"Your Majesty, what should we do now that things have come to this?"
Xiao Luan moved closer, trying to see his master's face clearly through the candlelight. The Golden Guards from Shangjing had arrived in Youzhou, bringing with them the oral instructions of His Majesty Yelu Xiongji of the Liao Dynasty. They reprimanded the King of the South Palace, Yelu Ji.
He failed in his duties and ordered Yeluji to tie up Xiao Luan and Haili and send them to Beijing for personal interrogation by His Majesty.
Yeluji leaned back on a seat cushioned with a whole piece of white tiger skin, holding a jade cup in his hand and tasting the fine wine from the Western Regions. The wine was as amber-colored and had a mellow taste.
Yelu Ji is only twenty-three years old this year, four years older than his younger brother Yelu Deguang. However, when he was eighteen years old, he was already named the King of the South Palace, while his proud younger brother Yelu Deguang still does not have an official title.
Identity. Like his younger brother, Yeluji has a fair complexion and a delicate face. He does not look like a Khitan at all.
The only difference is that he is thin and looks like a weak scholar, while his younger brother is very burly, like a natural hunter.
Yeluji, who was naturally handsome and wore a beautiful mink fur cloak, leaned back in the chair with an innate majesty and looked chic and honorable.
He likes to drink, but not strong liquor. Unlike his younger brother Yelu Deguang, who likes to drink the spiciest and strongest wine, what he loves most is the rich and mellow wine from the Western Regions.
Smiling softly, Yeluji pointed at Xiao Luan's nose and said, "It's not what we should do. My wisest friend, what you should be thinking about now is, what should you do after you arrive in Beijing?"
His fingers were slender and white, more like a woman's hand.
Xiao Luan immediately turned pale. He knelt on the ground, holding Yeluji's boots and begging: "Your Majesty, you can't ignore me. Your Majesty, you know that I didn't do anything wrong! It's all those damn party items.
Man! And that damn Haili, if it hadn’t been for him, Sui Gong wouldn’t have been burned by the Xixia people!”
Yeluji gently kicked his feet to keep his noble feet away from Xiao Luan's humble face.
"Xiao Luan, your wisdom is as profound as the night sky. I know you will find a way to get out of the predicament. I also know that you did not make a mistake, but my friend, you saw that I was also scolded by my father. Nan Mian Palace
How long can I sit in the position of king, who knows?"
Xiao Luan cried and begged: "Your Majesty, you are the only one who can save me. My loyalty to you is evident in the world. I have never done anything to disgrace you, and I have never done anything to disgrace Daliao. Your Majesty,
Please, save my life. If I lose the protection of your Majesty, I will be like a cub that escapes from the pack of wolves, freezing to death and starving to death. Your Majesty, look at the fact that I have no merit in these years.
For the sake of hard work, please save me."
Yeluji took a sip of the wine and smiled: "Xiao Luan, I know your loyalty, and I am grateful for your contribution, but the one who plans to punish you now is the greatest khan on the grassland for countless years, the one I respect the most.
Father. Whether as a son or a minister, can I resist His Majesty's will?"
He glanced at Xiao Luan, who had lost his sense of proportion and was trembling like a quail. A trace of sympathy flashed in his eyes, but it flashed away.
"Xiao Luan, your destiny is in your own hands. The only person who can save you now is yourself."
He stood up, put the jade cup on the table, walked to the window and looked out at the deep night sky and the bright moon. After heavy snow, the sky always looks cleaner, just like the clearest stream, which can
See the beautiful colorful stones clearly. The moon is like a silver plate hanging in the sky, sacred and pure.
Xiao Luan's voice was hoarse and he begged: "I just ask the king to tell your majesty what happened truthfully. Your majesty's wisdom is deeper than the sea, and you will definitely be able to distinguish right from wrong."
Yeluji frowned and looked away from the moon: "Xiao Luan, are you doubting my honesty?"
Xiao Luan's body suddenly stiffened, and then he kowtowed as if pounding garlic: "Your Majesty, make atonement! Your Majesty, make atonement! I was confused and talked nonsense, please punish me, Your Majesty."
Yeluji looked at Xiao Luan and said: "I won't punish you. There are more killing knives in Shangjing than in Youzhou, and they are much sharper. You wish yourself well, my friend, you can leave now, I
Your Majesty's guards will help you tie the rope, and they will tie you loosely. If His Majesty's guards come to tie you, your arms will turn black before you can reach the capital, and they will dent if you touch them lightly.
I can’t play it either.”
"This is the only thing I can do for you, Xiao Luan, just take care of yourself."
He waved his hand and signaled Xiao Luan to go out. Xiao Luan, who was lying on the ground, suddenly raised his head and looked at his master. He wanted to beg his master for protection. But before he opened his mouth, he saw Yelu's cold glance.
, that sight was as sharp as a knife.
The words that had not been spoken were forced back by him. Xiao Luan smiled bitterly, stood up, bowed and walked out. When he walked to the door, he heard Yeluji's cold voice, which was as cold as ice.
"I'll give you a suggestion. When facing death, if you can't run far or fight, you can take a step back and retreat behind others. At the same time, don't think about how to defend your mistakes, but try your best to find a way.
If you make up for your mistakes, maybe the benevolent God of Immortality will favor you?"
Xiao Luan's body trembled, and then he bowed deeply.
After Xiao Luan left, Yeluji returned to the desk and sat down, took a sip of wine, and then wrote a memorial with a smile. He tried his best to clearly write down what he had learned, and sincerely apologized for his mistakes.
He made a confession. Then, for the sake of the country, he recommended Liyao Nayan to take over Haili to guard Dingzhou and recommended him as a general. Finally, Yeluji expressed his longing and admiration for his father.
After writing, Yeluji gently dried the ink. He was very satisfied with his calligraphy, which was neat and beautiful. He wrote it once in Chinese characters and Khitan characters, without any modifications from beginning to end, and it was done in one go.
Yeluji knew that if his staff were around, they would definitely remind him that Liyao Nayan was also a member of the second prince Yelu Deguang. It was rare to clear the sea from the south. If another confidant of the second prince replaced him, it would be very difficult for him.
It must be very unfavorable. Yeluji smiled when he thought of this, yes, Yan Liyao is also his second brother, I know it, I obviously know it.
On the evening of the fourth day, the Golden Tent guards who rushed to Youzhou bundled Haili like rice dumplings and took them into Youzhou. Yeluji personally loosened the bindings to Haili in front of everyone, and then fed Haili with his own hands.
A glass of the most mellow wine.
"The general is a warrior of the Liao Dynasty. He has always been at the forefront on the battlefield. Your majesty will not forget the credit for conquering Dingzhou, and I will also bear it in my heart. I have reported to your majesty truthfully. There is nothing wrong with the general in this disaster.
responsibility."
Haili knew clearly that the young man in front of him was more cunning than a fox and more ruthless than a wolf, but he was still moved by the sincerity in Yeluji's tone. The second prince who recommended him as general to attack Dingzhou didn't even give a single word of instruction.
Sent, which means that he is already an abandoned chess piece. It is rare that the king of Nanmian Palace can show sincere sympathy to a person of no use value like himself. From this point of view, the second prince is far less generous than him.
.
But when I think about the rules of survival of the fittest on the grassland, only those who are as fierce as wolves can stand firm. Is the eldest prince in front of him who shows kindness and sympathy to me too generous? How can such a person win over someone who is naturally ruthless?
The second prince?
Haili smiled gratefully, and then laughed at himself in his heart. He was already a dying person, why did he care about the intrigues between so many royal families?
The wine is very mellow, and the aroma in the mouth warms your stomach.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Haili bowed deeply, and for the first time sincerely thanked the eldest prince in front of him, whom he had always been hostile to.
Yeluji took off his mink cloak and put it on Haili's shoulders, with deep sadness in his eyes.
"It's freezing cold all the way to Beijing. General, take care of your health. I believe that your Majesty will give you a fair and just answer. May the God of Immortality bless you."
Haili bowed down and bowed again: "May the eternal life bless the king."
The guards of the golden tent escorted Haili and Xiao Luan away from Youzhou. Seeing those people walking away, the smile that originally hung on the corner of Yeluji's mouth gradually turned cold. Whether Xiao Luan or Haili were alive or dead,
Yeluji is already in an undefeated position this time.
The first thing he did after returning to the palace, Yeluji sent someone to Suining County to deliver a congratulatory gift to Li Yao Nayan. He knew that his father would not refuse his proposal, whether it was to take care of his own face or to take care of that person.
The face of his younger brother who thinks he has grown up. Li Yao Nayan is a talent. Yeluji doesn’t understand why his younger brother has so many fans in the army, but he knows that if he can dig these people over one by one,
Or get rid of him, my smart brother will definitely be very angry.
Taiyuan Prefecture, Forbidden Palace, Military Aircraft Department.
Liu Ling held a cup of hot tea and felt the temperature in her hands. The Han Dynasty was not suitable for growing tea, and the tea in the palace was bought from merchants. But the real good tea could not be transported to the Northern Han Dynasty.
, even in the palace, don’t even think about drinking the best tea. Although it is not far from Henan, the tea produced in Henan is classified as a contraband and is strictly prohibited from being sold to the Han Dynasty. Only the most courageous businessmen will smuggle some.
Come out to make huge profits.
But the brewed tea tasted very fragrant, and the tea soup with salt and spices tasted good. He closed his mouth and felt the lingering fragrance in his mouth.
There was a separate memorial on the table next to where he was sitting. It was delivered quickly from Ping'an County in the south, but judging from the date, it was several days ago. Liu Ling had just read the contents of the memorial.
After finishing, the old prime minister Lu Sen sitting next to him has been observing his face.
"Your Majesty?"
Lu Sen called out tentatively.
Liu Ling tilted his head slightly and responded, "Is there something wrong, Mr. Lu?"
Lu Sen sighed in his heart, why didn't he see through this young man's thoughts from the beginning to the end? When Emperor Xiao ascended the throne, he always thought that Liu Ling would support his troops and stand on his own, but he guessed wrong. When he thought that Liu Ling would
When Liu Ling readily accepted the kindness of Emperor Xiao and agreed to marry his daughter, Liu Ling flatly refused. When he thought Liu Ling would be furious when he saw this memorial, the latter showed no sign and just drank tea leisurely.
.
"What do you think of the matter in Ping'an County?"
Lu Sen decided to say it directly. The indirect temptation might be more likely to arouse the prince's resentment.
Liu Ling snorted and replied: "The imperial court has its own laws, so whatever is done should be done."
Having said this means not saying it, it is completely meaningless. What are the laws of the imperial court? If they really followed the laws, everything would have gone wrong a long time ago. According to the laws, Ouyang Renhe would not just be dismissed from office but would have his head chopped off neatly.
A corrupt man like Sima Lu would not pursue a posthumous title as a Jin Zi Guang Lu doctor. Ouyang Zhuan had long been ordered by His Majesty to go to the capital and behead everyone in his family. How could there be so much trouble?
Lu Sen smiled bitterly: "Master Zhou Yangong must give a specific explanation. Your Majesty will leave this matter to the old minister. Your Majesty, you should help the old minister come up with a complete solution."
There was no need for him to pretend to be serious. This matter involved Su Xiu, and he really had a headache.
Liu Ling smiled and did not answer Lu Sen's question, but said something else.
"In order to deal with the possible retaliation of Daliao, I have asked His Majesty to transfer He Kun to personally lead 10,000 troops to be stationed in Datong. The other troops of Jianxiong Army are on standby. They are not allowed to leave the station even half a step without orders."
Lu Sen was shocked and then laughed. (To be continued)
