after being kidnapped by the general
Chapter 127
After passing the Hulao Pass, it is not far from Luoyang.
A few days later, Yuan Li brought the army to Luoyang.
After arriving in Luoyang, Yuan Li was quite surprised.
Because there is another army stationed in Luoyang, the flag is still King Chen's army.
After arriving at the palace, Zheng Rong, Wu Kai and others stayed outside the palace.Together with Lu He, Yuan Li took Yang Zhongfa and several generals who had been officially conferred official positions by the court to the palace to meet the emperor.
Xiao Huangmen, who led the way, wanted to curry favor with them, and whispered the recent events in Luoyang one by one.
It turned out that when they attacked Yanji in Yuanli, King Chen made a detour to Luoyang by taking advantage of Li Li's lack of soldiers behind him.When Li Li fled, he wanted to take the emperor with him, but when he learned that King Chen was coming, he had to leave the emperor and escape alone.
King Chen brought the emperor back to the palace and accompanied him day and night.After Li Li escaped, the two emperor uncles Qin Pei and Qin Meng also entered the palace, but the emperor already trusted King Chen very much, and he was a little unfamiliar with the two emperor uncles.
Lu He was very angry, and said in a strange way: "I'm afraid Chen Liu has the same idea as Li Li. He didn't use any effort, and he just wanted to take credit for saving him? He even tricked the emperor into relying on him so much. I want to bring the emperor back to the south."
Xiao Huangmen was so frightened that he trembled all over and dared not say a word.
Yuan Li frowned.
No wonder he never saw King Chen's shadow.It turned out that Chen Wang directly gave up the credit for killing Li Li, and turned to win the emperor's favor.
Before Yuanli left Youzhou, Liu Jixin and Guo Mao offered a plan to Yuanli.
This strategy is to coerce the emperor to order the princes like Li Li.
After killing Li Li and winning the battle, Yuanli and Chu Hechao won the admiration and praise of the people all over the world, and then welcomed the emperor to Youzhou as loyal ministers, and from then on, in the name of the emperor, he calmed down the war in the world.
Li Li has used his personal experience to tell the princes from all walks of life that this method is extremely useful.
Especially in Yuanli, when they killed the thieves, the reputation of loyalty would spread all over the world. Even if they ruled the emperor like Li Li, no one would dare to call them traitors.
For now, this is the best way for Yuanli and Chu Hechao.
Yuanli knew that this method was easy to use, but he didn't really want to welcome the emperor back to Youzhou.
It is much more convenient to do things with the emperor, but only saying that there is an emperor on his own territory, even if it is only the emperor in name, makes Yuanli very uncomfortable.
Especially his systematic name is "a generation of famous officials".
The words "a generation of famous ministers" weigh heavily on Yuanli like a mountain.
He has the experience of two lifetimes and has an extraordinary system.In this life, I have gritted my teeth and studied martial arts since I was a child, and never let go of any opportunity to stand out. I want to live well in the troubled times and make a difference.
Become a little ant that can't be crushed to death by more powerful people.
Yuan Li still remembers how his father bowed his knees to find a way out for him, and how his mother Chen begged her mother clan for him.
Since coming to Youzhou, Yuanli has not slack off at all.He knew that he had a bad family background, and his relationship with Chu Palace was extremely embarrassing, so he worked very hard.He made Youzhou rich, barren fields fertile, the soldiers fed and clothed warmly, and the horses fed majestic and majestic.
Is all of this just to be a courtier of someone else?
Yuanli felt a little dazed.
He kept telling himself, trying to convince himself that "a generation of famous ministers" is already at its peak, if that's not enough, what else do you want to do?
There are tens of thousands of talents in each dynasty, and it is already a legend to be able to achieve such a level from a poor family.Yuanli, you can't be dissatisfied.
So whose servant should he be?
Is it the emperor who is just over 15 years old now, or Chu Hechao, or the world-famous King Chen?Or other princes?
If he really welcomes the emperor back to Youzhou, he will use the name of the emperor to pacify the war in the world, and it seems that he has also achieved what the system calls "a generation of famous ministers"...
but……
Yuan Li paused, suppressing his slight irritability.He sighed silently, thinking to himself, let's see how the emperor's conduct is.
The emperor had already been waiting in the main hall, and when he saw Yuan Li and the others coming in, the emperor said nervously before he finished his salute: "Please get up quickly, you meritorious officials don't need to be too polite."
Several people took advantage of the situation and stood up, and Yuanli also saw the appearance of the emperor.
The emperor's name is Qin Yan, and his appearance is still a little immature, which is not important.The important thing is that after seeing them, the Son of Heaven shrank obviously. He shrank back, looking as if he was afraid.
Yuanli couldn't help feeling disappointed.
Is this the kind of person I will enshrine as the Lord?
There are not only the Son of Heaven in the hall, but also King Chen, Qin Pei, and Qin Meng's relatives.
At this time, Qin Pei, Qin Meng and Qin Meng stood on the right side of the hall with black faces, while Chen Wang stood on the left side of the hall.Chen Wang is a middle-aged man in his 40s.He is thin, upright and dignified, with narrow eyes and long beard, and a kind smile on his face.
Seeing the emperor's timid appearance, he comforted him in a gentle voice, "Your Majesty, these are all great heroes who have made great contributions to you, and they are your loyal ministers. You don't have to be afraid, you should reward them."
The emperor nodded quickly, "Reward, of course!"
The King of Chen said again: "Your Majesty, first give the meritorious officials a seat."
The Son of Heaven nodded obediently, and said, "Quickly grant seats to all your lords."
Qin Pei snorted coldly, "Prince Chen, His Majesty knows what to do, and you don't need to intervene."
As soon as he saw the emperor's uncle confronting Chen Wang, the emperor averted his eyes and subconsciously glanced at Chen Wang.
Yang Zhongfa frowned and shook his head inwardly.
Such a son of heaven is like a fat sheep in the eyes of the princes, not to mention stabilizing the world, it is a great blessing that he can survive well.
Forced to take the throne at the age of 12, Li Li dominated him for three years. Li Li obviously didn't treat the emperor very well, so he raised the emperor's timid and timid appearance, and made the emperor trust a king with a different surname more than the emperor's uncle and the king with a different surname. .
Qin Pei and Qin Meng were obviously also angry and distressed by this, but the more they persecuted, the more magnanimous King Chen appeared, and the more the emperor favored King Chen.
Such an emperor, if he really returned to the south with King Chen, he would be eaten to the bone by King Chen sooner or later.
After everyone sat down, the emperor looked around and asked dryly where Chu Hechao had gone.
Yuan Li got up and replied with a smile: "The general heard that Li Li had escaped from Luoyang, so he led his troops to pursue Li Li. After the general captures Li Li, he will rush back to Luoyang as soon as possible."
His smile is really gentle, and he can easily let go of people's defenses when he smiles.When the Son of Heaven saw him, he felt a lot of goodwill, and the shrinking look on his face became less, and he nodded cautiously, "I am very pleased with the hard work the General has done."
"It was not hard work for us to save the Son of Heaven from the fire and water," Yuan Li said sincerely, "it is our negligence and incompetence that caused His Majesty to suffer from Li Li's misfortune for many years. We are already very grateful if Your Majesty can not pursue it. "
When the emperor heard this, his eyes were so moved, "Yuan governor..."
Qin Pei snorted again, "Although the general is not here, the governor of Yuan Dynasty can also be the master of Youzhou. Now that the people are all together, let's take advantage of this to discuss important issues. Luoyang has suffered from war for a long time, and the city walls and fields have been destroyed. If it doesn't work out, the emperor and all the officials will naturally not be able to stay in Luoyang. Let's talk about where we should welcome the emperor."
Chen Wang stroked his beard, and said kindly, "Where the emperor should go, it's up to you and me to decide, it's up to the emperor to decide."
"The emperor is still young, and I'm afraid he will be bullied by treacherous officials. It's best for me to discuss it later," Qin Meng continued coldly, "Brother Pei and I are both uncles of the emperor, so Yuzhou and Yizhou are naturally the most suitable. The emperor is here, and the emperor stays between our two states, so we can rest assured."
"That's right," Qin Pei nodded, looking at the emperor expectantly, "Is the emperor willing to come to these two states?"
If Yuanli is the Son of Heaven, he must choose Qin Pei or Qin Meng among all the people.After all, these two are both members of the Qin royal family, and they are the emperor's uncles. In terms of emotion and reason, they will be more dedicated than others. Even if they become ambitious, they will not harm the emperor.
But the emperor hesitated, and in the end he just reluctantly said: "Please ask the emperor to let me think about it..."
Qin Pei and Qin Meng couldn't help showing disappointment on their faces.
The emperor dodged his gaze, and said again: "I'm a little tired..."
Chen Wang stood up thoughtfully and said, "Since the Son of Heaven is tired, let's take our leave too."
Everyone saluted and retreated, but Yuan Li remained motionless, "I still have something to report to the emperor, please let the emperor stay with me for a quarter of an hour."
The emperor hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
Chen Wang glanced at Yuanli from the corner of his eye, and walked out of the hall slowly.
Yuan Li turned his head and nodded to Yang Zhongfa, and Yang Zhongfa followed Lu He and others to retreat.
Soon, only Yuanli and Tianzi were left in the hall.
The Son of Heaven coughed his throat, pulled himself together and asked, "What does Governor Yuan want to tell me?"
Yuan Li unhurriedly explained the process of attacking Li Li all the way.
The emperor was like listening to a story, his expression became more and more excited, and when he heard Yan Yu's tragic death, he even blushed and shouted: "Okay!"
Yuan Li smiled wryly in his heart.
The emperor was still a half-grown child, even though he intentionally said that many people suffered and were forcibly dragged into the battlefield to serve as human shields, the emperor didn't care, and was only immersed in the joy of victory.
Yuan Li's voice changed, and he began to talk about the changes in Youzhou over the years. Finally, he saluted and said with a smile: "The appearance of Youzhou has changed a lot. If His Majesty can come to Youzhou, the ministers and others will be very happy. "
The emperor liked the governor of Yuan very much, but after hearing Yuan Li's words, he showed hesitation, "This..."
"Your Majesty already has a place you like?" Yuan Li said, "If Your Majesty has a place he wants to go to, I will naturally not stop it. But I am really worried about whether this place is safe. If Your Majesty is willing, can you secretly tell Yuchen about this place?" I swear, I will never say the first half of it to others."
The emperor was moved by what he said, looked around, and quietly hooked his fingers towards Yuanli, as if guilty of a thief, "Yuan Governor, come here."
Yuan Li stepped forward quickly, and bent down cooperatively to listen to the emperor's "whispering words".
The emperor lowered his voice and said, "I want to go to King Chen's territory."
Yuanli asked unchanged, "Why?"
"King Chen said that the land of Yangzhou is very rich." The emperor's tone was full of longing and regret, "Yuan Cishi, it's not that I don't like you and the two uncles, it's just that Yuzhou and Yizhou are not as rich as Yangzhou... Youzhou Even more remote and desolate..."
Hearing this reason, Yuan Li's smile stagnated, and then slowly restrained.
The voice of the Son of Heaven also became lower and lower, and he said a little uneasy: "Inspector Yuan, did I say something wrong?"
Because Yangzhou is rich and honored, the emperor chose Yangzhou.
Putting this reason on the emperor is really ridiculous.
Rationally, Yuanli knows that as a 15-year-old boy, there is nothing wrong with wanting to live in the more affluent south, and there is nothing wrong with liking prosperity.But emotionally, Yuanli felt a little ironic.
His disappointment with the emperor has reached rock bottom.
Yuan Li smiled again, but there was no smile in his eyes, "Your Majesty did not say anything wrong, Yangzhou is indeed a prosperous place."
The emperor nodded repeatedly, rejoicing, "The governor of Yuan also thinks that I made the right choice, right?"
Yuan Li pulled his lips and nodded.
He didn't care where the emperor was going now, Yuanli and the emperor said a few more words before leaving.
The emperor was still a little reluctant to give up on him, "In the past few days in Luoyang, the governor of Yuan Dynasty can come to talk to me more often."
Yuan Li responded and walked out of the hall completely.
Outside the main hall, only Yang Zhongfa, Lu He and others were left waiting for him.
Yuan Li walked towards them step by step, looking around the Luoyang Palace.
magnificent.
It is really magnificent and magnificent.
In the afterglow of the yellow, it is like gleaming gold.
It is such a golden light, but how many moths have been bred abruptly, and how many people's ambitions have been nourished.
The setting sun in Yuanli's eyes jumped, burned, and finally sank into the shadows.He walked up to Yang Zhongfa and the others, and said lightly, "Let's go."
On the way, Lu He tentatively asked Yuanli what he had said to the emperor, and whether the emperor was going to move to Youzhou.Yuan Li didn't answer at all, just perfunctory in a few words.
When they got out of the palace gate, they saw that many princes who were waiting in Hanoi County had already rushed over. After seeing Yuan Li and Lu He, they dismounted enthusiastically and walked over, congratulating them continuously on their victory.
Yuan Li knew why and asked authentically: "Why do you all come to Luoyang?"
Several princes showed more or less embarrassed expressions.The words of coming over to share a piece of the pie must never be uttered, and this group of people kept saying "for the sake of the emperor" and "I am afraid that you will not attack Li Li enough, so you will bring troops here to help."
The words can be as righteous as they are, Lu He said sarcastically: "The words are so nice now, when you were asked to raise food and grass, you were very unwilling."
"Inspector Lu is wrong. Isn't it because we don't have much food and grass?" Someone laughed and said, "But in the end, we also supported you with food and grass, so you have nothing to say."
Lu He snorted coldly, but was speechless.
These princes still wanted to meet the emperor, but after learning that the emperor was tired, they had to regretfully let go of the idea of going to the palace to meet the emperor, and dispersed in twos and threes.
Yuan Li wanted to take a look at Luoyang City, so he invited Lu He together, "Master Lu has lived in Liangzhou for a long time, so I'm afraid he has never been to Luoyang. Why don't you take this opportunity and walk around with me?"
Lu He thought the same, how could he not visit Luoyang after a rare visit?He happily walked with him.
On the way, Lu He also scolded the other princes in Tong Yuanli, "These people are really people who are trying to gain fame and reputation. They say it nicely, but they didn't do anything. Seeing them rushing over to share the credit, I was angry in my heart. Li Li and Yan Yu were killed by you, the General, and I, Lord Yuan, and the soldiers from Youzhou and Liangzhou were the ones who contributed, so what's the matter with them?!"
Yuan Li sighed and persuaded: "After all, they raised food and grass for us."
"Oh," Lu He sneered twice, and said disdainfully, "Master Yuan, do you really think that these people really worked so hard to raise these grains for us?"
Yuan Li frowned, "What do you mean?"
"Master Yuan, you don't know something," Lu He shook his head, "That group of people came half a month earlier than you. When they were in Jiyin County, they didn't dare to beat Li Li, so they ate, drank and had fun together. But what they brought Grain and grass cannot withstand such artificiality, so the food and grass for eating, drinking and having fun on weekdays are forcibly expropriated from the people in the surrounding counties."
Yuan Li stopped abruptly, his pupils dilated, and said in disbelief: "What did you say?!"
Lu He sneered and said, "I don't even need to think about it, I just know that they are reluctant to give us their own grain and grass. The grain and grass we used in the war must be the grain and grass they forcibly collected in Hanoi County."
Yuan Li only felt that his breathing became heavy.The setting sun was sinking slowly, and the house cast a shadow, covering Yuanli's whole being.
The coldness hit from head to toe, Yuan Li's voice was terribly low, "It turned out to be like this, it turned out to be like this... Why didn't you tell me before?"
Lu He said nonchalantly: "Why do you need to talk about such trivial matters? As long as we have food and grass to eat, it doesn't matter where they collected the food. Master Yuan, do you think this makes sense?"
Yuan Li clenched his fists slowly and did not speak.
Zheng Rong couldn't help frowning, "Wouldn't the people who were deprived of food starve to death?"
"Let's starve to death," Lu He said indifferently, "In today's world, are there still few people who starve to death?"
Zheng Rong had nothing to refute, because he knew what Lu He said was right.
After staying in the stable environment of Youzhou for a long time, he had forgotten how chaotic it was outside of Youzhou.
People starve to death in peaceful and prosperous times, let alone in troubled times?
Yang Zhongfa walked to Yuan Li's side, and said worriedly, "Master Yuan?"
Yuanli still didn't speak.
After a long time, he shook his head mockingly and took a step forward.
These princes shouted to raise troops for the world, but they just retreated to snatch the living food of the people to eat, drink and have fun.
It is said that they are rebels, but they are like rebels like Bai Mizhong.
Regardless of the life and death of the people, he only cares about his own life and dreams.This is the reality, and this is the princes who are sought after.
And he Yuanli, would he be a courtier to such a person?
Yuanli thought sarcastically.
Why should he be a courtier to these people?
"A famous official of a generation", whose official will he become?
No human voice could be heard in Luoyang city.
It's only been four years since Yuanli left Luoyang.I left that year and came back at the age of 22.But Luoyang City has changed a lot.
The prosperous Luoyang City has become an abandoned city.
There are ruins, the road is full of ruins and rotting corpses, and there is no living person.
The flames of war made this ancient city half-dead, and there were signs of damage and burning everywhere in the eyes, the stench was pervasive, and there were many corners that were emitting thick smoke from the fire.
In just four short years, the miserable appearance of Luoyang City shocked everyone, and they couldn't even believe it.
"This is Luoyang, the capital of the empire," Zheng Rong murmured as he looked at the miserable scene, "How did it become like this..."
Dilapidated, incomplete, like dead and rotten wood.
It is hard to imagine that this was the capital of the Northern Zhou Dynasty that lasted for 300 years.
Lu He was also surprised and angry, "How did my Northern Zhou capital become like this!"
Yuanli was very calm, even a little abnormally calm.He looked from left to right inch by inch, taking all these tragedies into his eyes.
The more he looked, the colder his expression became, and the darker his eyes became.
The restlessness in my heart is becoming more and more difficult to suppress.
They walked through the broken tiles and ruins little by little. The tall city walls in the past became desolate and desolate, and the streets where people came and went were deserted.The houses on the side of the road were pitch black, there was no sound of people, and the doors were wide open.
There used to be a million people in Luoyang, but now they either fled or died, and some were conscripted into the army by Li Li... At a glance, there are only a few tens of thousands of people left.
What a terrible and cruel comparison that a million people have become only a few tens of thousands.
The tip of Yuanli's nose was filled with all kinds of burnt and stenchy pungent smells. Sewage, corpses, stumps...all of them beat his heart heavily.
Wu Kai also lived in Luoyang for a while, and his eyes were red.
As I was walking, I heard a loud noise.Yuan Li came back to his senses, and walked over quickly first, turned a corner, and saw two soldiers dragging a woman forcibly, speaking obscenities.
The woman was crying, her face was covered with black ashes, but she could still see her delicate face.
Her husband died by the door, and only the young child was left holding on to the door frame and watching the mother weeping with her mouth open, "Mother..."
Like the last straw that broke the camel's back, Yuan Li felt an unprecedented burning of anger, which burned his internal organs with burning pain. He fixedly looked at the two soldiers, the fire in his eyes was broken. Kai dignifiedly said, "Wu Kai, go and kill those two soldiers."
Wu Kai responded immediately, and was about to walk over, waving a big knife.Lu He hurriedly stopped him, and looked at Yuan Li incredulously, "Master Yuan, can't you see whose army this is?"
"I can tell," Yuan Li said grimly, "Who else can have an army in Luoyang other than King Chen's?"
"Since you know, why do you still do this?" Lu He was really puzzled, and even felt a little absurd, "You don't want to conflict with King Chen over such a trivial matter."
Yuan Li smiled briefly, "A trivial matter?"
Lu He suddenly realized and persuaded: "Yes, you have never led soldiers before, and you don't know the rules of the army. After several months of marching, the soldiers must have a time to let them vent their anger. Not only do they need gold and silver treasures, but also There are women, these are trophies that can keep them safe. Only after they have vented can they be safe."
As he spoke, Lu He whispered, "Otherwise, there will be a mutiny."
A black air pressure was in Yuan Li's heart, Yuan Li exhaled hot air, he opened his mouth, and said mockingly: "You and King Chen's army will be like this?"
Lu He said as a matter of course: "Who in the world has an army that is not like this?"
Yuan Li laughed outright.
Yuanli could restrain the behavior of the soldiers with strict military laws and generous salaries and salaries, so that they would not plunder the people or trample on the farmland, but obviously, others would not spend as much thought and money to control the army as he did.
They don't care what soldiers want to do, what they will do.The military disasters were caused by these people, and their soldiers fought only for looting and spoils.
What is said for the country and the people, for the righteousness of the world, for the life and death of the people, but in the end they are more greedy than locusts, and the people are all killed by them.
The emperor doesn't care about the people, he just wants to live in a rich place.
Officials don't care about the people, they only care about the reputation and power in their hands.
And what about these princes?What about celebrities?What about people who are famous all over the world?
Their benevolence and righteousness are superficial. They are careerists and politicians, but none of them are philanthropists.
Philanthropists cannot survive in troubled times.
The people are just rafts in their mouths. They always talk about the people and the world in their mouths, but what they do is to step on the bones of the people and use greedy desires to grab everything under the world that can be taken as their own. .
Rulers do not empathize with the people.
No one wants to lower their heads, bend down, and really look at the ants crawling on the ground, to see how hard the people are in troubled times.
This is the case with scholars, this is the case with powerful families, and this is the case with the emperor.
The procuratorial system monopolizes the opportunity for ordinary people to become officials and academics. People will always be people when they are born, and the children and grandchildren of ants will always be ants, and there is no chance of turning over.
Who can give them a chance to stand up?
No one is willing to give.
In this era, no one is willing to break this monopoly.No scholar is willing to pour resources from top to bottom.
The fire in Yuanli's heart was burning more and more.
He suddenly stopped laughing, and looked coldly at the soldiers who bullied the woman, "Wu Kai, kill them."
Wu Kai pushed Lu He away and stepped forward with his sword drawn.The two soldiers who were pulling the woman were stunned by the cold light, and they looked over in horror, "Who are you? What are you going to do! We are King Chen's army!"
Without saying a word, Wu Kai directly chopped off the heads of the two people.
The head rolled on the ground, blood spurted out, and the woman's terrified cry pierced the sky.
The child was also frightened and cried, and the woman with weak legs crawled over to hold the child against the wall, looking at Wu Kai tremblingly and full of horror.
Yuan Li walked over, and the woman turned to look at him in fear.
Yuan Li smiled subconsciously, and reached out to touch the child's hair.
But the woman protected the child, pressed the child's head tightly in her arms, looked at Yuan Li in horror, and extremely rejected Yuan Li's approaching hand.
The way she looked at Yuanli was the same as when she looked at the two soldiers who tried to rape her just now.
Scared, terrified, broken.
I don't want Yuanli to get any closer.
Yuanli stopped his hands.
The blood on the ground slowly snaked to his shoes.
He withdrew his hand and slowly straightened up.
The remaining glow in the sky has completely disappeared.
Dark clouds enveloped the entire Luoyang City, and darkness covered everyone's heads.
Yuan Li looked up at the sky.
The fire in his eyes danced, was shaken violently by the wind, and finally burned blazingly.
Thoughts that had appeared in the depths of my heart a long, long time ago resurfaced again.
This time it was never clear.
The emperor can't do it, and neither can the other princes.
Chu Mingfeng couldn't do it.
King Chen couldn't do it either.
But I can do it.
From the son of the county magistrate to the governor of the two states, I made Youzhou a paradise in troubled times.
Only I can do it.
If I can……
If only I could have more power.
If I can lead the rebel army.
If only I could have the right to speak.
If, if I can...
——If I can become emperor.
... Can I become the emperor?
I can be emperor.
[The system of a generation of famous ministers has been activated. 】
[The system has been updated, the update progress is 1%, 5%, 80%... The update is complete. 】
[The system of a generation of famous ministers has been updated to the emperor's cultivation system. 】
【Emperor cultivation system has been activated. 】
[Reward: The world is peaceful, Haiyan and Heqing. 】
A few days later, Yuan Li brought the army to Luoyang.
After arriving in Luoyang, Yuan Li was quite surprised.
Because there is another army stationed in Luoyang, the flag is still King Chen's army.
After arriving at the palace, Zheng Rong, Wu Kai and others stayed outside the palace.Together with Lu He, Yuan Li took Yang Zhongfa and several generals who had been officially conferred official positions by the court to the palace to meet the emperor.
Xiao Huangmen, who led the way, wanted to curry favor with them, and whispered the recent events in Luoyang one by one.
It turned out that when they attacked Yanji in Yuanli, King Chen made a detour to Luoyang by taking advantage of Li Li's lack of soldiers behind him.When Li Li fled, he wanted to take the emperor with him, but when he learned that King Chen was coming, he had to leave the emperor and escape alone.
King Chen brought the emperor back to the palace and accompanied him day and night.After Li Li escaped, the two emperor uncles Qin Pei and Qin Meng also entered the palace, but the emperor already trusted King Chen very much, and he was a little unfamiliar with the two emperor uncles.
Lu He was very angry, and said in a strange way: "I'm afraid Chen Liu has the same idea as Li Li. He didn't use any effort, and he just wanted to take credit for saving him? He even tricked the emperor into relying on him so much. I want to bring the emperor back to the south."
Xiao Huangmen was so frightened that he trembled all over and dared not say a word.
Yuan Li frowned.
No wonder he never saw King Chen's shadow.It turned out that Chen Wang directly gave up the credit for killing Li Li, and turned to win the emperor's favor.
Before Yuanli left Youzhou, Liu Jixin and Guo Mao offered a plan to Yuanli.
This strategy is to coerce the emperor to order the princes like Li Li.
After killing Li Li and winning the battle, Yuanli and Chu Hechao won the admiration and praise of the people all over the world, and then welcomed the emperor to Youzhou as loyal ministers, and from then on, in the name of the emperor, he calmed down the war in the world.
Li Li has used his personal experience to tell the princes from all walks of life that this method is extremely useful.
Especially in Yuanli, when they killed the thieves, the reputation of loyalty would spread all over the world. Even if they ruled the emperor like Li Li, no one would dare to call them traitors.
For now, this is the best way for Yuanli and Chu Hechao.
Yuanli knew that this method was easy to use, but he didn't really want to welcome the emperor back to Youzhou.
It is much more convenient to do things with the emperor, but only saying that there is an emperor on his own territory, even if it is only the emperor in name, makes Yuanli very uncomfortable.
Especially his systematic name is "a generation of famous officials".
The words "a generation of famous ministers" weigh heavily on Yuanli like a mountain.
He has the experience of two lifetimes and has an extraordinary system.In this life, I have gritted my teeth and studied martial arts since I was a child, and never let go of any opportunity to stand out. I want to live well in the troubled times and make a difference.
Become a little ant that can't be crushed to death by more powerful people.
Yuan Li still remembers how his father bowed his knees to find a way out for him, and how his mother Chen begged her mother clan for him.
Since coming to Youzhou, Yuanli has not slack off at all.He knew that he had a bad family background, and his relationship with Chu Palace was extremely embarrassing, so he worked very hard.He made Youzhou rich, barren fields fertile, the soldiers fed and clothed warmly, and the horses fed majestic and majestic.
Is all of this just to be a courtier of someone else?
Yuanli felt a little dazed.
He kept telling himself, trying to convince himself that "a generation of famous ministers" is already at its peak, if that's not enough, what else do you want to do?
There are tens of thousands of talents in each dynasty, and it is already a legend to be able to achieve such a level from a poor family.Yuanli, you can't be dissatisfied.
So whose servant should he be?
Is it the emperor who is just over 15 years old now, or Chu Hechao, or the world-famous King Chen?Or other princes?
If he really welcomes the emperor back to Youzhou, he will use the name of the emperor to pacify the war in the world, and it seems that he has also achieved what the system calls "a generation of famous ministers"...
but……
Yuan Li paused, suppressing his slight irritability.He sighed silently, thinking to himself, let's see how the emperor's conduct is.
The emperor had already been waiting in the main hall, and when he saw Yuan Li and the others coming in, the emperor said nervously before he finished his salute: "Please get up quickly, you meritorious officials don't need to be too polite."
Several people took advantage of the situation and stood up, and Yuanli also saw the appearance of the emperor.
The emperor's name is Qin Yan, and his appearance is still a little immature, which is not important.The important thing is that after seeing them, the Son of Heaven shrank obviously. He shrank back, looking as if he was afraid.
Yuanli couldn't help feeling disappointed.
Is this the kind of person I will enshrine as the Lord?
There are not only the Son of Heaven in the hall, but also King Chen, Qin Pei, and Qin Meng's relatives.
At this time, Qin Pei, Qin Meng and Qin Meng stood on the right side of the hall with black faces, while Chen Wang stood on the left side of the hall.Chen Wang is a middle-aged man in his 40s.He is thin, upright and dignified, with narrow eyes and long beard, and a kind smile on his face.
Seeing the emperor's timid appearance, he comforted him in a gentle voice, "Your Majesty, these are all great heroes who have made great contributions to you, and they are your loyal ministers. You don't have to be afraid, you should reward them."
The emperor nodded quickly, "Reward, of course!"
The King of Chen said again: "Your Majesty, first give the meritorious officials a seat."
The Son of Heaven nodded obediently, and said, "Quickly grant seats to all your lords."
Qin Pei snorted coldly, "Prince Chen, His Majesty knows what to do, and you don't need to intervene."
As soon as he saw the emperor's uncle confronting Chen Wang, the emperor averted his eyes and subconsciously glanced at Chen Wang.
Yang Zhongfa frowned and shook his head inwardly.
Such a son of heaven is like a fat sheep in the eyes of the princes, not to mention stabilizing the world, it is a great blessing that he can survive well.
Forced to take the throne at the age of 12, Li Li dominated him for three years. Li Li obviously didn't treat the emperor very well, so he raised the emperor's timid and timid appearance, and made the emperor trust a king with a different surname more than the emperor's uncle and the king with a different surname. .
Qin Pei and Qin Meng were obviously also angry and distressed by this, but the more they persecuted, the more magnanimous King Chen appeared, and the more the emperor favored King Chen.
Such an emperor, if he really returned to the south with King Chen, he would be eaten to the bone by King Chen sooner or later.
After everyone sat down, the emperor looked around and asked dryly where Chu Hechao had gone.
Yuan Li got up and replied with a smile: "The general heard that Li Li had escaped from Luoyang, so he led his troops to pursue Li Li. After the general captures Li Li, he will rush back to Luoyang as soon as possible."
His smile is really gentle, and he can easily let go of people's defenses when he smiles.When the Son of Heaven saw him, he felt a lot of goodwill, and the shrinking look on his face became less, and he nodded cautiously, "I am very pleased with the hard work the General has done."
"It was not hard work for us to save the Son of Heaven from the fire and water," Yuan Li said sincerely, "it is our negligence and incompetence that caused His Majesty to suffer from Li Li's misfortune for many years. We are already very grateful if Your Majesty can not pursue it. "
When the emperor heard this, his eyes were so moved, "Yuan governor..."
Qin Pei snorted again, "Although the general is not here, the governor of Yuan Dynasty can also be the master of Youzhou. Now that the people are all together, let's take advantage of this to discuss important issues. Luoyang has suffered from war for a long time, and the city walls and fields have been destroyed. If it doesn't work out, the emperor and all the officials will naturally not be able to stay in Luoyang. Let's talk about where we should welcome the emperor."
Chen Wang stroked his beard, and said kindly, "Where the emperor should go, it's up to you and me to decide, it's up to the emperor to decide."
"The emperor is still young, and I'm afraid he will be bullied by treacherous officials. It's best for me to discuss it later," Qin Meng continued coldly, "Brother Pei and I are both uncles of the emperor, so Yuzhou and Yizhou are naturally the most suitable. The emperor is here, and the emperor stays between our two states, so we can rest assured."
"That's right," Qin Pei nodded, looking at the emperor expectantly, "Is the emperor willing to come to these two states?"
If Yuanli is the Son of Heaven, he must choose Qin Pei or Qin Meng among all the people.After all, these two are both members of the Qin royal family, and they are the emperor's uncles. In terms of emotion and reason, they will be more dedicated than others. Even if they become ambitious, they will not harm the emperor.
But the emperor hesitated, and in the end he just reluctantly said: "Please ask the emperor to let me think about it..."
Qin Pei and Qin Meng couldn't help showing disappointment on their faces.
The emperor dodged his gaze, and said again: "I'm a little tired..."
Chen Wang stood up thoughtfully and said, "Since the Son of Heaven is tired, let's take our leave too."
Everyone saluted and retreated, but Yuan Li remained motionless, "I still have something to report to the emperor, please let the emperor stay with me for a quarter of an hour."
The emperor hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
Chen Wang glanced at Yuanli from the corner of his eye, and walked out of the hall slowly.
Yuan Li turned his head and nodded to Yang Zhongfa, and Yang Zhongfa followed Lu He and others to retreat.
Soon, only Yuanli and Tianzi were left in the hall.
The Son of Heaven coughed his throat, pulled himself together and asked, "What does Governor Yuan want to tell me?"
Yuan Li unhurriedly explained the process of attacking Li Li all the way.
The emperor was like listening to a story, his expression became more and more excited, and when he heard Yan Yu's tragic death, he even blushed and shouted: "Okay!"
Yuan Li smiled wryly in his heart.
The emperor was still a half-grown child, even though he intentionally said that many people suffered and were forcibly dragged into the battlefield to serve as human shields, the emperor didn't care, and was only immersed in the joy of victory.
Yuan Li's voice changed, and he began to talk about the changes in Youzhou over the years. Finally, he saluted and said with a smile: "The appearance of Youzhou has changed a lot. If His Majesty can come to Youzhou, the ministers and others will be very happy. "
The emperor liked the governor of Yuan very much, but after hearing Yuan Li's words, he showed hesitation, "This..."
"Your Majesty already has a place you like?" Yuan Li said, "If Your Majesty has a place he wants to go to, I will naturally not stop it. But I am really worried about whether this place is safe. If Your Majesty is willing, can you secretly tell Yuchen about this place?" I swear, I will never say the first half of it to others."
The emperor was moved by what he said, looked around, and quietly hooked his fingers towards Yuanli, as if guilty of a thief, "Yuan Governor, come here."
Yuan Li stepped forward quickly, and bent down cooperatively to listen to the emperor's "whispering words".
The emperor lowered his voice and said, "I want to go to King Chen's territory."
Yuanli asked unchanged, "Why?"
"King Chen said that the land of Yangzhou is very rich." The emperor's tone was full of longing and regret, "Yuan Cishi, it's not that I don't like you and the two uncles, it's just that Yuzhou and Yizhou are not as rich as Yangzhou... Youzhou Even more remote and desolate..."
Hearing this reason, Yuan Li's smile stagnated, and then slowly restrained.
The voice of the Son of Heaven also became lower and lower, and he said a little uneasy: "Inspector Yuan, did I say something wrong?"
Because Yangzhou is rich and honored, the emperor chose Yangzhou.
Putting this reason on the emperor is really ridiculous.
Rationally, Yuanli knows that as a 15-year-old boy, there is nothing wrong with wanting to live in the more affluent south, and there is nothing wrong with liking prosperity.But emotionally, Yuanli felt a little ironic.
His disappointment with the emperor has reached rock bottom.
Yuan Li smiled again, but there was no smile in his eyes, "Your Majesty did not say anything wrong, Yangzhou is indeed a prosperous place."
The emperor nodded repeatedly, rejoicing, "The governor of Yuan also thinks that I made the right choice, right?"
Yuan Li pulled his lips and nodded.
He didn't care where the emperor was going now, Yuanli and the emperor said a few more words before leaving.
The emperor was still a little reluctant to give up on him, "In the past few days in Luoyang, the governor of Yuan Dynasty can come to talk to me more often."
Yuan Li responded and walked out of the hall completely.
Outside the main hall, only Yang Zhongfa, Lu He and others were left waiting for him.
Yuan Li walked towards them step by step, looking around the Luoyang Palace.
magnificent.
It is really magnificent and magnificent.
In the afterglow of the yellow, it is like gleaming gold.
It is such a golden light, but how many moths have been bred abruptly, and how many people's ambitions have been nourished.
The setting sun in Yuanli's eyes jumped, burned, and finally sank into the shadows.He walked up to Yang Zhongfa and the others, and said lightly, "Let's go."
On the way, Lu He tentatively asked Yuanli what he had said to the emperor, and whether the emperor was going to move to Youzhou.Yuan Li didn't answer at all, just perfunctory in a few words.
When they got out of the palace gate, they saw that many princes who were waiting in Hanoi County had already rushed over. After seeing Yuan Li and Lu He, they dismounted enthusiastically and walked over, congratulating them continuously on their victory.
Yuan Li knew why and asked authentically: "Why do you all come to Luoyang?"
Several princes showed more or less embarrassed expressions.The words of coming over to share a piece of the pie must never be uttered, and this group of people kept saying "for the sake of the emperor" and "I am afraid that you will not attack Li Li enough, so you will bring troops here to help."
The words can be as righteous as they are, Lu He said sarcastically: "The words are so nice now, when you were asked to raise food and grass, you were very unwilling."
"Inspector Lu is wrong. Isn't it because we don't have much food and grass?" Someone laughed and said, "But in the end, we also supported you with food and grass, so you have nothing to say."
Lu He snorted coldly, but was speechless.
These princes still wanted to meet the emperor, but after learning that the emperor was tired, they had to regretfully let go of the idea of going to the palace to meet the emperor, and dispersed in twos and threes.
Yuan Li wanted to take a look at Luoyang City, so he invited Lu He together, "Master Lu has lived in Liangzhou for a long time, so I'm afraid he has never been to Luoyang. Why don't you take this opportunity and walk around with me?"
Lu He thought the same, how could he not visit Luoyang after a rare visit?He happily walked with him.
On the way, Lu He also scolded the other princes in Tong Yuanli, "These people are really people who are trying to gain fame and reputation. They say it nicely, but they didn't do anything. Seeing them rushing over to share the credit, I was angry in my heart. Li Li and Yan Yu were killed by you, the General, and I, Lord Yuan, and the soldiers from Youzhou and Liangzhou were the ones who contributed, so what's the matter with them?!"
Yuan Li sighed and persuaded: "After all, they raised food and grass for us."
"Oh," Lu He sneered twice, and said disdainfully, "Master Yuan, do you really think that these people really worked so hard to raise these grains for us?"
Yuan Li frowned, "What do you mean?"
"Master Yuan, you don't know something," Lu He shook his head, "That group of people came half a month earlier than you. When they were in Jiyin County, they didn't dare to beat Li Li, so they ate, drank and had fun together. But what they brought Grain and grass cannot withstand such artificiality, so the food and grass for eating, drinking and having fun on weekdays are forcibly expropriated from the people in the surrounding counties."
Yuan Li stopped abruptly, his pupils dilated, and said in disbelief: "What did you say?!"
Lu He sneered and said, "I don't even need to think about it, I just know that they are reluctant to give us their own grain and grass. The grain and grass we used in the war must be the grain and grass they forcibly collected in Hanoi County."
Yuan Li only felt that his breathing became heavy.The setting sun was sinking slowly, and the house cast a shadow, covering Yuanli's whole being.
The coldness hit from head to toe, Yuan Li's voice was terribly low, "It turned out to be like this, it turned out to be like this... Why didn't you tell me before?"
Lu He said nonchalantly: "Why do you need to talk about such trivial matters? As long as we have food and grass to eat, it doesn't matter where they collected the food. Master Yuan, do you think this makes sense?"
Yuan Li clenched his fists slowly and did not speak.
Zheng Rong couldn't help frowning, "Wouldn't the people who were deprived of food starve to death?"
"Let's starve to death," Lu He said indifferently, "In today's world, are there still few people who starve to death?"
Zheng Rong had nothing to refute, because he knew what Lu He said was right.
After staying in the stable environment of Youzhou for a long time, he had forgotten how chaotic it was outside of Youzhou.
People starve to death in peaceful and prosperous times, let alone in troubled times?
Yang Zhongfa walked to Yuan Li's side, and said worriedly, "Master Yuan?"
Yuanli still didn't speak.
After a long time, he shook his head mockingly and took a step forward.
These princes shouted to raise troops for the world, but they just retreated to snatch the living food of the people to eat, drink and have fun.
It is said that they are rebels, but they are like rebels like Bai Mizhong.
Regardless of the life and death of the people, he only cares about his own life and dreams.This is the reality, and this is the princes who are sought after.
And he Yuanli, would he be a courtier to such a person?
Yuanli thought sarcastically.
Why should he be a courtier to these people?
"A famous official of a generation", whose official will he become?
No human voice could be heard in Luoyang city.
It's only been four years since Yuanli left Luoyang.I left that year and came back at the age of 22.But Luoyang City has changed a lot.
The prosperous Luoyang City has become an abandoned city.
There are ruins, the road is full of ruins and rotting corpses, and there is no living person.
The flames of war made this ancient city half-dead, and there were signs of damage and burning everywhere in the eyes, the stench was pervasive, and there were many corners that were emitting thick smoke from the fire.
In just four short years, the miserable appearance of Luoyang City shocked everyone, and they couldn't even believe it.
"This is Luoyang, the capital of the empire," Zheng Rong murmured as he looked at the miserable scene, "How did it become like this..."
Dilapidated, incomplete, like dead and rotten wood.
It is hard to imagine that this was the capital of the Northern Zhou Dynasty that lasted for 300 years.
Lu He was also surprised and angry, "How did my Northern Zhou capital become like this!"
Yuanli was very calm, even a little abnormally calm.He looked from left to right inch by inch, taking all these tragedies into his eyes.
The more he looked, the colder his expression became, and the darker his eyes became.
The restlessness in my heart is becoming more and more difficult to suppress.
They walked through the broken tiles and ruins little by little. The tall city walls in the past became desolate and desolate, and the streets where people came and went were deserted.The houses on the side of the road were pitch black, there was no sound of people, and the doors were wide open.
There used to be a million people in Luoyang, but now they either fled or died, and some were conscripted into the army by Li Li... At a glance, there are only a few tens of thousands of people left.
What a terrible and cruel comparison that a million people have become only a few tens of thousands.
The tip of Yuanli's nose was filled with all kinds of burnt and stenchy pungent smells. Sewage, corpses, stumps...all of them beat his heart heavily.
Wu Kai also lived in Luoyang for a while, and his eyes were red.
As I was walking, I heard a loud noise.Yuan Li came back to his senses, and walked over quickly first, turned a corner, and saw two soldiers dragging a woman forcibly, speaking obscenities.
The woman was crying, her face was covered with black ashes, but she could still see her delicate face.
Her husband died by the door, and only the young child was left holding on to the door frame and watching the mother weeping with her mouth open, "Mother..."
Like the last straw that broke the camel's back, Yuan Li felt an unprecedented burning of anger, which burned his internal organs with burning pain. He fixedly looked at the two soldiers, the fire in his eyes was broken. Kai dignifiedly said, "Wu Kai, go and kill those two soldiers."
Wu Kai responded immediately, and was about to walk over, waving a big knife.Lu He hurriedly stopped him, and looked at Yuan Li incredulously, "Master Yuan, can't you see whose army this is?"
"I can tell," Yuan Li said grimly, "Who else can have an army in Luoyang other than King Chen's?"
"Since you know, why do you still do this?" Lu He was really puzzled, and even felt a little absurd, "You don't want to conflict with King Chen over such a trivial matter."
Yuan Li smiled briefly, "A trivial matter?"
Lu He suddenly realized and persuaded: "Yes, you have never led soldiers before, and you don't know the rules of the army. After several months of marching, the soldiers must have a time to let them vent their anger. Not only do they need gold and silver treasures, but also There are women, these are trophies that can keep them safe. Only after they have vented can they be safe."
As he spoke, Lu He whispered, "Otherwise, there will be a mutiny."
A black air pressure was in Yuan Li's heart, Yuan Li exhaled hot air, he opened his mouth, and said mockingly: "You and King Chen's army will be like this?"
Lu He said as a matter of course: "Who in the world has an army that is not like this?"
Yuan Li laughed outright.
Yuanli could restrain the behavior of the soldiers with strict military laws and generous salaries and salaries, so that they would not plunder the people or trample on the farmland, but obviously, others would not spend as much thought and money to control the army as he did.
They don't care what soldiers want to do, what they will do.The military disasters were caused by these people, and their soldiers fought only for looting and spoils.
What is said for the country and the people, for the righteousness of the world, for the life and death of the people, but in the end they are more greedy than locusts, and the people are all killed by them.
The emperor doesn't care about the people, he just wants to live in a rich place.
Officials don't care about the people, they only care about the reputation and power in their hands.
And what about these princes?What about celebrities?What about people who are famous all over the world?
Their benevolence and righteousness are superficial. They are careerists and politicians, but none of them are philanthropists.
Philanthropists cannot survive in troubled times.
The people are just rafts in their mouths. They always talk about the people and the world in their mouths, but what they do is to step on the bones of the people and use greedy desires to grab everything under the world that can be taken as their own. .
Rulers do not empathize with the people.
No one wants to lower their heads, bend down, and really look at the ants crawling on the ground, to see how hard the people are in troubled times.
This is the case with scholars, this is the case with powerful families, and this is the case with the emperor.
The procuratorial system monopolizes the opportunity for ordinary people to become officials and academics. People will always be people when they are born, and the children and grandchildren of ants will always be ants, and there is no chance of turning over.
Who can give them a chance to stand up?
No one is willing to give.
In this era, no one is willing to break this monopoly.No scholar is willing to pour resources from top to bottom.
The fire in Yuanli's heart was burning more and more.
He suddenly stopped laughing, and looked coldly at the soldiers who bullied the woman, "Wu Kai, kill them."
Wu Kai pushed Lu He away and stepped forward with his sword drawn.The two soldiers who were pulling the woman were stunned by the cold light, and they looked over in horror, "Who are you? What are you going to do! We are King Chen's army!"
Without saying a word, Wu Kai directly chopped off the heads of the two people.
The head rolled on the ground, blood spurted out, and the woman's terrified cry pierced the sky.
The child was also frightened and cried, and the woman with weak legs crawled over to hold the child against the wall, looking at Wu Kai tremblingly and full of horror.
Yuan Li walked over, and the woman turned to look at him in fear.
Yuan Li smiled subconsciously, and reached out to touch the child's hair.
But the woman protected the child, pressed the child's head tightly in her arms, looked at Yuan Li in horror, and extremely rejected Yuan Li's approaching hand.
The way she looked at Yuanli was the same as when she looked at the two soldiers who tried to rape her just now.
Scared, terrified, broken.
I don't want Yuanli to get any closer.
Yuanli stopped his hands.
The blood on the ground slowly snaked to his shoes.
He withdrew his hand and slowly straightened up.
The remaining glow in the sky has completely disappeared.
Dark clouds enveloped the entire Luoyang City, and darkness covered everyone's heads.
Yuan Li looked up at the sky.
The fire in his eyes danced, was shaken violently by the wind, and finally burned blazingly.
Thoughts that had appeared in the depths of my heart a long, long time ago resurfaced again.
This time it was never clear.
The emperor can't do it, and neither can the other princes.
Chu Mingfeng couldn't do it.
King Chen couldn't do it either.
But I can do it.
From the son of the county magistrate to the governor of the two states, I made Youzhou a paradise in troubled times.
Only I can do it.
If I can……
If only I could have more power.
If I can lead the rebel army.
If only I could have the right to speak.
If, if I can...
——If I can become emperor.
... Can I become the emperor?
I can be emperor.
[The system of a generation of famous ministers has been activated. 】
[The system has been updated, the update progress is 1%, 5%, 80%... The update is complete. 】
[The system of a generation of famous ministers has been updated to the emperor's cultivation system. 】
【Emperor cultivation system has been activated. 】
[Reward: The world is peaceful, Haiyan and Heqing. 】
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