Chapter 26 Thief Immortal Qiong, Guo Yi repents of his sins, fights for the county, and admonishes the saints

In the second half of the night, the wind and rain stopped, a bright moon was in the sky, the stars were shining, and the insects were singing.

Wang Jie stood in the courtyard and looked up at the night sky for a while, and his heart suddenly became nervous.

He hurriedly entered the room with a black face, and shouted at Li Yunhan: "The ugly time has passed, how can there be any wind and rain!" ”

"Don't worry, it will come sooner or later!" Li Yunhan took a sip of wine and smiled indifferently, "You're tired this night, so let's go to bed early." ”

"Can I sleep?" Wang Jie was very excited, and said loudly, "When you go, you said that you watched the sky at night, and there will be a storm after tonight; But when it's all over the ugly, why hasn't there been any movement at all? ”

After hearing this, Shaoling suddenly realized, and said: "Oh, I finally understand, it turns out that you want to borrow the hand of God to have a storm to destroy the flowers in the capital." Brother Li, Brother Li, you miscalculated this time! ”

"But isn't it," Lou Yue sighed, "Wanting the Holy Lord to condemn God is undoubtedly a fool's dream!" ”

Wang Jie said angrily: "Alas, that's what he said to me......"

Li Yunhan couldn't help but feel a little nervous when he saw that everyone's words were fierce, he got up and paced around the courtyard, pinching his fingers and calculating.

He turned back to the crowd and said, "Go to sleep; When I woke up, the flowers fell into thousands of homes. ”

"Hmph, I can't sleep." Du Shaoling said.

"I'm also suffering from insomnia." Lou Yue echoed.

Wang Jie was very remorseful, and sighed: "Alas, once you miss, you will be hated for thousands of years, and it will be too late to regret!" ”

That night, Wang Jie was worried that the flower theft would be exposed, so he tossed and turned for it and never slept all night.

Li Yunhan was still sleeping soundly as if nothing had happened.

When he woke up in the morning, Li Yunhan looked up at the sky for a while, and when he saw that the weather was good, he couldn't help but feel a little nervous, but he still looked like nothing had happened on the surface.

Du Shaoling and Lou Yue met, although they were full of complaints, but it was not easy to have a face-to-face attack for a while.

The next morning, the sky in the capital was fine, the sky was blue, and the warm sun was shining.

Emperor Xuan and his entourage left the palace, and Lin Fu, Yang Silang and other ministers had been waiting outside the palace gate for a long time.

Yang Silang stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, the envoys of various countries have been waiting for a long time, please start." ”

Emperor Xuan bowed slightly and said, "Okay." ”

Lin Fu said that His Majesty enjoyed the flowers today, the clouds were light and the wind was light, the sky was clear, and even God was particularly favored.

"Yes, the spring is bright, and the weather is indeed good." Emperor Xuan looked around and asked, "What about General Chu?" ”

Lin Fu said that according to Luo Feng's urgent report, Chu Mohan had already gotten up and left Beijing due to the sudden hostile situation at the border pass.

Emperor Xuan was displeased when he heard this, sighed lightly, and said: "General Chu is really loyal to the border of the country and cannot enjoy peace for a while. ”

"Your Majesty, I'm afraid he won't have the face to see you." Yang Silang sneered.

"Yang Aiqing, what do you mean by this......" Emperor Xuan frowned and asked.

"He boasted about Haikou in front of His Majesty, saying that Batu was invincible in the world with high martial arts, but unexpectedly, this person was actually a straw bag, and after a few moves, he was beaten down by Guo Yi, the guard of Jiuyuan County." Yang Silang said.

"Oh, I see." Emperor Xuan eased his mind, "Guo Yi, he has returned to Beijing......"

"Yes, Your Majesty, the minister is about to report to you," Lin Fu coughed dryly, "Guo Yi left the military camp to enter Beijing without His Majesty's permission, and the minister thought that he should be held accountable for dereliction of duty." ”

Wang Gong said that when the Turks raided Jiuyuan County in Donglayue, Guo Yi neglected the enemy's defense, resulting in heavy casualties among the local people.

Lin Fu said again: "Your Majesty, Guo Yi has always regarded himself very highly, even Chu Mohan didn't pay attention to it, and even made false accusations against him; The minister thought that he defeated Batu this time to take revenge on General Chu. I hope Your Majesty will think twice. ”

Emperor Xuan was furious when he heard this, and said: "Good Guo Yi, pass him to King Hui's Mansion to see him!" ”

Early in the morning, King Hui got up early in the morning and went to the backyard to inspect. When he found that the petals of Xianqiong were missing, he was immediately terrified.

King Hui questioned the soldiers and servants one by one, and Fang Jue's daughter was the most suspicious, so he hurriedly sent someone to call Li Wu.

King Hui closed the door tightly and asked Li Wu sharply, why are there fewer Xianqiong petals?

Li Wu prevaricated: "It's not that a few petals are missing, or the mice have eaten it." ”

King Hui didn't believe it, and asked him again and again. Li Wu didn't dare to tell the truth, but lowered her head and sobbed vigorously.

Seeing that his daughter refused to tell the truth, King Hui picked up his crutches in anger.

Seeing that her father was really angry, Li Wu had no choice but to tell the truth after being beaten a few times.

When King Hui heard this, he suddenly felt that the world was spinning, and he suddenly sat down on the ground. He was thinking about how to deal with it, and Steward Ji came to report that Guo Yi was asking to see him.

King Hui was puzzled when he heard this, and after pondering for a moment, he agreed.

After Guo Yi entered the house, he visited King Hui and briefly recounted the matter of stealing flowers to save his mother.

Seeing that King Hui's face was ugly, Guo Yi took out a military book from his arms, presented it, and said: "Lord Wang, this matter is all because of Guo, and I am willing to use this ancestral military book "Huangshi Gong Sanluo" as compensation. ”

King Hui hesitated and took the military book, carefully identified it, and felt that it was genuine, so he forcibly suppressed the excitement in his heart and said solemnly: "General Guo, this king doesn't want to be difficult for you, but he can't explain it to His Majesty." ”

"Don't worry, the prince doesn't worry, this matter is Guo someone's fault, I will see Your Majesty later, and I will ask him for guilt in person."

King Hui was relieved when he heard this, and remembered that he defeated Batu in the ring, so he smiled: "Then there is General Lao." ”

At this time, Emperor Xuan rushed to Anxingfang with the ministers of civil and military affairs, as well as envoys from various countries.

King Hui was waiting in front of the gate of the mansion with apprehension, and when he saw that the holy car had arrived, he hurried forward to meet him. After the two of them finished saluting, before they could say a few words, the sky suddenly changed, and a cloud of dark clouds swept overhead, and it suddenly became dark in all directions. Then the thunder shook, and the wind mixed with hail the size of a pigeon's egg smashed down the head and face, and in an instant it was like overturning the river and the sea, and ten thousand horses galloping.

Everyone seemed to have fallen into the dark and bottomless canyon, and they were in a hurry for a while, and finally escorted Emperor Xuan into the palace.

On the other side, the Moon Spring Pharmacy.

Li Yunhan was sitting in the courtyard drinking tea with Wang Jie and Shaoling, some of them looked at each other at a loss, and suddenly saw the wind and rain, and immediately cried with joy, looking up to the sky and shouting: "God help me!" ”

Lou Yue rushed up and hugged Wang Jie excitedly.

Emperor Xuan and his entourage were embarrassed by the sudden storm, he changed his wet clothes and sat in the living room to rest for a long time, still in shock.

Yang Silang hurriedly entered the house, saying that the wind and rain had stopped outside, and the sky was clear.

"Eyed?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Is that Xianqiong okay?" Emperor Xuan asked eagerly.

Yang Silang cried with a sad face and said: "Your Majesty, this wind and rain is fierce, the flowers and trees in the garden are all destroyed, and the fairy Qiong is also gone." ”

"Alas, it's a pity, it's a pity!" Emperor Xuan was extremely disappointed after hearing this, sighed for a while, still a little unwilling, and wanted to see what was going on in the garden.

When he arrived at the garden, Emperor Xuan was stunned by the mess in front of him: the arm-thick trees were either uprooted or blown off by the waist; The flowers and grass withered, and there was no scenery at all. Qiongshu has long been hard to find, and the flower stands are scattered all over the place. Emperor Xuan felt extremely lost and sad when he saw it.

"Lin Aiqing, the envoys from all over the world have arrived, but there are no shadows at all, what does this make my face?!" Emperor Xuan sighed lightly.

"Your Majesty, don't worry, this is the will of heaven."

"Then how do you explain to the envoys of various countries?" Emperor Xuan asked again.

Lynver said that the envoys were waiting in the east wing, and did not know it; Just give them more gifts and send them away.

King Hui hurriedly interjected, saying that there were fine Suzhou-Hangzhou silks and fine porcelain in the house, so he could use them casually.

Emperor Xuan hesitated and said, "I asked them to come to enjoy the flowers, so there must be an excuse." ”

The ministers were silent for a while.

Wei Su said to Emperor Xuan: "The Qionghua is withering, and the minister thinks it may not be a bad thing!" ”

Lin Fu glared at him fiercely and said, "Master Wei, don't talk nonsense!" ”

Wei Su ignored Lin Fu, and said unhurriedly to Emperor Xuan: "Your Majesty, Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty in the previous dynasty was poor and luxurious, and he went to Yangzhou three times to enjoy Qionghua, built canals and abused people's power, and the dragon boat of the Water Temple stretched for hundreds of miles, so that he died and the country was destroyed. ”

Emperor Xuan was very uncomfortable when he heard this, and frowned.

Lin Fu said angrily at Wei Su: "Bold, you dare to criticize our emperor in the matter of the previous dynasty!" ”

"Don't dare." Wei Su turned around, "Your Majesty, the minister has already thought of a statement for you. ”

"Oh?" Emperor Xuan was stunned.

"Your Majesty may wish to say this to the envoys of various countries, last night God dreamed of your Majesty, and the governance of the country needs to be based on benevolence. On the occasion of a sting rainstorm, this is a reminder to the world, warning the envoys of various countries to take the former emperor as a warning, abstain from extravagance and frugality, and be considerate of the people's strength, in order to achieve the cause of eternity. Wei Su said eloquently.

"Well, that's good;" Emperor Xuan nodded and turned his gaze to Gao Jun, "You will go on my behalf and convey it to the envoys according to Wei Qing's intentions." Also, the reward must be rich! ”

Gao Jun responded and left.

At this time, Shuo Fang Jiedu made Chu Yanzhong come to visit.

Emperor Xuan saw his calm appearance, and said with a smile: "Chu Aiqing, aren't you recuperating at home, and you also come to the palace to join in the fun?" ”

"Your Majesty, the old minister has fought all his life, and he doesn't like any flowers and plants, but as soon as I heard that it was Xianqiong flowering, I also wanted to come and get some Ruiqi." Chu Yanzhong replied.

Emperor Xuan sighed: "It's a pity, it's all blown away by that storm!" ”

"This ......" Chu Yanzhong snorted for a long time.

At this time, Guo Yi walked out of the crowd and stepped forward to salute: "Your Majesty, Minister Guo Yi is here to see the driver!" ”

"Hmph, it's good to come, I'm looking for you."

"Your Majesty, isn't it angry about Xianqiong?" Guo Yi paused, "Please forgive the minister for the crime of bullying the king." ”

Emperor Xuan was stunned for a moment and said, "The more you talk about me, the more confused I become." ”

Guo Yi said: "Your Majesty, my mother is terminally ill and needs to be treated with Qionghua medicine. The minister had no choice but to let the county lord pick flowers to save his mother, and the minister was guilty of bullying the king. ”

Emperor Xuan was stunned for a moment after hearing this, and asked him if this matter was serious?

"The minister doesn't dare to lie a word."

King Hui stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, General Guo has admitted his mistake to his younger brother just now; The younger brother thought that such a filial and righteous person, even God was moved by it and prayed for him to rain and bless him. ”

Emperor Xuan pondered for a moment after hearing this, and then sank his face: "Guo Yi, why did you leave your post without permission?" ”

"Returning to Your Majesty, a month ago, the minister sent two urgent reports to the Ministry of War, requesting to return to Beijing to report on his work, but there has been no reply. I suddenly heard that my mother was critically ill, so I hurriedly returned to Beijing. ”

Emperor Xuan asked Lin Fu if he could receive an urgent report from Jiuyuan County?

Lin Fu panicked in his heart, but still pretended to be calm and said: "Your Majesty, there have always been a lot of correspondence in Zhongshu Province, and the old minister has been unwell recently, and some of them haven't had time to take a closer look. ”

Emperor Xuan said "um", and then turned his head to Guo Yi: "You left the military camp without permission, how can you respond to the enemy once the Turks attack?" ”

"Back to Your Majesty, before the minister left, he had ordered the three armies to be ready for battle. Since the attack last year, the minister has strengthened the city defenses. In the north of the city and five miles east of the city, several beacon towers were newly built, and additional rangers and scouts were sent to patrol the border day and night to ensure that the border passes were worry-free. ”

King Hui showed a little appreciation on his face when he heard this, and said loudly: "Your Majesty, General Guo anticipates the enemy first and acts carefully, and he is worthy of the demeanor of a famous general. ”

Emperor Xuan nodded slightly and asked King Jing what he thought?

King Jing said: "My father taught his sons and ministers since he was a child, and governing the country and the country is based on loyalty and filial piety; Although General Guo picked flowers to save his mother, his feelings can be learned; Besides, he can repent in time afterwards, and he hopes that his father will think twice. ”

"What Lin'er said is reasonable; Although I have never seen Xianqiong Fangzi today, I am also glad to be able to fulfill General Guo's filial piety. Emperor Xuan immediately issued a decree to pardon Guo Yi's innocence.

Guo Yi thanked him and said that he still had something to do.

Emperor Xuan asked what was the matter?

Guo Yi said that last time, the Turks took advantage of my unpreparedness to make a detour to the Yuyang garrison camp and raided Jiuyuan City from behind, resulting in many casualties among our soldiers and civilians. According to his later investigation, it was all because the defenders of Yuyang retreated without a fight, and there was a suspicion of arsoning with the invasion of the enemy.

Wang Gong said angrily: "Bold, obviously lost the battle, but you have to blame others!" ”

"Lord Wang, this is not to blame," Guo Yi turned around and looked back at Emperor Xuan, "If Your Majesty doesn't believe it, the minister is willing to confront Chu Mohan face to face." ”

Lin Fu sneered and said, "It's late, General Chu has been away from Beijing for a long time." ”

Wang Gong said that the Turks are cunning and the war is changing rapidly, and he thinks that Guo Yi's words are not credible!

"So, who should I believe?"

Lin Fu said that Ji Wen is now the supervisor of the soldiers and horses of the Three Towns, and he can be ordered to investigate the matter.

Emperor Xuan didn't think about it, and casually agreed.

Lin Fu said: "Your Majesty, the previous attacks were all caused by poor military conditions and inconsistent commands. If Jiuyuan County can be placed under the jurisdiction of Chu Mohan, the minister dares to guarantee that such things will be eliminated. ”

Chu Yanzhong was very dissatisfied when he heard this: "Jiuyuan County is my territory!" ”

Guo Yi said that if Jiuyuan County was handed over to Chu Mohan, he was afraid that the people in the city would not agree.

Emperor Xuan asked, why is this?

Guo Yi said that in Jiuyuan City today, there are many refugees who have fled from the vicinity of Yuyang, especially the Hu people; Once the city is handed over to Chu Mohan, the refugees are afraid that they will be poisoned again.

Wang Gong said: "Hmph, it's really alarmist!"

"Why are you a refugee from Yuyang again?" Emperor Xuan sighed, "Guo Yi, you tell the truth." ”

Guo Yi said that this was all caused by Chu Mohan's construction of the Xiongwu camp; He returned to Beijing this time to report the matter to the saint.

"What a majestic battalion, how come I have never heard of it?" Emperor Xuan asked.

Guo Yi said that the Xiongwu camp is located in the north of Yuyang City, with a radius of more than 10 miles, with high walls built outside, military houses inside, and hundreds of treasury to build weapons and store grain and grass, and tens of thousands of cattle, sheep, and horses in captivity in the city. In order to build this city, Chu Mohan expropriated and abused coolies in Hebei, causing public resentment to boil; If the people did not comply, they would be beaten with sticks or killed, and the locals were so frightened that they had to go to other places.

Emperor Xuan shook his head when he heard this, and sighed lightly: "It's strange, there are such things!" ”

"Your Majesty, don't worry;" Lin Fu said, "As for the construction of the city, the minister has heard Chu Mohan say it. He said that Yuyang is the gateway to the north, and building this barrier can not only strengthen the city's defenses, but also facilitate long-term garrison. At that time, the minister thought that this was a matter within the part of the temperance envoy, so he did not report it to you. ”

Wang Gong said: "Your Majesty, Guo Yi is making a big fuss with his intentions, and he wants to use this to drive a wedge between the monarch and the minister, and I hope that His Majesty will punish him severely." ”

"Lord Wang, it is inevitable that you are exaggerating," Wei Su said, "Since the people have complained because of the construction of the city, then what is the crime of General Guo speaking out impartially!" ”

"Well, this construction of Xiongwu City is not only to resist the invasion of the enemy, but also reasonable;" Emperor Xuan pondered for a moment, "But the means are indeed excessive." ”

Emperor Xuan took two steps away from his seat and said to Chu Yanzhong: "Chu Aiqing, what do you say?" ”

"He wants to grab my territory, but I don't agree!" Chu Yanzhong said categorically.

"General Chu, do you dare to go against the holy will?" Linver threatened.

"General, don't be rash!" Emperor Xuan smiled, "Besides, you and Chu Mohan are brothers, and they both serve the imperial court......

"Your Majesty, for the sake of the Tang Dynasty, what brothers are not brothers! Jiuyuan County is isolated in the west of the river, located in a remote area, and the grain and grass are supplied by our Shuo side nearby. If it is handed over to him, not only will it be difficult to solve the problem of food and grass supply, but once the Turks invade, even the old ministers will not be able to transfer troops back to defend in time. Chu Yanzhong retorted vigorously.

After hearing this, Emperor Xuan had a hard time making a decision, and asked the prince what his opinion was?

The prince said that the Tiande army stationed in Jiuyuan County was mainly infantry, and it was okay to defend the city and protect the people; Since the Tongluo cavalry had been under the command of Chu Mohan, he thought that it would be better for the city to still be under the control of Shuofang.

"You don't joke." Lin Fu sneered, "Your Majesty has promised Chu Mohan, how can you change it lightly!" ”

Emperor Xuan listened to the difficulty, glanced at the ministers, and said, "This, I have said ......"

Chu Yanzhong said, what is the difficulty, he is willing to find Chu Mohan to explain this situation!

"Okay, since Chu Aiqing doesn't agree, then forget it," Emperor Xuan turned his worries into joy, "However, you have to take care of the overall situation, don't hurt the peace!" ”

Chu Yanzhong agreed loudly.

Emperor Xuan said to Guo Yi again, because he thought of him for a reason, and forgave him for his innocence; However, as a punishment, he was fined one month's salary.

After Guo Yi thanked him, Emperor Xuan immediately drove back to the palace and hurriedly left King Hui's mansion with his ministers.

The violent storm just now really made Chu Mohan a little panicked. He sat silently in the private residence of Qinrenfang for a long time, and as soon as the wind and rain stopped, he ordered his subordinates to leave for Yuyang, and ordered Chu Qing to accompany him.

Chu Qing hesitated and said that he was not ready.

Chu Mohan said in a loud voice: "Don't prepare, let's go!" ”

"Father, didn't you let me stay in Beijing for a few more days, why did you change your hexagram again?"

Luo Feng said that Yuyang is thousands of miles away from Beijing, and it is not easy for the eldest son to come here; The prosperous place of the capital hides the dragon and the crouching tiger, why not let him leave more of the world.

Seeing that his father was silent, Chu Qing said that Yuyang's affairs in Beijing were very complicated, and he had to coordinate the relationship between the border towns and the imperial court, and also raise grain, run salt transportation, horses and other businesses.

"You want to do these trivial things?" Chu Mohan asked.

"Of course you can;" Chu Qing was not in a hurry, "My father is already the envoy of the Three Towns, and the daily expenses of more than 100,000 soldiers and horses under his command are huge, and the supply of the imperial court is limited, if you don't think about it, how can you do it!" ”

Chu Mohan frowned when he heard this, and said: "Yes, the imperial court allocates so much food and salary to me every year, and I have to solve this extra problem by myself." Damn, if it continues like this, it really won't last long! ”

Yuan Chong, the leader of the Hedong Gang, said: "Dashuai, the Hedong Gang makes millions of profits every year just by transporting salt. ”

"Hmph, that bit of silver is not enough for Lao Tzu to stuff his teeth!" Chu Mohan glanced at him.

"Dashuai, have you heard of the Secret Treasure of Martial Virtue?" Luo Feng's voice was high-pitched, "It is said that this treasure is rich in the world, if you get this treasure, why worry about any food!" ”

"Martial Virtue Secret Treasure?" Chu Mohan's eyes lit up.

"Yes. It is rumored that during the Tang Dynasty Wude, Prince Yin secretly hid the treasures of the Central Plains under the Nine Lotus Peak, which has never been discovered for more than 100 years. ”

Chu Mohan stared at Luo Feng and asked, "Are you sure?" ”

"Yes, Sir."

Chu Mohan glanced at everyone, set his eyes on Yuan Chong, and ordered him to be in charge of the treasure hunt.

"Dashuai—" Yuan Chong hesitated.

Chu Mohan glared and said, "How dare you disobey the order?" ”

Chu Qing said that the Yuan gang leader has a lot of help, and he is willing to help him find treasures.

"What Childe said is very true." Luo Feng said carefully, "Dashuai, what the Hedong Gang does is not an ordinary business. As for the Yuan gang leader, he not only has to open up joints with officials from all over the country, but also has to deal with help, business and business, which is really not a light burden. It would be nice if there was an eldest son in charge. ”

Chu Mohan laughed: "Damn, one of you two is forced and the other is persuaded, have you already colluded?" ”

Chu Qing's body shook: "The child doesn't dare." ”

"Dashuai, although there is Lin who protects you everywhere, but the government is treacherous and changeable, you still need to be more careful." Luo Feng glanced at Chu Qing, "The eldest son stays, so that he can grasp the dynamics of the imperial court in time and collect information from all parties; Second, it can also help deal with the affairs of some three towns in Beijing and try to solve the food and salary shortage. ”

Chu Qing then begged him to stay.

Chu Mohan thought about it for a while and said that it was okay to stay; However, Chu Qing's true identity must not be exposed.

"Why is that?" Chu Qing asked.

"Be careful of being bitten by dogs," Chu Mohan narrowed his eyes, "At the feet of the Son of Heaven, I don't know how many people are staring at me." ”

Luo Feng hurriedly said that with him, the eldest son would be safe.

Chu Mohan finally agreed, and at the same time ordered Badu to stay and be Chu Qing's personal guard.

After arranging all this, Chu Mohan left the private residence and hurried back to Yuyang.