The Beacon of Kyushu

Chapter 17

In the early morning of the next day, just after the fifth watch of Qiaolou, Yun Zixiao got up in his clothes and walked to the window. He looked up and looked out of the window, his gaze was very complicated, as if what he saw was not the sky, but the whole world.

At this time, the door suddenly rang, and the knock on the door brought Yun Zixiao back from his thoughts. He was about to ask who it was, when Zhao Defang's voice came in, "Cousin, if you want to enter the palace to face Mr. , let’s enter the palace with my younger brother!”

Yun Zixiao heard the words and opened the door, and saw Zhao Defang standing at the door.He changed his image of a rich and noble son from yesterday, and put on an apricot-yellow python robe, holding the concave gold mace bestowed by the Taizu in his arms, making him look more and more handsome and elegant, with an overpowering aura.

Seeing Yun Zixiao opened the door, Zhao Defang smiled and said, "Cousin, I really can't bear to wake you up so early, but if we don't leave, I'm afraid the Holy Majesty will retreat!"

Yun Zixiao glanced at the golden mace in his hand. It is said that this golden mace can be used to defeat the king and the courtiers.He smiled lightly, cupped his hands and said: "It's okay, we will enter the palace right now."

Soon, the two arrived in front of Xuande Gate.

Zhao Defang often entered the palace, and he didn't think there was anything unusual about the palace.But Yun Zixiao entered the palace for the first time, and there was an inexplicable pressure in his heart. He couldn't help but look up at the majestic Xuande Gate, feeling a little dazed for a while.

"Cousin, why are you in a daze? Isn't it because you are afraid?" Seeing that Yun Zixiao's expression was abnormal, Zhao Defang joked with a smile.Yun Zixiao shook his head and was about to speak when several ministers happened to arrive in front of the palace.When they saw Zhao Defang, they were quite surprised, but then they came back to their senses and hurried over to salute.

The leader was a civil servant, about forty years old, very elegant, with five long beards on his chest, making him even more imposing.He took the lead in giving a deep bow to Zhao Defang, and said respectfully: "Your official, Lu Duoxun, has seen the Eighth King Qiansui."

Zhao Defang said: "Your Majesty Pingzhang, you don't have to be like this, the late emperor always respected you very much, Xiao Wang can't bear your big gift, so hurry up and get flat!"

"Thank you, Chitose!" Lu Duoxun straightened up and just happened to see Yun Zixiao beside Zhao Defang, his expression became somewhat hostile, "Master Zhao, why are you here when you are not working on political affairs somewhere?"

Yun Zixiao was a little surprised when he heard the words, and turned to look at Zhao Defang without saying a word.Seeing this, Zhao Defang smiled and said: "Master Lu, you have misidentified the person! This is Xiao Wang's cousin Yun Zixiao, not Zhao Zeping. To be honest with Mr. Lu, my cousin is indeed very similar to Zhao Pu. When Xiao Wang first met When he was a cousin, he almost mistook him for Master Zhao!"

Lu Duoxun looked at Yun Zixiao again and again, and his face softened slightly, but then he frowned slightly, "Qiantui, don't blame me for talking too much, your cousin is really a big deal! Just now the first glance almost put him I recognize him as Mr. Zhao Zeping, but if you look closely, you can see the shadow of the traitor Yun Yimo in Shuiyun Pavilion in the past."

Seeing Lu Duoxun's rude words, Yun Zixiao felt angry instantly!But although his face was still calm, his hands clenched in his sleeves and made a "clucking" sound. If Lu Duoxun dared to say one more word, Yun Zixiao would definitely send him into the gate of the palace with his fists.

Zhao Defang hurriedly smiled and said: "Master Lu, you really have good eyesight. My cousin is the son of Yun Yimo, the owner of the Shuiyun Pavilion in the past! But you said that my cousin's father, my uncle, is a traitor. Is it wrong?"

Lu Duoxun has read countless people, and hearing the words of the Eight Kings, he felt quite guilty, and knew that this young man in front of him was definitely not someone who would take nothing for granted.The expression on his face froze, and then he smiled and said: "Haha, just now I have no barriers to my official speech, I hope Qiantui and Mr. Yun are not to blame."

Seeing this, Yun Zixiao said: "In the past, everyone was their master. Who can tell which is right and which is wrong? Today, Master Lu learned of Yun's identity, but he didn't ask anyone to arrest me. Yun is even more grateful. Already!"

Zhao Defang also hurriedly said: "Master Lu, Xiao Wang will bring his cousin into the palace to meet the saint, and we will meet again in the Chuigong Palace later!" He said and took Yun Zixiao to the Chuigong Palace.

As soon as the two of them walked not far away, people behind Lu Duoxun began to discuss, and someone asked: "Lord Lu, why didn't you order this thief to be arrested later? If he is allowed to enter the palace, in case he dares to assassinate you Long live, isn't it my fault?"

Lu Duosun sneered and said: "Everyone, you only look at one, not the other? The fact that the Eight Kings brought him into the palace today shows that this person is deeply trusted by the Eight Kings. If I act rashly, I will definitely offend the Eight Kings! It’s okay if there is nothing wrong today, if something happens, the responsibility is not on us, only the Eight Kings alone can bear it! Have you all forgotten, who is the official’s confidant now?”

Not long after, Zhao Defang led Yun Zixiao into the Golden Palace.I saw more than a dozen important officials with different appearances standing in the hall, waiting for the emperor to go to court.Seeing that it was Zhao Defang who had arrived, they all came to greet him.

When everyone was greeting each other, Wang Ji'en, the chief servant, turned from the harem into the main hall, and shouted loudly: "Long live!" Before he finished speaking, Zhao Guangyi walked out slowly, and sat on the seat that millions of people dreamed of. dragon chair.

Yun Zixiao had never met Zhao Guangyi before, so he couldn't help but take a closer look.I saw that Zhao Guangyi was about fifty years old, he was born with big ears, thick eyebrows and long eyes, although he was a few years old, he was still radiant, making people dare not look at him closely.

When all the ministers saw Zhao Guangyi, they paid homage and saluted three times, long live.Zhao Defang also tapped three o'clock to Zhao Guangyi with the golden mace in his hand, counting it as a salute.

Zhao Guangyi said with a smile: "My family, let's get back together!"

Everyone said in unison again: "Thank you, long live!" Then they all straightened up.

Zhao Guangyi looked at Wang Jien, Wang Jien understood immediately, and said loudly: "My lords, if you have something to do, play early, and if you have nothing to do, retreat!"

Before Wang Jien's voice fell to the ground, a general walked out of the martial arts class, "Officials, the general has a book to play!" Yun Zixiao looked at the speaker, but seeing that he was born with sword eyebrows and tiger eyes, Gu Panzhi He was not angry and majestic for a while, but in addition to his majesty, there was also a faint elegance, which showed that he was definitely not a brave man.

When Zhao Guangyi saw that it was Cao Bin, the privy envoy, who was speaking, he hurriedly asked, "What is the original performance of Cao Qing's family?"

Cao Bin said worriedly: "Officials, since the founding of the Great Song Dynasty by Taizu, Hebei Road has been the border between the Great Song Dynasty and the Liao Kingdom. It may not be able to stand up to old general He. But after the old general retired and returned to his hometown, Hebei Road was taken over by his son Fu Zhaoxin. It would be no problem if it was in peace, but now Liao has repeatedly invaded Hebei. If the Liao army invades, I am afraid that General Fu It may not be possible to take on this great task!"

Zhao Guangyi smiled and said: "Isn't there Yuwen Yanyi in Hebei? I heard that General Yuwen's bravery is definitely not inferior to that of Fu Yanqing in the past!"

"The official's words are wrong!" General Pan Mei also stepped forward after hearing the words, and remonstrated: "The official said that although a tiger father has no dogs, but in terms of talent, Fu Zhaoxin is far from his father Fu Yanqing. And Yu Wen Although Yan Yi has both civil and military skills and has made outstanding achievements many times, Fu Zhaoxin has hated him for a long time. I am afraid that one mountain cannot accommodate two tigers! Therefore, in the eyes of the generals, it is better to send a general in the court to take charge of Hebei on behalf of Fu Zhaoxin. !"

Seeing that both of them said that, Zhao Guangyi couldn't help hesitating and said: "What the two Qings said is reasonable. In terms of talent, Fu Zhaoxin is not as good as his father Fu Yanqing. As an uncle of the state, he is a bit bullying. Fortunately, General Yuwen doesn't care about him. In addition, the Liao Kingdom has been severely injured by Murong Qing's family, and it must not dare to attack aggressively in the near future, so I think it should be more than enough for the Fu Qing family to guard the border between Song and Liao at present."

Cao Bin was still a little worried, "Officials, even if you don't want to change generals, you should send more people to help. Otherwise, if there is a mistake in Hebei, the north will be in danger!"

Zhao Guangyi nodded, "What Cao Qing's family said is reasonable, and I'm looking for candidates in the near future." After he finished speaking, he glanced at the crowd and said, "I feel a little unwell today. I don't know which Qing's family still has this play? If no one moves the book, I will Let's retreat."

Zhao Defang hurriedly said: "Officials, I have my own play!"

Zhao Defang is a rare guest in the court, and often does not go to the morning court for several months.Everyone was very surprised to see that he not only went to court today, but also published a class playbook.Everyone looked at him like they were watching a play, and they all felt that it was the morning of today.

Zhao Defang ignored everyone's gazes, and said to herself: "Officials, the ancients said that 'a thousand soldiers are easy to get, but a general is hard to find' Recently, Xiao Wang accidentally found an expert for you, and for Xiao Wang's sake Entrust this person with a heavy responsibility!"

Seeing this, Zhao Guangyi was very surprised. Hearing this, he dared not believe it: "Nephew, do you really mean what you said? Where is that expert now?"

Zhao Defang pointed to Yun Zixiao beside him and said: "Officials, this person is far away in the sky and right in front of you. He is Xiao Wang's long-lost cousin. He is not only a master of swordsmanship, but also rare when it comes to strategizing. I hope that the officials will recognize the talents with their eyes, and entrust them with important tasks!"

Zhao Guangyi asked curiously: "Nephew, you said he is your cousin? But I remember that your mother has only one elder brother, and he is also the only heir of the You family. Song Guanjun suppressed and killed him. I remember that this person did not leave any descendants in his life, so I don’t know where the emperor’s nephew is from?"

Zhao Defang explained: "My cousin is the only son of Yun Yimo, the former Prime Minister of the Yan Kingdom. Yun Yimo and his mother You Ruoyu were originally a pair of brothers and sisters. Because of the great changes in the world that year, the grandparents wanted to protect them. Life is the reason for the separation of flesh and blood. If my cousin did not tell me yesterday, I would know nothing about this matter!"

Just now, there was still a group of harmony in the hall, but after hearing these words, everyone's faces showed hostility, and the atmosphere instantly dropped to freezing point.Zhao Guangyi also looked unhappy and said: "Nephew, when Song and Yan fought, you were still in your infancy. Do you know how many soldiers died in the Song Dynasty? I don't blame you if you don't understand Yun Yimo. But today I must Let me tell you that Yun Yimo is Murong Yanyun's party, a traitor who intends to overthrow our Great Song Dynasty. When the Taizu was in Japan, it took a lot of hard work to wipe him out, but now you recommend his descendants to join the dynasty Officer, what face do you have to meet the people of Li, don't talk about it! I will never agree no matter what!"

Zhao Defang was momentarily speechless by what Zhao Guangyi said, and just as she didn't know how to explain, Yun Zixiao suddenly sneered and said: "Haha, I only think that the Emperor of Song Dynasty is a righteous and enlightened emperor, but I didn't expect to be so confused! Such a confused person Yongjun, it doesn't matter if Yun is not safe!"

Zhao Guangyi was stunned when he heard the words, not to mention that he is the Ninth Five Lord now, even when he was the King of Jin, no one had ever dared to speak so rudely to him.Before Zhao Guangyi could say anything, Dong Li, a civil official, said angrily: "My surname is Yun, your father was obsessed with ghosts back then, and he joined forces with Murong Yanyun's gang of thieves to fight against the Song Dynasty, and he deserves to die! After you are a thief, you dare to go to the palace to face the king today. , It’s really courageous to speak nonsense above the court!”

Yun Zixiao said coldly: "Who am I? It turns out that it is Mr. Dong who has changed his master several times. If others say that Yun is so courageous, I really dare not accept it, but Mr. Dong praised him. I think I can afford it. After all, as a descendant of the Prime Minister of the Yan Kingdom, Yun dared to go to the palace to meet the Song Lord, unlike Master Dong who is greedy for life and fear of death and only persuades the Lord to surrender!"

He suddenly smiled as he spoke, "However, it is thanks to your contribution, Mr. Dong, that the Great Song Dynasty can have today's thousands of miles of rivers and mountains. If you hadn't persuaded the Lord to surrender, how could there be so many beautiful poems and essays in the world! How could Li Yu, the leader of the Tang Dynasty, write How can the wife of Meng Chang, the king of Shu, write that "14 people removed their armor, and none of them was a man"!"

Dong Li's face turned red immediately when he heard this, and he wanted to find a crack in the ground to sneak in, how dare he talk to Yun Zixiao again.At this time, Dou Yi beside Dong Li pointed at Yun Zixiao and said, "Zizi, don't be rude! We don't care whether you are the son of a rebel or not, let alone whether you deserve to die or not. Let me just ask you, what is wrong with you?" How dare you despise my officials of the Great Song Dynasty!"

Yun Zixiao said: "What's your ability? Yun doesn't dare to boast about Haikou, Wen can rule the country, and martial arts can secure the country! If anyone refuses to accept it, you can compete in public! If anyone can beat Yun, I am willing to kill myself in the palace!" After he finished speaking, he glanced at all the people present, the civil and military forces of the whole court were forced by his momentum, and no one dared to step forward to challenge.

Seeing this, Zhao Guangyi sighed, "Oh, Young Master Yun, I believe you are talented, and it's not that I don't want to appoint you to an official position, but your identity really makes me feel uneasy!"

Yun Zixiao asked: "Officials, do you think you are a wise ruler, or a foolish ruler?"

Zhao Guangyi replied: "Although I dare not compare myself to Yao and Shun, I can be regarded as a master of Taoism."

Yun Zixiao said: "How do the officials think Liu Chan of Shu compares with you?"

Zhao Guangyi smiled and said: "Haha, Liu Chan is so stupid, how can he be compared with me! His father is still a hero, and he should be compared with his father!"

Yun Zixiao asked again: "How do the officials think Zhou Zhiwu is compared to you?"

Zhao Guangyi laughed again, "Although Wu Yan is a wise gentleman, she is a woman after all, with long hair and short knowledge, so naturally she is slightly inferior to me!"

Yun Zixiao smiled and asked: "Since the officials consider themselves to be a wise king, then may I ask why Liu Chan can appoint Xiahouba when he is in danger, and why Wu Yan can respect Shangguan Wan'er when he is rich? Doesn't Liu Chan know that Xiahouba Wu Sui didn’t know that Shangguan Wan’er’s father died at the hands of Huang Zhong, the general of Shu, and that Shangguan Wan’er’s father died in his prison? May I ask why the official thinks he is above these two, but why is his mind inferior to these two? ?”

Zhao Guangyi nodded, seeming to agree deeply, but he still said: "Young Xia Yun, since you can talk about the past and the present, you must have heard the principle of 'this time and that time' right? Whether it is Liu Chan or Wu Suo, that's all right. It happened thousands of years ago, how can it be compared with the current situation?"

Yun Zixiao calmly pointed at the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty, and said, "Then may I ask the officials, among the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty, how many people were born as Song officials? As far as I know, most of these people are ministers of other countries. Why can the officials have a heart-to-heart friendship with him, but they only look at me differently?"

Zhao Guangyi was left speechless by the question, and he finally said after a long while: "This... this... what Yun Shaoxia said makes sense, but I was confused for a moment. But there is no vacancy in the court at present, I just think you are a talent, I am afraid there will be some My heart is powerless!" He said and glanced at Cao Bin seemingly inadvertently.

Cao Bin understood, and hurried forward and said: "Officials, the final general thinks that Hebei lacks good generals. Since Yun Shaoxia thinks he is both civil and military, why not send him to Hebei temporarily to relieve the urgent need at the border? Wait until there is a shortage of official positions in the court. It's not too late to call him, at that time, the civil and military of the Manchu Dynasty will not be convinced!"

Zhao Guangyi nodded slightly and said: "What Cao Qing's family said is true! However, this is a big matter, let me think about it, and it will not be too late to make a decision tomorrow."

(End of this chapter)