Northern Dynasties

Chapter 1324: Golden Stage

Xu Du listened quietly to Cai Jingli's story without saying a word, his expression changing from moody to cheerful.

He originally thought that Cai Jingli wanted to persuade him to take advantage of Jingkou's strategic location and the internal strife in the country to follow the example of his predecessors in going against the tide and establishing hegemony. However, he did not expect that the other party was persuading him to surrender to the Tang Dynasty. He felt extremely complicated for a moment.

To be honest, when he misunderstood Cai Jingli's meaning at the beginning, although he appeared to be furious and rebuked the other party, his heartbeat actually quickened inside because he had similar thoughts before.

It's not because he is born rebellious, disloyal or unjust, but the current situation in the country is so chaotic that anyone in his position would inevitably have such thoughts.

Anyone with a little experience and insight can see that the current Southern Chen court is just a puppet. Without the support of the Tang Kingdom behind it, it would fall apart in an instant.

As for the king, Chen Chang, when he first returned to the country and even before he ascended the throne, the people in the country still had some expectations for him because he was the legitimate son of the previous king. However, after Chen Chang officially ascended the throne and personally handled state affairs, his true colors gradually emerged. For the people of Southern Chen, almost every day was a process of disenchantment with him.

  By now, Chen Chang's shortcomings of being ambitious but incompetent, frivolous and narrow-minded have been fully exposed. He has no idea when encountering problems and is used to seeking help from external forces. It is precisely because of this that the Tang State has been able to strengthen its infiltration and influence on Jiangdong. It can be said that every time the Tang State takes a step forward in its interaction with the Southern Chen, it reflects Chen Chang's incompetence!

How could such a ruler be supported wholeheartedly? Perhaps his character flaws were due to the fact that he was separated from his father at a young age and lacked the opportunity to be influenced by his father and receive his teachings. However, the current situation does not allow him to receive education and improve himself calmly!

His talent is not worthy of the position, and he stays in that position reluctantly. Facing the challenges that constantly emerge from both inside and outside, he may be defeated at any time. At that time, regardless of what his fate will be, his country will inevitably pay a heavy price for his incompetence.

As for Linchuan King Chen Qian, although he once had high hopes for him, his glory faded as he withdrew from the center of power due to internal and external pressures. In addition, Chen Qian had three major disadvantages, which made it difficult for him to become the candidate for revitalizing the country.

First of all, he was not the descendant of the first emperor, Chen Baxian, which made it difficult for him to replace Chen Chang in legal terms. When he argued with the court and the king, he had to bear ethical and moral accusations. No matter how bright and noble his goals were, it could not change the fact that he was a restless bastard of the clan.

If he was the descendant of the previous emperor, even if he was not the direct descendant, he could have been a better choice to replace Chen Chang and gain the support and support of the people. Or, before Chen Chang returned to the country, he had already established his power in the country. However, neither of these two possibilities occurred to Chen Qian.

Secondly, Chen Qian had no direct lineage of his own. One of the most important reasons why the previous lord Chen Baxian dared to attack Wang Sengbian from Jingkou and thus establish his hegemony was that since the rebellion in Lingnan was quelled, Chen Baxian had already built up a loyal and brave team.

  At present, Chen Qian seems to have a great influence in the Three Wus, but the Three Wus have different intentions, and few dare to work with Chen Qian to make great plans and live and die together. As a result, although Chen Qian launched a scramble for Wu County, he ended up retreating because he was worried about the unstable sentiment in Wuxing. Under such circumstances, how can he expect to accomplish great things?

The third and most important point is that with the current infiltration and influence of the Tang Kingdom on Jiangdong, Chen Qian will not be given the opportunity to develop and grow himself. At present, he seems to be happy, but in the eyes of the Tang Emperor, he is probably not very threatening. If he really does something that makes the Tang Kingdom feel actually threatened, the Tang Kingdom will definitely increase its interference in the situation in Jiangdong, and even send troops to the south in person!

In Xu Du's opinion, it can be said that neither Chen Chang in the court nor Chen Qian in the opposition had the ability or the opportunity to fully inherit the legacy of the former lord and successfully pass on the Jiangdong foundation.

Although Xu Du was deeply impressed by the first lord, it did not mean that he did not have his own thoughts. He was certainly not as unruly and ambitious as Hou Jing of the Northern Dynasty, but when the successor of the Southern Dynasty obviously did not have the means and courage to control the heroes, his consideration of his own power and interests naturally exceeded his consideration of the future of the country.

If possible, Xu Du would certainly still hope to establish his own regime and maintain his power and wealth. However, the world was changing rapidly, and how to keep his own fortune unchanged in the midst of such changes was what really troubled Xu Du.

The most intense conflict in the country right now is naturally the confrontation between the cousins ​​Chen Chang and Chen Qian. If Xu Du wants to avoid being implicated, the best way is to stay out of it and not help either side.

However, this would be equivalent to resisting the imperial court's orders, forming a separatist regime, and in disguise helping Chen Qian, which would inevitably lead to hostility from the imperial court. According to the style of the king Chen Chang, he would probably also harbor resentment towards Xu Du, and even launch a direct attack. As for this so-called attack, it is most likely to be carried out by the Tang army, just like Wang Lin in Nanchuan, or Chen Qian who previously controlled the government.

Xu Du was afraid of the Tang Kingdom behind the imperial court, so although he had the intention to secede and establish his own regime, he was still afraid to act, fearing that he would become the first target of attack if he acted too aggressively. The quick resolution of the Nanchuan incident doubled his fear.

At this time Cai Jingli suggested that he could surrender Jingkou and surrender to the Tang Dynasty. This suggestion was like a bolt from the blue to him. Regardless of whether he agreed or not, it really opened up his vision and thinking in an instant, so that his thoughts were no longer limited to Jiangdong.

However, this sudden opening of the landscape did not make him feel open-minded or refreshed, but instead made him suddenly frightened, just like snakes and insects that were used to living in a damp and cramped environment, after leaving the cave, suddenly saw the vastness of the world and subconsciously wanted to escape back into the cave.

"Who is instructing Cai? The Yangtze River is a gift from heaven, which allows the people of Jiangdong to survive and avoid being enslaved and abused by the northern barbarians. You have already betrayed morality in your previous words, and now you are asking me to level the natural barrier and surrender to the enemy. What is your intention?"

After a long while, Xu Du suddenly pushed the table aside, drew the sword from his waist, jumped directly into the seat, and swung the sword to chop at the table in front of Cai Jingli, shouting angrily: "Although Xu Du is not talented, he is a brave man from Jiangdong. If he wanted to be rich, he would sell out the people of Jiangdong to the Northern Dynasty. His name will be cursed for thousands of years. Cai wants to frame me, he really deserves to be killed!"

Cai Jingli had not expected Xu Du to react so violently. He froze in fear for a moment. When he saw the blade that was cut off by Xu Du and deeply embedded in the table, his face turned pale and he said in a trembling voice, "Your Excellency, please calm down. Your Excellency... Please listen to my detailed explanation. I have absolutely no intention of harming you!"

"I'd like to hear what other excuses you have!"

Xu Du still glared at Cai Jingli and spoke angrily. Seeing that Xu Du no longer made any more radical moves and chose to listen to his explanation, Cai Jingli breathed a sigh of relief, then sorted out his thoughts and continued, "Although I am not well versed in academics, I also know that Jiangdong is not a foreign land, but an ancient city of the Qin and Han dynasties. The Jin Dynasty lost its morality and the Five Barbarians were rampant, so there was a story of retreating to Jiangdong and seeking peace.

The ancient military strategists said that the strength of mountains and rivers lies in virtue, not in danger. If the Jin Dynasty was virtuous, the world would not be divided. The so-called natural barrier is just a winding river in the courtyard. How can it be used to divide the north and the south! Since the Later Jin Dynasty, all the ambitious people in the country have taken it as their responsibility to recover the north of the Yangtze River and conquer the Central Plains. Even though the first lord rose up in danger and faced difficulties, he still refused to give up the land of Huainan and never thought of crossing the river to stop! "

"The heroes of the previous generation crossed the river to expand our territory and promote our Jiangdong national destiny. Now you are teaching me to lead the invaders to the south. How can we confuse the two!"

When Xu Du heard Cai Jingli's sophistry, he glared and shouted angrily.

"As you said, the matter cannot be confused. However, it is true that one river is not enough to determine the north and the south. If the east of the Yangtze River is righteous, then it will row its oars and vow to attack the north. If the north is strong, then it will also whip its horses and attack the Yangtze and Huaihe Rivers. No matter which one it is, it is difficult to rely on the dangers of mountains and rivers to maintain peace forever!"

As Cai Jingli spoke, he paid close attention to Xu Du's expression. Seeing that he looked thoughtful, he continued, "Your Excellency is now stationed in Jingkou, and you are solely responsible for the defense of the Yangtze River. Although the people of our country still want to live in peace, the Tang Dynasty is now powerful and the defense of the Yangtze River is in danger. Who is willing to sacrifice their lives for you? How can you defend the defense of the Yangtze River? If you can calmly answer these two questions, I will not regret my heresy today, even if I die!"

When Xu Du heard Cai Jingli's question, his brows furrowed. Although he was no longer as irritable as before, he still said in a deep voice: "No matter how eloquent you are, it is a fact that the people of Jiangdong have been able to maintain peace and security because of the Yangtze River. The former barbarian Hou Jing came south to plunder Jiangdong, and the people are still terrified by it. If I bring the Tang people south for my own selfish reasons, I will be scolded by the people!"

  Cai Jingli could also tell that Xu Du still had a lot of moral baggage in his heart and was unwilling to bear this infamy, so he sighed and said, "Mr. Xu has such a righteous thought, which is really a blessing for the people of Jiangdong. But how can the Tang army now be compared with Hou Jing's rebellion?

The Emperor of Tang was kind and forgiving, and his deeds were not limited to one instance. The fall of Jiangling should have been a horrific disaster, but the people of Jiangling suffered little. The people were able to escape to Guanzhong, and the remnants of the Liang family became officials. The people lived in peace in Jingxiang, and every household was given good farmland, and they lived in harmony and peace. The silk and rice that the people downstream wear now are all from the remnants of the fallen Jingxiang. What should we say? If we go there with our boats and spears, will the people of Jingxiang be willing to return to our Chen family? "

Xu Du heard this, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. He wanted to laugh but felt it was inappropriate, so he finally endured it. Compared with the people of Jiangdong and Jingxiang, who lives a more comfortable life? Even he couldn't answer against his will to distort the facts. After all, most of his family's livelihood depends on profit from upstream trade. But in the Three Wus today, people are living in poverty and riots are frequent.

From this perspective, Jiangdong maintaining the status quo may not be as good as letting the Tang Kingdom manage it. At least the various policies pursued by the Tang Kingdom are far more beneficial to the people than the current state of Jiangdong's government orders.

Cai Jingli knew that simple moral appeal would not have much influence on a powerful military leader like Xu Du. The most important thing was to protect his own interests.

He was not completely unprepared when he came to persuade Xu Du this time. When he saw that Xu Du was already quite interested, he continued to say, "The Tang Emperor is now powerful and invincible. He is also magnanimous and wise, with a broad mind. He is willing to take in and protect stubborn bandits like Wang Lin. If we compare this to a horse bone, then the golden platform is waiting for you!"

After hearing this, Xu Du's brows relaxed further, but he still waved his hand and sighed, "Although I served the First Lord with some small merit, my deeds were limited to Jiangdong, and I am afraid that the Emperor of Tang does not know about it. Cai's claim that the Golden Palace treated me well seems absurd!"

Cai Jingli shook his head after hearing this and said, "Jiangdong is also a part of the world. If the Tang Emperor wants to rule the world, how can he not respect the heroes here? Your Excellency is famous in Jiangdong, but if you are still not respected, it means that the Tang family's broad-mindedness is all fake. Your Excellency should know that my uncle is now the Chief of Yangzhou in the Tang Dynasty. If your Excellency trusts me, I am willing to cross the river to ask for you. If I am respected, I will come back to tell you. If not, I will come back and defend Jingkou with you and swear not to surrender to the enemy!"

"This, this... What Mao Shi is planning is good advice. However, the intentions of the Tang family are indeed worrying! If they really pretend to be kind and deceive the world, if we can detect it in advance, we can be prepared!"

After listening to Cai Jingli's story, Xu Du felt quite conflicted for a moment.

If Cai Jingli was really lobbying for the Tang Dynasty and came to persuade him to surrender, then he could not agree immediately no matter what. Whether out of loyalty to the former lord or to pretend to be reserved and raise his own status, he would have to trouble him to run back and forth several times before he could finally make a decision.

But now Cai Jingli only came to persuade him spontaneously, without any instructions from the Tang State. What's more important is that he was persuaded, so naturally he was eager to find out what the Tang State's attitude was towards this.

If the other party is enthusiastic, then the conversation can naturally continue. If the other party is just lukewarm, there is no need for him to continue to try to please the other party and make himself bored. He should think of other options as soon as possible and make more preparations.

Since Cai Jingli volunteered to help him, and he also had such connections, Xu Du agreed and said, "Mao Shi is working for me, so I can't let you be rude in front of others. Please wait for a moment, I will ask the officials to prepare a batch of gifts, and then we will send you across the river together!"

After saying this, he quickly arranged for the officials to repack the treasures and gifts that Chen Qian had sent before but had not yet been counted and stored in the warehouse, and asked Cai Jingli to take them across the river to do the preparations.

At this point, he had already considered surrendering to the Tang as an option to make a living. If he caused the other party to misunderstand his lack of sincerity due to a small problem like the small amount of gifts, and thus the matter ultimately failed, he would really regret it.