In the main hall of Renshou Palace, Yang Guang was nervously reviewing memorials. As the news that Yang Jian was seriously ill spread like wildfire, the number of memorials sent from all over the country doubled. The memorials and military reports piled up on the cases in front of him were like a mountain. Many things happened during this period, and local officials reported military and political affairs that they did not dare to decide, hoping that the court would make a decision as soon as possible to avoid affecting people's livelihood. There were also many matters in the court that required the nod of the supervising prince. The contents of the memorial are also varied. Either the national treasury has suffered a loss, or an official has committed corruption and violated the law and requests to be severely punished according to the law; Come and wait...
The influx of a large number of memorials made Yang Guang's mind completely occupied. He spent most of his day reviewing memorials, issuing orders, and summoning officials.
This very abnormal phenomenon seemed to be pushed by a pair of invisible hands, revealing a very unusual aura, which made Yang Guang wary.
Without having to guess, Yang Guang knew that the Guanlong nobles who had fallen out with the imperial power were still opposing him and still supporting the former prince's comeback. The reason for creating such a tense atmosphere is simply to occupy his time and energy with a large number of complicated affairs, making it impossible for him to calmly judge the current situation.
The Guanlong aristocratic group has been strong for nearly a hundred years since its birth. The emperors of the Northern Zhou Dynasty and Yang Jian relied on them to conquer the world, so they tolerated this group in every possible way, allowing it to grow in the war; to this day, their " The "roots" have long been deeply planted in the middle and lower layers, while the "branches and leaves" stretch in the middle and upper layers of the Sui Dynasty, thus forming a towering tree.
Their huge and secretive power had already penetrated into all levels and industries in the Sui Dynasty. They combined with each other through marriages, interest exchanges, etc., and eventually formed an intricate power network. Nowadays, almost every aristocratic family has a large number of children serving in the court.
These people may not be very important figures, but they can use this platform to connect the family with the big shots in the DPRK and China, and to attract more support to the family.
For example, the Dugu family only has a few children who hold idle positions with no real power, so no matter which side they stand on, if they lose in a court battle, they will at most be dismissed from office, and there will not be a bloody ending. At the local level, especially in Yongzhou, Yizhou, and Jingzhou, a large number of state and county officials were firmly controlled by the Dugu family. They are far away from the whirlpool of right and wrong in the court and are not likely to be involved in the court's struggles. However, they have considerable strength in the local area, so they have the influence to influence the direction of the political situation.
The Dugu family's influence on the court is "small things and silent", secretly fueling the flames in secret ways that you can't notice. You can't see it intervening and pushing, but the Dugu family has already unknowingly Force you to issue political orders and handle military affairs in accordance with his intentions.
The Dugu family is like this, the Yuan family and the Dou family are like this, and the Shandong gentry and southern gentry are also like this. Although they do not have the right to act openly and blatantly, they can use the powerful influence at the bottom to force the court to make concessions in slow and covert ways.
Therefore, even though Yang Jian caused countless losses to the Guanlong noble family, neither he nor Yang Guang despised the Guanlong noble family because of this. This time, Yang Jian has reached the point where his fuel is exhausted, and the court structure is about to undergo major changes, so these aristocratic families have begun to use this secret method to influence the court and Yang Guang, who they oppose.
Yang Guang knew this, and he hated this feeling of being controlled by others, but he had no way to deal with it, because the memorials promoted by the Guanlong nobles arrived like snowflakes, and every one of them was an urgent need to solve the world's problems. It was a big deal, and everything was urgent, so for now he could only follow the opponent's rhythm.
The Renshou Palace side is a little better. What worries Yang Guang is that the prices in the capital are rising steadily. Now he needs a capable general to stabilize the prices in the capital for him and suppress the illegal traders with iron-blooded means. At this time, he first thinks of The person in question is Yang Ji, who is extremely strong and good at using public opinion.
But Yang Guang didn't know where Yang Ji was. Based on the time he issued the eight-hundred-mile official document, Yang Ji would still need four or five days to enter the customs. If he brought 10,000 troops here, I'm afraid that this time It will take a few more days, but can the capital side wait?
"Prince, King Wei is asking for an audience." At this moment, a guard hurriedly came and reported to Yang Guang at the door.
"Oh? Please come quickly." Yang Guang was refreshed and stood up involuntarily. He was still thinking about that boy, but he didn't expect that he would arrive so soon. He was indeed a decisive and extremely filial person.
"Here!" The guard left for a while and then brought Yang Ji in. Yang Ji quickly saluted and said, "I have met my brother."
Seeing that he was dusty, unkempt, and his hair was all dirty, Yang Guang did a little calculation in his mind about the journey from Zhangye to Renshou Palace, and knew that Yang Ji had arrived day and night after receiving an eight hundred mile express. This deeply moved Yang Guang, who was overwhelmed and "isolated".
He bypassed several cases and quickly came to Yang Ji. He helped Yang Ji up without being too dirty, pushed him onto the seat next to him, and said with a smile: "My brother, there is no need to be polite!"
"Thank you, brother!" Yang Ji was not polite and sat down on the couch. They galloped on their horses, each riding two horses along the way. They were traveling in a dusty way, and they drove until midnight every day before looking for a rest. place, and hit the road again before dawn the next day.
The horse galloped all the way, covered with stars and the moon, and the whole person was almost exhausted. Fortunately, he asked Xiao Ying to fight later, otherwise her delicate body would have been unable to bear the pain of bumps and crawls.
"Brother, how is uncle's condition?" Yang Ji asked immediately after sitting down.
After hearing this, Yang Guang stiffened slightly and sighed: "The situation is not optimistic, but fortunately the condition is relatively stable."
When he saw that Yang Ji was so tired, he shut up and stopped talking. He carefully prepared a large bowl of thick "tea porridge" and said, "There is no need to be in a hurry. Please take a moment and clean up first." After a while, go see Aye again. Otherwise, his old man will talk about you in a short-term way and waste his energy in vain."
Yang Ji's heart sank when he heard that. Yang Guang had said this. It can be seen that Yang Jian's condition was very serious, otherwise he would not have considered these details so carefully. He nodded: "That's okay, I will follow my brother's arrangement." !”
After eating a large bowl of tea and porridge, Yang Ji finally felt relieved. Then the palace maid arranged by Yang Guang took a bath. The hot water soaked the stiff skin. The heat seemed to seep in from the pores, and the muscles all over his body seemed to have been simmered. He felt so comfortable. I just wanted to have a good sleep. But considering that Yang Guang was still waiting for him, he changed into a set of regular clothes that he brought with him, and went to the Dabaodian study room with his long wet hair.
Yang Ji walked into the hall again, and Yang Guang's eyes lit up. He saw that the down-and-out young man with messy hair and sweat-stained face when he came in had turned into a handsome and heroic young man. Even if he was used to seeing Yang Ji However, at this time, he couldn't help but be calmed down by Yang Ji's extraordinary grace for a moment, and said with a smile: "Sit down and talk."
"Okay!" Yang Ji sat back on the couch like a puppet.
"Vajra slave, I'm afraid Aye won't be able to pass this test. He can survive until now only because of the expensive medicinal materials. It's not an exaggeration to say that he uses the medicine of tiger and wolf to defy heaven and kill him. But after applying strong medicine, The little energy he had originally was completely exhausted." Yang Guang sighed, and said to Yang Ji solemnly: "In addition, his old man is getting older, and his resistance is getting worse day by day. In recent years, he has suffered from head diseases, old injuries and other illnesses. The torture has made his old man miserable. Moreover, in recent years, he has spent a lot of effort for the sake of this world. Therefore, his old man is almost at the end of his life and his days."
Yang Ji felt sad when he heard this. He was a murderous general and had always taken life, old age, illness and death relatively lightly. But now that he heard that his uncle who loved and doted on him was about to pass away, he was still very sad. An urge to cry came to him uncontrollably, and his eyes were filled with tears. He sniffed and forced a smile: "I understand!"
Yang Guang was influenced by Yang Ji, and his tiger eyes couldn't help but turn red: "Although no one said anything in front of Aye, he must have known it in his heart. When you see him, you should just pretend not to know, lest he become an old man." And with sadness.”
"Yes!" Yang Ji nodded and wiped away the uncontrollable tears.
Yang Guang was silent for a while, avoided the topic, and asked, "Have you brought your troops?"
"I brought 10,000 elite soldiers here according to my brother's instructions!" Yang Ji looked at Yang Guang and told the situation of the army: "It's just that the soldiers gritted their teeth and struggled to support themselves. After arriving at the end of the field, they felt angry. As soon as the child was released, one and two became exhausted and dispirited. Now only a thousand ragtag soldiers can annihilate this army. If there is no three or five days of rest, this army will be completely destroyed. The elite soldiers may not be able to shoulder the combat mission."
"I know that!" Yang Guang nodded. Speaking of which, he was born into the third generation of the top rich with a golden key. As soon as he was born, Emperor Wu of Zhou Dynasty named him the Duke of Yanmen County. After the founding of the Sui Dynasty, Yang Guang, who was only thirteen years old, was named the King of Jin and the Governor of Bingzhou. , General Zuo Wuwei, Hebei Daoxingtai Shangshu Ling and other positions.
But unlike many second-generation people, Yang Guang has been self-disciplined and hard-working since he was a child, practicing martial arts and studying diligently. Now when it comes to martial arts, Yang Guang is the best among the royal family. If we talk about literary talent, it is even more remarkable. It is not an exaggeration to say that he is the most outstanding literary master in the contemporary era. The poems and songs he wrote do not need to be flattered by others at all, and they are also among the best in the world.
In addition, Yang Guang has never been the "sweet" son of the emperor who grew up in the deep palace. He not only defeated Nanchen, but also fought against the Turks in northern Xinjiang many times, and achieved a series of brilliant achievements. For marching formations His understanding is definitely not comparable to that of Yang Ji, who is half a bucket of water.
Just now, he could guess what Yang Ji's entourage looked like just by looking at Yang Ji's entrance. However, he asked Yang Ji to lead the troops into the pass, mostly to prevent accidents and to calm the situation for him. It did not mean that there would definitely be a fight, so he was not disappointed with the strength of the Liangzhou army at this time.
Yang Guang thought for a while and then said to Yang Ji: "Actually, I have prepared for many things. What I am worried about may not happen. You just need to be prepared to deal with all turmoil."
"That's good!" Yang Ji breathed a sigh of relief and said, "We are all our own people. It would be a good thing if we can avoid fighting!"
"If you think so, others may not!" Yang Guang smiled coldly and said in a solemn tone: "Those unscrupulous people, in order to block the troops you brought outside Qizhou, they even resorted to the most clumsy way to sow discord. They have all been used, which shows that those 'unknown' conspirators have neither heaven-defying strength nor any foolproof strategy."
"Anyway, whenever brother needs to use this army, he only needs to give an order." Although Yang Ji knew that the "Renshou Palace Incident" did indeed occur in history, the "specific and detailed" process was mostly domestic. The historians used their imagination and made up literary works out of thin air, so Yang Ji could not help Yang Guang in this regard. At this time, I heard that Yang Guang was fully prepared, so he didn't say anything more, lest these nihilistic things affect Yang Guang's correct judgment and layout.
"That's a matter of course, otherwise why would I want you to lead the troops?" Yang Guang looked at Yang Ji and said with a smile: "I understand all the results you achieved in Liangzhou, which makes me very happy. For I plan to establish two states in Shanshan and Qiemo that you have obtained. However, all this will have to wait until the capital, and the rewards for the soldiers can only be postponed later. "
"Okay." Yang Ji also knew the importance of right and wrong, so naturally he would not bother Yang Guang at this critical moment.
Yang Guang pondered for a long time and then said: "There is something else I want you to do!"
"What's the matter?" Yang Ji asked.
"After these years of training, you have not only achieved brilliant achievements in the military, but also have experience in governing local areas and maintaining local stability." Yang Guang praised him with effusive words, and then said: "The situation in the capital is now It is very chaotic. The high and rising prices have brought huge hidden dangers to the capital. If Aye is gone, or something happens here in Qizhou, I am afraid that there will be some twists and turns in the panic-stricken capital, so I A capable general is needed to restore order in the capital and stabilize prices."
He paused and told Yang Ji, who was listening attentively, his plan: "I like your decisiveness. When the soldiers in Liangzhou finish resting, you, the right-guard general, will lead troops into the capital to stabilize the capital for me." situation."
"Here." Yang Ji felt awe in his heart when he heard this. He understood the deep meaning of Yang Guang's move. It was nominally to maintain order in the capital, restore people's livelihood, and stabilize prices. In fact, it was to kill people. It can be seen that the situation in Guanzhong was extremely serious.
He thought for a while, frowned and said: "Brother, I don't have any problem, but I don't know much about the capital. I also ask my brother to send me a very trustworthy minister who is familiar with the situation in the capital to assist me. Otherwise, I’m afraid I won’t do it satisfactorily.”
"That's it..." Yang Guang also felt that Yang Ji's concerns were justified. He frowned and thought for a moment, then said, "I asked Yang Yue to assist you. He is Yang Su's younger brother and a close confidant of mine. Yang Yue is not only capable. Strong and very credible, what do you think?"
Yang Ji nodded and said: "As long as Yang Yue can consider the overall situation and fully cooperate with me, I will have no problem here."
"You can rest assured that Yang Yue will not embarrass you." After Yang Guang said this, he stood up and said: "On business matters, this is what we have agreed on. I will take you to see Aye."
"Here!"
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