Looking at the mountains and rivers

On the chessboard, the black and white pieces are placed in an orderly manner, and the white is dominant. Han Ping picked the black stone held by Li Yushan, and after a little thought, he fell into the endgame.

Wen Zhi stared at the direction of his drop, and saw that the drop was pointing at her vitals, so she couldn't help but be surprised.While Li Yushan watched from the side, he was even more amazed: "Mr. Han's step is really extraordinary, his vision is much higher than mine." He chuckled and laughed at himself, "I remember the teacher once said that everyone's vision is determined by the place where he stands. There is a difference. Standing at the foot of the mountain, you can only see a square inch. Standing on the mountainside, you have a wide field of vision, and you can see the village. But standing on the top of the mountain, you can see the world from a distance. If you look at chess, I can only be counted at the foot of the mountain. Mr. Han is on the top of the mountain, so I can only look up."

Wen Zhi also nodded and said: "Mr. Han is not only superb at chess, but also has a thorough understanding of the situation." He held up the chess pieces and said, "Take the matter of Yuezhou as an example. The food provided every month is only enough to feed the hungry people, far from enough to fill them up. It was later realized that this move was to keep them from starving to death, but also not to let them slack off. In order to fill their stomachs, the hungry people had to They were called to go down the river to clear the canal silt, and to reclaim the wasteland in exchange for the next year's grain. Only in this way, in the next spring, they can re-plow to feed themselves with the harvest."

"Such relief with work is a perfect solution." Li Yushan couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

Han Ping shook his head: "The disaster relief is all due to Gongsun Tong's foresight, and there is enough rice in the granary, so we can take care of it properly. If there is a famine for several years, the granary is empty, and there is no food to relieve, we will do it." Even if you are good at planning, you will inevitably fall into trouble."

Wen Zhi made a bet to Ping Zhong, and thoughtfully said: "From what Mr. Han has seen, how should we deal with such a famine year?"

"If it's a disaster for the whole country, it depends on the meaning of the superior." Han Ping silently dropped the pawn, "As an emperor, there is always a choice, but the means of choice are different."

"For example, when there was a severe drought in the middle of the Guanzhong in the year of Jiazi, Emperor Xiaozong led all the officials to the east to avoid the drought. Most of the people in the pass were exiled. They died of epidemics due to hunger. In the end, it even reached the point where all the vegetation was exhausted and the wilderness was full of hunger. Wait until Xiaozong moved back to Jian'an from the eastern capital, and the population in the pass was surveyed, and it was only half of the population. This matter was caused by the court's improper handling, which caused a catastrophe, and it is still a place where Xiaozong is criticized."

Everyone is familiar with this matter, so they couldn't help but nodded slightly.

"There is another matter that you may have never heard of. It happened in the first year of Emperor Taizong's reign. At that time, the Dazhao Dynasty was only established for more than ten years. There was a spring drought in Guanzhong for three consecutive years. All the prefectures and counties had empty granaries. Inevitably, Emperor Taizong ordered people to conduct a general inspection of warehouses in various places, and learned that even if the granaries in the world were opened, it would not be enough for the hungry people for March. And after March, it will be winter, and no one will be able to survive by then. Worth At this critical moment, Emperor Taizong made a decision," Han Ping breathed out, and said slowly, "He ordered people to lock the door of the warehouse tightly and not distribute a single grain of corn."

Everyone's expressions gradually became solemn and silent.

"From summer to autumn, the famine became more and more serious. It spread to 26 prefectures in Guanzhong, and even in Jian'an, the capital, there was a tragedy of cannibalism. The censors wrote letters one after another, almost weeping every word, but even so However, Emperor Taizong still ignored them in the palace. At first, there were some private porridge factories for relief, but they gradually couldn't support them and closed down one after another. By the end of October, half of the people had starved to death in this famine. Then, when the early winter was approaching, Emperor Taizong suddenly issued an edict, ordering all the state governments to do their best to help the victims, and even reduced the rations in the palace by half, and distributed them to the hungry people around the capital. The great scholar Mingxiu at that time It is written in the notes that on the day when the grain warehouse was opened, countless refugees came from all over the world, holding the distributed rice grains and shouting to the sky, "Holy Son of Heaven's kindness", and exchanging tears."

When he said this, he looked at the crowd and said calmly: "Also, half of the people died of starvation, but Emperor Taizong was called the 'Holy Son of Heaven'. This is Taizong's brilliance, and it is also the most indescribable emperor's mind."

Wen Zhi, who was sitting opposite him, shuddered slightly. He had always heard that Taizong's affairs were all upright, and he never thought that even a person like Emperor Taizong would have such a trick in his heart.

Li Yushan was also horrified by this story, and couldn't help but said: "Emperor Taizong has always been called 'Ming Jun through the ages', and even he behaved like this, so what exactly are the people in the eyes of the emperor?"

Han Ping resumed his game, shook his head and said, "The ancients said that the sages are not benevolent, and treat the people as dogs. In my opinion, the emperor does not regard the people as dogs, but treats the people as fat."

"Fatty?" Someone was shocked.

"That's right, the tyrant expropriates and eats up the common people, using the common people as his nourishment. Mingjun rests and recuperates, the country is peaceful and the people are safe, it is for the stability of the country, so that future generations can enjoy more richness." Han Ping looked at the young literati who were dazed and pale, and smiled softly. , "It's too cruel to say such a truth at this time. But some of you will become famous ministers and scholars in the future. Before that, it's better to understand this truth earlier."

There was silence in the air for a while, only the faint whistling of wind and snow outside the window, and the rustling of clothes rubbing against each other, but it was Yang Yan, the chief seat, who got up and walked down, saying in a low voice, "You two haven't finished playing chess yet." Is it?"

Wen Zhi suddenly recovered, and looked at the chess board in panic: "I am not Mr. Han's opponent in this game, so there is no need to play." He turned his head to look at the dark sky outside the window again, "It's late, I should retire .”

When everyone left one by one, Yang Yan groped and sat down opposite Han Ping. He reached out and grabbed a sunspot from the chessboard, held it in his hand and rubbed it lightly. After a while, he smiled and said: "Lan Yuli It’s still time to go, one more step and you will have a big slant, and he must be unable to recover.”

Han Ping raised his eyebrows in surprise: "How did you know how the chess is going?"

"When you were playing chess just now, Liu Shitong was afraid that I would be too bored, so he told me step by step. I thought in my heart that you had a chance to win Lan Yu long ago, but you insisted on taking every step to force him in from all directions. This is the death situation, so you are willing to make a killer move." Yang Yan nodded and smiled, "It is true that you have always used all the tricks, and you will not give others a chance to take advantage of it."

Han Ping also laughed. He was silent for a moment, then raised his head and sighed softly: "I still remember the first time I saw you in this mansion."

"I also remember." Yang Yan nodded, "Sir asked me at that time, as the prince of the palace, do you want to succeed the throne and become King Mu in the future?"

"That's right, I asked the third son Yang Jue this question first, and he said categorically at that time that if he can't become King Mu, there is no point in living in this world."

Yang Yan said calmly: "The third brother has always been big-hearted, this is what he will say."

"But what surprised me the most was your answer, my lord." Han Ping closed his eyes slightly, and the pale and thin child from back then appeared in his mind, that young man who seemed timid and couldn't see.

"Let me ask sir, as a disciple of Prime Minister Wu Ya, do you want to become the second Prime Minister Wu Ya in the future?" Yang Yan smiled and said what he had said before.

Han Ping suddenly opened his eyes, his eyes were bright: "When I heard these words, I understood that the young master is the one I'm looking for." He pressed the chessboard and leaned forward slightly, as if he couldn't hold back Controlling the emotions in my heart, "You have already seen through it at that time, I don't want to be called the disciple of Prime Minister Wuya all my life, and I don't want to live under the light of the teacher forever, I can surpass him and do something that even surpasses him. You can’t even do it. The same is true for Young Master, you will not just be willing to inherit the mere title of King Mu, as Yushan said just now, you are a person who stands on the top of the mountain, leaning over and looking far away, you should see the world.”

"Since then, I have made up my mind to help the young master wholeheartedly. No matter how long and rough the road is, I will never turn back. I thought it might be ten or twenty years, but I didn't expect it would only be seven years." , Young Master is only one step away from the supreme seat."

"Is there only one step left?" Yang Yan asked in a low voice.

Han Ping nodded heavily, and he pointed to the chessboard: "Just like in this game, Your Highness holds the black, while the opposite white piece is trapped in three ways. His breath is exhausted, and there is no other way but to throw the piece."

"Appreciate further details."

Han Ping rearranged his clothes and bowed respectfully. What he did was the ceremony of a monarch and his ministers: "Since your Highness reported his illness, the government has frequently revealed shortcomings. They even filled their own pockets. Dazhao’s national policy was originally to rule the world with light, but now the government is muddled and filthy. The officials of various ministries are grateful for His Highness’s kindness, and do not want to be driven by incompetent people. For half a year, because His Highness refused to return to the court, it was almost to the point where the superior order could not be issued. Even the aristocratic clans who had previously had a rift with His Highness often expressed emotion, saying that the court is already "nothing can be done without the King Mu". Now, the courtiers About three or four out of ten people are unwilling to attach themselves to His Highness, and half of them are people who follow others and are afraid of power. In this way, only one out of ten people will never bow to His Highness due to changes in the political situation in the future." He smiled. , Picking out a few besieged white pieces, "These people are abandoned, and they will definitely be eliminated in the future, so it's not a pity."

"Not to mention the generals, the Ministry of War is now under the control of the nobles of the Eastern Hu, and His Highness is the Lord of the Eastern Hu. He can dispatch hundreds of thousands of troops on the border in a short time, and now even the elite left and right guards in the capital are under the control of His Highness. In his hand, there is also General Wei from the Forbidden Army..."

Hearing this, Yang Yan suddenly reached out to stop Han Ping's words. He shook his head and said, "Mr. Han, Wei Changxuan has never been in this chess game."

Han Ping was taken aback for a moment. He saw Yang Yan's expression was extremely serious, and he understood it. He nodded and said, "Forget it, the imperial army is weak, just like a decoration, and this situation has nothing to do with them." He tapped his knuckles Tapping the chessboard lightly, he lowered his voice, "All the civil and military affairs of the Manchu Dynasty are under control, but if Your Highness wants to take power over the country, there is still the most critical step."

"What is it?"

"People's hearts." Han Ping spit out these two words slowly, "If you don't have the people's hearts, even if you win the throne by strong means, you will definitely be accused of treason. Those who refuse to bow their heads in the court can be killed, and the world is at stake. mouth is inexhaustible."

"Does Mr. Han have any good ideas?"

"Actually, the previous disaster relief work has won the hearts of the people for His Highness, but it is not enough. Now that the political situation in Dazhao is stable, although Emperor Yong'an is incompetent, he has no reason to abdicate." Han calmed down, "Your Highness, what we need is A chaos, a disaster ten times crueler than the Yuezhou drought. Only in such a chaotic world, will the people of the world understand that useless people cannot be tolerated on the emperor's throne, and only His Highness can save the common people from all over the world. At that time, His Highness will be the people's aspiration, and he is recognized by the people as the Ming Lord, but Yang Jie has no choice but to abdicate. When His Highness takes the throne, we can build a new Dazhao on this decaying ruin , thus ushering in a new era.”

He stared into Yang Yan's eyes, and said in a low voice, "Your Master has been planning all this for a long time, right?"

Yang Yan was silent for a long time, something seemed to be rolling in his chest, and even the hand holding the chess piece was trembling, but in the end, he pressed the chess piece down heavily on the chessboard: "Then let's play."

The tenth year of Yong'an, the ninth day of March.

West Square, Linfeng Pavilion.

The owner of the tea mansion was sitting on the second floor by the window. There was a tall sycamore tree outside the window. When the breeze passed, the leaves fluttered softly into the tea mansion.The host holds a cigarette pole in his hand, and sings at the festival: the singing is late in the leisurely courtyard, looking at the sky in the distance, Hong Fei is far away without faith, and the flowing water is boundless.

Sitting opposite him was General Wei Changxuan of Huaihua, these days Wei Changxuan often came to the tea mansion to sit and chat with his master.The owner of the tea house seemed to know all about the affairs of the world, and his conversation was humorous, and the two of them got along very well without knowing it.

At this moment, Wei Changxuan was lowering his head to sip the tea soup in his cup, he could hear the sadness in the master's singing, and thought he had something on his mind.But at a glance, the owner's face was calm, and he was looking out the window obliquely, as if he was looking at something interesting.

Curious, Wei Changxuan also looked up to the sky, only to see a few dark brown shadows passing by in the air, and soon circled past.

"Does Mr. Wu like wild geese?"

Wu Ningqing nodded with a light smile: "The geese are spirits, these geese are going to fly north." A look of emotion appeared on his face, "I remember when I was young, I asked my father why the geese migrated. Father It is said that wild geese are afraid of the cold, so they fly to the south in autumn and winter for the winter, and return to the north in spring. I am even more puzzled, if the wild geese are afraid of the cold, why not stay in the south all the time, and save the hardship of trekking.”

He knocked the cigarette bag in his hand, then shook his head and said, "Father said that the home of wild geese is in the north, even if they fly to the south for the winter, they will eventually return. This is faith."

Wei Changxuan nodded with a half understanding.

"Speaking of how similar the lieutenant generals are to this wild goose," the master smiled while smoking a cigarette, "When there is no war, they rest idle in the capital city, but once the border war breaks out, they have to embark on a journey again, go to the defense, and even shroud their bodies in horse leather Also, this is the faith of the general.”

"So, there are indeed some similarities." Wei Changxuan smiled, "But right now, there is still a stable life to live."

The smile on the master's face faded slowly, he shook his head and said, "Not necessarily."

Wei Changxuan was a little puzzled: "Could it be that there is another news of foreign mobilization?"

"There is no news about the foreign race, but I heard something recently, which is very strange."

"What's the matter?"

"The defenders in Hexi and Anyang have all been dispatched, and have been transferred away from Panmen Pass and Yunxia Pass in succession."

Wei Changxuan was surprised: "Who dispatched them?"

The master smiled wryly: "General Wei thinks, who else can mobilize these two Donghu troops?"