Chapter 124: The Loyal and Righteous Sui Dynasty, Unrivaled in Talk
The cold moon hangs high in the sky, its light shining like water.
Under the moonlight, a long river of swords gleamed with cold light, surrounding two figures, riding the wind and bathing in the moonlight, and soaring into the sky.
There was a faint sound of chanting and whistling coming from the sky.
There was silence at the banquet hall.
Everyone looked up at the night sky in amazement. They didn't expect that the emperor would just take the queen away like this.
He actually left the mess left after the mutiny behind, drank some wine, recited some poems, hugged the queen, and fled on his sword.
Your Majesty, you are very cool, but what should we do?
How to clean up this mess?
"Your Majesty, how could you do this? You haven't punished Yu Wenzhi yet!"
Some princes and nobles of the royal family expressed the thoughts of many people with trembling lips.
Yu Wenzhi, with a look of relief at having survived a disaster, pushed his thighs with his hands and slowly stood up. He quietly used his internal energy to stretch his stiff knees, glanced coldly at the princes and ministers, and snorted:
"Let's go."
He was about to leave with all the mutinous generals.
"Yu Wenzhi, where do you want to go?"
Yu Shiji, the Minister of Internal Affairs, stepped out from the crowd and said sternly:
"You instigated a mutiny, plotted treason and regicide, slaughtered civil and military officials, and slaughtered royal family members and nobles. You have committed such a heinous crime. Do you want to just walk away and pretend nothing happened?"
Yu Wenzhi paused, glanced at Yu Shiji coldly, and said calmly:
"Stop slandering me here! This general has brought his troops into the palace to protect the emperor!
"Who saw me plotting treason and regicide? Who saw me killing civil and military officials indiscriminately?
"The traitor was the sorcerer Zhao Wuji, who was personally executed by Your Majesty. This matter is witnessed by all, and it cannot be blamed on me, Yu Wenhuaji!
“And this general also heard that Zhao Wuji was introduced to Your Majesty by Imperial Censor Pei Yun.
"If we talk about treason, it was Pei Yun who was responsible!"
Seeing that he was still able to speak so sweetly and confuse right and wrong even at this point, Yu Shiji was so angry that he pointed his hand at him, his lips trembling and he couldn't speak.
Kou Zhong couldn't hold back any longer, so he jumped out and pointed at Yu Wenhua and shouted:
"Yu Wenzhi, Zhao Wuji admitted in public that he was ordered by you to assassinate the emperor! After you arrived, he also paid homage to you and said that he had fulfilled his mission. Why didn't you refute him at that time? "
Yu Wenzhi remained calm and said confidently:
"Who is Zhao Wuji?
"He is just a sorcerer in the martial arts world. How can you trust a single word he says? He is clearly framing me!
"Anyone with a discerning eye knows that he wants to pin the crime of regicide on me, Yu Wenzhi!
"Think carefully, everyone. When Zhao Wuji bowed to me, did I ever say anything in response?
"I, Yu Wenzhi, never paid any attention to him!
"The reason why I didn't refute it on the spot is because I, Yu Wenzhi, am a loyal minister who always puts the safety of Your Majesty first. I only care about Your Majesty and have no time to pay attention to that evil man in the martial arts world!"
Kou Zhong's eyes widened in shock. He had never expected Yu Wenzhi to be so shameless.
Xu Ziling also stepped forward and accused loudly:
"Then what did you mean by what you said in front of His Majesty?
"You even brazenly said that you were doing this for the sake of the Sui Dynasty and the people of the world. You even planned to choose a so-called virtuous person to succeed you! Isn't this ironclad evidence of your treason?"
"Ironclad evidence?" Yu Wenzhi sneered and said calmly:
"You little brat, are you going to spit blood on me?
“I have never said anything treasonous. If anyone says they heard it, they must have heard it wrong.
"The reason why we say that we need to choose a virtuous successor is because your Majesty seems to have passed away just now. As the saying goes, a country cannot be without a ruler for a day. At this time when the country is in turmoil, it is necessary to quickly choose a virtuous successor to support the Sui Dynasty. This is what a loyal minister should do. This is a great act of loyalty!"
As he spoke, he clasped his fists and bowed in the direction Yang Guang left, his face full of loyalty, and said generously:
"If I, Yu Wenhuaji, had any rebellious intentions, with Your Majesty's divine power, would you not have noticed it?
"If I, Yu Wenhuaji, was truly a traitor, wouldn't your Majesty's divine sword have pierced my heart with it, just like you killed Zhao Wuji?
"But Your Majesty did not kill me, nor did he blame me. It is obvious that you know my loyal character very well!
"Even His Majesty recognizes that I am a loyal minister. You, the treacherous villains who only know how to exclude dissidents, suppress loyal people, block the way for speech, and flatter people, as well as these gangsters who popped up from nowhere, what qualifications do you have to judge my loyalty and treachery?
"I even suspect that you are in cahoots with Pei Yun and Zhao Wuji!
"Fortunately, His Majesty did not bother with you, otherwise I would have chopped off your heads to commemorate the loyal ministers and generals who died here!"
After saying that, Yu Wenzhi snorted coldly, flicked his sleeves, and strode away.
Sima Dekan, Pei Qiantong, Yuan Li, Linghu Xingda and other rebel generals also hurried to follow.
The princes and ministers were impressed by Yu Wenzhi's integrity...
Or he was so shameless that no one could confront him.
In addition, Yu Wenzhi had weapons in his hands and was highly skilled in martial arts. The masters among the guards and eunuchs who were loyal to the emperor had just been killed by Zhao Wuji. Although the princes and civil officials also had some martial arts skills, how could they be Yu Wenzhi's opponents?
Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling wanted to take action against Yu Wenzhi.
But their current martial arts skills combined are not enough to defeat Yu Wenzhi, not to mention there are so many rebel generals and rebel troops?
As for Ni Kun...
He came to see Yang Guang.
Now Yang Guang's change was beyond his expectations, making him very happy.
He had no enmity with Yu Wenhuaji, so whether Yu Wenhuaji was a treasonous minister or a loyal subject was none of his business.
He even admired Yu Wenzhi's shameless move and felt that he benefited a lot from it. He was thinking about it over and over again, so he ignored it.
Ni Kun, the only person who could stop Yu Wenzhi at the scene, just stood by and watched. For a moment, everyone could only watch Yu Wen walk away in a swagger.
As for the brave and courageous soldiers who were forced to revolt, some of them instinctively followed their old superiors Yu Wenzhi and Sima Dekan, while the others hesitated for a while and stayed where they were.
Yu Wenzhi did not order everyone to follow him. He walked straight out without looking around.
Only after he left the banquet did a bean-sized bead of sweat begin to drip from his forehead. His steps became faster and faster, and in the end he even jogged towards the outside of Linjiang Palace.
"General, what should we do next?" Sima Dekan trotted after him and asked in panic.
"What should we do next?"
The corner of Yu Wenzhi's eye twitched slightly.
The next step, of course, was to summon the soldiers who were loyal to him, plunder food, weapons, gold and silver, and then leave the city as quickly as possible.
As for where to go outside the city, he hasn't decided yet.
But no matter what, we must leave Jiangdu as soon as possible.
Yu Wenzhi knew very well that although all the princes and ministers were shocked by him just now and did not attack him together.
But once they come to their senses, they will pounce on them like a pack of wolves and bite them fiercely.
As for the military power in my hands...
Military power is no longer stable!
Didn’t you see that many of the rebels who followed them into Linjiang Palace stayed inside the Palace and did not follow them out?
When the news of Yang Guang's "corpse reincarnation and ascension to heaven" and killing enemies with his flying sword spreads, how many of the 100,000 brave imperial guards will continue to follow them?
It seems that Yang Guang flew away, but who knows where he is hiding?
Aren’t you afraid that a sword might fly from the sky and pierce your heart?
Except for a very small number of scholars and close confidants from the clan, all other imperial guards would definitely "rebel" and return to the service of the Sui court.
No matter who succeeds to the throne at that time, ordinary soldiers may not be convicted, but Yu Wenzhi will definitely be held accountable.
All the officials hated him to the core, and his military power was already unstable, so he had no chance of winning at all.
The only way out now is to seize some bargaining chips while most people are still not coming to their senses and the news of Yang Guang's "corpse reincarnation and ascension to heaven" has not spread, and to leave Jiangdu far away and get out of the court's sight. Only in this way can there be a glimmer of hope.
Of course, a scapegoat must be left to attract the court's attention and to help him withstand the court's first wave of severe reckoning.
With this thought in mind, Yu Wenzhi glanced at Sima Dekan standing behind him, and made up his mind...
The banquet scene.
As Yu Wenzhi left, the banquet hall began to fall into chaos again.
But there was no fighting, just an argument.
Some princes and ministers said that a new monarch should be appointed as soon as possible, some insisted that His Majesty was only away temporarily and would come back sooner or later, and that appointing a new monarch would be treason and usurpation of the throne, and some proposed to put the dispute aside and first discuss how to deal with the Xiaoguo Imperial Guards and Yu Wenzhi.
In short, the princes and ministers were divided into several camps, each holding their own opinions and arguing with each other, making the banquet scene, with corpses lying everywhere and blood flowing everywhere, as chaotic as a vegetable market.
Seeing that this mutiny that was about to lead to a disaster ended in such a dramatic way, Ni Kun felt that his eyes had been opened. At the same time, his interest was almost gone, so he called Zhu Yuyan and others and was about to go out of the palace.
Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling were about to leave with him, but the Minister of Internal Affairs Yu Shiji suddenly stepped forward to stop them, bowed to them, and said solemnly:
"Please come, two heroes. Just now, the two young heroes were not afraid of Yu Wenhuaji's brutality and tyranny. They dared to criticize Yu Wenji in person when all the horses were silent. I admire your loyalty and bravery! I wonder which family you two are from? What are your current positions?"
Kou Zhong touched the back of his head and said, "Well, we are all locals of Yangzhou, just ordinary people..."
Yu Shiji praised: "You two are born into common people, but you can still distinguish right from wrong and are not afraid of power. You are much better than those incompetent people who come from noble families but remain silent in front of Yu Wen and allow him to confuse right and wrong!
"I have also practiced martial arts. Although my skills are average, I think my vision is not bad. I see that the two young heroes are majestic and have divine light. I believe they must have profound martial arts skills.
"Now the imperial guards are plotting rebellion, General Dugu and other loyal generals have been killed innocently, and there are many vacancies in the army. In this critical moment, I wonder if the two heroes are willing to join the army?
"I can guarantee that I can at least secure a fifth-rank general position for the two heroes!"
Kou Zhong's heart was pounding when he heard this, but he was a little hesitant: "But, we are just civilians..."
Yu Shiji smiled and said, "The Xiaoguo Army is originally composed of good families in Guanzhong, and most of the soldiers are from common people. As the saying goes, a hero is not judged by his origin. Today, you two directly criticized Yu Wenhuaji to his face. Your loyal character and heroic spirit are obvious to all. There is no problem for you to join the army as generals."
Xu Ziling hesitated and said, "But we..."
Yu Shiji sighed, "Yuwen is rebelling, and the imperial guards are unstable. If the war breaks out, this huge Jiangdu will probably become a battlefield. By then, I don't know how many towns will be reduced to rubble, and how many innocent people will suffer and die in the war.
"Since you two are natives of Yangzhou, can you bear to watch your hometown fall into war? Watch your elders and old friends die in the war? I hope you can help the elders of Yangzhou and do your best to assist me and help Yangzhou avoid the disaster of war..."
As he said this, he bowed to Kou and Xu.
Seeing that he was so sincere, and that he actually showed such great courtesy to two common people as a fourth-rank official of the Imperial Household and a close minister of the emperor, Kou Xu could not help but be moved, even though this man was known as a "traitor" among the people and had a very bad reputation.
Even Xu Ziling, who only wanted to practice cultivation and had no interest in officialdom, was shaken by Yu Shiji's words of "saving his hometown from the disaster of war."
The two looked at each other, Kou Zhong nodded vigorously, and seeing this, Xu Ziling also nodded hesitantly.
At that moment, the two of them bowed to Yu Shiji:
"Minister Yu, the two of us are willing to join the army and quell the rebellion!"
Yu Shiji was immediately overjoyed, and took the hands of the two men, one in each hand, and said with a smile:
"With the help of these two young heroes, I am more confident that Yangzhou can survive this mutiny!"
Ni Kun watched coldly for a while, and seeing Kou Xu being fooled by Yu Shiji with a few words, he didn't say much, just nodded to the two of them and said:
"Three days later, the secret book will be returned to the restaurant."
After saying this, he left with Zhu Yuyan and others.
Ni Kun watched the whole show and did not show much of his skills. He only used the Evil-Breaking and Returning Pupil Technique to kill a few members of the Tianli Sect.
Yu Shiji did not see that scene. Even if he did, the impression Ni Kun left on him was far less profound than that of Kou Xu who dared to rebuke Yu Wenzhi and confront him. Therefore, he did not try to fool Ni Kun again. After watching Ni Kun and his group leave, he asked Kou Xu:
"Who is that young man?"
"That's Master Ni Kun. We don't know where Master Ni came from."
"Master Ni Kun?"
Yu Shiji recalled for a while and shook his head indifferently as he had never heard of this person. He then took Kou Xu's arm affectionately and took them to meet with the civil servants in his own camp to discuss how to assign positions to the two and allocate troops.
Ni Kun and his party went straight to the outside of Linjiang Palace. Along the way, they saw many bloody corpses on the roadside, which were left behind when Yu Wenzhi led his troops to break into the palace.
"I didn't expect this mutiny to end like this. Even though Yang Guang was gone, it still managed to frighten Yu Wenzhi so much that he dared not do anything rash."
After being silent for a long time, Xianxian finally couldn't help but speak, looking at Ni Kun with sharp eyes:
"Sir, what is Yang Guang's origin? How did he suddenly become a sword immortal?"
Ni Kun smiled and said, "The sword immortal who emerged from the corpse can no longer be called Yang Guang. He should be called the Drunken Sword Immortal."
"Drunken Sword Immortal?" Upon hearing this title, Kankan and others suddenly understood.
Kwan Kwan clapped her hands and said:
"I ride the sword on the wind and slay the demons between heaven and earth... So that's it! Yang Guang's new poem actually has a profound meaning!
"No wonder the young master insisted on attending the banquet in the palace to observe Yang Guang. It turns out that he had already noticed Yang Guang's... uh, Drunken Swordsman's background!"
She looked at Ni Kun with admiration and some doubt:
"Sir, do you know the Drunken Swordsman?"
Ni Kun smiled and said, "Not very familiar."
I am very familiar with him, but he doesn't know me, so I can only say that we are not very familiar with each other.
Kankan, Zhu Yuyan and others nodded secretly, thinking that they were both exiled immortals . The young master had experienced thousands of tribulations and was trapped in the mortal world, while the Drunken Sword Immortal was trapped in Yang Guang's mortal body. The two had somewhat similar experiences, so it was possible that they knew each other before.
I was even more in awe of Ni Kun.
After a moment of silence, Zhu Yuyan suddenly asked:
"Sir, do you know where the Drunken Sword Immortal has gone?"
Ni Kun sighed:
"He... is a wandering wanderer with no fixed place to live. Maybe he is out fighting demons with his sword!"
When several people were talking here.
Hundreds of miles outside Jiangdu, under the bright moon, above the river.
There was a small boat floating downstream.
A middle-aged man in white clothes as white as snow, handsome as an immortal, stood at the bow of the boat facing the wind, raised his glass to the moon, and toasted from afar:
"Congratulations, Your Majesty, for escaping the cage and seeing your true nature.
"From now on, there will be no more Yang Guang in this world, only the free and easy Drunken Swordsman.
"When the sky falls in the future, there will be another giant who can hold up the sky. What a blessing! What a blessing!"
