In May of the fifth year of Yonghe, Shi Zun abolished the world and stood on his own. In June, Huan Wentun Anlu sent generals to fight Hebei. Shi Zun Yangzhou thorn Shi Wang Hun to Shouyang to descend. In the autumn and July, Chu Li entered the second Pengcheng, and sent the generals Wang Gong, Li Mai and Shi Zun to fight Li Nong in Daipi, Wang Shi was defeated, Wang Gong was held by the peasants, and Li Mai died. In August, Chu Li retreated to Guangling, and Xizhong Lang burned Chen Kui to Shouchun and escaped.

--------------- Introduction

In autumn and early July, the weather is a little hot. Shi Bao, who was sitting in the pavilion in the back garden of the Leping Palace, Chang'an, was unsettled and drinking the grape wine of Gaochang Kingdom in the Western Regions. Due to the long distance of this fruit wine, and there is a Liangzhou Zhang family in the middle who is a rival to Beizhao, it is already a sky-high price to be transported to Guanzhong, and it is no different from drinking "Shangxian Qiong Liquid". However, Shi Bao took the wine bottle and poured it into his mouth desperately one after another, which did not reflect the value of this Gaochang wine at all.

The pavilion was very quiet, and the maid who was gently shaking the fan next to her didn't dare to make a sound, but just held her breath and shook the fan with the strength of her wrist. It was because of the silence that it seemed that the chirping in the trees in the distance of the pavilion was a little louder.

Shi Bao, who was full of thoughts, didn't pay attention to the intermittent sound at that time, and he was in a daze while drinking, as if he couldn't decide on something.

At this time, a chamberlain hurriedly walked over, stood in front of Shi Bao and bent down and whispered: "Your Highness, the right Changshi Zuo Luo, the left Changshi Shiguang, Sima Cao Yao, and the general Ma Qiu ask to see you." ”

Shi Bao was stunned when he heard this, and after thinking for a while, he came back to his senses, and hurriedly put down the wine bottle and said, "Quickly spread it to the hall!" ”

Zuo Luo, Shi Guang, Cao Yao, and Ma Qiu waited for a while, and Shi Bao changed his clothes before Shi Shiran walked into the hall. The four of them hurriedly stood up, respectfully clasped their fists and saluted: "I have seen His Royal Highness the Prince of Leping!" ”

"Excuse me, everyone, please take a seat!" Shi Bud said as he sat down and waved his right hand gently. He is only in his thirties, and he usually pays attention to maintenance, and his face not only looks white, but also has the majesty of a high-ranking venerable and the grace of a celebrity, but the deep-set eyes make people look not very pleasing to the eye.

"Zuo, tell me what's the news from the east." As soon as everyone sat down, Shi Bud asked.

"Yes, Your Highness!" Shi Zuo, who was in charge of intelligence exchanges, hurriedly responded.

"His Royal Highness King Pei Chong, who guarded Jicheng in Youzhou, heard that His Royal Highness Pengcheng had killed the prince Shi Zili, and he did Wen Yan and Zhao said: The world was ordered by the first emperor to kill him in accordance with the abolition, which is a great crime! It is under martial law inside and outside, and the lonely general will ask for it. So Mu Liuningbei, the general of Liuning, insisted on Youzhou and commanded 50,000 soldiers and horses to go south to Jicheng. By the time of Changshan, more than 100,000 people had gathered. Marched to Yuanxiang, met His Royal Highness King Zun of Pengcheng sent a letter of pardon, talked about the twists and turns of the original story, and promised His Royal Highness Xu Pei Wang Chong of Jizhou. "It seems that Shi Bao's intelligence network in Yecheng is very effective, and the information he gets is also very detailed.

His Royal Highness Chong was quite moved, and said brotherly love to the ministers, and he couldn't bear to kill each other, and wanted to lead the army to Jicheng. His subordinates admonished Chen Xian and other people, and only then did His Royal Highness re-enter Yecheng. His Royal Highness sent the head of the king to persuade His Highness to carry a letter again, but His Highness Chong did not listen and continued to march. His Royal Highness sent Wu Xing Gongmin and Si Nong Li Nong to lead more than 100,000 elite people to meet Yu Pingjian. His Royal Highness Chong was defeated, captured by the Yuan clan, and given to death, and more than 30,000 of his soldiers were killed by Wuxing Gongmin! ”

"I knew that this thorn slave (Shi Min's nickname) was a fierce general, but I didn't expect it to be so brutal." Shi Bao sighed.

But Zuo Changshi Shiguang thought of another thing: "His Royal Highness Pei Wang Chong led the army south, and the elite of Youji was all folded in Pingthorn, I am afraid that Murong Xianbei in Pingzhou in the north will have no one to defend from now on, and he will not be able to suppress it, I am afraid that it will be like a flood and out of control!" Recently, Yecheng has been turbulent and China is unstable, if Murong sends troops south again, I am afraid that not only will it be difficult to protect it, but even the foundation of the Central Plains may also be in danger! ”

Shi Bao said impatiently: "Murong Xianbei is a bit of Beiyi Bailu, located in a cold and barren land, he must covet the flower world of the Central Plains, and he will naturally go back after looting, so it's not a problem!" ”

But Ma Qiu said another trouble: "Not only that, since May, so many Xiqiang have come out of nowhere, and all of them have poured into Liangzhou (Liangzhou set up by Northern Zhao), Longxi, and Nan'an counties. The border guards there had been starved of food for many days, and they had already dispersed, and the Qiang cavalry actually collapsed, and the two counties fell into the hands of Xiqiang. The Jin army of Wudu also suddenly sent troops to Tianshui, and in more than ten days, it even swept the cities of Keji County, Shangti, Xinyang, Linwei, Lüyang, Xianxin, Chengji, and Pingxiang, and swept through the two counties of Tianshui and Lüyang. The counties of Liang and Qinzhou actually fell. "He was originally the chief general of the expedition to Xiliang, and he fought in the land of Henan in Longxi for several years, and he was still relatively familiar with it, knowing that now the counties of Longxi were cut off from grain and grass twice, and the border soldiers in various places had already panicked, and in the face of this sudden blow, they must be unable to parry.

Shi Bud was even more impatient, frowned and said: "Xiqiang is a greedy and barbaric person, and he invaded Longxi and Nan'an to plunder the property and population, and he will withdraw after a while; And the Wudu Jin army, like the Hanzhong Jin army, is a robbery by taking advantage of the fire, and after plundering the population of the people, they will naturally return to Wudu, so there is no need to worry. It's just that when such shame comes, the king of Japan must repay it twice! ”

Shi Bao's two sentences were not enough to dispel Ma Qiu and Shi Guang's worries.

Ma Qiu hurriedly responded, not daring to say any more. He didn't dare to say what was in his heart, but he swept away the joy of this prince. The last time Yao was defeated in Yixian, it didn't take long for him to die of depression, and the rest of the troops were under Ma Qiu's subordinates. Although Shi Bao didn't want to see this unruly Qiang general, and said that his defeat was an ambush by the arrogant army, Ma Qiu, who knew the roots, knew that this matter was not simple.

Yao Guobu's combat effectiveness Ma Qiu knew, not to mention the first in the entire Guanzhong, but also the second, and was actually disabled by the Jin army with comparable strength. This matter is indeed incredible, but Ma Qiu feels that some great changes have taken place in Liangzhou in the south that they don't know about, and it is by no means as simple as the people of each family sharing the land on the surface.

Attacking Tuguhun and taking Qiuchi, the matter of the Liangzhou Assassin of the Jin State vaguely spread to Chang'an, but it did not attract much attention, after all, Qiuchi and Tuyuhun are both wild and remote places, and it is not surprising that they have been leveled ten times. But Ma Qiu sensitively associated it with Xiqiang's departure from Longxi and the Jin army's departure from Tianshui, and the article in it is probably not small. In mid-May, the Jin army retreated to Hanzhong with an all-out blow in Yixian, just for the tens of thousands of people? Then Wudu and Xiqiang sent troops one after another, as if they had been discussed, and they each fought their own, which was quite a tacit understanding.

However, although the people in Chang'an felt a little weird, no one took it to heart, they didn't take the Jin army to heart. In the past few decades, it has basically been the Northern Zhao that has pressed the Jin State in the south, and many times the battle has been won more and lost less. Moreover, although the Jin army is still persistently carrying out the Northern Expedition, the purpose of the Northern Expedition is to recover Heluo, and they are all sent from Jing and Yangzhou, and I have not heard of sending troops from Hanzhong in Liangzhou. The former Shu Han sent troops from Hanzhong for decades and did not move half a hair in Guanzhong.

"Yecheng is so turbulent, the people are miserable, this king is really worried!" Shi Bao turned into a compassionate face, and said bitterly.

Everyone is like a mirror in their hearts, this King Leping is not worried about the suffering of the people, but cares about the throne in Yecheng. But everyone didn't dare to say it, but they just praised Shi Bao's benevolence.

Listening to everyone's compliments, Shi Bao couldn't help but be full of jealousy towards Shi Zun, who preemptively occupied the throne of Yecheng, this kid, his life is too good.

When the first emperor was ill, he worshiped Yan Wangbin as the prime minister and recorded the book; Zhang Jackal is the general of the town guard, the leading general, and the secretary of the ministry, and he is also under the edict of the auxiliary government; And the king of Pengcheng worshiped as the general, and the town was on the right. Shi Bin, who stayed in Yecheng, was asked by Zhang Bao and dedicated to Shi Hu by the "prince" Shi Shi's mother Liu Shi (Princess Anding, the youngest daughter of the former Zhao Liu Yao. conspired with Zhang Bao and killed Shi Hu when he was faint. And Shi Zun, who returned to Yecheng from Youzhou, directly sent 30,000 forbidden troops to Guanzhong to take up his post, and did not give him a chance to face the saint at all.

Who knew that as soon as Shi Zun arrived in Hanoi, the "Son of Heaven" died. The "crown prince" Shi Shi succeeded to the throne, and the Liu family was called the system. Zhang Bao and Taiwei Zhang Ju plotted to kill Sinong and Li Nong, who knew that Zhang Ju and Li Nong were good buddies, and immediately secretly reported the news. Li Nongyuan was born in the begging army, and when he heard the news, he immediately fled to Guangzong (now the northeast of Wei County, Hebei), where the begging army was stationed, and tens of thousands of handsome begging troops (the begging army was based on the family unit) entered Shangbai (now the south of Wei County, Hebei), and Liu Shi besieged Shangbai with the Yecheng Suwei Forbidden Army, but sent Zhang Ju to lead the army to supervise the battle, so you can imagine what this battle will look like.

However, Shi Zun met Yao Yizhong, Pu Hong, Liu Ning, and the generals Shi Min and Wang Luan, who led the army to defeat the Liang Gaoli rebels and returned to the dynasty in Hanoi. Everyone persuaded Shi Zun one after another, saying that he was both long and virtuous, and that the first emperor had already planned to make him his heir, but he was only confused by traitors on the couch because of his illness. Now that the heroine is in the court, the traitorous ministers are in charge, the forbidden army is all held on to Shangbai, and Yecheng is empty, so we should act immediately, crusade against treachery, and support the right path

If Shi Zun didn't have happiness in his heart at that time, Shi Bao didn't believe anything, and he didn't know about these brothers.

Shi Zun rose up in Licheng, Luoyang and other places responded, marching to Dangyin, there were 90,000 people. Liu and Zhang Bao were terrified, and first prepared to defend the city and fight to the death, but the "countrymen" in the city came out to meet Shi Zun. had no choice but to issue an edict to obey as the prime minister, lead the great Sima, the metropolitan governor, and supervise the Chinese and foreign armies, record the Shangshu affairs, and add Huang Yue and Jiuxi. Shi Zun entered the city of Deye, first punished Zhang Bao, razed his three clans, and then couldn't wait to fake Liu's order and said: "The heir is young, the first emperor is granted by his personal kindness, the imperial industry is the most important, and it is not worthy of restraint, and he is the heir." ”

So Shi Zun ascended the throne, pretended to amnesty the world, and went to the siege of Bai. Feng Shi was the king of Chen, and the Liu family was abolished as the concubine, and he was killed within a few days when he heard about it. The mother Zheng is the queen mother, and the concubine Zhang is the queen, so Yan Wang Bin Ziyan is the crown prince. With Yiyang Wang Jian as the servant and Taifu, Pei Wang Chong as the Taibao, Ruyin Wang Kun as the general, Wuxing Gongmin as the governor of the Chinese and foreign military, auxiliary generals, and Shi Bao got a big Sima vacancy.

Shi Bud was not satisfied with Da Sima's empty hat, he had a "high evaluation" of himself and high expectations. At that time, Shijian Town guarded Guanzhong, which was extremely brutal, and the taxes and labor were heavy, and the people of Guanzhong were all complaining. The first emperor transferred himself to replace Shijian to guard the pass. The first emperor once praised himself to the left and right ministers and said: "I heard that the good ministers are like beasts, and the jackals avoid the road with high steps, and I believe it." ”

How can he be so talented that he can succumb to a big Sima? I should be able to hold a higher position and better serve the people.

As soon as Shi Bao said this, Ma Qiu and Zuo Luo were silent for a moment, they were very aware of Shi Bao's little abacus, didn't they just want to go to Yecheng to compete for the position? Both of them are Shi Bao's henchmen, and they know the temper of this prince, so they naturally dare not go against Shi Bao's intentions.

But Shi Guang and Cao Yao panicked, and hurriedly stood up to dissuade them.

Shi Guang spoke first: "Your Highness, by all means! Although the counties of Longxi and Liangzhou in the south are all suffering from ringworm scabies, if there is no His Royal Highness in Guanzhong, I am afraid that the heroes everywhere will have different intentions, collude with the inside and outside, and chaos in the place, and there will be a loss in Guanzhong after a long time! ”

"How can there be a loss? Didn't you say that Longxi and Liangzhou are just ringworm scabies? I have been guarding Guanzhong for several years, and I have paid equal attention to benevolence and virtue, and the place in Guanzhong has long been calm. As long as there are only a few capable officials and more than 10,000 soldiers and horses, who dares to make trouble in this pass? ”

Shi Bao's words are very interesting, he has been able to "leave no stone unturned" in Guanzhong, and the people are too late to be grateful to themselves, how can they rise up and make trouble? If someone really rises up to make trouble, it means that it is the responsibility of those who stay in Chang'an, because they are not capable officials.

Cao Yao said more bluntly: "Your Highness, the monarch and ministers of Yecheng have been divided, and the prince should abide by the way of being a minister, abide by his duties, and control the right on behalf of the Son of Heaven to appease the people, this is the right way." ”

Cao Yao's words were righteous and awe-inspiring, so that Shi Bao had no reason to refute, and after thinking for a long time, he found a reason: "Right Changshi, tell you about Cao Sima, Pu Hong and Yao Yizhong have committed wrongdoing, and Yecheng is surging in the dark tide." ”

Right Changshi Zuo hurriedly said: "Wuxing Gong Min once said to His Royal Highness Zun: The first emperor once expressed Pu Hong as a servant, a general of the chariot and cavalry, the three divisions of Kaifu Yitong, the governor of Yong, the military of Qinzhou, and the history of Yongzhou, and entered the Duke of Luoyang County. However, he is a masterpiece, such as in his town, the land of fear of Qin and Yong is not a country. Therefore, although this life is the dying life of the first emperor, His Majesty practiced Zuo and changed the map. Obey His Royal Highness, remove Pu Hongdu from his post, and the rest as before. Pu Hong was furious, returned to Fangtou, sent an envoy to the Southern Jin Dynasty, and gathered people according to the danger to plot Yecheng. ”

Shi Bao nodded and continued: "Pu Hong not only intends to close the right, but now he is waiting for an opportunity to make trouble near Yecheng, and Yao Yizhong is working together to pass through the Southern Jin Dynasty, I am afraid that Yecheng is in danger." Since I have accepted the position of Da Sima, I have to contribute to the imperial court, so I intend to lead 30,000 troops out of Tongguan to help the imperial court. ”

Shi Bao's excuse was found quickly and well, Shi Guang and Cao Yao were stunned at that time, and they couldn't think of words for a while.

Shi Bao turned to Zuo Luo and Ma Qiuyan and said, "What do you two say?" ”

Zuo Ji said: "The major events in Yecheng are safe, the dark tide is turbulent, and I am afraid that His Highness will not be able to support it alone." As a great minister of all kings, you should turn the tide at this time of crisis and help all the people. “

Ma Qiu said even more explicitly: "The prince has been in the middle of the town for a long time, and he has been benevolent and virtuous, and everyone in the world has returned to his heart." Now the emperor died, the rivers and mountains are swaying, and the people are terrified. ”

Hearing this, Shi Bao finally made up her mind. During this time, he had been waiting, not only watching the Yecheng throne drooling, but also afraid that he would fall into that whirlpool, and in the end there would be no scum left.

Now I finally know that since Shi Chong's death, all the kings and Shi Zun have torn their faces, and they are ready to move, reorganize their own men and horses, and prepare to roll up their sleeves and go into battle to compete for the level. If you don't kill at this time, you probably won't be able to catch up. Shi Bao thought about himself for a long time in Guanzhong, here "quite popular with the people", the strength should be a handful, others can sit, why can't I sit down?

And Shi Guang and Cao Yao thought for a while and finally reacted and continued to dissuade. But Shi Bao insisted on contributing to the imperial court and insisted on leading the army out of Tongguan. So a meeting ended with a stone bud brushing his sleeves away.

But on the second day, Shi Guang and Cao Yao actually gathered more than 100 Chang'an officials, blocked Shi Bao at the door of Leping Palace, and everyone fell to the ground and cried, looking like a courtier, and vowed to dissuade Shi Bao from leading the troops to leave Chang'an.

Shi Bao, who was so anxious, couldn't help but be furious, and ordered Shi Guang and Cao Yao and other more than 100 people who were blocking the gate of the palace to be executed, and then began to gather soldiers and horses, collect grain and grass, and prepare to go out of Tongguan to help the world.

The families of Shi Guang and Cao Yao and others fled from Chang'an and scattered all over the country, and rumors spread that Shi Bao wanted to use all his strength in Guanzhong to fight for the position in the Central Plains, not only to exhaust manpower, but also to levy all civilian capital for war purposes.

In fact, Shi Bao has Shi Hu's fine tradition, drunk and lustful, greedy for money and profit, and there is no shortage of everything, but he is not as brutal as Shi Jian and others, and the tyrannical and cruel politics are so much better than Shi Jian, and there are several capable ministers such as Shi Guang, who tried their best to do a little good under Shi Bao, so the situation is better than Shi Jian, but I can't imagine that Shi Bao really thinks that he is comparable to "Yao Shun".

When Shi Bao was still in Chang'an and preparing to send troops, rumors had spread throughout the three counties of Jingzhao, Fufeng, and Fengyi near Chang'an. The powerful families from all over the country know Shi Bao's virtue, and they also understand that once they fight for the position, what will Guanzhong pay for Shi Bao? Everyone has been frightened by the policy of "collecting strategic materials" by the "first emperor" Shi Hu. So in order to avoid the pain of stone buds scraping the ground, everyone had to secretly send people to the south to send a message, hoping that the king of Liangzhou could march into Guanzhong and truly save the people from fire and water.

When the message of the Haoqiang family in Guanzhong was delivered to Hanzhong, Zeng Hua was admiring the moon with Fan Min and Zhenxiu in the back garden of Fuzhong.

Zeng Hua peeled pomegranates for the pot-bellied Zhenxiu to eat, and at the same time told the two the story of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, and when it came to the emotional part, Fan Min and Zhenxiu couldn't help but listen in a daze.

In the end, Fan Min said quietly: "Although the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl can only see each other once a year, they can meet forever, and they don't have to worry about life and death, which can be regarded as a kind of compensation." ”

Zhenxiu, who was eating pomegranates, said quickly: "Sister, I don't think so." If you get along, you have to get along, you can only see each other once a year, so being together is simply a kind of torture, it's better to stay together for a lifetime, even if it's only this life, it's good. ”

Fan Min smiled, knowing that there was no way to argue about this kind of thing, so he moved on to other things.

At this moment, a servant girl led a guard in and bowed her head to present a military message.

Zeng Hua glanced at it for a moment and asked, "Have you seen Lord Che, Master Zhen, etc.?" ”

"I've seen it! I'm waiting for your decision, my lord. ”

"Okay, you send a message to your lords, and tomorrow morning we will discuss in the military aircraft hall!"

"Yes, sir!" After receiving the order, the guard hurriedly bowed his head and retreated. Although the rule in Lord Zeng's mansion is that the two ladies do not deliberately avoid outsiders, these two ladies are too outstanding and glamorous, and everyone dare not take a few more looks.

"Husband, what's the matter?" Seeing Zeng Hua's face become solemn, Fan Min couldn't help but ask. It's not that she cares about what happened, but what makes Zeng Hua worried.

"It's nothing, it's just that the Haoqiang family in Guanzhong wants to invite me to Guanzhong." Zeng Hua rolled up the handkerchief and said with a smile.

Zeng Hua really felt funny, he had always "beaten local tyrants and divided the fields", but he didn't expect that there were still local tyrants coming to him, so he had to go to their house by himself. However, this also verifies the words of Master Confucius, harsh government is fiercer than a tiger! In order to exempt Shi Bao from the harsh government, he was willing to welcome himself, a well-known tiger wolf.

Looking at the worried looks of the two, Zeng Hua comforted: "It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter, it only takes three or four months, and I will take you to Chang'an." After that, Zeng Hua gently stroked Zhenxiu's stomach and smiled: "I'm afraid it's almost after the child is full moon." Then he gently patted Fan Min's pink face and said, "It's just that you were unable to move at that time." ”