It was getting late, and the entire Song army was in full swing, and some had even begun to set off or move ahead of schedule.
And because rescuing Han Shizhong was the real strategic goal of this battle, the Black Dragon King Shengbu naturally became the most reliable independent force at the moment, and was appointed by Zhao Jiu as the direct supervising team, responsible for patrolling the perimeter of all camps to prevent anyone from leaking information.
news, or defecting from the battlefield.
As for the group of people who had galloped here for two days and nights, Zhao Guan's family, several entourage, and two hundred knights were inevitably tired at this time, so they all took a rest early.
However, this kind of jet-lagged early sleep also has its disadvantages. They slept until after the third watch, and before the fourth watch came, the Nanyang group, who had probably had a full sleep, got up one after another.
Zhao Guan's family was young and he got up early, but he took Liu Yan to Yanling City. Lan Gui was the oldest, but he was the only one who slept deeply. As for Hu Yin, when he got up, he found that Bachelor Xiao Lin and the Privy Council next door
Deputy Chengzhi Wan Qixi had already gotten up early and was sitting side by side on the corridor in the courtyard of the public house on the side of Yanling County Yamen, looking at the moon silently.
Tonight is only the twelfth day of the first lunar month, and there are still a few days left before the Lantern Festival. Looking up, I can see whether the moon is round or crooked, but these two people are so happy.
Of course, the actual situation is that Academician Xiao Lin is obsessed with thinking about things, and although Wan Qixi intends to flatter him, he is a little afraid of this Academician Lin and has not dared to speak. The two of them just did it in embarrassment.
Of course Hu Yin didn't know about this little reason, and he didn't need to know, because after what happened during the day, when the three civil servants got up together in the middle of the night, speaking from a broad perspective, it must be because of the same kind of thinking that they couldn't sleep.
Stable.
"Two wise brothers, I think the officials shouldn't be like this today."
As the youngest among the three people and the one with the highest official position, Hu Yin casually sat next to the two of them, but without any scruples, he went straight to the point and sighed.
Wan Qixi had a clear conscience and quite agreed with it, so he instinctively wanted to respond. But then he thought about it, and realized that this matter could not help but be suspected of "criticizing Chengyu". His official position was low and he was not as good as the two beside him. If he ended up like Chen
I'm afraid no one would care about Dong Xiacheng, so he didn't dare to speak for a while.
However, after a moment, Academician Xiao Lin thought carefully and said calmly: "What the wise brother said is true. The official family is young after all, and seems a bit irritable... As long as the official family gives a little hint to what happened today, Liu Tongzhi will naturally do it."
How can there be any need for the blood of an emperor to be spattered on one's body for those who work for him?"
Hu Yin was obviously stunned... He didn't mean to say this at all.
On the other side, Wan Qixi's heart was like a bright mirror, and he kept smiling bitterly in his heart.
In other words, with Wanqi Yuanzhong's shrewdness, how could he not know where the two of them were? And how could he not know the meaning of Zhao Guanjia's ax in the daytime?
That ax blow was not as simple as killing a high-ranking official to sacrifice the flag, nor was it just as superficial as Academician Xiaolin evading important matters and emphasizing that the emperor killed people with his own hands and lost members... This matter is actually easy to explain, as Zhao Guanjia himself said
It was clear that he had never forgotten the 10,000 soldiers who were serving as bait for him all the way here. He came here out of hatred, so the cruelty of his methods was within everyone's expectations.
If someone loses his status, he will lose his status; if he is cruel, he will be cruel. This official is not bad at losing his status.
The key to the matter still lies in whether to kill or not, and whether to kill in public.
After all, there is a deep contradiction here - to put it bluntly, in the political tradition of the Song Dynasty for hundreds of years, some people's lives are more valuable than other people's lives, but this Zhao Guanjia feels that some people's lives are not necessarily more valuable than others.
Life is a little more valuable than other people's lives, a little more cheap... that's all.
…
Not to mention the childish ideas of the Zhao Guan family... Renzong also had it... I just want to say that in the previous tradition, the most precious thing was of course the emperor's own life, and then those who served as prime ministers and became the emperor's share of the world
Human life, and then the life of a senior minister of Du Chong's level.
In fact, this is the fundamental reason why Du Chong behaved like a dead pig that is not afraid of boiling water... If the officials really want to kill him, he can't run away, but if they don't kill him, they won't kill him.
And this is the fundamental reason why Wanqi Yuanzhong has always longed to be an official, to be a high official, preferably to be the governor of two houses.
Can the Jin people give you this kind of honor and fundamental benefits? Your surname is not Wanyan!
However, the Zhao Guan family finally used this brutal and direct method to publicly kill a civil servant who was second only to the Prime Minister!
Not saying anything about breaking the rules, nor saying that Zhao Guanjia was actually using the ax to chop off the chair legs under Zhao Guanjia's own buttocks. He just said one thing that was right in front of him. That ax blow was actually beheading Du Chongzhi.
I also cut off the most stable rope between Zhao Guan's family and the ministers in Nanyang and Xiangyang.
Of course, Wan Qixi was dissatisfied with this, and also felt that Academician Xiaolin's reaction was a bit dull, and even meant to excuse the Zhao Guan family.
"That's right." At this thought, Wanqi Yuanzhong also responded solemnly. "The officials are young after all, so they shouldn't take action easily... Even Taizu only used a jade ax to chop off the two front teeth of the imperial censor, but
There is no reason to kill someone in public."
Hu Yin was stunned for a moment, almost thinking that something big had happened within a few hours of his sleep. But soon, this person who always had nothing to say shook his head and directly pointed out the incident: "
It is inappropriate for officials to kill Du Chong."
The real boss expressed a dangerous stance, and Wan Qixi immediately fell silent.
"Shouldn't Du Chong be killed?" Academician Xiao Lin looked at the moonlight above his head and sighed.
Hu Yin paused for a moment, because his conscience and Confucian literacy told him that the answer to this question was unquestionable, but it violated his political common sense. So he thought for a moment and then slowly shook his head: "Why can't it be hidden and punished?"
"Isn't this coming back again?" Academician Xiao Lin seemed to have already thought of the answer to this question. "How can an official who is only twenty-two years old after the Chinese New Year hold back?"
Hu Yin fell silent again, and then let out a long sigh: "In that case, it is the responsibility of you and me. Can't we find out the official's intentions in advance and advise him early?"
Academician Xiao Lin has not yet answered, but Wan Qixi is furious in his heart... How can I be responsible for such a huge thing? One of you is a 'Half Phase', the other is an 'Internal Control', and I am the other one.
The little Privy Council accepts the decree and is still a deputy. How can I shoulder this responsibility with you? When I go back, some of my husbands have a fit. You can resist it, but what can I do?
However, having such thoughts in his heart did not prevent Wan Qixi from immediately responding: "What Hu Zhongcheng said is absolutely true. What happened today is true. It's because you and I failed to do our best as ministers."
Hearing this, Hu Yin became even more depressed: "I thought too much along the way and completely forgot about this matter. It was my dereliction of duty. In fact, I was the first to serve in the official family, so I should have expected it..."
"Actually, Brother Yu had already expected it and thought about admonishing him. But when he came outside the hall today, he felt strange and took the initiative to stop outside the hall to avoid running into such a thing face to face." Academician Xiao Lin suddenly spoke, attracting everyone around him.
The two people on both sides were stunned.
"Why?" After a long while, the stunned Wan Qixi couldn't help but ask.
The thing is, although he regretted it as soon as he opened his mouth, Wanqi Yuanzhong really found it difficult to understand what Academician Xiaolin said - on the one hand, why did he not want to dissuade him, and on the other hand, why did he dare to say it in public?
Three people make a tiger, and there are already three people here.
"I just think Du Chong deserves to die." Bachelor Xiao Lin replied calmly and calmly.
"I've said it before, I'm not saying that Du Chong shouldn't die." Hu Yin finally spoke, but his blood was obviously rising. "Scholar Lin... I just ask you, have you ever thought about it, Du Chong will certainly die.
, but because of him alone, the official family also broke off the unity between him and Nanyang! For most of the past six months, the official family maintained their single-mindedness in Nanyang. It was a lot of hardships, and they were able to unite and do so many things.
Although there are disputes and setbacks, it is still much better than other places, right? Should the hard work of so many people be implicated by Du Chong alone?"
Hearing this, even Wan Qixi felt a little bit sad... He really liked the atmosphere in Nanyang before. On the one hand, he did not lose the political tradition of the Song Dynasty, but on the other hand, he could work together, and he was promoted smoothly without having to worry about it.
It was a bribe, and that kind of atmosphere could only be maintained if the emperor, ministers and the situation were mixed together.
Once it disappears, it's hard to find again.
"Yes." Academician Xiao Lin sighed again. "In the past half a year, the official atmosphere in Nanyang was that of a wise king. Although there were discords among the officials below the prime minister, they also had a spirit of forging ahead... Nowadays, the official family
The ax caused a rift between him and Nanyang, and Brother Yu was also heartbroken. But Brother Hu Xian, Brother Yu wants to ask you something. Nanyang has done so well, why has the situation reached this point?"
Hu Yin was at a loss for a moment, but then he simply sneered: "What did Bachelor Lin want to say?"
"Brother Hu Xian, your knowledge is recognized as good. Brother Yu just has a question." Lin Jingmo finally stopped looking at the sky and turned to look at Hu Yin who was facing each other seriously. "The bloodline of the former Han Dynasty and the latter Han Dynasty continues to be clear, but the two dynasties are still one dynasty.
?”
As soon as these words came out, Wanqi Yuanzhong behind Academician Xiaolin immediately changed his expression.
After Hu Yin's face changed under the moonlight for a while, he relaxed instead: "Guangwu has its own system. It is supported by Guangwu Zhongxing Foundation, and the official waist is still in Xiashe City."
"Look." Academician Xiao Lin suddenly spread his hands and laughed, looked at the two people on the left and right, and spoke with certainty. "Didn't the matter come back again? Although my knowledge is shallow, but these days, although the official family is wandering around, I often think about one thing...
After Jingkang, the Song Dynasty was actually dead, and troubled times had arrived. Although the officials acted with the support of great righteousness, they tried their best to do everything themselves. If they could decide their own victory or defeat, and build their own foundations, the four words "ancestral family law" would not work.
It’s worthless!”
Hearing the words "worthless" that the three of them had been avoiding talking about, Wan Qixi looked dazed, and realized that the bachelor in front of him was something other than a city. What he was thinking was really
It shocked him, but he was also truly convinced.
I also sighed secretly.
Unexpectedly, Hu Yin was silent for a moment, but did not refute. He just looked up to the sky and sighed: "So, everything in this world still depends on victory or defeat!"
Academician Xiaolin did not say any more this time, but continued to look at the sky and the moon.
At the same time, above the city, Zhao Guan's family watched the movement in the military camp below the city for half a day, then looked up at the moon again, and couldn't help but sigh: "Li Qing, you said that the Jin army's sentries should have noticed such movement, right?"
"If you report back to the officials, this must be the case." Li Qiong, who had just heard the news and had followed shortly, immediately bowed his head and faced him.
"Then do you think this battle can be won?" Zhao Jiu looked at the sky with his hands behind his hands and continued to smile at each other.
"We will definitely win!" Li Qiong immediately replied seriously.
"Is that so?" Zhao Jiu heard this and couldn't help but laugh again. "You are so sure?"
"Of course!" Li Qiong couldn't wait to reply. "It's official, this is from the bottom of my heart! I don't mean to flatter you!"
"Tell me."
"Good instructors know that." Li Qiong quickly raised his hand and replied. "I am from Xiangzhou. I have experienced almost all the battles in Jingkang... I just feel that compared with the Jin people, we are not smaller in number than the other party; we are not compared with heroes.
The opponent is weak; it’s not that the weapons and equipment are inferior to the opponent…it’s because the leader is much different from the leader of the Jin army after repeated defeats!”
"It's interesting!" Zhao Jiu continued to laugh.
"Guan family." Li Qiong quickly explained seriously when he saw this. "I was in Hebei at the time. Although I didn't go into battle, I heard and saw some things... It is said that the marshals, princes, and princes of the Jin Army often came to the battle in person to supervise the battle.
Under the intersection of arrows and stones, the three armies under his command were in high spirits. Even though they were arrogant, they had to admit that they had a heroic spirit. But once these people came to the front line in person and did not take refuge, the Jin army would see it, who would dare to spare their lives?
It is precisely because of this that the Jurchens can move forward and conquer thousands of miles. But what about the commanders of the Song Dynasty? Their talents are often inferior to those of the middlemen. Whenever they send out troops, they must live hundreds of miles away and claim to be solemn. They supervise the troops.
, Yi Zhijiangxiao only used a messenger to deliver a false edict, claiming to be decisive from thousands of miles away... In such a situation, with repeated defeats, the country fell, and the two saints hunted north, is it not a strange thing? "
"Then Zongze and Du Chong are like this too?" Zhao Jiu suddenly asked.
"This is what I want to say." Li Qiong replied sincerely. "My mentor, the deputy marshal of Zong, once became a general, he could wear coarse clothes, carry pots and pans, lie on straw, and make carts in the formation, so
Although he was only an old man in his seventies and had little military experience, even riding a horse into battle was difficult, but he was able to win over the soldiers to the point that he defeated the enemy in Huazhou, kept Tokyo in ruins, and all the surrounding bandit troops were destroyed in his hands.
A thief is a soldier; but what about Du Chong? Although he is a minister's superior, what difference does this attitude make to the group of people in Jingkang? It is no wonder that everyone is panicking and forcing the officials to come here in person to correct the military law."
Zhao Jiu shook his head slightly, not knowing what he was thinking.
And Li Qiong's three-stage logical deduction is finally in place: "Nowadays, officials do not avoid the sharp arrows, penetrate the enemy's thousands of cavalry, visit the front line in person, and cheer up and down. Isn't it consistent with the attitude of my mentor as a commander-in-chief?"
? Now that the official dragon banner has been erected, who of the 80,000 people under Yanling City dares to spare his life? And the 80,000 people are willing to die for it, so what battle can't be won?"
Zhao Guanjia shook his head again.
By the way, Zhao Jiu didn't know if this was the person's true words, or if he was just coming here to express his loyalty because he was afraid of his relationship with Du Chong. But no matter what, Zhao Guan's family was also worried about it now.
He knew full well that since the ax he had killed Du Chong during the day had also struck the foundation he had worked hard to build in Nanyang for more than half a year, causing irreversible cracks, then he must win this battle!
Because only by winning this battle can we continue to have Han Shizhong, have Yue Fei's Prime Minister, and then control the Tokyo Remaining Department, which is actually a semi-independent Hebei exile group, and then gain an unquestionable and huge political prestige, and Nanyang
Only then is it possible to pretend to have forgotten about Du Chong and continue to be obedient.
Of course, after killing Du Chong, Zhao Guanjia has actually done everything he can do... It feels like the time of the sage, and the next step is Yue Pengju's time.
ps: Sorry... I wanted to take leave for a while... I ate a spicy chicken at night, and then the upper part of my forehead hurt terribly... I almost thought it was high blood pressure or something, but it gradually got better.