There is no winter, no four seasons, only rain and drought.

It's the dry season, and the sky is blue and transparent, with only a few thin clouds dotting it.

The shoulders under him followed the steps of the sedan chair man, swaying up and down together. Li Hongzhen looked up at the sky and sighed softly, this kind of weather will last for several months. It is the most suitable climate for travel, and it is natural to use soldiers. Last year, Li Changjie and Zong Jian led the army to the north at this time, and now, the enemy in the north is also choosing this time to go south.

The defense line on the northern border, under the treacherous scheme of the Song State, has been poked into thousands of holes in the past six months, and it can even be said that it no longer exists. Swept by the barbarian army of the 36 Mountains of the left and right rivers, the area where the mountains are gathered can now find a slightly larger village, and without the support of the surrounding villagers, it is impossible for any walled city in the north to resist the Song army. From the border all the way to the Fuliang River, there is no danger to defend. There is only one Fuliang River, which is not very wide, how can it withstand the vengeful army that is pouring in from the north?

Li Hongzhen sighed how many times in the past year, Li Changjie treated the Song Kingdom as easy to knead as mud, this matter was really done very wrong, the Dayue left by Taizu Taizong was ruined under the corruption of traitors and adulterers.

"Fourth Prince! The fourth prince. ”

The palace gate was already in sight, and Li Hongzhen was heading towards the palace gate on his shoulder, when a call suddenly came from behind. He looked back and saw that it was Li Wensheng, the squire of the military department, who called him.

Recently, Li Wensheng has been very close to Li Hongzhen, even close to sycophancy. Li Hongzhen also needs more chess pieces that can be useful in the court, and he doesn't mind taking Li Wensheng, who originally belonged to Li Changjie's family, into his own disciples.

The squire of the military department got off his shoulder from a long distance, hurriedly came to Li Hongzhen's side, raised his head and asked in a low voice: "I don't know if the fourth prince has heard about it, Zhang Dian has driven back all the envoys who surrendered the table!" ”

Li Hongzhen naturally heard such a big news, and knew that Li Wensheng was just planning to start with it. He sneered: "Just a table of surrender, how can the Emperor of the Song State agree to return the captive Han people?" ”

"That's why he said he wanted the culprit to go to Tokyo City for trial." Li Wensheng raised his neck, and walked forward with his shoulders a little ridiculous, like a duck being dragged by his neck, but Li Wensheng couldn't see his appearance, he could only see a faint smile on the corner of Li Hongzhen's mouth, "This should also be the idea of the emperor and prime minister of the Song Kingdom." ”

"The culprit?" Li Hongzhen smiled, how could Li Changjie be willing to go to Tokyo City? But if things go any further, maybe he can't help it. When the time comes, all the culprits will be able to be sent to Tokyo City.

"When Zhang Dun's words come out, the Queen Mother and Mrs. Li will not be able to descend." Li Wensheng smiled at Li Hongzhen with deep meaning, "The fourth prince is the mainstay of Dayue, but he has to worry about the king!" ”

In the country of Cochin, as long as he is a prince, except for the court, he is usually called the prince. And the high-grade concubines are mostly called queens.

Li Hongzhen is the fourth and is Li Rizun's younger brother, so he is called the fourth prince or Prince Hongzhen. He was not convinced by Li Qiande's accession to the throne. Li Rizun is the third son, and Li Hongzhen is the fourth son, if Li Rizun has no children, the theory is that he should take the throne. But after Li Rizun reached middle age, he had two sons at once.

It's a strange thing. Li Rizun had no children before, but it was only in his forties that he had two sons after accepting the current Queen Mother Yilan. And the other concubines still haven't even let out a fart. The reason for this is either that Yilan has the help of gods and Buddhas according to the legends outside, or there are other sneaky ones.

Although Li Hongzhen is Li Qiande's uncle and the identity of the clan, he still has some soldiers and horses in his hands, which is his confidence to protect himself, and it is also his capital to peep into Dabao.

Li Wensheng's attitude was very clear, even too straightforward, while Li Hongzhen nodded at him with satisfaction, and looked up to the sky with a long sigh, "I wanted to be a leisurely prince, but the sky didn't follow people's wishes." ”

While speaking, Li Hongzhen had already entered the palace city with Li Wensheng.

In front of the Zichen Palace, the civil and military officials of the Jiaozhi Kingdom who were waiting for the start of the court meeting did not have the Senran precepts of the Great Song Dynasty meeting, and several people were discussing the bad news just now.

"This time I can only fight."

"There are hundreds of thousands of people in Dayue, everyone can go into battle, why be afraid of tens of thousands of Song troops!"

"Don't underestimate the Song people. The handsome minister who was given the festival was Zhang Dan, and it was Han Gang who assisted him, and the two generals who actually led the army were Yan Da and Li Xin, which of these civil and military officials was not used to fighting? This battle can't be hard! ”

"Don't forget that the northerners are not satisfied with the water and soil of the south, and when they come to my Dayue country, they should know what the miasma plague is. As long as they can hold Thang Long Mansion, it won't take half a year for the Song people to retreat. ”

"We'll have to wait until February next year."

"As soon as the first month arrives, the rain starts to rain more, and it is enough to resist it for two months."

"I heard that the Song people have only reached five or six thousand troops when they go south, and when they all arrive, it will definitely be next year."

"When the rain comes, the miasma will follow, and at that time, at least half of the Song people will die of illness."

Li Hongzhen pursed his lips. The ministers naively pinned their hopes on illness, and they didn't know if they had thought about it, what if the Song people didn't get sick?

Li Wensheng sneered in Li Hongzhen's ear, "Do you expect the Song people to have Han Gang who defeated Li Changjie because of the epidemic?" The reincarnation of the former disciple of the Medicine King Buddha! It has been a year since the Jingnan army arrived in Guangxi, and how many spies have been sent over, and I have not heard how many of them have died of illness. I heard that in Yongzhou, there were dozens of Chinese medical officials who treated the emperor and the empress dowager, teaching medical skills to the soldiers day and night, and also consulting and administering medicine to the local people in their spare time. ”

This incident is not a secret, but the hundreds of officials in the country turn a blind eye to it one by one, and do not hear it.

'It's time to wake up!' Li Hongzhen pursed his lips.

A pair of eyes looked at Li Changjie who was standing on one side, presumably he would not be like everyone else, after hearing the rumors of Han Gang, he could still pin his victory on the climate of Jiaozhi. He turned his head and looked at several other ministers who were known for their wisdom, all of them with dark faces, and did not talk to others. Turning his gaze to the other side, one of Li Hongzhen's henchmen secretly pointed at Li Changjie and glanced at him, Li Hongzhen nodded, and understood.

A few whips sounded, and the civil and military officials of the Jiaozhi Kingdom hurriedly lined up and walked into the Zichen Palace.

Li Changjie did not stand at the head of the train, after the former minister of Gu Ming and Taishi Li Daocheng died violently, he pleaded guilty for the defeat of Yongzhou, and was demoted from the Auxiliary State Lieutenant to the Jinwu Lieutenant, and the official rank was also degraded to the third level, and he was fined for one year. However, Li Changjie's plea is just a show, no one dares to seriously think that he is already an outdated figure in the army, most of the 30,000 soldiers of the Son of Heaven stationed inside and outside the Shenglong Mansion in Tun are obedient to Li Changjie, and his words are a hundred times more effective than the Dayue Emperor who is now sitting on the imperial couch.

Of course, the weight of Li Changjie's words is not a hundred times heavier than that of the Empress Dowager Yilan, who sat behind the young Li Qiande and covered her face with a thin veil.

Empress Dowager Yilan asked the ministers through the curtain: "Song Chen's actions are unreasonable, and he drove back the envoys I wanted to get through. Now that he is gathering troops in Yongzhou and plotting to attack me in the south, I don't know what good plan you have? ”

This should be a routine inquiry before the war, and the Queen Mother's words are not something she can say casually. The ministers of Jiaozhi stood quietly, all waiting for Li Changhui to speak.

Li Changjie's body was about to move, but Li Hongzhen should step out of the train first, "The minister has a desire to give it to the Queen Mother and Her Majesty." ”

The Empress Dowager Yilan behind the curtain was obviously stunned for a moment: "...... Mrs. Fu, please speak. ”

Li Hongzhen bowed and saluted: "The Song people are in Yongzhou, and Dayue is already in danger of survival. He is willing to lead an army north to resist the Song army's entry into the Kou. ”

When the court was the prince, the uncle of the Son of Heaven wanted to invite himself to go on the expedition, as soon as these words came out, the palace suddenly was in a commotion, and Li Changjie's face suddenly changed.

Li Hongzhen secretly sneered: "Don't think that I don't know the way, aren't you going to recommend me to the north?" Now I'm going to take the initiative. ’

Li Changjie wanted to guard against the clan headed by Li Hongzhen, and sold him and the Empress Dowager Yilan to the Song people; And Li Hongzhen would not guard against Li Changjie's attack on himself. When he heard the news, he knew that it was difficult to avoid it, so he immediately took the initiative to take action and retreat, so that Li Changjie hesitated and suspected that he was pregnant with another ghost.

Li Changjie seemed to be hesitant, and the Empress Dowager Yilan couldn't decide whether to nod or shake her head, in case Li Hongzhen surrendered to the Song people, things would be in trouble.

When the leaders of the faction that controlled the court fell silent, it was Li Changjie's henchman Chen Zhonghe, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, who suddenly stood up, and his appearance interrupted Li Hongzhen's aggressive momentum, "The queen mother, the minister has a strategy, and if he doesn't use swords, he can also let the Song people lose themselves." ”

Just listening to the voice, I knew that Lu Dao Yilan was in good spirits: "I don't know what Chen Qing's good plan is?" ”

"Han Gang weighs Guangxi, while Zhang Dian is not famous. Now Song Guoan's Southern Economic Strategy Division is dominated by Zhang Dian and Han Gang is the deputy, which is an inversion of the importance of the matter. and make the two discordant and quarrel with each other. Chen Zhonghe bought time for Li Changjie, "Zhang Dian is the commander-in-chief, and the authority should be above Han Gang, and Li Xin heard that he is Han Gang's cousin. Since he had a bad relationship with Han Gang, Zhang Dian would not appoint Li Xin again. With only an inexperienced Yanda, how can he attack my Dayue? ”

"This plan is wonderful, and I immediately ordered it to be carried out in Yongzhou." Yi Lan said, her eyes glancing at Li Changjie.

Li Changjie finally spoke: "This plan should be done, but war is still inevitable." The Song people attacked me, and they should fight with all their might. Now the soldiers, horses, and food are all ready, just waiting for the troops. Since Taifu asked for war, the minister asked the Queen Mother to immediately issue an order, collect troops and horses, and garrison Menzhou with Taifu as the commander. ”

He spoke in a calm tone, and he couldn't tell if he really agreed.

Li Changjie wanted him to go to Menzhou, but Li Hongzhen didn't care about it. Whether he goes or stays, he has a way to go, he just wants to seize the opportunity. Raising his head slightly, he looked at Li Qiande in the palace and Yilan behind him, "Please give an order to the Queen Mother and Your Majesty." ”