Biganchun

The west wind is rustling, blowing the sycamore trees of the old forbidden garden.

Zhao Zhen looked at the desk silently, his face was tired and haggard, his eyes were bloodshot, and he didn't know how long he had been sitting here.

The case is a long scroll, seven feet wide and square, as thin as a cicada's wing.Under the meticulous painting of ink and brush, the undulating mountains and starry fortresses are impressively a map of the northwest deployment.

The ink pen is like blood, and the current situation of the four Song armies is marked on the map one by one.

Yanyan, Huanqing, Jingyuan, Qinfeng.

Zhao Zhen raised his hand, lightly landed on the map, and caressed carefully along the Yanyan Road, but his fingers trembled heavily not far to the southwest of Yanzhou, and suddenly stopped.

At the confluence of three rivers, Yanchuan, Yichuan and Jingchuan, there is a desolate tidal flat.Petty lowercase letters are placed on it, and the ordinary names that were once unknown are written meticulously——

Sanchuankou.

Seven days ago, the Northwest Expedited Army reported directly to Jinzhong, bringing a story of the battle on the Yanyan Road, which made him feel like falling into an ice cave in an instant.

Yanyan Road was originally an important place to face the Xixia Dynasty, and the most important thing is the Jinming Village, which is known as the iron wall.Not only has the two generations of Li Shibin and his son, the father of the iron wall, run it for decades, but also has the army guarding the Yanyan Road. I thought it was as solid as gold and unbreakable.Unexpectedly, Yuan Hao secretly sent traitors to the Jinming villages to help each other inside and outside, and made a surprise attack overnight, and defeated the eighteen Jinming villages in a row, pulling them out in one fell swoop.

"Hearing the name of Mr. Iron Wall, all the people of Xia will be daring to fall to the ground!" The glory of the past has now become a joke.

Once Jinming Village is lost, the gate of Yanzhou is opened, and there is no natural danger to defend.Yanzhou was originally the place where Fan Yong, the commander of Fuyan Road Zhenwu Jiedu, was stationed. At this moment, there are only a few hundred soldiers guarding the city.Fan Yong was originally a clerk, and he had never been in such a critical situation. Seeing Yuan Hao's army approaching, his mind was broken for a moment, and he sent an order to all the defenders of Yanyan Road to return to Yanzhou immediately, no matter how far or near they were.

The deputy of Fuyan deployed Liu Ping, and the deputy of Fuyan deployed Shi Yuansun, the governor of Fuyan, Huang Dehe, the inspector of Wanlizheng, and the inspector of Yanzhou West Road, Guo Zuncong. A total of more than 15 people gathered at Sanchuankou in the southwest of Yanzhou, and met Yuan Hao's [-] Xia army.The two armies confronted each other in Yanyue formation.

The Xixia people waded across the river, but before crossing the river, the Song army took the lead in attacking.The two armies fought fiercely.Guo Zun Tima and General Xia fought each other, crushing the head of the enemy general with a pestle, and both armies shouted loudly.As the commander in chief, Liu Ping entered the battle in person. His neck, ears and neck were all shot, and his armor was covered with blood.

But there was a huge gap between the number of people and the number of people. The two armies fought for three days, and the Song army was gradually exhausted.At this moment, Huang Dehe, the prisoner of Yandu, was afraid of death and the enemy, and fled before the battle.Liu Yisun, the son of Liu Ping, caught up with Huang Dehe and grabbed Huang Dehe's horse's bridle. , Fleeing all the way to Ganquan.

The Xixia army was overjoyed to see this, but because the night was getting dark and it was inconvenient to advance, they had to call out to Liu Ping, Shi Yuansun, Guo Zun and other soldiers from the air: "How many disabled soldiers, why don't they surrender?" Said: "Dog thief! If you don't surrender, how can I surrender? When the rescuers arrive tomorrow, you will die without a place to die!"

At dawn, Xixia was surrounded by mountains and attacked desperately.Guo Zun rushed into the enemy line alone, expecting to die, threw away the iron rod, and charged into the battle with an iron spear, invincible.Xia Jun wanted to trap Guo Zun with tying ropes and capture him alive, but Guo Zun cut off all the tying ropes one by one with the help of God.Xia Jun was helpless, and fired random arrows, shooting Guo Zunlian and his horse to death on the spot.The Song army was wiped out, Liu Ping was captured, and died of a hunger strike cursing the enemy.

Although Yuan Hao won this battle, the loyalty, bravery and strength of the Song army was beyond his expectation.Although the city of Yanzhou was ready to go, he thought about it again and again, but he still retreated.

Zhao Zhen suddenly shook hands into a fist and struck hard, feeling extremely sad and indignant in his heart.The words that Shi Wenyanbo, the imperial servant in Fangcai Palace, recited in this Ruisi Palace are still in my ears.

"In the battle at Sanchuankou, the thieves were very powerful. If it wasn't for Liu Ping's generals to fight, they would not be depressed. Yanzhou's isolated fortress, unless Liu Ping's generals rescued the siege, the city would not be defended."

Loyal ministers and good generals, the bones are buried in the green hills, and the statues are placed in the cabinet, where they will be enshrined forever.

On the other hand, Fan Yong misconducted his command and was demoted to be the servant of the household department.Huang Dehe escaped before the battle and was killed in the city.

Rewards and punishments are easy to come by, but what should we do now that the situation is changing so quickly?

Moving away the picture scroll, Zhao Zhen lightly held up a piece of Chengxintang note.The book above is the decree of the transfer of various armies in the Northwest after the meeting of the Zaizhi.

Zhao Zhen sighed in his heart, letting the familiar surnames and names slip past his eyes one by one.

Fan Zhongyan... Han Qi... Pang Ji... Yin Zhu...

The doctors are going here, is it a success?Is it Chengren?

A servant in green clothes came in from outside the hall, kneeling respectfully: "Fan Zhongyan is called to see you."

Zhao Zhen stood up from his seat: "Xuan."

Fan Zhongyan walked into the Hall of Ruisi. At the age of 52, he had a handsome figure and gray hair on his temples.He walked steadily in front of Yu Jia, knelt down and saluted: "Fan Xiwen pays respects to His Majesty."

Zhao Zhen hurriedly stepped down from the imperial case and helped him up: "Fan Qing, the national crisis is imminent, and these customary etiquettes can be dispensed with."

Fan Zhongyan bowed again and again and said: "The old minister dare not."

Zhao Zhen nodded slightly, turned his head to look at the tea table on the side of the hall, his eyes flickered, and said lightly: "Fan Qing, would you like to play a game of chess with me?"

Fan Zhongyan said in a deep voice, "It's my honor."

The two of them sat down opposite each other at the tea table, and the palace guards hurriedly bowed and put on a chess board, and poured two more cups of tea.

The palace wardens retreated silently, the setting sun passed through the west window and slanted in the Ruisi Hall, radiating golden light, but there was no feeling of warmth.

There was no sound in the hall, except for one or two sounds of falling children.

Zhao Zhen picked up a sunspot and turned his eyes to the vertical and horizontal parts of the chessboard. He saw a star of jades, black and white.He slowed down and asked casually: "Fan Qing, you have always suffered from lung disease. If you go to a place of bitter cold, can you cope with it?"

Fan Zhongyan picked up a white piece, and also lowered his head to consider the chess position: "The old minister's body is exhausted."

With a sound of "Duo", Zhao Zhen dropped the chess piece in his hand on the corner of the chess case.He raised his eyes slightly, secretly observing the expression on Fan Zhongyan's face.

"Fan Qing, looking at this opening, what is the situation like?"

Fan Zhongyan lowered his eyebrows in deep thought, and spoke slowly, as if he was talking to himself: "The black chess is coming, and it has already taken the lead. However, the end is still far away. Who knows the outcome? If the white chess is struggling to deal with it, it will mess up its own position, and it will not be able to control itself. Guaranteed. But if you are eager for quick success and advance rashly, you may be capsized..."

He narrowed his eyes slightly, extended his index finger and middle finger steadily, and landed the white piece in his hand on the lower corner of the chessboard.

"According to what I see, for today's strategy, we must keep a low profile and cultivate our ambitions, step by step, lure the enemy deep, and then break them in one fell swoop."

Zhao Zhen nodded slowly, and picked out another sunspot from the Jade Chess Fight in front of him.

"However, it must take a long time to operate in this way. How long will it take for the stamina to flourish?"

The texture between Fan Zhongyan's eyebrows loomed, but his voice was still extremely calm: "Three years is not short, and five years is not long."

Zhao Zhen was silent for a long time, and slowly said: "Sinong's treasury usually has 100 million guan, and I have approved the advance payment yesterday. The inner treasury in the palace and the left treasury, I plan to raise another 300 million guan to cover military expenses. [-] newly raised Soldiers, you have already assembled. Once you have been checked, you can go straight to the northwest with you, divide them into four groups, and station in the camp. This time, the money and food from all over the world, and the blood of all surnames, will be gathered in one place. I hope that in the next three to five years , drive out the wolves, and bring peace to the frontier!"

Fan Zhongyan's heart was ups and downs, and he leaned over and knelt down in front of the tea table: "The country is a British lord, God bless the Song Dynasty! I am an old man, and I am willing to guard the frontiers and lands for your majesty, guarding the borders and raising my ambitions."

Zhao Zhen nodded slowly, his face softened a little: "Fan Qing, this game is not over yet, please take a seat."

Fan Zhongyan returned to his seat with thanks.

The two played a few more hands, and Zhao Zhen said in a low voice: "Fan Qing, Prime Minister Lu, I'm afraid you should let me know before you leave."

Fan Zhongyan and Lu Yijian have been mortal enemies of the court for nearly ten years.Zhao Zhen is determined to use Fan Zhongyan to control the army in the Northwest this time, but he still cannot help worrying in his heart that Lu Fan's private disputes will lead to internal and external constraints and delay state affairs.

Fan Zhongyan smiled slightly and said: "As soon as I learned that I was going to the northwest, I wrote a letter and sent it to Prime Minister Lu."

Zhao Zhen frowned: "Oh, what did you say in the letter?"

Fan Zhongyan said in a deep voice, "Speak from the bottom of my heart."

Seeing that Zhao Zhen was still curious, Fan Zhongyan raised his head and said: "The minister's letter said that anyone who is an official must not have private crimes, and public crimes must not be free. Offenses in the past were all public affairs. He promoted Zhongyan to join the army in the northwest, and he showed his loyalty and courage. Zhongyan knew this well, and he could not thank you, and he was willing to help the prime minister internally and externally to tide over the difficulties."

Fan Zhongyan's ups and downs in officialdom, promotion and relegation were all caused by Lu Yijian, and he never lowered his color to Lu Yijian, but this time he bowed his head and voted for state affairs.Zhao Zhen's heart was agitated, he nodded and sighed: "It's a great mutual help from inside and outside to tide over the difficulties together! This short book will surely be remembered forever, and it will not lose to General Lian on the back of the thorns. Fan Qing, I am lucky to have you in the court. "

He pondered in his heart, unable to calm down for a long time, and said: "Private crimes must not be done, and public crimes must not be done away with. It is really a wise saying! It is the same for an official, and it is also the same for a king."

Fan Zhongyan didn't answer, but said indifferently: "The banished minister is guarding the place. I haven't entered this Ruisi Hall for two years. I didn't expect that even the blanket on the hall has been changed. Seeing it suddenly, I really feel like I'm a world away."

Zhao Zhen was startled suddenly, and lowered his head, eyes full of regret.

He didn't even need to close his eyes, the nightmare-like situation in the hall on the night of Qixi Festival was vividly revisited in his heart.

The sound of the string breaking shocked him on the spot.He stood there dumbfounded, seeing her slender body slumped to the ground, blood gushing out from the wound on her left wrist, staining the silk carpet of her dress, it was shocking.

He couldn't move at all, and he seemed to hear many shouts in his ears, but there seemed to be no sound at all.

Time seemed to stop there, and he could only see the figure in the red dress of His Highness, who broke free from the shackles of the forbidden army, swept into the hall like the wind, leaned over to help her weak body, tore off a skirt, and tied it tightly around her left wrist. superior.

The blood flowed continuously, soaking through the cloth in an instant, and still flowing to the ground.The man in red was holding her vest with his right hand behind her, and his left hand was holding tightly to her right vein door, his face was full of anxiety, as if he was calling her name.She leaned in his arms, her eyes gradually closed, without any response.

The man in red seemed to have a look of despair on his face, his right hand was still on her vest, but he let go of her right hand suddenly, lowered his head and bit his left wrist, the blood on the wrist suddenly flowed down like a trickle.He put his left wrist close to her cheek, and parted her pale cherry lips, causing a stream of blood to flow into her mouth.Blood pooled in her mouth, but it couldn't enter her throat, leaving it thinly along the corners of her lips.In a coma, she suddenly shrugged her shoulders, choked, and slowly opened her eyes, eyes full of weakness and doubt, suddenly seemed to find that he was sucking blood from her body.She frowned deeply, struggling to refuse, but under Zhu Yiren's restraint, she had no choice but to swallow his blood.

Both real and imaginary, Zhao Zhen clearly saw a line of tears slowly falling from the corner of her eyes, shattering like glass, melting into the crimson skirt of the man in red.

Suddenly, several people rushed into the hall with Yan Shiliang, and the figures floated around, like the imperial doctor of the imperial hospital, but they couldn't tell who they were for a while.They bent over and gathered around her in the middle, chattering incessantly, all of them frowning tightly, with embarrassing expressions on their faces.The man in red clothes stood up slowly, but was immediately restrained by the imperial guards, and he was not allowed to stop, so he was taken down to the hall.

When Zhao Zhen came back to his senses, she had also been removed by the imperial doctors and palace supervisors. On the main hall, there were only a few lines of blood stains on the ground. I don't know if it was hers or his.

The demons in the heart are frightened by the dream, accompanying like a shadow, when will I wake up from the dream?

Fan Zhongyan coughed lightly, waking Zhao Zhen from his contemplation: "Your Majesty, you have held on for a long time, but you feel undecided?"

Sweat broke out on Zhao Zhen's forehead, and he said in a low voice: "I'm just afraid that if I make a wrong move, my private crime will be forged."

Fan Zhongyan raised his head and looked at Zhao Zhen: "If you talk about the method of eliminating crimes, Bao Zheng and Master Bao are the most proficient. Master Bao has been begging to see you for days, but His Majesty always refuses to call. Now that Your Majesty is in this confusion, why don't you invite Master Bao to come?" Enter the palace to answer?"

Zhao Zhen said sadly: "I'm still in a state of mind, and I don't want to see him right now."

Fan Zhongyan sighed softly: "Since this is the case, the old minister will take over the role, and I don't know if he can solve your majesty's doubts?"

Zhao Zhen lowered his eyebrows and said, "Fan Qing, what do you think?"

Fan Zhongyan said in a deep voice: "The method of eliminating crimes is actually only four words."

He stared into Zhao Zhen's eyes, and said seriously: "One thought is kind."

Zhao Zhen was silent for a while, and then said slowly: "Broadcasting benevolent government, why don't I want to? But the matter has come to this point, the city is full of turmoil, and the turmoil is like a long wind and clouds. I am afraid that it is not something that I can resolve with a single thought of benevolence."

Fan Zhongyan stood up and cast his eyes out of the window: "One thought of benevolence may breed thieves. One thought of benevolence may also rebuild the pagoda. Tang Taizong Emperor Fan, His Majesty has long been familiar with it. Nothing can go far without virtue, and nothing can go far without kindness. Caring for others. Your Majesty devotes himself to hard work and acts of virtue and righteousness, and he will surely return his heart to the world and achieve unworldly karma. As for how to turn feelings into righteousness, eliminate grievances and worries, with your majesty's wisdom, it will not be too difficult."

Fan Zhongyan paused and turned around: "Stillness is like death of a chess, movement is like a chess. Whether it is a thousand years of calamity or a fall out of a predicament, I believe that Your Majesty will make his own judgment, and he will have no regrets."

Zhao Zhen was speechless.

The finely ground chess piece of black jade exudes a ray of coldness, which penetrates from the fingertips to the depths of the heart.

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