"My lord, what did you say? Xiang... .........................The Turks borrow troops?"
Yuchi Sunsheng widened his eyes and asked in confusion.
"Your Majesty, why do you have such an idea? After all, he and we are foreign enemies. When I was a child, I heard my father say that when we had a good relationship with the Turks, we agreed to attack the Northern Qi Dynasty together. Later, when our relations with the Turks were tense, the Northern Qi Dynasty We also agreed with the Turks to attack us in the Northern Zhou Dynasty."
"Okay, let's not talk about this anymore. This is just a whim."
King Zhao suddenly raised his wine glass and said.
"Here, drink up this glass of wine."
After the two clinked glasses, while pouring the wine, King Zhao said again.
"We are going back to the capital to see a doctor this time. We will return to our territory soon. How about the general follow us to Luoyang? We also have a large army there. I will give you the command seal and you will train and lead it."
"Your Majesty, it's hard to refuse your kindness."
Yuchi Sunsheng took a big sip of wine and said.
"But yesterday I was officially proclaimed your young uncle. This cannot be postponed, otherwise it will be a crime of deceiving the emperor."
Yu Wenzhao massaged Sun Sheng carefully from top to bottom. After thinking about it for a while, he finally gained courage.
"Your Majesty, I'm risking beheading now. Tell the general the truth. Didn't we just say that we wanted to borrow a cavalry from Apo Khan? We just wanted to kill that licentious tyrant in one fell swoop and exonerate those who died unjustly. shame."
"Oh my god, my lord, you don't dare to have such thoughts."
After hearing this, Yuchi and Sun Sheng took a few sips of wine one after another and instantly broke into cold sweat, soaking his clothes. He couldn't believe his ears and murmured quickly.
"I also know a little bit about His Majesty's foolishness. When we were in the Turkic tribe, we heard the princess talk about the unpopular things that His Majesty did. However, the two Holy Ones today are the prince's nephew and the other is the prince's grandnephew. , since you are a prince, why should you be in a hurry?"
"That's a good thing to say."
At this time, King Zhao thought of Yu Wenyun's mediocrity but was extremely angry.
"Why is this so urgent? It has already happened since Yu Wen Yun ascended the throne. What crime did our brother Yu Wen Xian, King of Qi, have to blame? The entire family was executed, and in order to win a woman, he went so crazy as to kill Yu Wen Xian. All the men in Liang's family were killed. Look at our family again. Although it didn't fall apart for a while, wasn't it true that the wife and children were separated? Our daughter was forced to marry a Turk and I was sent to Luozhou, but my wife, children and children were left behind. There is no one to take care of us in the capital. Even if we want to see a doctor, we have to do it secretly. If the Holy One finds out about our return to the capital now, we will most likely be held accountable and punished. What’s more, the Holy One is now too licentious and has exhausted all his power. Our Yuwen family If those people had not made preparations to come forward early, who would have usurped the country of Great Zhou Dynasty?"
Yuchi and Sun Sheng had just returned from the distant Turkic tribe and knew nothing about the situation of the Northern Zhou Dynasty. He was now in a lower position and had no idea about the conflicts and situations within the royal family. Therefore, when he heard the fierce words of King Zhao, he not only said in full voice.
"What the prince said is absolutely true. I heard that the Prime Minister revised the Penal Code to benefit the people of the world. Not only did the Holy Spirit not reward him, but he also wanted to impose a death penalty. What's the benefit of serving such a court?"
King Zhao continued.
"You don't have to be afraid. What we are telling you is all the truth. You will slowly understand when you go to the palace to run errands. There is not a single lie in what I said today."
Yuwenzhao comforted Yuchi and Sunsheng said again.
"I heard that you still stayed at the inn after returning from Turks?"
"Yes."
Yuchi Sun Shengdao.
"When we go to work in the palace tomorrow, a place will be arranged for us. I can handle being a single person anywhere."
"How can that be done?"
Zhao Wang Yuwen Zhao said.
"We also have a small house in the capital. The house we go to Luozhou is also vacant. Tomorrow we will ask someone to clean it, and assign you a few servants, and you can move there. Well, the people in the palace are all rough-handed, so how can they take care of her at home?"
"no, I'm fine."
"Why are you so polite? Thank you for your care when you sent the princess to Turks. In the past year, you have also taught the princess archery. A mere house is not worth mentioning. Even if it is a thank you gift for caring about my little girl, you go As an errand in the palace, you must be careful in everything, and I will contact you if anything happens in the future."
In the afternoon, Yuchi Sunsheng and An Suijia were sent back to the inn. An Suijia was drunk and was in a daze. As soon as An Suijia entered the room without saying a word, he fell asleep. Yuchi Sun Sheng was also drowsy, and his thoughts were still clear. He pondered. .
"What King Zhao said to us today sounds horrifying. This is an earth-shattering event. We have just entered the court and become officials and have not experienced much in the world. What will happen if we are dragged into the muddy waters by King Zhao."
Yuchi Sunsheng was lying on his back on the couch, thinking wildly. His friend Li Shun pushed open the door and entered. Yuchi Sunsheng quickly stood up and sat on the couch, then said to Li Shun.
"You came just in time. Where is the Prime Minister at this time? We have something to report to him."
Li Shun was shocked by Yuchi Sun Sheng's surprise and asked.
"What's wrong, brother? Why are you looking for the Prime Minister to make you look like this?"
"Let's go outside and talk."
There is a stone table made of stone at the entrance of the inn. Li Shun sat at the stone table and said.
"Put a bottle of wine, and you can serve some snacks or something to eat while you watch. My brother and I are talking outside the door. Just don't let anyone come near the store."
"We just came here in the morning."
Li Shun said while drinking.
"The people at the inn said that you were picked up by people from Prince Zhao's Mansion early in the morning."
There is a huge persimmon tree in the yard of the inn. The old leaves have fallen off and the new leaves have not yet grown. Its dark and shiny branches are piercing the sky. The two of them sat down on the stone table under the tree. Yuchi Shunsheng took King Zhao to him. Everything he said was roughly repeated to Li Shun.
After hearing this, Li Shun felt that the matter was important and told Yuchi Sun Sheng.
"Brother, in fact, what King Zhao said is right. There are people dying of hunger all over the world today. It is all caused by Yu Wenyun's inaction. If there are ministers who help him away, what is the difference between this and helping Zhou to abuse? This place is not far away from the Prime Minister's Mansion. Yuan, let’s go somewhere to meet the Prime Minister. You can ride on horseback and go directly to Yang’s Mansion to wait.”
Yuchi Sun Sheng changed his clothes and stepped into the gate of Yang Mansion. Yang Jian and Li Shun arrived one after another. Along the way, Li Shun told Yang Jian what King Zhao said to Yuchi Sun Sheng.
Yang Jian said immediately after entering the room.
"Brother, tell us what King Zhao told you in detail."
After hearing this, Yang Jian was silent for a while and then said to Yuchi Sun Sheng.
"The words of King Zhao are indeed extraordinary. As the saying goes, fish will not jump if the water is not muddy. King Zhao must have seen or heard something that we don't know about if he has such extreme thoughts. And it must be a big deal. You and I can only pretend to have nothing at the moment." I don’t know. You must not make it public. You can only wait and see what happens and act under the camera. You will send off the Turkic envoy tomorrow and go to the palace to accept the post. Just obey the orders and don’t inquire about anything. Don’t talk too much. As for what King Zhao wants to do. When you go to the house where you live, you must first make a pilgrimage to the Holy Spirit and report it clearly. If the Holy Spirit nods, go and live there. If the Holy Spirit does not want you to live there, immediately write back to King Zhao and explain clearly. This way you will not offend both parties. You can quickly return to the inn now. Go, it’s not advisable to stay here for a long time, if anything happens in the future I’ll ask Li Shun to contact you.”
After saying this, Yang Jianjian wanted to personally take Yuchi Shunsheng to the gate with Li Shun and wait for Yuchi Sunsheng to whip his horse and whip away. Yang Jian then said to Li Shun.
"Go and invite Li Gongfu here quickly, and tell us that we have something important to discuss."
After Li Shun left, Yang Jian was pacing back and forth in the courtyard alone. At some point, Mrs. Dugu came over. She took a fur cloak and put it on Yang Jian and asked.
"What's wrong with you? You're scratching your head again."
"well."
Yang Jian sighed and said to his wife.
"You go to the kitchen and ask the chef to make some delicate and light dishes. Li Gongfu will come to discuss something with us later."
After Mrs. Dugu left, Yang Jian was left alone in Nuoda's courtyard, he thought in his mind.
"What Yu Wenzhao said is definitely not groundless. If he hadn't felt that the matter was urgent, he would never have had such an extreme idea."
Thinking of a cold wind coming here, Yang Jian subconsciously gathered the fur cloak covering his body and looked up at the sky. He saw that the branches against the gray sky were also shivering in the cold wind. Yang Jian sighed at this.
"It's true that the tree wants to be still but doesn't stop."
Just at this time, Li Shun and Li Gongfu walked through the door, and Yang Jian smiled and greeted him, bowing.
"Yang Jian should have visited the Duke for advice, but because he was afraid of being suspected by outsiders, he had no choice but to ask the Duke to come to his humble residence for an interview."
"What the Prime Minister said is beyond the pale."
Li Gongfu hurriedly saluted and said.
"This is an eventful autumn. The Prime Minister's tree attracts the wind, so we should be cautious in everything."
Then Yang Jian asked Li Shun to order the carriage Li Gongfu was riding in to be parked in the backyard and told the doorman.
"If guests come to visit, just say that the Prime Minister is not at home."
After everything was arranged, he and Li Gongfu entered a small guest room and sat down, and Mrs. Dugu personally passed the dishes.
"I wonder if the Prime Minister invites us to come and teach you?"
There were only a few dishes in total, but before they were all served, Li Gongfu couldn't hold himself back and started asking questions.
"Prime Minister, you must have encountered something, why don't you tell us."
Yang Jian immediately told everything that Yuchi and Sun Sheng said. Li Gongfu listened calmly, then gently put the wine glass he just picked up on the table and said.
"Looking at your appearance, I know there must be something going on in the palace, and it's definitely a big deal."
"You think so too?"
Yang Jian suddenly became nervous and asked with turbid eyes.
"Then what will happen if you learn from it?"
"Prime Minister, we are an outsider after all."
Li Gongfu looked at Yang Jian and asked.
"The Prime Minister holds an important position, but didn't you notice any signs?"
Yang Jian smiled bitterly and shook his head.
"We have thought about it inside and outside the palace, but we really can't think of anything big happening."
"No, it can't be okay. The only sensible person in the Yuwen family is Yu Wenzhao. If nothing serious happens, he will never come up with such drastic ideas."
Yang Jian muttered.
"Then King Zhao is here for me, Yang Jian? The Yuwen family has always had a grudge against me."
At this point, Yang Jian's heart suddenly sank, revealing an unexplained look on his face.
"Even if we have ill intentions towards the imperial court, we don't have the courage to do so. We usually only do specific errands, and we are not as domineering as the former chief minister Yu Wenhu, who covers the sky with one hand. Besides, if you want to punish me, it will be difficult. Isn't it useful?" If we mobilize a large number of troops, why don't we ask the Turkic army for help?"
Li Gongfu interrupted.
"Judging from what General Yuchi Shunsheng said, it seems that King Zhao's actions are not specifically aimed at the Prime Minister. He must be on guard against others. It would be better for the Prime Minister to be more careful."
Li Gongfu continued.
"Since you don't know what's going on, don't make unreasonable suspicions about others to avoid extraneous matters. The Prime Minister can only keep the same to cope with the changes, take it one step at a time, and wait for the situation to become clearer. However, since King Zhao intends to use the Turkic army, the Prime Minister must remind Bingzhou's people Yu Qingze is paying close attention to the Turks’ march, and we also request the Prime Minister to arrange an inconspicuous position for me in the Prime Minister’s Mansion, and I will work as an errand in the Prime Minister’s Mansion from tomorrow on.”
"We originally didn't want you to wade into the current muddy waters. Once the situation becomes clearer, we can legitimately ask you to come out."
"Time waits for us, now is an extraordinary period."
Li Gongfu said.
"If we can't go through difficulties together, how can we enjoy wealth and honor in peace? Then what kind of person do we, Mr. Li, have become?"
While talking, Mrs. Dugu brought in the last bowl of sesame soup and said jokingly when she found that the food on the table had not been touched.
"I think you are all going to become immortals, and you will no longer live in this world."
"I was so focused on talking that I even forgot to eat the food."
Yang Jian picked up the chopsticks and said to Li Gongfu.
"Brother, please try the sesame soup made by my wife. Eat it quickly. Don't wait until the food gets cold and it won't be to your taste."
Li Gongfu was not hungry at first, but seeing Yang Jian's warm reception, he could only pick up his chopsticks and pick up the meat. Just as he was about to eat it, Li walked in and said to Yang Jian.
"Master Liu Pi is here to convey the imperial edict, but we dare not say that the Prime Minister is not at home."
"ah?"
Yang Jian and Li Gongfu looked at each other in confusion.
Yang Jian said very calmly after looking at Li Gongfu for a few minutes.
"Brother, please wait a moment, let's go and hear what the Holy Father's will is for us."
When Yang Jian came back from the Prime Minister's Mansion, he hurried to receive Li Gongfu. He didn't have time to change clothes, so he was still wearing court clothes and walked out of the door without changing.
At this time, Li Shun had already made arrangements for receiving the edict. He saw Liu Pi holding the edict, standing facing south, and said with a serious face.
"Prime Minister Yang Jian listens to the order."
Yang Jian immediately knelt down facing south. Liu Pi's loud voice was like thunder. Yang Jian, who was in a nervous mood, could not hear a word of the imperial edict read by Liu Pi. Soon he found out that Chen Baxian of Nanchen led troops to mobilize frequently on the border, and war broke out at any time. sign.
Marching Marshal Wei Xiaokuan sent three urgent memorials from Jianghuai.
"Your Majesty, Chen's march to the south is huge, and our army may not be able to support it for many days. I also ask your Majesty to quickly increase the number of troops to help us resist Chen Baxian."
Yu Wenyun had always felt that his father-in-law was a great threat, so he used Chen Jun's attack to issue an edict.
"Order Yang Jian to remove his post as prime minister and go to Yangzhou as the general manager of Jianghuai to lead troops to resist Chen's army."
Yang Jian finally breathed a sigh of relief when he heard this. Liu Pi faced the imperial edict read out and Yang Jian, who was sweating profusely, felt relieved. He kowtowed three times to thank him, shook his court clothes, stood up comfortably, and cautiously followed Liu. Pi took the imperial edict in his hand and then asked.
"When did Mr. Liu return to the palace as an errand?"
"My body and bones are not feeling well. Your Majesty has asked us to go or not. I have been too bored at home for the past two months, so I went back to work in the imperial court."
By this time, Liu Pi had returned to his normal tone and his tone had changed from being serious about his affairs to a calm tone.
"Come on, let's go inside and talk."
"In the future, we have to go to the palace to talk."
Yang Jian continued to ask.
"When does the Holy One's decree require me to take up a post in Jianghuai?"
"You don't have to panic."
Liu Pi thought for a moment and then said.
"It seems that Your Majesty has not yet made up his mind about who will succeed the Prime Minister. If you can understand the affairs of the Prime Minister's Mansion, please ask the Prime Minister to cut it off immediately. If you can't, please ask the Prime Minister to explain to the junior minister, and then go to Yangzhou, South The military seems to be urgent, but it hasn’t been completed yet.”
