokyo, and delay the war for a while, maybe the imperial court will not be able to see Pingnan, so it will take the initiative to withdraw its troops?"
Zhong Mo finally gave an extremely unreliable suggestion. In response to this, Chen Qiao immediately sneered: "The Northern Han Dynasty has always used troops and has never been afraid of fierce battles. The Northern Army came with the intention of wiping out the countries and unifying the rivers and mountains. They wanted to rely on
The envoy then said to retreat the enemy troops, doesn’t Zhong Shangshu think it’s ridiculous?”
Facing Chen Qiao's sarcasm, Zhong Mo just said lightly: "Maybe you can give it a try!"
Unexpectedly, Li Yu also agreed with this, but who should be sent?