Chapter 112: Clouds are turning on all sides, and winds are blowing from all over the world
After Jia Sidao returned to the imperial city, the imperial guards returned to their posts. He himself also got off the carriage and went straight to the palace. When he arrived outside the imperial garden, he met Dong Songchen.
Dong Songchen has a broad face, thick white eyebrows, and frost-colored hair. The skin on his face is plump and shiny, with not many wrinkles visible.
He is slightly chubby, wrapped in a brocade robe, with a jade belt around his waist and a fly whisk in his hand. However, the whole person does not appear bloated, but instead appears stocky and powerful.
When people first meet him, they will think that he is a kind-hearted old man with a strong body and a kind heart.
"The official is accompanying the two empresses to enjoy flowers and tea. It's inconvenient for you to go in at this time. Please wait for half an hour before reporting."
Dong Songchen took Jia Sidao around the Imperial Garden. At the main entrance, he entered a warm pavilion and said with a smile, "Kuang You might as well tell me what the outcome of today's dispute between Gutang and Fuyao Mountain will be."
Of course, it is impossible for an ordinary servant to find an excuse to leave when the emperor is enjoying himself, but Dong Song. The status of ministers is quite different.
As early as when the emperor was first selected by Shi Miyuan and sent to the palace, Dong Songchen was already with him and was extremely senior.
In the first ten years, when the emperor was working hard to revitalize the emperor, there were many remnants of the Jin Kingdom and Mongolian assassins who came to assassinate him. Thanks to Dong Songchen's dedicated efforts, he protected the people around him and saved him many times.
He also relied on his martial arts skills to allow the emperor to secretly communicate with left prime minister Fan Zhong and others many times, and gradually seized power from Shi Miyuan's gang members.
In recent years, the emperor indulged in pleasure, and the left prime minister Fan Zhong and others repeatedly advised him, which made the emperor bored. Dong Songchen was the only one who was still considerate and made everything go as he wished.
The emperor wanted to go to the Forbidden Garden to enjoy the lotus flowers, but there was no pavilion to cover the sun. Dong Songchen figured it out and built a pavilion within one day, which made the emperor feel that he was very capable and praised him greatly.
In winter, the emperor went to appreciate the plum blossoms again, and Dong Songchen had built a pavilion in the plum garden in advance.
Perhaps the emperor still had some clarity in his mind and blamed him for wasting the people and money and wasting the treasury. However, Dong Songchen said that he did not build another snow pavilion, but just moved the summer pavilion here. Just slightly modified.
Such words were really funny, and the emperor actually laughed. He happily deceived himself and others, and trusted Dong Songchen even more afterwards.
Today, Dong Songchen is in charge of the Imperial Ancestral Temple, the Office of Correspondence to the State, the Armory Storehouse, the Hanlin Academy, and the Office of Compilation of Imperial Orders. The importance covers both inside and outside the palace, and can legitimately intervene in civil and military affairs.
With such an identity, let alone leaving for a while while the emperor was having fun, even if he said in front of the emperor that he had something to do and wanted to go back first, the emperor would not blame him.
In fact, this warm pavilion was specially given to Dong Songchen by the emperor, so that he could rest here instead of waiting in the imperial garden.
In the Nuan Pavilion, there is smoke from the small stove, the aroma is lingering, the red sandalwood tables and chairs, and the wooden frame of the screen are all the first-class expenses in the palace. There are paintings and calligraphy in the porcelain jar, and there is a mahogany sword hanging on the wall. .
A young eunuch had already prepared fragrant tea and was waiting for Dong Songchen and Jia Sidao to sit down.
Dong Songchen naturally sat at the main seat. After tasting two sips of tea, he felt content with himself. He took a tangerine that was heated by the stove and peeled it.
His city is deep and his determination is high. As early as when Ding Daquan proposed to summon Zhang and Su, he had already guessed the follow-up development. As for the fight that took place not far from the palace today, Nothing to be surprised about.
No matter how the two major gangs argue, there is no reason to attack the palace. As long as the palace is stable, the situation will be under control.
However, as Jia Sidao succinctly talked about the process and results of this dispute.
Dong Songchen's hand peeling the oranges stopped unconsciously.
"Zheng Dao... is dead?"
Dong Songchen slowed down and looked down at the orange in his hand, as if this delicious little gadget had suddenly become something. Something he didn't recognize.
"That Su Hanshan, before killing Zheng Dao, also killed a master at the master level alone?"
Jia Sidao also looked a little strange: "Yes, I see that Human means should be The sect leader of the old Tang Sect, Demon Dragon Tang Hun, is a true master. Although he may not have broken through for a long time, his Qi veins are incredibly long. Almost from the beginning to the end, his internal strength has remained at 100% of its peak state."
"However, after Su Hanshan exploded with all his strength, he was always at a disadvantage until he was beaten to death by Su Hanshan."
"In addition, Zheng Dao seemed to show signs of attacking the master at the last moment, but he still If he fails, he will die at the hands of Su Hanshan."
Dong Songchen murmured: "Could it be that he is really a descendant of the Xunlong Sword Sect, except for the founder Lai Buyi? Apart from this, no one in the history of his descendants is likely to have such a record."
Jia Sidao said: "If he is really a member of the Xunlong Sword Sect, he has finally found an origin. He has no sympathy for Lai Buyi's old mansion, and his palm skills are really very different from those of the Xunlong Sword Sect."
"There is no way to control him. This is the most difficult thing. ”
A master in the world, no matter which country he comes from, must have a lot of deeds to find, and must have something he cares about, such as power, achievements, family sect, etc.
Being able to find out the origin and background of the other party makes it easier to analyze their mentality, mediate with them, and even use them.
However, when Su Hanshan first appeared, he had already killed all the masters and disciples of Leng Youming, overwhelming the elites of the Kuanggu Third Hall and the seven factions of the Xiangfu.
Now in just over a month, his strength has improved by leaps and bounds, and he has defeated a master-level master who is in good condition.
It seems that the news about him is that he is either killing people or on the way to kill people. There is too little that can be analyzed.
"It's okay."
Dong Songchen said these two words slowly, then peeled off the remaining pieces of the orange, stuffed it into his mouth one by one, and chewed it.
Jia Sidao understood, nodded and smiled: "Fortunately now, it's not our turn to face this big trouble."
"He wants to go tit-for-tat with Kuang Gutang, Xiangfu and other forces. The ones who should have the biggest headache are Shi Miyuan and Zhao Lizong. We sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight. In the process, we can always slowly figure them out. "
Dong Songchen couldn't help but laugh: "The Prime Minister has always been good at planning. Even people like Meng Zhaoxuan and Li Qiumian used to do this to him when they were young, for the sake of fighting and doing business. The system is too soft, and now in this situation, I can finally see the headache that this old prime minister looks like.”
Just as they were talking, a little eunuch came silently outside, bent down, and handed over a book.
“Oh?”
Dong Songchen opened it and said in surprise, “The prime minister actually took the initiative to invite the official family out for fun?”
Jia Sidao asked curiously : "Could it be that Shi Miyuan wants to completely surrender to the officials to resist the current situation?"
"It's not that Prime Minister."
Dong Songchen said, "It's the left prime minister, Fan Zhong. Haha, Mr. Fan is more than seventy years old, and he is only a few years younger than Mr. Shi. After all, he has matured with age and is well versed in human nature."
" In recent years, he has repeatedly been in memorials The officials were impatient with admonishing them. It seems that he has noticed it and finally figured out a different method."
Jia Sidao smiled: "He will do it again. No matter what, in the hearts of officials, he is not as good as Dong Gong. "
Dong Songchen sighed: "The official family is like this now, and those who are our ministers are the best. In the first ten years, the official family worked hard, and it was difficult for us to reap the benefits. , unlike in the past few years, everything If you wish, the chicken and the dog will ascend to heaven."
"At this age, Mr. Fan should have recognized the situation long ago and sought some benefits for himself. He just keeps doing it and makes everyone unhappy. Why bother."< br>
Jia Sidao was deeply convinced and said: "This group of people are suffering every day, worrying about the country and the people, as if the Song Dynasty will be destroyed tomorrow if they leave them. In fact, with the current situation of the Song Dynasty, Our generation enjoys enjoyment, but it will ruin the overall situation. What?"
"But..."
Jia Sidao changed the subject, "This time Meng Zhaoxuan comes back, whether it is himself, Fan Zhong, Li Qiumian and others, or even the officials. , we must find a cure for him "
"The dignified Marshal Meng has friends all over the world and enemies all over the world. Those who are not willing to let him live longer will definitely not miss this opportunity. There will be a big storm in Lin'an City."
“Dong Sir, it would be best if we can reap the benefits afterwards. If we cannot have the best of both worlds, we must at least protect the official family and stabilize the palace. Otherwise, if the government is in chaos, it will not be convenient for us to enjoy in the future. "
Dong Songchen greatly agreed.
"I am responsible for the affairs inside the palace. You have to worry about some of the imperial troops outside the palace."
Dong Songchen looked into the distance and said leisurely, "I don't know what happened. Who will catch up with this strong wind and waves?”
…………
A hundred miles outside Lin’an Mansion, a large ship is sailing in the strong wind.
There are two kinds of flags hanging on the ship, one of which is embroidered with green clouds, which is the flag of Kongmeng Pavilion in the East China Sea.
The other flag is embroidered with five auspicious clouds and five tigers. The five tigers form a circle. In the circle is a strange beast's face that looks like a glutton or an elephant. It is solemn and ancient, with an angry and majestic look.
That is the flag that represents Chen Shouzhi, the top master of Annan Kingdom and the emperor's uncle.
In the past twenty years, when these two flags appeared together on the sea, the bandits on the East China Sea Islands all stopped and let them go safely.
"White gulls are flying in the blue sky..." On the bow of the boat, there is a white-clothed Confucian scholar wearing a square scarf. He has a thin face and five long beards. He is meticulous. His clothes are slightly fluttering in the wind. He looks up at the sky and observes. water surface.
“Although this place is different from the beautiful scenery on the sea, it also has a unique flavor. The smoke from cooking on both sides of the strait is particularly touching. Isn’t it not far from Lin’an?”
Shen Weiran was wearing a purple-red embroidered robe. The man with a broad forehead and big ears, with a beard as red as iron, was adjusting the strings of his piano in the cabin. Hearing the words, he looked out and said with a smile, "I also went there many times back then." A great master who has passed through Lin'an, has such a bad memory?"
Chen Shouzhi turned sideways and smiled: "When I was young, I was not an imperial uncle. I admired the cultural heritage of the Song Dynasty and traveled alone. I was not so majestic. Taking a fleet to Lin'an, the route is very different."
As he spoke, he looked at the people on the shore again and felt a little emotional.
"But even if we take the same route, the scenery we see will probably be very different. The cityscape along the way is much more prosperous than what I saw back then."
When Chen Shouzhi came to the Southern Song Dynasty, it was the When the previous emperor was ignorant and useless, Shi Miyuan took control of the government and sued for peace with the Jin Kingdom without a bottom line. Many of his own party members also wanted to amass money. The demand for money was simply astronomical.
It was too slow to oppress the people by taxation and other means alone, so Shi Miyuan began to issue "Huizi" on a large scale.
Huizi is a kind of paper currency that was originally issued in the early years of the Southern Song Dynasty. It also had a tendency to depreciate, but fortunately, it was saved by the then Emperor Xiaozong.
However, after Shi Miyuan came to power, he stipulated that people were not allowed to use Huizi to exchange gold, silver, and copper coins with the government, but were only allowed to exchange between new and old Huizi, and the old Huizi was discounted by half.
At the craziest time, the government issued 140 million Guanhuizi in a short period of time, causing the currency to be flooded, the currency value to fall, prices to soar, and the people to live in dire straits.
Chen Shouzhi once exchanged his money for a few times, only to find that every time the thing went out of a county, the price would drop again, which made him unforgettable for the rest of his life.
But in the past ten years, the value of Huizi has rebounded and stabilized. Even though there has been a war on the border, there has been no more random printing and issuing.
Chen Shouzhi was deeply impressed by this, and he imitated and implemented certain political orders of the Southern Song Dynasty in recent years in Annan many times.
"In the past few years, the imperial court has indeed done a good job, but people's hearts are changeable and the emperor's heart is perishable. Once the top is rotten, the top is like rolling rocks, floods and avalanches. When it gets worse, it is worse than revitalizing the country. “More.”
Shen Weiran walked out of the cabin with Qin in his arms and sighed, "Sometimes I envy you. Although Annan Kingdom is just a corner of the country, deep in the mountains and swamps and jungles, there will not be so much external pressure. If it is managed internally, it will be It's easier."
< br>"You were just a concubine back then, but after you returned as a master, the whole country was unstoppable. You were worshiped as the emperor's uncle and gave guidance on the government. How comfortable it was!"
Chen Shouzhi shook his head: "We also have us. Difficulties, Mongolia was defeated for more than 40 years , if the Song Dynasty is unstable, will their troops retreat without a fight at the Annan border?"
"Annan inherited the Han culture from the Qin and Han Dynasties, and it can be said that it has the same ancestors as the Song Dynasty? They are also very similar in martial arts. I am especially fond of Marshal Meng. He sincerely admires, if the emperor is really corrupt, at least we must find a way to let Marshal Meng continue for a few more years."
After listening, Shen Weiran plucked the strings lightly and remained silent for a long time. There is a gentle tone scattered in the wind.
“I hope we can be of some help.”
…………
On the water, when the Donghai Kongmengge fleet sailed towards Lin’an, there was also a fleet on the shore. A team of hundreds of people, each riding a horse and escorting a carriage, went in the same direction as the fleet.
Most of the people in this convoy are dressed as monks in yellow, but all of them have strong muscles and skilled equestrian skills. They have been riding horses for many days. They are still breathing smoothly and have rosy complexions. It is obvious that they have martial arts skills. Not shallow.
A monk saw the flag of the fleet from a distance and came close to the carriage.
"National Master, the water seems to be from Donghai Kongmeng Pavilion and Annan Kingdom. They should also be rushing to Lin'an. Do you want to say hello?"
The curtain on the side of the carriage opened, revealing an old monk with eyebrows. The beards were very sparse, the skin was loose, and the body was like an old tree, but the eyes were very good. Looking at the water from a distance, he recognized the two people on the bow.
"The portraits of those two people have been seen by poor monks. They should be Shen Weiran, the master of Kongmeng Pavilion, and Chen Shouzhi, the emperor's uncle of Annan. It would be good to go with them."
The old monk stepped out of the carriage and didn't move much. His body had moved sideways and landed on the water.
The river is surging and its surface is vast.
The old monk, who was wearing red and yellow monk robes, only tapped his toes on the water twice before he had already crossed half of the river and floated to the bow of the boat.
Shen Weiran also felt something and turned to look.
Chen Shouzhi took a closer look and suddenly smiled: "Dali Dragon Tea Monk, I haven't seen you for ten years!"
…………
Deep in the mountains , the old black carriage moved slowly.
Dozens of strong men, like bodyguards, were walking in the mountains.
After crossing the vast jungle again and reaching the official road, the driver immediately reported inside the car.
"Prince Zong, General, if we go further, we will go deep into the territory of the Song people."
Someone in the carriage hummed.
After a while, the man spoke.
"I want to end my relationship with Meng Zhaoxuan. After the Battle of Bashu, he made me unable to see a sword for several years. I didn't dare to command the army. It was a great shame and humiliation. If I can't clear it up, I won't be able to do it even if I wait a hundred years." "I am willing."
"But the prince is of high status. Now is the time to control the overall situation in the capital, lest the kings who disobey the Queen Mother and the new Khan take the opportunity to stir up undercurrents. Why come here to risk yourself? "
The voice of the second person in the car sounded even older. , but also more vigorous. After hearing this, he smiled.
“Our Mongolian territory is large enough. Even if the kings are restless, they will not really use their weapons now.”
“But after Ogedai Khan died, In the past few years, Meng Zhaoxuan has repeatedly led small groups of elites to roam around Yuzhou and other places, coming and going like the wind, and they are invincible. "
"I think many generals in Yuzhou and other places are already frightened by him. If we continue like this, there will be no guarantee that there will be any big changes."
The king of that sect sighed softly, "I can survive until Today, thanks to Ogedai Khan's generous collection of treasures from the national treasury, I still can't survive much longer."
"Before I die, rather than waste time in the capital. It is better to go find my sworn brother and ensure that he goes to hell with me."
"On the contrary, it is you, General Shi, you are one of the few masters, a rare talent in Mongolia, and now you are here again. You should look back only after you have completely gotten rid of the fear he left you. There is a lot to do in the future."
Both the king and the general fell silent, knowing that they could not persuade each other.
"Ha!"
After a while, Shi Tianze laughed and said, "After I kill Meng Zhaoxuan, I want to return to Mongolia. Who can chase me or stop me?"
"Zong King, if you are alive then , I will escort you back, and if you die, I will also take your remains back to the capital for burial."
The king said happily: "General, you are so heroic." br>
"The two commanders who destroyed our country in the past were Tacha'er, the Mongolian sect king, and Meng Zhaoxuan, a native of the Song Dynasty."
In the mountains of western Guangdong, there should have been snakes, insects, rats, and ants, and hundreds of species of miscellaneous ones. land.
When this loud voice sounded today, all the poisonous snakes and birds within a two-mile radius were silent and did not dare to move.
The man who had been with them in the jungle for many years looked like the most common woodcutter in the past, with messy hair, high brown eyes, a wide nose, a beard like iron, a sackcloth on his body, and bare arms. With.
Today, he released his momentum without any scruples, which was completely different from before.
"Young Master, Tachar, this old man, was said to have died of illness a few years ago, which made Wo Kuotai cry for him. He can't wait for us to take revenge, but Meng Zhaoxuan is still here."
"It is said that he is seriously ill now, and he dares to leave his military camp and return to Lin'an. It is because of his Seeking death. "
"Young Master, you have accomplished your magic, so we will kill Meng Zhaoxuan as the beginning of our restoration of the country."
The crimson robe sitting on the big rock. The young man's murderous intention and ambition were also aroused by the woodcutter's words.
"Okay, let's do what you said, Uncle Hengshan. If the big handle is in my hand and the breeze is all over the world, I have long wanted to stand on the top of the mountain and overlook the scenery of the West Lake and Lin'an Palace."
In the jungle, more than two thousand people dressed as traders and porters dispersed into the town following orders. Without anyone noticing, they gathered towards Lin'an City like a trickle.
(End of this chapter)