Chapter two hundred and sixty-five Daguan family, are you convicted?
Song Shengzhen, the prefect of Tuanzhou, stood on a tower in the military camp, looking at the border of Yongzhou not far away.
Yesterday, he received news from the capital that memorials to impeach him for collaborating with the enemy and treason were flying like snowflakes.
He could not defend himself. His army was on the border of Yongzhou, which almost became ironclad evidence of his rebellion.
But this is the emperor's order. If he does not send troops to the state, the emperor will punish him for corruption.
Be it embezzlement or conspiracy, these are all charges that Song Shengzhen cannot bear.
But now, all the memorials are in the hands of the emperor. Once the emperor criticizes him, Song Shengzhen's head will definitely fall to the ground, and the Song family may not be able to survive.
A horseman came slowly from a distance, and the sergeant in front of the camp was waiting with his bow drawn.
It is Ji Qi, the general of the Western domain.
What is he here for?
Didn't he defect to the prince? Come to act as a lobbyist for the prince?
It was just right for him to be a lobbyist. Ji Qi and Song Shengzhen were old friends and had always treated each other like brothers.
Ji Qi came to the camp and expressed that he was not hostile.
Song Shengzhen ordered the camp gate to be opened and let Ji Qi into the camp.
When the two met, they reminisced about their old friendship, ate, drank, and chatted. After talking for an hour, Ji Qi brought the conversation to the main topic: "Brother, are you really bringing troops to Yongzhou to defeat the crown prince?"
Song Shengzhen smiled bitterly: "How did you say this? It's not that I want to beat the prince, this is the order of the high official."
Ji Qi smiled and said: "Brother, do you think we should get involved in this matter between me and my son?"
Song Shengzhen picked up the wine glass and took a sip himself: "Brother, do I have a choice in this matter? Is it possible that I will fall out with the official family?"
Ji Qi put down his wine glass and said: "The prince beat Tunu, and you have beaten Tunu all your life. Do you want to help Tunu beat the prince?"
Song Shengzhen threw the wine glass to the ground with a bang: "Brother, your words are really hurtful! I, Song, dare not say that I am a good official, but we are from Daxuan!
I have been in Tuanzhou for more than ten years. In order to fight Tunu, my life has been stored in the gate of hell. I have walked through the gate of hell several times. You know it in your heart. When you say these words, who do you think I am?"
Ji Qi sneered and said: "Who do I think you are? Who do the men in Daxuan think of you? The prince kills the enemy in front of the battle, and you stab him in the back. Brother, I want to say something for you. I can’t even open my mouth to say nice things.”
Song Shengzhen narrowed his eyes and said: "Since you can't open your mouth, why are you talking about this? Since you look down on me, why are you coming to me?"
"Brother Song, I came to you to tell you something. Brother, I brought ten thousand troops to Yongzhou just to stop you."
Song Shengzhen smiled bitterly and said, "Are you here to break up the friendship? Brothers, we each have our own masters on the battlefield. We can't help ourselves. This has nothing to do with our friendship, right?"
Ji Qi looked serious: "Brother, do you really recognize me as your brother?"
"Recognize it! Even if it comes to life and death on the battlefield, I will recognize you as my brother!"
Ji Qi looked at the sergeant in the military tent: "Since you recognize me as a brother, can you let me say a few words from your heart?"
Song Shengzhen waved his hand, and all the soldiers left the tent.
Ji Qi lowered his voice and said: "Yongzhou was ruined by Tunu once, and our own people can't ruin it again. I have killed Tunu and monsters on the battlefield, but I have never done anything to my own people.
Brother, I know you have difficulties. Since you have come to Yongzhou, you just pretend to be here and stay here. I will also pretend to be here and spend time with you. We will not hurt our troops or our harmony. We will wait for you in the future. The official family and the prince decide who is better, let's decide where to go, what do you think?"
Song Shengzhen thought for a long time, then picked up a wine glass again, filled it up and said, "With your words, brother, the stone in my heart will be put down, and we will make an agreement."
That afternoon, we had one drink for you and one for me, and we drank until late at night.
Ji Qi had a fourth-level cultivation level, and his drinking capacity was naturally good, but he was still a little behind Song Shengzhen. Around Haishi, Ji Qi became very drunk, and Song Shengzhen helped him onto the couch and let him rest in the big tent.
Sitting by the fire, Song Shengzhen drank two more drinks, took out a dagger from his arms, and turned around to look at Ji Qi.
It is not easy to kill a fourth-level cultivator, but Song Shengzhen himself also has a sixth-level cultivation of killing. As long as the sword is struck quickly and accurately enough, it is not that difficult to kill the drunken Ji Qi.
"Brother, I am a warrior. It is not easy for a warrior to become a prefect. You understand the difficulty!" Song Shengzhen sat next to Ji Qi and murmured,
"Over the years in Tuanzhou, I can't say that my hands are clean, and I have been greedy a lot, but I have never been afraid of Tunu. Our Daxuan's knees have never been weak with me. The land of Tuanzhou is in my hands.
Never lost it,
Brother, I am not a shameless person, but I really have no way out this time. You came to my camp, and if I let you go back, the official family will definitely not let me go. I..."
Song Shengzhen raised the dagger and aimed it at Ji Qi's neck.
Murderous aura filled the air, Song Shengzhen used the fang skill and raised the dagger high.
After a while, the dagger was put down.
Song Shengzhen lowered his head and wiped his tears.
"Brother, I'm such a loser. You said that we two brothers are both practicing martial arts. You said it would be great if we brothers could change. I'm going to fight. I also want to fight with the prince. I don't want to either.
Be a dog for Tunu!
Brother, have a good sleep! When you wake up, let’s talk about the future matters tomorrow!”
Song Shengzhen walked out of the tent and went outside to enjoy the cold wind.
Ji Qi opened his eyes, glanced outside the tent, and put away the short knife on his sleeve.
…
After wandering around the camp for a long time, Song Shengzhen found a bluestone in the granary and sat down.
There was an old soldier in the granary who was sorting grain. He didn't seem to see the prefect and just kept his head down working.
Song Shengzhen ignored him and sat for a while. When he was about to get up, he suddenly felt someone strangled his neck from behind.
Song Shengzhen touched his neck and found that there was no rope tied at all.
This is a skill!
There was a sentry tower not far away. He wanted to shout, but suddenly he felt the "tie rope" tightening, and his entire breath was interrupted.
"Don't make a sound, don't make a sound at all," an old voice appeared from behind, "If you want to live, just follow me."
On a snowy night, Song Shengzhen led an old soldier out of the military camp, and the sergeant at the door did not dare to ask.
He saw that Song Shengzhen had a strange look on his face and his face was red with a hint of purple, but other than that, there was nothing unusual about him.
After walking for more than ten miles and arriving in a pine forest, the old man let go of Song Shengzhen's neck.
"Song Shengzhen, do you really want to collude with the enemy and plot rebellion?"
Song Shengzhen looked back at Liang Jixiong. He had never been an official in the capital, and he had only met Elder Canglong once on the day of the selection. That was decades ago.
But looking at the unique majesty of the old man, thinking about the old man's cultivation, thinking about the skill of strangling his neck just now, and thinking about the memory of Mohu decades ago, Song Shengzhen stepped back a few steps: "Humble job
Song Shengzhen, pay homage to Elder Shengwei!"
"Prefect Song, I can't bear this. We are already mortal enemies in front of the two armies. Why do you still salute me?"
Song Shengzhen shook his head repeatedly and said, "Elder, I am wronged by the humble position, and there are difficulties in the humble position!"
Liang Jixiong said: "You are quite lucky. If you had touched General Ji Qi earlier, you would have been dead. If you have any difficulties, let me tell you from another person. I am not in the mood to argue with you."
Liang Jixiong walked aside, and Xu Zhiqiong came from behind and said with a smile: "Prefect Song, if you have any grievances, just tell me."
Song Shengzhen looked at Liang Jixiong, but he didn't recognize Xu Zhiqiong.
Liang Jixiong shouted: "If you want to survive, speak louder!"
Song Shengzhen hesitated for a moment and then told the truth: "Song brought troops to Yongzhou in compliance with the Holy Majesty's decree."
"Where is the imperial edict?"
"There is no imperial edict. I only received an oral instruction from the Supervisor of Ceremonies."
"Are there any military symbols?"
Song Shengzhen shook his head.
Xu Zhiqiong said with a smile: "If you don't have a will, and you don't have military talismans, you can send troops privately, but that's not treason?"
Song Shengzhen said: "When the Supervisor of Ceremonies sent the oral instructions, my subordinates were there to testify."
"Testify? If we really want to investigate you for treason, will your subordinates be able to speak out?"
Song Shengzhen lowered his head and said: "Since Song is a minister, he should obey the instructions of the Holy Master."
"Absurd!" Xu Zhiqiong had already expected this statement. "The Chief of Ceremony can call any eunuch here and say a few words, and he will make you obey. If he calls another eunuch here tomorrow, he will ask you to take Tuanzhou to seek refuge."
Tunu, can you also listen to him?"
Song Shengzhen turned to look at Liang Jixiong and said: "It's a helpless job to be in such a humble position!"
Liang Jixiong ignored him, and Xu Zhiqiong said: "Prefect Song, I know you have difficulties. Some people are involved in your corruption and bending the law. The cabinet has already convicted you, and the draft has been sent to the hands of senior officials.
In order to protect yourself, you can only listen to the orders of the high officials, but if you really send troops to attack Yongzhou, not only will you not be able to escape the crime of embezzlement, but you will also be completely convicted of treason!"
Song Shengzhen said: "Since the Holy One has given an oral instruction, there must be a way to protect it for me."
"What are you doing to protect you?" Xu Zhiqiong said with a smile, "When the war is over, the official family just needs a scapegoat. If you kill your entire family for collaborating with the enemy and treason, and then slap a stigma on you, wouldn't everyone be happy?
?”
Song Shengzhen looked at Liang Jixiong, gritted his silver teeth and said, "Song has absolutely no intention of treason! Elder Shengwei, please bear witness to your humble position!"
Liang Jixiong sighed: "How can I bear witness? Let's see if you lead troops to attack Yongzhou. What kind of witness can I give you?"
"There is really no way out from this humble position!"
Xu Zhiqiong said: "There is a way, don't you just want a witness? You can prove your innocence for the crime of collaborating with the enemy and treason."
Song Shengzhen asked in surprise: "How to prove it yourself?"
Xu Zhiqiong asked, "Why did you come to Yongzhou with your troops and horses?"
"I did it..."
Xu Zhiqiong interrupted Song Shengzhen: "Think about it carefully!"
Song Shengzhen hesitated for a moment and understood what Xu Zhiqiong meant: "The crime of treason can be proved by oneself, but what about the crime of corruption? The Holy Spirit has already proved the crime, so naturally he will not forgive me!"
Xu Zhiqiong smiled and said: "The official family won't spare you, but some people are willing to spare you. Let's see how you go on this road?"
…
At dawn the next day, Ji Qi sobered up and said goodbye to Song Shengzhen.
Song Shengzhen handed over the list of generals to Ji Qi.
Ji Qi said in astonishment: "What does this mean?"
Song Shengzhen said: "Brother, I have led my army to Yongzhou to support the prince and fight against Tunu. The situation in Tuanzhou is severe today. Song does not dare to leave his post without permission, so I can only entrust you with 10,000 soldiers."
Ji Qi was stunned for a moment, then smiled: "With this move, who dares to say that you are colluding with the enemy and conspiring to rebel?"
…
Three days later, the capital received news that Tuanxun and the two states each sent 10,000 elite troops to help the prince fight against Tunu.
The two states sent troops to help the war, and the crime of collaborating with the enemy and conspiring to rebel was self-defeating.
All the ministers in the capital praised the magistrates of the two states for their profound righteousness. The imperial censors withdrew their previous memorials one after another, and even the matter of corruption was no longer mentioned.
Emperor Zhaoxing was furious and fell ill immediately. Lying on his bed, he ordered Chen Shuncai to immediately criticize the emperor and have the two prefects of Tuanxun dismissed from their posts for embezzlement!
Chen Shuncai returned to the Bureau of Ceremonies and had just approved the red edict. Just as the edict was about to be sent out, he was called back by Emperor Zhaoxing.
Emperor Zhaoxing took the edict, read it once, and immediately tore it into pieces.
Chen Shuncai didn't understand its meaning.
Emperor Zhaoxing was lying on the couch and suddenly laughed loudly: "I almost fell into the trap, what a traitor, I almost fell into the traitor's trick!"
"Your Majesty, this slave is stupid, what kind of trick did you fall into?"
Emperor Zhaoxing said: "If you are the prefect of Tuanxun and Xunzhou, and I want to punish you, what will you do?"
Chen Shuncai thought for a long time, with a look of astonishment on his face: "Could it be that..."
Emperor Zhaoxing nodded: "The persecution is too much, but these two people want to defect to the prince. In the four northern states, they almost all return to the prince!"