"Is there such a thing?"
Zhao Jiu, who was dressed in a bright red robe, was slightly startled. "The Ten Commanders are imitating the Taizu's oath of brotherhood ?"
"Your Majesty!" Ma Gao, the leader, was lying on the ground in a panic. "Your Majesty, you know that the ten of us who swore brotherhood are just ordinary sworn brothers. It is a common thing in the martial arts world to seek loyalty. How dare we say that we are following the example of our great grandfather? How can we say that we have evil intentions?"
"Your Majesty, please let me know that this matter is truly unforgivable!" Wanqi Xie stood there condescendingly, not even looking at Ma Gao, but just raised his hand and pointed at him and continued to confront him sternly. "After the Ten Commanders formed an alliance, they became a separate entity. From then on, if one person disobeyed, all ten would follow. If one person prospers, all prosper. If one person suffers, all suffer. Then, the tens of thousands of troops of the Tokyo garrison were completely uncontrollable... With such people gathering a large army inside and outside Tokyo, wouldn't they be holding the safety of the emperor and the court in their hands and manipulating them at will?"
"We have no wrong intentions, how dare we manipulate the emperor?" Ma Gao became more and more afraid as he listened, but he looked at Yue Fei and Yue Pengju in front of him on the left. "General Yue, please save our brothers from the Tokyo garrison! You must know that we are innocent!"
Yue Fei opened his mouth to speak… He was already familiar with these people and had a relationship with them. Moreover, according to Emperor Zhao’s arrangement, the Tokyo Garrison would be disbanded immediately and should be merged with his Jeju Pacification Office and organized into the Imperial Camp Vanguard, which would be his subordinate.
When a subordinate behaves like this, I should have spoken up to defend him.
However, the problem was that Yue Pengju was half a scholar, and he knew from the beginning that this oath of brotherhood of the ten commanders would cause great trouble. It would be fine if you really ended up in the underworld, but now that the government has unified its organization, I'm afraid no emperor can tolerate such behavior by his own imperial army. However, the people kneeling in front of him almost included 80% of the family assets of the Tokyo Residents' Office, and they were the greatest legacy left by Zong Ze. Moreover, they had just fought hard for several months, risking their lives to fight for the country, and were authentic national heroes. How could he not save them?
These complicated thoughts went through Yue Fei's mind for only a moment. After a moment, Yue Fei gritted his teeth, stood up, bowed to the official behind him, and said seriously:
"Your Majesty, good teacher. Your Majesty knows that these people's oath of brotherhood was indeed ill-considered, but most of them came from humble backgrounds and acted rashly. If they were to harbor ill intentions, that would be too serious. Your Majesty, please consider their meritorious service in the battle of Changshe and give them a lighter sentence..."
After all, Yue Fei was a newly promoted general and was favored by the emperor. Moreover, those who were truly in the know knew that he was from Hebei and was the specific candidate chosen by Emperor Zhao to take over the Hebei exile group of the Tokyo Liaison Office (that is, the so-called Ten Commanders who were kneeling now), and his position was also extremely stable.
He is a big shot in this mountain!
In fact, if it were not for this reason, how could the upper and lower levels tolerate a twenty-six- or twenty-seven-year-old general? Even Li Yanxian and others' rejection of Yue Fei would never stop there.
Therefore, once he opened his mouth, many people were slightly moved and prepared to wait and see the situation in order to curry favor with him.
However, the officials below the emperor still sat still, and Han Shizhong, Zhang Jun, Li Yanxian and other generals just watched this scene coldly, without any intention of expressing their opinions... Especially Han Shizhong, as the one trapped in Changsha, as one of the commanders of that battle, and as the top general in the army at present, he could not be avoided if he wanted to talk, but this Han Taiwei did not move! Instead, he looked coldly at Yue Pengju, who was eager to protect him before the troops were even started!
If the civil and military officials remain silent, who will dare to speak up?
"Your Majesty." Wan Qi Xie waited for a moment, and seeing that only Yue Fei stood up to persuade him, he felt relieved and sighed. "I think what General Yue said is really ridiculous... Because some things can be judged by the heart? The world's affairs are judged by deeds, not the heart! I also think that among the ten commanders, perhaps eight or nine out of ten are loyal, but you must know that Taizu was also a loyal minister of the Chai family, but why did he replace Zhou with Song? Wasn't it because a group of brothers in the army gave him the yellow robe?"
Things had come to a dead end. Not to mention those of the Ten Commanders who knew a little about the allusions, even Yue Fei felt that he was too young and too impulsive... Because he had long thought that things would lead to this sentence, and he had long known that this time it was really Ma Gao and others who had committed a huge taboo. He had even guessed that the current situation was most likely deliberately created by Emperor Zhao, and that he wanted to rectify this matter, but he still couldn't help but bump into him.
But why?
Yue Pengju asked himself and soon came to the conclusion. Firstly, it was due to his own personality; secondly, Zhang Suo died and Zong Ze died too. The sudden death of these two superiors, whom he regarded as half fathers, left him with a psychological threshold that he could not cross for a while; thirdly, it was because Emperor Zhao’s performance in the previous few months had left him with an extremely good impression, making him forget that this young man in a bright red robe, with no expression when he didn’t speak, was actually an official, an emperor.
And he is an emperor with the surname Zhao!
Not to mention what the people below were thinking, Zhao Jiu, who had no expression on his face, almost couldn't hold back and almost laughed when he heard the words "Taizu was also a loyal minister of the Chai family"...
You must know that he brought both Wang Shan and Wanqi Xie from Tokyo, but in order to avoid making things worse, he only reminded Wang Shan and let this general who was loyal to him in front of Zong Ze come out and explode himself so as to bring up this topic and make use of it. However, he never instructed Wanqi Xie to play the good guy, but only asked Scholar Kobayashi to play the supporting role when necessary. Unexpectedly, this guy jumped out on his own and acted in such a situation.
Is it true that an emperor likes treacherous ministers?
Moreover, is Zhao Dazhen a loyal minister of the Chai family?
Can the logic of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms be applied today?
How lacking in self-confidence must the emperors of the Song Dynasty have to be so shocked by this sentence again and again after their country had prospered for one or two hundred years?
Of course, Zhao Jiu certainly couldn't figure it out, because although his surname was Zhao, he was not a descendant of the Zhao family. The Zhao family's engineering dogs had their own ridiculous logic.
And finally, as Emperor Zhao thought of this, he really laughed out loud... and hearing this laugh, the prime ministers and generals who had stern faces below, as well as the civil and military officials, and a dozen parties involved couldn't help but feel complicated.
The fearful ones are more fearful, the impatient ones are more impatient, the surprised ones are more surprised, and the confused ones are more confused.
"I think what you all said makes sense."
Emperor Zhao put away his smile, and the moment he spoke, he sounded a little absurd. Even if this matter made sense, how could it be "all reasonable"? Since it was brought up, could there be a good ending?
"I truly trust General Ma, and I know that none of the ten commanders had any rebellious intentions when they swore brotherhood at that time. Otherwise, why would they go to Yanling to help regardless of life and death? I also think that what Yue Qing said is very right. In the battle of Yanling-Changshe, the commanders have made great contributions to the country. I have to keep it in mind and try my best to protect them. But what Wanqi Qing said is also very reasonable... Since ancient times, how could military generals sworn brotherhood without authorization and deviate from the public order to form a private system? Once this matter comes out, if it is not dealt with, they will sooner or later end up in a bad end. If they have to be dealt with, based on this crime, they will either be killed or cut into pieces. Who can say anything after looking through the history books?" Emperor Zhao was talking nonsense, but he made countless people below tremble with fear.
After all, it sounds like in the end it will still be a matter of "either kill or chop"!
"However, before his death, Zong Liushou told me to make sure I properly deal with the troops of the Tokyo Liushou Division." At this point, Zhao Jiu couldn't help but sigh. "My lords, you may be the prime ministers of the court, or the famous generals of the country, or you may be well-educated, or you may be experienced. Is there no one who can come up with a plan that can achieve the best of both worlds? Can you eliminate the risks of this matter, and protect the commanders and not let the meritorious officials down?"
This seems to have come back around, as if we still have to give up military power over a cup of wine. If this is the case, everyone will be more familiar with each other and will definitely be able to come up with something new.
Sure enough, after a short pause, soon the Secretary of the Central Secretariat Fan Zongyin came out. After bowing, he said sternly, "Your Majesty, I think that Yanling's special merit can be given an additional ten-level command rank, and then they can be sent in groups of three or two to serve as pacification envoys to the southeast, Jingdong, Jingxiang , Guangnan, and Bashu to maintain peace."
To be fair, this is a good idea. Promote them to higher positions, then separate them from the main battle sequence, and then separate these ten people, so that they can have a hierarchy among themselves. At the same time, it can also improve local security. It is obviously an enhanced version of "releasing military power over a cup of wine" with the characteristics of the times.
All we can say is that Fan Zongyin, without any outstanding qualifications or achievements, became the Secretary of the Central Secretariat at a young age (just 30 years old this year), and was highly respected by people in Nanyang. In fact, before Zhang Jun traveled west to Bashu, he once wanted to recommend him to Emperor Zhao as the Chief Censor... There was a reason for this.
Upon hearing this, Emperor Zhao hesitated for a moment, but still shook his head slowly and made a conclusion: "Not appropriate, this is putting the cart before the horse!"
These words were a bit serious. Fan Zongyin paused for a moment, then immediately looked in the direction of the ministers.
Prime Minister Lu Haowen had no choice but to stand up and step out of the crowd in the spirit of protecting young talents: "Your Majesty, we do not know your thoughts. This is not appropriate, and it is putting the cart before the horse."
"This is a simple matter." Zhao Jiu saw the prime minister finally come forward, and he simply revealed his true colors. "The so-called victory today is just to stop the Jin offensive. The Yanling-Changshe attack only killed more than 10,000 bandits. The general trend of the world has not been shaken. As long as the Tartars are not completely eliminated, the world's affairs will be based on resisting the Jin. The Ten Commanders have lost their way for a while, but it is not because they have any bad intentions..."
At this point, Zhao Jiu smiled slightly, and then continued: "In fact, let alone saying that he has no bad intentions, even if he really has bad intentions, I can tolerate it in the current situation, as long as he can resist the Jin! Therefore, today's disposal should only try to preserve the ten commanders and their combat power for the future. How can we destroy the Great Wall? I still hope that they will drive out the Tartars in the future and bring back the two saints for me!"
The first part was fine, but the last sentence 'welcome back the two saints', the ministers who had just arrived and had just met the emperor naturally thought that the emperor was promoting filial piety or brotherhood. However, after a long period of contact, especially the civil and military officials who were already familiar with the emperor, they knew very well... these words coming out of the emperor's mouth had a bit of a threatening tone.
Therefore, Lu Haowen and others immediately became alert, thinking that Emperor Zhao might have already had a plan.
Thinking of this, Lu Haowen simply bowed and said: "If the emperor has any ideas, why not tell me directly? I have no objection."
Well, before Emperor Zhao could say anything, the Prime Minister had no objection. The following few civil officials who were quite strong-willed looked at each other, but they were helpless... This was just a bunch of things that had not been resolved, that is, at the moment. If it was placed in the reign of Emperor Shenzong or Emperor Zhezong, this kind of Prime Minister would probably not be able to sit for three days.
However, having said that, from the time when the emperor "fell into the well" and expelled Huang Qianshan and executed Kang Lu, this prime minister has been holding on all the way from a temporary Shangshu Youcheng to today, and it has been almost two years... This number of years is precious even in ordinary years, not to mention that he has been promoted to the prime minister, and even the actual prime minister in front of the emperor.
Why?
"I just thought of that, too." Seeing that Lu Xianggong was so easy to manipulate, Zhao Jiu immediately smiled. "The biggest mistake of the Ten Commanders' Oath of Brotherhood is that they set up a private system outside of the public system. If this continues for a long time, no matter how good their original intentions are, they will sooner or later end up like Zhang Yu. This is what it means not to test people's hearts easily..."
Ma Gao and the other ten people who had been kneeling on the ground for a long time without saying a word, were frightened again when they heard the name Zhang Yu, but they also felt a hint of expectation.
"In this case, why not turn private matters into public ones?" Zhao Jiu suddenly became serious.
"What does it mean to turn private into public?" Lu Haowen really didn't understand.
"If the private system is expanded a little bit until it is as big as the public system, wouldn't that mean the public and private sectors will be integrated?" Zhao Jiu persuaded.
Hearing this, Wanqi Xie and a few of the smart ones among the Ten Commanders were already dumbfounded. However, people like Lu Haowen and Fan Zongyin, who came from aristocratic families and were scholars, and had been wearing purple robes for several lifetimes, obviously still found it difficult to understand.
Zhao Jiu saw this and stopped trying to cover it up. Instead, he revealed the answer. "How about this. Today, except for the rear army of the Imperial Camp, which is still in the southeast, all the main forces of the various armies have gathered with their respective commanders. As long as they can lead several thousand soldiers, 80% of them are here... What I mean is, since the Tokyo Garrison is loyal and united by righteousness, why don't the entire Imperial Camp army also be loyal? All the commanders on the stage, as well as those who are temporarily in charge, come out together, right here in Heyin, and let the ministers and generals be witnesses together, and then point to me to gather righteousness, isn't this turning private into public?"
This time, not to mention Lu Haowen and Fan Zongyin, all the officials in the room, including civil and military officials, were stunned.
"Official, this is inappropriate, isn't it?"
After a while, while Emperor Zhao was waiting quietly, just as the Emperor thought, Lu Yihao, who had the worst temper among the two prime ministers, actually resisted the urge to refute. However, Xu Jingheng could not help but stood up and refuted directly.
"I know it's inappropriate." Zhao Jiu sat on it and sighed at Xu Jingheng. "Is there a better way? Before his death, the Prime Minister entrusted the Tokyo garrison to me, saying that many of these soldiers were bandits and local bandits, and they must be controlled, but also said that they must be used in times of difficulty... If the court is a little more respectful, it can be exchanged for ten commanders and tens of thousands of troops under their command to serve the country peacefully. Why would I be reluctant? This deal can be done!"
"Your Majesty is wise!" Just as Xu Xianggong was about to say something else, Wanqi Xie knelt down and kowtowed, shouting in response. "I am limited in my vision and narrow-minded, and I even had the sinister idea of ​​distinguishing between civil and military affairs. I am really ashamed! Little did I know that the priority now is to resist the Jin army, so naturally, military affairs should be the top priority in everything!"
Xu Jingheng widened his eyes and turned to look at Wanqi Xie... He was speechless and angry for a moment.
Not only Mr. Xu, but also important members of the Privy Council such as Wang Boyan, Lu Yihao, and Liu Ziyu, almost all went to see this acquaintance... They have been in Nanyang for such a long time, how come they didn't realize that there was such a person hiding in their own Privy Council?
Moreover, how come he suddenly felt so confident?
Was it given by the government? Or did you find it yourself?
Of course, no matter how much they watched, Wanqi Xie's words still silenced the gentlemen and all those who wanted to object.
The reviewing stand was once again silent.
After a moment, Emperor Zhao called out sternly, "General Ma, what do you think of my plan?"
"We, the officials, naturally have nothing to say except gratitude." Ma Gao, who had come to his senses, kowtowed repeatedly on the ground.
"That's good. I thought you thought I was unqualified to be the one who swore an oath to the people..." Zhao Jiu said, and then looked at the stunned commanders of the left, right, and center armies of the imperial camp on his right. "What are you talking about?"
"minister……"
Besides, some people actually looked down on their colleagues because of their background or behavior. When they heard the emperor's inquiry, they wanted to stand up and refuse. But when they heard the words just now, their scalps tingled and they immediately changed their words. "We think this is a very appropriate matter."
"What do you think, my good minister?" Zhao Jiu asked Han Shizhong again after seeing this.
"Your Majesty's idea is really brilliant." Han Shizhong quickly stood up and saluted. "But the commanders are counting on you to join the rebellion, so what should we do? If we also count on you to join the rebellion, wouldn't that make us at the wrong level with them?"
Han Shizhong's focus was always a little hard to figure out, but Zhao Jiu had no intention of involving them, so after being stunned for a moment, he immediately shook his head:
"You are ministers of the court, so you should abide by the court's laws. You don't need to form an oath of brotherhood... If there are fathers and sons, uncles and nephews among you, you can just bring the elders to the gathering."
"Then I think it's feasible." Han Shizhong simply replied. "I am willing to bear witness to this."
"I also think it is feasible." Yue Fei hurriedly followed. To him, although this matter was a bit absurd, it was always the best option if it could prevent Ma Gao and others from being abandoned and the troops of the Tokyo Liaison Office from being disbanded and idle.
"I agree." Zhang Jun hurriedly followed.
Li Yanxian looked around upon seeing this… He was actually extremely unhappy about this matter, because it was too embarrassing for the court, and he prided himself on his great achievements, as he was from a legitimate family in the Western Army, and he had always been loyal and righteous, so he naturally disliked those who repeatedly acted as military traitors… But he had no choice but to let all the generals and ministers agree, and after yesterday's lesson, he didn't want to quarrel with the emperor anymore, so he stood up without saying a word, and was considered to be on the same level as the other generals and ministers.
After Li Yanxian stood up, Wang Yan, Wang De, and Lu Xing all stood up and stood by. When the seven generals stood up, the commanders and leaders below no longer hesitated, and immediately stood up and left their seats. They came to the middle and knelt down to Emperor Zhao with Ma Gao and others. Wanqi Xie also hurriedly pulled Fan Zongyin away.
Zhao Jiu raised his hand to signal, and Yang Yizhong stepped forward to identify and call out the names of the generals present.
So-called:
The independent commanders of the Left Army of the Imperial Camp were Jie Yuan, Cheng Min, Wang Sheng, Wang Quan, Yue Chao, Xu Shi'an, and Zhai Chong, a total of seven people;
The independent commanders of the Right Army of the Imperial Camp were Liu Bao and Tian Shizhong, two in total;
The former independent generals of the Tokyo Garrison Command—Wang Shan, Li Qiong, Ma Gao, Sang Zhong, Zhang Yong, Cao Cheng, Liu Wenshun, Li Hong, Ma You, Xu Yan, Qi Fang, Liu Zhong, and Li Bao, a total of thirteen people;
The four independent generals under the command of the former Jeju Governor: Zhang Xian, Tang Huai, Li Kui, and Fu Xuan;
The generals under the command of Lu Jing, the former commander of the Three Yamen of Xijing: Niu Gao, one person;
The former independent commanders of the Imperial Camp Central Army were Hu Yantong and Fu Qing (the latter escorted the Prime Minister's group), a total of two people;
The original independent commanders of the Eight Character Army under Wang Yan: Meng De and Jiao Wentong, a total of two;
The original independent generals of Li Yanxian's army in Shanzhou: Zhai Xing, Zhai Jin, Shao Long, Shao Xing, Shao Yun, a total of five people...
Therefore, there must be many people who did not have time to arrive... For example, the several central army commanders who stayed in Nanyang and Xiangyang, and the same was true for Hu Cheng, Wang Gui and others who were confronting Jinan Prefecture on the eastern front. Although Yang Yi Zhong and Liu Yan had the same official positions as these people, they were in a high position and were not counted among them... But no matter what, roughly speaking, except for the rear army, the core forces of each unit in the reorganized imperial camp are basically here, a total of thirty-six people.
"How did you become sworn brothers in Fugou?" Under the incredulous looks of several ministers and most of the civil officials, Emperor Zhao calmly asked about the professional procedures. "Do you want to worship Guan Gong and burn incense?"
"Good instructor, you know, we didn't worship any gods at that time, but swore an oath of blood." Ma Gao answered stiffly. "Ten people cut their palms and poured their blood into the wine, then swore an oath with the wine, and finally drank the blood wine together, and it was considered a done deal."
"That's easy." Zhao Jiu raised his hand to signal. "Good minister, go and bring a jar of imperial wine to the stage..."
For some reason, Han Shizhong also began to panic, but he dared not not go... A moment later, the wine was brought, and Emperor Zhao stood up, took a dagger from Yang Yi's waist, and said in front of the seat: "Everyone raise your heads!"
The thirty-six generals looked up at the same time, and saw that Emperor Zhao, who was wearing a red robe under the dragon banner, directly held the knife with his bare hands, rubbed it slightly, and then dripped a few drops of blood into the wine jar in front of him in public. Then he put away the dagger and signaled to pour the wine. It seemed that there was no need for these people below to drink together... Seeing this scene, all the civil and military officials became stern, because they realized that this official was not joking, at least he did not treat this matter with a joking mentality.
After a while, following the emperor's oral order, the seven generals poured wine and held bowls one by one, and served blood wine to the thirty-six generals below. Yang Yi Zhong and Liu Yan also removed the imperial desk in front of the emperor for him, so that there would be no barriers between the emperor and these generals.
"My lords, I returned to Tokyo and saw the desolation in front of me. I felt that the prosperous scene in the past had turned into a spring dream." Zhao Jiu had already sat back in his seat, but he looked at his palm that was still bleeding and sighed slightly. "At that time, Zong was left with his life and was dying, but he was afraid that I would seek peace in the future. Before he died, he forced me to swear to restore the two rivers. Little did he know that I felt that a mere oath was not enough to express my ambition... There are hundreds of state troops and tens of millions of people in the two rivers, and the blood feud is like the sea. How can a few oaths express the anger in my heart? But on the other hand, in the situation at that time and now, how can I express my heart except for a few oaths? Therefore, today, the ten commanders swore an oath without authorization and caused a great disaster, but I am not demanding at all. As long as you show your ambition to resist the Jin and save the country, I can tolerate everything!"
At this point, everyone was silent, and many angry officials also quieted down. Zhao Jiu looked around and said solemnly: "Everyone stand up and hold the bowls!"
Thirty-six commanders and leading officers stood up together and held the bowls carefully.
The seven generals did not dare to be negligent and stood solemnly on the right side; the ministers looked at each other in silence... At this point, they had no choice but to lead the civil officials on the left side to stand up solemnly.
"I say one sentence, and you repeat it!" Zhao Jiu said solemnly while sitting upright. "Today, thirty-six of my Imperial Camp soldiers will swear an oath on behalf of the two hundred thousand soldiers in the Imperial Camp..."
There was a moment of panic below, and no sound was made for a while.
But at this moment, Yang Yizhong suddenly grasped the dagger, led Liu Yan, took half a step forward, and then raised his voice: "Today, thirty-six of my Imperial Camp soldiers will swear on behalf of the two hundred thousand soldiers in the Imperial Camp!"
"Today, all the soldiers in my imperial camp will swear an oath together!" The thirty-six generals paused for a moment, then held the bowls together and repeated the oath.
"Drink this blood wine, worship the emperor, form brotherhood, trust each other with life and death, help each other in good and bad times, depend on each other for happiness and misfortune, and support each other in times of trouble." Zhao Jiu spoke without hesitation, and it was obvious that he had a draft in mind before today.
"Drink this blood wine, worship the emperor, form brotherhood, trust each other with life and death, help each other in good and bad times, rely on each other in fortune and misfortune, and support each other in times of trouble." As Yang Yizhong repeated it, the words below were no longer uneven, but gradually became neat and consistent.
"I will devote my entire life to avenging the humiliation of Jingkang, reviving the Song Dynasty and destroying the Jin Dynasty, helping the people and saving the country. I have no other ambition!" Zhao Jiu continued to swear, but his eyes became a little cold, because he knew that the people below were his absolute hope, but it was also these people, most of whom were just a group of soldiers, bandits, and so-called righteous army who brought chaos to the people, fought for credit and shirked responsibility, and had extremely bad habits. His road would be both long and difficult.
"I will devote my entire life to avenging the humiliation of Jingkang, reviving the Song Dynasty and destroying the Jin Dynasty, helping the people and saving the country. I have no second thoughts!" The generals continued to swear. Now that things had come to this, their originally confused minds were put away.
“If anyone disobeys orders in battle;
“If anyone disobeys orders in battle;
"Those who are confined to their family, gain and loss, and abandon their brothers;
"Those who are confined to their family, gain and loss, and abandon their brothers;
“Smearing the people and implicate innocent people;
“Smearing the people and implicate innocent people;
“Those who have selfish interests in the face of state affairs;
“Those who have selfish interests in the face of state affairs;
"We must fight him together, so that he will have no desire to live, and his death will be like a corpse under the stairs!"
"We must defeat him together and make him lose all desire to live, and make his death like a corpse on the steps!" When the last sentence was said, the generals below were already terrified. Some of them really believed it, while some of them sensed the government's determination from these oaths.
The civil and military officials on both sides were even more stern. Han, Zhang, Li and others all had red faces and were alert... They did not swear an oath, but this was definitely a warning and restraint from Emperor Zhao.
"Drink it!" Zhao Jiu paused for a moment before speaking. "But think carefully. After drinking this wine, you will be brothers in arms who have fought together, sworn brotherhood, and sworn to each other. And since I am your sworn brother, I will not ignore you... From today onwards, the generals in the imperial camp, those who swore today, and the commanders who are not here, if you encounter injustice in the army, local disputes, or private doubts, you can write directly to Yang Yizhong, the commander of the imperial guards, who is the swearer today. He is in charge of the Imperial City Department, and he will deliver your words directly to me..."
Hearing the last sentence, the hearts of the generals Han, Zhang, and Li all turned cold. Lu Yihao and Xu Jingheng were all shocked, but how could they say anything at this time? And none of the thirty-six generals below would be so foolish as to hesitate at all. As soon as the official finished speaking, they all raised their heads and drank a bowl of blood wine that had no taste of blood at all, but they didn't know what it tasted like.
Then, they lowered their heads together and showed the bottom of the bowl upwards.
"Let's smash it!" Zhao Jiu, who was sitting there, finally laughed. "After smashing it, let's have some fun today, drinking big bowls of wine and eating big mouthfuls of meat, otherwise how can we have the courage to gather together?"
There was a loud bang from below, but the rammed earth platform was still shattered. However, careful people like Li Kui, Niu Gao and Zhai Chong simply picked up the unbroken wine bowl, hid it in their sleeves, and prepared to take it home as a souvenir.
After a while, the banquet resumed. The military officers and even the low-ranking civil servants seemed relieved, but several prime ministers and generals were horrified.
But no matter what, as the official's table was brought up and fresh wine and meat were served, the atmosphere soon became lively.
Seeing this, taking advantage of the excitement, Kobayashi, a scholar who had been silent all this time, leaned forward and poured a glass of wine for Hu Yin, the Chief Censor, who was sitting in front of him, across the seat.
The latter withdrew his gaze from the imperial desk and turned back with a complicated expression, only to see that Scholar Lin calmly held up the cup and said, "Today, the sky is cloudy and the wind is light, but the road ahead will be long and difficult. Fortunately, the soldiers have the same desire to serve the country, and the country will obviously be stable for a while. This is a good thing. Why don't you drink a few more cups, Minister Hu?"
Hu Yin was silent for a moment, then raised his glass and said: "As Mr. Lin said, it is a good thing for the country to have a moment of peace and for the soldiers to be inspired."
After saying that, the two of them drank the wine in one gulp. After they finished drinking, Hu Yin couldn't hide a sigh in his heart... The road ahead is long and difficult, and given the current situation, why don't people in the world do the same?
The poem says:
The Han people in one hundred states in Hebei all look south with eager anticipation.
I ask you, what is the point of talking about the northern bandits? Sitting and guarding the marked area is like being poor and miserable.
This feud is irreconcilable, and I will not stop until I kill the thief in my lifetime.
You gentlemen are only able to protect your own safety, and do not have any heroic spirit.
As a result, many people became drunk and stopped talking about current affairs.
I respectfully pray that the Lord is brave and wise, and that he has a lifelong desire for revenge.
Thousands of horses are riding on the plain in spring, and they are watching the tall dragon flag moving.
The six armies bowed and shouted "Long live the emperor", and they had no business to repay the favor.
The south wind blows gently and the sky is cloudless, but the tomb of Yaling Pan is filled with worry about the twilight.
The common people can also pay homage to the emperor, why should the brave man worry about the rich? It's a pity that there is a division in my heart.
I wish to rise from Mianyang and kill Zhuge Liang, and become the flying general of the Song Dynasty.
(End of Volume 2)