Volume 4 Chapter 56 Autumn Rain (Part 2)
Although both are autumn rain, there is still a big difference between the autumn rain in Yanjing and the autumn rain in Tokyo, at least there is a big difference in temperature.
After the meeting, the three princes left in order, and the last one was the young King of Wei of the Great Jin Dynasty, Wanyan Wushu. He waited until his two elder brothers left on horseback before walking out of the meeting hall in the middle of the Shangshutai. He first received a white fur robe from the guards under the eaves in front of the door, put it on carefully, and then put on a strange white fur hat, and finally walked down the steps slowly... This dress was not only compared with the previous two princes, but also formed a sharp contrast with the other big and strong Jurchen nobles in front of the hall, especially many people with hair like three rat tails on their heads.
It is an obvious fact that as Wuzhu ascended to the seat of supreme power, everyone began to pay attention to the Fourth Prince's old injury again. It should have been caused in the fight with the official in the south, and it seemed to have been four or five years ago.
Moreover, if nothing unexpected happens, the wound should be close to the vital point between the thighs.
There were even some vulgar people who, with some malicious intent, said that the Fourth Prince ran away with his butt sticking up that day, and was shot by Han Shizhong from behind, hitting him four or five centimeters below the navel, between the water and the land. Not only did he suffer from common external injuries such as fear of cold, heat, and rain, but he also had difficulty going to the toilet, and might have even injured his kidneys, making him incapable of sexual intercourse. This was why the Fourth Prince did not grow a beard for some time before.
However, the latter is obviously slander, because the Fourth Prince has recently started to grow a beard again. A more reasonable guess is that the Fourth Prince's injury under his thigh has gradually healed, but he fled back in a panic during the battle of Yaoshan, crossed the river on a "wooden dragon", and was soaked for too long, so he got sick again and left some other diseases that made his body weak.
But no matter what, in this place where Nianhan was beaten to death, no one dared to show disdain no matter what the Fourth Prince's appearance and attitude were, otherwise they would be really crazy.
The rain was drizzling, stopping and starting from time to time. Now that the important matters had been discussed and several princes had left, the rest of the civil and military officials, whether Jurchen or Han, also left. Only the autumn rain was falling so heavily that it was a bit chilly. Although not everyone should follow the example of the Fourth Prince and put on fur coats early, it would be good to go back early and drink some mutton soup to warm up the body.
"The Fourth Prince."
As a rarely heard name sounded behind him, Wuzhu, who was wearing a fur robe, turned around and couldn't help but smile slightly in the rain. Then he stopped his horse and looked at him. It turned out that the person behind him was Qin Hui, the deputy envoy of the Privy Council, who was riding a horse himself.
When Qin Hui came to him, Wuzhu smiled and said, "Oh, everyone else is calling me Your Highness the King of Wei, why do you insist on calling me the Fourth Prince? My nephew has become the ruler, how can I still be the prince?"
Qin Hui, whose face was stained with a few drops of rain, burst out laughing on the spot, but he held the reins and shook his head: "I understand it in my heart, but I can't change my mouth!"
"No problem." Wuzhu shook his head and smiled again. "The king won't take away my position as prime minister just for these things... Why did you come to me? I just saw your friend Hong Chengzhi go to see Xi Yin. In this weather, you learned people can get together to drink and write poetry, and then continue to learn from the words in the southern court newspaper and discuss the matter of 'deepening the reform', right?"
"Is the Fourth Prince chasing me away?" Qin Hui, who was already riding side by side with Wanyan Wushu, continued to joke, but couldn't help but sigh. "In fact, if Hong Chengzhi knew that the Fourth Prince was so kind, he would have come a long time ago... But he was also in a difficult situation. Although the Great Jin was open and honest and treated the people of Qi well, Liu Yu could become a rich man, and Liu Ni and Li Qi were no longer soldiers, but they could continue to be commanders. He even entered the core as soon as he arrived, but he was still a little worried... Therefore, he couldn't even get close to his old master, Talan, who was left behind in Yanjing, and couldn't come to me. He could only go to his boss, Vice Prime Minister Xi Yin."
"Just let him do his work in peace." Wuzhu immediately raised his voice in response. "As long as you work hard, the Jin Kingdom will treat everyone equally, whether they are Jurchens, Khitans, Xi people or Han people. That's what I say!"
This was the sentence Qin Hui was waiting for, but he got it right at the beginning. Naturally, he responded quickly and prepared to find an opportunity to leave... After the coup, the situation was delicate, and Qin Huizhi was so slippery that although he had a good relationship with Wuzhu before, he did not dare to make a decision between the three princes easily, especially when there was a young, intelligent and completely sinicized legitimate king sitting on the throne.
However, the two chatted for a while and walked together in the rain for a while. When they were about to separate, the rain suddenly became heavier again... This is the trouble with autumn rain, it cannot be stopped. At most it will ease for a while and then suddenly start again. However, it is never as intense as summer rain, it is just continuous rain with a chill that penetrates the heart and lungs.
Wuzhu and Qin Hui had no choice but to stop by the roadside and ask someone to knock on the door of a restaurant on the street. They did not order any dishes, but just threw a few coins to the still nervous owner, asking him to set up a table in the storefront on the street, warm up a pot of wine, and ask the kitchen to cook some mutton soup for the servants.
As for Wuzhu and Qin Hui themselves, they just sat in the street, drinking warm wine and watching the rain.
Besides, Qin Hui originally just wanted to say a few words to Hong Ya to test the waters, and he had no intention of having a deep conversation. But now that things had come to a point, given the political relationship between the two, if he didn't say something, it would seem like they were alienated.
"The Fourth Prince."
Water was boiled on a charcoal stove and wine was poured into the water. After the shopkeeper placed the wine glasses, he quietly stepped away. Qin Hui glanced at the soldiers in the shop and found that they were all familiar faces who had followed Wuzhu for a long time. So he picked up the pot and poured the wine, then spoke.
"Um?"
"I am not very clear about the affairs between the Jurchen nobles and military affairs, so I want to ask, is the Fourth Prince completely confident about going to Hexi?" Qin Hui personally served the warm wine with an earnest look on his face.
"How can I be so sure?" Wushu took the wine, took a sip, and sighed at the rain curtain in front of him. "This time, it is obvious that we are going to seize the military power and territory of Huo Nu's brother, and to take his life and property. How can we be so sure? Huo Nu is Lou Shi's son after all. If he still has some sense, he should know that if he really touches me, Wushu, or does something disrespectful, his own power will disappear... Therefore, although I am not so sure, I am still about 70% sure."
Qin Hui seemed to be thinking about something.
"What does Minister Qin think?" Wuzhu suddenly glanced over.
"Nothing to think about." Qin Hui held the ceramic wine cup in his hand, still thinking. "It's just a pity... As the saying goes, a son of a rich family should not sit in the hall. With the Fourth Prince's noble status, even if there is only a 10% or 20% risk, he should not rashly go to Hexi. Moreover, even if he subdues the living girl and sends the 20,000 or 30,000 soldiers back to Hedong, and does a favor to Lord Balisutian, the Western Route Army is still under the control of the Third Prince, which does not benefit the Fourth Prince at all. This trip to Hexi is really all hard work."
"What's the use of hard work?" Wushu patted his knee and laughed. "I am the youngest among the three of us brothers. If I don't go out and run around, how can I deal with the situation?"
Qin Hui said nothing.
Seeing this, Wuzhu gradually stopped smiling: "Yes, I know what you want. I also want to be in power and do whatever I want. But since you have killed Nianhan and deposed him, we must be united. Otherwise, there will be chaos... It is good enough for the three brothers to hold the throne."
"Of course I know this, but I just feel that it is difficult to do things." Qin Hui took a sip, put down the wine cup, and just sat there with his hands clasped together, frowning and watching the rain. "Nianhan is gone, and we still can't negotiate peace. The three princes are ruling the country with sincerity, but it's still difficult... We just appeased the situation in Jingdong and were about to take action in Hebei, but there was trouble over there. What a coincidence."
"It's a coincidence." Wushu shook his head. "The situation is like this, and things should be difficult. This has been the truth since ancient times. We shouldn't blame others."
Qin Huizhi was finally stunned.
Wuzhu himself continued to speak earnestly: "Though the articles analyzing the situation between the two countries in the Song Dynasty's official newspaper are a bit exaggerated, there is still some truth in them... As the saying goes, when luck comes, heaven and earth will work together, and when luck is gone, heroes are helpless... Now, whether we or the south, we are not at the point where luck is gone, nor are we as suave as luck would be. Everyone has to work under various difficulties, and it is difficult for everyone. So no matter what, no matter how difficult it is, we must get things done!"
Qin Hui remained silent.
"What Prime Minister Qin said in Huguan was absolutely right." The rain was a little lighter, but Wuzhu had no intention of getting up. Instead, he continued to drink by himself, watching and sighing. "Since the Great Jin cannot advance, it should stabilize the situation. To stabilize the situation, the battle should be in Hedong and the rule should be in Hebei. The root is always in Hebei... because the bandits in the Taihang Mountains all fled to Hebei... and if Hebei wants long-term stability, it must separate Meng'an from the local areas. Conversely, only in this way can it strengthen the army and benefit the money."
Qin Hui still kept his hands shut and said nothing.
"What do you think?" Wuzhu finally became a little impatient.
"What can I think?" Qin Hui shook his head and sighed, then stood up again, poured wine for the other party, and answered calmly. "It has been difficult to do things since ancient times. Who doesn't know this truth? Don't say that it is difficult for us, isn't it difficult for the official in the south?"
Wushu was slightly startled, then smiled bitterly:
"That's true. He is also a human being, and he has to start from the situation after Jingkang. We are all having a hard time right now, so how could it not be hard for him? But he gritted his teeth and did it."
"Not only before, but even now, isn't he working hard?" Qin Huizhi still shook his head. "In the White Horse Shaoxing incident, everyone in the world said he was unfilial, but that's not true... Because at that time, how could he care about the two emperors who had lost the support of the people? The fundamental thing about that incident was to drive out seventy or eighty people who didn't want to work with him... In my opinion, the Fourth Prince has lost some grace compared to the one in the south. He started from such a situation and it was so difficult. Have you seen him sitting in the rain and lamenting how difficult it was? It was the Fourth Prince who showed his cowardice today."
Wushu sighed, then drank the cup in one gulp, then shook his head: "That's true, but let me say that the current situation of Zhao Song is better than ours... Because the current situation is that we want to do things, and the official of Zhao Song also wants to do things, but Huo Nu comes out to make trouble and prevent us from doing things... The only thing is that Zhao Song's territory is larger, and they can divide Guanzhong. While Guanzhong is fighting, the Central Plains and the southeast can still do things, but we can't."
Qin Hui just sneered at the tongue-twister-like words.
"Well," Wushu saw this and stood up. "The future is difficult, just keep going and try your best, don't blame others."
Qin Hui also stood up, and the two walked out of the door together, intending to separate here.
However, Qin Hui rode a few steps, thinking about Wushu's arrogance and reading the Zhao Song ministers who were granted titles of king in the official newspaper, but he still felt uneasy. He turned around in the drizzle and was stunned on the spot... It turned out that Wanyan Wushu had stopped his horse in the rain early, without even a hat, just looking up at him, as if waiting for him to speak.
"The Fourth Prince." Qin Hui panicked and quickly turned to meet him.
Wuzhu nodded slightly in the rain: "I knew that a smart man like Qin Xianggong would have something to teach me."
"Fourth Prince, you just explained the situation clearly." Qin Hui tried to remain calm. "And I have a plan now. If it works, not only will our Great Jin be able to work with peace of mind, but it will also make Zhao Song in the south unable to work with peace of mind. But if it doesn't work, it will become a joke. I don't know if the Fourth Prince has the courage to do this..."
Wuzhu smiled but said nothing.
"Fourth Prince, have you heard of the Battle of Changping during the Warring States Period?" Qin Hui gritted his teeth and said sternly. "The Battle of Changping was caused by Qin attacking the Han enclave Shangdang, which is the land of Longde Prefecture. Han could not defend it, so it gave it to Zhao. Then Qin and Zhao fought a decisive battle to seize Shangdang..."
Wuzhu's heart was greatly moved, and he came to his senses almost instantly, but he was speechless and could not respond.
Qin Hui had no choice but to continue to fight back: "Before, Xixia had bribed the traitor Nianhan with a large sum of money to ask for the northwest land of Liao. Nianhan had promised four or five years ago, but because of Yelu Dashi, the Mongols, and the war in the south, the deal was delayed again and again. After Nianhan's death, Xixia was even more panicked, so it withdrew its envoys and sent envoys to Zhao and Song instead. But everyone in the world knows that Xixia and Zhao and Song have been enemies for a hundred years, with a deep hatred like a sea of blood. How could they really join forces with the Song people to fight against Jin? This move is nothing more than a posturing for our Great Jin to see... In this case, why not give the Xixia people a big profit?"
"Give Yan'an Prefecture to Li Qianshun?!" Wuzhu finally said what was in his mind.
"Not only Yan'an Prefecture, Suide Army, Jinning Army, and even the three states outside the Yellow River, but also the former land of the Liao Kingdom north of the Yin Mountains, the so-called Hengshan, and the north and south of the Yin Mountains, all can be taken!" Qin Hui said this, completely without fear. "These places are just borderlands for the Great Jin, poor and useless, but for the Western Xia, they are the foundation they have been seeking for a hundred years! Even worse , if the living girl wants to fight to the death, why not take the living girl and some of the troops with her?! Let's see if the Western Xia can hold back! And if the Western Xia can't hold back, and the whole country comes to swallow up northern Shaanxi, let's see if the Zhao Song will fight with them? If the two countries fight, the disaster in Guanxi will be the Zhao Song's, and our Great Jin can escape and get the opportunity! But I don't know if the fourth prince has the courage to do so."
Wuzhu didn't say a word in response and turned his horse around.
"Fourth Prince!" Although Qin Hui had come up with a brilliant plan, he himself was already panicking, and he shouted again behind him, "This plan is also unsettling. If the Song people can quickly defeat Xixia, it will be a reckless move to aid the enemy. In the final analysis, it is to give the problem to others! Let's see what they can do!"
Wuzhu still did not respond and disappeared directly in , while Qin Huizhi stood there, wanting to chase him but not daring to, wanting to retreat but not daring to. As the rain got heavier again, he was soaked all over, and finally he could only turn around and ride away in embarrassment.
The weather was getting colder. Since Wanyan Wushu, the Privy Councilor of the King of Wei of the Great Jin Dynasty, had been given the responsibility to deal with Wanyan Huonu of Hexi, he rode out of Yanyun on horseback and arrived at Zhending Prefecture in five or six days. At this time, the autumn rain that had lasted for half a month finally stopped.
"Go do something." That evening, Wuzhu summoned two of his trusted guards and handed over two letters. "Ada goes first, go to Taiyuan with great fanfare, and give this letter to the Taiyuan garrison commander Balisu; Aer goes slower for half a day, don't alarm too many people, go directly to Yelu Mawu and give him the letter."
The two Xi guards naturally had nothing to say and just did as they were told.
At the end of October, it was still autumn. Yelu Yudu, a surrendered Khitan general living in Linfen, was preparing to go north to Taiyuan to welcome the fourth prince Wuzhu. But before he set off, he received an order from his former subordinate Yelu Mawu, asking him to cross the river to Yan'an to comfort the army.
Yelu Yudu thought that he was being excluded again, but he could only endure it and follow military orders... However, after crossing the river, the Khitan Meng'an who had been accompanying him as if to monitor him suddenly stopped at the ferry and told Yudu a shocking news - the Fourth Prince was going to kill him, Yelu Yudu, in order to establish his authority, and Wanhu Yelu Mawu learned the news in advance and sent him here specifically because of their old favor.
"General, the ruler of Western Xia is the son-in-law of Khitan after all. While General Huo Nu is unaware of the situation, take the opportunity to surrender to the Western Xia people... Don't make things difficult for us." The Khitan Meng'an responded earnestly. After leaving only this sentence, he turned around and took all the boats to cross the river and return to Hedong.
Poor Yelu Yudu was once a prominent figure. He had once held great military and political power over the Liao Dynasty. Once he surrendered to Aguda, he was also the marshal and chief inspector of the Jin Dynasty, holding real power over the army. For this reason, he was even regarded as a life-saving straw by the Song Dynasty during the Jing Kang Period... However, at this moment, looking around, he found that he had only two or three hundred close confidants accompanying him, and he was isolated to the west of the yellow river, and could not even bring his family with him. He was speechless.
I can only sigh that fortunately the autumn rain has stopped by now, otherwise I would really want to jump into the Yellow River.
