During the Battle of Baigou, the peace talks broke down. After Xu Shanxin entered the Northern Zhou camp, he returned to Yecheng with the Northern Zhou army and was placed under house arrest again. Therefore, he did not see Yu Wenxian for many days.
He did not expect that Yu Wenxian had changed so much during this period of time. His eye sockets were sunken, his face was haggard, and even his beard, which he usually carefully groomed to maintain his image, was already very long at this time, and was mixed with black and white, all reflecting the
The hero was preoccupied and exhausted.
Xu Shanxin handed over his hand: "Since you are an envoy of the Han Dynasty, you should follow the laws of the Han Dynasty. The Han Dynasty regards your highness as the king of Qi instead of the king of Zhou. Even if your highness has the actual title of emperor, you should still call him the king."
Dugu Xiong wanted to say something, but Yu Wenxian waved his hand: "It's time now, it's up to you. I don't know why Xu Jun would rather burn down the house than break away from the guards and come to see him, why?"
The Baipao lurking in Yecheng City decisively started setting fires to create chaos when they mobilized troops and horses in the city, setting fire to several strongholds in Yecheng City. All these strongholds that the Northern Zhou Dynasty had spent a lot of effort to find were exposed.
, but there is no difference now. And I don’t know if it was just to join in the fun, but Xu Shanxin also set his house on fire, causing the surrounding soldiers who were both protecting him and monitoring him to put out the fire.
In the inner city, there are mostly deep residences and compounds. Xu Shanxin's actions are of course of no use, but he himself took advantage of this opportunity to run out - for the current Northern Zhou Dynasty, monitoring or not monitoring Xu Shanxin is actually of little use.
It really has reached the point where there is no way to save the day. It makes no difference whether this inciting guy is here or not.
But Yu Wenxian didn't expect that Xu Shanxin would ask to see him at this time.
Therefore, he wanted to know what Xu Shanxin wanted.
Xu Shanxin said calmly: "The king must have heard the killing outside the city. The Han army has entered the city and will soon attack the inner city. There are only a few thousand defenders in the inner city, and there are still city walls and outer walls."
The cities are connected, how long does the king think we can defend them?"
This time, without waiting for Yu Wenxian's reply, Dugu Xiong took the lead and said: "As ministers of the Great Zhou Dynasty, we must defend to the death to repay your kindness. In this case, we must accompany your majesty until the last moment."
"Noisy! I didn't ask you." Xu Shanxin said directly, without moving his eyes, looking straight at Yu Wenxian who was thoughtful.
"You!" Dugu Xiong took an angry step forward. If Yu Wenxian hadn't warned him not to use force rashly, Dugu Xiong might have been unable to resist directly swiping his knife to compete with Xu Shanxin.
Who says civil servants can't use force? Civil servants are also angry.
Yu Wenxian said lightly: "Xu Jun, do you think Dugu Aiqing's answer is wrong? The king died in Sheji, and the foundation of the Great Zhou Dynasty came from the Yuwen family's hard work from generation to generation, and it came from loyal and good people like Dugu Aiqing who swore to defend to the death, so no matter
Your Majesty and your ministers should fight to the last moment."
"What about the soldiers outside, the king's wife and children, and the many people in the city?" Xu Shanxin asked, "Should they all be buried for this dynasty that is destined to collapse? On the road to Huangquan, does the king also want to watch?
Do they support the old and the young, and then claim to be benevolent and virtuous masters? Everyone said that Emperor Wen and Emperor Wu of the Zhou Dynasty were the masters of great talents and great strategies. The king felt that he was dragging the soldiers and people of the city into this unnecessary resistance, but was it necessary? Let this happen
Many people died in vain, does Jiuquan have the dignity to go see the late emperor?!"
"Presumptuous!" Dugu Xiong finally couldn't help it anymore, "You are talking nonsense! There is no problem with the two countries standing side by side. However, it turned out that your country was the first to use swords and guns, and now you are going to accuse Zhou of his faults. May I ask?
What was Zhou's fault? Is it the crime of using weapons without permission, and the crime of preying on the common people? But please tell me in detail!"
"This is a crime of not following the natural times!" Xu Shanxin said loudly, "The world has been in chaos for three hundred years, not to mention what role Xianbei played in it. Even if we treat the Han and Xianbei people together, the world has been in chaos for three hundred years. Ren
All the thoughts of a virtuous king should be to punish the people and bring an end to these three hundred years of chaos, and restore peace to the world."
Dugu Xiong couldn't help but laugh: "Since we have achieved peace in the world, why didn't the Great Zhou destroy the Southern Barbarians, but the Southern Barbarians destroyed me, the Great Zhou?! It's a joke, it's just an excuse for your invasion."
Xu Shanxin waved his hand: "My emperor has great ambitions, reforming laws, appointing talents, and developing industry and commerce. Today's Han Dynasty is no longer the Southern Dynasty of the past. It should be said that it has a completely new look. You can only go to Jiangnan and even Guan
In the middle areas, even Lingnan and South China, which have been barbaric since ancient times, you can see the Han people living and working in peace and contentment. On the other hand, your country is weak on the outside and weak on the outside. Talents are not reused and all go south. Taxes are heavy and the people are complaining. Even if it is
Families, big and small, also have many complaints about the imperial policies. Does His Highness King Qi still think that Zhou can win the hearts of the people in the north and still have a chance to make a comeback?"
Dugu Xiong was speechless for a moment.
What Xu Shanxin said is indeed true. The Han Dynasty has always had advantages in recruiting talents, developing industry and commerce, formulating laws, etc. Naturally, this advantage has gradually expanded from the people's ability to live a more stable life to the overall national strength.
The Han Dynasty, which had vast land and advanced technology and systems, certainly had more sophisticated equipment, a more powerful army, and more money and food. Therefore, in order to fight against the Han Dynasty, the Northern Zhou Dynasty did become somewhat aggressive in military affairs in recent years.
The shameful thing is that we have never fought even through military force.
Moreover, the Han Dynasty has won the hearts of the people. Even many people in the north yearn for the south. The brain drain is even more serious. This year, Han Enke, there are many northern scholars who have emerged, and you must know that these northern scholars should have served for the Northern Zhou Dynasty.
The talents used were right, but the uncooperativeness of the aristocratic families and the internal incompetence of the Northern Zhou Dynasty due to the war made these scholars have no choice but to go to the Han Dynasty after being unable to get in.
Of course, there are elements of exaggeration in Xu Shanxin’s words.
Until now, both sides of the war are just gritting their teeth and holding on. It's just that the Han Dynasty's system and territorial advantages make it easier for them to hold on. If they were to change places, Li Pingchen would probably be like Yu Wenxian now.
Despair - But having said that, Li Xingchen was not Yu Wenxian, so it was naturally impossible for the Han Dynasty to fall to the level of the Northern Zhou Dynasty today.
Although I know that what Xu Shanxin said is not entirely correct, it has become meaningless to argue about it at this time.
Yu Wenxian knew why Xu Shanxin came, but he had no intention of doing so.
The Zhou Dynasty already had an emperor who surrendered, and he could not have another one. Otherwise, how would future generations ridicule him and Yuwen?
The previously absurd Northern Qi royal family may be a good example.
Yu Wenxian stood up in the chaos and held up the world, just to prevent the Yu Wen family from becoming the laughing stock of future generations.