PS: This chapter is updated to celebrate the first alliance leader in this book - God's Wrath Brother.
Last winter, the emperor, who was out training troops, was humiliated by Zhao Ba, the general of the Yan army's cavalry, and felt very gloomy. He often couldn't sleep at night, always having various nightmares, and then woke up in cold sweat all over his body. The power of the Yan Army's cavalry was repeatedly reflected in his mind, making his limbs feel weak and his whole body weak.
The 30,000 forbidden troops raised by exhausting the treasury's money and silk were instantly disintegrated. When the emperor wanted to let them return to the military camp, it was not so easy. So far, only six or seven thousand people have been recovered, and they can only barely protect them. There are several gates in the palace city and the outer city.
At this time, the emperor suddenly missed the middle-ranking officials he had tried every means to kill in the past. He remembered Yang Fugong, who had taken him out of Prince Shou's palace and promoted him to the throne of emperor. At that time, many courtiers were dissatisfied and wanted to support Prince Ji. , it was Yang Fugong who asked Lieutenant Liu Jishu to lead the troops to invite the courtiers to Shaoyang Courtyard to stay overnight. The next day, the courtiers admitted that he had "a handsome appearance and a heroic spirit."
He also thought of Song Daobi and Jing Wuxiu. During the Qianning period, he was kidnapped by Han Jian, the governor of Huazhou, for three years. Every night before going to bed, Song Daobi and Jing Wuxiu would place the bed outside their bedroom and close the door. Blocked up, slept outside the door, and guarded his safety all night long. The emperor didn't pay much attention to it at the time, but now he suddenly remembered that it seemed that in those three years, these two officials took turns to stay overnight, and they never missed a day.
The emperor recalled those days in Fengxiang. Life was really difficult at that time, and no one had good food. Once again, he was so hungry that he got angry in public, saying how he could only eat two steamed buns and porridge in one day. It was so rare that there were no grains of rice in sight. At that time, I saw that the middle officials looked strange, so after the court was over, I quietly followed them. After the middle officials returned to the side compartment, I rushed in. Only to find Han Quanhui and Yuan Yuan The four leading eunuchs, Jian Jian, Zou Jinrong and Zhang Yanfan, were sharing three pieces of semolina cake.
Once, when the emperor was drilling the five or six thousand lazy soldiers, he remembered the heyday of the army under his command. It was the Beiya Forbidden Army that Tian Lingzi and Yang Fugong spent ten years building up. Each army was called With strong soldiers and strong horses, they can even be drawn out to fight in the field with strong towns. Thinking of this, the emperor couldn't help but feel sad. If it hadn't been for the strong advocacy of the prime ministers in the Political Affairs Hall, how could he have rashly sent troops to attack Hedong to seek the so-called "ZTE", so that the army What about the defeat? If only I had listened to Liu Jishu and Wang Zhongxian. They tried their best to stop them at the stone steps of the palace. At that time, it seemed that Wang Zhongxian had broken his scalp. There was a lot of blood...
The reason why I think of those middle-ranking officials is because the current court officials are too incompetent. The right servant of the Minister, Pei Shu, is a dull gourd. He never says a word when encountering anything, and everything depends on the "Holy Judge"; He looked down on others and never came up with any good ideas; Liu Can, the assistant minister of Zhongshu, was a complete idiot. Sometimes he said that this person's idea was good, and sometimes he said that person's idea was also pretty good. He had no independent opinion at all. Other officials also No wonder there is no one in the entire court who can make up his mind!
In comparison now, those middle-ranking officers back then were much stronger. With Yang Fugong here, I didn’t need to worry about anything; with Jing Wuxiu here, when you encounter problems, you can immediately provide you with many ingenious solutions. ; Han Quanjie had a very good relationship with the surrounding vassal towns. He also had great reputation in the vassal towns, and he maneuvered well in the general trend; even Wang Zhongxian, who was the most cruel to him and locked himself in Shaoyang Courtyard, was also brave and brave. Worthy of leading the charge.
It's a pity that everything has become a thing of yesterday, and I am really alone.
It is now the middle of the summer. The weather is getting hotter and hotter, and the emperor likes to go to the Wanxiang Shrine more and more. He likes to stand on the top of the third-story tower that is thirty feet high, blowing the refreshing cool breeze, and overlooking the magnificent palace. Luoyang City. Look at the bustling city and the colorful mountains and hills. Emperor Wu is worthy of being the daughter of Yao and Shun. Only her courage as an old man could build such a majestic temple. I don’t know what the current ability of the imperial court is. ,How many years will it take to complete such a grand project? Maybe it will never be repaired...
On this day, the emperor boarded the Wanxiang Shrine again. While he was leaning on the railing and looking into the distance, he suddenly reported that Zhang Jun, the prime minister, had come to see him.
The emperor was stunned for a long time, thinking to himself that this old man was not retiring in Qingqing, why did he come to Luoyang? Thinking of Zhang Jun, the emperor was very unhappy, because the excellent Beiya Imperial Army was led by Zhang Jun when he went to conquer Hedong. In that battle, Zhang Jun lost his reputation and the support of the imperial court, so he was forced to retire by the emperor.
However, this old man had been the prime minister and had traveled around the world for more than ten years. He had always carried out the royal affairs and was a banner calling on the world's forces to be loyal to the Tang Dynasty. The emperor really could not refuse his request.
So the emperor wanted to play a trick on Zhang Jun, saying that he was on the top floor of the Wanxiang Shrine and asked him to come over to see his majesty. He did not let him sit on the throne, but also quietly asked the waiters not to help him. Unexpectedly, Zhang Jun was in his fifties. , but still strong on his feet, he climbed to the top in just a few cups of tea.
"Zhang Xiang is as handsome as ever, and his style is still as good as before!" The emperor himself was a little embarrassed, so he apologized in a roundabout way.
"I have traveled all over the world for more than ten years, and my legs and feet have been trained, which makes your Majesty worry." Zhang Jun laughed and saluted the emperor.
The emperor offered him a seat, but Zhang Jun was not polite and sat down on the embroidered pier with his lotus tilted.
"Is Prime Minister Zhang coming from Shouguang? You have come all the way to see me, and I don't know what advice you can give me?" the emperor asked.
"It's nothing important. I just miss Your Majesty and come here to see Your Majesty." Zhang Jun chuckled and began to chat with the emperor. When Zhang Jun was in power, the world was not as miserable as it is now. At that time, the court was in the hands of the emperor. There is a powerful imperial army, and the southeastern and Sichuan-Shu states are still sending gifts to the court. The emperor's edict is effective in more than half of the country, and still has a certain deterrent effect in the remaining half of the country. Even if there are all kinds of things It’s not as expected, but it’s much better than it is now!
Zhang Jun often recalled some of the original stories, which brought back the emperor's good memories. Recalling those years always made people feel happy. Unknowingly, the emperor was also very chatty, and the tea was changed several times without knowing it. .
But when Zhang Jun talked about the things he had seen in the past ten years or so, the emperor began to feel sad. The comparison between the two was definitely not pleasant. As he talked, the emperor became bored and stared blankly outside the railing. Make a statement.
"I heard that Your Majesty likes to come to this palace all the time?" Zhang Jun suddenly asked.
The emperor nodded silently, his eyes looking outside became more and more glazed.
"The Emperor Wu had so much courage to build this magnificent Eastern Capital, Chang'an and Luoyang, one to the west and the other to the east, reflecting the glory of China, and all the countries in the world came to pay their respects. They were all dazzled. But now Xijing has become a piece of rubble, but they don't know what the east capital is. How long will the city be able to achieve its magnificence?" Zhang Jun sighed.
These words really made the emperor feel like a knife in his heart.
"I once thought about how wonderful it would be if the Tang Dynasty could regain its old outlook! If there ever comes a day, I would rather not be in power or do anything. I don't have to work so hard. I can read books about sages and be a fisherman in my spare time. How happy that is!"
The emperor couldn't help but sigh: "What Zhang Xiang said is true. I was born in troubled times and had a hard life. Sometimes I often wonder why I can't live in the prosperous times like Taizong and Gaozong. Or maybe it's the Kaiyuan period. Even if I can't inherit the great treasure, being a Taiping Prince is much better... Sometimes I think, it's better to put everything aside and just let go... But I am the blood of the great ancestor Emperor Shenwu, and the country left by my ancestors is the country. , I dare not give up, otherwise I would not have the face to see Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Taizong underground..." As he spoke, the emperor's eyes were red and his words were choked.
Zhang Jun suddenly asked: "What if the world is expected to restore the old view of the prosperous Tang Dynasty? I would like to ask your majesty, will your majesty still think so?"
The emperor bit his lip and nodded, Xuan'er shook his head again: "It's impossible... Look at this country, it's so fragmented, how can we get it back..."
"What if I say that this matter is hopeful?" Zhang Jun stared at the emperor. His eyes were unblinking and his expression was very solemn.
The emperor was stunned for a long time, and then asked: "Xiang Zhang, if you have anything to say, just say it."
Zhang Jun then spoke eloquently, telling the emperor everything he saw and heard in Qingqing, as well as what he learned about the situation in the world.
"...The King of Yan has occupied the three territories of Hebei, Hedong and Henan, and the people of the world have occupied one of them. He has ruled Haiyan and Heqing. He also has hundreds of thousands of soldiers, thousands of good generals, abundant soldiers and sharp armor. Looking at the princes in the world, King Qi has already joined, King Qi will join, and none of the other kings can come close!... Your Majesty, whoever conquers the Central Plains will conquer the world, and there is no one in the world who can resist him!"
The emperor pointed at Zhang Jun and laughed and said: "Haha, it turns out you are a lobbyist sent by King Yan. Haha, you claim to have succeeded the Tang Dynasty in vain, but you also want to overthrow the country!"
Zhang Jun suddenly fell to the ground and kowtowed: "Your Majesty! King Yan is the queen of King Xiang, and is also a member of the Li Tang clan!"
With one sentence, the emperor's laughter was interrupted. The emperor's face suddenly turned pale and he didn't say a word.
Zhang Jun continued: "As long as the Li family is immortal, the world will always be the Li family, and the Tang Dynasty will still be the Tang Dynasty, Your Majesty!"
The emperor was startled, and looked at Zhang Jun with very complicated eyes: "What exactly does King Yan want from me?"
Zhang Jun slowly raised his head and said softly: "Following Emperor Gaozu's old deeds and abdicating the crown prince, Bao Yidong Palace, King Yan said that from now on, Your Majesty will be the Supreme Emperor, and you will have a worry-free life."
On the top floor of the Wanxiang Palace, the emperor looked at the heaven and earth outside the railings in a trance. Zhang Jun crouched deeply and buried his head in silence. The monarch and his ministers seemed to be frozen, each of them motionless.
I don’t know how long it took, but the emperor suddenly spoke, breaking the stiff scene, and the whole world suddenly started to move again.
"Eleventh Lang...Prince...where is he?"
"The prince has arrived in Zezhou. Han Quanhui, Zhang Juhan, Zhang Chengye, Zhang Mao'an and others are accompanying him. Your Majesty does not need to worry."
"Okay, very good..." The emperor nodded, suddenly took a big step, and rushed towards the railing.
"Your Majesty!" Zhang Jun was horrified and wanted to get up to pull it, but he had no choice but to kneel for a long time, his legs and feet were numb, and he couldn't get up for a while.
The emperor leaned outwards, and was about to fall over, but he grabbed the railing with both hands. He didn't have the courage to jump down anyway, and he lay on the railing, breathing heavily.
The waiters on both sides were equally frightened and inexplicable. They each covered their mouths and looked at the emperor lying on the railing in fear. Their minds went blank.
After breathing heavily for a long time, the emperor's whole body collapsed under the railing, crying: "I...I am a coward..."