Da Wei Chun

Chapter 653 Self-knowledge
The sky was still dim, and the Guan Yawai was full of soldiers and generals.At two o'clock in the morning, dozens of personal soldiers came to protect Li Chengzhi on horseback.

All the ministers shouted "Duke of the State", Li Chengzhi bowed his hands in return, and then all entered the meeting hall.

This discussion lasted for a whole day, and even three meals were sent to the yamen hall until the sun went down.

That night, all military households, industrial households, including the old and weak women who used to help factories in various factories, received an edict ordering them to go to the Ministry of Civil Affairs the next morning to rush to make a batch of military supplies.

The people are like this, and the army is mobilized more frequently: from now on, Li Liang and Li Feng's two troops will withdraw from the army, leaving only Li Yongshou to lead a guard to garrison Juyan Lake.

Order Huangfu to shrink his troops from Wuwei and move to Zhangye.Li Chengzhi also ordered him to divide his troops to the south, limiting him to occupy Linsong (a county under Zhangye, now Sunan, bordering Tuyuhun) in one month.

Even the newly incorporated town army was mobilized and used as a private battalion to transfer grain and grass to Zhangye County.

All of a sudden, there was a lot of news, and even ordinary people in Zhenyi City knew that there was going to be another war!

……

"What is Li Chengzhi doing?"

Seeing Yuan Zhi being carried out of the other courtyard and into the car again, Cui Guang was surprised and suspicious, "Could it be that you are annoyed by Yuan Zhi and want to accuse him?"

Wei Zijian shook his head: "Shang Shu, don't worry, it won't happen!"

I dare not say that I know this good son-in-law well, at least I know a thing or two about his nature.Wei Zijian knew very well that Li Chengzhi was definitely not such an ignorant person.

If he was annoyed by Yuan Zhi, so he felt resentful, and let him die in the chaos when Yu was defeated, wouldn't it be done once and for all.Why did he fall into disbelief at this time?

"Why is that so?"

Cui Guang asked suspiciously, "Don't you see that Yuan Zhi's face is livid and angry, as if he is going to die?"

"Shang Shu has doubts, why don't you ask?"

With one word to wake up the dreamer, Cui Guang suddenly realized: "That's right?"

Li Chengzhi was very magnanimous, and did not forbid the two of them to be free, but Cui Guang forgot about it for a while.

As soon as he said it, he immediately lifted up his robe, took two quick steps, and stopped the car.

The general recognized Cui Guang, so he put his hand on Jin Ma and asked, "What advice do you have from Shangshu?"

"Nothing to do with you!"

Cui Guang waved his hand, then pointed to Yuan Zhi who was poking his head out of the window: "Where is Yuan Dudu going?"

Seemingly still aggrieved, Yuan Zhi blushed and hissed back: "Bing Shangshu, the bandit chief wants to force Yuan to come out and surrender the Dunhuang town army..."

In such a season, recruiting and surrendering the Dunhuang town army?
Wei Zijian frowned: "If the governor refuses to obey, then he just refuses. I think Lai Chengzhi will not embarrass you, why is he like this?"

Yuan Zhi hated Wu and Wu, and when he saw Li Chengzhi, he dared to call "thief chieftain" directly, so he naturally didn't take a good look at Wei Zijian: "You said it lightly? If someone doesn't follow, at most he will die, but the Dunhuang town army, civilians Nearly a million people, if they all died in vain under the cannons and thunder, wouldn't Yuan be a sinner through the ages?"

After finishing speaking, he snorted coldly, retracted his head and put down the car curtain.

Seeing its appearance like this, Cui Guang was thoughtful and stepped out of the way.The soldier said "offend" and ordered the soldiers to get up the carriage.

Seeing him walk away, Wei Zijian let out a chuckle: "You are so respectable, especially shameless!"

After decades of immersion in officialdom, Cui Guang has already cultivated to become a master, so how could he not hear Wei Zijian's hidden meaning?
Yuan Zhi has already expressed his intention to surrender, so how dare he disobey Li Chengzhi?
But he was also afraid that if he got caught, he would be liquidated by the court in the future, so he used nearly a million townspeople to fight to cover up his embarrassment.

Cui Guang sighed, then shook his head again: "This primordial bird has a reputation of being honest and honest, but I never thought it would be someone who is greedy for life and afraid of death?"

"There is great terror between life and death, who is not afraid?"

Wei Zijian grinned like a toothache, "It's just that the face of being a whore and setting up a memorial archway is really shameless..."

"Where did you learn the strange words, so ugly?"

After rebuking, Cui Guang said suspiciously again, "Let's go to Daqi, Bigan City, Juyan Lake and other places to fight Fang Fang. The army can barely retreat, and there is no time to rest. Li Chengzhi is going to march into Dunhuang again?"

"It is estimated that something has changed somewhere, it is a last resort!"

Wei Zijian changed the subject, "Shangshu and Chengzhi have always been close, and he treats you with every kind of courtesy, like a teacher or a friend, why don't you ask him face to face?"

"If he says he wants to go to war with the imperial court, how do you let this old man deal with himself? Will he commit suicide on the spot and die for the country with integrity, or submit to him and become a rebellious minister?"

Cui Guang rolled his eyes, "Otherwise, why don't you ask?"

Wei Zijian laughed dryly: "Although the lower official and he are the son-in-law, but Tian is the head of the Wei clan, and he has nothing to do with it. This name of 'attachment to rebellion' is absolutely unacceptable..."

Therefore, it is better to pretend to be deaf and dumb, and live in vain.

"Traitor!"

Cui Guang cursed bitterly, and walked into the courtyard gate with his sleeves flung, "Drinking today, doing Fu, or playing chess?"

Wei Zijian wasn't annoyed either, and happily followed behind him: "Of course, I'll do as you please!"

But the voice fell to the ground, and after hearing a few whistles, the two stopped at the same time and turned their heads.

He rode forward and stopped barely in front of the courtyard gate.The knight got off his horse and cupped his hands in a bow: "Cui Shangshu, Wei Shaoqing, the Duke of the State, please, please go to Guancheng to talk about it?"

Since the birth of Li Chengzhi's eldest son, I met with Guan Cheng at a banquet. This is the second time he invited him.

Is it really as Wei Zijian expected, where did the change happen, and Li Chengzhi wanted to force the two to express their views?
Do you think the old man is the kind of Yuan Zhi who lives on meddling?
Cui Guang's face darkened: "Do you know what happened?"

"The Empress Dowager and Your Majesty have sent Gu Zang Hou as an envoy to the town government office. Therefore, the Duke wants to invite Shangshu and Shaoqing to accompany you..."

The envoy sent by the imperial court must have come to appease.

But he really knows how to pick someone, so it's Li Shao?
"It's just a banquet, the old man should go to the appointment. After changing clothes and taking a shower, I will be there later!"

After driving away the commanding soldiers, Cui Guang stroked his beard again, gloating: "Last time, because of Yuan Zhi and Luo Jian, you and I were made to lose all previous efforts and became prisoners of the lower class.

But this time it was calm, and the court must have been full of sincerity. I'm afraid Li Chengzhi may not be named king, otherwise Li Shao would not be entrusted... I don't think he has anything to say? "

However, Wei Zijian frowned: "Even if we know that the imperial court is recruiting again, but Chengzhi marched into Dunhuang at such a critical moment, it can be seen that his heart is as hard as iron and hard to shake, and he will definitely not do what the Queen Mother and Your Majesty wish..."

"Why do you laugh at me?"

Cui Guang snorted coldly, "If Li Chengzhi can imprison you and me, naturally he can also imprison Li Shao. You can't favor one over the other, pick the softest persimmons, right? After the banquet later, the old man will definitely ask him: If you don't If you dare, let the old man and you go back to Luojing as soon as possible..."

To imprison Li Shaoye in the West Sea?

It may sound wrong at first, but if you think about it, it is really possible.

Cui Guang said that Li Chengzhi didn't dare, because the Li family in Jingzhou belonged to the same line as the Li family in Longxi, and he would definitely need more help in the future.So Li Chengzhi will not offend Li Shao even if he offends anyone.

But looking at it the other way around, with the current situation in Xihai, the status of the aristocratic family has plummeted, even inferior to the common people and lowly households, which shows that Li Chengzhi has deep prejudice against the aristocratic family.

By analogy, Li Chengzhi probably never thought that with the help of the Longxi Li family, he would be able to detach himself from the matter and treat everyone equally.

Taking another step back, the Li family in Longxi was often persecuted by the former emperor, and had a deep resentment towards the royal family. Li Shao could not guarantee that he would not go along with the tide, and pretended to be forced to help him, but in fact he sincerely joined Li Chengzhi.

Therefore, what Cui Guang expects is destined to be a mirror image.Maybe even without Li Chengzhi opening his mouth, Li Shao would hang on to it...

Thinking this way in his heart, Wei Zijian flattered him: "What Shang Shu said is true!"

……

The two sat opposite each other, Li Shao drank the tea slowly and methodically, and would praise him from time to time.

Li Chengzhi frowned, his face clouded with sadness.

"I thought it would be His Royal Highness Ren Chengwang, but I didn't want to be replaced by Uncle Shi?"

"Cui Shangshu and Wei Shaoqing are the lessons learned from the past. How dare the king of Rencheng repeat the same situation. If he falls again and never returns, wouldn't he laugh at the people of the world? So you should have expected it..."

Li Shao put down the teacup and sighed leisurely, "It's a pity, despite my hard work, I failed to persuade Yuan Cheng to bring Huaide and Chenghong..."

"It's nothing more than fear that I will refuse to be caressed, and wants to prevent Gao Zhao, and threatens me with my father and elder brother! So how could Yuan Cheng let go so easily?"

Li Chengzhi sighed softly, and then changed the subject, "I just don't know, where did Yuan Cheng go?"

"Professing that he wants to sit in Guanzhong and transfer grain and grass to Beidi and the six towns as soon as possible to help Yuanyi settle down the surrendered army and rebellious people... But now the five states and six towns in Beidi are at a critical time. All previous efforts will be wasted, I think what Yuan Cheng said is true..."

At first glance, it seems to be the case.

Although because of Gao Zhao, his rebel generals were caught off guard and had no choice but to surrender.

But rebels and refugees are not.

Since he dared to cook, he must have risked his life, and there was nothing to be afraid of.What they are looking for is nothing more than something to eat and a way to survive.If you can't even satisfy this point, then what's the fear of doing it again?
Therefore, we must be cautious.

But looking at it the other way around, why use Yuan Cheng?

Although Yuan Yi has lived in the central government for a long time, he has never been to the prefectures, so naturally he has little experience in helping the people.However, Xi Kangsheng, Xing Luan, and Cui Yanbo are all good ministers in the world, so they naturally know the principle of paying equal attention to kindness and power, and working together.

And it's just such a small matter as transporting food and grass, no matter which one of them is more than enough, why do you need Yuan Cheng, the chief assistant, to do everything by yourself?

Li Chengzhi always felt a little strange, and even suspected that Yuan Cheng had gone to Rouran, Tuyuhun, or Nanliang as a messenger.

Suspicious in his heart, he sighed again: "This Gao Zhao is too incompetent: According to five prefectures and six towns, there are tens of thousands of troops, millions of people, sufficient food and grass, and countless soldiers. It is time to work hard , When you are brave and diligent, but you say you will surrender?

And that's all, what puzzles me the most is: the imperial court called it appeasement, but in fact it was forcing, and it was harsh and harsh, leaving almost no way out.Why did the rebel generals below the Gao family agree so willingly and agreed to everything?
It's ridiculous to think about it: in the past, at least he was a real noble, and he was not a big official in the frontier, but a general who led the army.But now he has been reduced to a bird in a cage, a person who eats and waits to die.And if there is a slight mistake, he will be questioned by the imperial court, and the account will be settled after the fall.That being the case, why bother to follow Gao Zhao in the first place? "

Li Shao paused with the hand holding the teacup, and asked with staring eyes: "Are you asking knowingly, or do you really not know?"

"Uncle Shi's question is strange. My nephew lives in the West Sea, and my eyes and ears are closed. Where can I find out?"

"Everything started because of you, what does it have to do with you living in the West Sea?"

Li Shao let out a "sigh", as if savoring the fragrance of tea, and clicked his mouth a few times.Then he put down the teacup and looked at Li Chengzhi with burning eyes:
"You know, Gao Zhi and Changsun Dao's 15 troops fought hard for half a year, but Luo Jian was not able to distinguish the superiority. In the end, Gao Zhao had a whim and forced Luo Jian to advance westward...

But you are lucky, with just over [-] troops, you will defeat Luo Jian's nearly [-] troops within ten days.Moreover, Daqi and Bigan City are close to Woye, and in just a few days, countless soldiers under Luo Jian's command fled to Six Towns.In less than half a month, the reputation of Xihai Artillery spread throughout the six towns, and even in the five states...

As soon as the artillery fires, wherever the gravel and iron filings pass, there are almost no people, horses or grass left.And with just a dozen cannonballs, the huge mountain can be razed to the ground.And no matter how strong the city is, how can it stand shoulder to shoulder with the mountains?
In this way, how can Gao Zhao not be panicked like a frightened bird?And what would Gao Zhi, Changsun Dao and others who had confronted Luo Jian for half a year and hadn't made an inch of merit think about it?He also knows that you have vowed to be at odds with him, and there is no room for change, that's why you fell so quickly... So it's not because Gao Zhao and his rebel generals are incompetent, but because you, Li Chengzhi, are too strong... It is precisely because Gao Zhao has self-knowledge that he can make a decisive decision and cut off his tail to survive..."

After a short pause, Li Shao sighed again: "Thinking about it now, the Empress Dowager and Your Majesty should have heard the news. If they were relocated, even Gao Zhao surrendered because of you, not because he was invincible to the court, let alone deterred. The power of the imperial court shows the strength of the West Sea? Even so, Yuan Cheng knows that you hate him for gnashing your teeth, and there is no guarantee that your life will be in danger in the future, so why would you throw yourself into the trap?"

"It's hard to guarantee that it won't be the court's plan to slow down the army, and it's more likely that it's because of being famous for the teacher, so that the ceremony will be followed by the soldiers?"

A gleam flashed in Li Chengzhi's eyes: "I just don't know, where did the court soldiers come from?"

"There are soldiers: Xi Kangsheng now has [-] soldiers under his command, and the Gao family has surrendered. Among the troops surrendered to Beizhen and Wuzhou, there are at least another [-] strong soldiers. But Luo Jian and Yuan Yu are the lessons from the past. , the Empress Dowager and the princes should also be clear now: If you only rely on a large number of soldiers to try to calm you down, it is a bit taken for granted..."

Li Shao frowned, "That's why I thought: the imperial court's conferment this time is not necessarily a tactic to slow down the army, but out of helplessness and has to do so!"

"If that's the case, wouldn't it be raising tigers to cause trouble? No matter how ignorant the mother is, no matter how short-sighted Yuan Cheng and the others are, they will definitely not make such a bad plan..."

Li Chengzhi murmured, "The past is still vivid in my mind. The Empress Dowager, Yuan Cheng and others are used to cheating, and they like to kill donkeys the most. Therefore, my nephew still has self-knowledge: trusting anyone is better than trusting yourself. Yes No matter how generous this reward is, I will not accept it."

"It's such a pity!"

Li Shao clicked on the imperial decree beside the table, "Conferred the title of king of Liang, separated Liangzhou, and everything to the west of Jincheng is Liangtu...Since General Wei, who has this honor?"

(End of this chapter)