After Wang Chengen entered the palace, Lu Xiangsheng sat quietly in place and did not dare to leave, he was afraid that the emperor would ask again. As Lu Xiangsheng expected, after a meal, the eunuch Wang Chengen, the eunuch of the celebrant Bingpen, came out again and passed the emperor's message to Lu Xiangsheng: "Although the heavens have signs of defeating the enemy, they must also be extremely serious. ”

Lu Xiangsheng came out of Zuoshun Gate reluctantly along the way, and his heart was extremely frightened. In accordance with the emperor's will, he found the first assistant Yang Sichang, and the two of them went to the court room outside the cabinet, and it happened that Gao Qiqian was also waiting for him here, and the three of them talked about how to meet the order in the afternoon.

One is because this meeting must be carefully guarded, the other is that Gao Qi is stationed in Dongzhimen, and Yang Sichang's house is also near Chaoyangmen Street. So the three of them decided to discuss matters in Andingmen after lunch, although they couldn't talk much about the confidential affairs of the court in the court, but Lu Xiangsheng also heard that Gao Qiqian was really singing and harmonizing with Yang Sichang, and he also put forward Gao Qiqian's heart, afraid of fighting with the Manchurian soldiers.

After leaving the court, his enthusiasm for serving the country was almost half cold, and the only hope left was to persuade Gao and Yang at the meeting this afternoon. When he walked out of the end gate with heavy steps, he reluctantly looked back, and saw that the northwest corner of the Forbidden City was like a thousand horses.

When Lu Xiangsheng looked back again, everything was as usual in the sky above the Forbidden City, and he began to doubt what he had learned in his life, but he sighed emptyly, "I have the power to subdue the dragon and subdue the tiger, and I can't help it." ”

Lu Xiangsheng returned to his mansion with a heavy heart, and he was thinking all the way, "The corpse is a vegetarian who steals the authority of the imperial court, but he is so afraid of the enemy like a tiger, seeing that the two people are keen to negotiate peace, how can I fight this battle?"

On the streets from Damingmen to Xidan, he saw many refugees with his own eyes, which made Lu Xiangsheng's heart even more restless, and when he returned to the mansion, he heard that his family had returned to him, saying that many guests had come to pay their respects to him and wanted to inquire about the imperial court and the war.

"Master!" Gu Xian took off his court clothes for Lu Xiangsheng and whispered to him, "Master Yang of the Hanlin Academy came here just now, and I can't wait to go back." He asked the villain to inform the master, and he had something important to talk to the master......"

"Uh, I know!" Hearing that Yang Tinglin was looking for him, Lu Xiangsheng was sleepy.

Although there is a huge difference between him and Yang Tinglin in terms of official positions, and it is not at all a magnitude that can be climbed together, he has always respected Yang Tinglin, believing that Yang Tinglin has insight, courage, bones, and true knowledge.

"Does Yang Gong have anything important to talk to me?" Lu Xiangsheng thought in his heart, "Isn't there a plan that can help me?"

Wu Zi pondered for a while, and he instructed the old servant Gu Xian to say: "You go back to Master Yang, just say that I will go to Andingmen to discuss with Yang Ge Lao and the senior supervisor after a short rest." Qing is waiting at the house, and I will definitely go to receive the teaching when I return. ”

Lu Xiangsheng did not have any relatives in his mansion in Beijing, and his wife and Mrs. Ru returned to Yixing with their children and most of their servants and maidservants in May. Therefore, when Lu Xiangsheng came back from the court, he refused the guests, and it was quiet to hide in the study alone.

He wanted to lie down and sleep for a while, but when he thought of the problem of peace and war, his heart was suddenly very depressed, and he couldn't sleep at all. After sleeping for a while, he sat up suddenly, called the old servant Gu Xian to help him get dressed, and prepared to take his relatives and ride to Andingmen.

As soon as they walked to the gate of their house, a person suddenly stepped out of the gatehouse despite the doorman's obstruction, and saluted him: "Old man, Dongzhao has come to pay respects, and I hope to talk about it!"

In the Ming Dynasty, prefects, governors, and governors could all be honored as old ancestors. Lu Xiangsheng looked at it when he heard this, he was surprised and happy in his heart, he jumped off Wu Mingji and stepped forward to grab the sleeve of the guest's robe, and said happily: "Great, where did Mr. Yao come from?

The person who came hurriedly replied with Lu Xiangsheng, "Dongzhao came to Beijing for business, and when he encountered the invasion of Dongyu, he was going to return to the starry night, because he heard that his husband and ancestor came to Beijing to Qin Wang, so he stayed in Beijing and waited for him." ”

"Good, good. Please go inside", Lu Xiangsheng pulled him into the door as he walked quickly.

Yao Dongzhao was in his sixties, his figure was burly, his energy was vigorous, and he had a gray beard hanging down from his chest; Yao Dongzhao had broad eyebrows and broad forehead, his eyes seemed to have purple edges, and he was like lightning when he opened and closed; Lu Xiangsheng knew that he was a poor talent in Julu County, who was generous and righteous, and had a lot of dignity and integrity, and he was quite prestigious in the countryside.

In the autumn of the second year of Chongzhen, the Qing soldiers invaded Gyeonggi and approached Chaoyang Gate. Lu Xiangsheng was serving as the prefect of the Daimyo Mansion at that time, and he suddenly drew his knife and shouted: "How can the eldest husband sit back and watch Hu Ma run rampant!"

When passing by Julu, Yao Dongzhao also led more than 1,000 children to participate, and he was very rewarded by Xiangsheng at that time, and the two of them became acquaintances since then.

Lu Xiangsheng served as the prefect of the Daimyo for several years, and his reputation spread far and wide; soon he was promoted to the position of the Daimyo Military Preparation Province, and governed the three prefectures of the Daimyo, Guangping, and Shunde, and he tried to become an official in Dongzhao several times, but he refused. Therefore, Lu Xiangsheng respected Yao Dunchu even more, and later Lu Xiangsheng left the Daimyo, and the two had not heard from each other for several years, but Lu Xiangsheng heard that when the Qing soldiers went deep into Jifu, Yao Dongzhao led the children of the township to deal with the enemy, and he had a son who died in the battlefield at that time, and now this old man Yao suddenly visited, Lu Xiangsheng felt both surprised and happy in his heart, so even if there was something important, he was willing to talk to the old man.

When they sat down in the living room, Lu and Yao exchanged pleasantries, and Yao Dongzhao said straight to the point: "Old man, you are about to go to Andingmen to discuss a big plan, and the military affairs are incomparable." Dongzhao shouldn't have come to read more, but the state affairs have been so corrupted, and the disaster of the Southern Song Dynasty is imminent, and Dongzhao really can't help but come to see the adults. Your Excellency is going to the meeting today, do you know that the imperial court is preparing to secretly sue for peace with the Manchu Tartars?"

"The matter of seeking peace has been heard, but the matter of losing money is not yet known. Lu Xiangsheng frowned, and there was anger in his voice.

"I heard that the imperial court is willing to give Dongyu 600,000 taels of silver every year, and cut off a large area of land in Liaodong in order to seek peace and tranquility, isn't this the mistake of the Song Dynasty?" Yao Dongzhao told Lu Xiangsheng what he knew, 1510.