The third emperor of the Sui Dynasty

Chapter 614 Arriving in Xiangyang
It was already the eighth day of the first lunar month when the Sui envoy headed by Fang Xuanling arrived in Xiangyang. The entire envoy consisted of 210 people. In addition to him, the official envoy, there were also Du Ruhui, Minister of Rites, and Cen Wenben and seven people who had heard about it when they entered the court. Engaged, the remaining [-] cavalry are all soldiers of the Xuanjia Army.The people drove all the way from Luoyang in five carriages. They hardly rested on the way. Although they were a little tired, they arrived at their destination with joyful smiles on their faces.

Fang Xuanling was Minister of the Ministry of Officials, his position in the Sui Dynasty was second to that of the chief officials of the three provinces, and his status was high, so Li Tang could not be neglected, so Li Yuan asked Xiangguo Xiao Yu to meet Fang Xuanling and his party outside Xiangyang City.

The carriage of the Great Sui Mission stopped at the city gate, Fang Xuanling saw Xiao Yu from a long distance in the carriage, and got off the carriage.Xiao Yu stepped forward to meet him, cupped his hands and said: "Master Fang, I haven't seen you for many years, and your demeanor is even better than before."

Xiao Yu had been to Da Sui several times before. The department of Da Sui was not as complete as it is now. The object of negotiation on behalf of Da Sui was always Fang Xuanling, Minister of the Ministry of Officials. Don't be fooled by him.

"Xiao Shijun is in good health, congratulations."

"Where, I'm old. Look, my hair is all white."

"That's because Xiao Shijun has worked too much." Fang Xuanling smiled knowingly.Xiao Yu is much older than before, and he no longer has the temperament of "Xiao Lang" at the beginning. It is estimated that he was forced to be like this by Li Tang's unfavorable situation. Even if the country is like this, he does not know that Li Yuan, who is the king of a country, is haggard. What did it look like.

The two chatted about the past for a while, Du Ruhui stepped forward to salute, Xiao Yu returned the salute with a smile: "We are old friends, Keming, you are welcome, everyone, please follow me into the city!"

"Xiao Shijun, please!"

The two teams of Yuan Cong's forbidden army cleared the way in front, Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and Cen Wenwen rode slowly on horseback. Xiangyang used to be Xiao Mian's territory. After being taken away by Li Xiaogong, Cen Wenwen followed Xiao Mian to Jiangling. Many years later When I came back, I felt a sense of a world away, especially after Xiangyang became Li Tang’s imperial capital, it was expanded and repaired. Xiangyang is terribly deserted, with no New Year flavor at all. In the snow, it feels very desolate.

"Du Shijun came to Xiangyang this time, do you want to go back to the family to have a look?" Xiao Yu asked Du Ruhui with a smile.

"There are still dozens of envoys in Luoyang. I, the minister of the Ministry of Rites, am too busy to touch the ground. Let's talk about it next time." Du Ruhui is a younger brother of the Du family in Guanzhong. He had deep conflicts with the family back then. Since the death of his grandfather and father, he He and his younger brother Du Chuke were poor and had a difficult life. Because the two brothers were talented people, they were rejected by the direct descendants. join.After he received a letter from Fang Xuanling, he moved his family to Yecheng.After so many years, he has very little affection for his family. For him, there is no such thing as returning to his hometown, and he has no plans to return to his family.Besides, Du's ancestral grave is in Guanzhong, and there is no need to meet those clansmen in Xiangyang. With his current status and the strength of the Sui Dynasty, once he visits, those people will not be able to offer him up.

"That's right!" Fang Xuanling smiled and said, "We can only stay for three days at most this time, we really can't stay for long!"

Xiao Yu's heart sank, what could be discussed in just three days?He tried to ask: "Mr. Fang Shi came to Xiangyang this time, what do you plan to talk about?"

Fang Xuanling smiled lightly and said, "There are a lot of things to talk about this time. Last year, both the Sui and Tang Dynasties experienced more than ten wars. Both dynasties have to restore people's livelihood. Let the common people rest for a few years!"

Xiao Yu thought in his heart that he would be a ghost if he believed in you. If he really recuperated, why did you expand your army?But he said: "Yes! Years of war, the people of the world are almost too much to bear. It is the benevolence of Emperor Shengwu to stop and cultivate for a few years."

Xiao Yu couldn't find anything, so he didn't say more.

Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and Cen Wenwen were looking at Xiangyang. He found that although the main street was as wide as Luoyang Paradise Street, there were few pedestrians on the street. Occasionally, when he saw a few people, they all walked in a hurry. Almost everyone looked down. He lowered his head and looked at this Tang army with a panicked expression. The next moment, he ran away.As if seeing a wolf, with vigilance or panic in his eyes, he seemed relieved to see that Tang Jun did not catch up.

Fang Xuanling understood. It seems that Han Zhi's information is not exaggerated at all. The people of Xiangyang were really frightened by Li Yuanji's Wu Chuansi. The whole huge city became like a turf, causing the people to be afraid when they saw the army. .The army was originally a sharp blade and strong shield to defend the country, but now it has become a wolf that the people fear and fear. How can this get the support of the people?Looking back at the Great Sui Dynasty, as long as the people applauded and cheered wherever the army passed, this is called the unity of the army and the people.

At this time, the three of them saw a group of soldiers in black armor and white robes passing by the side of the road, each with their jaws raised, with a supercilious attitude, and they didn't even look at the mission. He lowered himself, and bowed to salute, his posture was as if he wanted to throw himself on the ground, as if he saw the emperor.

Fang Xuanling couldn't help sneering, Xiao Yu's line of sight was blocked, and he didn't see Wu Chuanzu, he asked with a puzzled smile, "What is Mr. Fang laughing at?"

"Under the same sky, the treatment of Xiangguo in the Tang Dynasty is very different from that of us in the Sui Dynasty. I am very moved."

"What do you mean by Fang Shijun's words?"

"In Luoyang, if I take Xiao Shijun to walk in Tianjie like this, no matter whether it is an old man or a three-year-old child, they will all salute us. No one will pay attention to the soldiers patrolling the city, but Xiangyang is the opposite of Luoyang. It shows that the Tang Dynasty was very Pay attention to the army, their status is much higher than that of the prime minister."

It was only then that Xiao Yu noticed those Wu Chuan soldiers, his face was burning hot, a little ashamed, no one paid attention to him, but was busy saluting Wu Chuan soldiers, of course Xiao Yu knew that it was not because the people supported the army to such an extent, but It's because Wu Chuan's soldiers are too fierce, and the people dare not offend these people. If Yu Jia replaces him and his party now, the people will probably ignore it. '

Xiao Yu let out a long sigh, but he couldn't utter a word. The facts were in front of his eyes, and everyone knew it. If it was said that the emperors and ministers of the Sui Dynasty did not know the evil deeds of Wu Chuanzu, he would absolutely not believe it.

Fang Xuanling frowned deeply, and said earnestly: "It stands to reason that I shouldn't make random comments on the state affairs of the Tang Dynasty, but the Sui and Tang dynasties were disputes of fate, and there was no hatred in themselves, and the people were all victims. Whether it is for the Sui Dynasty or the Tang Dynasty, the people of Xiangyang are always the same people, out of concern for the people of the same family, I still want to say that justice is at ease.”

Of course Xiao Yu understood the meaning of this sentence, but he was speechless, so he could only say insincerely: "Mr. Fang cares about the feelings of the people of the same clan, and I deeply admire it."

The group stopped talking, and soon arrived at the post house arranged by Li Tangli.When they arrived inside, Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui looked at each other and laughed. The rows of residential buildings were magnificently built, but during the New Year, no one was seen. On the other hand, the embassy area of ​​the Sui Dynasty was full of people coming and going every day. Hu merchants praying for the Ministry of Rites to meet, there will be a long queue every day. The Ministry of Rites can judge the life and death of various Hu merchants with a single word, and it is a real department with real power.But when it came to Li Tang's Xiangyang, the Ministry of Rites was just a decoration.

Xiao Yu understood what the two of them meant, his old face was hot and hot, Li and Tang ceremonies are generally so poor, to put it bluntly, the place where they greet foreign envoys is basically a place to raise idlers, and those who are assigned to the rites department, It means they are far away from the center.

"Your envoys, you have arrived." Xiao Yu led the people to a spacious courtyard, and said to them: "Please take a short rest, let me go and report to the Holy Majesty."

"Xiao Shijun, please go ahead, by the way, can we go out for a stroll?"

"OK!"

"Here is a letter from Concubine Li's family and some gifts. Please bring Mr. Xiao into the palace." Fang Xuanling asked someone to bring a three-foot-square, exquisitely carved red sandalwood box, and handed it to Xiao. Yu.

Xiao Yu was picked up by someone, and after talking for a few more words, he hurried to the palace. When he arrived at the palace gate, he carried the wooden box and entered the palace to meet the emperor Li Yuan. This missionary festival came very suddenly. When they received the news, the missionary mission by water had already passed from the Xishui River to the Hanshui River in the Xiangyang area. The Li Tang court was not mentally prepared.

In the imperial study room, Xiao Yu reported to Li Yuan the process of welcoming Fang Xuanling, and finally said apologetically: "Fang Xuanling just said that both parties need to recuperate, but he refused to reveal the real intention of coming, probably because he wanted to have a formal meeting."

Li Yuan frowned, "Without any preparation or content, what are the two sides going to talk about? He said we will listen, and he said I will accept? I cannot accept this way."

Liu Wenjing said: "The other party's attitude is indeed unacceptable. If we talk like this, we have no advantage at all. We can follow the other party's rhythm, but I can guess a little clue from their sudden arrival."

Li Yuan quickly asked: "Can Liu Xiang guess the smuggling?"

"Your Majesty, the truce is not always a matter of a paper agreement, but the willingness of both parties to start a war. In fact, Yang Tong controls the absolute initiative on the battlefield. From the perspective of the national strength and situation of both parties, we have to go to them to ask for a truce, and It’s not the strong Yang Tong. Yang Tong doesn’t need to have a truce with us now. It’s not harmful to him if there is no truce agreement, because in this case, he won’t have the reputation of tearing up the covenant when he sends troops. And our Tang Dynasty is at its weakest moment. We need a lot of time to prepare. This is the best time for Yang Tong to send troops. If it were us, we would not miss this precious time. In addition, Fang Xuanling only has three days, and these three days are not even enough to prepare, let alone Let's talk about the specific negotiations. Therefore, I boldly speculate that Fang Xuanling didn't negotiate an armistice with us at all."

"That's right!" Li Yuan nodded, and asked again: "Then why did Yang Tong ask Fang Xuanling to go on an envoy? To demonstrate to me or to Xingshi to question?"

Liu Wenjing smiled wryly and said: "The other party's intention is unknown and it came too suddenly, so it's hard for me to guess, but if we really talk about an armistice and write a contract, I think it's the meaning of paralyzing our army. If we really believe it , he'll catch us off guard, it's a tactical deception."

"It makes sense." Li Yuan fully agrees with Liu Wenjing's explanation. Yang Tong has done this kind of thing before. After the Battle of Bingzhou, the Tang Dynasty compensated a large amount of money and food, and the Sui and Tang Dynasties signed a one-year truce. Unexpectedly In less than half a year, Yang Tong launched the Guanzhong Campaign in the name of Li Tang's attack on Xue Ju. Li Yuan, who had suffered a lot, believed that the armistice agreement was a ghost.

Xiao Yu thought for a while and said: "My lord, I will visit again later, let him explain clearly the purpose of coming, we must not accept Fang Xuanling's visit in a daze, otherwise, let's not talk about it."

Xiao Yu knows Li Yuan's character very well. Although he expresses his dissatisfaction now, if the Sui and Tang Dynasties are in a stalemate because of this trivial matter, Li Yuan will never forgive himself. It is best to work harder to find out the real intention of the other party. , and then make corresponding arrangements.

Li Yuan nodded and said, "If that's the case, Xiao Xiangguo will have to make an extra trip. Be sure to find out their details."

"Here!" Xiao Yu responded, cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, Princess Pingyang asked Fang Xuanling to bring a big gift box, which she said was a New Year's gift for you, and there was a letter from home inside."

"Where's the gift box?" Li Yuan's heart skipped a beat.

Xiao Yu replied, "I handed it over to the imperial guards for safekeeping."

"Have someone bring the princess' gift." Li Yuan ordered the eunuch.

"Here!" The old eunuch hurried away.

At dusk, Xiao Yu's carriage came to the Ribu post house again, but he was dumbfounded by the scene. Dozens of gorgeous carriages were parked outside the post house, and the roadside was full of servants and guards who came with the carriages.

Xiao Yu was stunned. Who were these people who visited the envoys of the Sui Dynasty so boldly? He didn't rush in, but asked around to inquire. After a while, the entourage came back in a hurry and reported in a low voice: " I would like to report to Patriarch that twenty Patriarchs from Guan Long came to visit Fang Xuanling."

"Who are they?" Xiao Yu's expression became serious.

"Go home!" the guard said in a low voice, "I found out that it is the old Patriarch of Dugu, the Patriarch of the Yuan Clan, the Patriarch of the Doulu Clan, the Patriarch of the Zhao Clan, and the Patriarch of the Helan Clan. Some people belong to the Patriarch of the Dou faction, and it is said that they have been here for more than an hour."

There was a loud bang in Xiao Yu's mind, and he finally realized the seriousness of the problem.

So many heads of the Guanlong family openly visited the envoys of the Sui Dynasty. If the news spread, it would cause great turmoil in the Tang Dynasty. You must know that the Guanlong nobles were the basic force supporting Li Yuan's founding of the Tang Dynasty. All shaken, who else in the Tang Dynasty has confidence and loyalty to the court?

This was a fatal political trend for the Li and Tang Dynasty.

(End of this chapter)