Chapter 223: When the bird is gone, the bow is hidden, Yang plans to bury the hero
"Look?" An Rudao raised his eyebrows at Guan Zhan proudly and motioned for him to open the door.
The giant was still fully armed and only took off the sword from his waist. He squeezed in carefully and saluted Guan Zhen and An Rudao successively.
"Mr."
"No, I'm just a commoner. I can't afford to pay homage to General Ma." An Rudao smiled and motioned for him to find a place to sit so as not to hunch over in this small room.
Ma Qiushi thanked him and sat down cross-legged on the ground. When he found that he was eye-level with An Rudao who was sitting on the kang, he lowered his head unnaturally.
"I wonder why General Ma is here?"
"Last night, sir, he knocked on the table twice in the store, didn't he just want me to see you after the second watch? That's why I took the liberty of disturbing you."
"Haha, what can a villain do for you?"
"Sir..." Ma Qiuyong put his hands on his knees, thought for a while, and said, "Sir, yesterday, he used the topic of 'going into the water' to make a discussion, which reminded me of my own experience, so I came to ask for advice."
"Oh, it seems that the sewerage of this store is not small. I will have to eat another bowl tomorrow."
Ignoring An Rudao's jokes, Ma Qiushi went straight to the point:
"At the beginning of the establishment of Daliang, the barbarians from the northwest took advantage of the chaos in the Central Plains to invade and invade, occupying the land of three states and twelve counties. However, the court was busy purging the remnants of the south and was unable to send troops to the northwest. Therefore, the court was merciful and allowed the northwest people to recruit local warriors to drive out the barbarians.
.
"Ma was born under the rule of barbarians in the northwest. He was determined to regain the country since he was a child. When he was 22 years old, he gathered warriors from his hometown to fight against the barbarians. After seven years of exchanges, he finally drove the barbarians out of the customs. The number of soldiers under his command reached 10,000.
, was named the Pioneer of Beiguan in the Northwest Frontier Army Town.
"But I thought that since the world was at peace, I had no use for it, so I wanted to disband and return to my hometown, and spend the rest of my life in my hometown. However, I wrote several times to request that the capital be withdrawn, and the imperial court even continued to issue rewards, and I was promoted to the rank of general... in one month
Before, the emperor even issued an imperial edict ordering me to return to Beijing immediately to receive the reward, so I came here with my trusted followers."
At this point, Ma Qiushi showed obvious uneasiness. He moved his legs and continued:
"I know what Mr. Mister said yesterday, 'It's best to put it in the pot as soon as it boils.' It's a metaphor that I should think about quitting in time after I become successful. 'Relying on the residual heat to cook it' means quitting."
If you don't get it in time, you will be in danger. I see that one of the two is calm and steady, with an immortal demeanor, and must be a master of martial arts; the other is free and uninhibited, with a refined every word, must be a master in the world, so I came here to ask for advice. Please open it.
Skylight speaks out and shows me a clear path."
An Rudao smiled at Guan Zhan and said, "Did you hear that? If you don't know, you might think that I abuse the old man and don't give you enough to eat."
Guan Zhen had no reaction to his playful smile. He just looked up and down at Ma Qiushi's majestic...or weird physique.
As if reading the old man's thoughts, An Rudao smiled and said: "It's hot in the room, general, why don't you take off your helmet?"
"...Mou looks ugly and is afraid of scaring his husband."
"Haha, I just said it casually." An Rudao said this, but gave Guan Zhan a meaningful look.
"Come to think of it, since General Ma has already become a general, why did he call himself 'Pioneer Officer of the Front Army at Zhenbeiguan' when he knocked on the door? This official is not a big one."
"I'm worried about others talking too much, so I never dare to call myself a general."
"But the soldiers who kicked down the door yesterday and your attendant Yang Lianping all called you general."
Ma Qiushi sighed and said: "They only know that I led them to conquer the barbarians and took the lead. How can I be a small pioneer? It's like deliberately opposing me and only calling me general. I can't ignore them.
Enthusiastic, I have to let it go..."
"What happened..." An Rudao smiled bitterly and spread his hands, "Then, Ma Xianfeng, what do you think?"
"I am ready to take care of everything when I come to Beijing this time. I must return my request to the emperor. Even if the emperor does not approve it, I can at least block the rumors."
"Oh?" An Rudao's expression suddenly changed, and a sarcastic smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, "Ma Xianfeng knew that I used water as a metaphor, so think about it, from what angle did I say this?"
"Of course, the person who swallowed the water..." Ma Qiushi raised his head suddenly, then quickly lowered his head, "Ah, could it be said..."
"Haha, you picked it up yourself as soon as it was boiled and brought it to the table. Now it's still warm. Are you just waiting for the emperor to chew you up and swallow it?"
"How, how could it be! The emperor ordered me to go to the capital to receive the title. Doesn't it mean that the emperor has not listened to the slander and wants to confront me? I came to the capital in such a hurry, how could the emperor doubt..."
"Slander? Ma Xianfeng, eunuchs and treacherous ministers are just one person with a mouth. The tens of thousands of elites under your command are each with a sword. Do you need more powerful slander?"
"But... I'll be honest, the entire northwest frontier army only has 80,000 troops, and the Imperial Imperial Guard alone far exceeds this number. Why should they be afraid of us?"
"You should understand the importance of military speed. How long did it take for you to rush to the capital with 300 fully armed men?"
"On the twelfth... it's difficult. Could it be that this urgent message to me to come to the capital is to estimate the time it will take for me to lead my troops to the capital?"
An Rudao showed a cruel smile and said, "Don't you find it strange that the imperial court has summoned you to the capital in a hurry and ordered you to bring three hundred soldiers with you? Isn't this contradictory?
"Compared with time, I think the imperial court values the route more. An army of 80,000 people cannot move so fast, but it will definitely choose the shortest possible route - which is your route this time."
"Ah... Then, what's the reason? We, eighty thousand people, have made great achievements in battle, and we are stationed at the most dangerous pass. Once we are abolished, the northern barbarians will inevitably move south in large numbers. How will the court respond?"
An Rudao just shook his head and said: "General Ma, you have stayed in the frontier for too long and don't know the difficulties the court is facing. Now that the world has been settled, the national treasury is empty, and the heroes who followed Daliang in the southern and northern wars have all been promoted to official posts.
When one enters the nobility, the fiefdom is measured in thousands of miles. In other words, the court cannot afford it. Moreover, the old generals respect their own troops, so it will be difficult for them to hand over their military power."
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"But even though I was made a general, my fiefdom is only for 500 households. Even if it needs to be reduced, it shouldn't start with me!"
"Indeed, but what if the imperial court can use the rebellion of the border troops as an excuse to beat up the heroes of the world, make them suspicious of each other, and actively offer their fiefdoms?"
As soon as An Rudao said these words, Ma Qiushi fell silent on the spot.
"Under the checks and balances of the imperial court, there must be gaps between the founding heroes, but who can guarantee that they are not secretly colluding in private? As long as the border troops raise the flag of rebellion, those who have always been rebellious among them will surely take action, which just makes the imperial court justified.
Catch them all in one fell swoop."
Ma Qiushi was silent for a long time before speaking hoarsely: "So, the imperial court deliberately lured the border troops into rebellion?"
This is the hardest thing for him to accept.
An Rudao, like a ruthless judge, said coldly: "Yes. The best way is to charge you with a crime when you enter Beijing and send you to death row. In this way, the 80,000 border troops who have followed you through life and death will definitely be punished."
You won’t give up, and the court may have already planted some details to fan the flames... In this way, no matter how you prove your innocence, you will not be able to avoid the rebellion."
"Why?"
The giant palm that could hide the jar in the palm of his hand covered his face hidden under the iron helmet, and Ma Qiushi's voice was trembling.
"I have lived and died for the imperial court, and I have never shown any betrayal, let alone any arrogance of taking credit... I just want to expel the barbarians and bring peace to the world. Why does the imperial court do this to me? Why does it do this to my brothers?"
An Rudao's voice became calmer, and he said softly: "Because you personally sent death to the imperial court, and sent yourself and your brothers to death with your own hands."