Northern Dynasties

Chapter 1314: Tang's Great Power

A large ship slowly docked at the pier north of Fuzhou Mountain. A team of armored soldiers surrounded a middle-aged man in fashionable clothes and holding a cane and slowly walked off the ship.

Chen Chang, the Lord of the Chen clan, had been waiting at Fuzhou Mountain for quite some time. When he saw the target person appear, his originally anxious expression turned into calmness. He was about to stand up and walk out from under the curtain to greet him, but after taking two steps he stopped again and stood there with a pretended calm attitude, waiting for the other person to walk towards him.

The middle-aged man who got off the ship was the governor of Southern Xuzhou and the governor of Jingkou Town, Xu Du. He saw the emperor coming out of the stage and then retreating. He couldn't help but sigh in his heart, thinking that the father was a tiger and the son was a dog, and the country's destiny might not live up to its name.

There are certainly many reasons why the Southern Chen Dynasty is weak today, but Chen Chang, as the king, has done nothing good since he ascended the throne, which is undoubtedly to blame and is one of the main reasons.

It should be noted that when the first lord Chen Baxian founded the country, it was also very difficult, and the situation was a hundred times more dangerous than it is today, but he still led a group of loyal and brave subordinates to rebuild the destiny of the Southern Dynasty. Today, Chen Chang has no clear mind and clever means in dealing with people, not to mention how much he has caught up with his father's amazing performance in state affairs.

For example, Xu Du came to the court as a military governor, and Chen Chang, as the king, did not need to come to greet him in person according to etiquette. Since he came, he naturally wanted to show his respect and closeness to Xu Du, but after Xu Du landed, he was reluctant to greet him and acted arrogantly.

He had walked tens of thousands of steps from Taicheng to here, but in the end, he was stingy with just a few steps and all his efforts were wasted. Not only did Xu Du not feel the pleasure of being treated with courtesy, but he saw directly that the emperor was indeed resentful of him.

"If the King of Linchuan were in power, would the situation improve?"

Xu Du looked up at the majestic imperial procession on Fuzhou Mountain, and such a thought suddenly flashed through his mind, and then he sighed inwardly.

Although the talent and style of the King of Linchuan were not as good as those of the First Lord, at least he showed his ability in times of crisis and withstood the test. The only pity was that he was not the blood descendant of the First Lord. The current emperor had the strong support of the Tang Kingdom and the legacy of the First Lord. Although his talent was not as good as that of the First Lord, he still sat firmly in this position.

Xu Du's visit to the court this time had little to do with Chen Chang's previous attempts to win over and show goodwill. The main reason was that he had heard that the Tang Kingdom was going to once again pour a large amount of manpower and material resources into the south to interfere in the local situation, so he wanted to visit the court to find out the real intentions of the Tang Kingdom this time.

After all, Jingkou where he was stationed was only separated from Huainan by a river. If the Tang Dynasty was going to increase its interference in the south after unifying the north, he would inevitably be the first to be affected. The court was quite friendly to him at the moment and wanted to win him over to check and balance the King of Linchuan, so he took this opportunity to see which direction the wind was blowing.

When they were still more than ten feet away from the emperor's tent, Xu Du threw away his cane, limped forward and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I, Xu Du, pay my respects to you! I was suffering from rheumatism and foot pain before, so I couldn't come to the court to pay my respects. Now that my health has improved, I will come to the court. I hope your Majesty will forgive me, an old and sick minister!"

Chen Chang was indeed dissatisfied with Xu Du's previous evasive attitude, but now he had to come to the court because the court was forced to rely on the power of the Tang Dynasty. He felt both happy and a little resentful. As the ruler of a country, he actually needed to rely on the power of a foreign country to control his subjects. This undoubtedly made him lose face.

However, seeing that Xu Du was ill but still trying to maintain a humble and submissive attitude, Chen Chang felt very satisfied. It seemed that these founding fathers and powerful officials were not completely fearless of him as their lord. Some misunderstandings and conflicts in the past were often caused by insufficient communication.

"Mr. Xu, there is no need to be so polite! Now all important military and political responsibilities in Southern Xu are entrusted to you. I am here to ask for your advice on how to govern the country. For the sake of the country and me, Mr. Xu, please take good care of yourself!"

After the resentment in his heart dissipated a little, Chen Chang's attitude became friendly and easy-going. He took a step forward, leaned over to help Xu Du, who was still kneeling on the ground, and raised his hand to signal the attendant holding a dust whisk behind him to come forward and brush the dust off his robe. He then asked the staff to bring a sedan chair, and the emperor and his ministers returned to Taicheng one after another, talking happily.

The atmosphere in Taicheng today seems to be more lively and bustling than in the past, not only because of Xu Du's entry into the court, but also because the court has begun to prepare to send troops to quell the rebellion in Nanchuan Lingbiao.

The arrival of the Tang envoy swept away the haze that had previously shrouded Jiankang, and made the minds of the current people in the capital become active.

Although the previous situation of internal and external troubles was aggravated by the Nanchuan Rebellion, the source can actually be traced back to the unification of the north and the establishment of the Tang Dynasty. According to the long-standing tradition of confrontation between the north and the south, once the north ended the turmoil and restored unity, it would definitely not be a good thing for the Southern Dynasty.

Although the Southern Chen Dynasty now has various close ties with the Tang Dynasty, the mentality of confrontation between the north and the south is still deeply rooted. Whether they are pro-Tang faction or local faction that is hostile to the north, they all have a deep worry in their hearts: after the Tang Dynasty completes the unification and personnel integration of the north, will it cross the river and invade Jiangdong in a large scale?

Chen Chang himself had such doubts. When facing Chen Qian who was getting more and more aggressive, he still had to tolerate him. He was worried that if there was civil unrest in the country, he might be stabbed in the back by the Tang Dynasty. Although he was closer to the Tang Dynasty, it was also out of the need to maintain his own stability. Dividing the country by the river was undoubtedly the most advantageous situation for him.

The arrival of the Tang envoys first expressed the Tang's willingness to send troops to quell the unrest in Nanchuan Lingbiao, which greatly relieved the Jiankang court, which was originally troubled by this. No matter how this unrest was quelled, it would undoubtedly deter other local military forces within the Southern Chen, so that they would not dare to cause chaos at will.

Secondly, and most importantly, the Tang Dynasty stated that it could return the Nanchuan prefecture that it had previously occupied after the war. This was undoubtedly a huge surprise to the rulers and ministers of Jiankang. Its significance far exceeded the suppression of rebellious forces such as Wang Lin and Chunyu Liang, and would even have a fundamental impact on the political landscape of Southern Chen!

The Southern Dynasties had a political structure based on geographical factors, called the Jingyang confrontation, which was a stalemate or even confrontation between the Jingxiang region in the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River and the Yangzhou Three Wu region in the lower reaches. From the Wang Dun Rebellion in the early Eastern Jin Dynasty, the Huan Chu Rebellion in the late Eastern Jin Dynasty, to the succession of power in subsequent dynasties, most of the far-reaching political events had such a context behind them.

However, such political tradition ceased to exist during the Southern Chen Dynasty, because the Southern Chen Dynasty did not have control over the upstream Jingxiang at all, so there was naturally no question of any confrontation between Jing and Yang.

As the ruler of Southern Chen, Chen Chang had a considerable disadvantage, which was that he had no local forces deeply rooted in Jiangdong to support him, so that his authority only covered the Jinnei area. If he really encountered any troubles and challenges, his power to dispatch internal personnel resources was very limited, so that the most effective means for a ruler of a country was to recruit people from abroad. However, if he could take back the Nanchuan area of ​​Jiangzhou this time, even if he could not restore the situation of confrontation between Jing and Yang formed by the previous dynasties, he could establish a miniature version of the balance of power, which would greatly expand the space for Chen Chang to exercise his power.

At the same time, this incident also sent a comforting and reassuring signal to the rulers and ministers of the Southern Chen Dynasty, that is, the Tang Dynasty had no intention of invading the south in the near future. Because if they really wanted to annex and destroy the Southern Dynasty, they should strengthen their control over the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and take advantage of the opportunity to quell the Nanchuan rebellion to expand their power, rather than handing over the Nanchuan prefecture.

Because of the series of logical considerations behind this, the rulers and ministers in Jiankang City are very optimistic. At the welcome banquet for Xu Du, Chen Chang even raised his cup and said to Xu Du with a smile: "When the Tang Kingdom returns Nanchuan, will you be willing to go there for the country and wipe out the remaining bandits?"

After hearing this, Xu Du stood up and said, "I am now honored to be appointed to Jingkou, and I rely on the prestige of the former lord. Nanchuan has just been recovered, and the people are still in a state of discontent. With this injured body, I am afraid it will be difficult for me to show the majesty of the court. Although I am willing to take on the difficult task and defend the border for the country, I have more ambition than ability..."

Hearing Xu Du's slightly anxious and reluctant look, Chen Chang couldn't help laughing again. He drank the wine in the glass in one gulp, and his heart was filled with heroic spirit.

Everyone has his own considerations and opinions on the current situation, and Chen Chang certainly has his own. He naturally does not believe that the Tang emperor will blindly support and favor him, and his actions are of course based on his own interests. Now in the Southern Dynasty, the most unfavorable thing for the Tang Dynasty is for people like Chen Qian to take power.

Today, Chen Qian lives deep in Wuzhong, connecting the Three Wus and connecting to Zhejiang and Fujian. He has become a stubborn problem in the country. Not only does he lack awe for Chen Chang, the king, but he is also deeply hostile to the Tang Dynasty.

For example, the previous collusion with the remnants of the Northern Qi Dynasty must have greatly angered the Tang Emperor, but because Chen Qian was hiding in Wuzhong, it was difficult to punish him. Therefore, he could only increase support for the Southern Dynasty forces and loosen up the Jiankang court to a certain extent, so that the court could more effectively strike and suppress Chen Qian.

The return of Nanchuan Prefecture was probably an attempt to increase the power of the Jiankang court. In addition to Chen Qian's behavior angering the Tang emperor, Chen Chang's humble attitude over the years made the Tang emperor trust him more, which led to this concession.

Although Nanchuan has not yet been acquired, Chen Chang has already regarded it as his core base and an important bargaining chip to check and balance Chen Qian and restore the balance of the situation in the country. Naturally, he would not easily hand it over to someone he cannot trust.

When people are too obsessed with their own gains and losses, they often ignore more comprehensive information. Chen Chang only noticed how the Tang Kingdom's return of Nanchuan would change the situation in the country. The officials in Jiankang were happy that the Tang Kingdom had no intention of invading the south. When Xu Du heard the Tang Kingdom's request to move its Yangzhou General Administration Office to Guangling, he immediately frowned.

Before, when Chen Qian tried to take charge of the government, Xu Du once got involved in Guangling with Chen Qian's authorization, and temporarily formed a complete form of the Northern Palace. However, soon as Nankang King Chen Tanlang returned to Jiangbei from Guanzhong and raised the slogan of supporting the king, Chen Qian was forced to withdraw from Jiankang, and Xu Du also wisely gave up Guangling.

Guangling's importance in Jiangbei is beyond doubt, and it is reasonable to let Chen Tanlang, a member of the royal family, take charge. However, the Tang Dynasty now uses the excuse of suppressing the Nanchuan rebellion to request the transfer of Chen Tanlang and replace him with a general from Huainan. The intention of swallowing up Huainan and exerting pressure along the river is obvious. In this way, Xu Du, who is stationed in Jingkou, will be directly under pressure from the Tang army on the other side of the river.

Although northerners are not good at water battles, that is a stereotype from the past. After the Hou Jing Rebellion, a large number of people from the Southern Dynasty stayed in Jiangbei, and many soldiers from the former Southern Liang Jingxiang and other places were incorporated into the Tang army's battle sequence. In addition, the Southern Chen Dynasty had previously invested a large number of personnel resources in Jiangbei. Did these personnel and materials return to Jiangdong with Chen Tanlang, or stay in Jiangbei?

Not to mention that Wu Mingche, who was stationed in Qin County, had an ambiguous stance and attitude. The so-called natural barrier of the river was not a formidable obstacle for the Tang army today.

Xu Du wanted to remind the emperor not to be too optimistic about this transaction. Even if the Tang Kingdom was willing to fulfill the agreement and return all the prefectures and counties in Nanchuan, these places had been out of the court's rule for a long time, and it would not be a short-term task to reunite them. Investing too many human resources in their management would make Jiankang even weaker.

As for Guangling, it is in danger. Once the Tang army chooses to launch an attack from there, the harm it brings will undoubtedly be greater. Moreover, the current ruler does not seem to have the ability to lead the people to win another great victory at Zhongshan like the previous ruler.

The court did not fully understand the obvious dangers of this, or avoided talking about it. Xu Du came to the court as Fang Mu, and did not dare to speak too freely. He did not say much about it at the banquet prepared for him by the court. After the banquet, he invited several old acquaintances such as Zhao Zhili and Cai Jingli to return to his palace to discuss matters.

"Now the Tang State is asking the court to recall the King of Nankang to the country and use the military power of Nanchuan instead, and let Guangling be handed over. Don't you see the harm in this? Why don't you report it directly to the court?"

After everyone sat down, Xu Du looked at them and said with a frown.

Zhao Zhili sighed after hearing this and said, "Tang is a powerful country, and it is used to changing its mind from morning till night. The officials in the court only see the benefits of serving the greater good and ignore the harm of surrendering. Even if there are wise men who make suggestions, they will be attacked by the crowd. Lord Xu has lived in a remote town for a long time, and he doesn't know how dangerous the court is now. The court may be acting like this to intimidate Lord Xu! The distinction between the enemy and ourselves inside and outside has long been blurred!"

"Xu is stationed in Jingkou and is deeply trusted by the country. You can remove my post with just one edict. Why do you have to use such a sinister plan and scare me with external force? If the Lord really has such intentions, how can he control the talents of the world to ensure the safety of the country?"

Xu Du frowned again after hearing this. He had such doubts before. Now that Zhao Zhili had pointed them out, he still felt a little uncomfortable. He sighed and said, "I live in a chaotic world. I can only hope to survive with my skills. Fortunately, I met the first lord, so I have the ambition to bring peace to the world. Now that I have not done half of my work, the first lord has passed away and abandoned us. The successor is in power. If he meets the right person, he will use him. If he does not meet the right person, he will hide himself. Why do you hide so much and try to figure out right and wrong!"

What he said was more or less shameless. If these people really knew when to advance and when to retreat, they would not have fanned the flames when Chen Qian tried to take control of the government and imprisoned Chen Chang. But now that their own situation is threatened, they begin to act sanctimonious and lament that others are ignorant of the overall situation.

Xu Du and others were still discussing it privately, but the reaction of Linchuan King Chen Qian, who had already been clearly against the court, was much more intense. Shortly after the Tang envoy arrived in Jiankang, Chen Qian had already learned about the relevant matters through the court's informants, and then quickly sent his confidant, Wukang Ling Zhang Zhaoda, to the court to express his dissatisfaction and protest.