Jiankang, inside the palace city, Fengyi Hall.
Meng Chang was wearing a purple official robe worn by a minister. He was sitting behind a big eucalyptus table. From time to time, one or two clerks would run in, carrying piles of official documents, and then they would bring out piles of corrected documents. The official document was rushed out of the palace.
However, on the other side of the big eucalyptus, Tao Yuanming was wearing a scribe's robe and sitting on the ground. In front of him were several wine jars and an exquisite wine pot, which was being heated in a warm water bucket on a small stove. Two Xiaoya wine glasses were placed in front of him. One was full and the other was empty. The reason why it was empty was that Tao Yuanming kept pouring and drinking from himself. Occasionally he would sing a few lines, and the aroma of the wine mixed with his singing. Together, they filled the whole hall, but almost all the scribes running around showed disdain. After taking a look at Tao Yuanming, they hurried out, not wanting to stay here for even a moment longer.
However, the person standing in front of the big eucalyptus now is completely different from the previous scribes. He is wearing the clothes of a junior official and is dressed in green, but he is not like those slumped officials. Although he is He stood respectfully with his hands lowered, but his head was not lowered. A sense of arrogance and dignity arose spontaneously in his bones. Even when he was standing in front of the prime minister of the dynasty, he was neither humble nor arrogant. At most, it was just the kind of courtesy that a subordinate would give to his superior, and nothing ordinary. Officials have an almost different species of awe for senior officials.
This man has fair skin, sparse eyebrows, and a few strands of beard fluttering on his chin. Although he is wearing official clothes, he can still be handsome and handsome. He is an out-and-out handsome guy, and that aristocratic temperament permeates the air. With his neutral tone and calm narration, his words were concise but concise. Compared with the previous officials who stuttered for a long time but couldn't get the gist, it was a huge difference.
Meng Chang looked at the folded official document in his hand and smiled slightly: "So, the demon thief's fleet originally came towards Xinting, and Marshal Liu was at the top of Xinting Fortress at that time, right?"
The green-clothed scribe nodded: "Yes. At that time, the commander-in-chief also told General Meng Huaiyu and General Yu Qiujin who were accompanying him that if the monsters and thieves went straight to Xinting, abandoned the ship and landed, they would attack the city directly without setting up camp as a demonstration. If we are determined to never come back, the enemy will be too sharp to withstand, so our army cannot directly confront them head-on. We need to find ways to delay the battle and avoid their sharp edges."
Meng Chang frowned: "What kind of evasion? Should we give up Xinting Fortress?"
The green-clothed scribe shook his head: "No, Marshal Liu meant not to take the initiative to go out of the city to counterattack the enemy's landing troops, but to hold on to the fortress. Because at that time General Yu Qiujin proposed that if the enemy troops came ashore, they should open the city and dispatch elite troops. It was destroyed on the beach."
Meng Chang breathed a long sigh of relief: "That's it. Although the counterattack on the beach can defeat the enemy's foothold, the enemy's warships are all on the river and can be supported by long-range weapons. If the enemy's troops land sharply, their morale will be high. , we must fight to the death. Even if our army goes out to attack the city and fights with them on the beach, it is impossible to defeat the enemy in a short while. Under their long-range attack, there will be heavy casualties. Even if we win, some of the troops who have come ashore will be wiped out. The price paid by the demon thief is unbearable."
The green-clothed scribe nodded: "Students understand. Students need to ask adults more about the battle formation. Oh, by the way, when Marshal Liu saw that the enemy warships were heading towards Xinting, he His expression changed slightly, and he looked around, even a commander who has experienced hundreds of battles, sometimes loses his composure."
Meng Chang sighed: "The former commander-in-chief charged into battle, was not afraid of missing an edge, and never blinked an eye. But that was because he was just a low-level officer, a charge captain. If he really sacrificed his life for the country, it would not destroy the country. Death, but now, he is the commander-in-chief of the entire army, and is responsible for the survival and safety of the Jin Dynasty. What makes him lose weight is not personal fear, but worry about the outcome of the war. What you just said, should you give up Xinting City? , and switched to tunnels to evacuate. If Xinting was abandoned, how to defend the outer city of Jiankang was probably what he had to consider at that time, and it was also the reason why he lost his reputation. "
The green-clothed scribe nodded: "Yes, that's it. In the battle of Guanggu, the commander-in-chief finally fought in front of him at Shuaitai. Murong Chui, who fell from the sky, didn't flinch at all. How could he win in this battle?" Are you greedy for life and afraid of death? However, rumors have appeared in the city now, saying that Marshal Liu is eclipsed at the top of Xinting City, and there are even some uglier words, such as being so scared that his face is pale, trembling, and he wants to evacuate. .”
Tao Yuanming suddenly laughed: "I'm afraid, there are some who said he was so scared that he peed his pants and fled the city."
The clerk in green didn't even look at Tao Yuanming and continued to say to Meng Chang: "Students think that these rumors may not be ordinary people's mentality of laughing at jokes. Behind them, there seem to be enemies hiding in the dark who are fueling the flames. Including the first two When officials at all levels and family members of aristocratic families were moved into the palace in Japan, it was found that some people were spreading rumors, saying that they would be rounded up and used as hostages. If the external war was unfavorable, or if someone defected to the enemy, the whole family would be implicated. In order to This, there were some small commotions.”
Meng Chang nodded: "You reported to me at the time that some officials' servants heard these rumors while drinking tea outside, and then they took them seriously and spread them in the palace, right?"
The clerk in green said sternly: "Yes, the origin of these rumors cannot be tested. After all, people who drink and eat tea will not leave their identities and leave after drinking. Now the students are still tracing the days they spent in teahouses and wine shops. Where are the people who have passed."
Tao Yuanming laughed: "If someone deliberately spread these words, they would have run away long ago. They must have disguised themselves when they spread these words. If you check after these days, what can you find? Don't do useless things. Okay, Xie Hui, look at the messy things you report every day, which makes Meng Pu so tired. The great time and energy are not used on serious matters, but are all used on these trivial things. Is this how you do things? ?”
This green-clothed scribe was none other than Xie Hui. No matter how well-mannered he was, he could not turn a blind eye to Tao Yuanming's sarcasm. He turned his head and looked at Tao Yuanming, while suppressing his anger. He said in a deep voice: "Could it be that, like Mr. Tao, he passed information to the barbarians of the enemy country, asking our Jin Dynasty to hand over the queen, expel the generals, cede the land, and pardon the rebels? Is this doing things for the country?"
Tao Yuanming smiled slightly: "I get angry when I'm provoked. Thank you Xuanming. You still need to practice more on how to nourish your qi. Look at me, I'm like this now. I'm just drinking and singing to entertain myself."
