Seiwa

After Geng Bingwen returned to Nanjing, he was cut off from all his posts without even seeing the emperor, leaving only the title of Marquis of Changxing idle at home.

If he hadn't been one of the only two founding generals of the Hongwu Dynasty, and was listed as a first-class hero by Zhu Yuanzhang, and his son married Princess Jiangdu, the daughter of the former prince Zhu Biao, he might not even be able to keep the title of Marquis of Changxing.

Emperor Jianwen suspected that Geng Bingwen was secretly colluding with his uncle, and put the veteran general who was good at fighting into the cabinet, and he never saw him, which was very different from when he personally sent him to fight.The people around the emperor naturally knew what was going on. Headed by Huang Zicheng, Zeng Fengshao and others, they began to criticize Geng Bingwen wantonly. To make him completely unable to turn over.

Everyone in the world knows how to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages. For a while, the Marquis of Changxing's mansion was deserted, and relatives who beat the autumn wind no longer came to the door.

Geng Bingwen has experienced strong winds and waves, and he has survived the wave of killing heroes in the Hongwu Dynasty, so why not be afraid of this bit of coldness in the world.Put your mind right, close the door of the house, drink tea all day long, plant flowers, weed and weed, and disappoint the people who are waiting to see the good show.

In private, Geng Bingwen also told his three sons that since the court did not dismiss their officials, they must work hard, not to be passive and sabotage, and not to feel dissatisfied with the emperor, let alone ask others to intercede for him.Princess Jiangdu wanted to enter the palace to say something nice to the emperor, but she was also stopped.

"It's rare to have such a leisurely life in a soldier's life. This old man can't wait for it."

Hearing these words, many people shook their heads, but Marquis Changxing also thought about it.

Those who are smarter, think about it deeply, and soon realize that this is not overthinking, it is clear that the old general is disheartened and completely disappointed in the emperor.

Although Meng Qinghe's countermeasures were good, they were not brilliant.If it were Zhu Yuanzhang or Zhu Di himself, neither Geng Bingwen would be recalled so easily, let alone Li Jinglong as the commander-in-chief of the three armies.

When sitting alone, Geng Bingwen often sighed, comparing the rebellion momentum of King Yan with the words and deeds of the emperor himself, how could there be such a big difference between the same descendants of Emperor Hongwu?

However, these have nothing to do with him now, so what's the use of thinking about them.

Knowing this, Geng Bingwen prevented his son and daughter-in-law from trying to intercede for him.

What's wrong with just retiring early?

In the city of Nanjing, most of the dignitaries and court officials are now walking around Changxing Marquis Mansion. They have to pass by the gate of Changxing Marquis Mansion. It is the same as the plaque bestowed by Emperor Gao himself.

Some people are exceptions, Xu Zengshou, the governor of the left, is one of them.

Others avoided the Geng family, but he wanted to get close to them.Taking advantage of his position, he made friends with Geng Bingwen's eldest son, Geng Xuan, the former military governor, and visited the Marquis of Changxing in person one day. Although Geng Bingwen avoided seeing him, the smile on Xu Zengshou's face never disappeared.

Fail once, twice, fail twice, three times.

Geng Bingwen had no other choice, he couldn't keep making excuses for being unwell, could he?

When we met, Xu Zengshou didn't say anything else, he only asked Geng Bingwen for advice on the art of war.

When Emperor Jianwen heard the return, his expression was solemn. He had long been dissatisfied with Xu Zengshou.At the beginning when he was asked whether the King of Yan would rebel, the Zuo Dudu responded perfunctorily with the attitude of lying to a three-year-old child. There have been remarks of sympathy for King Yan and dissatisfaction with the court.

Emperor Jianwen gritted his teeth, he couldn't deal with Geng Bingwen, and he couldn't deal with you? !

"Come on!"

Wang Jinghong has been promoted to the eunuch of the internal servant, serving beside Emperor Jianwen, and when he heard Emperor Jianwen calling for someone, he immediately bowed and walked into the hall with small steps.

"Slaves obey orders."

Emperor Jianwen was about to give an order, but suddenly hesitated.

To deal with Xu Zengshou, what charges should he be charged with?Because he sympathizes with King Yan, is he dissatisfied with the court?

The censor Kang Yu, who was clamoring to stop cutting the vassal before, is alive and well, so is it a bit inappropriate to attack Xu Zengshou?With the identity of King Yan's brother-in-law, will the courtiers think that he is taking the opportunity to take revenge?

Furthermore, Xu Zengshou was dealt with rashly, how should Wei Guogong explain it?

Emperor Jianwen paced in the hall with his hands behind his back.Wang Jinghong didn't hear Emperor Jianwen tell him to get up, so he could only keep bending at [-] degrees.Although it is required by the profession, I have received professional training before taking up the job. After a long time, my forehead began to sweat.

There is still a respectful expression on his face, but dissatisfaction is fermenting in his heart.

He lowered his eyes and didn't wipe the cold sweat from his forehead. The emperor really doesn't treat our family as human beings.

After a long time, Emperor Jianwen finally said, "Nothing, step down." It's not time to deal with Xu Zengshou, at least not now.

"The slaves obey."

Wang Jinghong didn't dare to show any dissatisfaction, but when he stepped back, he glanced at Emperor Jianwen out of the corner of his eye, wondering what the emperor was thinking just now, whether it was related to King Yan?If so, he should watch carefully.

In Wei Guogong's mansion, Xu Zengshou, who had just returned from Changxing Hou's mansion, was stopped by Xu Huizu.

"Come with me."

After saying three words, Xu Huizu turned around and left.

Xu Zengshou could only follow behind him. The two brothers walked into the study all the way. When the door was closed, Xu Huizu looked at Xu Zengshou with a frown that could kill a fly.

"Fourth brother, tell me the truth, are you in private contact with King Yan?"

Xu Zengshou's eyes flickered slightly, "So what if you have it, so what if you don't have it?"

"Don't forget, King Yan is a traitor!"

"Brother, don't forget, the eldest sister is Princess Yan." Xu Zengshou poked his neck, "Seriously speaking, our family is all relatives of rebels. According to the decree of Emperor Taizu Gao, we are counted among the nine clans."

Xu Huizu's face became even uglier.

Xu Zengshou patted his head again, "Speaking of which, the emperor is the nephew of King Yan, if this is a crime..."

"Shut up!" Xu Huizu's forehead popped up with blue veins, "How dare you say such rebellious words!"

"Well, I won't talk about the head office, right? Elder brother, you don't have to be angry." Xu Zengshou said, "Actually, elder brother asked me to come here for Marquis Changxing, right?"

Xu Huizu clenched his fists, "Be honest, is the impeachment of Marquis Changxing related to you?"

"Elder brother really thinks highly of younger brother. Did elder brother forget that younger brother has never spoken to Huang Hanlin, Zeng Yushi is not fake in front of elder brother, how can he have friendship with younger brother?"

Xu Huizu didn't speak, and the fierce aura on his body continued unabated.

Xu Zengshou was not afraid at all, he practiced and fought, and fought on the battlefield, his evil spirit was no less than Xu Huizu's.

The two brothers confronted each other for a long time in the study room, Xu Huizu sighed, with a desolate expression on his face, "Fourth brother, don't forget the word loyalty taught by father."

"Little brother, I dare not forget." Xu Zengshou said, "My father also taught me not to be a villain who follows others, sweeps the door, and is not recognized by his relatives. The Marquis of Changxing is an old friend with his father. The court only ordered the Marquis of Changxing to be idle, but did not punish him for his crimes. The younger brother only visits the door in the name of a junior to ask for advice on the art of war, and never talks about political affairs. I think the emperor knows everything about it, so why should you worry about it?"

"you……"

"If elder brother has nothing else to do, younger brother will leave first."

After finishing speaking, without waiting for Xu Huizu to say more, he opened the door and walked out.

A leader outside the door had no time to dodge, and was hit straight, with a slightly dodgy expression on his face.

Xu Zengshou made a sarcastic smile, and looked back at the study room, did the emperor really trust his elder brother?not necessarily!

Suddenly he kicked Chang Sui in the stomach, his expression changed, and just as he was about to turn around and run away, an extremely sharp dagger pierced his chest, and the sound of the blade cutting through flesh and bones was constantly amplifying in his ears , exceptionally clear.

Chang Sui's eyes widened, and blood gushed out of his mouth. He grabbed Xu Zengshou's tunic-collar uniform, and the tufted flowers embroidered on his chest and shoulders seemed to be a giant mouth that twisted and opened his fangs to rush at him.

Hearing the sound, Xu Huizu came out of the room, and saw a long tail lying on the ground. Xu Zengshou was taking out a silk handkerchief, wiping off the blood on the dagger, and throwing it on the ground casually.

"Xu Zengshou!"

No longer calling him fourth brother, it is obvious that Xu Huizu is really angry.

"Brother, why do you have to do this?" Xu Zengshou found a waist badge from his long body, and threw it at Xu Huizu's feet, "Don't tell me, brother, I really don't know who this person is."

Xu Huizu stared, it's troublesome just to know!

Xu Zengshou spread his hands and killed them all. He found a place to bury him, or tied a stone and sank him into the river. What could the person who sent him say?

"Brother, did you forget that Emperor Taizu Gao personally burned the Jinyiwei torture tools, Beizhen Fusi does not have the right to supervise all officials now." Xu Zengshou put the dagger away, "It is not us who should worry about the news .”

Xu Huizu didn't say much, he could only acquiesce to Xu Zengshou's words.

Kill them all, what else?

Loyalty is good, but Xu Zengshou is his own younger brother, and it's not true that he doesn't recognize his relatives!

What happened in Wei Guogong's mansion was soon put on Emperor Jianwen's desk.As Xu Zengshou said, this matter can only be left alone.When the trouble broke out, Emperor Jianwen was in even greater trouble, and the group of censors in the Metropolitan Procuratorate alone could annoy him to death.

However, Emperor Jianwen remembered Xu Zengshou again in his heart, and temporarily suppressed the order he was about to issue to Xu Huizu.

Whether Wei Guogong is really credible remains to be seen.

In mid-September, Li Jinglong set off from Nanjing and arrived in Dezhou by boat.

The army stayed in Dezhou for several days, constantly gathering the defeated troops who fled under Geng Bingwen's command, and the number of the whole army actually exceeded 50.

Under the praise of many generals, Li Jinglong's confidence increased greatly, and he quickly ordered to move from Dezhou and stationed in Hejian. He wanted to meet Zhu Di for a while.

As the saying goes, like things gather like people and people are divided into groups. Li Jinglong is an out-and-out dude, and the generals he relies on all naturally have the same kind of breath.The gold and jade are out of the way, and they are flattering and flattering, and they are like villains.

There are also generals in the army who look down on the commander in chief, and Qu Neng, the commander of the capital, is one of them.

Qu Neng once followed Lanyu to attack Xifan, and personally led an army to attack Yuelu Timur, the rebel chieftain of Jianchang, and smashed Shuanglangzhai, making great achievements in battle.Naturally, he doesn't like Li Jinglong, who can only talk about wars on paper.In private, he warned his son who went out with him to stay away from the group of people around Cao Guogong, otherwise he would serve him with army sticks.

Sheng Yong, who had the same impression as Qu Neng, was the former general under Geng Bingwen's command.

Geng Bingwen was recalled to Nanjing, the coach was replaced by Li Jinglong, and Sheng Yong and other generals were ordered to be under Li Jinglong's command.

But in just a few days, Sheng Yong saw through this handsome but full of idiots coach.Not to mention Geng Bingwen, Marquis of Changxing, even Pan Zhong, who was considered innocent by the Yan army, and Yang Song, who died very uselessly, were better than him!

But the coach was appointed by the emperor, so there is nothing he can do if he is dissatisfied.

People of insight such as Qu Neng and Sheng Yong can only keep their eyes wide open, hoping to find one or two shining points from this idiot Li Jinglong. After all, he is also the son of Hongwu General Li Wenzhong, isn't he?

What they found made them even more disappointed.

Idiots and cowardice are not counted, and the escaped general is no longer just a myth in the legend. The 50 army is destined to become a dish in front of King Yan, just waiting for him to see where to put his chopsticks.

If you use one sentence to describe Qu Neng and Sheng Yong's mood after discovering the truth, they can only hold hands and look at their tearful eyes, and they are speechless.

The news that Li Jinglong led the army to Hejian soon spread to Beiping.

Although he had been mentally prepared before, Yan Wang was still so happy that he could not close his mouth from ear to ear. While patting his thigh, he said, "Li Jiujiang is a lone opponent!"

In King Yan's view, Li Jinglong has no strategy and has an arrogant personality. He appoints a villain and refuses to listen to advice. He has never personally gone to the battlefield. .

History has proved that King Yan was right.

If it is said that Meng Shierang likes to cheat his opponents, Li Jinglong specializes in cheating his teammates, and the number of tricks may be even higher.Emperor Jianwen used Li Jinglong as his coach. He definitely dug a hole and jumped in, and then waited for King Yan to fill the hole with a shovel.

Monk Daoyan sat on the side, twirling the Buddhist beads with one hand, and waited until King Yan had had enough, before reminding him: "Li Jinglong is unbearable, but a 50 army is no joke. The prince has limited troops, so make plans early in the morning."

As soon as this remark came out, King Yan was immediately unhappy.

Yes, Li Jinglong is an idiot, but his 50 troops cannot be underestimated.

Even if it is 50 sheep, it is not easy to kill, not to mention that there may not be no available talents under the idiot's hands.

Zhu Di snapped his fingers at the army under his command. It was less than 20 at full strength, and he had to allocate an army to defend the frontier to defend Beiping. Only [-] could fight, one to five.

Sitting back on the chair, King Yan fell into deep thought.Even when the army rebelled, he did not forget to guard against his neighbors on the grassland.Competing with his nephew for the throne is an internal conflict. If a tartar sneaks in, even if he sits on the throne, he will have no face to see his father a hundred years later.

"The frontier army can't move lightly. After it's really taken down, I will order Gao Xu to garrison myself." King Yan knocked on the table, "I can't say, I want to go to Daning in person, and the seventeenth brother of the same guy will talk about the relationship between brothers." Affection."

Ever since Emperor Jianwen ordered the reduction of King Ning's guards, King Yan began to attack Duoyan Sanwei.Before, it was because Geng Bingwen was stationed in Zhending City, but now that Geng Bingwen had returned to Nanjing, Zhending City was at his fingertips. The commander of the imperial army was replaced by that idiot Li Jinglong, and his army was stretched again. It was time to act.

However, King Ning is not easy to get along with.King Yan and Emperor Jianwen have no pressure to challenge each other. If they want to touch King Ning's family, they have to think carefully about poaching the corners of their brothers.

"Once the prince leaves Beiping, the imperial army will definitely attack." Dao Yan said, "Is the prince prepared?"

King Yan smiled casually, "Why should the great monk be worried? With the strength of Beiping, he can't fight, but the defense is more than enough. If Li Jiujiang really led the army to come, it would save the trouble of being alone. We can take the opportunity to win Yongping and deter Liaodong."

"What the lord said is true." Dao Yan nodded, "The commander of the city guard, does the lord have something in mind?"

"Who does the great monk think can be the important task?"

"How is the son?"

King Yan frowned, "Your Majesty is not in good health, and he has never gone out with him, so he might not be able to convince the crowd."

"My lord," said the monk Daoyan, "except for the son, no one can take on this important task."

Dao Yan said so decisively that King Yan had to seriously consider it.

Aside from the fact that the eldest son appointed his generals as the coach, it is indeed a little unreasonable, and it is clear that he does not trust his son.Let Zhu Gaochi, who has never been on the battlefield, defend the city, Zhu Di is really not sure.Compared with Zhu Gaochi, he is more optimistic about Zhu Gaoxu's force value, but this is even more inappropriate.

Peiping is his foundation, once lost, everything will be irreversible.Without Peiping, can he become a bandit?

"Prince, the son is young, and there is also the princess."

Zhu Di's eyes suddenly brightened, yes, how could he forget about the princess?Thinking back to when Wei Guogong Xu Da trained troops in Beiping, the princess's martial arts skills were no less than those of his brothers, and she was also very insightful in the art of war and strategy.Although he has stopped wielding swords and swords these years, his skills have not dropped.King Yan rubbed the back of his neck, he was quite confident about this.

Monk Daoyan said again: "If you are in doubt during this trip, you can ask Meng Twelve Lang, under Commander Shen, for advice."

"he?"

"Indeed." Dao Yan nodded, "The poor monk sees that this son is extraordinary, he has a lot of strategies and should be of great use."

After the discussion was completed, King Yan went to see the princess in person, and sent someone to invite the prince.

Hearing that his father entrusted him with the important task of guarding Beiping, Zhu Gaochi could hardly believe his ears, his cheeks flushed with excitement.Zhu Gaosui on the side was still a little confused, but Zhu Gaoxu was very jealous.How could such a good thing not happen to him?

Thinking about it, Zhu Gaoxu also understands that even if he is not the eldest son, the coach will not be him.

In fact, it is said that the son is defending the city, but it should be the monk Daoyan who is behind the scenes to make suggestions, and it is the concubine, the mother and concubine of the three brothers, who plays the role of the magic needle for calming the sea.

Zhu Gaochi patted his chest and promised that he would guard the city and wait for his father to return.Excited, he also said the unlucky words "If the city is alive and the people are there, the city is dead and the people are dead".

King Yan stared, and Zhu Gaochi also realized that he had said something wrong, and looked at his father a little trembling.

The concubine said at this time: "My lord, my son is not good at words, but his intentions are good. I will do everything I can to help my son keep Beiping and wait for my prince's triumphant return."

Concubine Yan's expression was not too excited, and her tone was very calm, as if Zhu Di left, it was nothing more than a normal thing for their mother and son to face hundreds of thousands of troops alone.

It is this kind of Concubine Yan, the future Empress Xu, that Zhu Di can trust, rely on, and rely on.

She is his wife, the mother of his children, and even more his relatives.

With age and hair, more than [-] years of ups and downs, Concubine Xu is to Zhu Di, just like Empress Ma is to Zhu Yuanzhang, deeply rooted in my heart and irreplaceable.

The next day, the King of Yan ordered troops in person, Zhang Yu and Zhu Neng were sent to the outskirts of Beiping, and He Shoufangkuan and others followed Zhu Di to Yongping.Yibin Li Rang and General Liang Ming of the Prince of Yan's Mansion helped the sons guard Beiping, and Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosui brothers followed Xu Zhong to Zhending.

Shen Xuan was ordered to lead the Yanshan guards to accompany Zhu Di. Meng Qinghe, who had just recovered, was handpicked by the King of Yan to command the Yanshan guards to enter and leave the king's account.

Although there is no real job assignment, Meng Qinghe's status in the Yan army is also rising.

It is said that monk Daoyan personally recommended him to King Yan.Meng Qinghe still couldn't figure out, what did this great monk who did not follow common sense see in him?

Soon, Meng Qinghe was invited by Monk Daoyan. The great monk looked at Meng Twelve Lang with a suspicious face, and smiled very kindly, "Meng Qianshi is willing to be the apprentice of the poor monk?"

Meng Qinghe: "..."

He remembered that Zheng He, the future navigator, was Dao Yan's apprentice, his master was a monk, and his brothers were eunuchs. It's better not to join such a sect.

Even if he is destined to die, he is not interested.

"Thank you Buddha for your kindness, Meng Mou should not be favored by Buddha."

"You don't need to rush to refuse Meng Qian, you can reply to the poor monk when you return to Beiping the next day."

Dao Yan proclaimed the Buddha's name and became more and more "superior".

Meng Qinghe withdrew from the wing room, heard the sound of chanting scriptures from the door, stood in front of the door for a while, shook his head, such a monk was really rare in his life.

In late September, the defense of Beiping was finally ready. More enemy towers were built at the top of the city, and the interior of the city wall was also simply remodeled. The blueprints that Meng Qinghe handed over to Zhu Gaochi played a big role.

A large number of tiger squatting cannons were cast. According to intelligence, Li Jinglong's army is equipped with a large number of firearms, which will pose no small threat when attacking the city.These tiger crouching guns will be another layer of protection for the defenders in the city.You can't do it against the bomb, and the defense can also play a role when the enemy is attacking.

Perhaps it was an addiction to anti-planning, and when Shen Xuan learned that King Yan planned to capture Yongping, Meng Qinghe once again made a suggestion, writing letters to the two guards of Yongping, praising Wu Gao who is good at strategy and cautious, Write as intimately as possible, slander Yang Wen, who is ambitious and mediocre, and greet his whole family in the letter, it will be more effective.

"I have heard that Yang Wen has been dissatisfied with Wu Gao for a long time, and the exchange of letters has been quite effective."

It doesn't matter even if the two of them don't fall for the trick, there is no loss to Yan Jun.

"Good!" King Yan patted Shen Xuan's shoulder, "This is a great plan!"

Meng Qinghe stood aside, well, to praise his immediate boss is also to affirm his work, and this immediate boss is Shen Xuan, so it feels good.

The result was better than what Meng Qinghe had imagined. Not only did Yang Wen fall into the trap, but he also sent people to send the evidence of Wu Gao's collusion with King Yan to the court.

First there was Geng Bingwen, Marquis of Changxing, and then Wu Gao, Marquis of Jiangyin. Emperor Jianwen was furious, and immediately cut Wu Gao's title and exiled him to Guangxi to reform through labor.

Wu Gao was exiled, King Liao was summoned to Nanjing, Yongping, the gate of Liaodong, only left Yang Wen to garrison, King Yan was not in a hurry, and only sent Tan Yuan to lead troops to approach, and when he came back with borrowed troops from Daning, he could kill with one fell swoop. .

At that time, Liaodong will be in his hands, and then he will "convince" King Ning that three important towns in northern Xinjiang will be in his hands, and the source of soldiers, food and wages will be settled together. He should really thank his good nephew.

If the King of Liao hadn't left the fief, countermeasures might not be feasible.His brothers in the north are all smarter than his nephew.

After solving Yongping's problem, King Yan was in a good mood, and turned to Daning.

In the evening, it rained heavily, and the army set up camp on the spot.

After returning from the camp tour, Meng Qinghe was led into Shen Xuan's tent again.

Standing in front of Commander Shen with his bedroll in his arms, Meng Twelve Lang wanted to ask what was going on.

Commander Shen looked at Meng Qian's affairs with a natural expression and a firm tone, "From today onwards, you will stay in my tent, and you are not allowed to collapse with others."

Meng Twelve Lang was tongue-tied and instantly petrified.

He must have a fever again, otherwise how could he have such auditory hallucinations.