In the sixth year of Zhaode of the Northern Qi Dynasty, on the seventh day of the third month, Chen Ba took the throne of the emperor before Lingnan.

On March 12, he sent Du Niche who defected from Jiangzhou to send a quilt to Xiao Yuanzhao, who had abdicated the throne.

Du Gong was ordered to suffocate Xiao Yuanzhao and accept the vote.

The rest of Xiao Ji's sons were also killed.

When the news of the nephews' deaths reached Jiankang, Xiao Gang was uneasy, compared to Xiao Lun's family living a pampered life in Northern Qi, the fate of Xiao Ji's father and son was really bleak.

"Father! Today's Wenchen military generals are vying to flatter the Lord of Qi, and the sky is irreversible, so it is better to follow the example of Jingnan and offer a table to Luoyang. ”

The crown prince Xiao Daqi said in frustration, obviously Xiao Ji's family was killed by Chen Ba first, which gave him a great shock, and he didn't want such an encounter to fall on his own head.

Such rebellious words, Xiao Gang was not shocked or angry, he smiled bitterly:

"As the Father, the Son of Heaven, he can't even make a self-determination by offering a surrender table, so he has to wait for instructions from Luoyang."

Previously, Wei Cang was unanimously framed by the courtiers and expelled from Beijing, which had torn off Xiao Gang's last fig leaf.

Xiao Daqi pondered for a long time and came up with an idea for his father:

"In that case, it's better to go to the emperor first, and ask Lord Qi to be crowned king."

Xiao Gang's face suddenly changed, and he reprimanded on the spot:

"Persecuted, Zen let the world, and it is still excusable, if you grovel, flattering and dedicating the country to survive, under the nine springs, how to face the emperor!"

Xiao Daqi was ashamed.

When Xiao Gang was training, there were eunuchs outside the door to report, and Liu Jin, a free rider, died of illness in the mansion.

It turned out that since Liu Zhongli disrespected the order and his anti-intentions were revealed, Liu Jin's hard persuasion was fruitless, and he became ill with anxiety, and his body quickly collapsed.

Also sent to Miyagi was Yanagizu's deathbed self-proclaim, and he regretted that he had no way to teach and was ashamed of the country.

Xiao Gang cried when he heard this, posthumously presented Liu Jin with the honor after his death, and personally inquired about his funeral.

As for Liu Zhongli, who was presiding over the inventory of the hidden households and land properties of the Shi clan, even if he learned the news of his father's death, he did not let go of the matter at hand and went back to Jiankang to take a look.

On April 26, Liu Zhongli, who had studied Wu Mingche and suppressed the rebellion of the Shi clan by force, sent a report to Luoyang, which recorded the results of the investigation in detail.

The music is clean and tidy, but it is full of blood.

Luoyang Palace City, Mingguang Palace.

Gao Cheng closed the edict sent by Liu Zhongli and said to Wei Xiaokuan:

"It's time, and the prince will act according to the previous arrangement."

Wei Xiaokuan bowed down and responded.

Xiao Liang should have perished a long time ago, if it weren't for Gao Cheng's unwillingness to be this villain, and he needed to deal with the Shi clan in the name of their Xiao family, when the Xiao family brothers were in a civil war, he would have been able to annex Jingnan, Jiangzhou, and Jiangdong in one go.

As Gao Cheng was determined to annex Jiangdong, countless secret letters were sent from Luoyang to Jiangnan.

"The day has finally come."

Wu Mingche took Gao Cheng's secret letter and muttered to himself.

At the end of May, rumors began to rise among the people in the south of the Yangtze River, claiming that the world should be home to virtuous people, and the Xiao brothers fought against each other, causing the people to suffer from military disasters and be unworthy of being the lords of the world. Now that the Xiao family is immoral, there are kings in the north, who are prosperous for themselves and the people, and they should all return the country to righteousness.

At first, this kind of rumor was only spread on a small scale, but later it was found that no one investigated and dealt with it at all, and it turned out to be a public discussion.

Over the years, the reputation of the Xiao family has long been stinky in the hearts of Jiangnan Shimin.

The suppressed scholars did not dare to resent Gao Cheng, the mastermind behind it, and abused the Xiao family one after another.

Not to mention ordinary people, Xiao Yan has treated the Shi clan preferentially for 50 years, and the people at the bottom are not happy.

But at least Jiangnan was relatively peaceful, and there were no large-scale riots.

I never thought that Xiao Bodhisattva would die, the four sons would fight, the people would be displaced, and the people's resentment would boil.

Now that it can be openly discussed, the resentment of these years seems to have found an outlet, and the spearhead is unanimously pointed at Xiao Gang in Jiankang Taicheng.

On the third day of the sixth month, Xiao Gang was forced to make an edict against himself, but he still couldn't stop the mouths of Youyou.

On the fourth day of the first month of June, the ministers entered the table one after another, asking Xiao Gang to respond to the heavens and go to Luoyang to ask for guilt, and the first two pieces of music were Wu Mingche and Liu Zhongli.

】

The next day, Xiao Gang cried through the temple, left the crown prince Xiao Daqi to supervise the country, and crossed the river with his own table.

In early July, outside Luoyang in early autumn, Gao Cheng, the lord of Northern Qi, rarely went out of the city to welcome guests.

"Why do you have to humiliate my father like this?"

Princess Xiao Miaochun, who was standing next to Gao Cheng, asked with a cold face.

Gao Cheng didn't look back, still looking ahead and said:

"At least I won't kill him."

Xiao Miaochun was not convinced:

"Such humiliation is no different from murder!"

Gao Cheng turned sideways and looked directly at Xiao Miaochun and said:

"Whether it is life or death, the choice is in the hands of your father, if he regards integrity as more important than life and death, he should follow the example of your seventh uncle (Xiao Yi), sacrificing his life for righteousness; If you are willing to endure humiliation and steal your life, you can also learn from your sixth uncle (Xiao Lun) and enjoy your old age in Luoyang, instead of you making choices for him. ”

"I just want you to save some face for your father."

Xiao Miaochun's tone softened.

Gao Cheng said:

"Only by letting him suffer the spurning of the people in Jiangnan, can I keep him, if there are still people who think of his good and try to recover, it will really hurt your father and brother."

After that, he slowed down his expression again and comforted:

"Since I have made a promise, as long as they do not have different hopes and obey the law, I should let your father and brother enjoy the rest of your life in Luoyang."

In the anticipation of Gao Cheng and Xiao Miaochun, Xiao Gang came naked and led the sheep.

Although there is a forbidden army outside the city, it is also crowded with the people of Luoyang, all of whom have come to see the excitement.

In the crowd, Xiao Lun looked at the third brother's beard and hair, looking haggard, and suddenly laughed at the second son Xiao Cheng beside him:

"What do you say we have been fighting for all these years, the seventh brother self-immolated, the eighth brother was killed, I was sent to Luoyang, and now the third brother is even more like this."

Xiao was indeed silent, yes, the civil war in the Xiao family was actually caused by his father Xiao Lun, but the root cause of the curse was buried as early as when his grandfather Xiao Yan was in power, and he couldn't blame his father alone.

But I heard Xiao Lun sigh again:

"Eight brothers, now only me and him are left, and he will be neighbors in the future, and I don't know if he is willing to quarrel with me."

The mansion arranged by Gao Cheng for Xiao Gang's family is next door to Xiao Lun, also to facilitate surveillance.

Even he prepared a yard for Yuwentai, but he definitely didn't want to be arrested in Luoyang if he wanted to come to Yuwentai.

The thorn strip on Xiao Gang's back naturally couldn't be put on his back in Jiankang, this shirtless sheep, and the guilty line of thorn petition was changed at the post station today.

Under the gaze of countless novelties, enduring the humiliation, Xiao Gang led the sheep to Gao Cheng, knelt on the ground, and presented him with a table of surrender.

Gao Cheng hurriedly helped Xiao Gang up, untied the thorns on his back for him, and said movingly:

"Gong Xiao is my father-in-law, why do you have such a big gift."

"This gift is performed on behalf of the hundreds of millions of people in the south of the Yangtze River, and I also ask Your Majesty to take the people of the world as your own, regardless of the north and the south, and caressed by love."

Xiao Gang's words were sincere, as if from the bottom of his heart.

Gao Cheng didn't toss Xiao Gang anymore, what kind of resignation did he make, and took over the table very neatly.