The door was closed, Shi Kong stood at the door, under the corridor were Li Mao's two personal entourage, and outside the courtyard were Liaodong General Huang Zhong and his guards. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;

Xue Rong sighed, raised his head and said, "It's all my own opinion, and it has nothing to do with others." ”

After saying this, Xue Rong suddenly became extremely anxious, what the hell is wrong with him, it is obviously a good game of chess, how can he be confused and defeated in the blink of an eye, it is simply inexplicable defeat, defeat is a nest, he once wanted to roar ruthlessly, summon the guards outside to come in, and die with his past brothers and current opponents, but thinking about his wife and child, thinking about the old mother who is dying in his hometown, thinking about his brothers and relatives, he endured it again.

"There was a traitor in the court, and he suddenly vomited Chengxuan and Wang Shoucheng to confuse the Son of Heaven, intending to harm me. Tutu Chengguang wanted to trap me in Ziqing, Lin Ying sat in Huazhou and set up a net to assassinate me, Wang Shoucheng instructed his cronies to come to Liaodong to coax his brother, so that a plan to draw wages from the bottom of the kettle coaxed our brothers to kill each other. ”

"Enough, ridiculous, really ridiculous" Xue Rong slapped the case and glared at Li Mao: "You can also say such nonsense, do you really regard me as a three-year-old child, what have you done in Liaodong and Youzhou all these years, do you think I don't know, how can you still have the slightest loyalty to your courtiers, how can you still put the Son of Heaven in your eyes, you only have yourself in your heart, your Liaodong, your Youzhou, your children and grandchildren." If you change the official system, you will almost follow in the footsteps of An Lushan. ”

Xue Rong was so excited, but it made Li Mao feel at ease, and he could see that his brother's skills were so stopping.

He smiled faintly, sat down opposite Xue Rong, but said: "Regarding the matter of changing the official system, I remember that I have already explained it to my brother, and the last time I met the saint, I also clarified this matter to Your Majesty, and Your Majesty said that things should be done in power and expediency, and he did not blame me." Now you still use this matter to deduct my hat, how wronged. ”

Xue Rong snorted heavily, picked up the tea bowl and wanted to take a sip of tea, but found that the tea bowl was empty.

Li Mao picked up the tea bowl and took a leisurely sip. Xue Rong was angry: in his study, his master didn't have tea to drink, so he drank it.

"Since my brother took charge of Liaodong, I have never interfered in the affairs of Liaodong again, you said that the official system is not appropriate, if you want to change it, you will change it, I have not said a word from beginning to end. But Yang Fengyin has violated it, but I have secretly hindered it. ”

Xue Rong said: "The official system is just a reason, and you have long lost the loyalty of your courtiers in your heart."

Li Mao said: "The king regards the minister as a sibling, and the minister regards the king as a heart." The king regards the minister as a dog and a horse, and the minister regards the king as a countryman. The king regards people as mustard, and the ministers regard the king as an enemy. I recovered Liaodong, subdued Shanxi, defeated the Khitan and Murwei, and beat the Bohai Sea and Silla on behalf of the imperial court. Liaodong returned to the Tang Dynasty, and the imperial court sent officials to govern, and I supported it. Am I doing all this wrong, why don't you ask the reason, listen to a few eunuchs who want to hurt me, this is the fairness that the court gave me?"

Xue Rong said: "You complain that the court treats you unfairly"

Li Mao said: "That's the case. ”

Xue Rong's face turned purple, and he laughed angrily: "You even said such a thing, so what else are you talking about, you have to follow An Lushan and Shi Siming, forgive me for not being able to accompany you." ”

Li Mao said: "The Anshi Rebellion is a disaster in the world, I Li Mao disdainfully thinks, I just want to protect the territory and the people, stay away from the villains in the court, and live a few more years in this troubled world." ”

Xue Rong knocked on the table and said: "Huaixi, Ziqing have been leveled, Yuanhe Zhongxing is imminent, where did the troubled times come from today is the world is peaceful, tomorrow is to rebuild the prosperous era I Tang Dynasty has been more than 50 years since the Anshi Rebellion, and it took 50 years to eliminate the scourge of war and reopen the peace. ”

Li Mao said: "My brother said that it is a prosperous time now, and I dare not agree with this." Looking at the world, all industries are withering, people's livelihood is poor, the huge wealth is like a tiger and a wolf, the poor and lowly have no cone, the officials are corrupt and violent, Di Rong is around, there are eunuchs and eunuchs inside, there are friends fighting with each other outside, the country raises millions of soldiers, the royal family is extravagant, the people of the world are poor and exhausted, let these ills not be swept away, but they focus on Hebei, sweep away Hebei, kill me The world can be peaceful

"Back then, he said that the feudal town was dominant, so that the country was sluggish, and I relied on my enthusiasm to calm Liu Pi, suppress Yang Huilin, and strongly advocate crossing the river to capture and kill Li Qi. Then the battle became virtuous, pacified Huaixi, and even recovered Liaodong, pacified Ziqing, which time I was not on his side, which time I did not do my best to support him. But to this day, why are all industries still withering, the people are still embarrassed, the border troubles have not been settled, and the eunuchs have not swept away this so-called prosperous era is just a prosperous era with one surname, how can the prosperous era of the world come from"

Xue Rong's face turned pale, and his fingers trembled: "You, you even said such a thing, you, it is you people who support the army and are self-respecting and constrained everywhere, which makes Zhongxing's plan difficult." ”

Li Mao said: "It's not that we are hindered, it's that his path is fundamentally wrong, Zhongxing Datang relies on sincerity, he doesn't wipe his buttocks but accuses others of shit on their buttocks, reckless and reckless, in a vain attempt to sweep the world by force, this line is not the royal road but domineering, and governing the world with hegemony blames others for responding to it with domineering." ”

Xue Rong wanted to open his mouth to refute, but the words were stuck in his throat but he couldn't spit it out, but his hands were shaking angrily. Before Xue Rong could speak, Li Mao said again: "Brother, do you know why I took the lead." ”

Xue Rong said hatefully: "You have the means, you will get power, you win." ”

Li Mao said: "Brother's words are wrong, the people of Liaodong regard themselves as the people of the Tang Dynasty, they are loyal to the Tang Dynasty, and they have never betrayed the heart. They just want to live in peace, and they don't want to see the soldiers rise again, and Liaodong will rekindle the flames of war. Because I tell them the rules in everything, one is one, two is two, I don't use power to play tricks, I don't bully others, so they trust me, and with their secret help, I can return to Liaodong, control the overall situation, and catch my brother off guard. ”

Xue Rong shook his head and smiled: "I am ashamed of your methods, as for saying that the hearts of the people in Liaodong are really towards you, I don't think it is necessary." ”

Li Mao said: "Brother doesn't believe that I have a good heart, I don't know how to play your means to win the hearts of the people, I only know that I must be faithful, talk about rules, I set the rules I admit myself, one is one, two is two, never ambiguous." People are like this, they are not afraid of strict teachers, they are afraid of hooligans who do not pay attention to the rules, hooligans do not pay attention to the rules, you will become his at any time, although the division commander is strict, but he talks about the rules, what is yours is yours, what is his, there are traces to follow, there are rules to talk about, and people's hearts are stable. My brother is benevolent in Liaodong, and his official reputation is very good, but why don't they want to trust you, the secretary of the Ministry of Industry of the Tang Dynasty, because you are a good person who talks about the rules, but you talk about unreliable local rules, and you can't guarantee that your successor will also talk about the same rules as you. What is the difference between the court and the hooligans, and now the court taxes are heavy, the people are miserable, the weak eat the strong, like a jungle, the officials are corrupt and violent, lawless, the officials and the people are suspicious of each other, and the trust is gone, which is why they dare not trust you."

Xue Rong snorted: "They don't trust me, so they are willing to trust you and I am a flowing officer, you can live forever Even if you can live forever, how can you guarantee that you will talk about the rules now and the rules in the future, the wolf said that you don't eat people today, who dares to guarantee tomorrow"

Li Mao said: "At least I have sincerity, and I will abide by the rules I set." ”

Xue Rong sneered: "Wolves always want to eat people, saying that they don't eat people, how can they be reliable, unless they pull out their own claws, restrain their hands and feet, and get into the iron cage by themselves." If you don't, you don't have to pretend here. He sighed again: "You said so much, just want to say that you are justified, what reason do you have, I don't believe that the people of Hebei are more comfortable than other places, the people are suffering everywhere, and the only ones who benefit are the two surnames of the family." ”

Li Mao said: "Brother has been to Weibo, Chengde these two towns The strong people are in the army, the old and weak women and children cultivate the land for the people, but looking at their lives, it seems to be better than Xuanwu and Yicheng across the river. The imperial court is too big, there are always some places that can't be managed, redundant officials, redundant soldiers, and huge royal expenses, how can you survive if you don't loot the wealth of the world As for the state and county, it is not your own anyway, if you can make an extra point, it will be counted as a point, and it doesn't matter if I die. My brother has been an official in Ziqing, and he has also been an official in Jiangxi and Fujian, so he should have a personal experience of this. The people's hearts have been lost, the court does not want to change its course from top to bottom, from the inside out, but blindly criticizes the place, today there is still Hebei is not peaceful, the princes of the court and the central government still dare not do whatever they want, if Hebei is calm, the four seas are unified, is there still a way for the people to live in this world?"

Xue Rong waved his hand anxiously: "I don't listen to what you say, it's all a crooked reason why the world raises so many soldiers, isn't it that the four seas have not been unified, sure enough, Hebei is pacified, and the hundreds of thousands of troops stationed in the Central Plains can be abolished, the burden on the people can be reduced, the imperial court can be freed, redundant officials and redundant personnel can be reduced, and all kinds of shortcomings can be solved." It is Wei Bo, Chengde and you who drag down the world. ”

Li Mao said: "Although Hebei is pacified, Tubo, Uighur, and Nanzhao are not destroyed, and the imperial court is still unable to move away from internal and external troubles. Thinking about the Yongzhen year, Wang Shuwen and Wang Ling's innovation, it is from the reduction of the royal family's offerings, the first knife is cut on their own body, this is the reform with responsibility and sincerity, not today, saying that they want to change themselves, there are thousands of difficulties, but the country's poverty and weakness are all pushed to the localities. Now Wei Bo is young, Chengde and the two heroes are facing each other, I asked myself that although I am slightly disrespectful to the court, but still the merit is greater than the fault, I intercepted the two taxes to raise the army, in order to protect the territory and the people, for the country, Hebei did not make a fuss, the court wants to refresh the politics, now is the opportunity, but what did the court do, busy eradicating dissidents, and forcing us to die. ”

Xue Rong sighed: "Don't say it, you have the means, you win, you want to follow Tian Chenghei, Li Baochen, and even learn from An Lushan and Shi Siming, I can't control it, you are yourself." As a courtier of the Tang Dynasty, I am powerless to stop you from anything, but I will never be in the same boat with you. ”

Li Mao was silent for a while, and was about to speak. Suddenly, there was a great chaos outside the courtyard gate, and two sturdy Xuanyi people turned into the door, opened the door latch, and let the people outside in, but saw a masked woman leading a team of elite Xuanyi warriors, escorting Zheng Xiaozhang, Ma Hedong and walking in.

With a bang, the head of the Duya Huang Zhong rolled down at Xue Rong's feet.

"The military government has been controlled, the judge Chen Wangfeng and the staff officer Wu Yuliang were captured, and Huang Li escaped over the wall and hid in the camp west of the city."

"Where is Chen Wangdao?"

"Takeover of the Four Defenses."

"Control all the key points in the city and avoid disturbing the people. Ordered Sang Rong to lead troops into the city to take over the defense, and ordered Ma Xiongan to take over the camp in the west of the city, and dared to resist and solve it on the spot. ”

Li Mao gave a brief order, turned around and glared at the masked woman: He has no opinion on killing Huang Zhong, but it's not good to throw people's heads around.

Xue Rong knelt on his knees, picked up the head of Huang Zhong, and wept bitterly.

The brothers Huang Li and Huang Zhong followed him all the way from Chang'an to Liaodong, and they had worked hard to train soldiers all these years, in order to curb Li Mao's support of the army, and now they died before they left the army, not in the vigorous battlefield, but in the hands of a group of assassins who did not see the light, Xue Rong thought it was not worth it.

Hearing that the judge Chen Wangfeng and the staff officer Wu Yuliang had been controlled, Huang Li hid in the camp in the west of the city, and knew that the general trend had gone, and he was a little disheartened for a while.

At this time, someone came to report that the defenders of the camp in the west of the city refused to go out of the camp to surrender, Ma Xiong'an asked whether to solve it with a flowering bomb, Li Mao said to Xue Rong: "Huang Li and Huang Zhong are the lackeys of Tutu Chengguang and Wang Shoucheng, if they are not removed, Liaodong will be unsafe." ”

Xue Rong gritted his teeth and said, "What do you want me to do." ”

Li Mao said: "Trap this person and protect the 4,000 soldiers of the security army." ”

Xue Rong opened his eyes and asked bitterly, "Do you think I will agree?"

Li Mao said: "As long as he is willing to come out, I will not embarrass him." ”

Xue Rong wiped his tears, took out a brass cast troop talisman from his pocket and handed it to Li Mao.

Huang Li saw the power of the flowering bomb, and saw that the camp was surrounded, Ma Xiong'an threatened to use the flowering bullet to solve it, but his legs were numb and weak, and he was panicked, so when he saw someone holding Xue Rong's token and asked him to go to the Jiedu embassy to discuss the military, he breathed a sigh of relief, and immediately went out of the camp with the people, and met Ma Xiong'an halfway.

When Li Mao saw Huang Li, he hurriedly helped him up, and untied him with his own hands, but showed him Huang Zhong's head, Huang Li suddenly burst into tears, Li Mao said: "Huang Zhong is ignorant of the general trend, willing to be manipulated by traitors in the court, and even wants to kill my head, Xue Shangshu distinguishes right from wrong, and ordered him to be executed, although you and he are brothers of the same mother, but you are a loyal minister, and he is not a person all the way." I have promised Xue Shangshu not to embarrass you. ”

Huang Li cried bitterly and pleaded guilty and took the initiative to hand over the military power.

Xue Rong was still his envoy to the festival, and Zheng Xiaozhang was hired as the deputy envoy, and the prime minister's military and political affairs, Xue Rong's shogunate positions were all dismissed, and individuals were asked to voluntarily fill in the resignation form, and they were sent out of the country on the same day. The appointments and dismissals of officials are not counted, and they are screened and restarted.

Someone suggested disbanding the 20,000 security army, Li Mao said: "There is nothing wrong with the security army to protect the territory and the people, the military number should be retained, the personnel should be reduced, the organization should be dispersed, the training should be reorganized, and the towns should be moved to various prefectures, and they will be jointly commanded by the local assassins and the military department, and will be responsible for managing internal security." The detective teams of the state security bureaus have been reduced in size and diverted personnel into the security forces. The Security Bureau and the Security Forces perform their respective duties to maintain local law and order, and from then on, the military and non-military generals stationed in the states are not allowed to interfere in local law and order. ”

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