In the past, it was difficult for Zhao Jun to buy or win over these powerful civil and military officials, but now it is very different. At this moment, Luoyang City was surrounded by the Zhao army, and the mentality of the officials in the city also changed greatly. After all, compared with life, compared with the life of the whole family, these so-called persistences are no longer very important.

Among them, the civilian officials are better, and those military generals, especially the middle and low-level generals, are facing the pull of the Zhao army, and they are called a fast one. The Zhao army besieged Luoyang City for more than ten days, and one-third of the generals and colonels in the city had fallen under the banner of the Zhao army, and they were willing to submit to the Great Zhao.

During these ten days, the atmosphere in the city became more and more tense and depressing. For ordinary people, it's slightly better. The various policies under the rule of Zhao were extremely envious to them. Zhao Jun controlled Luoyang, and they could naturally enjoy policies such as tax reduction, land distribution, and free education.

However, these ordinary people are also worried that the great war in Luoyang City will affect them. After all, the sword has no eyes, who dares to guarantee that after the Zhao army breaks the city, it will not take any means? This is the old capital of Dayan, but the little emperor who lives in Dayan is still the lair of King Luoyang.

For the civil and military officials at the upper level, their pressure is definitely not low at this moment. War? Can't beat it! Fall? This idea is not easy to come up with now. After all, this is not only the capital of Dayan, but also the lair of the king of Luoyang, who dares to guarantee that they will surrender and will be executed by the secret guard of the king of Luoyang?

The longer the time dragged on, the more the officials in the city were worried, and an invisible pressure made these officials all think about their own little calculations.

In Luoyang City, although the king of Luoyang did not take the little emperor in his eyes, the real officials and troops in the city were his own people. However, it did not abolish the emperor, and the civil and military officials and some central institutions still existed. Of course, in Luoyang City, the capital of the Great Yan Kingdom, it is the Luoyang Palace that is in charge. The rest of the divisions, such as the Six Ministries and the Imperial History Yamen, are just empty shells. Any government decree is the responsibility of the Luoyang Palace. In other words, although the six departments under the orthodox name of Dayan were not abolished by the King of Luoyang, they did not have any real power at all.

But now, the Luoyang Royal Mansion can no longer control the situation in Luoyang City. Facing tens of thousands of Zhao troops outside the city, and the king of Luoyang and his main courtiers were in Jingzhou, the entire Luoyang city gradually lost control. After the officials in the city repeatedly asked Xu Ji, the right-hand man of the Luoyang Palace, for reinforcements and how to deal with it, the officials in the city began to discuss the situation in front of them and how to deal with it.

Emperor Yan is only thirteen or fourteen years old now, and he has no real power, let alone ability. Therefore, the current situation has also made the old ministers of Great Yan in the city begin to think about a new way out, and as for Emperor Yan, he can't care about it now. Of course, there are also some die-hard elements who still shout that they want to live and die with Luoyang City.

In the mansion of Zhou Ting, the official secretary, several "high-ranking and powerful" officials in Luoyang City gathered together at this moment to discuss their way out. I have to say that these old ministers of Dayan are basically old men in their fifties and sixties. Of course, it is basically impossible for a person who can achieve the official position of the six ministries without being fifty or sixty years old. Especially when King Yong was in charge in the past, these six officials basically became a place to retire.

"Lord Zhou, the Zhao army has been besieging the city for half a month, and from the news we know, it seems that the entire land of Dongyongzhou has fallen into the hands of the Zhao army. The reinforcements of the king of Luoyang are only afraid that they will not be able to count on it. Here, your old official position is the highest, and your old prestige is also the greatest. Now, how do we deal with it, you always need to come up with a charter so that we can be prepared. Hubu Shangshu Su Lin shook his white beard and said in a muffled voice.

Zhou Tingxin sneered, this Su Lin will not be in a bad situation, Luoyang is besieged, there are no reinforcements outside, now let yourself take out the charter, what else can you do except surrender? However, if you are the first to say it, then, then, you will have to bear the responsibility of surrendering. Although no one will be embarrassed by this, their reputation will stink. After all, these people are all old ministers who were loyal to Dayan in the past. Even if you don't think about yourself, think about your family. If their reputation is stinky, it will definitely have some impact on them.

After all, no matter who they are, they are in high positions, especially officials in the center of the imperial court, once they turn their backs, they are afraid that their bad reputation will be completely left behind. Moreover, most princes and monarchs did not like these people who were in high positions and betrayed their lords. After all, Emperor Yan had not yet reached the point of anger and resentment.

Thinking about it, Zhou Ting said with a smile: "Speaking of official positions, here, except for me, you are Lord Su of the Household Department, Lord Xu of the Military Department, and Lord He of the Criminal Department are all of the same level. Speaking of prestige, do we people here still have prestige? The Zhao army besieged the city, and the free king of Luoyang was responsible, and we had no rights, let alone the strength to do anything. If Master Su has any ideas, it doesn't hurt to say it. ”

Zhou Ting's words are true, among the six parts, although because of their importance and power, the level is different. However, the official position and status of the six Shangshu are the same. The six Shangshu who came this time, except for the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Rites, the rest are here. And the Shangshu of these two departments are all old ministers who are loyal to Emperor Yan, and this time they discussed, naturally they will not invite these two people to come.

Su Lin was secretly scolding, he secretly contacted his subordinates early this week, with the idea of surrendering, but now, he didn't speak. Of course, Surin also hoped that it was the other side that would be the first to propose surrender. Just as Zhou Ting was worried, the first person to shout surrender will definitely have a sharp reputation.

Su Lin wanted to be the first to propose surrender, after all, surrendering to Zhao Jun might still be valued by Zhao Jun and valued by the other party. However, he did not know Zhao Jun's attitude towards the old ministers of Dayan in the city, and he did not have a way to contact Zhao Jun. That's why he asked Zhou Ting, but he knew that as a secretary of the ministry, he had a lot of cronies under his name. Although Zhao Jun's detailed work in the city has not yet contacted the six departments and the main officials of each department, they all know that Zhao Jun has begun to contact some generals and colonels in the city, and the city gate order has begun to contact.

Xu Ru of the Ministry of War said urgently: "Okay, don't say these useless words. Now that the situation has been placed in front of us, the king of Luoyang is afraid that he will not be able to count on it, and the reinforcements will not be able to rush to support at all. Taking 10,000 steps back, even if the reinforcements of the King of Luoyang arrived, I am afraid that the Zhao army outside Luoyang City would have already broken the city. ”

"Now let's discuss, if you are still talking nonsense like this, then Xu will not be accompanied. It's a big deal, when Luoyang City is broken, whether it is life or death, it has its own destiny. ”

Xu Ru's words suddenly made Zhou Ting and Su Lin wrinkle every day. If they disperse like this, I'm afraid that they don't want to plan the surrender together. If you wait for the Zhao army to break through the city, who knows what will happen to them, the old ministers of Dayan and the "important ministers" under the command of the king of Luoyang, to return to the division.

Su Lin said in a sullen voice: "Lord Xu, don't be impatient, since it is a discussion, it is not achieved overnight. Lord Zhou, it is reported that many officials below you are in close contact with some people of unknown origin in the city today. Come to think of it, at this moment, the Zhao army's army is besieging the city, and Luoyang can still be in the mood to eat, drink and have fun with these people of unknown origin when it is in danger, there must be another way. If this is the case, why don't Lord Zhou say it and let everyone discuss it, so that you can have a way out? ”

Zhou Tingxin was secretly scolding, but since Su Lin said it so clearly, and the others were not stupid, they naturally knew what they had done in the past few days. So, I had to say in a muffled voice: "What are the little cubs down there busy with, how can I know this?" I am their superior and their benefactor, but not their father, so I can't pay attention to them in everything. ”

"However, as far as I can tell, they seem to have a close relationship with some of the businessmen. However, this is just a private matter, and Zhou will not pay attention to it, nor will he ask about it. ”

Seeing that Zhou Ting was still pretending, Su Lin was so angry that he really wanted to splash the tea in his hand on the other party's face. However, since he had already pointed out the problem himself, he had no choice but to say: "Merchant? Most of the merchants in Luoyang City have a lot to do with Zhao State. In this way, they must have a connection with Zhao Jun's people. Luoyang City is besieged, and all yamen are considering a way out......"

Xu Ru said coldly: "In this way, Zhao Jun's people are already active in the city. Our six ministries, the Metropolitan Procuratorate and other ministries are just an empty shelf, and in the eyes of outsiders, we are just a place to retire. Now, the Zhao army is besieging the city and cannot be rescued. Even if we are six books, what can we do? ”

"What Master Su said is just a demotion to Zhao. Since everyone's hearts are clear, why hide it? Ladies and gentlemen, Zhao Jun outside the city will not give us time to think about it slowly. And the officials in the city will not wait for my reply. If they directly contact Zhao Jun and surrender the city, then we will have no share. ”

Xu Ru's words suddenly made the hearts of more than ten people who were doing it eager. That's right, if Luoyang City is taken by Zhao Jun before they can discuss the results, then Luoyang City is none of their business. When the time comes, if you want to talk about the benefits, that is, whether you can save your life, and whether you can save your property and your family. They are old ministers, whether they are old ministers of Dayan or Luo Jun's courtiers, they are all enemies for Zhao Jun. If Zhao Jun wants to clean up Luoyang City, then their results will definitely not be any better.

He Mingzhang, the secretary of the Criminal Department, said in a deep voice: "Lord Xu is not unreasonable, lords, don't worry about it now, Luoyang City can't be defended." If Luoyang City is destroyed, we will be prisoners. When the time comes, let alone being in the Zhao army, it is a matter of whether you can save your life. ”

"Everyone, even if Zhao Jun won't use us, we have to think about it for our children and grandchildren. If Zhao Jun is accused of stealing his family and exterminating his family, he will ...... when the time comes."

Zhou Ting can't care about any reserve at the moment, let alone any infamy. immediately said, "Having said so, you all mean to demote Zhao." In this case, everyone made a concerted effort to discuss the issue of surrender. Now, the army in the city is all the people of the king of Luoyang, but we also have a certain relationship with these defenders. ”

"Now, the king of Luoyang is not here, and the reinforcements of the king of Luoyang cannot arrive, and it is impossible to escape from the water surrounded by the Zhao army outside the city. Therefore, not only us, but also these cronies of the King of Luoyang, I am afraid that my heart is also wavering at this moment. As for those ordinary low-level officials and generals, not to mention. Master Su also said earlier that they had already hooked up with Zhao Jun's people. Therefore, in order to increase our bargaining chips, or merit, we not only need to pull in the civil and military officials of the court, but also these generals who stayed in Luoyang City. ”

"The reason why the Zhao army did not attack, but I am afraid and unwilling to let this country fall into the flames of war, in this case, we can let Luoyang City fall peacefully into the hands of the Zhao army at this moment, even if it is not reused by the Zhao army, but our children and grandchildren will also benefit from it. Zhao Jun must give us those who are beneficial to him and take the initiative to surrender. After all, there are still large areas and several princes in the south who have not yet been submitted. ”

Su Lin nodded and said, "Okay, that's it, Lord Zhou and this official will contact the officials of various ministries, and Lord Xu and Lord He will contact the guards in the city, and we will work together to persuade them and let them submit to Da Zhao." ”

Xu Ru said: "Master Su's arrangement is reasonable. However, in addition to this, Lord Zhou also has to connect with Zhao Jun's people, and at the very least, let Zhao Jun outside the city know what we have done. In addition, the official suggested that it was best to persuade the emperor to lead the officials in the city to surrender to Dazhao. Whether it is for Zhao or the emperor, this is good. ”

Everyone naturally understood what Xu Ru meant, if Emperor Yan returned to Great Zhao, then for Zhao State, this would definitely be a great thing. Even Emperor Yan surrendered to Da Zhao, doesn't this just show that Da Zhao is the destiny of heaven? In addition, Emperor Yan's return to Da Zhao can also save his life because of his voluntary surrender.

Su Lin glanced at everyone and said, "Just do this, no matter what, we are also old ministers of Dayan, and we can save the emperor's life, and for us, we can also be regarded as having an explanation for Dayan." ”

The situation in Luoyang City naturally quickly spread to Zhao Jun outside the city. Regarding Emperor Yan, Zhao Xiong did not dare to assert his opinions, and directly reported the situation to Zhao Xun in Youzhou City.

"Luoyang City is going to surrender, this is not what we expected, but this Yan Emperor is really difficult for us to deal with." In Youzhou City, Pei Yi said with a wry smile.

Situ Liang said coldly: "It's not easy to deal with? What's so hard to deal with. Directly let the Zhao army outside Luoyang City kill it when the city is broken. It's just that one person needs to be held accountable for this. If it really doesn't work, let the old ministers of Dayan in Luoyang City or the courtiers of the king of Luoyang bear the blame. The king, the minister thought that although Emperor Yan's submission was good for us, leaving him would also have a legacy, so it was better to get rid of it. ”

Zhao Xun understood what Situ Liang meant, no matter what this Yan Emperor said, he was also the Great Yan Emperor, and it was inevitable that some ill-intentioned people would make something out of this. In addition, since ancient times, the king of the dead country generally does not end well in the new dynasty. However, Zhao Xun was a little unbearable, if this Yan Emperor was an adult, Zhao Xun might just give the order to do it. And the current Emperor Yan is just a teenager.

In addition, one of his side concubines is also Princess Dayan, who is also a member of the Dayan royal family. Counting it up, this Emperor Yan is still the son and nephew of his side concubine. This is also the reason why Zhao Xiong did not deal with Emperor Yan directly, but reported it back.

Zhao Xun thought about it, in history, Zhao Kuangyin's yellow robe was not executed by Emperor Houzhou, did he still have to get rid of this child who was used as an ornament? Besides, even if someone wants to take advantage of this Yan Emperor, is he afraid? After thinking about it for a while, Zhao Xun secretly hinted at Lu Ziliang.

Looking at Zhao Xun's expression, Lu Ziliang naturally understood that Zhao Xun was reluctant to start, and he also knew the relationship between Emperor Yan and the princess on the side, so he said in a deep voice: "The surrender of Emperor Yan has great benefits for us, and the emperors of Great Yan have all surrendered to our Great Zhao, doesn't this just show that my Great Zhao Milk is destined to return?" In addition, with my Da Zhao's current strength and internal situation, even if someone wants to use him, can something big happen? Are we Da Zhao afraid? ”

"Secondly, even if we inflict the crime on others, the death of Emperor Yan will definitely be inseparable from us. At that time, there will definitely be many people who think that our Da Zhao will be difficult to accommodate this teenage child. This is also an infamy that all generations of dynasties in history have been difficult to get rid of. ”

"In addition, in the southern lands, there are several princes who are hostile to us. If we can tolerate Emperor Yan, then the officials and generals under the southern princes will not worry about their past, and whether they will be accepted by our army in the future. In this way, in the process of our southern expedition, some princes and generals will definitely surrender because of this. But if it can't be accommodated, it will inevitably make the southern princes take Zhao Jun to clean up those officials who have done wrong in the past, and even purge those who are against them in the south. When the time comes, it will definitely make the southern princes work together to make the enemy against us. Although we are only dealing with Emperor Yan, when it comes to the mouths of these princes, it will definitely change its taste. ”

"Not only in the south, but in the whole world, although Dayan is dead, its influence is still there. Although no one will oppose us because we have dealt with Emperor Yan. But there must be some officials from Dayan, or those Confucian scholars, who will also have a discussion about this. ”

Zhao Xun nodded and said, "That's right, can't this king tolerate a dead king?" Even those kings in the Western Regions, as long as they are obedient, this king can accept them, can't they accept a Yan Emperor? ”

Seeing that Zhao had made a decision, Situ Liang had no choice but to say: "The king is like this, but it can also highlight the name of my great Zhao's benevolence and righteousness." However, the minister suggested that the king personally go south to Luoyang City and accept the submission of the capital of the Great Yan Kingdom and the Emperor Yan, once to highlight the righteousness of my Great Zhao. ”