Jinyang, outside the city.
The important officials of the court gathered outside the road at this moment, looking solemn.
No matter how fierce the fight in the temple is, it will be in vain without those who are coming to express their stance.
After hundreds of years of fighting, the important ministers all understood this truth. Those who can really make decisions are those who have soldiers in their hands.
Gao Yan stood in the middle of the group of ministers. This newly minted prime minister was not at all happy about having won the power. He was even more tired than when Gao Yan left Jinyang. The fatigue was almost written on his face.
On his face, those eyes were calm but filled with deep sleepiness.
To his left and right were several sons of Emperor Wenxiang.
Although Gao Xiaoyu had a very good relationship with Gao Zhan, and after several of his brothers betrayed him, he said he would no longer interfere in temple affairs. However, when several brothers came to visit him separately, and Gao Zhan's condition worsened again, he reluctantly stepped forward.
He came out and became a member of Gao Jun's side, even though he didn't like Gao Jun's uncle very much.
The second eldest brother, Gao Xiaoheng, was equally handsome and beautiful. Standing there, he looked like a celebrity, which was different from the other brothers.
Gao Xiaoheng is a relatively reserved person, somewhat similar to Gao Jun, but He Shikai's problem made him intolerable. When he learned that He Shikai and others were conspiring to get rid of these brothers, he chose to come forward.
The third child, Gao Xiaowan, has a fierce face. He is quite similar to Gao Yanzong in temperament. He is a rough man and a straight man. He even dared to insult He Shikai in person. He was even more angry when he learned that Gao Zhan abandoned the city and fled.
His teeth were itchy, he was warlike and brave, and although he was Gao Xiaoyu's younger brother, he was closer to Gao Rui.
The fifth child was Gao Yanzong. The fat little man had a silly smile on his face and his chubby face was still childish. He stood among a group of handsome men and looked really out of place.
It's no wonder that Emperor Wenxuan treated him as his own son. After all, they were the only ones in the family who had unique looks and stood out from the crowd.
In addition to Emperor Wenxiang's sons, Gao Jun also gathered some well-known sage kings from the clan around him.
Relying on the voluntary or involuntary support of these people, Gao Jun could barely take the position of prime minister.
On the other side, Gao Rui, his two relatives, and many nobles from the generation who stayed in Yecheng formed a group.
Their power cannot be underestimated either.
Hu Luguang's father, Hu Lüjin, was standing in this group. The old man could no longer see clearly. At this moment, he was talking in low voices with a few veterans who had not yet passed away.
There was also He Baren, standing in the middle of the two parties with a blank look on his face, isolating both forces at the same time.
Soon, the three generals in the distance appeared in everyone's sight.
Duan Shao took the lead, followed by Hu Luguang and Liu Taozi on his left and right, and behind him were the noble and fierce generals.
Gao Jun locked his eyes on Liu Taozi in the crowd, and his expression seemed to relax a lot.
Gao Xiaoheng looked at the generals in the distance, and then looked at Lou Rui, who was standing in the crowd in the distance, with an ugly look on his face.
He tugged on Lao Wu's sleeve, and Gao Yanzong hurriedly came over, "Second brother?"
"Let the Prime Minister go to greet you first. Don't let others get there first."
Gao Yanzong said oh, walked to Gao Jun again, whispered something, Gao Jun nodded, and then walked quickly towards Duan Shao in the distance.
"Da Sima!"
Gao Jun bowed slightly to Duan Shao. Duan Shao also led the people off their horses and bowed to Gao Jun.
Duan Shao then saw the mourning clothes of the ministers, and he asked in disbelief: "What happened to your Majesty??"
"It's the Queen Mother."
"What?!"
Duan Shao looked sad and a little angry at the same time. Under such a situation, the Queen Mother suddenly died of illness, which became a bit strange.
Zu Jue looked at it from a distance and shook his head.
He is a person who can be a prime minister, but he is not a person who can be a great prime minister.
What if you burst into tears first? Pretend to faint? Then let Lou Rui and other close associates of the Queen Mother come out to explain.
You calmly told people that the Queen Mother was gone, and people who didn't know thought you had killed her!
Gao Rui arrived shortly afterwards. Duan Shao did not look at Gao Rui, but looked at Lou Rui behind him.
When Lou Rui saw Duan Shao, he felt sad and cried immediately.
Duan Shao came forward and Lou Rui talked about the Queen Mother. The two of them were extremely sad.
Lou Rui is a child of the Queen Mother's brother's family, and Duan Shao is a child of the Queen Mother's sister's family.
The two hugged each other and cried. On the other side, Hu Luguang saw his trembling old father and had already run over to pay him a visit.
Only then did Gao Jun look at Liu Taozi.
"General Wei."
"Your Majesty."
"What's the situation like everywhere?"
"Is the farmland severely damaged? If grain is to be transported, what is the condition of the roads?"
"The frontier fortress was the most severely damaged, followed by Heng, Yan, An and other prefectures in the north. They were completely destroyed by the Turks. Many cities fell and the farmland and houses outside the city were burned down."
"The surrounding areas of Shuozhou were severely damaged, with the roads in Sizhou and Xianzhou being the most severely damaged. Before Yang Zhong left, he destroyed everything that could be destroyed."
"There will be a big food shortage in the north next year."
Gao Jun frowned, his whole face wrinkled, "This year's autumn harvest is too late, and the food I can send to the rescue is very limited."
"I know that I will find a way to help the border states survive this crisis."
This was the first time the two met. Gao Jun did not greet him or ask about military affairs, but asked about people's livelihood first. Liu Taozi couldn't help but look at him a little higher.
Just as the two were talking about the military disasters in various places, Hu Luguang reluctantly helped his old father to come to Liu Taozi.
Hu Lujin is over seventy years old. He may have been a soldier all his life. He has aged even more completely. He looks like he will be buried at any time. He is much older than his peers.
There are scars all over his body.
He looked at Liu Taozi in front of him, and his solemn and nervous expression suddenly became gentle and kind.
He chuckled, "Are you my grandson-in-law?"
Liu Taozi was stunned for a moment, then bowed and said, "Sir."
Hu Lüjin looked at Hu Luguang who was aside. At this moment, he changed his face again, and his expression became fierce again, "I have told you a long time ago that our family has been strong in the military for generations, so there is no need to give away the women in the family in exchange.
Wealth?! I asked you to find some strong sons-in-law to inherit the family tradition! But you, first let your son marry the princess, and then you wanted your daughter to marry the prince!"
"Wouldn't it be better to find a few more like Tao Zi?"
When Hu Luguang faced his old father, he just lowered his head. He no longer had the bad temper and accepted everything.
Hu Lujin looked at Liu Taozi again and smiled, "My dear grandson, you are indeed strong! I heard that you defeated Yang Zhong?"
"I barely managed to repel him, but failed to defeat him."
Hu Lujin looked at his incompetent son again, "Look at these people, they are so humble after winning! What about you? You beat a few unknown people and you don't know what your name is. You point fingers at others all day long. You want to teach me something?
Others are fighting? Why don't you go and capture Yang Zhong?!"
Hu Lujin took his hand away from his son and gestured with a smile to Liu Taozi to hold him up.
Liu Taozi supported him.
"Don't follow Ming Yue to learn how to fight. Ming Yue is so arrogant. As a general, you can't despise the enemy or any enemy. Don't leave in a hurry. Talk to me more. I also fought in the war when I was young.
Yes, I know a little bit about the principles of war, and I can teach you a thing or two. It will come in handy when you are at the frontier."
The old man pulled Liu Taozi and kept chattering. Hu Luguang stood aside and looked at Liu Taozi, his face getting darker and darker.
At this moment, King Lanling also stepped forward to meet his brothers.
Originally, the ministers welcomed the generals and discussed important matters together, but because of Gao Jun's inaction, this important event turned into a meeting between relatives and greetings, just like a busy market.
Gao Changgong paid homage to several elder brothers and then to his younger brother.
Gao Xiaoyu said with a straight face, "Let's fight if we fight. What's the point of wearing a mask? Pretending to be a protector?"
Gao Changgong took off the mask, and Gao Yanzong hurriedly said: "What's wrong with wearing a mask? It's much more dignified. I gave this mask to my fourth brother."
Gao Yanzong took the mask from Gao Changgong's hand and was stunned again, "Brother, this doesn't seem to be the mask I gave you, right? Have you changed it?"
"Ah, yes, the previous mask. I can't find it."
Gao Xiaoyu ignored the mask, he just looked at Gao Jun in the distance with disdain.
"Uncle Wu called us here, could it be that we can reminisce about old times here?"
He shook his head slightly, "That's all."
Gao Changgong narrowed his eyes and remembered what Liu Taozi had said again in his mind. He pulled Gao Yanzong aside and said, "Lao Wu, first gather the soldiers, open the road, and ask everyone to retreat to both sides."
After saying that, he hurried to find Gao Wei.
Gao Xiaoyu and others saw what he said to Gao Jun. Gao Jun then led Gao Changgong and interrupted the ministers who were chatting around. Everyone changed their formation again and got ready to enter the city together.
Liu Taozi didn't pay much attention to what was happening around him. Hu Lujin was telling him about his experience in attacking and defending the city.
"Defending a city is actually more difficult than attacking it."
"The attacking party is always proactive. They can decide when they want to attack, where to attack, and what method to attack. However, the defenders can only be forced to deal with it to a large extent."
"At the time, Hou Mo and Chen Chong of the Puppet Zhou Dynasty led a few people to attack the city. Before anyone could react, he rushed into the city and fought all the way to the government office. The siege was over."
"The bigger the city, the more difficult it is to defend. The general cannot quickly order the defenders on the four walls. The order is not conveyed in time. It is even possible that a wall on one side has been breached, and the general does not even know the situation."
"Therefore, when defending the city, the most important thing is the transmission of orders. More messengers and scouts are needed than outside the wall. The general must also predict the enemy's attack ideas. At least prepare each attack idea well.
Prepare to defend."
Hu Lujin was even more eloquent than Duan Shao, and his feeling of being a teacher was even stronger.
However, Liu Taozi listened very seriously.
Everyone entered the city slowly.
It was quiet in Yecheng, the people did not dare to go out, and the soldiers lined up neatly on both sides of the road.
In this way, everyone arrived at the palace.
Gao Jun took the lead into the palace, and the others followed. Hu Lujin did not rush in. He looked at Liu Taozi beside him, and his eyes became sharper at this moment.
"If you can't help but interfere with the matters in Ye City, then don't."
"These are all bad things. They will only distract your energy. You just need to do your frontier affairs well. That is the most important thing. No matter what false reputation, official position, or government power, power only lies between food, civilians, and soldiers.
, the rest are all fake.”
Liu Taozi was stunned, and the old man hurriedly said: "There is no perfect person in the world."
"Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses, advantages and disadvantages. What matters is how you use them."
Hu Lujin drooped his head again, "I won't go into the palace. I have to go back to rest. You can follow Mingyue."
There was a carriage waiting outside the palace. The old man got into the carriage directly. He also told Liu Taozi not to forget to go and pay a visit, and then disappeared on the road. Following him were many similar veterans who no longer held actual positions.
, but old people with unprecedented influence.
Hu Luguang watched his father walk away, and then looked at Liu Taozi faintly.
"you"
Hu Luguang hesitated to speak. He took a deep breath and said, "Be your general and don't make trouble. It won't do any good."
"only."
Hu Luguang strode into the palace. Just as Liu Taozi was about to enter, Zu Jue hurriedly walked forward. He took Liu Taozi's hand and said, "Master, I can't follow you in. After entering the palace, don't rush to express your position."
, and don’t rush to speak. No matter who wants to take power, they all need us. As long as you don’t rush to speak, Yecheng will not be in chaos. You don’t need to think too much about these things in the court. You can come out as soon as possible.
, I have prepared some people, you can meet them first."
Liu Taozi looked at Zu Jue, was silent for a moment, and then nodded.
There were many more soldiers in the palace than usual.
Where usually one soldier is needed, now there are three or four people stationed there. There are fully armed warriors everywhere, and you can even see many hundreds of soldiers.
Zu Jue watched the important ministers enter the palace and left in a hurry.
The important ministers were waiting outside Xuanyang Palace, while Duan Shao and several others were following Gao Jun to see the emperor.
Liu Taozi did not go with them, he stayed with Lou Rui.
"grown ups."
Lou Rui looked at him and forced a smile, "I couldn't even say a few words to you just now."
"Condolences."
Liu Taozi said again.
Lou Rui lowered his head sadly, "There will always be such a day. I am also prepared. I won't say anything anymore. I heard that you captured Yongfeng?"
"right."
"Okay, this is great. This will directly break the teeth of the Zhou people. In this way, they will no longer be able to eat the frontier fortress. In these years, they have used Yongfeng as their stronghold and continued to forge the frontier.
Expansion, their defense line is getting closer and closer to Wuchuan."
"Sir, I want to buy some food from you."
Liu Taozi suddenly interrupted the other party. Lou Rui was stunned and asked blankly: "Buying food??"
"Sir, my rule has been destroyed. There is a serious shortage of food in various places. This winter, I am afraid it will be particularly difficult to fight with the enemy. I have gained a lot of good things, many of which are your favorites.
, I want to exchange it with you for some food."
Lou Rui hurriedly put away his sadness and quickly got into work mode.
He cleared his throat and asked, "What exactly is the replacement method?"
"It all depends on the adults."
"No, no, you don't do this in business. If you need food, I can give it to you. I can give you as much as you need. The food I have here is just a drop in the bucket, but I know many people.
I have also stocked up a lot of food, and there are many places in the south. I have people there, and there are many wealthy temples there. If you want food, I can get it from all aspects."
"But, you have to make it clear about this price exchange standard. Our friendship is a friendship, and our business is a business. If you let me make the decision, let me have the final say, then I will definitely get more. This business will not be done for a long time.
"
"If you want to do this business sincerely, tell me the truth."
"Actually, there are many businesses that can be done in the north and the south. Under your rule, there are horses, iron, coal, and copper. These are all very good businesses, especially horses. If we can sell them to the south, we will go further south.
That’s a huge profit!”
Liu Taozi frowned, "Sir, it's not a good thing to have liaisons with foreign countries. In the future, they will use the horses we sold to rob us."
"I'm not doing this alone. If you don't want to sell to Nanguo, just sell it to those counties over there. However, they want to sell to Nanguo. There is more than one company doing business with Southerners at the moment. You
If you don’t sell them, some people sell them.”
"We'll talk about this later. Let's talk about food first. How can we change it?"
"I have gold and silver here, calligraphy and painting, and horses too."
"What about the official position? Are the official positions for sale? Many people have come to me and said they want to buy the official position in your name. If you are willing to sell it, you can also exchange it for food, and you can exchange it for a lot."
"Not for sale."
Lou Rui pulled Liu Taozi, and the two had a heated conversation.
From a distance, Gao Yanzong stared at Liu Taozi. He wanted to come and participate several times, but he didn't dare. He looked at Gao Laoer beside him and said, "Second brother, Brother Taozi is indeed a fierce general. Look at how much they talk.
Intense, this must be talking about the military!"
Gao Xiaoheng chuckled lightly and ignored it.
King Lou would only be so excited when talking about business, but he would be extra calm if talking about military affairs.
Duan Shao quickly followed Gao Jun and others back here, his face looking extremely ugly.
It seems that after seeing the crazy Gao Zhan, Duan Shao has given up his past ideas. Such a king can no longer assist him and must be replaced.
Gao Jun finally sat on the throne, and the important ministers sat on both sides.
Liu Taozi was sitting next to Lou Rui, and the two were still talking in low voices, ignoring the major events happening outside.
"Your Majesty has ascended to the throne of the Supreme Emperor, and the Crown Prince has ascended the throne. I wonder what Grand Sima's wishes are?"
Gao Jun's proposal was successfully passed this time. With the support of Duan Shao and other nobles, there was no need to argue about this matter.
Although Liu Taozi was meritorious and powerful, he had no chance to make suggestions on the emperor's family affairs. After all, he was an outsider. He couldn't speak up about such matters as establishing the emperor, and he was not very willing to speak up.
At the moment, it is better to negotiate this big deal with King Lou first.
Chapter completed!