Sure enough, it was as Xu Wei guessed. From February of the first year of Jingkang, the imperial court began a series of actions. First of all, Zhao Huan's henchman, Yin Nieshan, the former Kaifeng Mansion, has already been appointed as the "Jianghuai Zhulu System Envoy", ready to replace Cai You's henchman Song Huan. According to unconfirmed information, Nie Shan went to Jianghuai, not only to control the situation, but also to have a special task, that is, to secretly execute Tong Guan! But suddenly, Nie Shan's appointment was canceled, and Zhao Huan summoned Song Huan to return to Beijing to report on his work. At the same time, the punishment of Cai Jing, Tong Guan, Cai You, and others was greatly reduced. This move can be said to be Zhao Huan's overture to the Emperor, and even show weakness. In order to stabilize the southeast, and then invite Zhao Ji to return to Beijing.

But his son's actions did not seem to be recognized by Lao Tzu. Zhao Ji ignored Tokyo's overtures, and made three orders to various places in the southeast. The first is the interception corner, that is, the prohibition of the southeastern governments from transmitting any official documents to Tokyo, and ordering these areas to wait for instructions; Second, the king of duty is not allowed to allow the garrisons from all parts of the southeast to enter Tokyo, and the troops from all parts of the southeast must obey the orders of the "Jianghuai Envoy Division." Zhao Ji even openly intercepted the 3,000 taels of Zheqin Wang soldiers passing by Zhenjiang Mansion as his own guards. Third: Grain retention program. It is strictly forbidden to transport all materials including grain and grass to Tokyo from all parts of the southeast, and all the passes and ferries are not allowed to pass without the documents signed by Zhao Jixing's battalion director!

These three orders unmistakably show that Zhao Ji really has the intention of leaving Tokyo behind and setting up another imperial court in the southeast! For Zhao Huan, the series of actions of the Emperor Taishang are like drawing wages from the bottom of the kettle! Since then, the imperial court can no longer completely command Jianghuai, and the army of King Qin and emergency grain and grass here can no longer be sent to Tokyo. For a while, Tokyo shook! The officials who stayed in Beijing were also panicked, there were no two days in the sky, and there were no two kings in the country. Although the official family ascended the throne and became the emperor, the emperor held the southeast money and grain land in his hands, and there was a group of ministers who held great power to follow, who should we listen to?

The ministers of the court pointed out that the emperor's move was forced by the new monarch too fast. But in fact, Zhao Ji's move was premeditated. Before he fled Tokyo, one of Cai Jing's sons had been appointed as the prefect of Zhenjiang, and Cai You's henchman Song Huan had also been promoted to Jianghuai, Jingzhe, and other road system transportation envoys. And the southeast land, known as the "king of the southeast" Zhu Mian has been running for many years, Zhao Ji fled south this time, and Zhu Mian is among the peers!

Just imagine, Zhao Ji is only in his forties, and he is in the prime of life, although he is forced by the situation to pass on Zhao Huan. But now that the Jin army has retreated, is he really willing to be the emperor? Moreover, the powerful ministers were all around him. If the Tokyo Imperial Court wants to command the whole country, I am afraid it will not be so easy. So, he bowed to the left and right in the southeast, rewarded the left and gave the right, and did not stop for a moment. So much so that the civil and military officials in the southeast couldn't figure out what was going on, and obeyed his edict and forgot that there were still officials in Tokyo.

Although there was a setback in subduing the southeast, Zhao Huan's actions in the north still continued. One thing to do is to lift the martial law in Tokyo City, and strictly control the army of the king outside the city, and issue an edict that if the army dares to stir up trouble, the commander will be degraded, and the soldiers will sit together! If you harass the people and commit lawlessness, you will be beheaded regardless of whether you are an official or a soldier! This is undoubtedly a blow to the Song Army, which has corrupted military discipline! At the same time, because Xu Wei, the "Patrol Envoy of the Two Rivers Loyal and Righteous Patrol Society", reported to Li Gang, who was also the squire of the military department, about the difficult situation of the rebels outside the city, the imperial court pulled out part of the supplies, which greatly boosted the hearts of tens of thousands of rebels! Regard Xu Wei as the main backbone, and his parents are officials!

February 17. Before dawn, Xu Wei was still in bed when he heard a sudden knock on the door. When I opened the door, there was a middle-aged man standing outside the door, and I didn't know him.

"Dare to ask if it's Inspector Xu?" The other party asked with a fist clenched.

Xu Wei nodded, and the man said again: "On the orders of my family's senior officials, please ask Xu Inspector to move together." ”

"Your big official is ......," Xu Wei wondered.

The other party did not answer, but urged: "Xu Patrol will know when he goes, time is limited, please go with me immediately." ”

Are you an invitation or a kidnapping? If it is kidnapped and tied to Xu Jiu's head, it is really the right person. Seeing that Xu Wei didn't respond, the man was a little anxious, and said a little loudly: "Taiwei He is also on his way." ”

Xu Wei immediately realized that this "big official" was not an ordinary person, and even He Guan, who was a step commander, could be summoned there, which showed that he had a certain influence in the court. Since He Guan was also invited, he must have recommended himself. Otherwise, how can these court bigwigs invite a seven-rank military attaché? After a little thought, he nodded his head in agreement, and let the man go down first and lead the horse himself. But I heard from the other party that the carriage had been prepared outside.

Sitting in the car, staggering and not knowing where to go. Xu Wei guessed the origin of this "big official". First of all, he should have a pivotal position in the court. Secondly, judging from the fact that he summoned He Guan and himself, it must be related to the military. In the end, he did things so secretively, obviously he didn't want people to know.

While I was thinking about it, I heard a commotion outside. Xu Wei lifted the curtain and took a look. Thanks to the lifting of martial law in Tokyo by the imperial court, the city of Tokyo, which had been deserted for months, was once again lively. The vendors were busily unloading fresh goods from their trucks that had not been available for days, and the people with baskets and baskets lined up early to buy them. It's just been two months of horror, but at this moment, the city of Tokyo is once again full of laughter. It's just that the common people probably won't know that in a few months, the Jin army will return. If the court does not have the right response, then this laughter will turn into a ghost crying wolf.

On closer inspection, the carriage was actually heading out of the city. This "big official" came to summon people before dawn, and gathered outside the city, thinking that things would not be trivial. After crossing the Bianhe River, he walked all the way through the barracks and went to the southwest corner. After walking for about a cup of tea, the sky was already bright, and there were still many pedestrians on the road. It is spring now, and Xu Wei sees that the mountains are full of greenery, old trees have sprouts, and flowers are blooming again. When walking through a forest, the branch swept on the carriage, splashing countless jade beads, and the dew fell directly on Xu Wei's face. I felt refreshed. I can't help but sigh in my heart, what beautiful splendid mountains and rivers! No wonder so many loyal and upright people sacrifice their lives to protect their families and defend the country, no wonder Zong Ze has to shout "cross the river" when he is dying, and no wonder Yue Fei wants to write "return my rivers and mountains".

After walking another six or seven miles, he turned into the mountains, and the road was very bumpy, and the horseman who drove the car apologized: "The petty official forgives the sin, this road is too rough." ”

Before Xu Wei could answer, the man who was traveling behind the car said, "Hugh is talking nonsense!" The petty officer is a general in the army, and he is not afraid of the rain of guns and arrows, what is a little bump? ”

After a while. The carriage finally stopped, and the man who followed behind lifted the curtain and said with a smile: "Xu Guanren, please!" ”

Jumping out of the carriage, Xu Wei didn't have time to take a closer look, and suddenly heard a morning bell. Looking up, there is a big mountain in front of the meeting, a stone paved road winds around the mountain, and halfway up the mountainside, an ancient temple seems to be built in the air. Accompanied by the man, Xu Wei walked up the stairs and walked extremely fast. Halfway through the walk, Xu Wei had already heard the panting behind him. Walking further, there were pilgrims who came to worship the Buddha, and when they saw Xu Wei dressed up, they avoided it one after another. The big girl and the little daughter-in-law secretly looked at it from time to time, what a handsome young man!

Before he walked to the temple, he heard the Buddha's horn loudly, saw the solemnity of the treasure, and even Xu Wei and other generals who were killed on the battlefield were also in awe. When he was looking at the golden body of the Buddha in the hall, a voice sounded beside him: "Xu Guanren, please come with me." Turning his head to look at it, it was Wang Da, a member of He Guan's family.

Under his guidance, Xu Wei bypassed the Buddhist hall, passed through the back meditation room, and went to the back mountain. The sheep intestine trail in the mountains was extremely bumpy, and Wang Da reminded him from time to time to be careful, in case he was careless and fell into the mountain stream, he was afraid that he would be crushed. Crawl all the way, and before you reach the top of the mountain, your eyes will suddenly open up! A flat land is under the top of the mountain, there is a pavilion built along the cliff, about more than zhang long, all of which are wooden, and the traces of Ban Barge show that it has been some years.

There were already several people in the pavilion, standing or sitting, but they were not gathered in one place. Stay closer. I saw a few familiar faces. Bu Shuai He Guan, Privy Deputy Envoy Xu Shao, Shangshu Right Cheng Li Gang, and Yao Pingzhong were all controlled by the two rivers. There are still a few people who don't recognize it, and they are expected to be people in important positions.

Xu Wei entered the pavilion, made a quartet, and met all the officials first. Li Gang nodded, Xu Shao snorted, Yao Pingzhong glanced at him and was silent, He Guan stretched out his hand to summon him over, stood side by side, pointed to the countryside under the mountain, the scenery in the distance, and said with a smile: "It looks good." ”

Xu Wei couldn't help but smile secretly, thinking that he would say something like peaks and mountains, splendid mountains and rivers, who knew that it was actually straightforward and simple, it was just good-looking! However, spring is gone, everything is recovering, and there is a lot of vitality in the eyes of the countryside, and in the countryside under the mountain, the farmer is plowing in spring, which makes Xu Wei feel relaxed and happy. In the era in which I lived, although the height was reached, where did I get this paradise-like scenery?

Taking advantage of the opportunity to view the scenery, Xu Weijue, almost all the people present except Li Gang were military ministers. And these people, although they are colleagues, do not talk. Only Yao Pingzhong wandered around, playing haha with the seniors. Two more people arrived in a row, and when Li Gang saw this, he got up and said, "Come, please take a seat." ”

Xu Wei suddenly felt one thing, why didn't there be a teacher's way! You see, the Privy Council, the Sanya, and the Lianghe System Envoy Department have all arrived, and the Gong Gong is the Gyeonggi Lianghe System Envoy, which can be said to be the highest military governor in the north at present, and he did not arrive on this occasion. Could it be that the imperial court has an opinion of him? Or is he unwell and sent Yao Pingzhong as a representative?

A stone platform, a few benches, everyone according to the official rank, Xu Wei has the least qualifications, the smallest official position, and naturally accompanies the last seat. Waiting for everyone to sit down, Li Gang lifted a teapot in front of him, washed the water into the small cup with skillful techniques, and then picked up the bamboo chopsticks, picked up the teacups one by one, and poured the water. He lifted another pot, pulled his sleeves, and poured tea one by one.

Everyone could see it, and Yao Pingzhong suddenly smiled: "It's so troublesome, drink tea, hold the pot and pour it into a big breath to show pleasure!" ”

All the officials didn't answer, and some people scolded in their hearts, a coward! Li Gang glanced at him and said loudly: "Yao Commander is worthy of being a brave general on the battlefield, and he goes straight to the ground. After pouring the tea, there were servants serving it to everyone one by one, and then they went out of the pavilion and guarded it from afar.

Li Gang sat down, picked up the teacup and walked around: "Ladies and gentlemen, please." ”

The military ministers were also polite, and after raising their glasses in return, they each took a sip. After Li Gang finished drinking tea, he sat upright, groaned slightly, and said: "All of you here are generals who rely on the Great Wall of the imperial court, so I won't beat around the bush." I believe you know the current situation. Although the Jin people withdrew, Taiyuan was still under siege, and both administrative and military forces north of the Yellow River were almost paralyzed. The state of Jin sent envoys to demand that we cede the three towns, send huge sums of money, and make many rude demands. Whether it is war or peace, the court has not yet decided, and today we invite you to come, not to be aside. It is to ask a question, how to deal with a war? ”

As soon as his voice fell, the scene was silent. All the military ministers are playing a small drum in their hearts, Li Youcheng has done this ridiculously! Since the founding of this dynasty, it has been set that military ministers must not intervene in politics, and now you ask me and other people who lead troops about military affairs, who dares to speak easily? The people of my generation only wait for the military orders of the imperial court, and then carry them out. Discussion and decision, it is you who are the rulers, how dare we say more?

Seeing that everyone didn't accept the offer, Li Gang's lips moved and he was about to speak, but Yao Pingzhong took the lead and said loudly: "If you fight, you need to rely on the Western Army!" The Jin army returned to the north, and it is expected that it will not come back in the short term. We can calmly dispatch, first relieve the siege of Taiyuan with the western army, and then start to reorganize the defense of the two rivers, in order to prepare for the Jin army to invade the south again. ”

When Li Gang heard this, he was silent for a long time, and then asked: "The Western Army has rushed to the aid of Taiyuan several times, but all of them were defeated by the Jin Army. Now that the opponent's soldiers are strong, how can they be saved? ”

Yao Pingzhong snorted coldly and said generously: "Pingzhong is not talented, I am willing to mention the king to relieve the siege of Taiyuan!" ”

Li Gang was overjoyed when he heard this, and after encouraging him, he asked: "Detailed arrangement, does Xiyan have any ideas?" ”

Yao Pingzhong was stunned, thought for a moment, nodded and said, "In the land of the capital division, the king division is hundreds of thousands, how can you not use it?" All of them were transferred to Lianghe to reorganize the defense, and then an elite division was selected to save Taiyuan with the Western Army, and the Jurchens would definitely retreat. ”

When He Guan heard this, he turned his head to look at Xu Wei in the last seat. is also a rising star in the army, the younger generation, why is the gap so big? If it is really as easy as you Yao Xiyan said, will Da Song still be reduced to the point of being coerced? Did you mention that the king should save Taiyuan? How is that compromise compared to you Yao Pingzhong? He led the army to rescue Taiyuan, but he had lost two battles in a row and retreated to the Fuzhou station. You dare to speak wildly here, and you are not afraid to flash your tongue.

"Xi Yan really lives up to the holy hope! No wonder the official family praised it several times! Li Gang praised with a smile. Yao Pingzhong was very useful, and he was not humble, and sat back triumphantly.

But Li Gang is not a dumbfounder, he knows that he is a civilian official, and leading troops and leading battles is the head of this class of military generals here, and he must solicit opinions from a wide range of people, and he must not listen to them partially. Then he asked everyone again, but a group of military ministers had scruples and did not dare to express their opinions easily.

Although Xu Wei did not speak, he did not care about the system that military ministers were not allowed to interfere in politics. Just imagine, Li Gang has the merit of supporting and establishing himself, and he is currently gaining the trust of the government. Would he be so brainless and convene his military ministers to discuss countermeasures? It must have been Zhao Huan's instruction that he dared to do this. The fact that the decision to discuss the matter in a remote place far away from the capital shows that the DPRK and China have not yet formed a unified opinion. However, from the fact that the imperial court began to rectify the royal division outside the city a few days ago, it can be seen that Zhao Huan's tendency between war and peace.

Seeing that everyone was silent, Li Gang seemed to have something unspeakable, and looked at a group of generals, all of them were like old monks. couldn't help but feel anxious, and when his eyes swept to the last seat, he suddenly asked: "Is that Xu Jiu, who stubbornly resisted the Jin Army for five days and nights, making it difficult for him to cross the river?" ”

Everyone's eyes were on Xu Wei, and those who met for the first time were surprised, so young? No wonder he has made great achievements, but he has not been reused. It's a pity, you have to hone it slowly and boil your qualifications.

"It's a lowly position." Xu Wei replied.

Li Gang stared at it for a moment, and smiled at everyone: "Yes, young talent!" Privy Councillor, your mansion is worthy of being a family of soldiers, and it is full of talents! Your nephew is less than twenty years old, so that's it! ”

Xu Shao chuckled lightly and said perfunctorily: "I have won the prize." ”

The person who didn't know the inside story only then thought that Xu Wei was Xu's nephew. It's strange, since my uncle is the second-in-command in the Privy Council, why did my nephew make a great contribution, but he didn't even mix it up as a serious officer of the forbidden army? Xu Shao is really selfless.

Li Gang praised a few more words before turning to Xu Wei and said, "If Xu Jiu has any ideas, just say it." Please also ask all the seniors here to correct your axe or two. Xu Wei was the only one who had fought with Jin Jun head-on among all the people present, so Li Gang took the initiative to inquire regardless of his humble official position. But he was afraid that he would have any scruples, so he pretended to ask his predecessors to correct the axe, so that it would not cause the generals to be unhappy.

Before Xu Wei could speak, Xu Shao shouted: "Hey, Li Youcheng is too high-minded." He is not as young as a weak crown, but he is a seven-rank martial artist, and it is an honor to be able to attend the audit, how can he get an axe? ”

Everyone only thought that he was being modest, after all, Xu Wei was his own nephew, so they persuaded him one after another. It is said that since ancient times, heroes have been teenagers, but what about twenty years old? Didn't Hou Huo, the champion of that year, lead the army to the expedition when he was in his twenties, and defeated the Huns? Why did you raise Xu Wei in this group of senior leaders? First, when Zhang Shuye convened the old and old discussions between the DPRK and China to jointly perform, a few people present participated, knowing that Xu Wei had some skills. This Jin army's southern invasion was no different from what this kid expected. Second, Xu Wei made a great contribution, and the imperial court gave him the title of "Patrol Envoy of the Two Rivers Loyal and Righteous Patrol Society", and he did not even give a serious officer. Xu Shumi, who was an uncle, not only did not favor favoritism, but was almost harsh in fairness. This made them feel a little sorry for Xu Wei. Just as Li Gang inquired, they tried their best to encourage Xu Weibiao's opinion, anyway, he is also a petty official, it doesn't matter if he is right or wrong, no one will use his brains against him.

Seeing this, He Guan thought secretly, Xu Wei has great ambitions, and sooner or later he will not be in the pool. Now that the new monarch has ascended the throne, many officials in the DPRK and China have fled, and it is the time to employ people. As soon as he thought of this, he said to Xu Wei: "Since Li Youcheng asked you, it doesn't hurt to say it directly." ”

"Hey, if you have a plan, you can say it, no one blames you if you can't do it! You're just a village soldier, and no one really expects you! Hurry up, say it! Yao Pingzhong yelled impatiently. He really couldn't figure it out, how did Xu Wei come to this kind of gathering of senior generals? His level is also a little lower, the seventh-rank martial arts position, not yet the forbidden army, sitting with him, it is really a ** share. But none of the governors objected, and it was not easy for them to embarrass him.