Jinyang, Shangshu Province.
Duan Shao, a tall man, sat in the upper position. He changed his gentle and elegant temperament in the past and showed his fierce look, showing his fighting appearance.
Only those Zhou people and rebels had seen this look in the past, but they were all dead.
The usually chattering ministers sitting on both sides of Duan Shao could not help but become three points shorter. They curled up with their heads inward, and no one dared to stretch out their bodies.
The mighty generals sat crossed among the ministers, wearing armor and carrying weapons.
Duan Shao's eyes swept over these people one by one.
That is to say, Zhao Yanshen conducted the first selection and eliminated many unqualified people. Otherwise, there would be no room for them here.
Duan Shao's purpose is simple.
He just wanted to protect Qi.
Back then, King Gao led a group of people like them and put in a lot of hard work to build this powerful country and despise the two thieves.
Many of the people who defect to Liu Taozi today are second or even third generation.
They had never participated in the founding war and lacked basic sympathy for this country.
But for the founding fathers like Duan Shao, Daqi was created by everyone, the foundation of everyone, and the destination of countless people who followed them in the east and west and died.
If the country is destroyed by his own hands, then what is the meaning of his life's battle? What is the meaning of the blood shed by so many people?
Every state and every city in Daqi has a story about it.
But Duan Shao also saw the current situation very clearly.
The tide is over.
One city or one state cannot feed so many people. In the past, Jinyang needed constant blood transfusions from the surrounding areas to maintain its army.
Now after what that little beast has done, the treasury doesn't even know how much food and grass is left.
If you want to go out to fight, the consumption of food and grass will be even more days. With the current strength, if you lead the army to attack the enemy, you are afraid that the food will be gone and the army will collapse halfway.
People cannot fight on an empty stomach unless they have higher ideals and a higher realm.
What Duan Shao faced was an unsolvable problem.
The generals are very happy. These rough guys never think about other issues. They just muddle along, blindly and not caring about the future. They just feel that without Gaowei, everyone can go back to the past, continue to hold the army, and continue to do evil.
Weird people will appear again to divide their power.
The ministers were very frightened. They could not see any future. They wanted to run but did not dare to run.
Liu Taozi doesn't want people like them.
Anyone who has a little bit of confidence that he can be taken in by Liu Taozi will definitely not be able to stay today.
Duan Shao read out the empress dowager's edict to remove the emperor.
The generals looked happy and saluted and obeyed.
The rest of the ministers said nothing. In the current world, unless King Gao leads the founding heavenly group to a sudden resurrection, it will be useless to replace anyone.
"Everyone, what should we do next?"
Duan Shao looked at everyone, as if he was asking them, but also seemed to be asking himself.
Everyone slowly looked at Situ Zhao Yanshen.
Zhao Yanshen opened his mouth and replied: "Da Sima, you should announce the emperor's crimes and prepare the new king for his enthronement. I am willing to have the ceremony arranged for the enthronement."
"Yes!"
"Yes, the next step is to prepare for enthronement!"
The ministers responded one after another.
Duan Shao was silent for a moment, then spoke again: "You all go back first, Mr. Zhao will stay here first."
Everyone seemed to have been relieved, and happily bid farewell to Duan Shao, and left one by one.
Zhao Yanshen sat aside, showing no signs of happiness or sorrow.
After everyone left, Duan Shao looked at him and said, "Mr. Zhao, we are the only ones here. Now in the court, you are the only one who can give me some advice. I hope you can speak freely. I will not punish you because of your words."
I don’t have any other ideas, I just want you to give me some suggestions.”
Zhao Yanshen smiled bitterly, "Why does Da Sima ask me?"
"What else can we do now?"
"Bingzhou originally relied on temple subsidies to support so many troops. Now there are not even a few cities left in Bingzhou. It is in chaos, the people have no intention of farming, and the treasury is empty without the need for enemies to attack. We ourselves cannot support it first.
Live."
"The Jinyang soldiers are our guarantee and cannot be revoked."
Duan Shao looked at him calmly, "So, what should we do?"
Zhao Yan lowered his voice and his expression became slightly serious, "There are three ways to go now."
"Mr. Zhao, please tell me."
"The first way is to find ways to reduce the size of the army, conduct farming, increase grain production, retain elites, conduct training, and wait for the opportunity to change."
"The second way is, we can take the initiative to attack while we still have some food and grass. While Liu Taozi is in the south, attack his rear and capture Shuozhou and Hengzhou."
"Third way, we surrender to Liu Taozi and ask him to preserve the life of the clan."
Duan Shao nodded, "As expected of an old minister."
"This third item is what Mr. Zhao really wants to say."
Zhao Yanshen's expression did not change, "Da Sima just said that he would not be held accountable for his words."
"I'm not guilty because of your words, I'm guilty because of your actions."
"I really don't understand"
Zhao Yanshen looked confused.
Duan Shao shook his head gently, "Zhao Gong's performance is really great, but it's a pity that there are still flaws."
"I was thinking about something before. When the emperor was in Yecheng and the army sent by Liu Taozi was about to arrive, what was the best choice for the emperor to make at this time?"
"First, summon everyone in the city to resist to the death, then dispatch Jinyang soldiers to support and attack the enemy in separate routes, and then let the south of the river give full support. With Liu Taozi's killing in the north, neither the south nor Jinyang will remain indifferent."
"Second, withdraw to Fen River, summon Jinyang soldiers to escort them south, then retreat step by step, transfer the army and their families to the south of the river, use the army to control the south, use the supplies in the south to maintain the army, and continue the confrontation."
"Third, abandon Yecheng, do not occupy a position where you can retreat, run to Jinyang Gucheng, and surround yourself."
"I'm not surprised that His Majesty chose the third method. The Emperor is incompetent, but I heard that this was what you reported."
"You had a lot of dealings with Zu Jue in the past. I think you and he are on the same team. Liu Taozi and the others can always learn about the situation here quickly, and they can also encroach on us step by step. I have transferred some troops,
They come to capture any city, and they know it faster than I do."
"The temple is getting more and more chaotic, but you, Situ, don't pay attention to anything."
Zhao Yanshen was a little scared, and he said helplessly: "I am a civil servant, and facing the war is not as long-term as Sima thinks. Besides, there are people in the country who are colluding with Liu Taozi. This is not a secret. They all hope to save their lives in the future.
, did not hesitate to betray all kinds of information to Liu Taozi, how can you blame me?"
"If you have a friendship with Zu Jue, then your brother also had a friendship with Zu Jue in the past. Zu Jue and I just know each other. I have never even been to his banquet."
"I have always been a timid person. I never work with anyone. I only want to protect myself. If Da Sima wants to punish me because of this, I will admit it. But if he says that I colluded with Liu Taozi, then I will not admit it.
"
Duan Shao suddenly raised his head and looked at him, "Mr. Zhao is timid and just wants to survive. Everyone says so. If that's the case, why doesn't Mr. Zhao run away?"
"As far as I know, among the ministers in the DPRK, you are the one who has the least transgression. You have never accepted bribes, never seized land, and never killed people indiscriminately. Your biggest crime was just to promote cronies. However, you used to govern the local area, with first-class political achievements and outstanding abilities.
, Liu Taozi will never deal with you. If you stay in Jinyang, you may die at any time, but under Liu Taozi's command, you can save your life, why don't you run?"
"Many of the people I have offended in the past were under Liu Taozi's command. If I went to his side and those people framed me together, how could I survive?"
"Although Liu Taozi is an enemy, I understand his character, and Mr. Zhao must also understand that he will not kill people just to frame him."
"Mr. Zhao, you are a veteran of several generations and a minister who founded the country with us. Why do you do this?"
Zhao Yan sighed deeply, "Da Sima has already identified me as a thief, so it's meaningless for me to say anything else."
"I really don't have any talent. It's just that I live in Jinyang and never go out or meet outsiders. How can I collude with Liu Taozi? Alas, I think I'm not worthy of my position. If Da Sima wants to punish me, he can
Please put me in jail, but please do not humiliate me for the sake of our past friendship, and give me a happy life."
Duan Shao fell silent again.
"Here comes someone."
Several soldiers rushed in quickly. Duan Shao looked at each other calmly, "Take Mr. Zhao back to his house and take good care of him."
Zhao Yanshen stood up, saluted Duan Shao, and left without defending himself, following the soldiers.
Duan Shao frowned, and as soon as he picked up the document in front of him, his brother Duan Xiaoyan hurried in.
He put on new clothes and looked a little excited.
"Brother, I've already done it."
Duan Shao suddenly raised his head and stared at his younger brother, "What have you accomplished?"
"Emperor, the emperor has died of illness."
Duan Shao's eyes widened, he stood up quickly, grabbed his brother's collar, "Regicide??"
Duan Xiaoyan was not afraid. He said seriously: "You are always going to die, so it is better to die quickly to avoid any hidden dangers. Why is my brother so angry?"
Duan Xiaoyan didn't think it was anything.
This starts from hundreds of years ago. Ever since a reckless man named Cheng Ji stabbed the spear and hit the target, regicide was no longer a big deal, let alone regicide in the street.
Killing in a place where no one is around is pretty good.
In the past, the man in the west used this kind of operation twice in a row, and it was not even abolished. He just poisoned it when he was in power, and no one dared to say anything.
In today's world, killing the emperor is nothing new, but not killing him after he is deposed is new.
Duan Shao asked coldly: "How dare you do such a thing without my order?"
Duan Xiaoyan said very directly: "I was just afraid that my brother would be kind to this little thief and forgive him, so I killed him early. Now I no longer have to worry about any hidden dangers he will bring."
Duan Shao slowly let go of his brother, "Now, I have completely become a rebellious person."
"We've already done everything to abolish the establishment, why should we care about this?"
Duan Shao sat down again, his face numb.
What happened today was not Duan Shao's original intention. Although he had thought about it in the past, it was actually the emperor's own stupidity. If he had not acted in a hurry, Duan Shao would not have done so many things no matter how angry he was.
, these things are easy to handle, but what about the next thing?
Looking at his frowning brother, Duan Xiaoyan sat aside and asked in confusion: "Why kill a deposed emperor? How can you make your brother so worried?"
"What I'm worried about is not the dethroning of the emperor. What I'm worried about is the next big thing."
Duan Xiaoyan thought for a moment, "Is it Xinjun's problem?"
Duan Shao no longer has any hope for his younger brother, and there is no one around him to help him.
He drove his younger brother out without any punishment. As his younger brother said, it was just killing a deposed emperor. It was really not a big deal.
The next thing happened in an orderly manner.
Duan Shao didn't even participate too much. He locked himself in the house and began to think about countermeasures all night.
The new emperor Gao Yan is younger than Gao Wei and is now just a little baby who is receiving enlightenment.
Queen Mother Hu hugged him tightly, kissing and squeezing him.
"My child, you must remember that no matter what, I am your biological mother. You must not forget this. No one can compare with me. When you become emperor in the future, you cannot get carried away."
The little guy just sat stupidly on his mother's lap, listening to his mother's words, his eyes full of confusion.
Gao Yan is indeed smarter and more decisive. He has inherited all the few advantages of Gao Zhan. At a young age, he has many good friends. Children inside and outside the palace like to follow him.
He plays and is polite to adults, looking like the wise king he was before Gao Zhan ascended the throne.
Although he is smart, he is still young after all, and he is still confused about what is happening now.
I opened my eyes and prepared to go to the teacher to learn. Suddenly I was told that I had ascended the throne and became emperor.
As for his brother, no one mentioned it again.
Listening to his mother's ramble, he couldn't help but ask: "Mom, where has my brother gone?"
"What happened?"
"Nothing happened. You are still young, so don't worry about these things for now."
Gao Yan frowned, remembering the teachers' teachings, and suppressed the curiosity in his heart, "Mom, don't worry, I have written down everything you said."
Queen Mother Hu was very happy. It was better to have a younger son. She no longer had to worry about a bitch taking away her child.
Thinking of Lu Lingxuan and others being arrested and imprisoned by Duan Shao, she felt indescribably happy.
It should have been like this a long time ago. When she thought that she would have no more pressure or worries in the future and could play as she pleased, Queen Mother Hu felt even happier.
An emperor died, but Jinyang was surprisingly quiet, as if nothing happened.
The entertainment venues in the palace began to be dismantled, and the actors who were imprisoned finally got a chance to survive.
These people were sent out one by one by the soldiers. Of course, the compensation was small. Duan Shao did not allow them to be taken as slaves. This was already the greatest gift.
Lao Xianbei was very indifferent to human life, especially the lower class people. They didn't care much about how the emperor liked to play or how he liked to kill.
Pigeons fluttered their wings and kept flying through the air, coming and going extremely frequently.
The new emperor's enthronement ceremony also seemed particularly shabby under such circumstances.
Fortunately, the new emperor is still young and doesn't care about this at all.
After the enthronement ceremony, everyone received the bad news. The deposed emperor died of fear because of what happened.
Everything is going on like this.
Until this day, Duan Shao was in his study calculating supplies and losses, when a soldier came to tell him that someone wanted to see him.
The soldier said seriously: "The person who came here is an old man. He claims to be from Liu Taozi's command. He has something important to do and comes to see Da Sima."
Duan Shao put down the document in his hand and glanced at him, "How much did I give you?"
The soldier didn't hide anything, he immediately took out the money from his pocket and started counting.
"Forget it, forget it, don't count them, go and bring them over."
Duan Shao rubbed his forehead, looking helpless.
This concierge thing has become a routine and a common thing everywhere.
Duan Shao probably already guessed the other party's identity.
Three people walked into the house, led by an old man.
The soldiers guarded the surrounding area, and they hurriedly bowed to meet Duan Shao.
Duan Shao stared at the three of them for a moment and asked, "Is Wei Xiaokuan's health okay?"
"I heard that he is still fighting Gao Changgong and the others in the north. It really hurts him. While fighting Gao Changgong, he also has to consider the affairs in Jinyang."
The three of them were stunned. The leader slowly stepped back. The person behind him came out and saluted Duan Shao.
"Greetings to Mr. Duan, my general is in good health and often writes to us asking about your situation."
This is a woman.
Duan Shao didn't care much, "Why, he wants to persuade me to surrender to Zhou?"
"How dare you."
Zhang Siyan smiled and looked at the door, "My general's letter to us was just found by the soldier and has not been returned to us."
Duan Shao looked at the soldier, who held the letter in his hand, touched it carefully, and then handed it to Duan Shao.
Duan Shao looked helpless, but did not refute him. He picked up the letter and glanced at it casually.
But seeing this, Duan Shao was shocked.
This is not a letter written by Wei Xiaokuan to Duan Shao, but to Gao Wei.
Judging from the signature and other aspects, this letter was sent to Jinyang very early, but it has not yet reached the emperor's hands.
And the content in the letter is also quite explosive.
Duan Shao slowly looked at the other party, "Does Wei Xiaokuan want to repeat what happened to Liang Guo?"
When the Liang Kingdom was destroyed and the Chen Kingdom appeared, the Puppet Zhou came to the Liang clan and established a puppet Liang Kingdom. This Liang Kingdom was almost a vassal of the Puppet Zhou. From inside to outside, everything was decided by the Zhou people.
The main purpose is to disgust Chen Guoren.
Emperor Chen repeatedly used Wu Mingche as his general to kill the puppet Liang, but he could not withstand the puppet Zhou's full protection. To this day, the Liang Kingdom still exists.
Chapter completed!