The ancients said: The first time a man faces aging is when he discovers that his son has grown up.
The officials who were revived by the imperial physician felt deeply in agreement.
Not to mention the steady eldest son, even Xiao Jiu was able to shoot arrows in the city with high spirits and almost killed the Liao Emperor.
Forget it, now that our children and grandchildren have grown up, how can we not accept the old age?
As soon as I thought about this, I suddenly got a good word in my heart: "If you are greedy for the beauty of a beautiful woman, you will get drunk on the famous flowers and fine wines - the world's affairs, my son is here!"
After reciting it a few times, I felt energetic. I supported my body and looked around. I was covered in cold sweat: "Who? Who carried me back to the palace? Where is my boat?"
As soon as the door opened, Cai Jing, Tong Guan and other important ministers rushed in like a tide, crying: "Your Majesty, is the dragon body okay? I'm scared to death of this old minister."
The official glanced around and saw that there were quite a few of these guys, and comforted him slightly: "Jin Bing, didn't Jin Bing come in?"
"Father!" Ninth Prince Zhao Gou's voice was still clear as a boy's, and he said first: "My son Zhao Gou wants to impeach Privy Council Tong! It was he who ignored the army outside the city and forced the people to release the Qianjin Gate. Ten thousand Of the 5,000-strong army, less than 800 were able to enter the city. Many people were not killed by the Golden Dog Sword, but were crushed to pieces by the Thousand Jin Gate. Please, Father, kill the old thief and avenge the death of the brave man!"
Tong Guan cried loudly: "Your Majesty, our army was defeated at that time, and the Jin soldiers fought hard to grab the door. If it hadn't been for the old minister's resolute action and the release of the iron gate, Bianliang would have become a hell now! Your Majesty, the old minister has fought hundreds of battles in his life, and he would have regarded life and death as such. If you don’t have anything and don’t bother to kill me, please give me a piece of armor and a sword, and I will go to the battlefield outside the city and take a few golden dogs with me!"
When Zhao Guan's family saw that he had gray hair and wanted to fight the golden man bloody, he couldn't help but burst into tears and hurriedly shouted: "Hurry up and hold Tong Qing's family!"
Several eunuchs rushed around and hugged Tong Guan without letting go.
Only then did Zhao Guanjia empty his mouth and glare at Zhao Gou: "Xiaojiu! You have a brave spirit, and I am very happy to be a father. But even if you become a general in the future, you must know how to cut it off! If the Tongqing family had not been brave enough to do things, you The lives of my father and son are in danger, so how can you still blame him?"
When Zhao Gou heard this, he burst into tears and cried loudly: "Father, I have been dizzy early. I have never seen how my warrior of the Song Dynasty was trampled by the golden dog..."
Zhao Guanjia said angrily: "Nonsense! What do you mean I fainted early? I, I was just tired and took a nap! You kid is talking nonsense and you won't back down."
Zhao Gou felt extremely wronged and retreated crying.
The official shook his head, looked at the ministers and sighed: "What is the situation outside now?"
Liang Shicheng said hurriedly: "Zhang Jun, Qu Duan, and Wang Yan led more than a thousand remnant troops, fought through the siege, and looked south. Liu Qi was trapped behind the formation. He couldn't see the clues, and he didn't know whether he was alive or dead. In short, he left the city once Fifteen thousand elite soldiers, almost the entire army was wiped out. The Lou family mobilized another fifty thousand soldiers and horses, and now they are all stationed in the west of the city. They said that in three days, if the east road of the river is not cut for him, they will break the city and come to ask Your Majesty in person. .”
Zhao Guanjia hammered the bed hard: "Thief! How dare you make such arrogant remarks! How can I cede my country?"
Then he sneered and said: "He still wants to ask me? I'm afraid he wants to blind him! Where is the prince!"
Zhao Huan came forward and said, "Father, the child is here."
Zhao Guanjia took his hand, wiped his face, and said with a warm smile: "Your Majesty, please listen to my father. He just fell asleep, but he had a strange dream. In the dream, there were three old gods, saying that the country is not in peace now. , it was because of my lack of virtue, so he asked me to go to his house to burn incense and pray for blessings, so that the world would be at peace naturally. I woke up before I could ask him his name. I just saw that the three of them had similar appearances, probably Brother, do you know which three gods in the world are actually three brothers?"
This dynasty worships Taoism, and the prince is naturally familiar with religious figures. He didn't guess the reason for his father's words for a moment. After thinking about it for a while, he guessed: "Could it be that what my father dreamed about was actually Lord San Mao?"
Zhao Guanjia nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, it must be Mr. Sanmao! Since his three true immortals have appeared and enlightened him, I have to listen to his good words!"
After saying that, he put on a majestic posture and looked at the ministers: "My dear friends, the real immortal said that I have not cultivated my virtues, so how can I still sit on this dragon chair? Fortunately, the prince Zhao Huan has a noble character and is even better than me in talent. Therefore, Today I will pass on the throne to the crown prince, lead the Supreme Emperor, and go to Maoshan to burn incense and atone for my sins - as for the safety of Bianjing, it must be entrusted to the shoulders of the new emperor and your ministers!"
As soon as he said this, the whole room was shocked.
The army is approaching, do you want to abdicate?
Even the two great contemporary performers, Cai Jing and Tong Guan, lost their ability to react for a moment and stared blankly at the official family.
The official, however, seemed to have been entrusted with a heavy burden. He jumped off the bed lightly and wrote lightly: "I am old! People in the world raise children to protect themselves from old age. Now that I am old and short of breath, naturally the prince will take care of these state affairs! I am old!" From now on, it will be enough to spend the rest of my life in front of the flowers and under the moon."
After that, he walked to the desk, took out a pen and dipped it in ink, looked for a piece of white paper, and waved it: "The crown prince can assume the throne of emperor."
After blowing, he tapped his fingers on the side: "Here is the imperial edict to pass the throne!"
Then he walked out the door: "Come here, the guards of the Xuanhuang City Division, protect me when I go to the Yellow River Navy..."
"Father, this is absolutely impossible!"
Seeing that he was about to go out, Zhao Huan immediately realized that the pot was big and black. This father just threw it to him like this. How could he have any thoughts of father and son in his heart?
He fluttered and slid ten feet away, spread out his arms, hugged his father's legs tightly, and cried loudly: "Father, how can your son be so virtuous and capable? How can he take on important responsibilities? Father is in his prime. , sage and wise, how can the country be without a father for a day?"
When Zhao Guan's family saw that their son was so ignorant, they were furious: If Bianliang was destroyed in my hands, wouldn't I become a foolish king? Even if the Hedong Road is cut and the history books are clear, I will still join Shi Jingtang. As a son, you cannot share the emperor's worries and cannot help your father's difficulties. How can there be any word of filial piety?
He immediately sneered and said: "How funny! You are a dignified prince who abdicated the throne for your father. You don't want to be the emperor, but who do you ask to be? Get up quickly and don't let the other ministers laugh at your irresponsibility!"
Zhao Huan was young and strong, so he hugged him tightly and never let go. When he heard his father talking about the ministers' homes, he happened to remind him and quickly turned around and shouted: "You are all the pillars of the country. Are you just watching your father abandon the throne? Hurry up. Help me to persuade my father."
All the ministers looked at each other and came forward. Just as they were about to persuade them, the official rolled his eyes and immediately took the initiative: "Master Cai, Privy Tong, at your age, you should move your chairs for the heroes who will come later."
Cai Jing and Tong Guan looked at each other, Cai Jing was the first to nod: "Your Majesty offers incense, if it can be paid elsewhere, that's fine. If you talk about Maoshan, haha, I am the most familiar with it. Since Your Majesty wants to go there, I don't know what I can do, but I want to go there." It would be nice to accompany His Majesty and be a guide."
Tong Guan was unwilling to lag behind and shouted quickly: "Not only the guide, but also His Majesty's safety is extremely important. I want to select three thousand victorious troops and three thousand Royal Forest Army to protect Your Majesty along the way."
Zhao Guanjia persuaded Cai Jing and Tong Guan with a few words. When the two heard that they were leaving Bianjing, they didn't care much and persuaded Prince Zhao Huan on his behalf.
However, Zhao Huan was not as bold as his ninth brother. He refused to take the blame for his father, and just hugged his legs and cried.
After going back and forth, the officials finally became anxious and resorted to the old Cuju skills, a "royal concubine shooting arrows". Her left leg looked like a ghost, folded back and kicked out, hitting her son in the forehead. The big boy's head shook and he fainted to the ground.
Tong Guan praised: "Good footwork, eight points of Gao Taiwei's skill."
The official smiled proudly, and in front of all the ministers, he called Tong Guan to help him. The two of them worked together to lift the fainted Zhao Huan on a chair. He untied the dragon robe, put it on his son, and told everyone: "The new emperor When you ascend the throne, you must be loyal to Xu Guo and assist him wholeheartedly!"
After saying that, he took Cai Jing and Tong Guan and escaped from the harem like three little birds leaving their cage.
The three monarchs and ministers have cooperated for a lifetime, and they have an incomparable tacit understanding!
Not long after, Tong Guan and Cai Jing packed up a lot of their belongings and carried them all on the boat. They quietly took out Fan Meiren and the newly favored Concubine Qiao from the palace. They also selected 6,000 soldiers and horses from the remaining soldiers and horses. and get on board.
It only took a few hours for all these things to be done, which shows how powerful the Song Dynasty was in both civil and military affairs!
Zhao Guan's family said happily: "It is my skill. I tricked the Liao people to relieve the siege before, but he never went far, and the Jin people did not dare to siege the city rashly. In this way, just to give up this waterway, wouldn't it be a mess?" Take a chance on life?"
Cai Jing was full of flattery, while Tong Guan ordered Wen Shi Chong to open the water gate and head southeast along the Bian River!
After a while, all the civil and military officials in the dynasty learned about this, and they all numbed their claws.
Some reacted quickly, immediately packed their belongings, and used all kinds of tricks to get out of the city. Some took boats, some walked, and chased the old emperor southward.
When more people escaped, the Jin soldiers were alerted, and their cavalry were all around. While chasing and killing the fleeing people, they also took advantage of the situation to seize the city.
However, Liu Yanqing saw that the opportunity was not good and quickly summoned Yao Xing to lead an army and fight to the death against the Jin soldiers.
Fortunately, Jin Bing was also confused, and there were not many people to kill, so his second general stood up to block them and closed the city gate forcefully.
Those who had already escaped from the city suffered a great disaster. For a while, ghosts were crying and wolves were howling outside the city. The remaining people did not dare to escape anymore and hid in their homes and trembled.
At this time, the news spread throughout the city. When the people heard that the emperor had escaped, they were so horrified that they were all distraught, and their families hugged each other and cried.
The civil servants and generals, big and small, lost their way and ran around randomly. They gathered spontaneously and went to the palace to find the important ministers to take the initiative.
Yang Jian, Liang Shicheng and others only regretted that they were slow-minded and did not escape with the old emperor. At this moment, they were confused and lost their souls. .
In the end, Zhang Bangchang stepped forward and led his ministers to carry Zhao Huan to the Golden Palace, where he sat on the dragon chair.
He said with a bitter face: "Well, the country cannot be left without a master for a day. Since the edict of the Supreme Emperor's succession is here, please ask the East Palace to ascend the throne."
Zhao Ji, a member of the Zhao Guan family, has a gentle temperament throughout his life, and has always been very good to his wife and son, so the relationship between father and son is really not bad.
As the eldest son, Zhao Huan was naturally favored, but he never expected that one day he would be treated like this by his own father.
He was only twenty-one years old, and all of a sudden, his worldview collapsed. .
Sitting on the dragon chair, touching the bag on his head that I kicked out, with tears streaming down his face, he begged Zhang Bangchang: "This is a burden that even my father cannot bear. How can I, as a son, be so virtuous and capable? By the way, my father. It is said that Xiao Jiu is the most like him, why not let Xiao Jiu take the throne? My brothers are respectful brothers, and as the elder brother, I would rather let him."
Zhang Bangchang smiled bitterly and said: "Donggong, I'm afraid it's impossible! If the Ninth Prince ascends the throne, it's really not right to call him a name. Besides, he's underage. As the eldest brother, how can you bear to let your younger brother take the blame? Prince, my God A great responsibility will be given to this person, so just accept your fate."
After hearing this, Zhao Huan burst into tears, covered his face and said, "That's it, I will do it, I will do it."
In the midst of this loud cry, Prince Zhao Huan ascended the throne. The ministers discussed it at court and changed the name to "Jingkang"!
Zhao Huan cried all day and night. When he woke up the next day, his eyes were almost blind and swollen like peaches.
It was Zhang Bangchang who advised him: "Your Majesty, you will be at ease as you come. If you want to be a hero, you should be a hero. Now is the time when we, the monarchs and ministers, support each other and share weal and woe, we still need to grit our teeth and support each other."
Zhao Huan gritted his teeth and nodded: "That's all, no matter what, hold on to Bianliang first. Yesterday I heard a chaos in the south. Who stopped the Jin people?"
Zhang Bangchang informed: "It's Liu Yanqing and Yao Xing."
Zhao Huan immediately announced that the two of them had entered the palace. When Liu Guangshi heard about it, he also came with his father in great excitement.
Zhao Huan asked his name and learned that he was the son of Liu Yanqing. Thinking that the tiger father had no sons, he promoted the three of them and appointed Liu Yanqing as the Grand Marshal of the Bianjing Army, with full power to guard the capital. Liu Guangshi and Yao Xing were both granted the title of general. .
Liu Yanqing took the opportunity to say: "Your Majesty, in the previous period Tong Guan was in power, some ministers did not dare to speak out, and no one believed them if they did - Wang Huan and Kai Kai were two old Jiedu who were highly skilled in martial arts and well-organized the army. Hebei The failure was not due to the fault between the two of them, but because Tong Guan took the blame and was wrongfully imprisoned."
After Zhao Huan heard this, he gritted his teeth with hatred: "Old thief Tong Guan! It's all his fault that the country is in this situation. If I die, that's all. If I can survive this disaster, I will kill him for everyone in the world!"
So he ordered people to go to prison, release Wang Huan and Zhang Zhang, and let them serve under Liu Yanqing.
Seeing that Zhao Huan hated Tong Guan, Liu Guangshi knew that he had an opportunity to come forward. He acted boldly and said proudly: "Don't worry, Your Majesty! Defending the city is not like fighting in the field. Although there are few soldiers and horses in our city, there are millions of people. We select the strong and courageous ones as soldiers, issue them with weapons, and help them defend the city. Bianjing is their home, so why not fight tooth and nail?"
When Zhao Heng heard this, he felt that it made sense and nodded repeatedly: "Wonderful! Bianliang belongs not only to my Zhao family, but also to all the people of Bianliang. Now that the country is in danger, how can our family be spared? It is time for everyone to work together. ! General Liu is worthy of being a general, and he indeed has a good plan."
Liu Guangshi laughed.
While they were discussing, the eunuch came to report, and the real person Guo Jing came to see him.
Zhao Huan said quickly: "This man has great abilities, and he must be able to teach me. Generals, please go on errands while I go see this man."
Back in the study, "Guo Jing" had been waiting for a long time. When he saw him, he said with a smile: "Congratulations to Your Majesty on your enthronement! Although the situation is difficult now, a poor man watching the sky at night is like a trapped dragon ascending to the sky. There is no danger. Once If you spend it, Your Majesty will be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the heroes of the ages.”
After hearing this, Zhao Huan felt angry and nodded repeatedly: "I hope it is as the real person said. It's just that there are few soldiers in the city, and the situation is really difficult."
"Guo Jing" said with a smile: "This is why I came to see Your Majesty - I recommend someone who has the courage to defend your Majesty!"
This is exactly what happens: the official abdicates and travels to the southeast, while the new emperor ascends the throne and worries about the northwest. Qiao Daoqing brought a winged tiger, and Jin Liao lost a few heads.
(End of chapter)
