When Liu Bang opened his eyes, he thought he was reincarnated again.
It's not surprising that he thinks so, mainly because he has been sleeping in the palace for two months and has already become accustomed to the appearance of the palace.
Now he woke up in a strange environment, and the birds outside were chirping loudly... His head was still a little dizzy, and he felt extremely thirsty.
"Huang Yanjie, Huang Yanjie!"
The wooden door of the house creaked, and the old eunuch came in with a basin of water, his eyes a little strange:
"Guan Jia, you're awake."
Not bothering to pay attention to his nonsense, Liu Bang picked up the teapot on the table and poured it into his mouth. He drank all the cold tea before he felt a little better.
"Where are we? What time is it now? Where are Yue Fei and the others? Why aren't they here to discuss matters today?"
Facing the three questions about the emperor's soul, Huang Yanjie sighed in his heart... His Majesty the Emperor is really, really good at forgetting.
Sighing is a sigh, but I still have to say what I should reply:
"Guan family, this is Lingyin Temple. It's already the time. Yue Shaobao... I guess it's almost time to arrive in Anji."
Angie?
Liu Bang sat back on the bed again: "Why did you come to Lingyin Temple? Yue Fei... wasn't he still drinking with me last night? Who told him to leave?!"
"What happened last night? Please tell me more clearly. I'm so dizzy right now that I can't remember anything."
The eunuch's expression was stagnant, and he forced himself to recall what happened last night.
It is said that after the emperor led a group of people to watch the fireworks show, he insisted on asking everyone to drink together.
You can drink as much as you want. Even Yue Shaobao, who has been abstaining from alcohol for many years, agreed. After all, everyone felt happy and found a boat to accompany the official family.
It was okay at first, but who knows...
Anyway, the official got drunk, so he looked for an acquaintance at the table and asked:
"What about Monk Fohai? Hurry up and find me someone! Daoji Xiaokun is a non-drinker, and I want to see if he is the same!"
When Master Fohai came, the emperor insisted on letting him drink. But when he refused to drink, the emperor had him tied up.
Then he asked: "Where is Qin Hui? Qin Hui is also calling!"
This question suggests that Prime Minister Qin’s head was sent to Wu Lin in Shu by you, and the rest of the meat was also distributed to the soldiers and generals. How can they get it together now?
Anyway, later on, when the emperor saw that Monk Fohai was very tough, he asked him:
"Your Buddha taught you not to drink alcohol or eat meat?"
Without waiting for Fohai to answer, he led a group of people from the boat to Lingyin Temple and grilled meat in the Main Hall.
Liu Bang patted his forehead: "Then... I also asked Yue Fei to leave?"
Huang Yanjie nodded: "Yue Shaobao, Zhang Taiwei and the British Duke, as well as Liu Dushi, Zhao Dushi and Yang Dushi... you have sent them all away."
Let's go now. It's already June now. We can collect more grain during the autumn harvest and we can start working in the winter this year.
His self-deceptive consolation had just begun, but was interrupted by Huang Yanjie's words:
"You also forced them to issue a military order, asking them to make preparations as soon as they arrived and be sure to send troops before the autumn harvest."
"That's why... everyone left in such a hurry."
Liu Bang suddenly stood up... He suddenly wanted to curse.
Damn it, it feels better to be alone and have the final say, but no one can hold me back.
Everyone even took his drunken words seriously. For a moment, he didn't know whether he should be happy or sad.
It's before the autumn harvest. Although the time is tight, it just happened to catch the north by surprise.
Suddenly feeling a little anxious in his heart, he urged Huang Yanjie:
"Hurry back to the palace, things are not even finished yet!"
As he said that, he rushed outside. When he passed by the Main Hall, he saw that the hall was really in a mess. Many bald men were hiding in the corners, looking at themselves as if they were ghosts.
And in front of the Buddha statue in the hall... another familiar figure was seen kneeling there.
Forcing himself to stop, he shouted softly:
"Planting rain?"
The figure was obviously shocked, and then turned back to look at the emperor,
Seeing the girl's lustful expression, Liu Bang secretly screamed, and quickly asked Huang Yanjie in a low voice:
"Last night...last night, where did she sleep?"
The old eunuch heard this and said with a smile:
"On your bed."
well!
I have no memory of how I feel, so why do I drink so much wine?
It was such a beautiful time, but it was so damn delayed by the wine!
Feeling a little annoyed in his heart, he entered the hall, took Zhong Yu's hand and left, not caring what other people's reactions were.
However, no reaction is important anymore, Liu Bang is really anxious now.
Just after taking two steps, he turned back to the group of monks hiding behind the Buddha statue and said:
"That monk Tan Hui before you, I have told him to stop being a monk."
"Today I will pay one of you. From now on, Fohai will be your leader here, and you all have to listen to him."
As he spoke, the wind seemed to blow under Liu Bang's feet, leading people to run around in Lingyin Temple.
We met Zhong Feng on the road. The boy looked overjoyed, even happier than Zhong Yu.
Um?
Outside the mountain gate, the old man boxing wasn't Xin Ciying, who was he?
Those next to him...
He breathed a sigh of relief, since everyone was here, it saved a lot of trouble.
Prime Minister Zhao Ding, Hu Quan and others watched the emperor come out, and they were all very happy.
First of all, of course the Northern Expedition is about to begin. Years of wishes have come true, and it is natural for everyone to be happy.
Secondly... they had just returned to Lin'an, and they didn't know that the emperor had recovered his ability to be a man. Everyone heard the little lady's voice last night. The official family is so powerful, although they don't have a queen for the time being, but If you keep playing at this level, you will get there sooner or later.
Not paying attention to the wretchedness on the faces of these old men, Liu Bang said directly:
"They have all gone back, do you know that?"
Not only did they know it, they also sent him away last night.
"In that case, there are three things to do now."
Seeing that the emperor was talking about business, everyone straightened up their expressions, nodded and listened.
"First……"
As soon as the words came out, he remembered something and gave a few instructions to Zhongfeng. The latter followed the order, and then he continued:
"First, Lu Zai, have you done what I asked you to do before?"
Lu Zai looked at Su Fu. Su Shangshu seemed to have remembered something. He paused and replied:
"The official family...already, almost done."
"Well," Liu Bang nodded, "This is a big deal. I will read the story you have written to me in a moment. Only when I feel it is qualified can I send it out."
The three of them seemed to be playing riddles, but it was not something that needed to be kept secret, so Liu Bang simply told them the whole story.
From Xin Ciying's mouth, he learned that after the Infantry Division Imperial Army was nearly routed by dozens of Jin-Han troops, there was also the incident of Tian Division falsely passing on military information.
This had to make Liu Bang think more.
The people of the Song Dynasty were suppressed and beaten by the Jin people for more than ten years. If the people of the Song Dynasty say they are not afraid, it must be a lie.
Just like he asked Yue Fei: "Since your soldiers are the elite of the Song Dynasty, what will they do when they face the Jin people?"
Yue Pengju was not afraid of scaring the emperor... On the contrary, he was often frightened by the emperor, so he answered truthfully:
"After being beaten, I naturally don't feel anything, but I have never beaten a golden man... If I see a golden man, his face remains normal and his legs don't tremble, then he is considered a very courageous person."
It’s understandable to be afraid, but when you’re afraid to this extent, you have to think of some solutions.
And the method Liu Bang gave...
Coincidentally, many Han soldiers were afraid when they fought with Xiang Yu more than a thousand years ago.
But they are not afraid of the Chu army, they are just afraid of Xiang Yu, because everyone says that Xiang Yu is unparalleled... Although he is indeed brave, especially those who have seen him fight, in order to brag that they can escape from his hands alive , blowing people into being like gods descending to earth.
How to brag about yourself?
Just brag about your enemies like these people do.
Later, the blowing became more and more impressive, so much so that when everyone heard his name, King Xiang, they started to tremble.
With this kind of fighting, half of them were lost before they even started. Liu Bang was so anxious that he almost took a knife from behind and forced them to fight... Later, Zhang Liang told him something and made him understand.
Zhang Liang said:
"If you use a knife to force them to fight, it can indeed have a short-term effect, but you can't force them to fight with a knife all the time. What they are afraid of is King Xiang, but not the real King Xiang. What they are afraid of is the imagined man. King Xiang comes out."
"As long as their assumptions are shattered, that's all."
Liu Bang asked him: "How to break it? Tell them that it is all fake and Xiang Yu is actually a sissy?"
Not to mention whether people believe this or not, Liu Bang himself is the first to not believe it if he has ever come into contact with it personally.
Unexpectedly, Zhang Liang nodded: "That's it."
Just when Liu Bang looked at him with a look that said, "Are you kidding me?" Zhang Liang said again:
“Have you heard the story about Tomoko’s suspicion of his neighbor?”
"Of course I have, who do you look down on?!"
"What about waiting for the rabbit?"
"..."
"There is also Tian's father who exposes himself and goes through the well to win people..."
"Stop, stop, stop," Liu Bang interrupted, "Do you want to talk about something else every time before you say something?"
Zhang Liang just smiled: "They are all from the Song Dynasty."
Before Liu Bang could react, he said again:
"Those who buy coffins for pearls, those who buy shoes from Zheng, and those who predict their wives for trousers, are all Zheng people."
When he said this, Liu Bang noticed that it seemed to be the truth.
Most of the stories that don't include some good ones are basically related to the Song and Zheng states, and occasionally the Qi and Chu states.
Saying that about the people of the Song Dynasty... Most of them here are the remnants of the Yin and Shang Dynasties. Isn't it incomprehensible? As for the people of the Zheng Kingdom, when Zheng Zhuanggong shot an arrow at the Emperor of Zhou, everyone regarded them as the barbarians when they respected the king and fought against the barbarians.
Yes, it is to stigmatize them.
Laugh at them, belittle them, and make up stories to ridicule them. Once they believe it and look down on themselves, it will be much easier to destroy them.
"It's just..." Liu Bang quickly understood what Zhang Liang meant, "Will this make our people underestimate the enemy? Don't turn around and treat the tiger as a rabbit again. "
Zhang Liang added: "That's not what you have to worry about. What you have to worry about is that they are afraid of King Xiang now... If they really underestimate the enemy in the future, it will be the same if you praise the enemy again."
yes!
Anyway, the mouth is on you, so you can't just say whatever you want!
After figuring out this joint, what should they do when facing the Jin people and Wanyan Wushu... The methods are all there, just copy them.
Liu Bang asked Lu Zai and Su Fu to contact the imperial students and ask them to write some stories about the Jin people.
There is no need for any literary implication, there is only one requirement:
There must be no positive content at all, the more ugly the better, the more exaggerated the better.
Those who write well and are adopted can be exempted from taking the Ministry of Etiquette exam next year and directly obtain an official status.
Under this kind of motivation, the Taipei students naturally worked hard.
And Liu Bang also set an example by drafting three stories similar to "Wanyan Wushu liked the old man," "Jin people used to eat with Chu Gong" and "Jin people were all thin and small."
Now that one month has passed, as long as the Tai students can contribute a few things that are deeply rooted in the hearts of the people and convince the people and the group of soldiers, this will be more than half successful.
After listening to the emperor's arrangement, several ministers... After all, they were all scholars, and it was indeed difficult to accept it for a while.
But I also thought that both countries are at a critical moment of life and death, so just scold them, maybe it will actually work, but it may not work.
I just don’t know how people like Guan Jia, who have been taught by sages since childhood, came up with this step...
While he was talking, the bell of Lingyin Temple rang. It was now noon, and it was time to eat.
Everyone drank a lot last night, so today we will make do with it and eat something lighter, which will make us feel more comfortable.
After a group of people finished lunch under the watchful eyes of the monks, Zhongfeng also came back.
Of course, I didn't return empty-handed. Behind me was the sweaty Xixia envoy, the brother of Emperor Chongzong of Xixia, and the uncle of the current emperor Li Renxiao, Li Qianhui.
At this point in time, everyone knew the emperor's intentions when he summoned the Xixia envoy.
If we only start a war with the Kingdom of Jin, that's fine; but if Xixia also gets involved...
Wu Lin's 100,000 people in Shu can basically hold Hanzhong, and there will be no spare power to assist the Northern Expedition.
The Song Dynasty's three lines were broken, and the two Huaihe Rivers were fine. Yue Fei's Han army was on the left, and the sea was on the right. There was no need to worry about anything else.
But Yue Fei's left side is completely empty, and the pressure he will face will be much greater than last year.
"I have an audience with His Majesty the Emperor of Song Dynasty. I don't know why His Majesty summoned his ministers here to..."
At noon, it is much cooler on the mountain than at the bottom, especially when the wind blows occasionally, which calms people's hearts.
The only bad thing is that the cicadas scream loudly and are very noisy.
Liu Bang looked at the old man and thought a lot about his opening remarks, but in the end he decided to forget it.
No matter how much you talk, it's better to just give the old man some sweetness.
"I heard that your emperor only ascended the throne the year before last year and is only seventeen years old now."
I don’t know why the emperor mentioned this, but Li Qianhui had seen Zhang Tonggu’s body. At this time, he just bowed and said:
"Your Majesty, it is clear that this is indeed the case."
"If you become emperor at such a young age, how many people in your Xia Kingdom will obey him?"
This question is a bit deceptive. After all, Li Qianhui is also a county prince, a serious relative of the emperor, and his bloodline is purer than that of a half-mixed emperor.
Of course, pure is pure, but it is not that pure. He himself also has a bit of Liao blood mixed in.
"This is the state affairs of Xixia..." Halfway through, he thought of Zhang Tonggu again, and Li Qianhui changed his words, "My lord, God-blessed Lord, and the court are all loyal ministers. Although the Xia Kingdom is small, it is also It’s considered safe.”
"Yeah?"
Liu Bang glanced at the old boy and said: "The First Emperor died and Hu Hai succeeded to the throne. When the boy was young, he was kidnapped by an eunuch and the second generation died."
"Your emperor is also so young. Why don't I care about you? We are friendly neighbors after all."
The emperor made two mistakes in his words. First, the two countries are now separated by the Kingdom of Jin and are not neighbors.
Second, Xixia took the opportunity to occupy more than a thousand miles of fertile land in the Song Dynasty. When Li Qianshun was still alive, he resigned several times from the credentials sent by the emperor, and everyone was not friendly.
Seeing that he didn't speak, Liu Bang struck while the iron was hot:
"I heard that your emperor favored a surrendered general from the Song Dynasty...but as a majestic uncle, you are working as an envoy in other countries..."
Liu Bang shook his head: "As an outsider, I can't stand it anymore."
These words hit Li Qianhui, and his expression changed slightly. Although the time changed back very quickly, Liu Bang still saw it.
"If Your Majesty summons your ministers to talk about this matter, then I will have nothing to say."
"Snapped!"
After grabbing a piece of paper from Huang Yanjie, Liu Bang slapped his hand.
"I came to make friends with you, and this..."
He shook the piece of paper in his hand: "This is my sincerity."
After saying that, he handed it over personally. Li Qianhui quickly bowed and took it. When he took a closer look, he almost fell to the ground.
"This is, this is..."
"This is the order to mobilize troops. The one stamped on it is my seal. The one signed on it, named Zhang Jun, is the Privy Councilor of the Song Dynasty."
Of course Li Qianhui knew what it was, and he was not illiterate.
But why would the emperor give this to himself?
Thinking about how I had gone to great lengths to make friends with capable ministers and ministers in the Song and Jin Dynasties, wasn't this what I wanted?
Now that he got it so easily, Li Qianhui couldn't believe it.
"Of course, this thing can't seduce Yue Fei and the others. If you want to use it," Liu Bang looked into his eyes, "Wu Lin's 100,000 people can do it."
Suppressing the excitement in his heart, he didn't know where the courage of this peaceful emperor and the Song Dynasty, who had feared the dangers of warriors for generations, came from.
He handed the paper back, but the emperor didn't take it, so he had to take it back:
"Your Majesty...what do you need me to do?"
"You don't need anything. As I said, I'm here to make friends with you."
Ignoring the shock of the ministers on the side, the emperor took care of himself and made such a big decision.
Zhao Ding moved his throat, thinking that there were outsiders here, so he endured it and went back.
Before Li Qianhui could react, the emperor's next words made him feel like he had fallen into the West Lake in December.
"Since I have become your friend, there is no need to contact your other friends in Song State."
"Whatever they can promise you, I can give you."
"There were several people who falsely conveyed the imperial edict and went to take care of Yue Fei's family..."
"I will no longer pursue it."
Li Qianhui's mind kept flashing to Lin'an City's Huainanlou family's famous dish meat pie, and gradually, this dish overlapped with Zhang Tonggu's head.
An old man, who was also the uncle of Emperor Xia, almost fell to his knees.
He didn't know when the emperor found out, but he was thankful that he hadn't done anything yet.
At the same time, he also enlightened himself: He was forced to accept it. If he didn't accept it, he would become a meat pie. If he accepted it, he wouldn't have to do anything...
The burden on his heart was lessened, and he finally said:
"Many, thank you Your Majesty."
Liu Bang smiled and waved to him, and the old man resigned obediently.
Now that Song and Xia were separated by the Kingdom of Jin, Li Qianhui probably couldn't sleep after receiving the troop transfer order.
In a few months, when the border begins to come to the west, this old man may not even be able to eat.
Without soldiers and ideas, and with soldiers and no ideas, nothing can be done.
Only those who have soldiers and ideas cannot bear that kind of desire, just like a starving person who keeps having a piece of meat dangling from his mouth.
Will eventually take a bite.
Princes, generals and ministers would rather have the seed, not to mention that this old boy already has the king's seed.
When he came back to his senses, he saw a group of people staring at him, wanting to give him an explanation.
Liu Bang chuckled and said the third thing:
"Other places also say that I am a little worried about Zhang Jun in Huainan."
"How about I go supervise the military governor?"
As soon as these words came out, even the cicadas seemed to have disappeared outside the mountain gate of Lingyin Temple.
The world fell into a deathly silence.
(End of chapter)
