The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 300 Kaifeng Response

None of the civil and military officials in the Manchu Dynasty took the initiative to share their worries. Liu Chengyou looked at Li Ye angrily. At the beginning, he had sworn to guarantee that Guo Wei would be eliminated smoothly, and the situation would not deteriorate to the point where the two armies confronted each other.

Well now, Guo Chong and Cao Ying received the secret decree and turned around to report to Guo Wei. From this, it can be seen that the previous two expressed their dissatisfaction with Guo Wei and their willingness to serve the court, which was completely false.

It is very likely that Guo Wei instructed the two of them to do it deliberately, with the purpose of luring Li Ye into being fooled.

Liu Chengyou stared at his good uncle fiercely, and for the first time he felt that this man failed more than he accomplished.

Li Ye lowered his head and his eyes rolled around. The secret path was not good, and the matter was not done. The officials spread their anger on him, and they had to find a way to remedy it as soon as possible.

"I would like to inform the officials that Guo Wei's rebellion is an act against nature. People and gods will be angry, and it will end in disgrace! Officials, please don't worry. I have already made complete preparations. There are nearly 15 troops stationed inside and outside Kaifeng City, which is enough to fight against the rebels." Let’s fight!”

Li Ye took a step forward and played loudly, sounding confident.

Nie Wenjin followed closely and said with a flattering smile: "Don't worry, officials. There are four people including my uncle and ministers, all the generals, and the ministers in the palace. Even if there are a hundred Guo Wei, it will be of no avail! I and others will surely capture Guo Wei alive and tie him up." In front of you, let him kowtow to death and apologize!"

Guo Yunming and Houzan hurriedly agreed.

None of the other courtiers dared to respond. The voices of the four sounded a little lonely and weak in this huge golden palace.

Liu Chengyou was restless, and the Yedu army moved south. Li Ye and the four men alone could not make the rebels retreat no matter how clever their words were. They had to fight a few beautiful battles with real swords and guns.

Murong Yanchao lowered his eyelids, glanced at Li Ye and the others from the corner of his eye, feeling extremely contemptuous in his heart.

Murong Yanchao was conceited, but quite scheming.

He knew that he was able to enter Beijing this time only because the officials needed him to lead the army to fight against the Yedu rebels.

For him, this is also an opportunity to become famous all over the world and establish an unparalleled achievement.

He needs to firmly grasp, win enough power from the officials, establish his own power in Kaifeng, and be able to stay in Kaifeng smoothly after repelling the rebels.

Murong Yanchao's goal was very clear. He was to become the envoy of the Privy Council or the commander of the Guards Department, and become the commander-in-chief of the Forbidden Army and an important minister in charge of military aircraft.

Murong Yanchao asked himself that he had followed the late emperor for a longer period of time, and his achievements were no less than those of Guo Wei. After the founding of the country, his official status was far inferior to that of Guo Wei, and even Shi Hongzhao could firmly dominate him.

Murong Yanchao had been depressed for a long time, and this time he was ordered to come to Beijing, which was his chance to show off his skills.

He had long made up his mind that he would never be used as a chamber pot by the officials, Li Ye and others. He would use it when needed and throw it away in a corner when not needed.

He wanted the officials to realize that only he could lead the army to fight Guo Wei in the civil and military affairs of the Manchu Dynasty.

To put down the rebellion and save the Kaifeng monarch and his subjects from fire and water, it was none other than Murong Yanchao!
Seeing that no one from the civil and military officials spoke, Liu Chengyou secretly gritted his teeth and was annoyed. He suddenly noticed that Murong Yanchao, who was standing at the head of the generals, looked calm and calm, which was in sharp contrast to the restless expressions of the other ministers.

"Does General Murong have a clever plan to defeat the enemy?" Liu Chengyou asked hurriedly, as if grasping a life-saving straw.

Murong Yanchao held the wat board and bowed his head in a leisurely manner: "I would like to report to the officials, although there are many soldiers and horses in Yedu, in my eyes they are just a bunch of rabble! If I were allowed to lead the troops to fight, we should be able to fight." And defeat the rebels and capture Guo Wei and his son alive!"

Liu Chengyou was stunned, as if he didn't expect Murong Yanchao's tone to be so loud.

It's okay for Li Ye and the other four to be arrogant. After all, the four of them have been fawning in front of him for a long time and have long been used to it.

But Murong Yanchao also showed his disdain for the Yedu rebels. Could this counter-insurgency battle really be so easy to fight?
Liu Chengyou was a little hesitant for a while. Guo Wei was famous for his military exploits. If he wanted to compete with him on the battlefield, he would be timid when hearing his name and weigh whether he had the ability.

Although Murong Yanchao is also known for his bravery, his military exploits cannot be compared with Guo Wei.

Liu Chengyou was full of doubts about Murong Yanchao's ability to compete with Guo Wei on the battlefield.

Murong Yanchao saw that the officials did not trust him and said in a deep voice: "Kaifeng has many soldiers and generals, and the money and grain treasury is full. I am confident that I can defeat the rebels and capture the traitor Guo Wei! I am willing to issue a military order. If we are defeated, please Officials must be strict with their duties!”

Liu Chengyou frowned, but remained silent.

Seeing this, Li Ye hurriedly shouted: "General Murong is so strong! Officials, I am willing to recommend General Murong to lead the army to fight!"

Li Ye touched Nie Wenjin lightly, and Nie Wenjin had already reacted, and hurriedly followed suit: "I also think that it is most appropriate for General Murong to lead the army to fight against the rebels!"

"I second the proposal!" Guo Yunming and Hou Zan agreed, and there was a sparse response in the hall.

Li Ye gave Murong Yanchao a friendly smile and said seriously: "General Murong is also a world-famous general, no worse than Guo Wei. With General Murong leading the battle, he will definitely be able to stop the rebels outside Kaifeng City."

Liu Chengyou nodded slowly, but this time he was much more cautious and no longer listened to the one-sided words of Li Ye and others.

"I don't know what the old generals Hou and Jiao have to say?" Liu Chengyou looked at the silent generals behind Murong Yanchao.

Standing in the front row, Hou Yi and Jiao Jixun looked at each other, and they both saw a bit of helplessness in each other's eyes.

Hou Yi hesitated for a moment, then stood up and saluted and said: "As a reminder to the officials, a king with the Tao is invincible in the world. The Kaifeng Imperial Army is the king's division, and it should not be taken lightly! The old minister believes that General Yedu has many family members. All in Kaifeng and nearby prefectures and counties, they only need to ask their family members to write letters to the Yedu army, warning the children of each family not to follow the rebels in rebellion, while the Kaifeng troops only need to block the city gates to defend themselves. In less than a month, Yedu It is difficult for the rebels to maintain their food and supplies, so they will collapse without a fight!"

Jiao Jixun said: "What General Hou said is an old man's advice to seek the country. I agree with General Hou's plan!"

Liu Chengyou also felt that what Hou Yi said made sense, so he nodded.

Murong Yanchao laughed and said: "Old General Hou is already old, so of course he doesn't want to go into battle! Being in seclusion is just a coward's move. Since he is the master of the king, how can he be so cowardly?"

Hou Yi said angrily: "Yedu's army is full of elite soldiers who have fought many battles. Although Kaifeng has a large number of soldiers and horses, a considerable part has been recruited within half a year. How can it be the opponent of the rebels? If they go out to fight in the city, if they are defeated, Kaifeng will not be in danger? "

Murong Yanchao retorted: "The two armies have not yet fought. How did General Hou know that the King's Division in Kaifeng would definitely be defeated? Could it be that the Old General was hoping that the King's Division would be defeated so that he could welcome Guo Wei's rebels into the city?"

"You" Hou Yi was so angry that his beard was trembling, "Yan Kunlun! Don't stop spitting blood and slandering me!"

Murong Yanchao sneered: "The old general has been fighting for many years, how come he becomes timid and timid when he is old? Is it because he failed to surrender to Meng Shu and lost his spirit? He is resentful of our government and unwilling to contribute?"

Hou Yi was so angry that his face was red, his hands were trembling and he pointed at Murong Yanchao, unable to say a word.

Jiao Jixun was admonishing him earnestly.

Li Ye hurriedly spoke up: "The rebels came to the city and attacked the city, but I, the King of Kaifeng, only dared to close the city and defend myself. If word spreads, how will the people in the world view the officials and the court?"

"That is, Guo Wei raised his troops southward under the banner of Qingjun. If the imperial court does not send a large army to fight, the people will mistakenly think that the officials and the imperial court are really guilty. They feel sorry for Guo Wei and dare not fight!" Nie Wenjin also encouraged Gong Huo.The two looked at each other and smiled knowingly.

Guo Wei raised his troops to go south under the banner of Qingjun. If the delay continues, what if the officials become timid and really want to kill them to appease Guo Wei's anger?
Only by allowing the Kaifeng Forbidden Army and the Yedu rebels to start fighting early and the two sides completely fall into a fight to the death can their heads be saved.

The new Prime Minister Su Yugui glanced at Su Fengji, who was silent, and whispered: "Does Mr. Su support closing the city to defend himself, or does he go out to fight the rebels?"

Su Fengji had no expression on his face and said calmly: "There is a slim chance of defending the city, but leaving the city for a decisive battle is asking for death!"

Su Yugui was shocked and said in a low voice: "If that's the case, why doesn't Mr. Su persuade the officials?"

Su Fengji smiled sadly and said quietly: "Li Ye and others will never let the officials close the city and defend themselves. Will it be useful for you and me to talk?"

Su Yugui was speechless and let out a long sigh: "The sycophant is harming the country~"

Su Fengji's face showed bitterness, his heart was already filled with despair, and he no longer had any hope for the imperial court.

Liu Chengyou looked at Murong Yanchao, then at Li Ye and others, and finally made up his mind and said in a deep voice: "I worship General Murong as my commander, and mobilize the Kaifeng Forbidden Army to go out of the city to fight the rebels! Hou Yi, Jiao Jixun, Nie Wenjin, Guo Yunming, Hou Zan and others go to battle with the army!"

Murong Yanchao was overjoyed and hurriedly bowed down: "I accept the decree! I will definitely live up to the high expectations of the officials. Please sit high on the city wall and watch how I defeat the rebels!"

Liu Chengyou forced a smile: "When General Murong defeats the rebels and captures the traitor Guo Wei, I will definitely give him a reward!"

"I thank the officials for their kindness!" Murong Yanchao accepted the order loudly.

Hou Yi and Jiao Jixun looked at each other, sighed helplessly, and could only bow down and take orders.

Li Ye was determined and smiled at Su Yugui: "Please open the treasury, Prime Minister Su, distribute money and food to reward the soldiers of the three armies, and boost the morale of my king!"

Su Yugui said angrily: "After depleting the treasury, where will the daily expenses of the imperial court come from? This must not be done!"

Li Ye didn't expect that Su Yugui would contradict him at this time, and he was angry and anxious: "The war is coming, how can Prime Minister Su be stingy with the government's money?"

Liu Chengyou also said in a deep voice: "Su Xiangqie, please don't say anything. The most important thing is to repel the rebels!"

Su Yugui had no choice but to say: "I obey the order."

After discussing the important matter of dealing with the rebels in Yedu, Liu Chengyou felt a little more at ease. He looked around the hall and suddenly remembered something: "Master Feng has not arrived today. Has anyone sent someone to send a letter of leave?"

Everyone looked at each other and shook their heads.

Guo Yunming stood up and said angrily: "Reporting to the official family, the imperial doctor reported this morning that Master Feng Daofu went to Kongkong, and everyone in the Feng family, young and old, disappeared!"

"What?!" Liu Chengyou stood up, shocked and angry.

The hall was quiet for a moment, and then there was an uproar.

The historical weathervane, the ballast of the imperial court, the lucky man, and the mascot, Mr. Feng Daofeng, actually led a family of young people and ran away quietly? !

For the imperial court, the sensation caused by this incident was no less than that of Yedu's army approaching the city!

"Someone reported yesterday that Feng Dao was dying and lying on the couch talking nonsense. Why did he suddenly disappear today?" Liu Chengyou roared angrily.

Guo Yunming bit the bullet and said, "I, I don't know how that old fox escaped."

The noisy private discussions in the hall became more and more chaotic.

Even Mr. Feng Dao ran away, which shows that the old man is not optimistic that the court can successfully tide over the difficulties this time!

Yedu's army marched south, and the city of Kaifeng was in turmoil. Even Mr. Feng, the ballast stone, had escaped. Could it be that the imperial ship was really about to capsize?
Hou Yi and Jiao Jixun's eyes were full of fear, and countless courtiers were anxious and uneasy, thinking about their own lives and future.

Liu Chengyou yelled angrily: "Immediately arrest Feng Dao's family in the whole city! If you want to live, you want to see people, and if you die, you want to see corpses!"

"I obey the order!" Guo Yunming hurriedly respectfully accepted the order.

Liu Chengyou fell down on the dragon chair, clenching his fists with an unpredictable expression.

Feng Dao's family disappeared without a trace. This incident was definitely a heavy blow to the court.

Just look at the reactions of the courtiers in the palace, and you will know that the morale that was finally lifted up fell to the bottom in an instant.

"No matter what, I will never lose, and I can never lose!" Liu Chengyou gritted his teeth secretly and cheered himself up in his heart.

Murong Yanchao's face was also a bit ugly. Although he always looked down on Feng Dao, but the old man had a lot of experience and knowledge. Putting aside the rest, he just said that he had served eight emperors in three dynasties. This resume is amazing. It’s okay not to accept it.

Feng Dao's greatest ability is to know the current affairs and have a precise vision. His old club is about to fail, and he is about to replace it with a new one. History has proved that all the clubs he works for will be on the throne of the emperor in the near future.

Therefore, no matter how the banners of the city changed, Mr. Feng's family's wealth was never cut off.

Now that Mr. Feng and his family have disappeared without a trace, could it be said that he is really not optimistic about the future of the imperial court?
Murong Yanchao couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

Hou Yi looked anxious and said: "I also ask the officials to immediately order the blockade of Kaifeng City, strengthen the guards at the city gates, and at the same time order the soldiers and horses from all over the world to come to Beijing to serve the king! Changes will happen late, so please don't hesitate!"

Li Ye sneered and said: "Old General Hou is really old and his courage has become smaller. The Yedu rebels have just raised their flags and marched south. They have to face the interception of Zhangde Army and Huazhou City along the way. At least there will be more than one Kaifeng is just around the corner, so we have time to deal with it calmly."

As soon as he finished speaking, the door of the main hall was suddenly pushed open, and Kaifeng Governor Liu Zhu hurriedly entered the hall carrying his official robe.

"Let me report to the officials that something bad has happened! Chen Guan, the governor of Zhangde Army, surrendered to the rebels without sending a single soldier! Song Yanwo, the governor of Huazhou, also opened the city gate and went out thirty miles from the city to welcome Guo Wei's rebels into the city. !

The Yedu rebels have now crossed the Yellow River and are advancing towards Chanzhou. All the prefectures and counties are watching the wind, and no one dares to stop them! "

Liu Biao's panicked voice echoed throughout the hall.

Liu Chengyou was suddenly dizzy for a while, clutching the armrest of the throne tightly, his face was pale and his breathing was short.

Li Ye stumbled and almost fell over, then he knelt down and said with a mournful face and a horrified look on his face: "Please give an order to seal the city immediately! General Murong please gather your troops quickly and prepare to face the rebels!"

(End of this chapter)