Volume 6 Chapter 26 Muddy Waters
March is spring and flowers are blooming, but when it is cloudy or at night, the temperature changes are still drastic, and the wind is not pleasant.
This was especially true in Yanjing that afternoon.
However, as Wang said, how could they just sit there and wait for death when their lives were about to end? So, since they had made a hasty decision, Qin, Hong, and Zheng simply left the Qin residence together and took action separately.
Among them, Zheng Xiunian had the smallest target and was the least noticeable, so he was arranged to look for Wanyan Talan, who was more sensitive at the time... After the Zhending incident, Hong Ya and others had already realized that the Sixth Prince Eluguan was useless, and secondly, after being frightened, his heart was completely inclined to peace talks, which was comparable to the decadent state of the Fourth Prince who returned from the defeat, so there was no need to pay attention to him... But it was not known whether the old man Talan had this intention, and he was polished in the army after all. As the saying goes, even a rotten boat still has three pounds of nails. When the time comes, he will be more useful than Eluguan.
As for Hesheli, Qin and Hong were not planning to visit him together. Instead, they wanted Qin Huizhi to visit him openly as the prime minister first and test the waters. If the test was successful and the situation became chaotic again, they would then let Hong Ya come and break the ice.
Hong Ya couldn't sit idle at this time, he had to go meet Elubu and a few others to ask for a backup.
Without further ado, let's just say that the three of them moved hurriedly under the protection of the Qin Mansion's servants and guards. However, as soon as they turned to the street outside the alley where the Qin Mansion was located, the three of them became a little panicked... It turned out that the street was already full of chaotic troops.
Not only that, the three of them rode together and walked bravely for a while, and they became aware of a strange atmosphere.
To say that these troops were a mob is nonsense, because they were obviously organized, and there was no large-scale looting or conflict between them; to say that it was a law of martial law is definitely not right, because these troops did not focus on controlling the streets, nor did they stop anyone. Some middle-level officers who looked friendly along the way even took the initiative to lead their troops to give way and salute the three people who were obviously of higher status; to say that it was a mutiny to seize power does not seem right either, because these troops were too scattered, and there was obviously no command relationship between them.
"It is the local big families who are dispatching their own children to join the new army."
After walking through two intersections, Qin Hui, who had gradually relaxed, came to a conclusion. "Some people are just gathering at home to protect themselves in the chaos, but several subordinates of the big families are obviously trying to take over the city gates."
"good."
Hong Ya panted heavily. "But no matter what, the new army has already begun to collapse, and the chaos will only get worse... Once it gets dark, there will be murder and arson sooner or later. We can't delay any longer."
The three of them looked at each other for the last time. Although they were all a little timid, they could only lower their heads and ride away in different directions according to their original plan.
"Who wants to see me?"
Wanyan Talan, who was standing in the courtyard, listening to the noise on the street, turned back in surprise. "Who can find me at this time?"
"It was Minister Zheng... Minister Qin's brother-in-law." The lame retainer bowed and answered. "It was just one person, with seven or eight guards, anxious and miserable... He seemed to be asking for help."
Wanyan Talan was thinking in the courtyard, then nodded: "Let him in."
"Marshal, save me!"
A moment later, Zheng Xiunian rushed into the yard, knelt down on the ground, and sobbed.
"Minister Zheng."
Wanyan Talan smiled and looked at him. "How about this, if you can save me, I will disregard my old face and kneel down to you and kowtow to you..."
Zheng Xiunian didn't know how to respond for a moment.
Seeing this, Talai sighed, turned around and walked over to help the other person up, then went straight to the point: "Mr. Qin was originally discovered by me, and I have always known that he is a man with his own ideas. Now everyone is generally a suspect. If he is willing to work with me and do something, I am willing to listen to him... What did your brother-in-law say?"
"The key is said to be somewhere else." Zheng Xiunian stood up, a little embarrassed. "My brother-in-law also knows that the marshal is reliable, so he asked me, a useless person, to come here to show my intention..."
Talan nodded and continued to ask: "Where did Qin Xianggong go?"
"I went to inspect several of the withdrawn Wanhu with Minister Hong." Zheng Xiunian replied in a low voice. "My brother-in-law said that chaos is about to happen, so we don't need to worry about the long term. For now, we can gather as many troops as possible... First, we can gather the troops by resisting the local big families in Yanjing, and see how many soldiers we have, and then we can talk about other things."
Talan shook his head first, then nodded, seeming quite helpless: "That's right... In this situation, big things are going to collapse, small things are going to fall, we should focus on the present first, then the long-term, and take one step at a time... No matter what, Xiao Qin still thinks of our old relationship, which always makes me feel relieved."
"Then I will stay here and wait for news with the Marshal?" Zheng Xiunian felt slightly relieved.
"No, you have to leave immediately and go see someone for me." Talai said as he took out a gold medal from his bosom and put it into the other person's hand. "If I go in person, it will be too conspicuous... I might be chopped off by the eldest prince's Hezhameng'an... Your brother-in-law is right, a few more soldiers may save lives at this time."
"May I ask who it is?"
Zheng Xiunian was half frightened and half excited... He was frightened because of the soldiers moving around outside and there was no telling when a commotion might break out. He was really timid, but he knew he couldn't refuse. And what excited him most was that Talai was determined not to sit and wait for death. Not only did he agree to join forces with his side, but it seemed that he had other allies and forces to support him.
"Go find Yin Shuke." Talan explained seriously. "When the war started, Yin Shuke and I were both . But when the news of the defeat came, the Crown Prince concealed the news and withdrew both of us first... This guy may not be on the same path as us, but he is definitely on the same path as the Crown Prince... Moreover, Yin Shuke has been the governor of Taiyuan and Yanjing, and there are many old subordinates in the city. If he is willing to agree, we will have a better chance of protecting ourselves."
Zheng Xiunian nodded with all his strength, turned around in panic, and then looked back: "Marshal...can you assign me a few soldiers?"
Talan was silent for a moment, then immediately shook his head: "I've already said that the most important thing at this time is to gather the troops together. One more soldier is good... How can we disperse them again?"
Zheng Xiunian was completely helpless, and when he hurried out of the door and walked toward the street, looking at the obviously more chaotic street, his scalp tingled and he couldn't help crying in the street... He should have been watching a Cuju match in Tokyo at this time, how could he have met that kind of brother and ended up like this!
However, even though he felt extremely reluctant and powerless, his reason urged him to send someone to report to Wang while going to Yin Shuke's home.
"General, I have only one thing to ask you to do during this trip. I want you to consider our friendship and protect the families of the Han people who have fled south during the chaos..." Time was running out. In the military camp in the west of the city, across from Elubu, Hong Ya, who was panting, reached out and pressed the teacup in front of him, as if he was going to get straight to the point as soon as he sat down. "Forget about the tea."
Erlubu grinned, then put down the teapot in his hand and shook his head slightly: "For this kind of thing, Hong Chengzhi could just send a servant over to tell him, or just send his family over directly. Why would he come here in person at this critical moment?"
"Because I plan to visit more generals, and then separate the families of several families, in order to preserve as much as possible in the chaos." Hong Ya responded with a serious face. "This is the principle of learning from failure... When the Sixth Prince and I came back from Zhending, we encountered the Mongols on the road, and were killed without knowing why. Except for the Sixth Prince and I who stayed behind, only one Tai Shi slave was still alive... Anyway, I wonder if the general is willing to agree? If you are willing, I will send my family to the meeting tomorrow morning?"
Erlubu nodded: "No matter what, I can still do this... But Hong Chengzhi, you have seen the situation on the street, aren't you afraid that you won't be able to hold on tonight?"
"General, you are underestimating our vision." Hong Ya shook his head. "The meeting of the Shangshutai seems to be delayed without a conclusion, but delaying itself is also a way... Next, it is nothing more than the people outside the Great Wall returning to the Great Wall, and the people of Yanyun staying in Yanyun. This is the general trend. Even if there is chaos tonight, it is just a few Yanjing clans in an awkward position trying to stop the nation from returning north... But those people, even if they seem to be strong, how can they be the opponents of the generals who have survived hundreds of battles?"
Elubu nodded again and said no more.
Hong Ya simply stood up and prepared to leave, which prompted Erlubu to stand up and see him off... The entire visit was quick and easy, without any delay, as if he was really coming to entrust his family.
But just as Hong Ya was about to step out of the door, Elubu suddenly stepped forward and grabbed his arm: "Hong Chengzhi, are you really here just to take care of your family today?"
"General!"
Hong Ya was grabbed by the arm, and was panicked in his heart. His face was also anxious for a moment, but he did not dare to hesitate and turned back to explain. "Of course I know what the general means. He is just worried that I am going to play tricks again and make a real decision... Is that right or not?"
E'erlubu smiled but said nothing.
“But are Yanjing and Zhending the same thing?”
Having said this, Hong Ya got over the moment of gaffe and stomped his feet on the threshold.
"In Zhending City, I had the Fourth Prince's gold medal and the status of an imperial envoy. What about me in Yanjing City today? In Zhending City, the Sixth Prince was so soft-hearted, but in Yanjing City, the First Prince and the Yanjing clans are vital to life and death. How can they shake the way for me to intervene? Moreover, in this situation, any action must be done with troops... I relied on the general to kill that person for me that day. Will the general be moved by my words today and kill someone for me easily? You are also in a life-and-death situation now, and it is not for me to interfere!"
"It's good that Hong Chengzhi knows our difficulties." Seeing this, Erlubu finally let go, and then pointed to the sky and swore. "Please rest assured, Hong Chengzhi, no matter what happens, I will definitely treat your family members as my own family members and protect them!"
Hong Ya nodded, and actually grabbed the other person's hand, shook it earnestly, then lowered his head and walked out... It was truly a sincere and heartfelt gesture.
Of course, maybe it was out of genuine gratitude, because if Qin Hui failed to test Heshelie Taiyu, then this trip would not be a paralysis, but a real entrustment of the family.
Even if it was E'lubu, he would never have thought that Hong Ya's trip was both true and false.
"General Heshelie is joking."
While Hong Ya was paralyzing the generals on the list without any danger, Qin Huizhi was personally conducting the most fatal test. "We scholars are weak and powerless. Without the protection of heroes, we can't do anything..."
"Well!" Heshilie Taiyu laughed. "Isn't it just to protect your family in case of chaos? Although I think Mr. Qin is overthinking, but since he came to me in person, how can I say no?"
Qin Hui also took the opportunity to take a look at Hesheli Taiyu.
This man is in his early forties and is the leader of the Hesheli tribe, a large Jurchen tribe. Because he has been active in the vicinity of Shangjing for many years and has only come here to lead the troops in the past two years, his speech and behavior are inevitably much rougher than those direct descendants of the Wanyan clan who came to the Han area early.
The conversation just now has roughly confirmed this kind of person's character.
Of course, Qin Hui did not expect to be able to see through people's minds after a conversation, but at this point, there was no perfect way. As long as the other party behaved roughly and had a "Jurchen" flavor, it would be enough to proceed to the next step.
As for the so-called Jurchen flavor, it is certainly not stupidity or rudeness, but it means that once they are persuaded, they are often willing to risk their lives to do something drastic when the situation arises. This is a kind of "custom" that is forced to form under the harsh living conditions outside the Great Wall.
Under this kind of atmosphere, people often do not regard their own lives as real lives, nor do they regard the lives of others as real lives. The so-called rules are even more ridiculous. Once some superficial agreement is reached, they will often directly engage in extremely violent actions... This is completely different from the way Han people think.
To put it bluntly, it means being brutal, cruel, bold and rude.
In fact, this was an important reason why Qin Hui and others decided to try this person.
"General Hesheli."
After taking a deep breath, Qin Hui suddenly became serious. "In fact, I came here today not only to ask the Hesheli tribe to look after my family, but also to ask a few questions."
"Minister Qin, please speak frankly." Hesheli Taiyu waved to him across the table.
"General, you just came back from Huolu. Do you think we still have room for victory in the south?" Qin Hui asked seriously.
The pride and rudeness on Heshelie's face disappeared immediately, replaced by an extremely serious expression: "It's useless! We can't win! It's not just me. If you ask other people who have come down from the battlefield, they will all give the same answer... Only by quickly leaving the border and returning to the north can we have a chance to survive. The people in Yanjing are just dreaming."
"But if that's the case." Qin Hui seemed a little depressed. "What if they chase us to the south? What if they chase us to Huanglongfu or Huiningfu? Can we stop them there?"
"Let's take it one step at a time!" Hesheli Taiyu was also somewhat helpless. "To be honest, the Liao territory is definitely not safe. Huanglong Prefecture and Huining Prefecture are so exposed that they may not be able to withstand it... But if it really doesn't work, hide in the mountains and forests, and the Song people won't be able to chase in."
"If we really have to hide in there, the Jin Kingdom is not as good as the situation given by Emperor Zhao!" Qin Hui sighed.
"Who said it wasn't?" Hesheli Taiyu replied casually. "But didn't Prime Minister Qin say it today at the Shangshutai? The foundation of the country is the foundation of the country. The foundation of the Great Jin is the property of the Wanyan family..."
"Today in the palace, I did speak of the foundation of the country." Qin Hui tried to calm himself down. "I wanted to say that the eldest prince should not be shaken, and advised everyone not to fall into the south's divisive plot... But the fourth prince's later words made me feel quite emotional... General, what do you think if we offend the Emperor Zhao and he gets angry, and we can't protect the foundation of the country no matter what?"
Heshilie Taiyu still didn't think much about it, and just spread his hands and said: "Just watch, what else can I do?"
"Then I'll be frank." Qin Hui continued to ask. "If there is a day when the country's foundation is replaced, do you and the General intend to serve as the new foundation of the country?"
Heshelie Taiyu was finally stunned, then he opened his eyes wide and asked seriously: "What does Qin Xianggong mean?"
"Our meaning couldn't be simpler." Qin Hui finally spread his hands. "General... why do we keep emphasizing that peace talks are a ploy to sow discord in the south? It's because we know very well that the Crown Prince and the generals on the list all have troops in hand, and the Yanyun clans also have troops in hand. Only those of us who are named as 'lucky' have no power. Once chaos breaks out, they will kill us if they want to, and behead us if they want to. So those words are more like begging for mercy in public than persuading everyone... But the fear is that even if we beg for mercy, we can't save our lives. Therefore..."
"That's why you came to me!"
Hesheli Taiyu sighed. "You Han people are full of thoughts. You immediately saw that my family is actually an embarrassing place where people are suspicious. But we have some soldiers to protect ourselves, so you want to find me to form an alliance..."
"It's not an alliance, it's a surrender!"
Qin Hui stood up without hesitation and bowed on the spot. "If the general intends to clean up the situation and rebuild the country in the future, we, the Han people who came to the south, are willing to serve as his vanguard."
Hesheli Taiyu was so pleasantly surprised that he almost stood up immediately to help the other person up and say some words of confidence.
But for some reason, he moved very quickly at first, but then became slower and slower. After helping the other person up, he laughed dryly: "Mr. Qin, I appreciate your kindness, but I can't make the decision on this matter alone... Can you please wait for a moment, I'll be back soon?"
Qin Hui was also a little confused when he saw that the matter that was originally going smoothly was suddenly stuck. He immediately asked anxiously: "Is there another wise man in the general's family? I wonder if I can recognize him?"
"He's not a counselor." Hesheli Taiyu was a little embarrassed. "He's a member of my family... Ever since I left Huining Prefecture and entered the inner city, I always like to consult with him before making any decision."
When Qin Hui heard this, he immediately came to his senses and even felt a little friendly. So although he was a little nervous, he quickly pushed the other party and said, "General, please go quickly and come back soon. I have to go to the eldest prince to inquire about the news later, so I dare not wait for long."
Hesheli Taiyu nodded quickly, then hurriedly turned to the hall and entered the back house.
However, the man did not go to see Lady Hesheli as imagined. Instead, he walked around the backyard and went to a side courtyard facing the side door.
As soon as I entered the courtyard, I heard the sound of reading aloud.
As the saying goes:
"Alas! The teaching of teachers has not been passed on for a long time! It is difficult to expect people to have no doubts! The ancient sages were far superior to ordinary people, but they still followed their teachers and asked them questions; the people today are far inferior to the sages, but they are ashamed to learn from their teachers. Therefore, the sages become more sage, and the fools become more foolish..."
"Lou Shi my son!"
Heshelie Taiyu didn't care about the "teacher's way of not passing on" at all, and came to the door and called out directly. "I need your help to make a decision on something!"
It turned out that the family member that Hesheli Taiyu was talking about was not the wife that Qin Huizhi had thought of, but his seventeen-year-old eldest son, Hesheli Liangbi, whose original name was Loushi.
When Liangbi heard his father's words, he walked out with the book upside down and bowed respectfully. His elegance was revealed, just like a handsome young man from the Han family, even better than the king Hela.
Tai Yu did not hesitate, and stepped forward and whispered to him what Qin Hui had said in the hall, and then asked, "How is it, my son, do you think you can trust this man?"
"My son thinks it's okay."
Liang Bi thought for a moment and gave an answer without hesitation. "The situation is now clear... Han has no place to stand, so the Yan people stay in Yan and the nation returns to the country... The few Yanjing families who want to keep the nation are just struggling to survive. They are not popular and are no match for the generals... As for our family, after the Zhao Song official separated my father from the generals today, he also became suspicious. I am afraid that the eldest prince and the generals will kill us and deal with us suspects together. So why not join hands with other suspects to be on guard? As for Qin Xianggong, he is good at dancing with long sleeves. If we can accept him, even Talan and Yinshu can be brought in by him."
Tai Yu nodded repeatedly, twirling his beard: "What about the replacement of the country's foundation?"
"What Qin Xianggong said is quite honest." Liang Bi sighed while holding the book. "Although we can't be the kind of people who usurp the throne, if the treasure really falls at our feet, why not pick it up? After all, after these twenty years, the older generation has seen wealth and honor, and the younger generation has seen culture and elegance. How can they go back to being barbarians? If the Zhao Song government really pursues us, it must be my father's good fortune."
"That's exactly what I meant! My son said it right away!"
Having said that, Hesheli Taiyu no longer hesitated and immediately turned around and went to the hall.
Liang Bi, on the other hand, stood in the side courtyard for a while before trying to read again. But for some reason, he could not calm down no matter how many times he turned over and over. He just repeated the sentence "It is difficult to expect people to have no doubts" several times in the whistling spring breeze.
Qin Hui, who was sure that the other party had accepted all the temptations, was not excited or ecstatic. Instead, he felt very nervous. He left Hesheli's mansion and asked his servants to send a white paper with a check mark on it back to the mansion. Then he went directly to the eldest prince's mansion to "show his loyalty" and to make inquiries.
He even made preparations to encourage the eldest prince to take the initiative to send troops when necessary.
Of course, he soon realized that in the current situation, everyone was in danger and there was no need for anyone to incite them.
Moreover, after the new conditions of the Zhao Song government arrived, no one was angry about the self-collapse of the new army, because at this time, everyone had already seen that there was only one way, and that was to abandon Yanjing and escape first!
Regarding this, the tribes outside the Great Wall wanted to do it as quickly as possible, while the majority of the big families in Yanjing wanted to preserve the essence of Yanjing as much as possible and make a deal with Emperor Zhao and Marshal Han so that both sides could part ways amicably.
But didn’t Emperor Zhao specifically specify that he wanted to kill the leaders of the three major families in Yanjing: the Han, Zuo, and Liu families?
Therefore, these three people were forced into a corner, and twists and turns were inevitable.
In the evening, before it got dark, amid the whistling wind, the Crown Prince's mansion, which was full of officials and generals, suddenly received several pieces of news that arrived at the same time - Han Fang had gone to the palace, Zuo Yuan (the second son of Zuo Qigong and the deputy governor of Yanjing) was coming here in person, and at the same time, Liu Xu (the second son of Liu Yanzong), the Minister of Rites, who had been staying at home on the pretext of illness because he had previously been attached to Nianhan, suddenly appeared and led a large number of new troops attached to the Liu family to the north of the city... There was an armory there, and it was not far from the north gate with several urn cities.
"What do you think we should do, Mr. Qin?"
Wanyan Oben let out a long sigh, looked around, and naturally noticed the one with the "highest status" among the people here.
"What can we do? If an enemy comes, we will fight him with our generals. If a flood comes, we will block it with earth." Qin Huizhi stood up and raised his voice. "Please ask the eldest prince Xu Chen to enter the palace to see what Han Fang wants to say to the king, and then stay in the palace to greet Zuo Liushou politely and listen to what he wants to say. Finally, send a few more generals to the armory. If you can avoid killing people, don't kill them. If you have to, kill them. In short, take back the armory... Without the armory, even the Koreans will be difficult to deal with when we return to Liaodong!"
Wanyan Oben nodded repeatedly and was about to speak, but suddenly turned his head to look at a short armored man behind him: "Digunai...what do you say?"
"Father!" The man called Digunai was actually just a teenager, and he should be Wanyan Oben's son. He also stepped out and bowed, his voice loud. "I think what Minister Qin said makes sense, but it is a different position, and it is not what father should adopt!"
Qin Hui was shocked, and Wanyan Wuben frowned and asked, "What do you mean?"
"My son's point is that the situation is so bad, and I don't know how many people want to take my father's head to negotiate peace with the southern government. At this time, any hesitation or magnanimity will lead to disaster. So there is no need to show mercy to the armory. The Han, Zuo, and Liu families are obviously in cahoots with each other and want to hinder our overall situation with their own interests, so why not eliminate them all at once?" Wanyan Digunay spoke with certainty, and Qin Hui also breathed a sigh of relief. "My son is willing to go with the generals, take back the armory with thunderous means, and deal with the three families at the same time. Finally, go to the palace to talk to the king and ask him to deal with Han Fang, so that the situation can be properly resolved!"
Wanyan Oben hesitated for a moment, and finally shook his head: "It's not necessary to come to this... It's not necessary... Minister Qin's strategy is the most mature and appropriate. You go down... Wulibu!"
"I'm here." Jiagu Wulibu turned around and bowed.
"I'll give you four hundred lilies of the valley, and you go to the West Street military camp to find Erlubu and take back the arsenal together. Don't kill anyone if you can, but if Liu Xu resists, you'll kill him immediately!"
"I know!"
"Minister Wulin, please go out and welcome the left deputy governor on my behalf."
"yes."
"Prince Qin, please come to the palace. No matter what Han Fang says, just tell the king to wait for me to come over!"
"I understand!" Qin Huizhi was sweating profusely and his heart was pounding.
As the sun set, the city of Yanjing was in complete chaos.
A quarter of an hour later, when it was almost dark, Hesheli Taiyu, who was also frightened, suddenly received news that Hong Ya, the chief of the Privy Council, was coming to visit unexpectedly.
"Please come quickly!" After what happened in the afternoon, Taiyu could of course guess that Hong Ya was 'one of their own'.
"General, something big has happened!" Hong Ya said hastily after entering the palace, without even having to salute. "Both sides are too intense... Han Fang has gone to the palace, Liu Xu has sent a large army to seize the armory to support him, and as for the eldest prince, his son Wanyan Digunai has actually persuaded the eldest prince to gather his troops and kill all the unstable people in the chaos!"
Heshelie Taiyu was horrified and immediately asked, "What should I do?"
"There is only one way!" Hong Ya pointed to a place. "Quickly lead the troops into the palace while the chaos is going on, and then invite the king to come to the Shangshutai!"
"How can you lead troops into the palace without an imperial edict?" Tai Yu was panicked for a moment.
"General, what are you thinking? I'm not asking you to rebel!" Hong Ya stamped his feet hastily. "We entered the palace to protect ourselves. We suspects can only confront the Crown Prince in front of the King! We are also protecting the King... If things get chaotic, who knows which local Yan people might want to take advantage of the situation and make a fortune in front of the Southern Emperor! Even the Crown Prince and Liu Xu are not doing well!"
Tai Yu suddenly realized it, but he hesitated again: "Minister Hong, please wait a moment. I will go ask someone else."
Hong Ya was very anxious and scolded him on the spot: "General! Talan and Yin Shu have already taken action. Do you want to lag behind even in such a matter as leading troops into the palace?"
Tai Yu stamped his feet and said, "Minister Hong, please wait a moment. The troops are ready. I am just asking a few questions."
As he spoke, the leader of the Hesheli tribe, one of the six traditional Jurchen tribes, and the general in charge of the thirty-six Hesheli divisions, actually left Hong Ya, who had come to report the news, behind and went to the rear.
To be honest, Hong Ya once wanted to escape.
However, it was only a moment before Hesheli Taiyu returned and bowed on the spot: "Minister Hong, my son said that Digunai is indeed that kind of person, and the eldest prince is indeed in danger. If what you said is correct, the situation is indeed urgent, and we should lead our troops into the palace!"
Hong Ya let out a long sigh... Borrowing the troops from the Hesheli tribe was the reality, and having the king in hand was the name. Although both the name and the reality were made up, he could do whatever he wanted!
