After entering the temple and walking into the small courtyard on the west side, Feng Wanli walked towards a person in a polite manner.
The man was sitting north and facing south, wearing a white and yellow satin robe. His hair was like ink, his face was like jade, his face was thin, and his facial features were clear. If it weren't for the traces of time, some wrinkles were forced on him, and the skin on his neck was slightly exposed. Aging is sure to be very popular among girls. As the people on the east and west sides seemed to be trembling, he was full of majesty, highlighting his sacred and inviolable appearance, a veritable venerable figure.
Feng Wanli turned his back to the north and bowed to the ground, and said loudly: "Disciple Feng Wanli, pay homage to the master. I wish the master to enjoy immortal blessings and live as long as the sky. I wish Biluo Lake to stand proudly in the martial arts world for generations to come."
Master? It’s Zhao Mingxiu.
Zhao Mingxiu's eyes were filled with golden light, and with a stern look on his face, he said softly: "Feng Wanli, have you completed the task assigned to you by the master?"
Feng Wanli prostrated again and replied: "Return to the master, the disciple is incompetent and has failed the master's orders."
Zhao Mingxiu said coldly: "Incompetent? Where to start?"
The man in his fifties sitting to the west sneered and interjected: "Second Senior Brother, since Fan Zhongyan crossed the horse and took charge of Linyan Road, there has never been an assassination in Yanzhou Mansion. The government is on alert. You are too lax. As the second disciple of Biluo Lake, your martial arts have already reached the level of a saint, so you should treat the government guards as nothing more than grass. Today, you have failed your master's orders and returned empty-handed, but you use incompetence as an excuse. Are you going to deceive your master and destroy your ancestors?"
Feng Wanli glanced at Zhao Mingxiu and immediately prostrated himself on the ground, saying: "Master Mingjian, how dare this disciple do that thing of deceiving his master and destroying his ancestors."
Zhao Mingxiu then took a good look at Feng Wanli and said, "Feng Wanli, where is your sword? Did you lose it because of incompetence?"
Yang Ruri, who was sitting on the east side, bowed to Zhao Mingxiu and said, "Master, Second Senior Brother's eldest disciple Shi Qinghua has not returned."
The man sitting to the west just now said: "Second senior brother, you didn't leave the sword to Shi Qinghua, hoping to establish your own business in the future, right?"
Dong Xiaowan, who was sitting below Yang Ruri, interjected: "Fourth senior brother, second senior brother is loyal to the sect. How can you say such words at will, for the sake of mercy."
Zhao Mingxiu said coldly: "Dong Xiaowan, are you begging for Feng Wanli?"
Dong Xiaowan bowed her head and said, "Disciple doesn't dare."
Zhao Mingxiu snorted: "Why don't you dare! The relationship between brothers and sisters is deep, so it's not a bad thing to say a word to help."
Dong Xiaowan prostrated himself everywhere and said, "Disciple doesn't dare."
Zhao Mingxiu smiled and said: "If you don't dare, then get up."
Dong Xiaowan said: "Thank you, Master." She stood up and sat down.
Zhao Mingxiu glanced at Feng Wanli, who was prostrate on the ground, and said, "Feng Wanli, did you fail the master's life because of helplessness? Or did you do it intentionally?" The voice of the second half of the sentence was obviously louder.
Feng Wanli replied: "Disciple is incompetent, please master punish me."
The fourth junior brother sneered: "Second senior brother, from my perspective, you are not incompetent, but careless!"
Feng Wanli turned his head and glanced at his fourth junior brother, and shouted slightly angrily: "Liu Zhongtian, Master is asking, how can you not allow you to interrupt at will?"
"You...!" Liu Zhongtian glanced at Zhao Mingxiu and immediately became quiet.
Zhao Mingxiu said: "Feng Wanli, the way you scold your junior brother is definitely not incompetent, but careless."
Feng Wanli raised his head, looked at Zhao Mingxiu carefully, and said: "Master, as Fan Zhongyan is an official of the imperial court, he and Biluo Lake are on equal footing with us, and there is no grudge or grudge to speak of. Why do we have to ignore him?" To kill him, assassinate him! I really don’t know what’s going on, please let Master clarify.”
Zhao Mingxiu glanced at Yang Ruri, and Yang Ruri said: "Second senior brother, in the Battle of Haoshuichuan, the Song army suffered more than 10,000 casualties, and almost all the main generals died in the battle. It can be said to be a great shame for our Song Dynasty."
Feng Wanli said sadly: "On the way of the army's retreat, there were thousands of fathers, brothers and wives of the fallen soldiers. Along the way, weeping in pain, they threw paper money to summon the souls of the martyrs. The situation was so miserable that it was unbearable to witness."
Yang Ruri said: "Second Senior Brother, who is to blame for the defeat of Haoshuichuan?"
Feng Wanli replied: "Third Junior Brother, since the founding of the Song Dynasty, I have never heard of any court official doing the thing of acting as a substitute for others. As the saying goes, people in their positions plan their own affairs and perform their duties. The Battle of Haoshuichuan happened. On the Jingyuan Road that Master Han Qi traveled through, even if the fault and responsibility are to be investigated, it should be the responsibility of the generals on the Jingyuan Road. No one can blame Fan Zhongyan who traveled through the Linyan Road!"
Yang Ruri said: "Second Senior Brother, you are wrong."
Feng Wanli was puzzled and said: "Third junior brother, what did I do wrong? You might as well speak out."
Yang Ruri glanced at Zhao Mingxiu, then turned to Feng Wanli and said: "Second Senior Brother, in the previous battle at Sanchuankou, the Song army was defeated, with more than 10,000 soldiers killed and injured. The court was shocked, the morale of the frontier was low, and the army was in a timid mood. spread wantonly..."
Feng Wanli couldn't listen anymore and interrupted: "Everyone knows that the Song Dynasty has been without war for more than thirty years since the Tanyuan Alliance. The soldiers have not been on the battlefield, the border towns have not been repaired, and the defenses are lax. Suddenly encountered a strong enemy, It is normal to feel overwhelmed and timid for a while."
Yang Ruri said: "Senior brother, even if this is normal, what follows is not normal."
Feng Wanli asked: "What's abnormal behind the scenes?"
Yang Ruri said: "In order to boost morale, Mr. Han wrote to the court to concentrate his forces on a large-scale attack on Xixia. At the same time, he asked Fan Zhongyan to send troops with him. But Fan Zhongyan not only did not send troops to help, but also found various reasons, saying When is the time not ripe to take the initiative and disturb the morale of the military?"
Feng Wanli said: "Junior brother, you know that in recent decades, the officials and soldiers of the Song Dynasty border fortress have not only exploited the people on the border, but also bullied ethnic minorities. They have long lost the support of the people and the ethnic relations are irreconcilable. Xixia Dangxiang people The descendants of the ancient Qiang people have occupied the hinterland of the Loess Plateau since the late Tang Dynasty. After hundreds of years of accumulation, they have a deep foundation and become increasingly powerful. Moreover, the Dangxiang people are of nomadic origin and are good at cavalry combat. In addition, they have expanded throughout the decades and gained combat experience. Rich, it is truly a powerful force that dominates the northwest.”
Yang Ruri said: "Junior brother, you have to know that Mr. Han Qi is Fan Zhongyan's best friend. Without Mr. Han's strong recommendation, he, Fan Zhongyan, would have had the chance to be re-employed by the imperial court and come to the northwest to guard the border. Fan Zhongyan did not want to think about the relationship between the two. Forgetting the love between us, he still exchanged letters and hooked up with Li Yuanhao of Xixia, dreaming of reaching a consensus without fighting and subduing others, and achieving unparalleled achievements. He is really just a villain!"
Feng Wanli said coldly: "The border between Song and Xia is vast, sparsely populated, and crisscrossed with ravines. We in the Song Dynasty are mostly infantry. Not to mention that we can't outrun the enemy in pursuit, but even if we are divided and surrounded by Xixia soldiers and horses, it will be difficult to rush to support in time." . In such a situation, if you rashly go deep behind enemy lines to start a decisive battle, if you just think you have a long life, you are stupid and overestimating your capabilities."
Zhao Mingxiu said coldly: "Feng Wanli, in your mind, is Fan Zhongyan still a man of foresight and foresight for the sake of his own merits, who can be ruthless and unscrupulous and refuse to save his life, which led to the defeat of the Song Dynasty at Haoshuichuan?"
Feng Wanli said: "Disciple doesn't dare."
Liu Zhongtian sneered: "Master, if he didn't dare, why didn't he come back with Fan Zhongyan's head?"
