Chapter 1 Emergence (Part 1) If you could choose between the dead General Li and the living stubborn boy Li Xu, Mr. Pei Ju, the assistant minister of Huangmen and taking charge of the government, would definitely choose the latter without hesitation. Although Li Xu's
What he did once made people very troubled, but the living Li Xu never took the initiative to cause any actual trouble for him, and the dead General Li who continued to show filial piety all year round pushed him to a place full of grease.
On the pile of firewood, if you are not careful, you will be burned to death.
Yang Guang, who has been aloof from political affairs for many years, is easy to fool, especially with Empress Xiao's approval. Pei Ju and Yu Shiji can just make up a lie such as "He was killed by an assassin sent by Wagang's army".
It was difficult to explain the cause of Li Xu's death to the civil and military officials. Since the news of General Li's death in battle spread to Jiangdu, those who had had friendship with him before or those who had not had any friendship with him had even been waiting for a long time.
The guys who came on this day suddenly became righteous, and all kinds of accountability memorials flew to the palace like snowflakes. As soon as the two people involved in the government's handling of the affairs slowed down, Henan heard that Pei Renji, the general general of Xingyang, led his troops to rebel.
Before Pei and Yu could recover from the shock, Wang Xiaoyi, the general guard of Xiangcheng, and Wang Xiaoyi, followed by Hedong Li Yuan, chopped off the supervisory army sent by Dongdu on the charge of "seeming to have evil intentions".
Gao Junya and Wang Wei were killed, Pengcheng Zhang Rui beheaded Chaosan official Liu Mao, and even Jiangdu Tongshou Wang Shichong, who had just been promoted by the imperial court in the past two years and was known as "loyal", stationed his troops in Huaibei.
I was ordered to write a letter to the court saying that I have been out with a large army for a long time. I am afraid that I will be injured by rumors and my troops will be scattered.
Pei Ju was so angry that he couldn't do anything about it, but the person who took the opportunity to cause trouble was helpless. To be honest, Dongdu did too much this time. Everyone disliked the person named Li, so it was normal to find an opportunity to exclude him. But no matter what,
We shouldn't push this person to a dead end. Previously, there was such a famous general who was so frightening that some people who were ready to move didn't dare to openly rebel. Now that they have the excuse and the threat is gone, how can people not grasp the good news that comes to their doorstep?
Any chance?
At the moment, the only perfunctory way to treat a headache and a sore foot is for Jiangdu to issue an order to find out the person who framed Li Xu and execute him in public, so as to calm the anger of military officers everywhere. But it is really difficult to find this scapegoat who can mobilize Wang.
Bian and Pei Renji, the official position of allowing them to let go of the defenders of Hulao Pass must not be too small. In addition, it is also a generous act to use the troops of Dongdu to block Li Xu's retreat without finding any solid evidence. Without the King of Yue
With Yang Tong’s approval, Liu Changgong, the tiger general, definitely doesn’t have the guts himself.
"No matter what, we can't convict His Highness the King of Yue. What does he know at such a young age?" There are no outsiders in the court room, so Pei Ju is not afraid of anyone impeaching him for slandering the relatives of the supervising emperor. As we all know, the King of Yue Yang Tong is just a decoration.
The military and political power is currently in the hands of Duan Da, the Guanglu doctor, Yuan Wendu, the Taifu Qing, Wei Jin, the Minister of Civil Affairs, Youwuwei General Huangfu Tianyi, Yousi Lang Lu Chu and others. As for why these people had to force Li Xu
There is no need to guess the reason for the desperate situation, he can also know a little bit about it.
"Actually, I don't blame Dr. Duan and the others for their ruthlessness in this matter. General Li was brave, but he overestimated his ability in doing things!" Yu Shiji, another minister who was involved in government affairs, also deeply lamented Wan Zai's death for Li Xu's death.
In his eyes, Li Xu's death was not simply because Dongdu mistakenly believed the rumor that the Li family's uncle and nephew were about to rebel. Even without this rumor, Duan Da and others would still find ways to get rid of him. The emergence of the rumor only provided Dongdu with
Just a good opportunity
It's just that Duan Da and others acted too unscrupulously and got too many tricks. In fact, even if they didn't take action, if they waited for another year and a half, countless big shots in the court would jump out and use all means to ruin Li's reputation.
It's all predetermined, no one can change it
"Yes, there are some things that the late emperor could only try briefly. General Li actually hit him head-on! It's strange that he didn't suffer a bloody blow!" Secretary Lang Yu Shinan deeply agreed with his brother's statement. As early as Li Xuwei's battle,
Before that, he had discussed privately with many secretaries and bachelors, and believed that although this person had a great reputation now, he would not end well in the future because the things he had done were far beyond the scope of authority of a military general!
The secretaries and bachelors privately believed that Li Xu was guilty of three crimes: first, he was good at opening official warehouses and seeking fame and reputation; second, he was good at selecting officials and disrupting the local official order; third, he secretly divided the land in bandit-infested areas and showed personal favor to the soldiers.
The official warehouses near Luoyang were filled with grain stored by the imperial court for war preparations. The late emperor had already taught that anyone who tampered with the official warehouses would be executed. But among the three capital crimes committed by Li Xu, this one was the least serious. After all, he
I was ordered to supervise the army in Henan. There is no reason for the brothers to starve and fight against the bandits. Moreover, if Guancheng is captured by the bandit army, the storage in the granary will be cheaper for the Wagang people. It is better to divide it among the county soldiers and the hungry people first, which will lead to the loss of food.
The thoughts of the thieves
But the second and third two serious mistakes are unforgivable. No matter how good Li Xu's original intention was, and how effective these two policies were in implementation, it was of no avail. The selection of materials for the ninth-grade Zhongzheng system had already stretched for several
It has been a century-old practice. In view of the popularity of the late emperor, it was not possible to completely replace it with the imperial examination. As a local official, he dared to go further than the late emperor. Didn't he think his life span was too long? As for allocating wasteland to meritorious soldiers.
This move is to actively stir up the tiger's beards of the wealthy families! Especially the fertile land of Henan, although it is currently in the hands of rogues, the original owner cannot be found even one inch. Li Xu divided it without asking the original owner's intention. The other party can
Don’t you hate it to the core?
"Alas!" Huangmen Shilang Pei Ju sighed.
"Alas!" Yu Shiji, the Minister of Internal Affairs, echoed with a long sigh.
The two of them couldn't see the reason Yu Shinan suggested, but how could those who took the opportunity to make trouble listen to the explanations of the secretaries and bachelors? They only valued the opportunities and real interests in front of them. The fire was already burning, and Zhang Xutuo was willing to put out the fire.
and Li Xu fell down one after another, but the guys who tried their best to add fuel to the fire lived better than the others. In this case, everyone might as well just be the ones adding fuel to the fire, why bother to be the thankless person putting out the fire?
Being burned to a pulp?
"If you find it difficult to deal with the living people, why don't you think of a way to mourn after General Li's death?" Seeing that the two important ministers looked haggard with worry, Yu Shinan continued to suggest
This was also the conclusion he came to after discussing with the secretaries and bachelors. "Anyway, General Li is dead. To hold a living person responsible for a dead warrior, and even make Dongdu and Jiangdu separate, is really not worth the gain!" He looked at everyone's expressions.
Yu Shinan didn't notice too much anger in his face, so he spoke more smoothly, "The emperor and the queen didn't want to delve into the matter, and they probably saw the consequences. The situation in Henan is already very chaotic. If the few left-behind auxiliary ministers get cold again,
Heart, Dongdu is even more in danger!"
"Master Pei and I had the same plan at the beginning, but didn't you see what happened in the past two days?" Yu Shiji smiled bitterly and shook his head. His brother's idea was certainly a brilliant idea, but it obviously didn't work at this time. According to someone's private report
, Yuwenshi Jidu, who was in charge of half of Jiangdu's troops, privately set up an incense burner in the Xiaoguo Camp to commemorate Li Xu's spirit in heaven. If he and Pei Ju didn't take some measures to cut off the strength of a strong man, the rebels would not necessarily be thousands of miles away.
The county is elite
"Those guys who take the opportunity to cause trouble have no real friendship with Li Xu. They are just taking the opportunity to seek benefits and do not harm the overall situation. The imperial court will try to agree to something and wait until they are appeased before looking for other opportunities to defeat them one by one!" Yu Shinan
He smiled and said coldly, "In short, it's nothing more than 'asking for a high price and paying back the money on the ground'. I dragged it slowly and finally got a result. But General Li's death should not be handled too lightly. Since he
If he died a wrongful death, if he died heroically, the imperial court would recognize his status and take the opportunity to set up a model of loyalty to comfort the heroes in heaven, and at the same time, it can also inspire those who come after him to follow his example!"
The second half of what he said was an expedient means to ease the situation. If we seize the time to implement it, it would have some effect for the living people to see. But Pei Ju and Yu Shiji exchanged glances with each other, listening and shaking their heads while waiting for Yu Shinan to finish all the words.
After finishing speaking, he pondered for a moment and said at the same time, "Alas——!"
The two ministers actually used sighs as words, which was a rare sight. "Master Yu, please say it first...!" Pei Ju smiled awkwardly and gave in.
"Master Pei, please go first. After all, Yu doesn't know much about martial arts!" At the critical moment, Yu Shiji knew how to be humble. He raised his arm and made a gesture of giving priority to those who are capable.
"Alas, I once thought that the past has passed, and we can chase after those who come! But I am afraid that there is no room for us to bargain with Li Yuan in the east of the river!" Pei Ju sighed, his voice sounding unspeakably sad.
"Does Master Pei still think that Li Yuan is really planning to rebel?"
"Are the original rumors true?"
Everyone was startled and asked all kinds of questions.
"Whether the rumors are true or not, the Li family in Hedong probably won't let it go!" Pei Ju smiled bitterly, with an expression on his face as if he had just eaten a big fly and couldn't spit it out or swallow it. "This move in Dongdu has already
It fully shows that the imperial court has always distrusted Li Yuan, and the six counties of Boling, where Li Xu is governed, are close to Hedong. I heard that one of Li Xu's favorite concubines was Li Yuan's daughter, and the two families were originally linked by the same spirit.
I can’t write two characters for Li! Now that my son-in-law is dead, my father-in-law has justifiably taken over Boling. With half of Hedong and half of Hebei in his hands, does Li Yuan need to continue to tolerate the imperial court?"
Anyone else would have seized the opportunity. Not only Li Yuan, I'm afraid Luo Yi would also take action. In the past, General Li was like a nail in the six counties, which not only made Luo Yi's head as big as a fight, but also fettered Li Yuan.
It is difficult for the two of them to start a hasty incident. Now that the imperial court has pulled out the nails, do Li Yuan and Luo Yi still have the reason to wait for new nails to appear?
"It would be great if General Li hadn't died!" Seeing how corrupt the current situation was, the officials finally remembered Li Xu's benefits and sighed.
If Li Xu were alive, they wouldn't have such a headache as they do now. Li Yuan and Luo Yi would also be afraid! But the man named Li would die sooner or later, so why did he give up at this juncture?
Sigh, sigh, the fact is done, everything is irreversible. What everyone is about to face will be constant accusations and successive rebellions. No matter what they think of to temporarily deal with it, the ship of the Sui Dynasty has been leaking everywhere, and there are no days left before it sinks.
many!
"Maybe, maybe General Li is really alive!" Wang Gui, a member of Zhongshushe who had been silent all this time, murmured, not knowing whether he was driven crazy by the depressive atmosphere in the room or was suddenly fascinated by the phlegm.
"Does Mr. Wang think that General Li surrendered to Wagang?" Feng Deyi asked with some dissatisfaction even though he had no friendship with Li Xu.
He did this not because he wanted to protect Li Xu's reputation, but because he didn't believe that a reckless warrior could suddenly learn to make adjustments. Moreover, Li Mi, the coach of the Wagang Army, was disfigured and lame because of this person.
He said, this is a hatred greater than killing his father and seizing his wife, so how can he accept Li Xu who has become a stranger and has no way out?
"With General Li's character, he would definitely not defect to Wagang!" Wang Gui thought for a while and explained to his colleagues who were full of suspicion, "When the first news of his death came, I felt that I was all devastated.
But the more I think about it in the past few days, the more something is wrong. This man is a man who knows how to fight. He will never seek death and wait to see what he will do at the last moment. He actually sends his troops and goes straight to the ferry! This is not seeking death, but also seeking death.
What to do?"
"It's not a good thing that Liu Changgong did! He actually led his troops to block his own retreat! If General Li fights Wagang desperately, and both sides suffer losses, Liu, Duan and others can easily take it down. But if General Li fights with Wagang,
When a war breaks out in the Eastern Capital, the morale of the county soldiers under his command will definitely be low. With his personal bravery, even if he can defeat Liu Changgong, he will not have the strength to face Xu and Zhai together to attack him again!" Feng Deyi frowned and responded loudly.
His evaluation of Li Xu was not high, but his evaluation of Liu, Duan and others was even lower. In the eyes of some literati, although General Li acted recklessly and behaved rudely, he could still be classified as a loyal minister, while Duan, Liu and others,
He is an out-and-out traitor and a sycophant! This is one of the reasons why he insisted on handling Li Xu's affairs with high standards after seeing that the court did not want to punish Duan, Liu and others.
The fact that he did not meet with soldiers in Dongdu shows that he still pretends to be loyal to the imperial court in his heart, and would rather die than let down the grace of God! In the eyes of Confucians, such loyal ministers and righteous men are models for all generations. Regardless of whether there are conflicts between them, they are
Actions should be praised, not vilified!
"Deyi, don't be too busy complaining about injustice." Pei Ju, who had been frowning, suddenly became alert and spoke to stop the dispute between Feng and Wang. "Master Wang only said that his behavior was not in line with the way of using military force, and did not say that he was against the imperial court.
He is disloyal, and it was Dongdu who stirred up trouble first. Even if he starts a war with Duan Da, Liu Changgong, Wang Bian and others, your Majesty will forgive him if he shows up later!"
Although Wang Gui's words were a bit wishful thinking, they undoubtedly made Pei Ju see a ray of sunshine in the gap between the dark clouds. For several days, Pei Ju, who had served as military counselor many times, was also puzzled by Li Xu's actions. If he and the other party were to change places,
He will definitely not dismiss his troops, but use the power of his victory to defeat Duan Da and others in one fell swoop, and then enter the Hulao Pass without leaving. At the same time, he will request reinforcements from various places. As long as he can ensure that Dongdu and Xingyang are not captured by Wagang,
In the future, the imperial court will have no choice but to recognize the fact that Duan and Liu have been ruined. Not only will he not be held accountable, but he will also receive praise from His Majesty.
This is the difference between loyal ministers and capable ministers. Loyal ministers may have existed in the legendary era of Five Emperors and Three Emperors, but in the Sui Dynasty, his ending would only be a sigh, while capable ministers would only choose to treat themselves.
The most advantageous way, there will be no moral fetters in the heart. In order to achieve a certain goal, you will not hesitate to bet the country, the country and the people's happiness on the stage!
As a capable minister, Pei Ju could not see through Li Xu's every move before the battle. Since this man is a famous general in hundreds of battles, he should not seek death unless he has long been disappointed with everything he insists on. But even so, he still surrendered to Wagang
The choice does not necessarily have to be the Yellow River as the final destination.
"I heard rumors that one of General Li's beloved women galloped for more than 200 miles to give him a message. She was pregnant at the time, and it was raining heavily. So after arriving at the military camp, she quickly disappeared.
It's over!" Pei Yun, the censor doctor, sighed and added
"In the past, the overlord of Chu would rather die than Jiangdong. The mood of the man named Li at the last moment was probably similar to that of the overlord of Western Chu. The beauty has passed away, and all the brothers have been wiped out. Even if he returns to Boling, how can he face those who once persuaded him?
Does he not want the generals who crossed the river?" Yu Shinan was not sarcastic at this time, but sighed and commented in a tone of sorrow for the past and the present. As a literati, he likes these tragic and somewhat fragrant allusions. When he was young, he also dreamed of many Yus.
Ji wiped his neck one after another for himself. Of course, after being moved, he must
