Taishi Huang Cong frowned and said: "Cao Yong has failed Jun'en and has been defeated again and again, it really should not be tolerated, otherwise the soldiers will not understand the strict truth of military law, and they will not do their best to be loyal to Your Majesty!" When they heard what the Taishi said, they closed their mouths and listened to what the Taishi said, and when they heard that the Taishi also meant this, they couldn't help but rejoice, and they all echoed it, shouting even more.

Taishi said: "The most worrying person is not that Cao Yong is not bad at fighting. Recently, there have been rumors in the city that Cao Yong has secretly contacted Yang Peng, and the old minister suspects that Cao Yong has been defeated again and again, whether it is intentional! If so, I'm afraid the matter will be serious! The ministers chimed in, and the emperor could not help but panic.

A minister named Yan Fan couldn't stand it anymore, and said loudly: "Weichen thinks that it is impossible for Marshal Cao Yong to collude with Yan Yun!" Everyone looked at him, and a minister asked angrily, "Lord Yan, what do you mean by that?" Could it be that Lord Yan also colluded with Yan Yun? As soon as Zhao Heng heard this, he changed color.

Yan Fan frowned and said loudly: "I am an official of the Great Song Dynasty, and I am loyal to my emperor!" Zhao Heng listened to these words, and his expression softened. The minister snorted coldly and said, "Since you are loyal to Your Majesty, why do you say such rebellious words? ”

Yan Fan said angrily: "How did my words become rebellious? I'm just stating my opinion! Moreover, Marshal Cao Yong is loyal to the Great Song Dynasty and His Majesty, and everyone in the world knows it! said that Master Cao Yong had two hearts, so he had to come up with evidence, how could he be guilty of getting into people based on rumors in the market! How convincing is this approach! The minister was speechless for a moment, and could only glare angrily.

Taishi Huang Cong snorted coldly and said, "If Cao Yong is not rebellious, how can he be defeated again and again?" Yan Fan felt amused in his heart and said, "On the battlefield, who is always invincible?" Victory and defeat are common things in soldiers, and defeat is the truth of rebellion! Moreover, Marshal Cao Yong is facing the invincible King Yan and the invincible Yan Yun Army under his command, although Marshal Cao Yong is defeated, the Yan Yun Army has not been able to drive straight into the country so far, which is already very commendable! ”

Huang Cong said angrily: "Let's put this matter aside for the time being!" So it is rumored that Cao Yong and Yang Peng are in secret contact, how do you explain it? Secret contact with Yang Peng is not to rebel, so why did he come? ”

Yan Fan frowned, "The rumors in the market, how can you believe them!" Huang Cong snorted: "As the saying goes, there is no wind and no waves!" If not, how could there be such rumors? Yan Fan said: "The foolish people in the market, seeing that Cao Yong can't win, there is also nonsense under fear!" ……”

Huang Cong reprimanded: "It's just nonsense! Then he hugged his fist at Zhao Heng and said: "Your Majesty, Cao Yong's collusion and rebellion are already obvious!" If you don't deal with it in time, when he guides Captain Yan Yun to drive in, the regret will be over! The emperor's heart was shocked. Yan Fan hurriedly said: "Your Majesty must not! What Taishi said is pure speculation, if Marshal Cao Yong really colluded with King Yan, how could he still be in a stalemate with the Yan Yun army, and the Yan Yun army would have already driven straight in! ”

Huang Cong said angrily: "What is incomprehensible about this!" After all, those hundreds of thousands of Song troops are His Majesty's royal divisions, and most of them are soldiers loyal to His Majesty! Wu Caoyong is treacherous and cunning, and the soldiers loyal to His Majesty will oppose it, so he can't act rashly! ”

Yan Fan felt that Huang Cong's words were simply incredible, but he didn't know how to refute them for a while.

Huang Cong turned his head to Zhao Heng and said, "Your Majesty, the current situation can be said to be a critical moment!" Then Cao Yong must be planning to kill those generals who are loyal to His Majesty, so that we can act, we should take advantage of the fact that it is not too late, and quickly send the minister to arrest Cao Yong, and at the same time let a loyal and reliable general take over Cao Yong and continue to command the battle! Zhao Hengshen nodded approvingly. Yan Fan was in a hurry, hugged his fists and said, "No, Your Majesty!" In this way, it will inevitably self-destruct the Great Wall! ”

Zhao Hengda was displeased, and shouted: "You talk like this, do you think I am a faint king?" "Yan Fan was stunned for a moment, and then understood: 'From ancient times to the present, those who self-destruct the Great Wall are faint monarchs, and if you say that Your Majesty self-destroyed the Great Wall, you will naturally accuse Your Majesty of being a faint monarch!' Yan Fan realized this, and even though he wanted to explain, Huang Cong sneered: "Lord Yan Fan called the rebellious Yang Peng the King of Yan, which shows his true thoughts in his heart!" Zhao Heng's expression became even more severe, and he shouted: "Yan Fan, you tell me honestly, have you already taken refuge in Yan Yun?" ”

Yan Fan was shocked, hurriedly knelt down, hugged his fists and said: "Your Majesty Mingjian, the minister is loyal to His Majesty, how can he do anything to collude and rebel?" Huang Cong said: "If you hadn't defected to Yang Peng, why would you call him such a rebellious as the King of Yan?" "This ......" Yan Fan was speechless, not knowing how to answer. In fact, the reason why he called Yang Peng the King of Yan was just out of respect. Respect Yang Peng's exploits in restoring the Central Plains from foreign races. However, such a remark cannot be said, and if it is said, I am afraid that it will be even more misunderstood by the emperor.

Huang Cong sneered: "You have nothing to say, it can be seen that you have not been wronged!" Yan Fan was angry, and hurriedly said to Zhao Heng: "Your Majesty, Weichen has no intention of rebelling, please Your Majesty!" He glanced at Huang Cong and said angrily: "It is really unfair for the Taishi to convict Weichen of rebellion based on his unintentional title of Weichen!" ”

Zhao Heng also felt that it seemed a bit too much to convict him of rebellion just by relying on the few words Yan Fan said, but he was still very dissatisfied with Yan Fan in his heart, so he said: "The crime of rebellion will be decided after the truth is ascertained!" However, after all, Yan Fan is already suspected and is no longer suitable to be an official, so I will deprive you of your official position, and order you to reflect at home and wait for the verdict, and you must not leave home without my order, otherwise I will be severely punished for the crime of resisting the decree! ”

Yan Fan was so angry that he didn't make a sound. Huang Cong glared and shouted: "Yan Fan, Your Majesty is extraordinarily gracious, you actually don't appreciate it!" Zhao Heng's face also became ugly.

Yan Fan looked up to the sky and sighed, and said dejectedly: "That's it!" Dismissal, dismissal! The unofficial is light," and then hugged his fist at the emperor and said: "Weichen, no, the grass people thank Your Majesty for not killing!" There was a hint of mockery in his tone. With that, he turned around and walked outside. Staggering, dashing.

Everyone looked at his back and smiled coldly. Huang Cong hugged his fist at Zhao Heng and said: "Your Majesty, the top priority is to deal with Cao Yong's affairs, and it will change later!" Zhao Heng nodded and asked, "Who does the Taishi think can replace Cao Yong?" ”

Huang Cong thought for a while, glanced at the eager minister on the other side, and said to Zhao Heng: "Your Majesty, the deputy envoy of the Privy Council, Lu Quanzhong, is familiar with the art of war, wisdom and bravery, and the most important thing is to be loyal to Your Majesty, and can take on this important responsibility!" Lu Quanzhong was excited, and immediately went out of the ranks, clasped his fists at the emperor and said: "The minister Lu Quanzhong will live up to the emperor's grace, swear to break the rebels, and capture Yang Peng alive to sacrifice to His Majesty!" "This Lu Qianzhong is tall, full of beard, in addition to his fair skin and somewhat flamboyant temperament, he also looks like a general.

Zhao Heng glanced at Lu Qianzhong, nodded with a smile, and said, "Lu Aiqing said so, I am relieved!" I will appoint you as the generalissimo of Zhenbei, and immediately go to Xiangyang, arrest Zhao Heng, and take over his command of all the armies to suppress the rebellion! Lu Qianzhong promised loudly, and then retreated to his position.

Zhao Heng looked at the letter sent by Cao Yong, frowned and hesitated, and asked Huang Cong: "Taishi, what do you think of Cao Yong's request for reinforcements in the letter?" ”

Huang Cong raised his eyebrows and said, "Cao Yong, a rebellious minister, how can you believe his words?" The number of Jiangbei's army is not less than that of Yan Yun's army, even if it can't go north, can't it still be held? Cao Yong's letter asking for reinforcements was actually very sinister, intended to divert the garrison army in Tanzhou, so that he would suddenly rebel in the north and cooperate with the rebels to move south, and we would no longer have the ability to resist! "At present, almost all the army of the imperial court has been sent out, divided into three parts, one is in Jiangbei to deal with Yang Peng's main force of Yanyun, and the other two are led by Cao Hu and Zhang Jun respectively, one is to resist the Yanyun army from the east of Xichuan in the west, and the other is to defend against the soldiers and horses of the Eight Princes in Jiangxi in the east. In addition to these large armies, there was only one army of more than 100,000 soldiers and horses left behind in Jinling, and Cao Yong and Zhang Jun originally intended to use this army as a strategic reserve to rescue all parties at any time.

Zhao Heng's face changed, and he said angrily: "What a sinister rebel!" Huang Cong said: "Even if you don't consider this, once the garrison army is transferred, if the rebellious people are instigated to make trouble, it is not a pity for Weichen to die, if Your Majesty is injured because of this, how can it be good?" That will be a disaster for the community and the people! Zhao Heng nodded and exclaimed: "Taishi Gong's loyalty to the country is really a blessing for the court and the widow!" Huang Cong was happy in his heart, but he pretended to bow and said: "Your Majesty has praised it falsely, and the old minister is ashamed!" ”

Zhao Heng smiled, his face was worried, and said: "The Jiangbei army has been defeated again and again, and has suffered heavy losses, if you don't send reinforcements, I'm afraid that Xiangyang will not be able to defend in the end!" ”

Huang Cong said: "Your Majesty, don't worry! With the strength of our army, we can keep Xiangyang without losing! In addition, Lao Chen has just received news from the Khitans that the Liao State has sent troops! The rebels' offensive will never last, and it won't be long before they have to stop attacking and send troops north for reinforcements! Maybe we can take this opportunity to attack the Central Plains and recover Bianliang! Lu Qianzhong immediately echoed: "What the old lady said is extremely true! Although the rebels are making a lot of noise now, they will definitely be defeated! Your Majesty relax! ”

Zhao Heng listened to the words of the two, and the panic and worry in his heart couldn't help but disappear, and sighed: "I have two Aiqing, but I can sit back and relax!" The two bowed down together and said, "It's just for Your Majesty's liver and brain!" ”

Yan Fan returned home. Seeing his sullen appearance, Mrs. Yan asked puzzledly, "Master, are you worried about what Yan Yunjun committed in the south?" ”

Yan Fan sat down, sighed, and said disheartenedly: "Although I am not a great minister, I can be said to be loyal to the court and to Your Majesty!" Unexpectedly, Your Majesty dismissed me from office pending trial because of a few slanderous words! Mrs. Yan was taken aback and hurriedly asked, "Master, what happened?" ”

Yan Fan sighed, told everything that happened in the court just now, and finally said angrily: "It is said that there will be traitors only if there is a faint king!" I didn't believe it, but I can't believe it today! That emperor is simply a cowardly and faint king, no wonder the Khitans were able to drive straight into the country and occupy all the good rivers and mountains of our Han people! If it weren't for a Yan King who came out of nowhere to turn the tide, now Lu Shen in the Central Plains would be afraid that he would only be like this! ”

Mrs. Yan hurriedly said, "Master is cautious! Yan Fan was angry, glaring and saying, "I'm afraid of what he will do!" Then the faint king will kill a foolish and loyal person like me who has the ability! Mrs. Yan looked nervously outside, and said in a low voice: "Master, if you don't think about yourself, you also have to consider our pair of children!" ”

Yan Fan's heart sank, and he closed his mouth. Just then, a young man and a woman rushed into the hall. The man is dressed in a Confucian shirt, handsome in appearance, elegant in temperament, delicate and delicate in temperament, and gentle in temperament, this pair of men and women is none other than a pair of children of Yan Fan, the son is named Yan Zheng, and the daughter is named Yan Yao. As soon as Yan Fan saw his children, the grievances in his stomach disappeared, and he couldn't help but smile on his face.

Yan Zheng and Yan Yao saluted their father and mother, and then Yan Zheng asked with a puzzled expression; "Father, why are there so many officers and soldiers outside our house?" Yan Fan frowned and said, "That's the one who came to guard us!" The two young men were startled, Yan Yao frowned slightly, and asked, "Father, what does the court mean by this?" ”

Yan Fan sighed and told what happened in the court today. The faces of the two young men showed anger, and they said solemnly: "What my father said is not the slightest fallacious! That Huang Cong, as a master, has no ability to say anything, but he frames Zhongliang like this, he is really a traitor! It's a shame that he is still a Confucian giant in the south of the Yangtze River! Yan Yao said angrily: "The traitorous ministers are hateful, but the faint monarch is even more cold!" If it weren't for the emperor's stupidity, how could Huang Cong and the others hurt their father! Yan Zheng nodded approvingly.

Mrs. Yan said angrily: "You two don't want to talk nonsense, you must know the truth that trouble comes from your mouth!" The two young men kept their mouths shut, but looking at their expressions, it was clear that they did not think that they had said it wrong.

Yan Fan sighed, "If you die for your father, you will die, I'm afraid it will affect the two of you!" Even the young man couldn't help but feel frightened and anxious. Yan Yao's expression moved, looked at his father, and said, "Father, why do we sit still?" I heard Uncle Wang say that on Yanyun's side, the officialdom is clear and not corrupt, and the people live and work in peace and contentment, which is very different from the Great Song Dynasty! They only need to be honest and trustworthy in business, and they don't need to bribe officials at all, and officials only need to do their job conscientiously, and they don't need to be slapped. Let's get out of here and go to Yanyun! Anyway, our hometown is in Taiyuan! ”

When everyone suddenly heard this, they were all stunned, and then they all took action. Yan Fan said: "I have long heard that King Yan is a hero who is not born in the world, Yan Yun's side must be really better than this side!" Then he frowned, "However, King Yan deposed Confucianism and ruled the world with his own doctrine such as Legalism and soldiers!" That's a bit of an outrageous......"

Yan Zheng said: "Father, son has been familiar with the classics since childhood, but he found that there are many contradictions and incoherencies in the classics!" Confucianism emphasizes loyalty to the monarch, according to the meaning of Confucianism, it seems that the king must be loyal even if he is a tyrannical monarch like Xia Wei Shang, this is the so-called monarch and ministers have to die, and not dying is disloyalty! These sons think it's so unreasonable! Is this the world the world of the king's family? Are the people all animals raised by kings, and they can be killed and taken for no reason? And didn't the emperor's houses of all dynasties start with rebellion? According to Confucianism, the emperor was disloyal in the first place, so why should his subjects be loyal? said that it was destiny, but it was said that the son was silent, and the strange power was chaotic! This is back and forth, pile by pile, full of contradictory words! With all due respect, the doctrine of Confucianism is not suitable for governing the country at all! ”

Yan Fan had never discussed similar topics with his children, and when he suddenly heard his son say such a deviant remark, he was first surprised, then angry, but then felt speechless. Because although his son's remarks are quite shocking, the truth seems to be correct, and it is impossible to refute!

I only heard my son continue: "My son has been thinking about a question recently, Confucianism was born in the troubled times of the Spring and Autumn Period, when the so-called 'Holy Master' Confucius went all kinds of ways to promote his own concept of governance, but he ran into walls everywhere, and no monarch was willing to use his doctrine, why is this? If this is really as good as it is said to be, why are those monarchs reluctant to adopt it? Are those monarchs stupid? I'm afraid it doesn't make sense! After thinking about it for a long time, I finally came up with a truth, in the troubled times of the Spring and Autumn Period, the heroes are competing for the deer, and if a country wants to survive, it must be rich and strong, and Confucianism is clearly self-castration, and it is more than enough to control the people, but it is impossible to enrich the country and strengthen the army, so once Confucianism is used, the result can only be rapid destruction! Then he sneered twice and mocked: "It's ridiculous that the doctrine that the monarchs of all countries abandoned back then has now become the way of the great truth!" No wonder the Great Song Dynasty has been defeated repeatedly in the face of foreign races, and in the end, even the Central Plains have been completely lost! The root cause is actually the disaster of Confucianism, not some traitor, nor is it some stupid monarch who misleads the country! It was precisely when King Yan saw this that he decisively deposed Confucianism and enriched the country and strengthened the army, otherwise even if King Yan was a hero in the Tianzong period, it would be impossible to rise in Yanyun in just a few years and then defeat the Jin people and restore the Central Plains! ”

Yan Fan and his wife were shocked, and looked at their son blankly. Yan Fan frowned and shouted, "Don't talk nonsense, be unconventional!" Yan Zheng clasped his fists and bowed: "If the father thinks that what the son said is wrong, please tell me to come out." Yan Fan frowned and pondered, and then said for a long moment: "It always makes sense that so many Ming Monarchs and Holy Lords all follow Confucianism!" Don't be too arrogant at your young age! ”

Yan Zheng said: "Er is not arrogant, he just doesn't agree with Confucianism!" The father said that many Ming monarchs and holy lords followed Confucianism, but in fact, if the son was the emperor, there was a chance that he would do the same! Yan Fan looked at Yan Zheng puzzled and asked, "Didn't you say that Confucianism is worthless, how can you ......?"

Yan Zhengdao: "Confucianism, as one of the hundred schools of thought, has a role that is incomparable to other doctrines!" In fact, as I just said, the only role of Confucianism is to control the people and fool the people! If an emperor wants to make the whole world for private use, he must use Confucianism to control the people! Nothing else works! ”

Yan Yao said: "Brother is right. Yan Fan glared at Yan Yao angrily, "You know it too!" Yan Yao stuck out her tongue and lowered her head. Mrs. Yan said angrily: "Where have you all gotten to go?" Isn't it time to think about how to escape this? Yan Zheng glanced at his father, and said to his mother with a smile: "Mother, according to Confucianism, we shouldn't run away!" The monarch wants the minister to die, and the minister has to die, and not dying is for disloyalty! ”

Yan Fan said angrily: "Count what you said right!" When the two young people heard this, they were very happy, and Yan Yao hurriedly asked, "Father, have you agreed to go to Yanyun?" Yan Fan sighed, nodded, and said, "Although I still don't know what is right, in order for our family to continue to live happily, it is better to escape from here!" Yan Zheng hugged his fists and said: "Father is wise!" Yan Fan glared and said, "I want to think about it, but how can I do it?" Yan Yao smiled and said, "Don't worry, father, daughter has a plan!" ”

Eyes turned to Xiangyang.

Since Yan Yun's main force crossed the Han River, Cao Yong was always ready to meet the attack of Yan Yun's army, and the nerves of the soldiers and civilians in the city were tense all the time. However, the Yan Yun army did not attack the city, but only garrisoned outside the city, and sent strong generals to challenge from time to time. Seeing that the Yanyun army was not attacking the city, the originally nervous hearts gradually calmed down, and the tense and panicked atmosphere that originally shrouded the sky over Xiangyang City faded a lot. But Cao Yong's worries are getting heavier and heavier, he knows that King Yan is going south this time, and he is determined to win, and now he is not attacking the city, obviously it will not be the Jiancheng soup pool that is afraid of Xiangyang, and he must be preparing a very powerful killing move, once Yan Yunjun comes to attack, I am afraid that Xiangyang will be doomed! Thinking so in his heart, he didn't dare to slack off, every day from morning to night and from night to morning, he had to personally inspect the city defense many times, and at the same time constantly think about his own flaws.

The days passed like this, and the Yan Yun army never attacked the city, and even many generals in the army couldn't help but feel slack. At noon that day, Cao Yong suddenly received news that the ministers of the imperial court had entered the city. Cao Yong thought that the reinforcements from the imperial court had arrived, and happily asked the officer who came to report the news: "How many soldiers and horses are coming with the minister?" The officer said: "Back to the commander, there are only 3,000 soldiers and horses." ”

Cao Yong was surprised and said in disbelief: "Only three thousand soldiers and horses? Why did the imperial court only send 3,000 soldiers and horses? The officer shook his head. Cao Yong thought about it, and felt that the reinforcements of the brigade might still be behind, so when he thought of this, he put his mind at ease and said to the captain of the personal soldiers beside him: "Follow me out to welcome Lord Qincha!" The captain of the pro-soldier clenched his fists and promised.

After all, what happens next, let's see how it will be broken down next time.