In Xiqi City, in the Prime Minister's Mansion.
The generals were mournful, the officials were gloomy, King Wu was at the top, and the ministers were silent.
This was the first time that Xiqi suffered such a defeat. Not only did the army suffer heavy losses, but even six of King Wen's highnesses were killed. The defeat was simply a complete defeat.
However, now it is not just as simple as defeat, Xiqi will have to face an increasingly dangerous dilemma.
Everyone knew that if they could not respond in time this time, the Yin Shang army would rush into the city sooner or later, and Shen Xin's sword would be brought down on them without hesitation.
No one even had a chance to escape.
The outside of Xiqi City has long been surrounded and airtight, and even birds flying in the sky cannot escape.
Although Ji Fa looked calm at the moment, he was extremely anxious in his heart. After today's battle, Xiqi had no strength to fight anymore, and even Prime Minister Jiang had lost all his confidence.
Faced with such a dilemma, he actually didn't know what to do. He sighed and asked the ministers below:
"Gu Su knew that Shen Xin was extremely wise and brave. Today's defeat has made his reputation even greater. The three armies were defeated, the generals were killed, and the soldiers were defeated. What if he leads his troops to attack Xiqi?"
"Do you have any good advice, ministers?"
After Ji Fa asked, the surrounding ministers looked at each other, then bowed their heads silently.
Good strategy? Do they have any good ideas?
Little did he know that there were all those monks with high cultivation outside the city. Even Prime Minister Jiang had been defeated, and the others were unable to recover.
The atmosphere in the Prime Minister's Mansion was gloomy for a while.
Ji Fa looked at Jiang Ziya who had not yet come to his senses, sighed in his heart, and was about to continue speaking, but suddenly he saw someone stepping out in a hurry.
The sound of rapid footsteps echoed in the hall. The man passed by the officials. His wrinkled face looked anxious, and his gray hair seemed to have no time to take care of.
He shook his robe, bowed deeply to Ji Fa, and prostrated himself on the ground.
He muttered in a low voice:
"Don't worry, my lord, I have a way to keep Xiqi safe."
"Oh? What can I do? Doctor, please tell me quickly!"
Ji Fa looked forward and his tone was a little urgent. It turned out that this person's name was Tai Dian. He was one of the Four Wise and Eight Horsemen of Xiqi. He was quite old and very famous.
He is also an old minister left by King Wen Jichang to assist Zuo Jifa, representing the aristocratic families in the city. So what this person says is extremely important.
"The Beauty of the Sun and the Moon"
Tai Dian pondered for a moment, then seemed to make up his mind and whispered:
"My lord, now Shen Xin has an army of one hundred thousand. In the name of great righteousness, he sends out Chaoge's troops to conquer all directions. This is the king's order."
"The only people in Xiqi who can resist Shen Xin are the soldiers in the city. Now that Shen Xin has won a great victory, our army has suffered heavy losses and is now invincible."
"It is a foolish plan to accept surrender, which is the best way to protect Xiqi."
As soon as these words came out, the eyes of many Xiqi officials lit up and they stared at Tai Dian thoughtfully.
This seems to be a good idea. If we can't defeat them, we can surrender. After all, we are all subjects of the Shang Dynasty, and we have not really launched an army to rebel.
If we surrender in advance, it is better than losing the city and destroying both the enemy and the enemy.
Furthermore, Shen Xin loved his people like his own son and had a very good reputation. Surrendering to him would probably save Xiqi's vast wealth.
Thinking of this, many civil servants and noble families in Xiqi expressed their approval and support.
"My lord, Tai Dian's words are in line with God's will."
"We are merchant ministers. Why are we rebelling? It is better to send envoys, pay more tributes, and apologize to Chaoge."
"Your Majesty is kind and Dr. Shen is loyal. He will not embarrass us."
After hearing this, Ji Fa silently tapped his fingers on the eucalyptus, silently, and even more hesitant in his eyes.
He didn't expect that the solution Tai Dian said was to give up Na Shen Xin, and he didn't know how to answer it for a moment.
In fact, Ji Fa was a little shaken by the words of the Manchu civil servants. Now Shen Xin's army was pressing on the border and Xiqi was defeated.
If you choose not to surrender, the city will be destroyed and people will die, and this ancestral inheritance will be destroyed in your own hands.
But if he surrenders, Ji Fa's ambition has not been fulfilled, and he is depressed. He is unwilling to inherit his father's ambition and achieve great success in this troubled world.
After thinking about it again and again, it's really a bit difficult.
Tai Dian continued: "My Lord, there is no need to be suspicious. If the letter is surrendered, the people of Xiqi will be safe, and the people in the city will be spared the suffering of the sword, and the foundation of Qishan will be preserved."
Before Tai Dian could finish speaking, he was interrupted by someone rushing to his side.
"Hmph! This statement is unreasonable!"
Another person walked out from the group of ministers. This person had a white face and a long beard, and he was elegant. He waved his sleeves and robes in front of Tai Dian and shouted loudly, and he cupped his hands towards Ji Fa.
"My lord, Tai Dian and others advised my lord to call off the war and advocate for surrender. This is all to protect the family's wealth and for their own purposes. I hope your lord will not listen to it."
Seeing that Ji Fa was still pondering, San Yisheng stood up urgently. He was the only one among the civil servants who was worried about Xiqi. How could he not know what those aristocratic families were thinking.
He quickly advised:
"My lord, don't hesitate. Xiqi is not in a desperate situation now. It still has the strength to fight, so we must not surrender!"
Before San Yisheng could finish his words, he received support from many generals including Nangong Shi.
The warriors are simple-minded and loyal. Their loyalty is to Xiqi, not to Yin and Shang, so it is impossible to surrender without a fight.
With the addition of Nangong Shi and others, there was a huge quarrel in the entire Prime Minister's Mansion. The military generals all wanted to take the lead in the battle, while the civilian officials all wanted to take the lead in surrender. Everyone was talking about it and saying different things.
Don't want to give in to each other.
Ji Fa stroked his forehead. He was so distracted by the noise from everyone that he couldn't make up his mind for the moment.
He was about to look for Jiang Ziya, but at some point, he disappeared. He had to wave his hands and said helplessly:
"Please step aside for now and let me think twice."
After that, Ji Fa ignored the noisy ministers and returned to the palace alone.
But even after returning to the palace, he could still feel the fear among the soldiers and servants.
Xiqi's defeat is not a secret at all. Now it has spread throughout the city, and everyone's face is clearly panicked.
Ji Fa felt restless and hesitant for a while after seeing this.
Seeing Ji Fa like this, his mother, Taisi, hurried over to visit. After hesitating for a moment, she asked:
"What do you care about, my son? Why do you think that after returning from the Prime Minister's Mansion, you don't think about food and tea, and don't sleep or eat?"
"Mother!"
Ji Fa saw his mother arriving in confusion, and quickly lowered his head to say hello. Then he couldn't bear to hide it, sighed, and replied carefully:
"Now that Shen Xin's military power is strong, he will break through the city soon. He will ask the officials for advice. There are those who want to surrender and some who want to fight."
"If we continue the decisive battle, we are afraid that the city will be destroyed and people will die; if we wait for the surrender, we will lose hundreds of years of Xiqi's foundation, so we are hesitant."
After hearing this, Taisi nodded, pondered for a moment, held Ji Fa's hand tightly, and said comfortingly:
"It's just a small thing, why don't you remember your father's last words?"
"kindness?"
Ji Fa looked at his mother fiercely, and was stunned for a moment. He suddenly thought of something and patted his forehead. He woke up from a drunken moment, like waking up from a dream.
Yes, his father left a message before he died.
Tai Si smiled and said: "You idiot, your father once said before his death: If you are not sure about internal affairs, you can ask Manager Huang, and if you are not sure about foreign affairs, you should ask Prime Minister Jiang."
"Why don't you ask the Prime Minister to ask you now?"
Ji Fa was overjoyed when he heard this. He was about to turn around in a hurry, but suddenly stopped and said doubtfully:
"But mother, today in the Prime Minister's Mansion, when the ministers were discussing, the Prime Minister suddenly disappeared. What can I do?"
Tai Si knocked Ji Fa's head, seeming to explain and remind:
"Idiot, the Prime Minister may have a plan to defeat the enemy. There are many people in the Prime Minister's Mansion at that time, so it must be impossible to say anything. If you go alone at night, you will definitely gain something."
Ji Fa suddenly realized.
"That's it, that's it."
As the saying goes, being anxious leads to chaos. Although Ji Fa is young and mature, he has never encountered such a major event related to Xiqi's life and death.
He looked flustered when he was anxious, but now he calmed down after hearing his mother's words and began to think about the situation in the prime minister's house.
Yes, Prime Minister Jiang is a god. Although he has been defeated by Shen Xin several times, how can he admit defeat so easily.
He didn't speak in the hall, probably because he had his own thoughts.
Thinking of this, Ji Fa quickly arranged his clothes and thanked his mother.
Then he waited until dark and went straight to the Prime Minister's Mansion with only two or three followers without any guards.
Outside the Prime Minister's Mansion, no one seemed to be watching, but a few children were standing there talking in low voices and discussing things.
There were vague words like "adopted father... doing a good job... keep up the good work."
Before Ji Fa could get closer to hear clearly, he saw those people suddenly looking at him warily, with a fierce look in their eyes. If he didn't have weapons in his hands at this moment, he had no doubt that the other party would directly attack him.
He was instantly startled
After a few people saw Ji Fa's face clearly, the leader, the boy with a towering hairdo, waved his hand, and the other two people hurriedly left.
However, Ji Fa didn't pay much attention at the moment, but asked:
"I wonder where the Prime Minister is?"
The kid curled his lips and said unceremoniously:
"We don't know where my uncle is. Only my uncle's will is to prevent anyone except King Wu from entering."
Ji Fa shook his head and left the servant outside the door, entered the Prime Minister's Mansion alone, and then sighed with emotion that children nowadays are so rude.
As old as he is, Gu has already read various classics and history books and learned etiquette.
Forget it, if you don't want to be polite, then you won't be polite. Ji Fa didn't worry about anything.
After all, he couldn't beat it.
But Ji Fa remembered that the children just now seemed to be the prime minister's nephews, and they seemed to be named Jin Zha, Mu Zha, and Nezha.
By the way, a question arises. Why are the three brothers called Nezha instead of Shuizha?
Thinking of this, Ji Fa smiled, walked through several gates, and finally stopped in front of a waterside pavilion.
I saw Jiang Ziya chatting and laughing with an elegant young man by the pond.
Ji Fa stood behind the two of them for a long time. When he saw that the two of them were still talking to themselves and seemed to have no pause, he slowly said:
"Is the Prime Minister happy?"
Jiang Ziya seemed to have just heard the sound. He hurriedly looked back and saw that it was Ji Fa. He hurried to the emperor and bowed down in the tunnel:
"I didn't know that my lord was coming, and I deserve death!"
After saying that, the elegant young man beside him also saluted Ji.
Ji Fa didn't care about this at the moment. He quickly helped Jiang Ziya and asked the doubts in his heart today:
"Currently, all the Chinese, civil and military officials are in quarrel over whether to surrender to trade. Why doesn't Xiangfu come forward to make a final decision?"
Jiang Ziya laughed loudly when he heard this, helped Ji Fa sit down in the court, and said disdainfully:
"What everyone said is very misleading, Lord, and cannot be trusted."
"Everyone can surrender to Shang, but the Lord cannot surrender."
Ji Fa was puzzled and asked: "What did your father-in-law say?"
Jiang Ziya said solemnly: "If Tai Dian and others surrender to the Shang Dynasty, then they should return to Xiqi. They will be tired of their official positions, so they will not lose their wealth and status."
"My lord surrendered to Shang, do you want to return to a safe place? I thought about the princes in the four towns, but they only ended up killing one of them, trapped or imprisoned, how could they ever return to Xiqi!"
"Everyone's opinions are for his own benefit, so don't listen to them. My lord, you should have firm confidence. Destiny lies in the west."
After hearing Jiang Ziya's words, Ji Fa pondered for a moment, his brows instantly relaxed, and then he said:
"When I heard my father's words, I suddenly became enlightened. Everyone started talking about it and was disappointed. Only my father-in-law had the same opinion as me."
"I'm so lucky to have my father-in-law by my side, Xiqi!"
Although Ji Fa's doubts were cleared, he still looked anxious.
"But what will happen to the army outside the city? With the help of the four generals of the Demon Family, Shen Xin may be too powerful to withstand the enemy."
Jiang Ziya waved his hand and said with a smile:
"Shen Xin besieged Xiqi, and I didn't know how safe I was. I didn't mean to find some leisure, but came to see someone who could defeat the enemy."
"The people Shen Xin relies on are just the four generals of the Demon family, and the four generals of the Demon family rely on the magic weapon in their hands."
"I have a plan to defeat the enemy, but it needs someone who is good at changing. Because I haven't found the person yet, I have thought about it well. Why should your Majesty be worried?"
Ji Fa asked: "Can the Prime Minister find the person who can defeat the enemy?"
Jiang Ziya waved his hand:
"Far away in the horizon, close in front of us, this is Yang Jian, my nephew, the old minister. If he is here, Shen Xin shouldn't worry about it!"
"oh?"
"who?"
Ji Fa suddenly looked up, and finally looked carefully at the young man in Taoist robes.
There was a subtle and imperceptible sound, the breeze blew through the water pavilion, and the figure in front of him moved slightly, Ji Fa felt his eyes blurred.
A man wearing a brocade robe with the same face and no difference at all was slowly walking towards him.
As the figure approached, "Ji Fa" said slightly: "Poor Yang Jian, I have met King Wu."
"This this……"
"you……"
Ji Fa was surprised and happy to see this person who was exactly the same as himself, and it was difficult to tell the real from the fake.
After being amazed and shocked for a long time, he couldn't help but say:
"My father-in-law has a chance for unforeseen events!"
Yang Jian smiled slightly and canceled the change at will. Ji Fa was still in a state of disbelief.
Jiang Ziya waved his hand:
"The former king entrusted me with the lord's entrustment, and I dare not neglect him day and night."
"All the officials in Xiqi do not know the wonders of Taoism. Although Shen Xin won for a while, it will not last long."
"When I learned that my nephew's Taoism was magical, I already had an idea. Since the Yin and Shang Dynasty won this battle, they must be rampant and unsuspecting."
"I sent Yang Jian to secretly lurk in the Yin Shang camp to get a glimpse of the military situation and steal magic weapons. We only need to deal with the four generals of the Demon family, so why should Shen Xin worry?"
"But I didn't get the stolen treasure before, so I am hesitant. Why bother, my lord, to come?"
Ji Fa suddenly realized, his face was overjoyed, and then he couldn't help but replied:
"It was my mother who asked me to come to see my father-in-law. Now that I hear my father-in-law's words, it's like waking up from a dream. No need to worry!"
Jiang Ziya nodded with a smile, unable to comment, and after drinking tea with Ji Fa, he personally sent Ji Fa to his house.
Seeing him getting on the imperial chariot and returning to the court with the support of his entourage, Jiang Ziya chuckled at Yang Jian and said:
"Our Lord of Xiqi is not a simple person. He has a lofty strategy and a deep mind. He has already made a decision in his heart, but he still pretends to be hesitant."
Yang Jian on the side also laughed after hearing this: "Isn't this what Uncle Master agrees with?"
"Since ancient times, if emperors were simple-minded, how could they achieve great success in troubled times?"
Hearing this, Jiang Ziya stroked his beard and laughed loudly: "He who knows me is my nephew!"
The two just looked at each other.
After a long time, Jiang Ziya stopped laughing, his eyes suddenly darkened, and he murmured to himself outside the city:
"Shen Xin, I have found the spy you were hiding in Xiqi City."
"I didn't expect it to be hidden so deeply, and I didn't expect that even a third-generation veteran of Xiqi, the one who had entrusted me with the orphan, could be bribed by you..."
Jiang Ziya sighed and clenched his fists fiercely.
"You will definitely lose this time!"
…
