Plan to cut off the nine states

After hearing about Ma Jin's intention to visit, Zhang Shiqing was very angry, "The queen is so unreasonable. She is already the queen and her son is also the prince. What else can she be dissatisfied with? And if she wants to win favor, she will fight for it. Why come all the way?" Come here to threaten you? You have been retired for many years and you are not a living god. Can you make the emperor no longer favor Prince Binfen and Shinu? "

"The queen doesn't think I'm a 'living god', but the emperor and Binfen came to me first, so she had to be on guard."

Zhang Shiqing was slightly startled, "Binfen did harm me...but she is alone and helpless in the palace, and she must have been bullied a lot. If she doesn't come to me, who can she come to?"

In Zhang Shiqing's mind, Binfen was still the timid but loyal little maid she had been before, and the previous meeting in Yecheng did not change this impression.

Xu Chu smiled and said, "The emperor and Binfen came to me because Tan Wuwei has been protecting me in Yecheng and no outsiders are allowed to come and disturb me."

"That's why Tan Wuwei harmed you... But he has protected Si Guogu for many years, and he has good intentions." Zhang Shiqing is not a person who doesn't know good from evil. He can't blame his protector, so he can only sigh, "From a distance, good and bad can be clearly seen. The closer you get, the less clear the distinction becomes.”

"Tan Wuwei protects me because I happen to live in Siguo Valley and he happens to be in Yecheng. If it were another place, he would be beyond his reach and would not interfere with my affairs."

"That's your fault. You have to choose to live in seclusion in Siguo Valley. This is not a place outside the world that no one knows. It's better in troubled times. The world is peaceful. No one can be hidden here - but I can't blame you. , if it were not for being closer to Yecheng and receiving some care from the city, how could these dozens of people survive until now?"

Zhang Shiqing became increasingly unable to find who or where the mistake was. He frowned and said, "What are you going to do? If it doesn't work out, I will take the prince to live elsewhere and leave Jizhou so as not to cause trouble to Si Guogu."

Xu Chu smiled and said: "The prince is my disciple. He has not made any mistakes. How can he be expelled from Siguo Valley?"

"It's not easy to find fault. He is getting more and more naughty now. I saw him walking a little stiffly during the day. He deliberately hid it in front of me. He must have fallen off a horse."

"Don't worry. I told Ma Jin that I have no intention of participating in any disputes. Whether he believes it or not, it won't make any difference for a while. I think he is an honest man. He might speak well in front of the queen, but at least he won't speak ill of me. "Just wait."

"I have to 'wait a moment' again." Zhang Shiqing believed her husband, turned off the lights and went to bed and lay down. He didn't fall asleep for a while, and suddenly said: "Is it never possible to stay away from right and wrong and live in peace?"

"Well, it can only be done for a while, not for a lifetime."

Zhang Shiqing turned around, got into his husband's arms, and whispered, "It's okay for a while."

Ma Jin left the next day and said before leaving: "Mr. Xu said that he is not concerned with worldly affairs. I believe that he will try his best to persuade the queen to believe it after he returns, but... it is not enough. I hope Mr. Xu can do something more to win the queen's trust." , I’m also easy to talk to.”

When Ma Jin returned to Beijing, Xu Chu did not "do anything" immediately. He continued to study and teach, and his requirements for the children in the valley did not become more stringent.

Suddenly, nearly a month passed, and it was the end of the year. The atmosphere in the valley gradually became lively, but the old servant in charge of the warehouse could not afford to fall ill. Xu Chu personally served the soup and medicine, but the old servant did not get better.

Seeing that the oil was gone and the lamp was drying up, the old servant gave up hope and said to Xu Chu: "For more than ten years, I have had a wish, not to starve to death, thanks to the master. This wish has not failed, and I have no regrets."

That night, the old servant died, and Xu Chu buried him near Fan Guan's tomb. Until then, he could not remember the old servant's name, so he did not erect a monument.

Just after the New Year, some news spread to the valley. After Zhang Shiqing sent someone to Yecheng to find out the details, he immediately came to the school to find Xu Chu.

Xu Chu was teaching several children to write and read. The younger children drew red and the older children recited classics. Xu Chu walked back and forth, occasionally correcting them. If the students had any doubts, they could ask them at any time and he tried his best to answer them.

The prince Shi Nu and the brothers of the Xu family are not here. They return to Zhan for supervision.

Zhang Shiqing coughed lightly and called his husband out the door, "The news from Yecheng is that the emperor was defeated in Liaodong years ago, retreated to Yuyang, and is heading to Yecheng."

"A big defeat?" Xu Chu was very surprised.

"Yes, it was a great defeat, not a great victory. The Chu army drove away the He Rong people, but suffered a setback in Liaodong - do you think Huanyan fought this battle?"

Xu Chu shook his head, "I don't know. The Chu army's biggest enemy in this battle may be this cold winter."

In the late first month of the first month, the imperial army returned to Yecheng. The public news did not admit that it suffered a "big defeat", but a great victory. It captured more than a dozen cities from Liaodong and expanded the area hundreds of miles. However, the thick snow in the middle of winter hindered the As the soldiers and horses marched, the emperor couldn't bear the suffering of his soldiers, so he ordered the troops to turn around and disband part of the army in Yuyang, rest briefly in Yecheng, disband the other part of the army, and then prepare to return to Kyoto with only the imperial troops.

Seeing that there were still many soldiers and horses in the imperial court, the rumors immediately dropped a lot. Only a few people noticed that the imperial court's "big victory" news did not mention which enemy nobles were killed or captured in the Battle of Liaodong. Before that, He Rong was defeated. At the time of the attack, the news included a detailed list of those killed and kidnapped.

Tan Wuwei contracted an illness outside the Great Wall and returned to Yecheng with the emperor. However, he still did not get better, so Xu Chu had to visit him in person.

It happened that Binfen also wanted to see his son and sent someone to get him, so Xu Chu followed this team into the city.

The atmosphere in the palace was depressing and tense. Everyone was walking in a hurry, but they didn't dare to make a sound and tried to hold their breath as calmly as possible.

Tan Wuwei was lying on the bed wrapped in a thick quilt, dying. He seemed to be even more seriously ill than the old servant who passed away not long ago. When he saw Xu Chu, Tan Wuwei struggled to say hello, and after breathing for a long time, he said: "I'm afraid I have to go first." Take a step forward. If my fourth brother is interested, please take care of my wife and children. I will be grateful for your kindness."

Xu Chu comforted him and asked the waiter on the side to bring some tea. When there were no outsiders in the room, he said, "What's the trick Second Brother is using?"

"A trick? I didn't use a trick. I'm really sick. If you don't believe it, look at it..."

Tan Wuwei wanted to lift the quilt, but Xu Chu stopped him.

"If my second brother doesn't believe me, I won't ask any more questions. I will tell you that the Marquis of Yecheng is seriously ill when I go out. But I am just a commoner and I cannot take care of the Marquis's wife."

Tan Wuwei was stunned for a while, and was about to speak when the waiter came in with tea. Tan Wuwei pushed him away, stretched out an arm from under the quilt, and held Xu Chu's hand, "I am indeed sick, but it's not that serious. There's nothing I can do about it. My...fourth brother went to the door to have a look."

Xu Chu got up and went to the door to check. After confirming that no one was eavesdropping, he returned to the bed and sat down.

Tan Wuwei let out a long sigh, "It was my impulse. After the former defeated He Rong's tribe, I presented an idea to His Majesty, thinking that we should send 30,000 elite cavalry to pursue the remnants of the enemy and completely annihilate He Rong's tribe. Your Majesty was eager to attack the Tiancheng court in Liaodong, so I offered another plan. , thinking that although Liaodong is small, the terrain is dangerous and there are many cities, making it difficult to sweep away. Once there is a stalemate, they will suffer from the cold winter. It is better to go back to Yuyang to rest and wait until next spring, and then camp step by step and fight steadily, which can take as little as one year and as many as three years. , can occupy the entire territory of Liaodong."

"What the second brother has to offer are all wonderful ideas."

Tan Wuwei sighed again, "Here's the trouble. Your Majesty didn't listen to my plan. I was so angry that I happened to be sick again, so I asked him to return Yuyang, and Your Majesty agreed. As a result, Your Majesty personally conquered Liaodong. Although he was not defeated, However, we lost all our troops and failed to capture Liaodong, nor did we force Tiancheng to surrender. Since the relocation of the army, they have only sent an imperial doctor to check on my condition, and there has been no news since. I am a little worried... I may have angered the emperor. "

Xu Chu also sighed, "Second brother has lost a great opportunity."

"What chance?"

"Second brother should persuade the emperor to return to Yuyang and take charge, while you yourself are sick and lead troops to attack Liaodong."

"If I go to Liaodong, I won't be able to win a big victory. Without platoon, the losses will be smaller."

"Second brother, we have too many 'big wins', which is why we are worried today. A defeat in Liaodong is beneficial."

Tan Wuwei suddenly understood, sat up on the bed, and said angrily: "I am always confused about this kind of thing. My fourth brother is right, I should have sought defeat long ago - what should I do now? Your Majesty obviously thinks it's me. Liaodong is in trouble because of not helping. My illness is neither serious nor serious. Sometimes I really want to stab myself twice."

"I have a plan, I wonder if my second brother can use it?"

"The fourth brother's plan must be brilliant, how could I not use it?"

"Second brother also knows that I have not done this kind of thing for more than ten years. If there is any lack of consideration, second brother needs to make his own decision. Don't blame me afterwards."

Tan Wuwei smiled and said, "You and I both know how difficult it is to persuade others. If I can get my fourth brother to trick me, I'm satisfied. How can I complain?"

"Second brother, please stop pretending to be ill. You should seek an audience with His Majesty as soon as possible and lead your troops to fight another battle with Liaodong after the Spring Festival."

"If I win this battle, I will be even more afraid. If I lose, I will be severely punished."

"It is better to punish severely than to be afraid."

"But... it's easy to defeat Zhan. What if Your Majesty... wants to get rid of me?"

"Second brother needs to make arrangements early to please His Majesty's Concubine Zhang."

Fanfen didn't know her real surname, so she borrowed Zhang's surname, so she was called Concubine Zhang.

Tan Wuwei was stunned again, "Concubine Zhang...can you put in a good word for me?"

Xu Chu shook his head, "If Concubine Zhang is kind, then the second brother is more in danger. Concubine Zhang has a son, who is eleven years old this year and is deeply loved by your majesty. Unfortunately, he is the last in line and is not his legitimate son, so he cannot be entrusted to the country. I think your majesty It seems that she intends to make this son the king. After the second brother is defeated in Liaodong, he can cut off half of his fiefdom and return it to the court. Concubine Zhang will be successful in requesting the title for her son. From then on, there will be two kings in Jizhou, and your majesty will have less to worry about. The prince has to be crowned king, so the second brother can have no worries."

Tan Wuwei was silent, a little reluctant to hand over half of his fiefdom.

Xu Chu continued: "This is not enough. The second brother wants to ask the court to resign and be crowned Crown Prince. The King of Yecheng will stop here."

Tan Wuwei was shocked, "If the title of king cannot be passed down to future generations, what kind of king is he?"

"There are many things that can be passed on to future generations, and the king's title is not the most important one." Without further persuasion, Xu Chu stood up and left. No matter how much Tan Wuwei tried to persuade him to stay, he refused to say another word.

The prince Shi Nu was left by Binfen, and Xu Chu returned to Siguo Valley alone and said to his wife, "Our boss is going to the capital."

"Huh?" Zhang Shiqing was startled, "What happened?"

"It's okay. Queen Ma needs me to do something, so let's do something. Xu Xun... and Ma Shi will go to Beijing together to serve as the prince's attendants."

"I'm just eight years old. I'm used to being a little wild. How could I..."

Xu Chu interrupted his wife and said sincerely: "You are the princess of the Tiancheng Zhang family, and I am the son of the general. Our son is destined not to spend his life in the valley. Instead of doing it as a last resort in the future, why not do something now?" arrange."

"But our seclusion..."

Xu Chu smiled and said: "I would rather be a great hermit than a small hermit."