Sixty-two, the beauty is like a flower across the clouds
Sixty-two, beauty is like a flower in the clouds
Emperor Sima Pi and Empress Jing died on the same day, and they were auspicious to be buried on Jiazi Day, the fifth day of the sixth lunar month. Many people in the Wei and Jin Dynasties were so indulgent that "ethics are not designed for our generation", but before the funeral of the emperor and empress, both the scholars, the common people, and the soldiers and civilians
There is no ban on marriage, dancing, and banquets. This is the minimum. However, Gushu City is like a country within a country. Everything is as before. The wine houses and prostitutes on the south bank of Gushu River have not closed down, and there are still people who are having fun.
People are just missing the officers and generals of the military government. The ordinary people in the city have no idea about the death of Emperor Sima Pi. When they talk about it, they thought it was Emperor Mu Sima Dan. Sima Dan passed away in May last year. Emperors change frequently.
, the people of Gushu cannot remember it, they only know that Huan Da Sima has been in charge of Gushu for four years, and the people are happy to see that Huan Da Sima's government orders are lenient and simple.
Huan Wen's consistent strategy was not to enter the capital easily, not to leave the army, not to follow the facts of the population, to be mature and prudent, and to proceed step by step. Therefore, after the death of the emperor, Huan Wen still did not enter Jiankang on the grounds of the crisis in Luoyang, and only sent his eldest son Huan Xi there.
Jing went to Taicheng Palace to mourn. At the same time, he had frequent messenger exchanges with Xi Chao, and he knew everything about the affairs of the court. Huan Wen sent a petition to conquer the Western Army. Xi Chao was appointed as the Minister of Zhongshu.
Yongzhu Military, Jiangzhou Governor Huan Chong supervised the military affairs of the eight counties of Jiangzhou, and the imperial court had to allow it during the holidays. The edict will be issued after the funeral of the emperor and the empress. At the same time, an edict will be issued to Wang Shu, the Yangzhou Governor, as the Shangshu Order.
Wang Shusu and Huan Wen were not on good terms. The imperial court recruited Wang Shu to take charge of Taicheng in order to check and balance Huan Wen. Since the imperial court agreed to Huan Wen's petition to invite Xi Chao to serve as the minister of Zhongshu, Huan Wen could not object to Wang Shu's appointment as minister. The imperial court and the powerful families
Together, they can still barely maintain a delicate balance with the Huan family. Huan Wen now wants to break this balance——
Huan Wen passed the Seven Cheap Things that Chen Caozhi presented and the "Strategy for a Strong Army" drafted by Xie Xuan and Chen Caozhi to Xi Chao's staff.
Plan before taking action. Since Chen Caozhi said that more sophisticated weapons can be refined, it will not be a lie. Xi Chao asked Huan Da Sima to implement it as soon as possible to prepare for the third Northern Expedition. As for the seven cheap things,
It is necessary to ask Huan Wen to submit a report and ask some officials to implement it. The most important thing is to check the people in the household and implement the earth-cutting. Xi Chao suggested that Xie Xuan should take on this important task, and Chen Caozhi and Zhu Yingtai would be the assistants, so that other matters could be postponed.
To implement it this year, it must be carried out vigorously and strictly, and the laws and prohibitions must be strict. It cannot be perfunctory like the registration inspection in previous years. The interests of the wealthy families must be touched - Huan Wen deeply believes it.
Xi Chao also reported to Huan Wen that he had invited Zhu Yingtai to join the Xifu. Xi Chao had sent people to Shangyu for a secret visit and confirmed that there was no such person as Zhu Yingtai among the Zhu family in Shangyu. Zhu Yingtai was Xie Daoyun. This matter was beyond doubt.
After Huan Xi arrived in Jiankang, Xi Chao and Huan Xi went to visit the Xie Mansion in Wuyi Lane and reiterated Huan Da Sima's desire for Zhu Yingtai. Although he did not see the Zhu Yingtai, Xie must have obviously
Feeling the pressure exerted by Huan Wen, if Xie An wanted to become an official in the court, he could not disobey Huan Wen, because Heng Wen's conquest of Zhu Yingtai was a legitimate matter and not an rude request. Xi Chao was only worried that Xie An was doing something he could not shirk.
Under such circumstances, Zhu Yingtai would simply reveal Zhu Yingtai's true identity, so Huan Wen would have no choice but to give up. But Xie obviously would not handle this matter so simply. Because of this, although Zhu Yingtai would not have to enter the West Mansion, Xie's reputation would have been damaged.
In Xie's view, Huan Wen would also feel fooled. How to let Xie Daoyun quietly enter the Xifu and then retire after a year and a half because of illness?
As far as I know, Xie Xuan seems to be in favor of his sister entering the Western Mansion. Presumably Xie Xuan has a good relationship with Chen Cao, is well aware of Chen Cao's talents, and also knows that his sister Xie Daoyun's infatuation is entirely tied to Chen Cao, so he deliberately
Let Chen Caozhi and his sister Xie Daoyun think more about their relationship, which promoted their marriage. Therefore, Xi Chao suggested Huan Da Sima to send Chen Caozhi to Jiankang and then conquer Zhu Yingtai to Xifu after the funeral of the emperor and empress. Then Xie Xuan,
Chen Caozhi and Zhu Yingtai were the masterminds of the Great Earth Destruction——
When Huan Shiqian, Xie Xuan and Chen Cao arrived at the General's Mansion, they saw that Shen Jin was also there. However, it turned out that Huan Wen was unable to go to the capital to mourn the emperor because of the crisis in Luoyang. The great Situ Sima Yu and the minister's servants shot Wang Biao. They discussed and decided to go with Huan Wen's instructions, and ordered Shen Jin to make up for the long history of the championship. Without waiting for the funeral of Emperor Ai, Shen Jin was ordered to lead the self-recruited warriors north to help the champion general Chen You defend Luoyang. Huan Wen today is to support Shen Jin.
After a simple banquet, Shen Jin paid his respects to Huan Wen and led his troops to cross the river to the north. Huan Wen ordered Huan Shi Qian, Xie Xuan and Chen Cao to escort Shen Jin and his party to the mouth of Gushu River on his behalf, where they would be crossed by a ship from the Xifu Navy. Jiang, Chen Caozhi sighed secretly when he saw that Huan Wen had not sent any additional troops to Shen Jin, and those who followed Shen Jin across the river to the north were still the more than a thousand warriors Shen Jin had brought from Wuxing.
However, Shen Jin and his warriors were high-spirited. Unlike the last time they went north voluntarily, this time they were following orders. Shen Jinshan has a long history of being a seventh-level champion, and all his troops are honored.
Before boarding the ship, Shen Jin said goodbye to Huan Shiqian, Xie Xuan and others one by one. At the end, he held Chen Caozhi's hand and said, "Chen Jin's kindness in recommending me, but it saved Shen Jin from death, will be repaid later." He bowed to the ground and strode onto the boat.
Ten Xifu navy ships sent more than a thousand of Shen Jin's men across the river at once. The scorching sun was shining brightly, the sails were blowing, and the warships were soon far away from the south bank.
Chen Caozhi looked at the shadow of the sails on the river. He knew the fate of Shen Jin and others. About two years later, Chen You led his troops eastward in the name of saving Xuchang, leaving only Shen Jin's 500 men to guard Luoyang. Murong Chui captured Luoyang. , Shen Jin died for his country.
Chen Caozhi said in his heart: "Luoyang should be able to be defended, but Huan Wen did not send troops to rescue him. This time Shen Jin went north, and Huan Wen even refused to help with 500 troops. No wonder Wang Meng refused to follow Huan Wen south - "
When Huan Wen defeated the Qin army in the first Northern Expedition, he stationed his troops at Ba Shang. The old men in Guanzhong came to greet him. King Meng of Beihai came to see Huan Wen wearing a coarse cloth. He picked up lice and talked about the affairs of the world as if there was no one else around. Huan Wen marveled at Wang Meng's talent. Asked: "I have been ordered by the emperor to send one hundred thousand elite soldiers to eliminate the remnants of thieves for the people, but the heroes of the Three Qin Dynasties have not arrived. Why?" Wang Meng said to him: "My lord has not traveled thousands of miles and penetrated deep into the enemy's territory. Now, Chang'an is so close but we don't cross the Ba River, and the people don't know the public spirit, so they don't come." The implication of Wang Meng's words was that Huan Wen's Northern Expedition was not to restore the Central Plains, but to subjugate Jiangdong. This hit Huan Wen's heart, but Huan Wen had nothing to do In response, Xu Xu said: "There is no Qing in Jiangdong." He appointed Wang Meng to serve as an army planner, and then moved to a high-ranking official to supervise and protect him. It was a gracious encounter, but Wang Meng refused to accept his resignation and refused to follow Huan Wen back to Jiangdong.
According to historical records, Wang Meng refused to go south because he saw that Huan Wen was bound to usurp Jin and establish himself. He was worried that following Huan Wen would tarnish his reputation, so it was better to stay in the Central Plains to wait for the changes. Later, Fu Jian came to the throne, re-employed Wang Meng, and the Qin State was in great power. , later generations said that "the only good prime minister in Guanzhong is Wang Meng, and all the people in the world hope for peace".
What makes Chen Caozhi a little strange is that Wang Meng is unwilling to follow Huan Wen but is willing to go all out to assist the Di Qiang Fu Jian. Serving foreigners and assisting Huan Wen in usurping the throne are both tarnishing the name of the Qing Dynasty. That should be an excuse. The Jiangdong family is a big family. Since Wang Meng was entrenched in the north, it would be difficult for him to achieve anything as a poor warrior in the north. This was the main reason why Wang Meng refused to go south.
Chen Caozhi was fused with the soul of a thousand queens, and his thoughts of loyalty to the emperor were weak. Since Sima could usurp Wei, Huan Wen could also usurp Jin. He had no reputational concerns in assisting Huan Wen, but the question now is, is Huan Wen worthy of assisting Huan Wen? Although he is a hero, he is over fifty and his lifespan is not long. Huan Wen's sons are all mediocre and incompetent people. Otherwise, Huan Wen would not have ordered his brother Huan Chong to take power. As for Huan Xuan, he has not been born yet. , I don’t know if he can be born. Let’s put it aside. If Chen Caozhi assists Huan Wen in becoming emperor, he may gain temporary glory. But if Huan Wen dies, Jiangzuo will inevitably be in chaos. Chen Caozhi, as Huan Wen’s right and left arm, will bear the brunt of the disaster. Unpredictable——
In this world, there are disputes and treachery, and the future is uncertain. Chen Caozhi has no choice but to move forward, weighing the trade-offs at every fork in the road. At the moment, following Huan Wen is the best choice, otherwise he will be like Wang Meng. Jiangdong will still achieve nothing, and Lu's girl will also be as beautiful as a flower in the clouds——
…
Since that day, Li Jingshu forced Chen Caozhi to agree to teach her the recorder at the bank of Gushu River. After that, she did not show up in front of Chen Caozhi for several days, nor did she send anyone to pay homage to her. Chen Caozhi thought: "Then Li Jingshu might just be unhappy with my refusal to teach her the flute, so now that she has forced me to agree and her resentment is gone, she might just leave it aside." She also thought that things might not be that simple, and she always had a grudge that was difficult to eliminate.
Ran Sheng went back to Gushu City for a day every five days. He practiced with the army and was exposed to the sun and rain. His complexion became obviously darker, his beard grew very fast, and his simple eyes in the past became serious. In the military camp He never smiled, and the ten sergeants under him were as scared as tigers. Only in front of Chen Caozhi and Jing Nu, Ran Sheng would occasionally show a boyish smile.
Jing Nu was very happy that Ran Sheng was about to be promoted to the post of commander of a hundred-man garrison. With Ran Sheng's bravery, it was not difficult to be promoted to the governor of a thousand-man army within three years. Jing Nu did not expect that Ran Sheng would one day restore the Wei Kingdom. Jing Nu also Knowing that it was impossible, the old ministers of Ran Wei were almost wiped out by the Murong family, and there was no basis for the restoration of the country. The Ran family was originally a minister of the Han Dynasty, and it was just right for them to return to the Eastern Jin Dynasty to serve, with Chen Caozhi taking care of them. , Jing Nu has nothing to worry about, he can rest in peace even if he dies.
Jing Nu stayed in Gushu for ten days. On May 21, he took A Zhu and two private soldiers of the Chen family back to Jiankang. After meeting Chen Shang, he returned to Qiantang, while the other two private soldiers stayed behind. Chen Caozhi listened to his advice, and Chen Caozhi wrote a long letter to his fourth uncle Chen Xian, his third brother Chen Shang, and his sister-in-law Ding Youwei. In the letter, he explained the reason why he recognized Ran Sheng as his younger brother, saying that Ran Sheng was the exiled Chen family of Yingchuan. After arriving in Jiangzuo, Chen Caozhi knew that the clan leader’s fourth uncle and third brother Chen Shang must have doubts, but he had no intention of telling them Ran Sheng’s true identity. The fewer people who knew about it, the better——
Ran Sheng was sitting at the desk. When he saw Chen Caozhi writing a letter to Run'er, he said: "Miss Run'er will be so weird that she can't open her mouth from ear to ear?"
Chen Caozhi smiled and said: "It will inevitably be strange. I'm afraid Run'er won't call you uncle when we meet in the future."
Ran Sheng showed a rare smile and said: "It's better to call me Xiao Sheng as before, otherwise, I won't dare to go back to Chenjiawu if I think of Miss Run'er calling me uncle."
…
Lai De stayed in Gushu. The day after Jing Nu left, Chen Caozhi took Lai De to see Huan Wen. Huan Wen appointed Lai De as an assistant to examine the engineering and soldier Cao, and ordered Lai De to be responsible for making the repeated push and pull type. Laide has made more than ten bellows of this kind in Chenjiawu, and he is very familiar with it. Of course, the bellows required for the military's weapon forging are much larger, and the size can be enlarged several times.
Five days later, the first large-scale push-pull bellows in Xifu was completed. Huan Wen went to visit it in person. He saw that two big men were responsible for pushing and pulling the bellows. The wind was strong and the agitation was perfect. The blacksmiths present were overjoyed. They all knew it. As long as the furnace fire is strong enough, the melted iron ore will be purer, and the iron tools made will be durable. Moreover, the blacksmiths at this time have mastered the technology of frying steel and folding and forging technology, that is, Bailian steel. Now there is this kind of steel. With the repeated bellows, the level of forging in the Eastern Jin Dynasty will take a big step forward.
On the fifth day of the sixth lunar month, which was the day of the funeral of Emperor Ai and Queen Jing, Huan Wen led the military officials of the Western Prefecture and went to the east gate in plain clothes to pay their respects.
On the afternoon of the 10th day of the sixth lunar month, Huan Xi and Xi Chao returned to Gushu from Jiankang, and Zhang Ping, the minister in charge, came with them. The purpose of Zhang Ping's trip was to join the army in the west according to the imperial edict. Huo supervised the military affairs of Jing, Yang, and Yong, and Huan Chong, the governor of Jiangzhou, supervised the military affairs of the eight counties of Jiangzhou, and during the holidays, his other mission was to summon Huan Wen to join the government on the orders of Emperor Sima Yi.
Xi Chao came back this time to move his family to Jiankang. From then on, Xi Chao would become an official in the court. That night, Huan Wen summoned Xi Chao to the general's mansion for a secret meeting. The content of the secret discussion was unknown. The next day, Huan Wen went to the court and politely apologized. He is not willing to enter the imperial court after recording the post of Shangshu Shi. At the same time, he proposes seven things that are convenient to him, and asks a supervisor to implement them.
The next day after the imperial edict was delivered, Zhang Ping bid farewell to Huan Wen and returned to Jiankang. Huan Wen sent him to Baiqu Mountain and ordered Chen Cao to see him off again on his behalf. Zhang Ping was Zhang Mo's brother and was very popular in Jiankang. I appreciate Chen Caozhi, and now I see that Chen Caozhi is getting along quite well with him in Xifu, and I am also very happy for Chen Caozhi.
After seeing Zhang Ping off, Chen Caozhi returned to his residence at the foot of Fenghuang Mountain, where he saw Li Jingshu sending someone to bring Xiu Xiu a gift: four dried meat jerky, four flat fish, four jars of rice wine, four bolts of silk, four bolts of raw silk, four A piece of Shu brocade, four pieces of Shu jade——
Chen Caozhi suddenly felt troubled. He originally thought that Li Jingshu had forgotten to learn the flute from his teacher, but he didn't expect that she had not been seen for a long time because she was waiting for the funeral of the emperor and the empress. It was difficult to play the strings and instruments during the national funeral. Li Jingshu was really calm.
Zuo Lang came to report, and Xi joined the army to visit.
Chen Caozhi went to welcome Xi Chao in. Xi Chao smiled and said: "This is the old residence of An Shigong. Is Zizhong comfortable living there?" Without waiting for Chen Caozhi's answer, he added: "Zizhong, you will come with me in the future." When you go to Jiankang, you are ordered by Duke Huan to recruit Zhu Yingtai to Xifu again, and you can also meet Lu's girl by the way. This is a good job."
