Jiankang.
The sky has darkened, but within the city, flickering lights can still be seen.
Jiankang's city planning is completely different from that in the north. Their alleys are not in a tic-shaped plan, but are stacked continuously on top of each other. They are only distinguished by high fire walls in the middle, and these high walls do not form a unified structure.
Standard, different height and width.
Here, you can see truly quiet alleys between these endless courtyards. If you are an outsider, it will be difficult to get out of these alleys.
Outside a mansion in the east of the city, several warriors poked their heads out from the courtyard wall and looked around cautiously.
In the courtyard, there were warriors holding torches, in teams of five, patrolling back and forth between the pavilions.
In the innermost room, you can vaguely see the light of fire.
There were actually more than ten people sitting in the narrow study room.
They were very close, almost touching each other, and several people made displeased grunts. For gentlemen, this environment was still a bit too small.
Liu Shizhi was sitting in the upper position, and everyone else was facing him. Only an old scholar with a magnificent appearance was sitting on his left side, facing everyone.
Liu Shizhi looked at the people in front of him.
"At the beginning, Emperor Wen thought that Chen Xu could achieve great things, so he made him the emperor's younger brother and asked us to assist him with our heart."
"It's just that Chen Xu's conduct has really betrayed Emperor Wen's trust!"
"After he came to power, he no longer cared about people's livelihood and went on a military rampage. He just wanted to send troops to fight the Northerners and show his power!"
"He summoned soldiers from all over the country, spent countless amounts of food and grass, and insisted on sending troops regardless of the opposition of his ministers and the abnormality of the celestial phenomena."
"The current situation is very clear. Wu Mingche ruined his army and died at the hands of his opponents. Tens of thousands of old soldiers were killed and wounded, and less than 40% of the sergeants escaped!"
"He also did not allow Huang Fasu and Xu Du to return, allowing them to continue fighting against the Northerners. He also raided many innocent people for no reason and tried to use their property to pay for the military. How is this cruelty different from the Northerners?!"
The more Liu Shizhi talked, the more excited he became, and when he talked about the war on the front line, he couldn't help but blush.
Chen Xu came to power through proper procedures. Liu Shizhi had already decided to accept his fate. However, Chen Xu, who had been a prisoner in the north for many years, could not get along with these ministers in terms of ideas and personality.
Especially the ministers who worked with Chen Qian to reverse the situation and stabilize the Southern Kingdom, they couldn't bear to see Chen Xu wasting their efforts like this.
Of course, there are also some speculative and ambitious people among them.
Liu Shizhi said angrily: "The only way now is to let the former prince take over, and let us temporarily manage the government, take back the army, manage the place, and appease the people."
When Zhongju sat among the ministers, he was very worried.
He had no intention of rebelling at all.
But all his close friends were involved in this matter, and when Zhongju was coerced into it, and they all talked about it to this point, what could he do?
Failure to report information is also a capital offense.
Do you have to betray your friends?
Wang Xian hurriedly said: "Mr. Liu, the prince is originally the direct descendant of Emperor Wen. According to etiquette, he should inherit the throne. However, because he was young, Emperor Wen was worried about foreign enemies, so he asked Chen Xu to succeed him. Chen Xu inherited the throne."
After that, the prince was not allowed to return to the fief for a long time, imprisoned him in the city, sent sergeants to keep an eye on him, and even wanted to kill him!"
"As Emperor Wen's former ministers, how can we watch the prince die in his hands?"
"It is a benevolent and righteous act to raise the flag and support the crown prince now!"
The rest of the people responded one after another.
Liu Shizhi also laughed. He looked at the man beside him with some awe in his eyes.
"Everyone, if you can invite General Chunyu to come and participate in this important event today, then it will be a success!"
The handsome old man sitting here, his name is Chun Yuliang.
This old general with an elegant face was the most powerful military leader in the country who could surpass Wu Mingche.
His father was General Guanglie of the former Liang Kingdom. He later fought with Xiao Yi as a commoner. His life experience was legendary. He helped Wang Sengbian defeat the Jingxiang barbarians, and followed him to quell the Hou Jing Rebellion.
week, fight
After passing Qi, he led Wu Mingcheping to Huajiao. He had his own old generals, who were more like domestic princes than domestic generals. Therefore, they were also greatly feared, and their official positions were constantly dismissed and dismissed.
Canonization.
He is the kind of ruthless person that the court dare not kill, reuse, or not promote.
He sat there with a harmless smile, seemingly no different from the scribes around him.
But sitting here, he can make most people feel at ease.
Liu Shizhi said seriously: "In the past, when Emperor Wen was still here, he attached great importance to the old general and never neglected it. But now, Chen Xu, as soon as he came to power, used ridiculous excuses to remove the old general from his official position and let Wu Mingche.
Incompetent people replaced him.”
Upon hearing this, the smile on Chun Yuliang's face froze and quickly returned to its natural state.
"The general's men are now ready!"
Liu Shizhi looked at him and said, "General, please tell me."
Chun Yuliang nodded and looked at everyone, "That's it. My subordinates are ready and can take action at any time."
Wang Xian was overjoyed, "Okay! Okay!"
"General!"
"When are we going to do it?!"
Chun Yuliang picked up the tea cup in front of him and took a sip.
"Now."
"Whoosh~~~"
The arrow broke through the window and immediately hit Wang Xian's neck. Wang Xian's head drooped and he fell down with his head tilted.
Everyone was shocked and screamed.
Only then did they see that there were already people standing outside the window, and the bright arrows were shining in the moonlight.
"Whoosh~whoosh~whoosh~~"
Arrows kept coming, and the ministers screamed and stood up to run away, but they were shot through their bodies one by one and fell to the ground one after another.
Liu Shizhi was frightened by this sudden change. He looked at the corpses of everyone in disbelief. It was clear that a moment ago, he was still ambitious and ambitious.
Chun Yuliang ate the hot tea, or the tea was too hot. He blew a few breaths and took a few more tasty bites of the corpses in front of him.
The black shadow broke into the door and began to clean up the corpses on the ground and beheaded them.
Liu Shizhi looked blankly at Chun Yuliang aside.
"Why is this?"
Chun Yuliang put down the tea cup and stood up slowly.
When he stood up, we could see his side as a fierce general. He was really tall. Although he was not young, he looked much burlier than Liu Shizhi.
He stretched his body, looked at Liu Shizhi aside, stretched out his hand, grabbed him in his hand, pulled him up, and gently placed him in front of him. Then he pulled out the sword from his waist, expressionless.
Prepare to kill Liu Shizhi.
In front of Chun Yuliang, Liu Shizhi was like a toy, with no ability to resist.
He just opened his mouth again and asked: "Why?"
"Do you know why I didn't go to Wang Lin but to Emperor Wu?"
Liu Shizhi did not answer.
Chun Yuliang didn't seem to want any reply from him. He said very calmly: "It's just because there are too many people like you around him. Scholars think that they understand everything after reading some books. War,
In the military, you have to get involved in everything, no matter whether you understand it or not, you just open your mouth to talk nonsense."
"Why bother?"
Chun Yuliang slowly pushed the sword in his hand into Liu Shizhi's body without torturing him too much.
"One more thing, General Wu is not an incompetent person."
Chun Yuliang whispered and slowly pulled out the sword. Liu Shizhi was no longer breathing. He gently wiped the sword and looked at the black shadows around him. "Take their heads. Let's go back and inform His Majesty."
The sky is still gloomy.
Chun Yuliang led everyone out of here, walked through several small alleys, and opened the door of an ordinary mansion.
And inside the door, there were many soldiers standing.
Almost as soon as Chun Yuliang opened the door, the soldiers' crossbows were fully aimed at him.
Several dark figures behind Chun Yuliang wanted to stop them from moving forward, but Chun Yuliang glared at them and then led them all the way inside.
When they walked to the innermost house, Chen Xu stood under the flying dragon corner of the beam, with his hands behind his back, admiring the moonlight in the sky.
"His Majesty!!"
Chunyu Liang bowed before him, and the warriors placed the heads aside.
Only then did Chen Xu turn around and look at this formidable old general.
Wu Mingche is the sharp sword in his hand, Huang Fazhu is his shield, and Xu Du is his flag.
The respectful old general in front of him looked a bit like a hound that had just been tamed from a wolf.
Obviously he has served the new dynasty for a long time, but both sides still maintain a tacit understanding. From time to time, the old general will make some small mistakes, such as being a few days late when returning to the army, losing small objects rewarded by the emperor, and
For example, later in the dynasty, the emperor would remove and promote him from time to time, just like this back and forth.
Chen Xu looked at the heads again, suddenly feeling a little complicated.
"I thought that by ascending the throne as the emperor's younger brother, no one would want to cause trouble anymore."
Chun Yuliang raised his head with a calm expression, "Your Majesty, Emperor Wen is diligent in governing and is weak. These people have long been looking forward to supporting the young emperor and making great achievements, but you suddenly ascended the throne and interrupted their plans."
"Some things, even if they are just illusions, will cause them to lose their minds because of their disillusionment. This has nothing to do with His Majesty's sending troops to the Northern Expedition. Even if he does not send troops to the Northern Expedition, they will still find reasons to convince themselves to do it."
"They surrounded the former prince and promised many things in the future, so rebellion is inevitable."
Chen Xu smiled and said, "Chun Yu Gong, please get up and come closer."
Chun Yuliang was not afraid at all, and walked to Chen Xu's side in just a few steps. The warriors in the distance were a little shocked.
Chen Xu asked: "What do you think should be done about the major event of the Northern Expedition?"
"continue."
"Want to continue?"
"I have lost my army and lost most of my generals. I have used up most of my food and fodder. Do you want to continue?"
"continue."
Chun Yuliang pointed to the heads in the distance, "These heads are still worth some money. There are more than twenty officials involved this time, and hundreds of people are involved."
"Your Majesty can pardon those who can still be used and kill those who cannot. These people have accumulated wealth for many years and can still raise a lot of military expenses by confiscating their homes and exterminating their clans."
"Although Wu Mingche is gone, Huang Fazhu is still there."
"Huang Fazhu's talent is not weaker than Wu Mingche's. I even think he is better. It's just that he acts calmly and is never as impatient and impulsive as Wu Mingche."
"He is more than enough to deal with Liu Taozi. In addition, Liu Taozi's family business is in the north after all. He can't stay in the south for too long. Once others learn that Liu Taozi is not here, various things will definitely happen in his lair.
."
"Liu Taozi is bluffing, trying to scare His Majesty so that He will not dare to go north again. He won't be able to hold on for too long."
Chen Xu said slowly: "Wu Mingche said the same thing at the beginning."
Chun Yuliang's eyes finally showed some sadness, "General Wu's prediction was right. The only mistake he made was to underestimate what he was best at."
"Most generals are like this. Wang Lin was proficient in water warfare and was best at fire attacks, but in the end she was defeated in her best field. Wu Mingche was good at water attacks, but in the end he was also defeated by water attacks.
superior."
"Those who lead battles will overestimate their own advantages and think that they will not be defeated in the areas they are good at. Once they have this idea, defeat is not far away."
Chen Xu suddenly asked: "If I ask Duke Chunyu to lead the soldiers to reinforce him, can I defeat Liu Taozi?"
"It's impossible to defeat. Liu Taozi's men are all cavalry. If we go deep, he can attack the rear. If we chase, he can sneak us around. We don't have enough cavalry to contain him."
A trace of bitterness appeared on Chen Xu's face.
Cavalry again.
If you can get Lianghuai, if you can get a stable horse farm
Looking at the helpless emperor, Chun Yuliang said again: "But this does not affect our victory."
"Your Majesty sent troops to obtain the two Huai Rivers, not to defeat Liu Taozi. These two matters can be viewed separately."
"oh??"
This was the first time Chen Xu heard such a statement.
Chun Yuliang continued: "Huang Fazhen actually knows this, but Huang Fashui is a little too stable. If Wu Mingche is still alive, even if he experiences a big defeat, the two of them can attack and defend, and they will definitely be able to capture the two Huai Rivers."
"What if you go?"
"If I go there, I will divide my troops into two groups, march together from the east and west, capture only the most critical cities, and then divide my troops to garrison them."
"Liu Taozi can't attack the city, nor can it last long, but we can plan it slowly, attack steadily, and advance step by step. As long as we can hold on to those key cities, Liu Taozi has no chance and can only escape with his people.
Gwangju.”
"As soon as Liu Taozi withdraws, the entire Lianghuai River will be ours."
"As for how to evacuate him, how to garrison him, and how to seize the city, we need to discuss these with Huang Fasu after we arrive."
Chun Yuliang talked about his strategy, and Chen Xu listened very seriously.
Chen Xu pondered for a moment and seemed to have some plans in mind, but he remembered something and sighed again.
"General Huang is currently fighting with Liu Taozi around the Lujiang River. When we send troops to reinforce, don't rush to talk about it yet."
He suddenly turned his head and looked at a large mansion directly opposite, and his face turned a little cold in an instant.
"General, I'm a little too tired. You can go back first."
"The rest will be discussed another day."
Chun Yuliang bowed his head and saluted, and was about to turn around and leave when he suddenly stopped and said, "Your Majesty, a thief with unworthy moral character will only die. He has no other way out, so there is no need to blame himself."
Chen Xu did not answer, and Chun Yuliang disappeared into the distance.
At this moment, a carriage hurried out from a distant mansion, and many soldiers followed it on foot. The sound of footsteps could be heard even from a distance.
Chen Xu stood here, listening to the sound of carriages and the collision of soldiers' armor in the distance.
And the mansion opposite.
It is the residence of Chen Bozong, the former prince of Linhai.
Chen Bozong sat in the carriage with a blank look on his face, looking at the soldiers around him. These soldiers who were responsible for taking care of him suddenly changed their appearance.
He said he wanted to take him back to the fiefdom.
Chen Bozong didn't quite understand. He popped his head out and his chubby face turned red from the cold.
"Uncle Wang, won't Mr. Zhou and the others go together?"
The officer rode a black horse and followed him. When he heard Chen Bozong's inquiry, the officer lowered his head and looked at him.
"They have already left and are waiting for the king in the fief."
"Why are we traveling in the dark?"
"We must arrive at the fiefdom early."
"Then does my fiefdom look good? Is there any fun in it?"
The officer had a sullen face and did not answer the question.
Chen Bozong retracted his head into the car again, looking forward to the new scenery on his land, unable to fall asleep.
Chen Xu just watched as the sounds of the carriage and the soldiers gradually disappeared.
He slowly raised his head and looked into the air.
"brother"
"Don't blame me."
"I had to take action."
"I will definitely take good care of the other nephews. As long as they don't rebel, I will never treat them badly."
He bowed lightly toward the moonlight.
Chen Xu returned to the palace that night, as if he had never been out.
The next day, the temple immediately announced the list of those who had rebelled. Many of them were arrested that night. While they were still sleeping, they were caught by the soldiers and thrown into cells.
I don’t know what kind of mentality Liu Shizhi had. He insisted on asking all the participants to sign their names. This did not require investigation and interrogation. He just followed Liu Shizhi’s signature list to arrest people. It was extremely efficient and he arrested one person at a time.
That's right, once you catch it, you catch a whole nest.
This rebellion didn't even have any impact, it just collapsed overnight.
The emperor was furious and issued an edict to deal with these rebels, confiscating their homes and exterminating their clans.
At the same time, those involved in the kinship marriages were arrested. The loud voices in the country that opposed the sending of troops came to an abrupt end. Liu Shizhi took the lead in opposing the sending of troops. Liu Shizhi rebelled. Opposing the sending of troops was equivalent to rebelling against his colleagues.
Through this rebellion, Chen Xu successfully eliminated the last force left by Chen Qian and completely controlled the government and the opposition.
At the same time, bad news also came from the local area.
On his way back to his fiefdom, Linhai King Chen Bozong suddenly encountered bandits and was killed.
Only twelve years old.
ps: He also ordered that Bo Mao be deposed as Marquis Wenma, and that he should be set up in other palaces. King Ancheng sent an envoy to steal and invite him to the road, and killed him in the chariot. - "Zi Zhi Tong Jian"
Chapter completed!