Before the rainy season arrived, a light rain fell in Beijing. Within two days of Xue Lu taking the recital, he was summoned by the saint and went to the Dongnuan Pavilion of the Qianqing Palace to face the saint. It was still raining.

The great battles that took place in the three southwestern provinces in the previous months were undoubtedly very defeating for the imperial court officials and troops. But when Xue Lu saw Emperor Zhu Gaochi, he didn't see the annoyed and angry look on the emperor's face, let alone anxious and panicked.

Of course, there was no joy at all.

When Zhu Gaochi saw Xue Lu, he first told a story, "This matter was told by Gao Xu and me when our three brothers were in Beijing together. I thought it was very interesting, and after listening to it, Yang Wuhou put it in his stomach. ”

He didn't wait for Xue Lu to answer something like "listen to me", and immediately said again, "It's about three living creatures, a mosquito, a big insect (tiger), and a sheep. The mosquito was nailing and sucking the blood of the sheep, when suddenly a large insect rushed out of the woods and ate the sheep, chewing up the bones as well! ”

Zhu Gaochi paused, as if observing Xue Lu. Xue Lu was not sure, he didn't dare to raise his head and look directly at the Son of Heaven.

"The mosquito angrily rebuked the big worm. Big worm, you are also sucking the blood of sheep, we are no different; The mosquito said, I only eat a little blood from sheep, but you want the life of a sheep. ”

After Xue Lu heard this, he suddenly remembered Wang Xiucai, who was teaching two days ago. Wang Xiucai can't really threaten Xue Lu, and he doesn't have to do that, he is like a mosquito, he just wants to get a little benefit from Xue Lu.

This is an allegory, in the same way as many passages in the Zhuangzi, but it is also a specious allegory. When the saint said this, did he agree with the mosquito's statement, or the big worm?

Xue Lu didn't dare to ask, so he bent down and bowed: "The saint is sage, and the minister is stupid." ”

Zhu Gaochi sighed, but did not explain his opinion, and quickly changed the topic and said: "What Yangwuhou has done in Sichuan, what he has seen, let's talk about it." ”

"Obey." Xue Lu clenched his fists and bowed, and began to report after a moment of silence.

In front of the emperor, you must not tell a lie easily, otherwise it will be a crime of bullying the king! But even one thing woven together with truth can be a little different......

After a long time, Xue Lu walked out of the Dongnuan Pavilion, and he let out a long breath. Dongnuan Pavilion is in the Qianqing Palace, which belongs to the harem area, and it is impossible for ordinary people to come here to be saintly. Xue Lu could still meet the saint, at least, he already vaguely felt the safety of his life.

As soon as Xue Lu raised his head, he suddenly saw a team of civil and military ministers standing silently on the inclined corridor! Those people stood there not only without a sound, but also without moving at will, looking very cautious. Xue Lu thought of the loss of honor a moment ago, the relieved action, and suddenly felt a little embarrassed.

"Yang Wuhou." And the ministers saluted him. Xue Lu also returned the salute with his fists and walked up the ramp corridor. At this time, there were still people in the court who paid attention to him, proving that more than one minister had the same idea as Xue Lu himself, as long as he could still face the saint in the Dongnuan Pavilion, he would not be completely finished.

Xue Lu was led by the eunuchs and walked out of the Qianqing Gate. At this time, he couldn't help but think of the parable that the Holy One said, was this a knock to remind him? The saint is implying that Xue Lu is like a mosquito, and his selfishness has caused the imperial court to suffer some losses?

Xue Lu really couldn't determine the mind of the saint.

…… After the Marquis of Yangwu left the Qianqing Palace, the ministers who entered the Dongnuan Pavilion were several civil officials, including the former officials of the East Palace, as well as Yuan Heng and Lu Zhen and other ministers. The emperor's own uncle Xu Huizu was also on the ramp, but Xu Huizu had not yet been allowed to enter to face the saint.

The ministers who entered the room stepped forward to bow and salute, and Zhu Gaochi did not raise his head and said, "Excuse yourself from courtesy." ”

"Thank you."

Zhu Gaochi's eyes were still looking at the four pieces of music neatly laid out on the imperial case, in addition to the chapters written by Xue Lu who he had just seen, there were also Zhang Fu, Gu Cheng, and Wu Gao. These things were sent to Jingshi at different times before and after, and now they are placed in front of Zhu Gaochi at the same time.

"Let's see." Zhu Gaochi said. The eunuch Hou Hai picked up the pieces and distributed them to the ministers.

In this big defeat, Zhu Gaochi behaved very well after hearing the news. He didn't get angry in front of the ministers, because his biggest feeling was not anger at all, but fear!

If an emperor is afraid in front of others, it is the most inappropriate expression. So Zhu Gaochi looked almost expressionless.

For a while, he kept thinking, what are you afraid of? Publicly raising troops against his brother has already made him feel terrible, but what makes Zhu Gaochi most uneasy is still inside!

The defeat on the battlefield made Zhu Gaochi suddenly wake up to the fact that the problems within the court were even more serious than he expected; A lot of people are trying to deceive him!

When Zhu Gaochi thought that the eunuchs and women around him might be who they were, he couldn't get angry, and he only felt cold hands and feet. But he wasn't sure: Who had different intentions? Is there really a different heart, or is there a certain amount of different heart?

For a while, Zhu Gaochi suddenly understood his father, the father he had been afraid of for many years and secretly resentful.

If my father were alive, what would he do in such a situation? Zhu Gaochi felt that his father would kill a lot of people, and his father would definitely do that! Of course, most of them died innocent...... Just like the palace maid at the beginning, Zhu Gaochi only got close once.

Zhu Gaochi also began to understand the failed Emperor Jianwen, and the world privately thought that Emperor Jianwen had done a lot of wrong, but perhaps in Jianwen's position, the decision was not so simple.

Can Zhu Gaochi learn his father's methods, or can he learn Jianwen? He doesn't think it works! The three generations of emperors who used to sit in this place in Dongnuan Pavilion have different things, situations and enemies, and there is no way to draw a scoop in the same way.

Yang Rong's voice said: "Holy Lord, please speak." ”

Zhu Gaochi came back to his senses and nodded: "Aiqing, but it doesn't hurt to say it." ”

Yang Rong bowed and said: "The minister thinks that the most important thing at the moment is not to discuss the merits and demerits of the generals. ”

As soon as these words came out, most of the people present subconsciously nodded slightly...... After all, hundreds of thousands of troops surrounded and suppressed Gaoxu, but in just a few months, even the three provinces of Yunyun, Guizhou, and Sichuan could only be judged on whose crimes.

Yang Rong continued: "This is not the time to discuss the next step. There is something more important than this, and that is public opinion!

First of all, after the imperial court determined the strategy of Zhang, the princess of Wei, to 'rush to Guizhou and win a decisive victory in the southwest', the six departments of the imperial court ordered the states and counties to dispatch military supplies in order to boost the morale of the army and the people, and sent several palace reports. Therefore, there are many people who know about this war, and it is futile to hide it this time. But if you sit idly by, lest rumors spread, it will cover up the facts and make people in the world mistakenly think that the imperial court has been defeated. It is extremely unfavorable to the hearts of the people and the army! ”

Yuan Hui asked coldly: "Dare to love the official army is not defeated?" ”

Yang Rong was a little unhappy when he heard this, after all, Yuan Heng suddenly interjected a little rudely. Yang Rong turned his head and said, "Master Wang just failed to win!" ”

He continued: "In the Battle of Sichuan, because the former Sichuan Commander made Qu Neng defect to the traitors and instigated the old troops to defect, the Sichuan army was rotten; Yangwu Hou led hundreds of loyal and brave soldiers of the Beijing battalion to ride with the Sichuan Weisuo army, and fought with 100,000 traitors in the Taipingchang, and the Sichuan army surrendered. The Marquis of Yangwu beheaded thousands of rebels, and finally retreated to Chongqing because he was outnumbered. Xu Hua, the commander of the Chongqing Wei, had already colluded with the traitors, opened the door and knelt down to the traitors, and the Marquis of Yangwu led the army to break through the siege and turned to Huguang with the intention of counterattacking and containing half of the Han rebels in Sichuan.

On the battlefield of Guizhou, Wu Gao's army was blocked by the main force of the rebels, and the two armies fought fiercely, and Wu Gao's army won several times. But Gu Yong, the defender of Guizhou, was young and sloppy, and was defeated and captured by the rebels!

On the Yunnan side, the veteran Zhenyuan Marquis Gu Cheng swept through the territory of the Yunnan political envoy, besieged Kunming City, and killed countless enemies. He took the lead, but he fell ill day and night because of his disgust with state affairs.

Not long ago, the political envoy of Jiaozhi Bu played the rebellion of the Annan people such as Jianding, Deng Xi, and Ruan Shuai. It was they who burned the grain and grass, which caused the British to be dragged and the army to lack food, which affected the march. But the British Duke still overcame all difficulties and rushed to Yunnan.

When Zhang Fujun arrived in Yunnan, he learned that the city of Guizhou had been breached and the grain route had been cut off. Guizhou fell in the east, and the rebels of Annam and the cavalry of the Han rebels colluded to cut off the grain route in the south, and the officers and troops did not have a grain of military rations to reinforce them! The soldiers fed their hunger with grass and bark, repelled the pursuit of the rebels with hunger, and successfully marched to Guangxi to eat.

When Wu Gaojun heard this, Guizhou fell and the British retreated, so they had to return to Huguang. The rebels of the Han Dynasty captured Guizhou, slaughtered the city for three days, ravaged the wives and daughters of the soldiers, burned, killed, and plundered, and did all kinds of evil! The military disaster caused the displacement of countless soldiers and civilians, and the traitors coerced the young and strong, and the army became more and more numerous; And inspired the rebels to enter the south of the Yangtze River, march into Beijing, and plunder the officials and people.

The traitors of the Han Dynasty colluded with each other, cut the land and barbarians, and killed and plundered the people of the Ming Dynasty together, and the people and gods were angry! When the officers and soldiers heard this, they were filled with righteous indignation and rushed to ask for revenge for the innocent people! ”

After listening to Yang Rong's generous words, the monarchs and ministers were speechless for a while, and the Dongnuan Pavilion was unusually quiet.

Zhu Gaochi even admired him a little. Everything Yang Rong said was probably true, but what he said was something else entirely. It's not easy.

Yang Rong waited for a while, and said: "Roughly like this, we can take precautions to avoid the frustration of the soldiers and civilians everywhere and surrender without a fight in the future." ”

At this moment, Yang Shiqi said: "I think it's a bit too much, I'm afraid I can't win the trust of the world." ”

Yang Rong said: "Then call the prisoners of the country and the students from all over the country to write a book, and all of them are united, please send troops to quell the rebellion again." ”

Zhu Gaochi thought about it and felt that what they said was very reasonable, so he said: "It needs to be revised, this matter will be done immediately, and I will see it first when it is written." ”

"The ministers obey."

Yuan Hui hugged his fists and said: "Write a report according to this meaning, then the crime will be Gu Yong?" ”

In addition to Yuan Hui, Lu Zhen also stayed in Beiping for a long time, and they had a good relationship with Zhenyuan Hou Gu. Lu Zhen also chimed in: "Gu Yong is really a little wronged. ”

Yang Rong said coldly: "What's wronged? He's a captive! ”

Everyone was stunned. Yang Rong was busy again: "Gu Yong lost the city and lost the land, and he survived!" and his father, Gu Cheng, the distant marquis of Zhenzhen, if it weren't for the burning of military rations, why would the Yunnan battlefield be like this? ”

So there was silence again in the East Warm Pavilion.