The Emperor ordered Zhao Tang

Chapter 205: Chengde Jiedushi

"Heshuo divided up the royal territory and compared themselves to the princes of the Warring States Period, forming alliances and making allies. The royal army launched repeated attacks, but to no avail. The monarch and his ministers were resentful and tolerated the evil, hoping to avoid trouble. The four rebels were of the same force, and the whole country joined in. The vassal states all wanted to pass on the land to their descendants. They were the initiators. The harm was endless, so rebellions flourished for a hundred years. The court only cared about beating up the fierce generals. They suffered the consequences of their own actions, which was no more than this. Shi Zhen, Jin Tao, Jing Chong and others were loyal and sincere, and tried their best to block the royal family. Which one was more important than Hou Jing's rebellion against Liang? The Tang Dynasty's method of maintaining the country should be a warning to us forever." - said the historian.

The scenery of the north is covered with ice for thousands of miles.

The heavy snow came as expected in October, leaving only wilderness inside and outside Changshan. The Zhao soldiers, who had a half-day of leisure, held a seminar in Guyue Palace.

The leaders of the major samurai families have arrived.

Mo Junhe. The head of Shesheng Army, fought against Li Keyong many times. His deputy is a businessman, and he owns a ranch and a butcher shop. He likes to chop meat in the butcher shop when he has nothing to do. Last year, Li Kuangwei kidnapped Wang Rong to seize the throne. On the way to the military mansion, he suddenly heard a loud curse. In an instant, thunder and lightning flashed, and countless guards in Luocheng looked out and shouted. Mo Tu jumped out of the inconspicuous ruins, grabbed Wang Rong from the thieves, and rode away with a big laugh.

Liang Gongru. His ancestors were former subordinates of Wang Wujun. He was currently the Inner Gate Privy Counselor and Military Workshop Counselor. Wang Rong was only ten years old when he succeeded to the throne. The military was grateful for the kindness of their predecessors and did not want to leave an orphan helpless, so they followed the example of the court to secretly appoint a Privy Counselor. Liang Gongru, who was recognized as loyal and honest, and both civil and military, was recommended to be the Privy Counselor. He was ordered to teach the young commander, sign on his behalf, and assist in government. After Wang Rong came of age, Liang Gongru returned the throne to him. In return, Rong married his daughter.

Li Honggui. The descendant of Baochen, he is currently the military commander of the internal and external cavalry and the internal affairs envoy. The former was just a salary, and his main job was to protect Wang Rong, manage household affairs, and be a secretary. Rong didn't like it. It was because he didn't follow the leader's likes and dislikes, and always advised him not to do this or that.

The military commander Li Ai was a descendant of the Li family of Zhao County.

Nangong Jianxin, the commander of the militia in Zhenzhou and the supervisor of the pastoral affairs in Hutuo, is the elder brother of Daoyuan, good at business and favored by Yan.

The general Wang Zimei was a Khitan and a descendant of Wang Chengzong.

Wei Li was a mixed Hu from Bohai. His ancestor Wei Changning followed Baochen to occupy Zhao, so he assumed the surname Wei. Lu Xuanzhen was a Khitan. Shi Can was a Xi. Yang Chengxian was a Tatar... Like Wei Li, they were no different from the Han people.

Zhang Tunan, a local general.

……

There are nearly a thousand people, big and small. If we really evaluate them as "princes", Chengde is the most similar. From Wang Tingcou replacing the Khitan Wang family to Wang Rong, seven generations have passed. Wang Rong, a child, can also gain loyalty. The power inheritance is stable and the internal peace. Moreover, this group of people clearly understands the root of all this, so they are the most devoted to the royal family.

The minister Wei Jian was held hostage in Chang'an. He fought against the Emperor and broke through the pass to protect him. He fought against the Jing army seven times. When the rebellion was quelled, his painting was hung in Lingyan Pavilion.

Wang Wujunzi Shizhen - "Millions of taxes every year."

His son Chengyuan held the title of Emperor Fengxiang for ten years.

After the Uighur Wang family gained control, Wang Yuankui improved etiquette and was extremely respectful, marrying Princess Shou'an. Liu Zhen rebelled, and the imperial edict arrived today and the army was dispatched at dawn the next day.

His son Shaoyi's last words were: "Be courteous to your neighbors and respect the Li family, and your family business will not fall."

His son Jing Chong - "When Pang Xun rebelled, he sent troops to suppress the rebellion. When Chao rebelled, a fake envoy came to persuade him to surrender, but Jing Chong killed him. He then issued an edict to all provinces to defend the king, and he himself led the army into the pass to attack Chao. It was heard that he was in Chengdu, and tribute arrived soon. Whenever he talked about the ancestral temple, he was heartbroken."

To Wang Rong - "Yang Fuguang pursued his nest in Henan, and ordered Chengde to provide military support, so he obeyed the order and repeatedly provided food. The first sage returned to Chang'an and presented tens of thousands of war horses, oxen, and weapons and armor."

I fully support the royal family, and I can also pay taxes and fight rebellion according to the directly governed prefectures and counties. In short, the court's demands should be met as much as possible, but they must govern themselves as "princes". This is the core interest and appeal of the Zhao people. If you can agree, then they will be like Wang Shaoyi's instructions to all officials: "Respect neighboring vassals and serve the Li family", abide by their duties, and do their best to protect the holy Tang Dynasty that is willing to hold its nose and reverse history partially. The continuous strengthening of autocratic centralization is an obvious trend. Against this background, except for the Li family, if there is no choice, who dares to be a traitor. How did you get your "foundation"? Don't you have any idea?

"Dang!" The music was melodious. Wang Zimei, with a full beard, held a pipa and sang Yu Xin's "Dancing Mei Niang": "Alas... I came to the mirror in front of the door this morning, smiling ~ looking at myself. My eyebrows were thick with black..."

"Hahaha!" All the soldiers laughed, and those who could sing sang along: "The thick black eyebrows are straight! The forehead is light... yellow... I only wonder~ the fallen flowers have gone, who can say that the spring breeze will not~ return. Young people, young people, young people are only happy... Alas! How can we leave any wine? How can we leave any wine!"

Those who can't sing can shake their heads, hum, and clap to add to the fun.

From time to time, someone would stand up with a glass in hand and compose impromptu poems, which was truly a romantic art.

"Swish!" The song ended and the plectrum was put away.

"color!"

"The woman at the riverside of Xunyang is no more than this, isn't she? If people of the time don't know Zimei's pipa, it's useless to listen to her in the music hall."

"Zimei is a man of great talent. He can perform for the sage in the imperial court."

"Come on, come on, drink to victory!"

You and I were talking back and forth. Wang Zimei said "I'm ashamed", but her eyes were full of joy. She was about to bow and humbly prepare to play another song, but she heard Liang Gongru's powerful voice overwhelm the noise: "Everyone!"

Wang Zimei put down the pipa.

The others who were singing and talking also stopped whispering, sat up straight, and looked serious, and it was time to discuss business.

Liang Gongru walked into the crowd and paced slowly: "I copied the notice on the second day of the first lunar month. The emperor fought with the bandits in Jiang and Huai for a long time, first defeated Xie Yanzhang, and then thwarted Zhang Cunjing's attempt to break out. Pang Shigu rescued him several times... In addition, Wei, Qi, Xiang, Jing, Cang, Xia, and Huihu came to defend, and the Yiwu Army also sent thousands of people. The whole world attacked Bian, just like fighting Huang Chao. Today we are going to talk about where to go."

Li Honggui was the first to express his views and set the tone: "The country is destroyed but the mountains and rivers remain, and the world still has the surname Li."

"It's hard to say." Someone immediately retorted: "During the Guangqi Rebellion, Bining kidnapped the emperor and Fengxiang held the ministers hostage. During the Dashun Rebellion, the inner court burned the palace, and the four generals took up arms at Bashang... The great house was almost destroyed by the thieves. Even the people of Yong and the slaves have developed evil ambitions, and they are taking advantage of Kuai and Si, as can be seen from Mars. Last year, the emperor sent envoys to pay tribute to the emperor on the winter solstice to investigate the national situation. He killed the unruly and the court was filled with rotten wood and bones... The emperor was the only one who managed to support the country. The situation is worse than that of Emperor Xiaozhuang. If he suddenly collapses, the country will be destroyed. He was still a happy young man, but I counted dozens of white hairs, which is a sign of his prime. Moreover, the bandits dominate the Central Plains. When will it be possible to suppress them? In addition, the Shatuo are greedy for me, and the Yan bandits are cunning and evil. I only have 160,000 soldiers. If I lose too much, how can I protect myself? The dragon is wounded by the reverse scale, and the Bian bandits are still rampant. It is too early to serve the king now."

The meaning is very simple.

If you join the war now, you will be easily taken advantage of. They are not optimistic about the imperial court, even if the saints have made great achievements. Unless you recover Luoyang, make a landmark geographical progress, or beat him up and let him know how powerful he is, otherwise he will only think that you are just a show.

Upon hearing this, some people disagreed, some were surprised, and some laughed.

"Your words are absurd." Lu Shizhen spoke first, objecting, "With the dying breath, we have decided to patrol the area, and we have occupied Helong and fought for Hezhong. Isn't it that those who cross themselves will be crossed by gods, and the emperor is blessed by heaven? The weak defeated the strong, and it is the order of heaven to change and return to the position of the land. The world is still surnamed Li. Think about our ancestors, who relied on the rebellion of An Lushan to occupy Jizhou and live there. The land has been passed down for hundreds of years, and everyone wants to kill us. Who can tolerate me when Li is gone? Heshuo has the smallest land, the weakest power, and the richest wealth. In the current situation, it is like Xi Shi sleeping naked next to Zhu Wen. How can I escape! When Li is gone, strong men come to rape me, who can save me? It is better to send two or three coins of charcoal in the snow than to add thousands of flowers to the brocade. If you look ahead and behind, once you miss the opportunity, it will affect Chengde's position in the court."

Many people nodded slightly, including the general who had just proposed that "Mars is visible", and no one spoke again. This conversation was regarded as a public reunification of the political position of "the world still belongs to the Li family".

After a moment of silence, Wei Li spoke with emotion: "My father and son Chengde have fought for the country for generations, repelled Zhu Tao, pacified Zelu, defeated Pang Xun, and defended against Tubo. They joined the various factions to attack the country, forced themselves to become beasts, and ate meat for two years. The bloody clothes of the fallen soldiers are still in their homes. North of the Yellow River, there is no one more loyal than us. Although there are scum like Li Maozhen, there is Wang Congxun to vindicate his name. This time, the country has sent out a big thief, and even the villains in Wei Bo have sworn an oath. It is inevitable to serve the king, but there are three people who are against it."

"Speak frankly." Liang Gongru and others nodded.

Wei Li looked around and raised a finger: "Who are the emperor and Zhu Ze? Zhu Ze is obsessed with power and has a long history of bad deeds, needless to say. What about the emperor? If the emperor is mean by nature and likes to show off his achievements, in order to fight against the traitors, he will pretend to be tolerant and wait until the world is pacified, then turn his face and ignore me, and treat me as a rebel vassal to fight against me, in order to achieve the so-called Yuanhe cause, what will I do then? Are you willing to be loyal to a ruthless and ungrateful emperor! If a father does not lick his calf, how can a son be filial to him! If he can't protect me, then why should I respect the emperor and fight against the traitors!"

The words were blunt and fierce, but they were passionate and powerful, which made the soldiers want to cheer.

Wei Li's gloomy gaze finally fell on Nangong Jianxin: "Nangong's sister has been favored by the emperor for some time. No one here knows the emperor better than you. Let me tell you about the emperor."

这—

Nangong Jianxin felt embarrassed.

Through Chong Yan's letters, he did know many secret histories of the Tang Palace. For example, the Five Barbarians' Invasion of China, the Three Wus flying to the Penglai Palace, the moon setting and the weeping of the Xiaos, the blood-filled sky. The talented man blasphemed at night without taking off his clothes, and the ghosts peeping into the Shangqing Palace in the middle of the night... But these things about "I have a strange disease" must not be told, so as not to break the beautiful fantasy of the Zhao people that the emperor is wise and powerful, sitting in the ethereal, and untainted by the mundane world.

Well, apart from being a little bit lustful, I can’t think of any other obvious flaws.

Even if it is this "disease", is it really serious? Not necessarily.

The general is 21 years old, and his wives and concubines are 87. At this rate, it is only a matter of time before the number exceeds 1,000. The emperor's concubines are less than 20 at most. The number is far less than that of ordinary princes, and they don't steal others'. They just have more variety. Looking at the past and present, it can be called a clear stream.

It's ridiculous. But that's roughly how feudal nobles are. If you can restrain yourself a little and try to be a human being, that's their limit.

What can be said?

The emperor and the general once went on a rural trip to Wugong County in the capital. They ate two bowls of steamed wheat at a commoner's home and were given a piece of silk as meal expenses.

Not extravagant.

It suits the appetite of the military and civilians - Chengde is famous for its frugality and simplicity. Later, after Cui Yin killed all the eunuchs, he specially sent people to Chengde to recruit children.

He once entertained more than 2,000 soldiers who came with Concubine Xian in the Linding Hall.

It shows honesty, generosity and enthusiasm.

He once dug the ground with the female concubines in the forbidden courtyard, fed fish and made tofu, picked fruits, and lifted the skirts of the palace maids... Although it was a game, he got along well with the servants and could have fun with them, so he might have a good nature.

The soldiers who fought against Zhu Wen in Tongguan lived in the same room and slept on the same couch. The soldiers who missed their hometown wrote letters to their families, tucked their quilts in for their sisters in the chilly early morning, and left quietly. They tried their best to collect the remains of every soldier who died and brought them back.

If these are trivial matters.

Then.

Over the years, more than 600,000 refugees were resettled. Free lunch was provided to the "officials" working in the Yanziku. The price of salt dropped from more than 300 coins to 150 coins. Building the Kaiping Shrine and storing the spirits of the fallen soldiers all required real money and thought.

They can tolerate each other for the sake of the country. It is said that Ximen Chongsui "taught" him a lesson more than once, but none of his disciples and descendants were held accountable after his death.

Good writing skills.

emotionally stable.

Having credibility, keeping one's word, and doing what one says is the most important thing for a prince, and it is directly related to the survival of one's family.

……

There are indeed many advantages.

No wonder A-mei is so bewitched by him and always calls him the Holy King.

If he can live past fifty, and not fall into depravity like Emperor Xuanzong did, there will be hope for a great renaissance.

After hearing this, everyone started talking about it.

"The emperor can even accept those country bumpkins from Wei Bo who are fickle-minded. How can he be said to be a man who teaches his people to be loyal and filial?"

"A happy young man has the tenacity to endure hardships and endure hardships. This is truly a blessing for our Holy Tang Dynasty."

"I've heard that an emperor who is incompetent will be doomed to fail. After hearing what Nangong said today, I can see that the emperor is not incompetent. He was just controlled by his subordinates, so he didn't have exclusive power and his policies were controlled by the eunuchs, so he seemed foolish."

"Indeed. According to Zhou Shi, who went to the court on official business in the second year of Jingfu, the emperor could read up to 400 memorials a day from dawn to dusk, and issued 39 royal speeches and met with 12 ministers. Don't ask me how I can remember it so clearly, it's because it was so horrifying that it was engraved in my mind. The Grand Marshal, Prime Minister Liu, and Duke Cui served in four dynasties, and their names were known all over the world. Their eyes were as fiery as torches, and they also had a good reputation for the emperor, calling him the Emperor Pingnan. The righteous spirit and loyalty are hanging high in the North Pole. We just need to work together, like the stars surrounding the moon, and the Duke of Jin will surely be able to rebuild the Holy Tang Dynasty."

"Alas, I am both happy and worried. I am happy because perhaps a leader of destiny will emerge who can sort out the chaos. I am worried because this is not a good thing for Hebei and Chengde. In the coming dynasties, there are many cases where the ruler and his subjects share adversity. It is rare for them to share wealth and honor."

"Alright!" Mo Junhe crossed his hands, raised them to the west, and solemnly concluded: "Great Son of Heaven, wise and true saint, master of destiny."

Wang Zimei slid her pipa and unconsciously changed her address: "Originally, I said that Brother Daoyuan would take the lead and observe for a while. It seems that he will not come back and will be intoxicated in the imperial city. Well, as long as he is not the jackal Zhu Wen, the person in charge. As for the future... who can tell the future! Yan and Zhao have been full of people who lament and sing sad songs since ancient times. We are heroes and will not avoid death. Why should we be disloyal now because we suspect that the saint will betray me in the future? Today, I am worthy of entrusting you, and that is enough!"

Li Honggui, the Internal Affairs Officer, raised his hand and said, "I second the motion."

Longshan Dutou Shi Can raised his hand and said, "I second the motion."

Yang Chengxian raised his hand and said, "I second the motion."

"Someone seconded the motion!" "..."

"Good!" Nangong Jianxin clapped his hands and praised: "With unity, great things can be accomplished! Wei Li, what should be the second plan for the expedition?"

Wei Li nodded and said, "In my opinion, the number of troops should not exceed 50,000. If the casualties are close to 50,000 and the Bian bandits are not pacified, then no more troops will be sent. In this way, we will not let down the emperor and the army. We will not lose the ability to protect ourselves and will be worthy of the blessings of the saints."

almost.

Chengde currently has 160,000 infantry, cavalry and militia troops.

Tuanlian. Needless to say, half peasant soldiers. But don't underestimate it. Although Chengde is at ease, the martial spirit has not declined. Since the middle Tang Dynasty, it has been a famous place for producing killing materials. Young men and women are used to riding horses, archery, and discussing military affairs. They keep training regularly and are able to fight. In later generations, they were able to deal with Li and Zhu for more than 40 years, relying on this. Xiao Wang also came from this background.

The regular infantry and cavalry troops numbered about 70,000.

If the population base is expanded, the total military strength can reach 300,000.

Zhen, Ji, Shen, Zhao sound strange, but Changshan, Zhuojun, Julu, Anping, Zhaojun sound familiar. In Changshan alone, there were 4.3 households in Kaiyuan and 1.8 households in Yuanhe. The population has recovered after more than 50 years of peace since Changqing, and it is likely to have surpassed. Last year, Wang Rong was defeated by Li Keyong, and he bought peace with money, and casually sold pieces of silk. The total population of the four states was million. In terms of economy, the only true god in the late Tang Dynasty. It is so arrogant.

It is also worth mentioning that Chengde is mainly composed of cavalry.

"After Xing was pacified, Keyong crossed the Yellow River to plan his advance to Shandong. When the Zhao army suddenly arrived, Keyong hid in the forest to escape."

"Keyong attacked Zhao and crossed the Hutuo River. The Zhao army led 100,000 cavalrymen to cross the Hutuo River at night and defeated them, killing 20,000 of them and seizing 300 pieces of armor. Keyong retreated to Luancheng."

It happened in the past two years.

What can I see?
There are many cavalrymen. They are strong in combat and can fight against Li Keyong's cavalry without losing. They have the ability to fight at night. They immediately joined the battle and won after "crossing the river at night", which shows that the horses have good physical strength, strong endurance, strict discipline, and the knights are well-nourished and do not suffer from night blindness. Their combat quality is online, not inferior to Shatuo.

The strength of Chengde cavalry lies, on the one hand, in its locational advantages. Jizhou is "surrounded by mountains and rivers, with open plains. It is the intersection of the north and the south, a battlefield for war and a strategic location." Secondly, there are many foreign generals such as the Xi people, Khitans, and Uighurs. Although they have been deeply sinicized, they still remember the Tang Dynasty and the barbarian fighting methods. The fact that the masses are accustomed to archery and horsemanship and the high quality of the soldiers are also a major factor.

Now that we have reached an agreement on “starting the expedition”, the rest will be easy.

As soon as someone asked who would guard Jingxing, Shi Can raised his hand. In this way, the candidates for guarding Yiding and Youzhou in the north, Xingming and Ci in the west, and Weizhou in the east were also decided. Those who nominated themselves voted by raising their hands as usual. Those who did not nominate themselves nominated themselves and debated for election. The commander of the army to defend the king, the number of troops to be sent out in the first batch, and the date of the expedition were decided by the Jiedushi.

The people of Zhao prided themselves on being loyal and filial, and only "guided" major policies.

"Everyone, I haven't finished what I want to say." Wei Li raised his hand to calm down his restlessness, and said, "The Marshal has just come of age, and he has a very bad temper. He is more benevolent than martial. When Ke Yong committed a crime, we all advocated war, but he advocated peace, so he used 500,000 pieces of silk to drive the Shatuo away. He is greedy for enjoyment, superstitious about Huang Lao, and always talks about doing nothing, just wanting to be at peace. From my understanding of the Marshal, he is afraid of the strength of the Zhu thief, and will most likely refuse to come to the king's aid, and instead send money and food to the emperor. I think we have to force the Marshal to resist Bian. "

Not everyone has the courage of a saint.

Wang Rong did not.

Moreover, at a young age, he was obsessed with eating elixirs, refining external elixirs, building foundations, and fasting. In order to cultivate immortality, he hired a group of Taoist priests and guests with a lot of money. He would stay in seclusion or travel, and would not show up or return home for ten days or half a month. He left all military and political affairs to the warriors to take care of, and would not ask about them unless necessary. Sometimes he played too much outside, and the staff and civil servants advised him not to move, and he often made a farce of "the soldiers came out" and "the soldiers were very angry". The warriors looked for him everywhere, and forced him to go home and go to work with knives.

Outrageous.

No big words.

The saint breaks the great defense.

What a waste of resources! If he had such loyal, filial, brave and high-quality role models, why would he worry about the injustice in the world?

"We have to force the Marshal." Li Honggui took the lead and said, "In today's chaotic times, the emperor, who is a king of ten thousand chariots, is still in danger of losing his throne. He has to face the arrows and stones, and work hard in the wind and rain. But the Marshal is obsessed with building palaces and gardens, raising monsters, and seeking the way to immortality. If this happened in Weizhou or Youzhou, his head would have been hung on the city gate for public display. In Bian Song, Wuning, and Cangzhou, the government troops have already cleared the evil around the Marshal..."

The soldiers knelt quietly in the hall, looking at him. As his speech became more outrageous, the soldiers began to discuss the matter.

"What is the Marshal doing?"

"Is a mere immortality more important than the prosperity and well-being of the soldiers and civilians of the four states?"

"What are we, the soldiers who are well-read in the books of sages and have abundant martial virtues, in the eyes of the Marshal? Aren't we more worthy of being approached than Taoist priests?"

"Supporting the Holy Tang is supporting ourselves. We and the emperor in Chang'an are like the princesses of the Zhou Dynasty and the royal family of Haojing. We should respect our neighbors, honor the imperial court, and serve the Li family. This is the last will and testament of the late king (Wang Jingchong, who was promoted to King of Changshan) before his death. It is unwise for the commander-in-chief to ignore such a simple truth. It is unfilial to ignore the admonitions of the late king."

"I heard the late king crying in the underworld."

"The spirit of the princess (Princess Shou'an, who married Chengde as mistress) can no longer rest in peace."

"The loyal soldiers of Chengde cannot continue to sit idly by and watch the young master fall."

"The Marshal behaved inappropriately."

"The story of the expedition to Dazhong, the uprising, the request for the Jiedushi to repent and reform."

At this time, the general Su Hanheng slammed the table and stood up: "Clear the general's side! Kill the evil Taoist! Please lead the general to attack Bian!"

"Boys, make some noise!" Lu Shizhen stood up suddenly and opened his arms.

The emotions were in place. The densely packed soldiers stood up at the same time, and the roar of unanimity was deafening, echoing in the Ancient Moon Palace: "Clear the general! Kill the demon! Please, general, take Bian!!"

……

Wang Rong's mother, Mrs. He, was an extremely strict woman. She would beat her children whenever they made mistakes.

Under her guidance, Wang Rong lived a dull life without worries or happiness. He was ignorant of worldly affairs and the evil of human hearts. He was not satisfied with the present and had no hope. He had always wanted to become an immortal. Later, Wang Jingchong died in his thirties because of taking the golden elixir. He also died of illness in her prime within two years. After the death of his parents, Wang Rong, who was unsealed, could not wait to release his nature as soon as he was sensible. Cultivation of immortality, start!

Under the lush bodhi tree beside the waterside pavilion.

Wang Rong, who has grown into a quiet, virtuous and handsome man, is concentrating on cultivating "Yuan Qi".

It’s almost time to build the foundation, so we can’t slack off.

When rustling footsteps were heard outside the Taoist temple, a round object was thrown from the wall into the middle of the courtyard, leaving a trail of blood. It was one of the Taoists gathered by Wang Rong.

Wang Rong, who heard the noise, was so upset after just one look.

"This this!"

"Who did it?"

"Someone, someone, go out and see what's going on. Call Li Honggui and Liang Fu."

"Where are the backyard troops?"

The one who answered him was a group of guards who were extremely respectful before but now were cold and ferocious. In the blink of an eye, the small Taoist temple was filled with people.

Wang Rong's face turned pale.

An officer walked out of the crowd, bowed, and said loudly: "Your Majesty, the soldiers are here to kill the evildoer, please don't worry!" After that, he helped Wang Rong up.

"You, you guys!" Wang Rong straightened his messy clothes and pointed at the guards: "The road of justice has been opened, the military is full of wise men, where did the evil people around me come from! Are you trying to learn from the Wei Bo dog and rebel against me? Tell me, who wants to usurp the throne."

The officer immediately crossed his arms and saluted, denying it: "Absolutely not! The evildoer has been brought to justice, and the soldiers have another military matter to report."

Wang Rong shook his sleeves, looking impatient: "Aren't military and political affairs left to you to handle? I won't listen, I won't listen."

"General, let's discuss how to defeat the thieves."

"What?" Wang Rong couldn't help but listen. He glared and scolded, "Nonsense! Zhu has hundreds of thousands of soldiers. The imperial court can't do anything even if they bring in Wei, Jin, Qi, Yan, Yun, Xiang, and Xia... Forget about sending troops. The Shatuo are eyeing us covetously. If we lose, the four states will be lost. I will pay tribute with a batch of wealth and goods, 500,000 pieces of silk and 200,000 shi of grain, to show my gratitude and relieve your worries."

"No, no!" The guards took a step forward at the same time and shouted in unison.

Wang Rong was so angry that he raised his finger and scolded him: "You... let me ask you, if you lose the battle and Li Keyong takes advantage of the situation to attack, how can you resist? It's absurd... and you are carrying weapons and armor, what do you want to do? If I don't obey, will you kill me?"

"I won't rebel! I won't rebel! But please fight against the traitors!" The guards shook their heads and knelt on one knee. As a representative, Lu Shizhen held Wang Rong's feet and cried, "The Han and the traitors cannot coexist, and the king's cause cannot be half-hearted. Respecting the emperor and fighting against the traitors is what the three armies wish for. Please, Marshal... take charge of the situation!"

"To honor the emperor and punish the traitor, please ask the Marshal to take charge of the situation--" In the heavy snow, the guards held their heads high and shouted in unison.

Judge Zhou Shi rushed over after hearing the news and stood in front of Wang Rong, blaming Li Honggui, Nangong Jianxin and others: "This is already an insult to the lord. Take the soldiers away quickly. It is natural for the princes to serve the king, but this is a serious matter and we need to think carefully."

"The enemy is as powerful as fire, and there is no time to lose. The people are united in their will, who dares to disobey? The emperor must punish the traitors, and today is the day." Li Honggui pointed at the indignant soldiers and spread his hands.

"Today!" The soldiers stepped forward together again.

Wang Rong was so angry that he was shaking all over. Suddenly, he took off the lotus crown and threw it heavily: "I——"

But his attention was diverted and he forgot to continue. At the entrance of the Taoist temple, a group of crying Taoist priests and beautiful nuns were "helped" in by the soldiers. There were also refined elixirs, various scriptures, and magic tools, which were stuffed into boxes in a mess, carried on the shoulders of the guards, and then placed on the ground.

"My lord, save me!" a Taoist cried out.

"Wow..." The nun's eyes were blurred with tears, and a branch of pear blossoms was wet with rain.

Wang Rong was not stupid. When he saw these people, he understood instantly.

He turned around a few times with his hands behind his back.

Look at this, look at that.

I looked at the priceless instruments and scriptures, the freshly made elixirs...

Stomped his feet.

His heart softened in the end, not surprisingly. He didn't care about money. He didn't care about power. It would be best if he had it, but it wouldn't matter if he didn't have it. But without it... there was no hope for him to become an immortal. It would be better for him to die!

Seeing this, the guards took advantage of the situation and launched a final offensive: "Respect the emperor and punish the traitors! Please ask the commander-in-chief to take charge of the situation!!!"

"It should be...like this..." Wang Rong said listlessly.

For the sake of cultivation, she had to defile her body in the secular world and endure the humiliation of paperwork and mundane affairs. Wasn't that the same as a prostitute who sold her body to supplement her difficult life? Thinking of this, she felt even more sad. With her back to the army, in the sound of falling snow, she hid her face deeply in her long sleeves, like a princess forced to marry, and cried softly.

"What are you still standing there for? Escort the Marshal back to his residence." Wang Zimei waved her hand.

Everyone rushed forward, took Wang Rong to the prepared red sedan chair, and carried him to the mansion in great joy.

It seems that another vassal state is about to fall.

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(End of this chapter)