Chapter 99: Song Gai was killed without proof, Uncle Ping escaped by luck
After the battle, the camp was devastated, and the fire outside the camp gradually extinguished. The captains of each camp inspected the troops and gathered the soldiers, but there were many casualties. Fortunately, the King of Yan was unharmed, and the Yan army was not in chaos.
At this time, Li Hong, the internal historian, was at the front of the team, leading a Yan army cavalry into the camp. Only seeing the King of Yan, he flew off his horse and worshiped: "The general's rescue has been late, I hope my king will atone for his sins."
King Yan had just recovered from his shock. When he saw Li Hong coming, he felt happy and said with a smile in his eyes: "You are guilty of something, please get up quickly. Without Li Neishi, I would have fallen into the enemy's hands." After saying this, He went straight forward and helped Li Hong stand up.
"This is the duty of a minister, and I don't dare to be greedy for God's merits." After saying this, Li Hong stood up quickly.
King Yan led Li Hong back to the generals, stood still, and said angrily: "Call Murong Ping, who is on guard tonight, to come out and see me."
At this time, Murong Ping heard that the sound of fighting had subsided, so he quietly came out of his camp, waiting behind a group of people, hoping that King Yan would not pursue the case and the limelight would pass. After hearing King Yan's words, he knew that he had made a big mistake. , hurriedly knelt down in front of King Yan, "Your Majesty, uncle, no, the guilty minister is here, waiting to be punished."
Murong Jun, King of Yan, had murderous intent in his eyes, "Murong Ping, you neglected your defense and your military orders were ineffective. Our Yan army has never suffered such a defeat since we went south. Tonight, you led the army to defend and almost made a big mistake. What can you say?" ?”
Murong Ping knew that if he hadn't been greedy for a moment, there would have been no disaster tonight, but in front of everyone, he couldn't talk about it. He could only protect himself wisely, pouring dirty water on others, and said calmly: "My lord, , I am guilty of a crime that deserves to be punished by death. I did not manage the army strictly, which allowed traitors to take advantage of it. I asked the king to punish me."
King Yan only said angrily: "Uncle Ping, you still dare to quibble when things come to a close. I have heard that if you hadn't been connected with the enemy at Lukou tonight and had greed in your heart, you would have ruined our army."
How can I catch the big hat of being a traitor to the enemy here? Murong Ping couldn't help but kowtow and said sadly: "Your Majesty, I don't want to obey. I am loyal to protect the Lord. Please don't throw dirty water on me."
King Yan was still angry, "But I already know that the commander of your camp, Shi Song, has an old relationship with the enemy and has always been in secret communication. Is that true or not?!"
Murong Ping protested: "All of this is because Song Gai deceived his ministers. The ministers did not know, and the ministers did not know."
King Yan turned his head and said to his left and right: "Oh, if that's true, bring Song Gai up."
At this time, a sergeant came with a cart, and it was Song Gai who was lying on it.
"Your Majesty, this is the body of Song Gai at the gate of the camp. Please take a look at it."
When the generals heard that Song Gai was dead, they were suspicious and gathered around to watch.
The sergeant turned Song Gai over, but a bystander said: "This short sword is not the standard of our Yan army."
"Everyone saw that the attacker's sword was the same."
When Murong Ping heard that Song Gai was dead, he sighed in his heart, so he squeezed in carefully, and saw that Song Gai had a knife stuck in his back. The body was stiff and it seemed that he had been dead for a while. He secretly cheered in his heart, and Murong Ping became bold. He just stretched out his hand to explore.
At this time, Song Bin was on the side advising: "Search him for anything unusual. If he has been in contact with the enemy, there must be letters with him."
Murong Ping said anxiously: "It is not a pity to die for this lowly slave. I would like to go to the big tent and search it. Don't pollute the king's holy hearing."
During the dispute, Murong Ba also added: "Uncle Wang, let them search it and clear up everyone's confusion."
King Yan made no comment. Seeing that everyone had this intention, the sergeant on the side began to examine the body. Murong Ping looked nervous at this time, for fear of finding any evidence against him. The sergeant searched for a while and found nothing unusual. Murong Ping let out a long breath.
The King of Yan only raised his head and glanced at Murong Ping. Murong Ping quickly lowered his head. The King of Yan turned around and said: "Thankfully, our officers and men of the Yan Army fought bravely tonight so that the enemy could not take advantage of them. A small number of soldiers were left to guard the rest.
Return to camp and rest.”
The generals bowed and said, "I honor the king's order."
It was almost dawn, and after a busy night, the soldiers were all exhausted, so they rushed back to the camp to rest for a while. The crowd dispersed, and Murong Ba also went to his camp. When he turned back, he saw Murong Ping looking at him for a long time.
, their eyes met, and they looked at each other deeply.
Back in the big tent, King Yan couldn't sleep for a long time. He didn't know whether he was disturbed by the enemy's sneak attack or because he was hurt by Uncle Wang's incompetence. With his mind disturbed, he got up and reviewed the military documents and military reports on the desk. Then there was a letter.
The wooden box caught the attention of King Yan, but he glanced at it briefly and called Niehao, "When will it be delivered?"
Nie Hao hurriedly stepped forward and said, "The scouts just came to report that the servants saw that my king was sleeping peacefully and did not dare to disturb him, so he put them on the table to wait for tomorrow."
"Haha, Niehao, I have been tossing and turning all night. This is almost like a panacea. Why don't you bring it earlier so that I can sleep." After saying that, he looked at the morning glow on the horizon and the sky was getting brighter, and he said excitedly: "
Tomorrow morning, no, in another hour or two, the drums will be beaten and the tents will be raised. Our Yan army should seize the opportunity and move south quickly."
"As commanded."
In the Central Plains, the two countries Wei and Zhao were like fire and water, and the war between Yecheng and Xiang State was about to break out. Therefore, the four borders of Shi and Zhao were almost empty, and there was no one to care about when the Yan army went south.
Just a few nights ago, in a dark room in Ye City, a man was being executed privately.
"Young Master, please tell me quickly so that you don't suffer physical pain. We won't be able to explain it to you." The jailer in the imperial prison held a whip dipped in salt water and was about to whip Li Nong's third son.
"I don't know until my friend arrives."
A jailer shouted: "Fengyang Gate is an important place in the city, why are you going here late at night?"
"When things go wrong, there must be a monster. You have evil intentions and want to rebel!"
"Pa", "pa", just a few sharp lashes of the whip, and the third young master fainted.
A jailer broke into a mouth and said: "You dandy boy, you are so unbeatable."
The steward of a cell next to him shouted: "Pour water on him, wake him up, and continue the interrogation."
At this time, a man from outside the prison gate came over with a gloomy face, and someone else reported to him: "This third son of Nong Li's family is so weak that he managed to get through with a little whipping. So far, no news has been revealed. Is it because he was bitten to death?"
I'm going to meet my friends. I'm just afraid that someone will die."
A person next to him also said: "Young Master, it's getting late. Now, after a little testing, I know that the third son of Li Nong's family intends to do something wrong. However, he is the son of King Qi after all. It is not easy to impose arbitrary punishments. If the superiors blame him...
…”
"Friends?" There was a hint of contempt in the corner of the man's mouth, "Oh, traveling late at night to meet friends? Do you believe it? I definitely don't believe it. It must be something unethical."
The jailer said: "I've been tortured to this point. If I beat him again, I might kill him."
"Forget it, now that we have the handle, it doesn't matter whether we say it or not." After saying that, Li Tekang left directly.
In front of Li Nong's house, a caravan passed by on the street, and only a black sack was thrown in front of the door.
"Bang, bang, bang" there were three knocks on the door, and the coachman and the people disappeared into the night of Yecheng.
A man went out to look around with groggy eyes, accidentally bumped into a sack, and fell down. He was about to put it in, but saw something move in the sack, and was frightened.
I plucked up the courage to go over, untied the sack, and saw a man covered in blood. I plucked up the courage to go over and touch his nose. Fortunately, he was still breathing. After brushing his hair, he was so frightened that he sat down on the ground and shouted towards the door.
He shouted: "Third Young Master, Third Young Master, someone is here."
In the middle hall, Li Nong also stayed up all night, pacing in the hall.
At this time, the eldest son passed by the hall. Li Nong stopped him and called out: "How is your third brother?"
"Father, fortunately, I only suffered some skin trauma, not touching the internal organs. But it can be seen that he was very frightened and he still fell asleep."
Li Nong took a long breath and suddenly changed his expression: "Who in Yecheng has the courage to do such a cruel thing to my son. Who..."
Li Nong's eldest son hesitated to speak and summoned up the courage to say, "Father, don't you understand this?"
Li Nong was full of hatred and said: "Now that he is on the throne and rich all over the world, why, how come he still refuses to let our family go."
"Father, a common man is not guilty, but he is guilty of having a jade. Emperor Wei was afraid of his father's popularity in the begging army. Now looking at the Wei State, only my father can rival him. Since ancient times, we have shared hardships and hardships, and shared wealth and honor. My father was originally a member of the previous dynasty.
Above the court is the high position of Sikong. Ran Min lives under his father, but now he has become a king and a minister. Isn't there no resentment?"
"There is a gap?" Ruo Li Nong said angrily, "If there is a gap, when His Majesty went out to attack Shi Kun and Zhang Ju, I was stationed in Yecheng. When Shi Jian wanted to send people to take advantage of the chaos to seize Yecheng, I could take advantage of it and take advantage of it.
If we occupy Yecheng, gather our troops, and seize the throne, how can we be in trouble today? Is it not surprising that our trustworthy people are now doubted, and our loyal people are slandered?"
"Father, times have changed. Now he is the king and we are the ministers. His descendants will not tolerate us."
Li Nong sat down and thought for a long time.
"Shen Zhongsu complained about his father's high position and power. There were rumors in the city that he had repeatedly made suggestions to the Wei emperor, hoping to get rid of his father and then be quick."
"My lord, young master." While we were talking, an old slave from the mansion came and said, "The third young master is awake."
At this time, in the depths of Ye Palace, Li Tekang trotted all the way and hurriedly entered Ran Min's bedroom. Seeing that the candles in Ran Min's bedroom had not been extinguished, he went straight to the side of Ran Min's imperial couch to greet him, "Your Majesty, I have an idea."
Only at this moment there was a woman on one side. Li Tekang was embarrassed and was busy exiting. Ran Min only said: "This is my first wife Dong, not someone else. Don't be surprised."
Li Tekang did not evade, but raised his head and stared at him, with a hint of hatred in his eyes. Dong made him feel uncomfortable all over, and said to Ran Min: "It is a major military and national matter, and the harem is not allowed to interfere in politics. I, my concubine, have to retire."
"
Ran Min just followed her, and then he saw Li Tekang still looking directly at her back, as if he had a lot of hatred in his heart, and said with a smile: "Everyone in the world says that being an emperor is good, you have the power of life and death in your hands, and all the beauty in the world is available.
You can have sex every night, but don’t you know that when you reach the top, you will be alone."
After listening to Ran Min's words, Li Tekang only said quietly: "Your Majesty, if you can get a person, Prime Minister Bai, to support you and have a close heart, but you have to give up the country, will your Majesty be willing?"
Ran Min was stunned for a moment, then calmed down and said: "Time is also destiny. If it reaches this point, it is no longer under human control. Shi Yun, it's not..."
"Your Majesty, does Li Nongguo have a problem?" Li Tekang simply changed the topic and said, "Your Majesty, do you still remember the people who were promoted by the king?"
Ran Min recalled what happened back then, "I used to take advantage of Shi Chong, and I feel guilty. Therefore, since I came to the throne, the king has promoted his people to come and go as they please. What's going on now?"
Li Tekang just stared at Ran Min's eyes and said: "Your Majesty, Mr. Wang is returning from Xiangguo."
"Xiangguo?" Ran Min's eyes couldn't help but be alert, "What does that have to do with Li Nong?" He suddenly asked, "What's the evidence?"
Li Tekang only said: "The evidence is Li Nong's son and the enemy soldiers of Xiang State."
"One: In order to protect himself, Wang Tong wrote a handwritten letter to Li Nong's Third Young Master according to my wishes, and the Third Young Master actually kept the appointment. Second..."
While they were talking, the chamberlain came into the palace and said, "Your Majesty, the border scouts have an urgent military report."
"Please."
I saw only the scouts, who did not take off their armor. They hurriedly reported to the general to Ran Min and then withdrew.
Ran Min hurriedly browsed the military newspaper, closed it, handed it to Li Tekang, and said: "Li Tekang, as you said, Yu Hu, who is supporting the country, has led an army to invade."
"Your Majesty, isn't this enough to prove Li Nong's rebellious heart?"
"Please step back first." Ran Min asked him to go back and rest before his thoughts could be sorted out.
After Li Tekang left, Mrs. Dong came out from the back of the palace and said to Ran Min: "Husband, I always feel that there is something on Li Tekang's mind?"
"After your general, I am planning to recruit a talented Hu man to strengthen our army. I think he is indeed loyal and brave, and worthy of a great mission, and I want to set an example for him."
Mrs. Dong still stretched out her hand to carefully hold Ran Min's chest, pressed her face against him, and said: "After all, he is a barbarian, so I am still a little worried."
Ran Min stroked Dong and said, "I have released all the Hu people from prison and recruited the Hu people from all over the world. Now our Wei State is short of soldiers and many Han people have fled to the south. If we continue to stick to the distinction between Hu and Han, I'm afraid it will be difficult for our Wei State to establish a foothold in the Central Plains."
."
Mrs. Dong lifted her arms from his chest, looked at Ran Min and said: "The hatred between Hu and Han cannot be resolved overnight. Kill Hu Ling on the same day... Your Majesty should take more precautions."
On the second day, Ran Min, the great minister of the Taiwu Hall, changed the ceremonial uniform of the previous dynasty. He wore a Gong uniform with twelve furrows and twelve flat crowns, in the style of the Fuhan people. The courtiers also wore the corresponding five-color court uniforms according to the season.
Ran Min took the lead and said: "Dear dear ministers, Shi Zhi, the remnant of the Shi family in Xiangguo, is still alive. He is not intimidated by our great Wei Tianwei. He goes against the will of heaven and steals the throne. He sends his Prime Minister Shi Kun to attack with a hundred thousand people. Now,
According to Handan, Liu Guo, the general of the former Zhennan, also raised troops from Fanyang and joined forces to conspire to attack Wei. I want to personally lead the army to attack Wei, but you may have any objections."
Hu Mu came out of the queue, holding a wat tablet and saying: "Your Majesty has a body of ten thousand chariots. You should not go into danger easily."
All the ministers said: "I second the proposal."
Ran Min waved his hand and said calmly: "It's not that I want to go to danger personally, but it's because the intruder is not an ordinary person."
Speaking of this, Ran Min's voice actually trembled, "Back then, I, Yao Yizhong, Fu Hong, Liu Ning, Zhang Hedu and others jointly fought against the rebellion of Liangdu. We formed a company and wiped out the rebellion. Later, Zhang Jie was unruly and established the Shishi.
, we and Liu Guo, the former governor of Luozhou, gathered in Licheng and planned to attack it together. We helped the country, and the world was reversed. It only took a year to think about it. Now we are each his own master, things have changed and people have changed. When we see each other again
But we are already facing each other with swords and weapons."
Wang Tai stepped forward and said: "Your Majesty has inherited the destiny of heaven and earth to relieve the people from hanging upside down. Looking to the world, there is no one who can be more virtuous than your Majesty in heaven and earth. Your Majesty must not abandon public service for personal reasons because of your past kindness."
Ran Min only came back to his senses and smiled and said: "General Wei really spoke out and gave advice. For just this moment, when I thought about fighting side by side, I almost missed my personal relationship."
Ran Min stood up and preached: "The enemy came from several directions and I went all the way. I led my best cavalry and went straight to Handan to fight against Shi Kun. The others prepared their troops and horses to defend Yecheng."
After saying that, Ran Min looked at Li Nong and said: "King Qi, I am leading the army outside now, and I will leave all the affairs of Yecheng to you, okay?"
After hearing this, Wang Tai was very anxious and did not hesitate to say: "Your Majesty is alone in danger and has handed over the country's capital to an outsider. I will be uneasy in the end."
"Huh?" Ran Min said with a smile, "We started from a young age, and the times dictated this. If there had been no Li Nong, and Li Sikong had first gained power in the capital, how could I have sat facing south, claiming to be a loner and a few people? You can't trust Li Nong.
Can I still not trust Li Nong?"
As he spoke, Ran Min looked at Li Nong, their eyes met, and said: "King Qi, can you please help me with this matter in Yecheng?"
Li Nong only came out and kowtowed: "I no longer have your majesty's trust. Guard the capital of Wei."
Ran Min nodded, looked at the ministers and said seriously: "In that case, all the beloved ministers have returned to their positions and performed their duties. I will lead the army and set off soon."